Conan: When Shinjiu and Maolilan swap bodies

"If you don't know, then go ask. We need to find out the reason, don't we?"

Ran Mouri gave a wry smile.

She really wanted to ask, but she couldn't find anyone.

Qingze was avoiding her.

She couldn't find him anywhere she knew he could go.

The only thing we can do is try staking out his place; maybe we'll be able to catch him sometime.

"Teacher, what kind of gift would be appropriate for a boy?"

"If you have a close relationship, a tie or tie buckle is a perfect gift; it's a gift you can't go wrong with."

Ran Mouri thought for a moment, then shook her head, "This won't work..."

Although Qingze had suits in his wardrobe, she had never seen him wear them.

He doesn't seem to like overly restrictive clothes; he prefers casual and comfortable ones.

Moreover, giving someone a tie as a gift is a bit too intimate and could lead to misunderstandings.

Chapter 97 That older brother looks a bit like my mom

Vermouth glanced at the thoughtful look in her eyes and then turned her gaze slightly.

They actually considered it for a while, so it doesn't seem like they were uninterested.

"If you're friends who are okay but not particularly close, then give him something he uses often. Every time he sees it, he'll think of you."

Frequently used items?

Ran Mouri had an idea.

"Thank you teacher, I understand."

Vermouth smiled and leaned closer, her gaze suggestive.

"As a token of my gratitude, could you tell me who you would like to give this to?"

Ran Mouri smiled and shook her head. "Just a friend. The teacher probably doesn't know her."

Is it someone you like?

Vermouth became even more curious.

Doesn't her angel like Yukiko's son?

Why does it seem different now?

"No."

Ran Mouri shook her head and slowly exhaled a breath of suffocating air from her chest.

She looked up at the sky, which had few stars, and spoke with unusual seriousness.

"But he's someone who's very important to me."

Aozawa is very important to Ran Mouri.

She has come to terms with this fact.

He was a guide, a mentor. He led Ran Mouri through those confusing days, tearing away everything that bound and troubled her.

He would listen to her rambling girlish thoughts, enlighten her when she was confused, teach her all sorts of things she had never encountered before, worry about her father's safety, and even help her maintain her relationship with Sonoko.

He had been trying his best to protect her and prevent her life from being affected, but Ran Mouri couldn't do anything to help him.

Therefore, she guessed that Qingze was deliberately avoiding her, but she was still unwilling to cut off contact with Qingze.

The issue of consciousness swapping hasn't been resolved yet, so how can he suddenly disappear?

Hearing Ran say that Aozawa was very important to him, Conan was enveloped in a gloomy mood.

They've only known each other for a short time, how could it be so important?

And what about Shinichi Kudo?

What is it in Xiaolan's heart?

Vermouth looked at the girl's resolute expression and smiled with unusual gentleness.

"Since they are important people, if there is a conflict, it must be resolved."

Ran Mouri nodded vigorously.

At 11 p.m., today's filming finally came to an end.

The busy film crew finally got to relax as a chef served them a steaming hot late-night snack.

Using the existing venue, a banquet for the film crew officially began.

Seeing Ran Mouri standing alone to one side, Hidetoshi Matsui brought over his curious younger brother.

"Little friend, are you alright?" Ran Mouri bent down and asked the little boy who had been soaking wet earlier.

"I took some cold medicine and I'm fine now," the child said, scratching his head sheepishly.

"Sister, why are you here all alone?"

Ran Mouri looked helplessly at her father.

At this moment, a famous detective is standing next to Yoko Okino, holding a glass of red wine and boasting about his crime-solving experience.

Miss Vermouth said she was going to the restroom to remove her makeup, but Conan couldn't find her anywhere.

Seeing that Ran Mouri was concerned about her younger brother, Hidetoshi Matsui tried to find a topic to talk about and told her about what had happened to her brother that evening.

"Xiao Wu and some friends went out to play early this morning. Everyone at home was busy arranging things for the film crew and didn't have time to look after him. As a result, the boy went to play by the lake and fell in. If he hadn't been rescued by a kind person, he would probably have been in danger..."

Matsui Hidetoshi was also a little scared.

My younger brother can't swim, and if he hadn't been rescued, he would already be a corpse.

He looked at his younger brother and said, "To be honest, I don't even know who saved you. Such a big thing deserves a proper thank you."

"He's a very good-looking older brother, but he's a bit fierce and he even scares people with water ghosts."

I was genuinely terrified by the water ghost when we were by the lake, but after getting home, I belatedly realized that the older boy was just trying to scare them.

“A very kind older brother deliberately lied to us, saying that we were being targeted by a water ghost and that if we got any closer to the lake, we would be haunted by the water ghost.”

Children aren't stupid; how could they not understand the meaning behind such words?

"That older brother is a nice person, but he speaks in a scary way, and he's cold and distant."

He certainly wouldn't dare to grab the other person's clothes directly like Mina did.

As Xiao Wu spoke, a hint of uncertainty appeared between his brows.

"Speaking of which, I feel that the older brother looks a bit like my mother."

Just then, a woman walked over, smiling at her son, "Who looks a bit like me?"

Ran Mouri was stunned when she saw the woman's face.

This woman's face bore a striking resemblance to Qingze's, especially her eyes, which were practically identical.

One is cold, the other is like spring water, shimmering and gentle.

She was dressed in simple loungewear, holding a folding fan in her hand, her long black hair casually hanging down her back, her eyes gentle, and she was very well-maintained, making it impossible to guess her exact age.

She is a very elegant and beautiful woman.

Seeing his mother arrive, Xiao Wu didn't change the subject. "I was talking about the older brother who saved me. He was a very strange older brother."

The woman tapped the child's head with her folding fan, sounding somewhat reproachful.

"How dare you say that? Someone saved you, and you didn't even bring them back to change your clothes. What kind of upbringing have I given you?"

Xiao Wu covered his head and pouted, "That big brother went to Mina's house."

He really wanted to invite that older brother over, but that older brother was really hard to approach and was cold.

Ran Mouri asked, almost as if possessed, "Where does Mina live?"

The child pointed to a three-story villa not far away, saying, "That's the one next door."

Ran Mouri felt her heart pounding.

It's him!

He was the one who was watching her earlier!

Can't go wrong.

It's hard to describe the feeling. After being out of contact for more than a week, I finally got news. It was like rain after a long drought. Every pore of my body was filled with joy.

She desperately wanted to run over to him and ask him what was wrong with him.

But she restrained herself.

I felt the gaze on him around 8 p.m., and since he was still there at that time, it meant he must have stayed overnight.

There was time before he left, so there was no rush.

She was somewhat relieved that Vermouth wasn't there at the moment; otherwise, if she had known that Qingze had actually saved the child from drowning, it might have caused some trouble for Qingze with the organization.

She sighed inwardly, feeling even more deeply the hardships Qingze had endured.

In that kind of environment, how can one not use various personas to shield oneself?

Even if it's just to save someone, you have to do everything you can to cover it up.

After all... how could an assassin possibly save someone?

At the same time, she felt a long-lost sense of ease.

Although he never admits it, Mr. Qingze has a really soft heart.

Using water ghosts to scare children is something he's really capable of doing.

A smile crept across her lips, as if she could see him scaring the child after rescuing him.

They're probably fishing by the lake.

I wonder if I caught any fish...

--------

[This is just a short joke, unrelated to the main text, just something I wrote for fun.]

A gentle spring breeze blows as Ran Mouri stands on the observation deck, watching the cherry blossoms.

The beautiful cherry blossom grove stretches as far as the eye can see, a truly breathtaking sight.

The crowd around her was bustling. Suddenly, she felt someone approaching. She turned her head and her pupils contracted sharply.

Silver hair, trench coat, is that Gin?

The person approached her without any hesitation, and a familiar voice rang in her ears.

"Give me a kiss, quick!"

"Mr. Qingze...?"

Ran Mouri was stunned for a moment, her face turned red, and she stood there blankly without making any move.

Why is this requirement made?

Seeing that the girl didn't react, Qingze grabbed her waist and, choosing an angle where his men could see him completely, kissed her on the cheek.

Qingze glanced at the people who were secretly following him in the shadows, a wicked smile playing on his lips.

The dampness on her cheek vanished in an instant. Before the Maori woman could react, she had already released her and her figure quickly disappeared into the crowd.

"Ugh! That damn Gin!" Conan was furious, absolutely enraged!

"Koniak, you deserve to die!" Vermouth tore the tourist map in her hand to shreds with a gloomy expression, wishing she could shoot him.

Subaru Okiya opened one of his emerald green eyes uncertainly.

What was Gin doing just now? Was he harassing a high school girl?