Conan: When Shinjiu and Maolilan swap bodies

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the drifting clouds outside the car window, his voice carrying a hint of detached clarity.

"Besides, there's no point in me keeping money unspent..."

As an assassin, you never know when you might die.

Money that isn't spent while you're alive is a waste.

He certainly doesn't need to save money.

But now...

He abruptly changed the subject, his brow furrowing slightly as he deliberately adopted a worried expression:

"However... if I want to support a future superstar destined to shine brightly, my meager savings are barely enough."

Ran Mouri snorted lightly, raising her chin slightly. "Who needs you to support me! I can earn my own money, and maybe I can even support you in the future!"

These words instantly brought a bright smile to Qingze's eyes. He rested his chin on his hand and drawled out the rest of his sentence:

"Then I can just sit back and wait for this big star to support me!"

Amidst the jokes, Aozawa pondered what assets the Fukuda family would have left after the public trial.

Public opinion can shake one's reputation, but a solid foundation of wealth will not disappear out of thin air.

He certainly wouldn't give away what he had his eye on and what belonged to him.

But there's no rush.

As his thoughts raced, Qingze remembered something and asked uncertainly:

"By the way, do you girls wear bathrobes when you go to hot springs?"

He hadn't really soaked in hot springs much before, so he didn't have much experience.

Chapter 488 Getting paid for work is a matter of course

Ran Mouri blushed. "In those separate hot springs for men and women, you have to take off all your clothes. Only in mixed-gender baths do you wear bath suits."

"Furthermore, you have to go through a washing room before entering the bath..."

Qingze: "..."

Qingze could already imagine that scene.

His expression was indescribable.

What do you think?

He slumped back in his chair and looked at Ran Mouri.

He is the one using Ran Mouri's body right now.

If he actually entered the women's bathhouse and openly bathed in the hot spring with a group of women... from an objective point of view, it would seem like he "got a great deal".

As long as Ran Mouri herself doesn't mind, he actually... doesn't care.

Ran Mouri slowly pulled the car to the side of the road and pulled up the handbrake.

She turned around, gazing intently at her own face with eyes that belonged to Qingze, her tone gentle yet carrying an unyielding, clear boundary:

"You are not allowed to enter the women's bath or go to the public washing area. You can soak in the mixed bath or a private bath for one person."

Upon hearing this, Qingze felt as if his bones had been removed, and he slid down a little further, almost collapsing completely.

"Handling all those enthusiastic invitations from your friends, and having to make up all sorts of excuses to decline, is more tiring than pulling two all-nighters in a row..."

He let out a long breath, his voice revealing his utter exhaustion.

Can I simply not go?

"No way. It would be too rude to cancel a party we've already agreed to; everyone will be disappointed."

"...Can menstruation be used as an excuse?"

“Sonoko knows my cycle,” Ran Mouri said with a hint of exasperation, shattering his illusions. “Besides, this month’s cycle is already over.”

"..."

Qingze was silent for two seconds, then closed his eyes in despair and squeezed out a resigned moan from his throat, "Kill me."

Seeing his utterly dejected expression, Ran Mouri sighed helplessly.

"Don't overcomplicate things. Just tell them you're not feeling well and don't want to go into the water. Sonoko and the others are very considerate; no one will force you or make things difficult for you."

Are her friends some kind of unreasonable people?

"I hope so..."

Qingze barely mustered his spirits and accepted the plan.

"You have an injury on your back, so be careful. Don't soak in hot springs or go near pools. And absolutely do not..."

Qingze paused, glanced at her, and said, "Don't even think about going to the men's bath."

"I know."

Ran Mouri nodded, a smile playing on her lips.

After finalizing the response plan for the hot springs, Ran Mouri continued driving. Aozawa took out his phone and sent the video to Baiyu, asking her to combine it with the explosion at Sky Gate earlier that day and spread the video online.

Then, I transferred some money to her.

Bai Yu was not his subordinate, nor an object; she was a person.

We shouldn't remain silent just because the other party is willing to help unconditionally.

It's only right to get paid for your work.

He closed his phone screen and tapped his fingers lightly.

Wakasa Rumi...

If we want to make use of this person, we need to investigate him thoroughly.

And there's also Wakita Kanenori...

He shouldn't go back to the sushi restaurant immediately, otherwise he might be taken care of by Rumi Wakasa without even realizing it.

In this way, Champagne and Fred are not dead, and the organization will know that only a stand-in has died.

This is pointless.

He turned his head to look out the car window.

Outside the car window, cars streamed by, and pedestrians hurried past.

We've already traveled halfway without realizing it, and we'll arrive safely soon.

He turned his head to look at the person next to him.

She was driving carefully, making sure she was on the right track every time.

Qingze's eyebrows softened, and a slight smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

With her by my side, the length of the journey and whether we reach our destination seem to matter little.

……

Bai Yu was slightly taken aback when she saw the bank balance change notification that popped up on her phone.

I swiped my finger across the screen to confirm the newly added number.

This card is the same one Qingze gave her back then.

The amount inside was already considerable, and she hadn't used much of it yet. Now, she's added a substantial "service fee."

She held her phone tightly, her lips pressed together.

Qingze's meaning was clear: he wouldn't let her work for nothing.

only……

She put down her phone, her gaze unconsciously falling on a popular psychology book open on the corner of the table, the page currently on the chapter about interpersonal boundaries and intimacy.

During this period, she read many similar books.

Having not grown up in a truly ordinary environment and without experiencing the nourishment of a gentle, flowing emotional bond, she clumsily tried to piece together a map of how "ordinary people" get along from these words.

The book says that true friendship involves giving and receiving, but it is often accompanied by something more that is difficult to measure in value.

For example, spending time together, sharing your feelings, and offering help without considering personal gain or loss...

This immediate "clearing out" sometimes acts like a silent fence, confining relationships to a safe but difficult-to-advance area.

Being polite, to some extent, also implies a deliberate act of distancing oneself.

Qingze gave her this card initially as a basic guarantee; now, paying her is an acknowledgment of the value of what she has done.

However, it's hard not to feel a sense of loss.

She thought for a moment, picked up her phone, and replied briefly:

"I've received the money. No need to be so polite. We're friends, aren't we?"

"Miss Baiyu, are you done with your work? Come and eat!"

A call came from not far away.

Bai Yu closed her laptop, looked up, and saw Madame Sun Yat-sen, wearing an apron, standing in the dining room, smiling at her. Mr. Sun Yat-sen was also at the table.

"Just call me Bai Yu, there's no need to be so polite."

She smiled and walked to the restaurant to sit down.

After rescuing the couple, she temporarily settled them in a small town in Yamanashi Prefecture.

She would come to check on them from time to time, also to make sure they were safe.

"We didn't know what you liked to eat, so we just made something simple..."

Mr. Sun Yat-sen pulled out a chair and sat down, looking at the girl in front of him with an unconscious look of affection in his eyes.

Bai Yu's gaze fell on the dining table in front of her.

The table was laden with food; it was clearly not just something casually prepared.

The steamed fish has a translucent white flesh, sprinkled with finely shredded scallions and drizzled with glistening soy sauce; the braised pork with potatoes is stewed to perfection, its broth thick and tempting; the bright green stir-fried vegetables are glistening with oil; and the miso soup steams with warm white vapor…

These ordinary yet hearty home-cooked dishes exude a comforting aroma.

She knew that the Zhongshan couple only had one son, who had moved to a distant city after getting married.

Busy with work and living far apart, we rarely get to reunite with our family more than a few times a year.

That concern and care for her children quietly accumulated, and having nowhere to go, some of it uncontrollably flowed onto her.

In psychological terms, this is called "emotional attachment".

She knew she shouldn't get too involved with the couple.

But I can't help wanting to feel this warmth.

"It looks delicious."

She looked up and gave the Zhongshan couple a clear and gentle smile. "Thank you, Uncle Zhongshan and Aunt Zhongshan. I'm starting to eat."

She picked up a piece of sea bass and put it in her mouth. The fish was tender and the seasoning was just right.

It has a homely, simple flavor, yet it's full of care and warmth.

“It tastes very good,” she said softly, her tone sincere.

"Eat more if you like!" Madame Sun Yat-sen happily kept putting food on her plate. "You're too thin. You need to eat more nutritious food."

Mr. Zhongshan smiled and nodded, but he didn't touch his chopsticks much. He just looked at Bai Yu, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out.

"Uncle Zhongshan, you should eat too."

"it is good."

"It won't be long before you're able to go back to your own homes..."

"That's wonderful..." Upon hearing the news, Ms. Zhongshan smiled happily, but then felt a little disappointed.

"Will you come to see us again after we go back?"