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

"Cut~"

Ying Sheng shrugged: "Anyway, that's how it is. If you compare studying to trying your best to maintain family relationships, you're actually the same as her."

Diligent in tactics, lazy in strategy.

If you cannot deeply analyze the reasons for your parents' separation and address the root cause, then everything you do will only be superficial and will never truly reach their hearts.

Just like what I'm doing now, grand principles that can't be applied to real-world situations only annoy people.

Xiao Lan, who was feeling a bit listless, quickly shook her head: "What Shuiyue-kun said is right, that way it won't be annoying."

"Is just doing it right?"

"Eh?"

"I'm not saying all this to show you how indifferent I am; solving the problem is the key." Ying Sheng shook his head: "Anyway, let's start analyzing from the beginning. What are the reasons for your parents' separation?"

List out the direct causes, indirect causes, and triggers one by one, OK?

Xiaolan was stunned for several seconds, her eyes filled with emotion, and nodded emphatically:

"it is good!"

Many things, if not sorted out, can seem chaotic and confusing, but once you're determined to start dealing with them, they become much clearer and more organized.

That's the case with Kogoro Mouri and Eri Kisaki.

Ying Sheng had initially thought there was a significant rift between the two of them, but after a brief analysis, it turned out to be nothing more than this.

One of them has a carefree personality and a sloppy lifestyle;

One side has a meticulous and serious personality and an orderly work style;

One person never cooks and complains that the other person's cooking is terrible; the other person's cooking is genuinely terrible and a complete waste of food.

Ultimately, it's just a matter of incompatibility, no big deal.

Why not just get a divorce?

They parted ways amicably, each going their own way, without holding the other back—it was perfect.

"Water Moon Lord".

"Ok?"

Xiaolan's eyes were deep and thoughtful: "I have a feeling that you're thinking about something very impolite."

Ying Sheng nodded without hesitation: "Actually, I think this current situation seems to be just right for Attorney Fei. In a way, it's quite impressive that she was able to abandon you so ruthlessly back then and leave without looking back."

"..."

Xiao Lan was speechless and was about to say something when Ying Sheng interrupted her:

“I have a general understanding of the situation, but before we start working on a solution, there is one crucial question: what exactly do you want?”

Xiao Lan was slightly taken aback: "What do I want?"

Chapter 80 The Promise with Xiaolan, Perhaps a Lifetime

"What you want is the core and foundation of everything; all plans must be built upon it." Ying Sheng emphasized again: "If we act blindly without first determining our strategic goals, then at what point will we be considered successful?"

But will the result be what you really want? And will you regret it later?

Never act rashly without careful consideration.

Ying Sheng's words made Xiao Lan hesitate for a moment, and she stammered, "I want Mom and Dad to make up. Isn't that a clear goal?"

"Of course not."

"why?"

"What's the purpose of making up? And then what? Does time stop? Does the anime end?"

"This……"

Xiaolan was stunned again, and after a long silence, she finally understood and tentatively asked, "So, I want my parents to live a happy life. Does that count as having a clear goal?"

Ying Sheng nodded: "It's a little clearer than the previous one, but I have to remind you that happiness is not the whole picture of life, and it's something that can't last forever."

"So, what you mean, Mr. Mizuki, is that my goal should be to maintain their happiness for as long as possible?"

"Ha, I wouldn't have such unrealistic fantasies, that's what you mean."

"..."

Xiaolan was speechless for a moment, then mentally reviewed the situation for a while before her eyes gradually hardened:

"Yes, that's my goal."

Ying Sheng remained noncommittal: "Then let's clarify this further. Do you insist that the two of them be together and find happiness, or is it indifferent whether they are together or not, as long as they can find happiness?"

"what???"

Xiaolan looked bewildered. Wasn't her initial thought to make her parents reconcile?

How did things suddenly come to the point where the option of them not being together emerge?

“OK, I understand. Your core goal is for the two of them to reconcile and return to the happy family they had ten years ago, right?” Ying Sheng asked.

Xiao Lan nodded quickly, "That's right, that's exactly it..."

The hopeful expression on her face suddenly froze.

She suddenly noticed a strong hint of mockery in Ying Sheng's eyes, and that undisguised sarcasm instantly transformed into countless sharp steel needles, piercing her heart!

Xiaolan quickly turned her head away, and for some reason, a strong sense of fear suddenly arose in her heart.

But that fear wasn't directed at Ying Sheng, but rather at...

She herself!

What is she so afraid of?

Why doesn't she know this herself?!

Filled with a sense of bewilderment and fear, Ying Sheng's calm voice, mingled with the cold night wind, drifted into her ears:

"Is it possible, Xiaolan?"

You don't really care whether they are happy or not. All you want is to see the warm and cozy scene from ten years ago. You just want to have a complete family again.

What family members are actually thinking, and whether they like that kind of life, is all irrelevant.

As long as they play their roles as parents well, under warm lighting, at the steaming dining table, they can all say in unison, "Let's eat!"

Will you feel happy because of this?

In places you can't see, in corners you haven't noticed, no matter what kind of trivial family squabbles or petty squabbles happen, you don't actually care about any of it.

If you believe your family is happy, then that's enough.

Ha, it seems you're still stuck in memories from ten years ago. You're the one who doesn't want to grow up.

You're just like a seven-year-old girl, you don't need anything, you just want a game of house.

Don't you think so?

Time passed slowly, and the night grew ever darker.

The two people on the bench were immersed in the endless night, and in a daze, they were either lonely silhouettes or imperceptible wandering souls.

Especially the one on the left.

Her face was so pale and fragile, like a faded "囍" paper-cut, devoid of any color, and even most of the vitality that belonged to human beings had disappeared.

Her fingers were also pale, tightly twisting the hem of her clothes. A drop of colorless liquid suddenly fell from the sky, landing on the back of her hand, turning into an even deeper chill.

"Why……"

She murmured, her voice trembling.

"Sorry, I was just rambling."

The voice that answered her was as calm as water.

Why would I have such thoughts?

Her voice trembled with a hint of tears.

This seemed to create ripples on the surface of a certain lake, causing the person to chuckle softly.

"So that's what you were worried about. Do you know that Buddhism says, 'In the snap of a finger there are sixty kalpas, and in a kalpa there are nine hundred births and deaths, thoughts arising and falling endlessly.' What I'm saying is just a stray thought of yours, there's no need to take it too seriously."

The people around remained silent, so Ying Sheng asked again:

What do you smell now?

"Nothing at all."

"No, take a deep breath, follow my rhythm, slowly, inhale—exhale—can you feel it? In the garden at night, there's a faint fragrance of flowers, inhale—exhale—and the scent of damp earth, inhale—exhale—"

Moonlight filtered through the sparse clouds and fell.

Inhale—exhale—

I looked up at the ground in front of me. A gentle breeze rustled through the treetops, and the moonlight cast dappled shadows.

Inhale—exhale—

Now, imagine them all shattering; in an instant, heaven and earth collapse.

"!!!!!!"

Xiaolan's dazed eyes suddenly trembled violently. She abruptly turned to look at Yingsheng, her eyes reddening and brimming with tears, her gaze filled with astonishment and confusion.

Ying Sheng smiled and said, "Don't look at me, look at the world, look at the night sky, look at the breeze."

Xiao Lan turned her head blankly.

What came into her view were unnamed wildflowers, gently swaying grass, a hazy, winding Milky Way, and pebbles gleaming with a faint silver light...

She seemed to see everything, yet also seemed to see nothing at all.

For some inexplicable reason, she felt a chill.