Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

The tall, thin young man's face clearly showed a struggle. Although he was still saying, "This is not good..." and "It would be so embarrassing if we were discovered...", his body had already begun to quietly move closer to the bamboo wall with his friend.

Seeing that the two were about to repeat their mistakes and that they were likely to be discovered, leading to an extremely awkward situation, Lin Xiu could only cough helplessly, clear his throat, and raise his voice to say, "Ahem, the hot spring water is really good, it's very relaxing."

The sudden sound successfully attracted the attention of the two "colleagues".

The two young men were startled to realize that there were other people in the corner. They froze instantly, their faces showing embarrassment and awkwardness at being caught in the act.

After chuckling twice, they quickly retreated to the center of the pool like startled rabbits, maintaining a "safe" distance from Lin Xiuyi and the others, and dared not approach the bamboo wall again.

Having witnessed the entire process, Kogoro Mouri now seemed to have won some kind of victory, smiling with a smug and mischievous expression.

He nudged Lin Xiuyi with his shoulder and lowered his voice.
"See? I was right, wasn't I? Every man who comes in gets curious about what's going on next door and can't help but want to eavesdrop! It's a male instinct!"

Looking at Kogoro Mouri's "I am a prophet" face, Shuichi Hayashi could only shake his head helplessly and raise his hands in surrender.

"You're right, alright? Detective Mori."

Kogoro Mouri seemed quite pleased with the title of "Great Detective," a wide smile spreading across his face.
"By the way, when is the plum wine Hattori mentioned coming? It would be so relaxing to have a glass after soaking in the hot spring."

“We’re still minors,” Lin Xiuyi kindly reminded us, “It’s better if we don’t drink.”

"It's just plum wine," Kogoro Mori waved his hand dismissively. "It's pretty much the same as a beverage."

As the two were talking, Hattori Heizo walked in carrying a food box.
"Lin-kun, Mori-kun, let me introduce you. These are my classmates, Konoe Taishi and Maeda Yoto."

Hattori Heizo pointed to the fat and thin young men bathing in the tub and introduced them with a smile.

"These two, Hayashi Shuichi and Mouri Kogoro, are friends I met when I went to Tokyo before."

The two young men, one fat and one thin, greeted Lin Xiuyi and the other with some embarrassment, and the atmosphere quickly became lively.

Hattori Heizo opened the food box, which contained four cups of plum wine, several delicate side dishes, and steaming hot ochazuke (rice with tea).

"Come, come, try the plum wine brewed by the hotel. It's not very strong, so it's perfect to drink after soaking in the hot springs."

Hattori Heizo handed everyone a cup.
“We agreed to leave at seven o’clock, and we still have time, so let’s eat and chat.”

……

At the same time, at the exit of Osaka Station.

Eri Kisaki was bowing slightly to a young girl wearing a kimono.
"Ms. Ikenami, I'm so sorry, Shuichi and Kogoro couldn't arrive on time due to some unforeseen circumstances, and we're sorry to trouble you to come and pick us up in person."

Standing before her was Ikenami Shizuka, dressed in a light purple kimono, her hair styled in an elegant updo, a gentle smile on her face, and exuding the grace of a well-bred lady in every gesture.

“Miss Fei, you don’t need to be so polite.” Ikeba Shizuka waved her hand with a smile. “Lin-kun and Mori-kun were delayed because of their act of bravery. Such a thing is commendable, so why would I mind?”

Her assessment sounded quite objective, but the air of "understanding" about Hayashi Shuichi's personality in her words made both Eri and Yukiko subtly uncomfortable. *Tch, as if you know Shuichi so well…*

Eri Kisaki and Yukiko almost simultaneously curled their lips in their hearts, having the same thought.

However, as a future actress, Yukiko's ability to manage her expressions is top-notch. Although she was internally complaining, her face still maintained a flawless, apologetic, and sweet smile, without revealing any flaws.

Eri Kisaki's emotions are more easily written on her face. If you pay a little attention, you can spot a hint of displeasure in the depths of her beautiful eyes and the corners of her lips that are taut.

"Ikenami-neechan," Reiko looked up and tugged at Ikenami Shizuka's sleeve, "Shall we wait here for Onii-chan? He should be coming on the next train, right?"

Shizuka Ikenami bent down and gently patted Reiko's head: "I'm afraid that will be difficult. Tomorrow is the main day of the 400th anniversary celebration of Osaka Castle, and there are a lot of tourists coming from all over the country and even from abroad. Tickets are very scarce."

"The train tickets from Kyoto to Osaka for today should have been sold out long ago. Lin Jun and the others... will probably have a hard time making it tonight's train."

"Huh? What should we do then?" Midori Orikasa frowned in distress. "We can't get in touch with the seniors either. Could they have run into some trouble in Kyoto?"

"It's okay, everyone don't need to worry."

Ikeba Shizuka straightened up, a reassuring smile returning to her face, calming the slightly anxious crowd.
"Everyone, come with me to my house to settle down first. After Lin Jun and the others are settled, they will definitely try to contact us. The most likely way is to call my house. With you here, you can receive his messages as soon as possible."

The girls looked at each other and exchanged glances.

Given the current unclear situation, staying at the station and waiting idly is certainly not a solution.

They had no choice but to nod and accept the arrangement.

To welcome Lin Xiuyi and his group, Ikeba Shizuka had clearly made ample preparations, bringing two cars directly.

One of them was a black luxury sedan, driven by a middle-aged driver who was dressed in a neat uniform and had a serious expression.

The other car was a white imported sports car driven by Shizuka Ikemami herself, with smooth lines that made it look stylish and dynamic.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, when assigning seats, Shizuka Ikenami smiled and arranged for Eri, Yukiko, and Ruri to sit in the luxury car driven by the chauffeur, while she herself drove the sports car, carrying Reiko, Chikage Tomizawa, and Midori Orikasa.

What made Eri and Yukiko grit their teeth even more was that Shizuka Ikenami had specially arranged for Reiko to sit in the passenger seat.

Along the way, Ikeba Shizuka chatted casually with Reiko, but the conversation always subtly revolved around Hayashi Xiuyi.

What does he usually like to do? What are his special hobbies? Is he popular at school?

Sitting in the back seat, Chikage Tomizawa and Midori Orikasa exchanged a glance, both seeing understanding in each other's eyes.

This Miss Chibo is indeed harboring ulterior motives towards Lin Xiuyi; she's clearly using a roundabout approach to try and extract information from her sister. (End of Chapter)