Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

"...Oh, right,"

Yusaku Kudo spoke casually.
"Since it's a summer camp activity at Teitan High School, where is Ms. Fujimine Yukiko? She's also a student at Teitan High School, why isn't she participating? I remember she seemed quite interested in international exchange programs before."

Lin Xiuyi rolled his eyes inwardly, thinking, "I knew you weren't giving up on Yukiko yet."

“Yukiko’s first film had some problems because of Shizuka Horiuchi’s situation. Many scenes had to be reshot, so she stayed on set to reshoot her scenes and didn’t have time to attend summer camp.”

"Something went wrong? Is it serious?"

Yusaku Kudo immediately pressed for an answer, his tone tinged with urgency.

"I know quite a few people in the film and television industry. If you need help, I can..."

He was halfway through his sentence when he noticed Lin Xiuyi staring at him with a half-smile. Realizing he had gotten a little too excited, he quickly coughed to cover his embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, I just think that Ms. Yukiko has a lot of acting talent and I don't want her development to be hindered by these things."

"The trouble with that movie has been resolved," Lin Xiuyi said calmly. "Horiuchi Shizuka has been arrested, the director has readjusted the plot, and Yukiko's scenes have been mostly completed. Once filming is finished, we can wait for the movie to be released."

He didn't want Yusaku Kudo and Yukiko to have too much contact.

Although Yukiko has made it clear that she has no interest in Yusaku Kudo, who knows if this "great detective writer" will persist in pursuing her?

“I see,” Yusaku Kudo sighed softly, a hint of disappointment in his voice. “I’ve been buried in writing my new book at home lately and haven’t been paying much attention to what’s going on outside. If only I had known sooner…”

He wanted to say something more, but Lin Xiuyi interrupted him.

Lin Xiuyi really didn't want to talk about Yukiko anymore. Just then, he saw a flight attendant walking in the aisle, occasionally stopping to help passengers with their overhead luggage, so he casually changed the subject.

"Didn't you used to enjoy drawing portraits of passersby in the park to hone your observation skills?"

"Then tell me, how old is that flight attendant? Is she married? Does she have a boyfriend?"

"...Shuichi!"

Eri Kisaki angrily tugged at her childhood friend's arm.

"How can you talk about other people so casually? It's so impolite."

Kudo Yusaku didn't pay much attention; instead, he became interested.

He pushed up his glasses and carefully examined the flight attendant who was organizing her suitcase.

She wore a blue uniform skirt suit, her hair was neatly styled, and she wore delicate light makeup. Her movements were elegant and capable.

"Judging from her appearance, her skin is in very good condition, with no obvious wrinkles, so she should be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old."

Yusaku Kudo paused, his gaze lingering on the flight attendant's eyes and neck.

"However, judging from the fine lines around her eyes and the looseness of the skin on her neck, coupled with the heavy makeup on her face, it is probably to cover up her age, so her real age is probably around thirty years old."

As for whether or not they are married...

His gaze shifted to the flight attendant's left hand.
"She wasn't wearing a wedding ring on her left ring finger, and there were no marks from wearing a ring for a long time, so she's probably not married." He frowned slightly, his tone uncertain.

"As for whether she has a boyfriend... that's hard to say. She was wearing a work uniform, and her demeanor was very professional. She wasn't wearing any accessories with couple logos, such as couple bracelets or necklaces. Just by looking at her, it's really impossible to guess."

"That's not necessarily true." Lin Xiuyi smiled and shook her head, her tone certain. "If you ask me, there's a high chance she doesn't have a boyfriend."

Yusaku Kudo frowned in confusion: "Oh? What evidence do you have, Lin-kun? I just observed carefully and didn't find any clues."

Having worked in detective fiction writing for many years, he has always been keen on observing details and did not believe that Lin Xiuyi could see what he had not noticed.

Eri Kisaki also looked at Hideaki Hayashi with curiosity—she knew that Hideaki Hayashi had a strong ability to observe, and had found key clues many times in the past when solving cases based on details.

But this time it was just a flight attendant he didn't know. How could he be sure she didn't have a boyfriend?
Kudo Yusaku didn't ask any questions immediately. Instead, he waited for the flight attendant to come over, then stood up and pretended to tidy up his luggage. He chatted with her for a few minutes and quickly learned the general information about the flight attendant.

When they sat down again, Yusaku Kudo asked in confusion, "She really doesn't have a boyfriend, Lin-kun, how did you guess that?"

Lin Xiuyi smiled slightly, deliberately keeping everyone in suspense: "This is a secret method of physiognomy passed down in my family. The specific reasons cannot be told to outsiders."

Kudo Yusaku naturally didn't believe his empty promises, but he didn't press the matter further.

Eri looked at her childhood friend with curiosity. The two had grown up together since they were little, and the girl naturally knew where Lin Xiuyi got his secret fortune-telling method.

Even if it were true, his parents passed away more than ten years ago, so it wouldn't have been passed down.

……

The plane's engines roared steadily as it slowly ascended into the clouds. The city outside the window gradually shrank into a blurry dot, eventually being completely obscured by the thick clouds.

Some passengers had already leaned back in their seats and closed their eyes to rest, with only occasional chatter and soft inquiries from flight attendants breaking the tranquility.

Yusaku Kudo leaned back in his chair, but he wasn't sleepy at all.

His fingertips unconsciously traced the cover of the notebook, his brows furrowed slightly, his mind replaying his conversation with Lin Xiuyi.

He had carefully observed the flight attendant's wrists, handbag, and mannerisms, but he couldn't find any key clues to prove she was single.

What details did I overlook?
Or does Lin Xiuyi have a more unique perspective?
He even began to recall every movement of the flight attendant: the gestures she used when organizing her suitcase, the tone of her voice when answering questions...

After thinking it over and over, he still couldn't find a breakthrough. He could only sigh helplessly and look at Lin Xiuyi, who was sleeping soundly next to him, with his eyes full of doubt.

Lin Xiuyi paid no attention to Kudo Yusaku's dilemma. He adjusted his chair to a slightly reclined angle, rested his head on the soft headrest, crossed his hands on his abdomen, and quickly fell asleep.

He was kept up by Lingzi until the wee hours last night, and then got up early this morning to catch his flight. He was so sleepy that his eyelids were drooping, but now he can finally catch up on some sleep.

Eri Kisaki was also curious about how Hayashi Shuichi had determined that the flight attendant was single.

But seeing Lin Xiuyi sleeping soundly, she couldn't bear to disturb her, so she suppressed her curiosity and picked up her law books again to read them carefully.

Half an hour later, soft footsteps sounded in the cabin, and the flight attendant in the blue uniform began distributing drinks from a cart... (End of Chapter)