Detective Conan: The Literary Genius is Actually a Great Scientist

Lin Ran has a bad habit, a not-so-good bad habit.

He had said a long time ago that when he sleeps, he always wants to hold something in his hand, whether it's a pillow, a blanket, a toy, or... well, something else soft.

If he has nothing to hold, he won't sleep soundly or peacefully, always feeling like something is missing.

This habit is something he has had since a previous life.

And Akemi, the maid, has a lot to say about this.

Every time she spent the night in Lin Ran's room, she would have to struggle to "escape" from the boy when she got up the next morning to prepare breakfast, leaving her face flushed.

The sleeping young master Ran was like a child, especially "playful".

"When Young Master Ran sleeps, he's like a clingy little kitten."

Akemi once said this to her younger sister with a smile.

And now...

Early in the morning, Lin Ran was awakened by a strange sensation.

Before his consciousness was fully clear, his hands had already given him the information.

The touch was so wonderful that he couldn't bear to let go for a moment. It wasn't until he realized that he wasn't home, his maid wasn't beside him, and the touch felt wrong that Lin Ran suddenly woke up, completely wide awake.

"Um?!"

The room was unusually quiet.

On a cool summer morning in the mountains, a few rays of golden sunlight shone through the gaps in the curtains, and the air was filled with a blend of two delicate, girlish scents that smelled wonderful.

But Lin Ran was in no mood to smell it or appreciate the beauty of the morning.

Because he discovered that, at some point, his position had moved from the edge of the bed last night to the very center of the bed, right in the middle of the girls, surrounded by them, enjoying the blessing of having many beauties.

It sounds beautiful, and it looks even more beautiful, but...

That's not the point!

The key point is that Lin Ran discovered that her old problem had relapsed; her two hands in her sleep had their own ideas.

It automatically locks onto enemies without any conscious thought.

Lin Ran: "!!!"

Holy crap! My hand! What are you doing?! Are you trying to rebel?!

So many things happened last night—the bandaged monster attack, the decapitation murder, the shooting scene—the beautiful girl was exhausted, both physically and mentally, and had been on edge all night. She was sound asleep, completely unaware of the actions of a certain "evil hand."

The young lady had terrible sleeping posture; she practically clung to him, one leg unceremoniously straddling his waist, her head buried in the crook of his neck, and her pajamas were wide open, revealing a large expanse of fair and delicate skin.

Xiao Lan was relatively more proper, but she was still close to him, with one arm draped over his chest. Her beautiful sleeping face was right in front of him, with long eyelashes and pink lips.

Her pajamas were also a little disheveled, with the shoulder straps slipping down to her arms, revealing her rounded shoulders and collarbone.

The morning sunlight bathed the two girls in a soft golden glow, their skin as smooth as jade, their hair disheveled, their sleeping faces innocent yet unknowingly alluring.

The atmosphere quietly became enchanting.

At the prime of his life, with two beautiful young girls lying in his arms, their clothes disheveled and their hands placed in such a sensitive position... this was simply the ultimate test of willpower.

"If the heart is pure as ice, one will not be alarmed even if the sky falls; one will remain calm amidst all changes; one's spirit will be serene and peaceful..." Lin Ran lay on the bed, not daring to move, silently reciting the Heart-Cleansing Mantra in her heart, trying to suppress her instincts with reason.

"Do not look at what is improper, do not do what is improper, Namo Amitabha Buddha, form is emptiness, emptiness is form, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva..."

Muttering

As if by some strange impulse, his fingers twitched slightly...

"Um…"

Sonoko let out a muffled murmur in her sleep, and unconsciously snuggled closer to him.

Xiaolan frowned slightly, let out a soft nasal sound, and the fingers on his chest twitched slightly, but she didn't wake up. She just pressed her face closer to his shoulder.

"Hiss~"

Lin Ran gasped, feeling her reason teetering on the edge of a precipice, with an abyss below.

Who can stand this!

If Confucius came, he would have to silently recite "Food and sex are human nature" three times; if Liu Xiahui came, he would have to cover his eyes and say "Do not look at what is improper".

But he held on in the end.

It wasn't that he was as virtuous as Liu Xiahui, nor that he was such a gentleman who wouldn't deceive in secret; rather, when he was thinking about his next move, the famous scene of a certain little angel punching a telephone pole to pieces automatically flashed through his mind.

If the relationship isn't right, is it any better to just live?

Lin Ran didn't think that her body, which had only just begun to be strengthened by the T-virus, could withstand Xiao Lan's angry punch.

The image was too vivid for him to imagine. He thought he would probably be thrown out like he was hit by a truck, leaving a human-shaped dent in the wall.

Holding my breath, I slowly, bit by bit, pulled myself away from that alluring embrace of tenderness; the process was extremely agonizing.

After successfully evacuating, he felt like a saint, a Buddha, Jesus, the embodiment of willpower, and a moral benchmark!

As expected of Lin Ran! A fine young person of the new era!

Sonoko seemed unhappy about the heat source leaving, muttered something indistinctly, and then reached out and hugged his arm again. Ran also subconsciously moved closer.

"If you keep doing this... I'll really commit a crime..."

Lin Ran felt helpless.

But Xiaolan's iron fist was still fresh in my mind; I couldn't afford to mess with her.

With great effort, he finally managed to "pull" himself out of bed, tiptoed off the bed, and stood by the bedside, looking at the two beautiful girls who were still fast asleep and whose spring scenery was just beginning to reveal themselves.

Without him as her biggest source of warmth, the sleeping girl frowned in obvious dissatisfaction. In her drowsy state, the two of them huddled together for warmth.

Sonoko hugged Ran's waist and buried her face in Ran's chest. Ran instinctively hugged Sonoko back, like two kittens snuggling together.

"Heh~"

Lin Ran chuckled softly and stepped forward to cover them with the blankets, concealing the glimpses of their exposed skin. Although she wanted to take a few more glances, she knew that a gentleman has his principles and refrains from doing so, and peeping was not a good habit.

When you're asleep, it's your body's instinct, but it's not the same when you wake up.

After tucking the blanket in, Lin Ran turned and went into the bathroom, preparing to take a cold shower to cool down and calm herself down.

……

"Splash..."

The cold water washed over my body, taking away the heat.

Looking at the boy's face in the mirror, with water droplets clinging to it and his eyes gradually clearing, Lin Ran recalled her trip to the mountain villa.

The harvest was undoubtedly enormous.

Not only have the three tyrants of Teitan become closer, but they can now sleep in the same bed and share a blanket. Most importantly, his status in Ran's heart is rising higher and higher.

That's the biggest gain.

A smile appeared on Lin Ran's lips.

It's important to understand that Shinichi Kudo's biggest advantage is his childhood friendship with Ran, which spans over a decade. Like a scale, Shinichi Kudo's side has a lot of weight on it.

But the current Shinichi Kudo has a fatal flaw.

He shrunk and could no longer appear by Xiaolan's side in his original identity; he even had to deliberately hide and avoid her.

For Ran Mouri, who grew up in a single-parent family and appears strong but is extremely insecure, the "disappearance" of her childhood friend is tantamount to removing a crucial link in her psychological support.

She was afraid of ghosts, and her hard work in practicing karate was essentially an attempt to find and build her own sense of security.

When Shinichi Kudo, her greatest source of security, is forced to leave, even if Ran herself is unwilling to admit it, her heart and her subconscious will drive her to seek a new and reliable support.

At that moment, Lin Ran appeared.

He is talented, capable, calm and reliable in the face of danger. Although he is often rescued by beauties, he is gentle and considerate towards them. More importantly, he is always there for them.

I won't suddenly disappear, I won't lie or hide anything, and I won't leave her to face her fears alone.

The weights on one side are being passively reduced, while the weights on the other side are being actively increased.

The direction in which the scales tipped seems self-evident.

It's just a matter of time.

"Childhood sweethearts are destined to be no match for those who fall from the sky."

Lin Ran dried herself off, changed into clean clothes, and smiled slightly at herself in the mirror. Her smile carried a hint of confidence, a sense of determination, and a touch of amusement.

"Especially one... a childhood friend who can never appear."

He might not be a devoted and good person; he might be greedy, with an instinctive yearning for and possessiveness towards beautiful things.

But he would never let the girls he liked be sad, nor would he let them suffer like Xiao Lan in the original story, waiting bitterly and shedding tears alone.

Beautiful things need to be protected with care, not like some great detective who just says "I will protect you" and "Wait for me to come back" without taking any action.

"Shinichi Kudo, since you can't protect her, can't give her happiness, and can't even get close to her..."

Lin Ran muttered to herself.

"Then, I'll leave Xiaolan's future to me."

"I will take good care of her, protect her, make her happy, and let her no longer live in fear or wait alone."

The boy in the mirror has bright and determined eyes.

He wouldn't let Xiaolan wait ten years like in the original story, only to utter that line with tears in her eyes:

"We've already waited ten years, so what's another ten years?"

It's sad, isn't it?

Ten years... How many decades does one have in a lifetime... let alone ten years for a young girl.

Youth, smiles, tears, waiting... all of it is consumed by a "missing" childhood sweetheart, who is right beside them, yet they cannot recognize each other for various reasons.

This plot is too heartbreaking and too silly.

Lin Ran didn't like it.

Therefore, he wanted to change all of this.

……

The police arrived very quickly.

Just as Lin Ran finished showering and came out of the bathroom, the rumbling of helicopters could be heard outside, growing louder and louder as they approached.

Both heirs to the Suzuki Group are here; if something happens to them, the whole of Japan will be shaken.

Therefore, after receiving the report from the Suzuki family, the police responded extremely quickly, almost as if dealing with a terrorist attack.

Three helicopters were dispatched to the scene by coordination with the Metropolitan Police Department.

The Suzuki family also arranged for two helicopters, carrying fully armed security personnel, to arrive at the villa to protect the personal safety of their two young ladies.

Lin Ran has something she really wants to complain about.

He looked at the security personnel who rushed into the villa, stood protectively in front of Ayako Suzuki, wearing sunglasses and suits, tall and burly, with serious expressions, and he really wanted to say something:

"Are you fucking pretending to be your mother?!"

Yesterday, it rained so hard in the mountains, the mountain roads were muddy, and the suspension bridge was broken. You guys who came in from outside, whether by helicopter or on foot, all of you had leather shoes that were so clean they looked like they'd been licked by a dog, spotless and shiny.

Is this reasonable?

This is unreasonable!

The only explanation is that these people were hiding in or near the villa last night, ready to act at any time.

As expected of the true heiress of the Suzuki Group.

They are truly exceptional in their caution.

Carrying self-defense weapons wasn't enough; it seems they also arranged for security personnel in advance to prevent the situation from getting out of control and causing accidents.

Lin Ran looked up at the sky and then at Ayako Suzuki.

Noticing his gaze, Ayako Suzuki, who was describing the scene to the police, turned her head, her eyes narrowing into crescents. Rin Ran smiled slightly and winked.

Shh~ Don't tell!

This is our little secret.

Lin Ran: "..."

Fine, you're the young lady, you call the shots.

……

Although two people died, the course of events is clear.

It was just a simple classmate reunion that led to a conflict. Chikako Ikeda was killed by Ryoichi Takahashi, who attempted to attack others but was shot and killed in self-defense.

Some of the details in the middle have been hidden.

Although the police had some doubts, Ayako Suzuki's status was undeniable, and her words carried authority. The traces at the scene and the survivors' testimonies were largely consistent. Furthermore, since Ryoichi Takahashi was the perpetrator, the incident was quickly classified as self-defense.

When Inspector Megure, who was leading the team, saw Lin Ran, he was extremely worried.

How come this great writer is everywhere!

And that's not the most important thing. The most important thing is that Inspector Megure discovered a "pattern".

Lin Ran's identity as a "literati" is troublesome enough.

Cultural figures wield significant social influence, so they require extra care to be handled and mistakes must be avoided.

Unfortunately, every time a case occurred, this great writer was always surrounded by women with particularly complicated backgrounds, such as top lawyers or heiresses of conglomerates.

Are you going to give me another title like an international movie queen, a royal princess, or a prime minister's granddaughter next time?

This episode truly captures the image of a refined and elegant scholar, always surrounded by beautiful women of extraordinary status.

Inspector Megure looked at Lin Ran's handsome face, then at Ran and Sonoko beside him. The two beautiful girls stood on either side of him, their eyes full of dependence and trust in him.

"Brother Lin Ran, it's you again..."

Inspector Megure sighed, his tone complex.

So this time you don't want the mother anymore, you've switched to the daughter, right?

"Inspector Megure, it's been a long time." Lin Ran nodded politely. "Thank you so much for your help this time."

"No trouble at all, it's our duty, it's just..." Inspector Megure waved his hand, he originally wanted to say something else, such as asking Lin Ran not to keep going to the crime scene, because the police were under a lot of pressure.

Then I saw a certain young lady turn her gaze towards me.

Ayako Suzuki has gentle, curved eyebrows and a sweet smile.

Inspector Megure instantly became serious, then smiled broadly at Lin Ran and said, "I heard that your new book, Xia Mo-sensei, is coming out soon. I especially love reading your books, so you must give me an autograph when it's released!"

"Of course, of course, Inspector Megure is too kind."