He's in Detective Conan, and he's the mastermind behind everything.

"Alright, in short, it's probably a bit difficult for you to go back to being Chikako Ikeda right now. For now, just stay with me." Hotaru smiled slightly. "The past is the past, it can't be retrieved. How about I give you a new name?"

Although he said that, he naturally didn't wait for Chikako's response and said the new name to himself.

"Qingliu Qiansu, what do you think?"

“Okay, I am Aoyagi Chiso.”

She answered without the slightest hesitation. From that moment on, or rather, from an hour earlier, Chikako Ikeda had already died.

The person standing in the rainy night now is a completely new person.

Some interesting ideas flashed through his mind. Ying Sheng looked towards Tokyo, the corners of his lips slightly upturned, and with a flick of his right wrist, the colorless thin blade reappeared in his hand.

"Aoyagi-kun, I need to perform a minor surgery on you. There will be no anesthesia, so it will probably hurt a lot. Can you bear it?"

“Okay,” said Aoyagi Chisuke.

"I'll try to be as quick as possible, Qian Su. Do you know anything about hypnosis?"

"Probably know."

Ying Sheng closed his eyes, and after a long while, he slowly opened them. Inside, there was a deep, dark darkness, even more profound than the night sky.

“Look into my eyes, Qian Su. Now, you need to embrace a new life.”

[Love Affection - 2, Use Skill: Unrequited Love!]

After an unknown amount of time, exhausted both physically and mentally, Ying Sheng turned back to continue his journey. Before long, another light came into view.

"Honestly, why are you only arriving now?"

At the entrance of the villa, Sonoko Suzuki stood with her hands on her hips, watching the figure emerge from the dark alley.

"Hehe, it's because your map is faulty, I almost got lost myself."

Ying Sheng wiped his hair, raised his eyebrows and smiled, and in the blink of an eye, the freshly soaked chicken became a noble young master in distress.

Do you have any spare clothes?

"I borrowed a set from Kyogoku-senpai. I'll take you to the back to change." Sonoko took a large black umbrella from the door, opened it, and stepped out into the rain. "Just to clarify, Ran was preparing food for you. I'm just here to wait for you on her behalf."

"Thank you so much, our Miss Suzuki is truly a kind and helpful person."

Hotaru didn't go under the umbrella; he simply gestured for her to walk ahead. Sonoko gave a soft snort and turned to leave.

Entering the bathroom through the back door, Ying Sheng poked her head out before closing the door: "Could you prepare a first-aid kit for me?"

Sonoko, who was about to turn around, frowned slightly: "Are you injured? Did you fall?"

"No, I just found an injured little animal on the road. Otherwise, why would I come here so late? It's a bit shy, so I didn't bring it with me. I'll go out and bandage it up later," Ying Sheng said.

"Tch, I didn't realize you had any kind heart." Sonoko looked him up and down carefully. "Are you really not hurt? Showing off isn't a good habit."

"Relax, relax, I always tell the truth."

Ying Sheng closed the door and waited for the footsteps outside to fade away before taking off her clothes and showering. A short while later, she changed into a white T-shirt and jeans by Kyogoku Makoto, dried her hair, and went out.

At the end of the corridor, Sonoko and Ran were talking together, and below them came the noise of two school karate team members.

"Mizuki-kun, you're a little late."

Xiao Lan smiled as she looked at her. She was wearing a beige casual home outfit, and under the soft light, the faint aroma of food wafted over.

The chill of the rainy night outside vanished instantly. As Ying Sheng walked towards her, he inexplicably felt a sense of returning home.

"Sorry, something came up."

"The little animal that Shuiyue-kun encountered must be different from the usual kind, right? Was it a tiger or a lone wolf?" Xiaolan blinked and pulled out a large food box from behind her. "Let's go to your room, I've saved a lot of delicious food for you."

"Thank you, I'm starving."

Hotaru looked at Sonoko and spread his hands helplessly: "I'm really not hurt, but thank you for your concern."

"I was just gossiping. The first-aid kit and umbrella are at the door. Ran will take you there." Sonoko turned and went downstairs.

Ying Sheng thanked her, then looked at Xiao Lan who was looking him up and down, and shrugged.

"No, do you really think I'm the kind of person who would trip and fall while walking?"

"Normally, of course not, but if you're drunk, that's a different story." Xiaolan leaned close to Yingsheng's face, stood on tiptoe, and gently sniffed. "There's no smell of alcohol. Did you just rinse your mouth?"

Ying Sheng rolled her eyes at her: "Don't presume guilt. All old ladies in wheelchairs are murderers."

"We actually met an old lady in a wheelchair when we came here today. She lives in an old castle at the foot of this mountain." Xiaolan smiled gently and walked past. "Some classmates wanted to go in for a visit, but the old lady was so scary that we didn't dare to ask."

Her long, black hair brushed lightly against Ying Sheng's nose, carrying a faint, delicate fragrance of orchids.

Ying Sheng turned around and followed: "If it's someone else's private residence, it's really not good to have a large-scale visit. It's not necessarily true if there are fewer people."

"It should be a private residence. The male homeowner is very welcoming. Let's go check it out again tomorrow after the rain stops."

Upon entering Ying Sheng's room, Xiao Lan placed the food box on the desk and opened the window before setting out the dishes.

"Because you like spicy food, this is the only way to avoid leaving a smell in the room."

Hua Hua Hua——

The heavy rain outside the window continued as before, and a gentle breeze carried in a wisp of moisture, which mixed with the aroma of roasted meat, making Ying Sheng's stomach rumble.

"Having a meal accompanied by wind and rain is one of the greatest pleasures in life, and I love that feeling," Ying Sheng said with a smile as he stepped forward.

Boom——! ! !

A bolt of lightning struck from the horizon, and with a flick of Xiaolan's little hand, several golden butterfly shrimp flew out of the dish.

Ying Sheng, quick-witted and agile, caught them one by one, put them in his mouth, and chewed them heartily.

"tasty."

He then looked at Xiaolan with some curiosity: "You're actually afraid of thunder?"

"What, is that not allowed? I'm a girl, you know." Xiao Lan snorted irritably, put down the dishes, and pulled out a chair. "Come and eat, young master."

"If Miss wants a late-night snack, shall we go together?"

"No need, I ate dinner tonight, unlike someone who is pitifully being held under house arrest by the police."

Xiao Lan took out the cell phone and pistol that Ying Sheng had given her before from her pocket and placed them next to the food.

“Only Mingzhi made the call, and I asked him to contact my mother.”

"Thank you, it seems everything is going well over there."

Ying Sheng sat down and started eating. He hadn't drunk a drop of water since noon.

As for the cup of tea that the fake Sato gave him, Hotaru didn't know if there was anything wrong with it, but to be on the safe side, he certainly wouldn't let it touch his lips.

"And what about your side?"

Xiaolan sat on the edge of the bed, her head resting on the desk as she looked at Yingsheng, her tone somewhat listless.

Boom——! !

Thunder rumbled again in the sky, but this time she remained unmoved.

"What bad news did you hear? Can you tell me?" Ying Sheng asked.

"In Shuangbao Town, a large-scale shootout occurred between the yakuza and the police; in Tsuburaya Town, the police evacuated many people in the evening." Xiaolan stared into Yingsheng's eyes.

"The former is related to me. I reported Amuro Tooru to the police using the recording I made early this morning. Inspector Megure told me that they had a battle with the brewery. As for the latter, I don't know. Were there any large-scale casualties there?"

Ying Sheng remained calm and composed, showing no change whatsoever.

Ran looked at him silently for a few seconds, then finally looked away and shook her head gently: "It is said that there were police casualties but no civilians, and the incident over there seems to be related to Amuro Tooru. The police have already issued an arrest warrant for him."

"I see. My main goal today was to lure out Vermouth and kill her, but I failed because Amuro Tooru ruined things."

"Right in Tsuburaya Town?"

"probably."

Halfway through his meal, Ying Sheng put down his chopsticks and glanced at the edge of the forest in the pouring rain, where a dark silhouette silently watched the light.

"I'm going to feed the animals, want to come along?" Ying Sheng turned to look at Xiao Lan.

"There's still some in the kitchen, you should eat first." Xiaolan glanced out the window but saw nothing. "Are you going back to Tokyo tonight?"

"I did have that thought, but it's a small matter, and I don't have to go back," Ying Sheng said without any hesitation.

"I heard from my classmates that..."

Xiaolan pressed her lips together, her gaze somewhat dark: "Qingliu and her entire family of three were wiped out?"

"The news spread really fast; the police really do leak information everywhere."

Ying Sheng sighed softly: "Xuan Tian is my witness, I really didn't do this. The culprit is Vermouth. After her identity as 'Yuki Matsu Kiyoko' was compromised, she tried to take Aoyagi's place. I guess her main goal is to stay by Kudo's side."

Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen circumstances, Kudo discovered it ahead of time.

"pity?"

"Yes, by the time I learned about this, Aoyagi had already died. I was hoping to catch Vermouth, which would also be a way to avenge her. But she wasn't home all morning, and I didn't get a chance."

I originally planned to make my move on her when she went to school on Monday, but now that opportunity is gone.

Yingsheng speaks the truth.

Xiao Lan remained silent upon hearing this, and only sighed softly when Ying Sheng finished eating and started clearing the dishes himself.

"I'm sorry, there are some things I can't accept right now."

"What are you talking about? I never intended for you to become the kind of ruthless executioner."

Ying Sheng put away the food box, wiped the table clean, looked at Xiao Lan with a complicated expression, and gently tapped the table.

"After you learned of Aoyagi's death, did you call Nakamichi?"

Xiaolan hesitated before nodding, then quickly added, "Zhongdao actually wanted to keep it from you. I kept pressing him for details, and I told him that I knew this matter must be related to you, before he reluctantly told me."

"Ha, what a clumsy lie, Xiaolan, you've been fooled."

"……What's the meaning?"

“After what happened at the hospital last night, Kudo will definitely call Nakamichi as soon as possible this afternoon. Nakamichi is well-informed and will get the news quickly once he takes notice of this matter. You will definitely get the news later than him.”

No, he was probably the one who told you about it.

The reason is quite simple: it's a subtle way of reminding you that I'm a pervert and you need to be careful.