Conan: When Shinjiu and Maolilan swap bodies

After learning that Ran had gone home, Sera, Sonoko, Hondo, and Makoto Kyogoku, who had finished their activities, all came to the agency.

Sonoko and Sera's hair and makeup were still on, and Aozawa felt a little strange looking at their appearance.

"Is it that serious? You need crutches!"

Sera Masumi looked at the cane placed next to the sofa in shock.

Xiaolan should be pretty good at wearing high heels, right? How did she manage to sprain her ankle so badly?

"It shouldn't have been serious to begin with, but the walk to the infirmary made my foot worse..."

This gave Sera Masumi a bit of a headache.

"You should have let me carry you across..."

Although she almost fell, she could still carry it on her back after taking off her high heels.

"Or perhaps Miss Baiyu could help you over there..."

Sera Masumi's gaze fell on Shiratama, somewhat surprised by Shiratama's excessive enthusiasm for Ran.

You've only known each other for a few days? Is your relationship progressing that fast?

But thinking about myself, it seems I can understand it.

Ran Mouri gave a sullen and apologetic smile.

"I don't want to trouble you..."

Those who knew Xiaolan well understood her personality—she didn't want to trouble others and always put others first—so they didn't say anything more about it.

"Mr. Aozawa didn't come today?" Sonoko was puzzled and annoyed.

Xiaolan dressed up so beautifully today, and she reminded Qingze several times, but Qingze still didn't come!

Qingze himself, who was standing right next to her, looked troubled. "Mr. Qingze is very busy lately and can't find the time."

"Even if you're busy, you can't even spare this little bit of time?" Sonoko put her hands on her hips, standing up for her friend. "His impression of me is going to drop drastically now!"

“If he were here, Miss Mori wouldn’t have twisted her ankle,” Makoto Kyogoku suddenly interjected.

Given Qingze's speed, he could easily catch Xiaolan before she fell and sprained her ankle, if he wanted to.

Qingze: "..."

Qingze: (￢_￢)

Have you ever thought that the one who twisted his ankle was me, Qingze?

Chapter 294 Does he have a fiancée?

Ran Mouri put on an awkward smile, trying to ease her indignant friend's resentment:

"It's okay if he didn't come, don't worry about it so much. Besides, we're just friends, it's not a big deal if he didn't come..."

Upon hearing this, Sonoko's brows furrowed instantly, and a murderous aura seemed to emanate from her expression.

"Your tone is off! Has another woman appeared in his life?! Or has he done something to betray you?"

She noticed that Xiaolan's tone became somewhat distant when she mentioned the words "ordinary friends".

Ran Mouri remained silent, only revealing a forlorn expression.

Bai Yu looked at her expression without showing it on her face, but countless thoughts flashed through her mind.

Is it because their relationship was exposed by the organization, and for protection, they need to temporarily distance themselves from each other?

But now that the organization knows, there's no point in distancing ourselves from them, right?

For Xiaolan, the closer Qingze is to her, the safer she should feel.

Or are they guarding against forces outside the organization?

Police? Or the FBI?

Seeing Xiaolan's expression, the others imagined countless scenarios.

Sera Masumi frowned. She didn't know much about Aozawa; she had only met him a few times.

But the memory of eating at Qingze's house last time is still vivid in my mind. They cooked together and were quite gentle and considerate. They didn't seem like the kind of people who would play with other people's feelings.

Sonoko Suzuki's imagination ran wild.

She had some contact with Qingze, although she hadn't quite figured out his personality yet, but when he was with Xiaolan, well...

I feel very comfortable and relaxed.

Both of them were very relaxed and at ease, as if they had known each other for a long time, and they had a tacit understanding that even couples might not be able to achieve.

Moreover, judging from his behavior, Qingze doesn't seem like the type to have multiple relationships at the same time.

So what happened that forced Xiaolan to distance herself from him?

"Does he have a fiancée?" Sonoko suddenly asked.

Fiancée and engagement are common traits among scions of wealthy families.

Aozawa thought Sonoko Suzuki had a pretty rich imagination.

However, that is a good reason.

"Yes, his adoptive father arranged a marriage for him when he was alive... The girl was a very nice girl, and she liked him very much."

As she spoke, Ran Mouri's face revealed a complex expression that was a mixture of sadness, grief, and a desire to fulfill their wishes.

Bai Yu: I don't know what Xiao Lan is planning, but we should just watch and see.

Sonoko Suzuki frowned even more. "Does Aozawa like that woman?"

"They seem to get along quite well..." The girl smiled with relief. "It wasn't appropriate to be together anyway, we're not from the same world, so let's just go back to where we are."

Sitting next to her, Sonoko Suzuki patted the girl on the shoulder. "Don't think like that, Ran! You have to fight for love! So what if you have a good relationship? Does that mean it's love?"

Sonoko Suzuki desperately wanted to shake her violently, to shake away all the retreat and inferiority in her mind.

"An engagement is just an engagement; it doesn't have to be kept. Besides, now that his adoptive father has passed away, isn't it up to him whether or not to continue the engagement?"

"Indeed. Ran, if you really like someone, don't give up easily. Only by trying your best will you not regret it," Sera Masumi added, offering her advice.

Even the usually taciturn Makoto Kyogoku chimed in, "When we went out last time, I could sense that he liked you."

Qingze: ...You sensed a ghost.

The only person I don't want to advise is Hondo Eisuke.

He fell in love with Xiaolan at first sight; one could say he liked this gentle girl the moment he met her.

Even after six months, this goodwill has not faded.

However, he knew beforehand that Ran liked Shinichi Kudo, so he never bothered her.

Now that he's back, and knows that Xiaolan has someone else she likes, he still keeps those feelings in his heart.

Now that her feelings for Qingze, whom she has never met, are unclear, could he try to win her over?

"How about this, Lan Sang, do you want to invite them out so we can help you observe them?"

When Hondou Eisuke spoke, instead of offering verbal comfort and encouragement, he immediately offered concrete measures.

“Sera is a detective, I have good observation skills, and Suzuki is very perceptive about love. Maybe we can figure out whether Mr. Aozawa likes his fiancée…”

Qingze was seriously considering whether or not to agree.

Having a fiancée isn't troublesome. There's Bai Yu right next to her; she can just put on a mask and be a new person. It's very simple to have her go out to dinner with Ran Mouri.

But the problem lies in the consequences of doing so...

His goal was to reasonably reduce the appearance of "Qingze" and avoid "Qingze" suddenly disappearing, which would arouse doubt and speculation among his friends such as Ran Mouri.

If a "fiancée" were to appear, given the Suzuki family's influence, she would definitely have someone investigate for the sake of her friend's love life.

I'll just refuse after all.

"Thank you all, but finals are coming up soon, and I want to focus my energy on the exams first..."

"Alright then. But Xiaolan, if you're in a bad mood, don't hold it in, call me anytime!"

"Uh-huh!"

Half an hour later, the office finally quieted down.

Aoze wasn't keen on chatting with Ran Mouri's classmates and friends.

When he talks to them, he has to think about how Ran Mouri will respond, and if they bring up something from the past, he has to figure out how to gloss over it without leaving a trace. It takes a lot of brainpower.

Acting sounds simple, but it is actually a very demanding task.

He usually prefers to be alone, or with Ran Mouri by his side.

No need to act, just stay in the most comfortable and relaxed way.

But Bai Yu is not in the category that would allow him to not have to act.

He looked at Bai Yu, "What are you planning to do this afternoon?"

Bai Yu shook her head. "I have no plans."

"Okay then, could you please go buy me some groceries? I need chicken wings, pork belly, and steak..."

With nothing to do in the afternoon, Qingze decided to treat himself to something delicious and also make dinner.

Having finally regained his sense of taste, he had no desire to experience Eri Kisaki's "witch's potion."

In the evening, the Maori couple returned home early.

Ran has a performance today, but Eri has a court appearance for a case and can't reschedule. Kogoro Mouri has to be her bodyguard, so he can't go either.

Therefore, after finishing her work, Eri Kisaki handed over the remaining tasks to her assistant and took Kogoro Mouri home from the office.

Before even entering the house, Kogoro Mouri could smell the aroma.

"What are you doing? It smells so good..."

He opened the door, went inside, and headed straight for the kitchen.

Besides Xiaolan, there was a strange woman in the kitchen, and Xiaolan was using a cane.

Before paying attention to the woman, Kogoro Mouri's gaze immediately fell on his daughter's feet.

[Bonus Chapter] Past Life (Part 1) - Mid-Autumn Festival Bonus Chapter

"Wake up, get out of class is over."

Qingze was sleeping soundly when his deskmate nudged him with his elbow, waking him from his slumber.

Qingze rubbed his eyes and looked up from the stack of books in front of his desk.

What time is it?

"It's eleven o'clock," his deskmate answered, still rambling on, "One more class and it'll be Mid-Autumn Festival break. We've been looking forward to it so long, and we only get half a day off. High school seniors are so unlucky..."

Qingze yawned sleepily, "Half a day is better than nothing."

Seeing his sleepy appearance, his deskmate thought to himself.

"You're really something else, daring to sleep in the teacher's class, and the worst part is the teacher doesn't even care..."

You can sleep if you want.

"How could I dare? You're a genius, the teacher doesn't care about you, but us mere mortals don't get that kind of treatment. By the way, what did you do last night? You're so sleepy today."

His deskmate was puzzled, because his academic genius deskmate did not have the habit of sleeping in class.

"I had some strange dreams, and I was in a daze, half asleep and half awake. I didn't sleep well all night."

"What dream?"

"I can't remember."

Qingze picked up his water glass and took a sip to wake himself up.

He actually dreamed that he turned into a girl and went to school in his dream, which was pretty absurd.

But that must have been high school life. Look at all these books piled up in front of me, and then look at the clean desk in my dream. How come there's such a big difference?