Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

“Shuiichi is just asking for trouble,” Ruri snorted. “Eri is his childhood friend. It would be so much better if he just stayed with her quietly. Why does he have to cause so much trouble?”

"Who says childhood sweethearts have to be together?"

Hiromi Yabuuchi immediately frowned and retorted.
"Relationships are all about mutual consent; there's no such thing as right or wrong."

"Childhood sweethearts who grew up together, understand each other's temperaments, know what the other likes and dislikes, shouldn't they be together?"

Liuli raised an eyebrow and asked in return, her voice rising a few decibels.
"It's better than those who suddenly appear out of nowhere!"

"The siblings grew up together, how can they possibly be together?"

Hiromi Yabuuchi scoffed disdainfully.
"When you spend a lot of time together, feelings can easily change. Most childhood sweethearts end up becoming family, so there's no longer any romantic feeling left."

"That's just making excuses!" Ruri glared at the other person angrily. "Kogoro and I are childhood friends. The feelings between us aren't just familial; they're genuine affection!"

"You guys are just lucky!"

Hiromi Yabuuchi met his gaze without backing down.

“You can’t apply your example to everyone. Yukiko is beautiful and has a lively personality. She and Shuichi were a perfect match when they were together. Why should Eri have to give in just because she’s his childhood friend?”

……

The two of them talked back and forth, their voices growing louder and louder, like two fighting roosters, neither willing to give in.

The air in the mountains seemed to become hot and humid from their argument, and even the birds on the branches were startled and flew away.

"Sigh, they're arguing again,"

Kogoro Mouri looked at his girlfriend's flushed face, sighed helplessly, and rubbed his aching temples.

He was used to this kind of scene. Whenever Ruri and Hiromi Yabuuchi met, they would often start arguing about Eri and Yukiko after only a few words.

“Yes,” Fukuda Hidekazu nodded helplessly, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, shook out two and handed them over, “Want one?”

Kogoro Mouri glanced at his girlfriend, who was still arguing, took the cigarette and put it in his mouth: "Give me one."

The lighter clicked and ignited a pale blue flame. The two leaned against a thick oak tree, puffing away.

White smoke rings rose slowly in the morning light, quickly dispersed by the mountain breeze.

The two boyfriends watched silently as their girlfriends argued heatedly over someone else's matter, their faces showing a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

Rei Furuya covered his nose to avoid the smell of smoke, and curled his lip in exasperation: "Are all women good at is arguing? They can argue for ages over the smallest thing. I just don't understand."

“The women in the village usually argue the most,” Shancun Cao nodded in deep agreement. “I don’t know where they get so many things to argue about.”

……

On the other side, Lin Xiuyi had eaten too much for breakfast, and her stomach felt heavy as if it contained a stone. With every step she took, she felt unbearably bloated and unknowingly fell behind the group.

Upon noticing this, Eri, Yukiko, and Reiko almost simultaneously slowed their pace and tacitly stayed by his side. However, the tension between the three girls did not dissipate with their slower pace; instead, it intensified like compressed explosives.

Yukiko walked on the far right, occasionally nudging Hayashi Shuichi's arm deliberately, a provocative smile playing on her lips.

Eri walked on the left, and although she didn't make any movements, she would cough lightly whenever Yukiko approached, signaling with her eyes to keep her distance.
Lingzi was caught in the middle, tightly clutching her brother's clothes, showing no sign of backing down in the face of the strong presence on both sides.

Lin Xiu looked at the three girls with a headache.

Now, in this desolate wilderness, far from any village or shop, there's no one to distract them.

"Shuichi, are you thirsty? I have some water here." Yukiko broke the silence first, took out a pink water bottle from her backpack and handed it to him. The bottle was printed with cute cartoon patterns.

"No need, I brought my own."

Just as Lin Xiuyi was about to refuse, Fei Yingli took out a dark blue thermos from her canvas bag, unscrewed the lid, and handed it to him.
"My water is warm, so it won't cause stomach aches."

“Me too!” Reiko immediately pulled a bear-shaped water bottle from her small backpack and held it up in front of Hayashi Shuichi. “Onii-chan, my water is sweet, I put honey in it.”

Lin Xiuyi looked at the three kettles handed to her and felt her head throb even more.

He was just about to find an excuse to refuse when Yukiko glared at Eri with displeasure: "Who knows if your water has been sitting for a long time? What if it's gone bad?"

“My water was just filled this morning, it’s much fresher than yours,” Eri retorted without backing down. “Besides, drinking too much cold water is bad for your stomach, especially since Shuichi has eaten so much.”

"How did you know this was cold water?" Yukiko snorted, unscrewed her water bottle, poured some water into her palm, and said, "Look, it's warm! I warmed it up by putting it in my clothes."

Seeing that Eri and Yukiko were about to argue again over the issue of drinking water, Hideaki Hayashi had a sudden idea.

He subtly observed the surroundings, and while the three girls were focused on each other, he deliberately led them off course and onto a side road.

This side road looks similar to the main road, only narrower, and the bushes on both sides are denser.

After walking for about ten minutes, Lin Xiuyi figured the time was about right, so he suddenly stopped and pretended to be panicked, slapping his thigh: "Oh no, we seem to be lost!"

"Lost? How could that be!" Yukiko was the first to disbelieve it. She frowned and looked around. "This road looks no different from the one we just took."

Eri Kisaki frowned and carefully observed the surrounding trees: "I don't think I've seen these trees before. I haven't seen any trees with red bark along the way."

"You must be mistaken," Yukiko still didn't believe it, looking around and shouting loudly, "Hiromi! Hidekazu! Where are you?"

Reiko also called out, "Kogoro-nii! Ruri-neechan!"

However, because Lin Xiuyi deliberately took the wrong path, they had completely lost their way from Mouri Kogoro and the others, so how could they call for help?

Only their shouts echoed through the forest, and after a long time there was no response.

Yukiko's smile vanished instantly, a flicker of panic crossing her eyes. She instinctively moved closer to Hayashi Shuichi: "W-why isn't anyone answering?"

Although Eri Kisaki tried her best to remain calm, her fingers gripping the thermos cup tightened unconsciously. "It's probably because we're too far away; the sound can't carry. Let's check our surroundings for any traces they've left." (End of Chapter)