Ke Xue: Xiaolan delivers goods to your door at the beginning

"Are you sure this thing belongs to that girl?" Lin Xiaofeng asked back.

Hattori Heiji said bluntly, "Isn't it obvious? She was the only one outside the temple at the time. I remember it very clearly. If it wasn't her, then whose could it be?"

Conan stared at the object in his hand for a long time but couldn't figure it out. He could only return it to Heiji Hattori, saying, "I don't know what this is either."

"It's definitely not something a girl would carry around." Lin Xiaofeng blurted out this sentence out of the blue.

The two high school students were stunned at the same time, then they both realized what was happening and asked, "Lin Xiaofeng, do you know this?"

Lin Xiaofeng put on a strange expression: "You really don't know each other? You know you're from Japan, and aren't people here in Japan very enthusiastic about tea ceremony?"

"Tea ceremony? This thing is related to the tea ceremony?" The two hurriedly examined it again, but due to their lack of knowledge in this area, they still couldn't understand it.

Lin Xiaofeng couldn't help but chuckle: "Alright, it seems you really don't understand the art of tea. This stuff is called white down, which is a layer of fine hairs that grow on the back of tender tea buds. If it's left in a dry place for too long, it will slowly turn white. If you use this kind of tea to brew tea, the whole cup of tea will be white, and the white down won't fall off with the boiling hot tea."

"It's that simple?" Hattori Heiji looked incredulous.

This thing had been bothering him for eight whole years, and he had no idea how he had gotten through those eight years...

"Otherwise what?" Lin Xiaofeng pointed to the white hair in his hand. "That's why I asked you, why do you think a girl would carry a white hair?"

Hattori Heiji was speechless.

Conan couldn't stop laughing: "So, does this mean the clues about Detective Hattori Heiji's first love have come to an end?"

"Hey, Conan!" Heiji Hattori jumped up and down. "You should know what I truly like!"

Conan blushed immediately, realizing that Heiji had truly fallen for him. Although he also liked Heiji, he was conflicted about whether to accept his feelings.

282. Vermouth's faith in Shinichi and Ran has crumbled.

"So, this thing is completely useless?" Hattori Heiji sighed, looking ashamed. "You know, I even brought in reporters, hoping the media could help me find that girl from back then through this thing..."

Conan struggled to suppress his laughter, but when he saw Heiji Hattori's embarrassed expression, he finally couldn't hold back and burst into laughter.

"Actually, the trail hasn't gone cold," Lin Xiaofeng said calmly. "While Baihao tea is indeed related to the tea ceremony, it also has another layer of meaning."

Conan blinked curiously, waiting for what would happen next.

Vermouth seemed lost in thought, waiting for Lin Xiaofeng to give his guidance.

Under the watchful eyes of the three, Lin Xiaofeng smiled meaningfully and said, "In Buddhism, it refers to one of the thirty-two marks of a Buddha. One of these marks is also called the 'white hair between the eyebrows,' because the Buddha statue has white hairs between its eyebrows, which symbolize light, hence the name 'white hair mark.'"

"Buddha statue?"

"Tathagata?"

The two detectives seemed to wake from a dream, as if an electric current had simultaneously struck their brains.

"Xiao Feng, you also know about Buddhism?" Vermouth asked curiously.

“I understand Buddhism. 17 Buddhism is a kind of science, which is different from Buddhism.” Lin Xiaofeng showed his erudition. “Modern science has proven that the theories of Buddhism are correct.”

"What are you talking about?" Vermouth asked, completely bewildered.

Hearing Lin Xiaofeng's speech, Conan and Hattori Heiji felt ashamed of themselves, thinking that there was still so much they needed to learn from Lin Xiaofeng.

Conan pondered for a moment and analyzed, "The Medicine Buddha statue at Sanon-ji Temple was stolen, and Hattori found this white hair; there must be a connection between them."

Hattori Heiji nodded solemnly: "In other words, the thieves accidentally lost the urna (white hair ornament) while moving the Buddha statue..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was startled: "Wait, I once asked a reporter for help with this white hair, and it even made the news."

Lin Xiaofeng concluded: "Simply put, if I were the thief of [Genji Firefly], after seeing your news, I would definitely try to steal the white hair."

Hattori Heiji felt a chill run down his spine. It turned out that the sparkly things he'd brought back weren't the girl's belongings, but stolen goods. He'd even carefully wrapped them up, intending to return them to the girl and, incidentally, ask her if she was the girl from his memories.

Conan, with a sudden burst of energy, calmly said, "Then our current goal remains unchanged: to solve the mystery first, and that should reveal where the Buddha statue is hidden."

After saying this, Hattori Heiji and Conan looked around at the same time, carefully examining the surroundings. Sure enough, they spotted a small black figure hiding there.

"Stop!"

The two detectives quickly gave chase. However, Xiao Hei got lost on his motorcycle.

Hattori Heiji: "Damn it! How despicable, driving a motorcycle like that."

Conan: "He got away! I'm so angry!"

Lin Xiaofeng glanced at the time: "Since things have come to this, let's eat first. It's lunchtime."

Heiji Hattori and Conan rubbed their stomachs; they were indeed hungry.

The group arrived at a Japanese restaurant, where Yukiko, Shizuka, and Eri were all present.

"Mom, you're here too!" Hattori Heiji was taken aback to see his beautiful mother, who looked even more radiant and beautiful than he had in the past few days.

"Yukiko-neechan!" Conan was also surprised. Lin Xiaofeng had actually brought his mother and Hattori Heiji's mother. "Wait a minute, not only that, Ran's mother, Auntie Kisaki, is here too." Conan quickly noticed Kisaki Eri as well.

"Heiji, aren't you happy to see your mother?" Shizuka Ikenami greeted Heiji Hattori calmly, but it put immense pressure on him.

"No. I just finally had some freedom for a while, and seeing you, Mom... hehehe... makes me a little uncomfortable."

"You actually look down on your mother!" Ikeba Shizuka said with displeasure. "Heiji, do you know how much Kaze likes me? How can you look down on me? You're such an idiot."

"That's perfect. My dad doesn't have time, so let Xiaofeng spend more time with you, Mom," Hattori Heiji said with a smile.

Conan leaned closer to Yukiko and whispered, "Mom, what's going on? Why are you all here?"

Yukiko replied with a smile, "Xiaofeng came to Kyoto to investigate a case, so we just stopped by to have some fun. I haven't been to Kyoto in a long time, it feels really nice, it's so beautiful here. Tokyo is full of skyscrapers, it doesn't feel like Japan at all."

"Who asked you that?" Conan said, annoyed.

Conan suddenly noticed a sharp gaze fixed on him. He looked up and saw that it was Shizuka Ikenami. The murderous aura emanating from her stung his delicate skin.

"What did I do? Did Heiji talk bad about me to his mother?"

On the contrary, Heiji Hattori went out of his way to promote Shizuka Ikenami, praising how great Conan was and how much he liked him.

"Heiji, is this your excuse for running around everywhere with Conan instead of Kazuha?" Shizuka Ikenami felt a headache coming on. Without a doubt, her daughter-in-law, Kazuha Toyama, was gone, replaced by Conan, a little boy. Hattori Heiji didn't like girls; he preferred little boys—it was infuriating! Luckily, Hattori Heiji wasn't her biological son, or she'd be driven mad with anger.

"Mom, can you please stop mentioning Kazuha?" Hattori Heiji had finally escaped his predicament and found true love again; he really didn't want to go back to the past.

"Conan is just a six-year-old boy. You like a little boy? Are you trying to drive me crazy?" If it weren't for the fact that it was a public place, Shizuka Ikenami would have given Heiji Hattori a good beating.

"What do you mean by 'like'?" Hattori Heiji's face darkened slightly, but no one could tell he was blushing. "It's not 'like,' it's just a very good feeling. Don't overthink it."

"You're driving me crazy!" Ikeba Shizuka was so angry she felt dizzy. She'd only been away from home for a short time. Hattori Heiji had actually abandoned his beautiful childhood friend and fallen for a little boy! She was utterly disappointed.

At this moment, Eri Kisaki sat down next to Lin Xiaofeng and asked in a low voice, "What's going on with that Conan? I've always thought he was strange. How did he end up with Heiji Hattori?"

Lin Xiaofeng replied, "Conan and Hattori Heiji have a relationship where they like each other, Eri-nee, do you understand?"

Eri Kisaki was struck dumb: "Is this the kind of love that the world can't understand?"

"Wait a minute!" Vermouth suddenly realized what she was hearing and pulled Lin Xiaofeng, "Shouldn't Shinichi Kudo and Ran Mouri like each other? How could this be..."

“Shinichi Kudo has now become Conan, and Conan and Heiji Hattori like each other. Vermouth, do you understand what I'm saying?” Lin Xiaofeng explained.

Vermouth felt heartbroken. Her life's belief, the Shinichi and Ran pairing, had crumbled.

"Yukiko, come with me for a moment."

Vermouth stood up and called out to Yukiko.

"Huh? Sister Bei."

Yukiko blinked, confused. She didn't know why Vermouth had suddenly become so angry; it was frightening.

283. Shizuka Ikenami disapproves of Conan and wants to find another wife for her son.

"What's wrong, little sister?" Yukiko was led by Vermouth to a secluded corner outside a private room in a Japanese restaurant.

"Conan is your son, Shinichi Kudo, right?" Vermouth asked directly.

"Little sister Bei, why do you think that?" Yukiko dared not admit it, after all, the idea of ​​reversing aging was too shocking.

"You still want to hide it from me? I'm Shinichi Kudo's godmother, do you think I wouldn't recognize you? The current Conan looks exactly like Shinichi Kudo when he was a child. You're not planning on having a second child, and Shinichi Kudo has been missing for a long time..."

Vermouth's analysis was so logical and convincing that Yukiko couldn't find any points to refute it.

"No... Sister Bei, do you really believe in things like turning back the clock?"

"I believe it." Vermouth herself is eternally youthful, so Conan's rejuvenation is understandable. "Isn't your son, Shinichi Kudo, an example?"

"Um... okay. I admit it. Conan is my son, Shinichi Kudo." Yukiko didn't really want to admit it, but she had no choice but to.

"However, that's not why I called you here. Now that Heiji Hattori has taken a liking to Conan, what are you going to do if they become a couple?"

"Huh? Conan likes Heiji Hattori, so I'll just wish him well. What else can I do?" Yukiko didn't want to care about Conan right now, nor could she. To Conan, she wasn't a good mother, and she had no right to demand anything of him.

"Yukiko, if Conan gets together with Heiji Hattori, he won't be able to be with Ran Mouri. Don't you realize how serious this problem is?"

Seeing Yukiko's indifferent attitude, Vermouth became furious and frantically shook Yukiko.

"Sister Bei, my son is already a little kid, how could he possibly be with Ran Mouri? I've figured it out, many things can't be forced. I also hope Shinichi can be with Ran Mouri, but it's impossible for Shinichi right now."

"Shinichi is really a headache?"

Vermouth rubbed her forehead. Shinichi Kudo turning into a child was undoubtedly due to taking APTX4869. APTX4869 was experimental; there was no antidote, and it was very likely that Shinichi Kudo would remain a child forever. Perhaps she could ask Sherry for help.

"Alright, Sister Bei, don't overthink it. Xiao Lan is a good girl. Although my son can't be with Xiao Lan, Lin Xiaofeng can take his place and be with her. What do you say?"

“Lin Xiaofeng!” Vermouth thought about it seriously. If Shinichi couldn’t be paired with Ran, then Lin Xiaofeng was the only one who could be paired with Ran. Vermouth would find it even more unacceptable to be paired with anyone else. “You’re right, Yukiko.”

Vermouth and Yukiko returned to their seats.

Lin Xiaofeng raised his eyelids slightly: "What were you two whispering about when you went there?"

Vermouth said to Lin Xiaofeng, "Yukiko and I have decided that you will replace Shinichi Kudo and form a couple with Ran Mouri."

Lin Xiaofeng chuckled: "Ran Mouri and I are already a couple."

"So fast!" Vermouth looked at Yukiko in bewilderment.

Yukiko laughed and said, "Yes. Lin Xiaofeng didn't even spare Shinichi's mother, do you think he'll let Shinichi's childhood friend off the hook?"

Vermouth realized that Lin Xiaofeng had taken advantage of Shinichi Kudo to transform into Conan Edogawa and win over Shinichi Kudo's childhood friend and mother.

"Conan, you're really a disaster."

"Godmother, why are you suddenly scolding me?"

Conan held his head, looking completely innocent.

"If you hadn't become a detective and had just stayed honest, you wouldn't be where you are today."

Conan said dismissively, "Godmother, you don't understand me. If I weren't a detective, I'd rather not live. The most important thing in my life is my detective career. I'm willing to do anything to achieve this."

Conan's words shocked everyone present.

Hattori Heiji was deeply moved. Even a child like him had such awareness, so he should be even more so.

"Conan, you're absolutely right, I'm the same way!"

Hattori Heiji looked at Lin Xiaofeng, hoping that Lin Xiaofeng could do the same.

However, Lin Xiaofeng remained silent and did not respond to Hattori Heiji.

If it weren't for the system's mission, Lin Xiaofeng wouldn't have bothered with being a detective; he'd be wasting his time.

Hattori Heiji was extremely disappointed when Lin Xiaofeng didn't respond to him and even avoided his gaze. He deeply felt that Lin Xiaofeng could only be a friend, while Conan was his soulmate.

……

After everyone finished enjoying the Japanese food, Hattori Heiji also talked about the plans for the next step.

"Lin Xiaofeng, Conan and I are going to Pontocho, where Ms. Chiga Rei works."

"．" Ponto Town?"

Before Lin Xiaofeng could answer, Chibo Jinghua frowned: "I remember there are geisha's workplaces all around here, right? What are you going there for, to find a hostess to accompany you for drinks?"

Hattori Heiji smiled helplessly: "Mom, you should know that I have absolutely no interest in this kind of thing. As for why I want to go there to investigate..."

Conan, standing beside him, explained, "Aunt Shizuka, you've misunderstood Heiji. Heiji thinks that a girl named Chiga Rei looks a lot like a girl he met when he was young, and since her kimono is the same as the kimono he remembers, he wants to go to Pontocho to take a look."

Lin Xiaofeng asked, "Hattori-kun, so many years have passed, are you sure you haven't misremembered the person?"

Heiji Hattori smiled confidently and arrogantly: "Of course, my greatest strength is my good memory. I even remember the lyrics of the handball song she sang back then very clearly."

After thinking for a moment, Ikenami Shizuka said, "That's fine. It's better for Heiji to like geisha than little boys. I'll just go see Chiga Rei. If the conditions are similar, I'll agree to this marriage."

Hattori Heiji was utterly embarrassed: "Mom, what are you saying all of a sudden? I'm just investigating the situation and looking for clues, it's not what you think."

As a result, the group went to Pontocho together.

It's quite strange to see so many women coming to a place like Pontocho where geisha perform.