Detective Conan: Developing a younger version of Ran Eri, and the stunning Yukiko.

Upon hearing the slightly harsh words "ex-wife," a clear hint of displeasure flashed in Kogoro Mouri's eyes. Eri, however, didn't even glance at him.

Kogoro Mori suppressed his emotions and pretended to be indifferent. But just as he was about to gesture towards Shiraishihara and the other two, a dark-skinned man's large hand landed on his shoulder from behind.

Immediately afterwards, the voice of an unfamiliar man was heard.

"Hey, sir, you're getting on in years, can you please stop trying to take advantage of the girls we brought?"

"A crooked mind?"

Before Kogoro Mouri could react, the dark-skinned male college student turned to look at a rather refined and gentle-looking male college student not far away.

"Hey! Ya Yan, say something! Your beautiful fiancée and sister are about to be kidnapped!"

"Hey...okay, okay, Bangsheng, stop talking. It's probably not what you think. This uncle looks like a celebrity." The refined male college student called Yahiko quickly pressed his hands down to reassure him.

"celebrity?"

The dark-skinned male college student, named Kunio, stared intently at Kogoro Mouri, his brow furrowing. He recognized the celebrity; he was the sleeping detective.

After some explanation, everyone realized that the four college students had come together.

The dark-skinned male college student was named Kunio Kawazu, and the refined-looking male college student was named Masahiko Matsuzaki. They were both in the same university's swimming club.

The female college student with long hair is Takako Toda, and she is Masahiko Matsuzaki's fiancée. The female college student with short hair is Haru Matsuzaki, and she is Masahiko Matsuzaki's younger sister.

In addition to these four people, there was also a college student who was diving in the sea.

"By the way, have you had lunch yet?" Toda Takako asked warmly, bowing slightly.

"Not yet," Xiaolan replied, squinting her eyes.

"Would you like to eat with us later?" Takako Toda then asked.

"This..." Xiaolan hesitated. She had carefully planned this trip to the beach, originally to bring her parents together, but unexpected problems kept arising.

At this moment, Eri Kisaki politely declined with a smile, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, but I won't be going."

"I'm perfectly fine!" As if deliberately trying to antagonize his estranged wife, Kogoro Mouri immediately raised his hand as soon as Eri Kisaki finished speaking.

This infuriated Xiaolan, who immediately let out a cold snort.

"Hmph! I'm with Mom, so I won't bother Dad."

"Ha ha……"

Conan's lips twitched slightly. He naturally wanted to be with Ran; there was no need for him to think about it.

"Never mind. No need to invite them specially..." Kogoro Mouri was very unhappy that his wife and daughter were not giving him face, but he couldn't change their decision.

Eri Kisaki paid no attention to Kogoro Mouri's little schemes, only finding him annoying to look at.

"Xiaolan, since you're with me, why don't you invite your classmates too?"

"Okay, Mom."

Ran warmly invited her two classmates and Sera Masumi's younger sister.

Before agreeing to have dinner together, the three of them went back to their rooms to put away their luggage. Since there was still some time before dinner, everyone was free to do as they pleased.

Shiraishi had just put her luggage away when Sera Masumi called her to the room where she and her mother were.

“Shiraishi-kun, Mary can represent my mother. If you want to talk to my mother, just talk to her.” Sera Masumi introduced her mother, Mary, to Shiraishi-hara.

Mary sat gracefully in the chair, every movement exuding the elegance of a Western European aristocratic woman.

Although she looks like Sera Masumi's younger sister, her unique aristocratic air makes her much more mature than Sera Masumi's tomboyish nature.

“You can think of me as Zhenchun’s mother. Zhenchun wants to become your apprentice. If you have any concerns, you can talk to me about it.”

"The main concern is safety; the detective profession carries a certain degree of danger."

Shiraishi said this with feigned seriousness. In reality, he just wanted to make friends with Sera Masumi's mother.

"I trust Makoto, and I trust you. Makoto can take care of herself, and even if something unexpected happens, you can take care of her, right?"

“Mary, you trust me so much, I will certainly not let you down!”

Shiraishi was deeply moved, never expecting that Mary, whom he had never met, would trust him so much.

"Zhen Chun, I agree to take you as my apprentice!"

“That’s great, Master.”

Sera Masumi got her wish and went up to give Shiraishihara a hug.

“Zhen Chun, you must not be rude. Bai Shiyuan is now your master, and you should respect your master.”

"Oh? Sorry..."

Even the usually carefree Sera Masumi became somewhat shy at this moment.

"Don't be so formal... Masumi and I are friends, so we can just treat each other as friends."

"Is this alright, Master?"

The sudden change in her identity made Sera Masumi quite embarrassed, after all, Shiraishihara was about the same age as her.

"of course can."

Although Shiraishihara became Sera Masumi's mentor, he was unsure if he was capable of teaching her and felt it was more appropriate to remain friends.

"Okay, then that's settled."

Sera Masumi grinned, revealing a set of clean, even teeth.

Seeing her daughter so happy, Mary smiled with relief.

"Cough cough cough..."

Suddenly, Mary started coughing violently.

"mom!"

"Mary!"

Upon seeing this, both the master and apprentice were worried about Mary's distress.

"Don't worry, it's just an old ailment acting up again... cough cough cough..."

“Mary, where do you feel unwell? Let me take a look,” Shiraishi said. He had just synthesized a Persona with healing effects, which would come in handy.

“Shiraishihara, you’re a detective, not a doctor.” Mary waved her hand, clearly not believing that Shiraishihara could cure the illness. “He won’t die, don’t worry about it.”

After being rejected by Mary, Shiraishi did not persist.

After all, as Mary said, there was no immediate danger to her life, and it wouldn't be too late to treat her after gaining her trust.

……

The blue sea meets the blue sky, and white seagulls soar freely in the air.

As noon approached, the sunlight in the sky grew increasingly intense, reflecting layers of golden light onto the sea.

This beach is quite large, and even with the huge number of visitors on weekends, it doesn't feel crowded at all.

Some people were playing in the water at the beach, some were playing volleyball on the sand, and others were relaxing in the sun on mats...

Suddenly, a figure ran quickly across the beach, waving his hands and shouting energetically.

"Xiao Lan, we're here!"

Everyone was drawn to this youthful act. When they looked up and followed the sound, the wheat-colored legs, crossed as she ran, had already swept past them, leaving only the girl's agile back as she walked further and further away.

...................................

No. 1.

159 On the allure of swimsuits and the pleasures of the pool

Chapter 159

Near the beach, Ran and her mother Eri were playing in the water, while Conan watched from the side, holding a swimming ring.

Hearing the noise, the three saw a girl in a swimsuit rushing into the water. Instantly, a wave splashed up, soaking the three of them to the bone.

The three looked helplessly at Sera Masumi. Realizing she had made a mistake, Sera Masumi scratched the back of her head and quickly apologized, "I'm so sorry..."

"It's alright." Ran smiled wryly; Sera Masumi was just too lively.

"Sera Masumi's personality is so sunny and cheerful!" Eri Kisaki didn't mind at all; on the contrary, she admired Sera Masumi's personality.

Sera Masumi turned her gaze to Eri Kisaki and was immediately captivated by her beauty. Although she herself had a beautiful mother, Ran's mother was equally stunning.

"Xiaolan, your mother is so beautiful, especially when she wears a swimsuit..."

On weekdays, Eri Kisaki is usually busy with lawsuits and related matters, so when she goes out, she usually wears a business-style office lady outfit, with half-rimmed glasses and her long brown hair neatly tied back.

Today, Eri Kisaki has shed her heavy women's suit and donned a backless one-piece swimsuit that perfectly accentuates her figure. Her long hair cascades down her back like a waterfall, floating freely with the waves.

And without the glasses to cover her face, Eri Kisaki looked exceptionally gentle, completely lacking the sharp edge she had when she was working.

"That's right. I really don't understand what Dad is thinking."

Xiaolan was very troubled. Her father had such a beautiful wife, but he didn't know how to cherish her.

She put in all her effort to create opportunities for her father, but it all came to nothing. It was a complete waste of her sincerity.

Eri smiled politely, then looked over the girl with the tiger teeth's shoulder and gestured with her chin toward the beach.

"Why aren't Shiraishi-kun and the others coming down to play with us?"

"Eh?"

Sera Masumi paused for a moment, then turned her head to look in that direction.

Then she saw Shiraishihara intently and happily building a sandcastle on the beach... while Mary was squatting beside him with a smile on her face.

The two of them together exude a strong sense of chemistry, creating a harmonious and heartwarming scene.

"???" Sera Masumi was completely confused. They had only just met, so how could her mother and Shiraishihara get along so well?

Under the protection of that parasol.

Bai Shi first stretched out his finger and slowly traced a roughly circular outline on the sand, forming the foundation of the sandcastle. Then, shovelful by shovel, he piled up the sand, creating sturdy walls. As the walls grew higher, he carefully patted and refined each layer, ensuring the sand grains were tightly bound together and wouldn't easily collapse. Next, he began building the main body of the sandcastle. He not only added a small, exquisite window but also cleverly used seashells and seaweed as decorations, making the sandcastle look both mysterious and vibrant.

“Mary, this is a sandcastle that your brother built especially for you.”

Mary seemed quite surprised. Shiraishi's sandcastle-building skills were both professional and efficient, truly impressive. It was just a pity that she was long past the age of being interested in sandcastles; she was actually over fifty, a stage where she was already quite experienced.

"Brother? Hmph... Girls these days have broad horizons, and you can't win their hearts with such petty tricks."

Mary, dressed in a white bikini, exudes both youthful energy and the unique charm of a mature woman.

"You mean... if I give you a real castle, I can win you over?"

"Hehehe... If you really have that ability, you might actually be able to impress me."

Mary put her hands on her hips and chuckled.

Just then, Sera Masumi strode over aggressively.

"Master, what are you doing?"

“I’m building a sandcastle for Mary.”

"Master, you wouldn't be planning to pursue my sister from outside this realm, would you?"

"What's wrong with this?"

"This is a huge problem!" Sera Masumi grinned, revealing two cute little fangs. If Shiraishi Haru really managed to win over her mother, wouldn't he become her stepfather? That's unacceptable!

"Why not?"

"Although Mary is nominally my sister from outside my domain, she is actually my mother. If you win Mary's heart, will you continue to be my mentor, or will you become my father?"

"That makes sense..."

Compared to being Sera Masumi's master, Shiraishi Hara actually wanted to be Sera Masumi's father more.

Just then, out of the corner of her eye, Sera Masumi caught a glimpse of Kogoro Mouri and the university diving club students she had met in the hotel lobby earlier.

Perhaps because they rarely encountered a celebrity, the college students were clearly very interested in Kogoro Mouri, surrounding him and asking him all sorts of questions.

Kogoro Mouri, who was already good at boasting, seemed to be in his element, and his smug smile never stopped.

"Detective Mori is really popular!"