Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

Mr. Zhu Fu was quite reasonable and knew that what Lin Xiuyi did tonight was actually a good thing for their family.

Therefore, he did not blame him for releasing the news and attracting Wai Shouyi, but expressed his gratitude repeatedly.

"Mr. Lin, if it weren't for you tonight, my family would probably..."

Mr. Zhu Fu choked up and couldn't continue speaking.

The terrifying scene from just now was still vivid in his mind: Wai Shouyi's frenzied swinging of the axe, his son's heart-wrenching cries, and Lin Xiuyi's fist falling from the sky—all these images flashed repeatedly through his mind.

Mr. Zhu Fu bowed deeply, his waist almost parallel to the ground.

"Please don't do this," Lin Xiuyi quickly supported his arm, "I just did what I was supposed to do."

Madam Zhufu brought over warm barley tea, her eyes still red-rimmed: "Mr. Lin, I really don't know how to thank you enough. If it weren't for your keen observation and noticing that something was wrong with Mr. Gaishu..."

Her voice trembled, and her hand was still shaking slightly as she handed over the teacup.

"Mom, Brother Xiuyi is really amazing!" Morobushi Kagemitsu looked up at Lin Xiuyi with his little face full of admiration. "He knocked down Uncle Gaishan in one go."

At this point, he pursed his lips, hesitating to speak further.

"Brother Xiuyi, Uncle Wai Shou, he..."

"You want to know how he will be punished, right?" Lin Xiuyi saw through Morofushi Kagemitsu's thoughts. "Don't worry, judging from his behavior just now, he really did suffer from a mental illness triggered by his daughter's death."

"The court will take this factor into consideration when making its judgment. He will likely spend the rest of his life in a mental hospital."

“A mental hospital is better than a prison, right?” Morofushi Kagemitsu breathed a sigh of relief. “After all, he’s Yuri’s father. Yuri used to say that although her father was strict, he would secretly buy her her favorite cherry blossom cakes.”

The little guy lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously picking at the door. "It's all because of Youli that he became like this."

Lin Xiuyi was silent for a moment, then raised her hand and patted his shoulder: "The fact that you think this way shows that you are a kind child, but kindness also has its limits, you know?"

"Yes!" Morofushi Kagemitsu nodded vigorously, his little face full of seriousness. "Just like Daddy said, being pitiful doesn't mean you can be forgiven."

"You all need to be more careful in the future,"

Lin Xiuyi abruptly changed the subject, turning her gaze to the Zhu Fu couple, her tone becoming serious.
"Keep an eye on news from the mental hospital. After all, it's not a prison, and there are bound to be oversights in its management. What if he manages to escape one day when no one is looking..."

He paused, looking at Mr. Morofushi's suddenly tense face, and continued.
“His obsession with his daughter is ingrained in Wai Shouyi’s bones, and he may very well come looking for you again.”

Mr. Morofushi's hand holding the teacup trembled suddenly, and a few drops of brown tea spilled out, leaving small stains on his dark pajamas.

"...I will pay attention."

He nodded with a wry smile, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes revealing an unyielding weariness.
"I'll go to the police station to ask about the follow-up treatment when it gets light."

Night had fallen, and Lin Xiuyi frowned as she looked out at the darkness.

Walking alone along the mountain path back to the village where Cao's family lived was tantamount to courting danger.

The mountain paths at night were not only rugged and difficult to traverse, but also fraught with the possibility of encountering wild animals. Moreover, he had barely slept a wink all night and was already utterly exhausted.

"Mr. Lin, if you don't mind, why don't you stay at my place for the night?"

Mr. Zhu Fu noticed his concerns and took the initiative to persuade him to stay.
“My eldest son, Morofushi Takaaki, has gone to the school’s summer camp, so the room is empty for the next couple of days.”

"Wouldn't this be too intrusive?" Lin Xiuyi hesitated.

"Don't say that, it's such a bother!" Madam Zhufu quickly waved her hand. "You're our family's savior, what's a little thing like this? I'll go make your bed right away." Unable to refuse, Lin Xiu had no choice but to agree.

The Zhu family of three, having survived the ordeal, were far from sleepy and gathered in the living room chatting.

On the contrary, Lin Xiuyi was already exhausted, both physically and mentally, after experiencing this series of setbacks.

Lying on Morofushi Takamatsu's bed, with a faint scent of books lingering around his nose, he soon fell into a deep sleep and even began to dream.

In my dream, there was the joyful frolicking of catching fish by the stream, the smell of disinfectant in the hospital, and Wai Shouyi's bloodshot eyes...

……

Early the next morning,

Lin Xiuyi was still in a hazy sleep when she was awakened by the noise coming from downstairs.

Faintly, one could hear familiar female voices arguing, mixed with the clear shouts of children.

He frowned, turned over, and was about to doze off again.

The door creaked open, and a small figure rushed to the bedside, pounced on him like a gust of wind.

"Well!"

Lin Xiuyi groaned as the sudden weight pressed down on him, instantly waking him up completely.

When he opened his eyes, he saw his little cousin Lingzi nestled against his chest, her twin ponytails buried in his neck, the strands of her hair tickling him.

"Onii-chan!" Reiko's muffled voice came through, with a strong nasal tone.

Just as Lin Xiuyi was about to speak, she saw two more people standing at the door.

Eri Kisaki was wearing an elegant dress, her arms crossed over her chest, her brows furrowed. Although she didn't speak, the anger in her eyes was almost overflowing.

Yukiko, standing beside him, wore a bright yellow dress, her lips pursed, but her eyes betrayed her concern.

"Onii-chan, you scared me to death!"

Lingzi looked up, her small face covered in tears, her eyes swollen and red like walnuts.

She stretched out her chubby little fist and gently punched Lin Xiuyi's chest.
"Last night, after Kogoro went back to the village, he said you were staying here to fight a mental patient. I...I..."

As the little girl spoke, tears began to fall again.

She pouted unhappily and punched her brother again, but the force was so light it was like a tickle.

"I was so worried, I didn't sleep well all night! You, on the other hand, slept like a log!"

Lin Xiuyi smiled helplessly, reached out and pinched his younger sister's chubby cheeks.

"Where did you get the idea that he's risking his life? Kogoro is exaggerating."

He glanced at Yukiko and Eri, who were standing not far away with stern faces, refusing to speak first. He quickly got off the bed, stood in place, and turned around to show them his situation.
"Look, as you can see, I'm perfectly fine, not injured at all."

"That Kogoro guy!" Eri Kisaki finally couldn't help but snort, her voice filled with suppressed anger. "He told us that you defended yourself with a knife, and that the other party chased you around with an axe!"

“I do have a small knife,” Lin Xiuyi said, pulling a folding knife from his pocket and shaking it. “But Kogoro insisted on giving it to me last night for self-defense when we parted ways. I haven’t even used it.” (End of Chapter)