Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

Lin Xiuyi watched the two girls leave, then looked back at Mouri Kogoro.

What does Mr. Arai do for a living?

Kogoro Mouri scratched his head, trying hard to recall the information he had heard from Ruri.

"It seems to be... the president of a small company. I didn't ask what kind of business he does, but Ruri said that his family is quite wealthy, they live in a detached house, and they drive nice cars."

He paused, then continued,
“Mr. Arai is quite busy with work, often traveling for business or attending social events, and sometimes he doesn’t come home for several days. So Mrs. Arai usually takes care of the children by herself.”

"Liuli said she worked very hard, but I never heard her complain. She was always smiling."

Lin Xiu nodded and silently memorized this information.

The combination of labels—company president, wealthy family background, and frequent absences from home—adds a layer of complexity to the whole affair.

"Has Mrs. Arai been acting strangely lately?" Lin Xiuyi continued to ask, "For example, has she been depressed, or suddenly changed her habits? Has Ruri mentioned anything?"

"This one……"

Kogoro Mouri scratched his head, his brow furrowing.

"Ruri didn't mention it. But she did say that Mrs. Arai is a very cheerful person, always smiling, and very warm to people. She probably doesn't have depression or anything like that, right?"

He thought for a moment, then added,
"By the way, Ruri said that Mrs. Arai especially likes to make sweets. She often researches new recipes and then gives them to the neighbors to try."

"That day when Liuli went to her house, she even said she would teach Liuli how to make a new kind of cake..."

Lin Xiuyi did not answer, but listened silently.

A cheerful young housewife with children and a family, a stable life, and good relationships with others. Suddenly disappears.

The husband only discovered when he returned home at noon that his daughter had been home alone for half a day without any warning.

There were no signs of a struggle or anything unusual in the house; the person simply vanished into thin air.

Based on his experience from his previous life, this situation is most likely not a voluntary disappearance.

If someone wants to leave, they will always leave some clues, pack their bags, prepare money, or at least leave a message for their family.

There was nothing there; they just disappeared like that, as if it were forced.

It's very likely that they've been kidnapped.

Lin Xiuyi's gaze deepened.

But he didn't voice these speculations; everything is still just conjecture, without any concrete evidence.

"How is Liuli now?" he asked, changing the subject.

"What else can we do? We're so anxious!"

Kogoro Mouri sighed, a look of heartache on his face.

"When I took her home, she was still crying and saying she wanted to keep looking, but I persuaded her to stop."

“It’s already dark. It’s not safe for a girl to be out alone. If something happens to her, then we’ll be really doomed.”

"I told her I'd accompany her to continue the search first thing tomorrow morning, and she reluctantly agreed to go home."

He looked up at his good brother, his eyes pleading for help.

"Shuichi, do you think... something might have happened? How could a perfectly healthy person just disappear like that?"

Lin Xiuyi was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "It's hard to say right now. But one thing is certain."

He paused, his gaze becoming deep, a look that made Kogoro Mouri's heart tighten.

"If it were just a simple case of someone getting lost, there should have been news by now. The fact that they haven't been found yet indicates that the situation is not simple."

Kogoro Mouri's expression grew even more serious.

He bit his lip and asked in a low voice, "Could it be a kidnapping?" "Very likely."

Lin Xiuyi did not deny it, and nodded slightly.
"However, if it is a kidnapping, at least Mrs. Arai is safe for the time being."

"The kidnappers' goal is money, not lives. Now, we just need to wait for them to contact us."

He had just finished speaking when the phone at the izakaya (Japanese pub) not far away suddenly rang.

Midori Orikasa was tidying up her things next to the bar when she heard the phone ring and quickly went over to answer it.

She said a few words, then nodded repeatedly, put down the microphone, and quickly ran over.

"Kogoro-senpai!" the girl's voice was urgent. "It's Ruri-senpai on the phone!"

"Liuli?"

Kogoro Mouri was startled and instinctively looked towards the phone.

"Go pick them up," Lin Xiuyi said, already having a guess in his mind, "It's probably because there's new information from the Arai family."

Kogoro Mouri quickly went over and picked up the microphone.

He responded with "uh-huh," his expression shifting from tension to surprise, and then from surprise to relief.

After chatting for a few minutes, he came back with a big smile on his face.

That smile made Lin Xiuyi frown slightly.

"It's alright now!"

Kogoro Mouri plopped back down on the stool and let out a long sigh of relief.
"The Arai family matter has been resolved!"

"Resolved?" Lin Xiuyi frowned slightly, repeating those two words. "Did Mrs. Arai go home?"

"Not yet."

Kogoro Mouri shook his head, but his smile remained bright.

"However, Ruri said that Mr. Arai just told her that Mrs. Arai called home."

"She had something urgent to attend to and went to a friend's house. She was too busy and forgot to call."

He picked up the now-cold oolong tea, took another sip, and his tone became much more relaxed.
"It turned out to be a misunderstanding, which made Liuli Bai and me worry all day."

"You know, Mrs. Arai is something else. Even if she's busy, she should at least call home. Her husband and children are waiting for her. She's been missing for a whole day. Who wouldn't be worried?"

He was halfway through his sentence when he noticed his friend still frowning, and the smile on his face gradually froze.

"What's wrong, Shuichi?" Kogoro Mouri asked, surprised. "What's with that expression? Isn't it good that the matter is resolved?"

Lin Xiuyi shook his head and slowly said, "I always felt it wasn't that simple."

"What do you mean?" Kogoro Mouri was stunned.

"That Mrs. Arai is a mother."

Lin Xiuyi spoke in a low voice, enunciating each word clearly.

"There's another child at home, about the same age as Lingzi. What kind of urgent matter could a mother be so worried that she can't take care of her child, doesn't go home for a whole day, and doesn't even make a phone call?"

He paused, then continued,
"Even if you're very busy, even if you go to a friend's house, just making a phone call to let your family know you're safe and not to worry is the most basic thing, right?"

"But she didn't. There was no news all day, until she made a phone call in the evening."

The smile on Kogoro Mouri's face vanished completely. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found himself speechless.

Lin Xiuyi's analysis is absolutely right; no mother would treat her child like that. (End of Chapter)