Conan: When Shinjiu and Maolilan swap bodies

Kaito Kuroba lowered his eyes, stroking the cup, and didn't reply.

Qingze leaned back in his chair, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two of them, before picking up a can of cola and taking a sip.

Qingze's lips curved into a smile, and he suddenly spoke:

"Mr. Kudo, you didn't come here today just to catch up with old friends, did you?"

Yusaku Kudo turned to look at him, his smile still gentle.

“Of course not,” he said. “I’m here to see Aozawa-kun.”

"Looking for me?" Qingze raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Yusaku Kudo nodded, his gaze sincere. "There are some things I'd like to talk to you about."

Ran Mouri glanced at Aozawa.

Kaito Kuroba also glanced at Aozawa.

Qingze met their gazes with a smile and placed the cola on the table.

"Let's talk then. We still have plenty of time tonight anyway."

He stood up. "Lan, go make tea for the guests. I'll tidy up the table."

After saying that, he gestured for the two guests to sit in the living room, and then began to clear the dining table.

Chapter 573 He is an assassin

Not long after, the black tea was served.

Kudo Yusaku picked up his teacup, blew on it to cool it down, and looked at Aozawa's face.

"How long has that 'me' been here? What did they say?"

Qingze leaned back on the sofa in a relaxed posture. "About ten minutes. I said I was just passing by and was lured in by the smell of hot pot. I sat down, had a meal, chatted for a bit, and then left."

"What did you talk about?"

Aozawa glanced at Kuroba Kaito and said, "He said that seeing Kuroba reminded him of Kudo, which made him quite emotional."

Kudo Yusaku's eyebrows twitched slightly.

"anything else?"

"They asked us how we met Kaito," Aozawa said casually. "I said I mistook him for a love rival. Ran said she mistook him for Shinichi before..."

After listening, Yusaku Kudo remained silent for two seconds.

"that's it?"

"And some meaningless gossip."

Yusaku Kudo lowered his eyes, his fingers gently stroking his chin.

"Have I visited you before this?"

"No." Qingze shook his head. "To be honest, Mr. Kudo's sudden visit really surprised me. Especially since the previous Mr. Kudo had just left and another Mr. Kudo appeared... I almost thought you were playing some kind of dress-up game."

Yusaku Kudo picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

The tea had cooled down; it lingered on his lips for a moment before he slowly swallowed it.

He spent the entire day using the identity of "Edogawa Michiya" when he was out and about. He only removed the disguise and returned to his original appearance after dinner.

The imposter had no way of knowing what clothes he was wearing, so he couldn't possibly make it look exactly the same.

Only a handful of people can disguise themselves.

By deliberately asking about Kaito, and who sent him, the answer seems obvious.

But what's the intention?

He raised his eyes and his gaze fell on Kaito Kuroba across from him.

"Did Kaito come here specifically to visit today?"

“Last time he said he wanted to eat hot pot,” Qingze replied naturally, his tone casual, “so I specially invited him to a get-together.”

After he finished speaking, he looked at Kaito Kuroba with a smile, his eyes holding something that only the two of them understood.

"How is it? Does it taste good?"

Kaito Kuroba: "..."

You all have different versions of the same story.

He remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he rolled his eyes.

He had to cooperate with the performance, so he had no choice but to cooperate.

He gave a thumbs-up, a genuine smile on his face, and praised generously, "Very good. I'll treat you to barbecue next time."

"It seems you two have a good relationship." Kudo Yusaku's tone carried a hint of elder's satisfaction.

“It’s rare to find someone I click with,” Aozawa said, turning his gaze from Kaito Kuroba to Yusaku Kudo. “We get along really well.”

As he spoke, he changed the subject, his tone still calm, but with a touch more directness:

"What does Mr. Kudo want to talk to me about?"

Yusaku Kudo glanced at Ran Mouri and Kaito Kuroba beside him, his expression a little apologetic.

"Would it be convenient for us to talk privately?"

Qingze nodded and stood up.

“Let’s go to the study then.” He looked at Ran Mouri. “Ran, could you entertain Kuroba for me?”

Ran Mouri responded.

Aozawa led Kudo Yusaku up to the second floor.

The study door opened and the light came on.

Yusaku Kudo stood at the doorway, his gaze sweeping around the room.

Qingze's study was not large, but it was arranged in an orderly manner.

A large desk faces the window, on which sits a desktop computer with obviously high-end specifications. The screen is black, but the indicator light on the computer case is still flashing faintly.

Behind the desk was a row of bookshelves, but there weren't many books; most of them were models and mecha figurines.

Yusaku Kudo glanced at the books. Most of them were hardcore professional books on finance, psychology, behavioral analysis, and data models, while entertainment-oriented literary works were in the minority.

Moreover, none of them were new books; they all showed obvious signs of being read, with psychology books showing the most signs of being read.

A study is a relatively private space, and the furnishings and books there can reflect a person's personality and preferences.

Judging from the wear and tear on these books, Qingze is a relatively rational and pragmatic pragmatist.

At the same time, he has a high IQ, strong learning ability, and a wide range of interests.

Yusaku Kudo's gaze lingered on the mecha model, which was quite cool, with a pair of unfolding light wings on its back and a long sword in its hand.

In addition, there is a youthful spirit.

"Mr. Kudo, please have a seat."

Qingze gestured for him to sit on the sofa in the study.

Yusaku Kudo sat down on the sofa.

He didn't lean back into the sofa, but only sat on about a third of the seat, his back straight, his posture upright but not tense.

With hands folded on his knees and his gaze calmly fixed on the person opposite him, this is the typical opening gesture of an experienced conversationalist.

He didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point.

"I've come here to talk to you about [Koniak]."

Qingze's gaze fell on his face.

His gaze paused for a second, then his brows furrowed slightly, and faint lines appeared between his eyebrows.

"Koniak?"

"Yes." Kudo Yusaku looked at him, his hands still folded, his tone calm as if he were having a casual conversation. "Last time, Aozawa-kun said that I could ask you for help if I needed it. I wonder if that still holds true?"

He was referring to that night at the funeral home, when Qingze offered to help him if needed.

Qingze leaned back in his chair, his fingers resting on the armrests, and tapped them lightly twice.

"It counts. But it depends on what kind of work it is."

Yusaku Kudo nodded, as if he had expected this answer.

"Qingze-kun, you must have met Koniak, right?" he asked. "Do you know Koniak's identity?"

Qingze narrowed his eyes.

The squinting motion was very subtle, yet it instantly changed the person's entire demeanor, like a wild beast that was lazily basking in the sun suddenly sensing an unfamiliar presence and revealing a hint of the aura of a territorial master.

He leaned back slightly, his posture becoming wary. "What exactly does Mr. Kudo mean?"

Yusaku Kudo looked at him, his gaze still gentle.

"He's an assassin. I wonder if Qingze-jun knows that."

"I know." Qingze's tone turned colder. "So what?"

“I have no hostility.”

Yusaku Kudo's voice softened further, as if he were trying to soothe something.

"It's not about bringing him to justice. Qingze-kun, there's no need for you to be hostile towards me."

Qingze looked at him, his wariness not fading, but not deepening either.

In those two seconds of silence, the air in the study seemed to freeze for a moment.

"So what do you want to do?"

Yusaku Kudo did not answer immediately. He lowered his eyes, as if considering his words.

"I wonder how much Aozawa-kun knows about Koniak?"

Qingze stared at him for a few seconds before speaking.

"I met him once a couple of days ago. I learned some things about him and me. But that's all."

His eyes lowered slightly, a hint of sadness appearing on his face, which quickly disappeared.

He raised his head, his tone carrying a sense of detachment:

"Even if we are related by blood, we are still strangers. If Mr. Kudo wants to use me to do something to him, he has miscalculated."

Kudo Yusaku looked at him, his tone softening slightly.

“I know something about Koniak. The organization he belongs to is a very dangerous and terrifying place. He deeply hates that organization. And we want to destroy that organization.”

"In a way, we are fellow travelers..."

Chapter 574 He's More Suitable for You Than Shinichi

The living room was so quiet that only the ticking of the clock on the wall could be heard.

Ran Mouri held her teacup, her gaze fixed on the person opposite her.

Kaito Kuroba stared at the two figures disappearing upstairs, his brows furrowing slightly. His usually poker-faced expression was now devoid of any pretense, revealing an unusual seriousness.

Currently, in the eyes of these people, Qingze and Koniak are two different people.

This is known information—he personally participated in the process of misleading people.

Did Yusaku Kudo come to visit because of "Koniak"?

"You seem to know who the first person to arrive, Kudo Yusaku, was."

Ran Mouri's voice broke the silence. She took a sip of tea, her tone as flat as if she were remarking on the nice weather.

Kaito Kuroba turned his head to look at her.

This glance made him pause slightly—the person in front of him had changed his demeanor.