Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

“Ruri.” Lin Xiuyi said while pondering, “Call the police immediately and tell them everything you saw today, the time when Mrs. Arai returned, the van that brought her back, and what the driver looked like. Don’t hide a single word.”

"But..." Liuli hesitated, "What if I've made a mistake..."

“Whether there’s a mistake or not, the police will investigate,” Lin Xiuyi interrupted her. “Even if there is a mistake, it’s not your responsibility.”

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then Liuli's voice came through: "Okay, I'll call right away."

……

"How was it, Shuichi?"

Kogoro Mouri was so anxious he was wringing his hands, his face showing more anxiety than an ant on a hot pan.

"Could it really be Mrs. Arai... that... that?"

He couldn't bear to say those words out loud, so he stopped mid-sentence.

Murdering one's husband—these four words are too heavy; they are so heavy that just saying them makes one's heart tremble.

"do not know."

Lin Xiuyi shook her head, her gaze falling on the phone that had already been disconnected.
"Let's wait for the police investigation. We can only provide clues in these kinds of cases; we can't solve the case for the police."

"Should we go over and take a look?"

Orikasa Midori asked softly, her clear eyes filled with worry.
"When something like this happens, Senior Liuli must be scared... She's home alone, she's bound to overthink things."

Her words made Kogoro Mouri immediately look at Shuichi Hayashi, his eyes full of pleading.

Liuli is his girlfriend, so of course he wants to be by her side immediately after this happened.

"This..." Kogoro Mouri opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

"What will happen to the shop's business if we go there?" Eri Kisaki reminded her at the right time.

The girl's gaze swept over the izakaya, which was packed with people.

Indeed, it was peak business hours, and all the dozen or so tables were full of customers. Some were drinking and chatting, some were waiting for their food, and a few regulars were joking with Lin Xiuyi at the bar.

If they all leave now, or drive away the customers, they probably won't be able to open the shop again.

These regular customers come for their skills and service. If they are offended once, who will come again?

Lin Xiuyi glanced at the guests filling the room, then at the anxious Kogoro Mouri, and made a decision without hesitation.

"Kogoro, go and take a look."

Lin Xiuyi patted his good brother on the shoulder.

"Stay with Liuli and tell the police everything we saw during the day."

"Including the time when Mrs. Arai returned, the van that brought her back, the driver's appearance, and Mrs. Arai's unusual reaction when Ruri went to the Arai family."

"Leave the rest to the police to investigate. Don't do anything rash; just stay with her and put her mind at ease."

"it is good!"

Kogoro Mouri nodded immediately, ripped off his work clothes, threw them onto a chair, and hurriedly ran out.

“Should I also…” Eri Kisaki stood up and looked at Hideaki Hayashi.

Liuli is her best friend; the two have had an excellent relationship since childhood.

Although we have different life paths now, that friendship has never faded.

When something like this happened, she wanted to be by Ruri's side immediately. "With Kogoro here, that's enough." Lin Xiuyi smiled and shook his head. "That guy usually seems unreliable and carefree, like he doesn't care about anything."

"But when it really matters, he's still very reliable. With him by your side, Liuli, you don't need to worry."

He paused, then continued,
"As for us, we'll go find Liuli tomorrow morning."

"Please, glasses girl."

Yukiko chuckled from the side, a mischievous smile on her face.
"What are you doing over there when two young couples are together? Are you going to be a third wheel? To brighten up their private time? You're so inconsiderate."

Eri snorted, too lazy to pay attention to Nozomi, and walked back to the silver counter on her own.

She sat down again and picked up the book she hadn't finished reading, but her mind was clearly not on it.

"Tch." Yukiko made a face at Eri's back before continuing to greet the guests.

……

In the middle of the night, Lin Xiuyi had just fallen asleep when she was awakened by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

The thumping sound was particularly loud in the quiet night, like someone was banging on the door with their fist.

Lin Xiuyi groggily opened her eyes and glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table; it was 2:30 a.m.

Who would be knocking on the door so late?
He yawned, put on his coat, and dragged his slippers to the door.

Looking through the peephole, I saw Kogoro Mouri standing outside.

As soon as Lin Xiu opened the door, a gust of cold wind rushed in, making him shiver.
Kogoro Riku stood outside the door, looking exhausted, his hair disheveled, and his eye bags practically drooping to the ground.

"Have you told the police?" Lin Xiuyi asked casually as she stepped aside to let him into the house.

"I said it."

Kogoro Mouri walked in with a look of utter helplessness and slumped onto the sofa.

“But Ruri was clearly somewhat guilty. She always felt that Mrs. Arai was a good person. She was always so kind to her, bringing her snacks and fruit. She couldn’t be a bad person, much less do something like murdering her husband.”

"She kept repeating, 'What if I'm wrong? What if I've wronged an innocent person?'"

Lin Xiuyi sat down opposite him, rubbed her eyes, and tried to clear her mind.

"Whether Mrs. Arai was wronged or not, we'll know once the police catch the van driver."

He yawned, his voice lazy.
“That driver is the key. If we can find him, find out his relationship with Mrs. Arai, find out why he brought Mrs. Arai back this morning, and find out if he hit someone with his car last night, then everything will be clear.”

"Before this, no one needs to feel guilty or blame themselves."

"Liuli was simply telling the police what she had seen; that's a citizen's duty, not a crime."

“That’s true…” Kogoro Mouri sighed, “But you know Ruri’s personality. She’s always been soft-hearted. She’ll feel sad for a long time if she sees a cat or dog injured on the street.”

"How can she feel good about feeling like she might have harmed someone?"

Lin Xiuyi was silent for a moment, then nodded.

Of course he knew Liuli, that gentle and kind girl who would never have the heart to step on an ant since she was a child.

It's really tough on her to face this kind of situation now.

"Hey, I'm not going upstairs, I'll sleep on your sofa."

As Kogoro Mouri spoke, he lay down on the sofa, taking up most of it.
“Going back now will wake Mom. Her health has always been poor; if she's woken up in the middle of the night, she definitely won't be able to sleep and will be uncomfortable for a long time.” (End of Chapter)