·53｜Exclusive to Jinjiang·53

A world where only Officer Matsuda is persecuted.

In order to make a qualified chocolate, Lai Chuan Huang Quan first searched for various information online, bought two full bags of cocoa powder, and then blew up the kitchen.

When Matsuda Jinpei received Yomi's distress call, he was completely stunned—Yomi planned to prepare secretly behind Hagiwara Kenji's back, so naturally she wouldn't ask him for help.

As soon as the call connected, Raikawa Yomi started yelling into the phone, "Officer Matsuda, I blew up the kitchen! Please come and save me!"

Matsuda Jinpei, who was leisurely lying in his seat on duty, was so startled that he sprang up from his seat with a jolt, spitting out all the iced coffee in his mouth.

"ha!?"

Matsuda Jinpei almost thought he had misheard.

Yomi Lai said pitifully, "Officer Matsuda, help."

"Tsk, you put out the fire first, I'm coming over now."

Matsuda Jinpei ruffled his curly hair in frustration, tilted his head to catch his phone in the middle of a call, and pulled out a leave slip while instructing Raikawa Yomi: "Stay there and don't move."

When Matsuda Jinpei rushed to the apartment, he was dumbfounded to see Yomi Raikawa, whose face was covered in chocolate, opening the door for him.

The cramped kitchen was a mess; calling it an explosion would be an exaggeration. But...

Matsuda Jinpei thought he was mentally prepared; since meeting Yomi Yorikawa, he'd seen all sorts of absurd things. But when he looked up following Yomi Yorikawa's finger, Matsuda Jinpei was still met with a jolt of surprise.

Large splatter of solidified chocolate liquid exploded on the pristine white ceiling, but the most eye-catching feature was the deformed iron pot embedded in the wall.

Matsuda Jinpei: ?

I've never seen anything like this before!

Matsuda Jinpei's eyes widened, his brain seemingly disconnecting and reconnecting instantly. A few seconds later, he looked down, stammering, "How did you do that?"

Lai Chuan Huang Quan clutched her already ruined skirt, and after a long while, she finally spoke up guiltily: "I just followed the instructions online and poured cocoa powder and milk into a pot, heated and stirred it."

Matsuda Jinpei frowned: "And then it exploded?"

Lai Chuan Huang Quan lowered his head, not daring to look at Matsuda Jinpei: "Yeah, and then it exploded."

"Tsk, let me see the tutorial," Matsuda Jinpei took the phone from Yomi Yorikawa, glanced at it briefly, and then gave a knowing look. "I'll give it a try."

He pulled a new pot from under the cupboard and successfully cooked a pot of chocolate that, while ugly, at least took shape.

Matsuda Jinpei raised an eyebrow, his face full of smugness: "Did you see everything I just did?"

Lai Chuan Huang Quan nodded obediently: "I saw it clearly."

Matsuda Jinpei: "Try again, following the steps I just described."

Five minutes later, Matsuda Jinpei pulled Yomi Raikawa into his arms, and they both collapsed before the chocolate in the pot exploded again.

"Bang—"

After the loud bang, scalding hot chocolate dripped from the ceiling, splashing onto the back of Matsuda Jinpei's black suit before solidifying.

Matsuda Jinpei released the stunned woman he had been shielding beneath him and looked up at the ceiling again.

Excellent.

The only two pots in the kitchen were mounted on the ceiling.

“I really don’t understand,” Matsuda Jinpei said, taking off his suit jacket and shaking it vigorously. “The steps were almost the same, so why did it explode?”

He tossed his coat onto the sofa, rolled up his sleeves, and prepared to clean the kitchen: "Why don't you sign up for a class? There should be quite a few chocolate-making classes opening up on Mihua Street these days."

Upon hearing this, Raikawa Yomi felt even more guilty.

"Um?"

Matsuda Jinpei had already placed the kettle on the stove to heat the water. He frowned as he looked at Raikawa Yomi, who had been stammering since earlier, and vaguely guessed the truth.

Lai Chuan Huang Quan touched his nose and silently looked away: "I applied, and they refunded me double the tuition fee and kicked me out."

Matsuda Jinpei: ...

I wasn't surprised at all.

He could even picture the culinary training classroom in complete chaos.

With a heavy sigh, Matsuda Jinpei rubbed his temples, looking utterly helpless. "Looks like Hagi isn't likely to receive your chocolate."

Lai Chuan Huang Quan slowly squatted down, his face etched with the words "apathy": "I think so too."

Matsuda Jinpei's idea was to simply tell Hagiwara Kenji the truth and that she just couldn't make chocolate, and that would be the end of it.

But Yomi Lai clung to Jinpei Matsuda's leg, crying and begging, determined to give Kenji Hagiwara a surprise.

Matsuda Jinpei, carrying his dirty coat, tried to leave: "Let go."

Yomi Raikawa, clinging to Matsuda Jinpei's leg like a koala, cried out, "No! If you let go, you'll run away!"

"Give up. If you keep messing around like this, you'll blow up the kitchen sooner or later."

"I'll pay someone to repair it to its original condition, Officer Matsuda, please help me!"

"I can't help."

"If you can't help, it's because you're incompetent!"

Matsuda Jinpei: ?

Some people were so angry they laughed.

But as it turns out, this tactic of provocation was not only effective against Furuya Rei, but also against Matsuda Jinpei.

After being showered with chocolate for three consecutive days and witnessing a hundred different ways chocolate exploded, Yomi Laichuan finally managed to make a piece of chocolate that was barely presentable.

"Officer Matsuda!"

Lai Chuan Huang Quan still had a few dried chocolate beads hanging from her hair. Holding a piece of chocolate about the size of her thumb, her almond-shaped eyes lit up with excitement: "I was able to finish this chocolate thanks to you. I specially saved a small piece, would you like to try it?"

Matsuda Jinpei: ?

Matsuda Jinpei: "Is this repaying a debt of gratitude or seeking revenge?"

Yomi Lai said angrily, "Officer Matsuda, that's very rude of you."

"Isn't it impolite of you to ask me to eat the chocolates you made?" Matsuda Jinpei shook the cocoa powder off his head. "I'm going back now. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Remember to wrap the chocolates today."

"knew."

On Chinese New Year's Day, Chinatown was exceptionally lively. Not only Chinese people living in Japan, but also many Japanese people participated.

In the middle of the road, several men dressed in yellow danced like lions to the beat of drums.

Lai Chuan Huang Quan was not tall to begin with, and now she was squeezed in the crowd, with tall and strong men blocking her way. She had to stand on tiptoe to catch a glimpse of the scene through the gaps in the throng.

With her view completely blocked, Lai Chuan Huang Quan stretched her neck and jumped around in place, the croissant on her head peeking out from the crowd in rhythm with her jumps, then falling back down, then peeking out again.

Kenji Hagiwara smiled helplessly. He squatted down in front of Yomi Laichuan, and simply carried his girlfriend on his shoulders.

Kenji Hagiwara was tall, and Yomi Rikawa riding on his shoulders was like a crane among chickens.

By grabbing Kenji Hagiwara's head, Raikawa Yomi not only gained an excellent view but also attracted the attention of everyone around them.

"Dad, look!"

A childish voice rang out, and Ran Mouri, who was also riding on her father's shoulders, excitedly pointed to the woman standing tall in the crowd, "It's the big sister who took us out to play last time!"

Since officially confirming her partnership with Rei Furuya and the others with the help of Kenji Hagiwara, Yomi's biggest hobby every day has been searching for delicious food in every shop in Tokyo.

Two weeks ago, she was enjoying the breeze in the park with two full bags of pudding when she happened to run into the teachers from Beika Elementary School who were taking the children out for a spring outing. With her various flavors of pudding, Lai Chuan Huang Quan quickly won over the children, attracting the teachers' attention.

All the children present at the time liked Yomi Yorikawa, except for Shinichi Kudo.

The future detective, stroking his chin, launched into a long analysis of why Yomi Laichuan would buy so many puddings. Yomi Laichuan confidently told him, "Of course, I bought them for myself."

The ten-year-old detective clenched his fists, a little angry: "You're lying! These puddings are all freshly made at the dessert shop, and they only have a three-day shelf life. How could I buy so many just for myself? You've practically emptied out three chain stores!"

So Yomi Yorikawa gave Shinichi Kudo a demonstration of how to eat eight bowls of udon noodles in ten minutes.

Shinichi Kudo stared wide-eyed, pursing his lips as he tried to recall the knowledge his father had taught him about the human stomach's capacity. In the eyes of ten-year-old Shinichi Kudo, Yusaku Kudo was the heavens, an extremely authoritative mentor whose words were the laws governing the world.

But on that day, his rules shattered.

It wasn't until the lion dance intercepted the performance that Kogoro Mouri left, carrying Ran Mouri on his back. Yomi Raikawa, holding a cotton candy, climbed down from Kenji Hagiwara's shoulder, laughing happily.

“What a surprise,” Kenji Hagiwara said with a laugh, “soft bread is actually so popular with kids.”

Lai Chuan Huang Quan raised his chin, extremely proud: "Of course~"

As a result, Matsuda Jinpei, who had been forced to eat dog food since the beginning, put his hands in his pockets and said indifferently, "It's probably because we have similar IQs."

Lai Chuan Huang Quan: ?

The next second, Yomi Laichuan rolled up her sleeves, ready to rush up and give Jinpei Matsuda a good whack. But she only managed to take two steps before Kenji Hagiwara grabbed her from behind.

"Alright, alright, calm down," Hagiwara Kenji said, pulling Raikawa Yomi into his arms around her waist. "There's a place selling soup dumplings over there, I'll take you there to eat."

Lai Chuan Huang Quan glared angrily at Matsuda Jinpei. Just as she was about to calm down, the curly-haired man opposite her, with his hands in his pockets, added, "They're about the same height too."

Lai Chuan Huang Quan: ? ?

"Put me down, you second-year graduate student! Damn it, I'm already 1.6 meters tall! It's clearly because you two are too tall!"

Raikawa Yomi, carried on Hagiwara Kenji's shoulder, roared in a fit of impotence at Matsuda Jinpei, who was following behind them: "You just wait! You better not close your eyes tonight!"

"What," Matsuda Jinpei smirked, "are you planning to saw off my leg?"

"You bastard!"

Lai Chuan Huang Quan cursed and twisted even more violently. If Hagiwara Kenji hadn't been holding her tightly, she would have rolled right off Hagiwara's shoulder.

Fortunately, the Chinatown in Lai Chuan Huangquan during the Spring Festival was lively and novel enough that Lai Chuan Huangquan's attention was drawn away by other things in just three minutes.

Whether it's a sugar figurine or a candied hawthorn on the roadside, Lai Chuan Huang Quan's almond-shaped eyes lit up as she pointed to the largest string of candied hawthorns, turning back to look at Hagiwara Kenji, who was holding her hand, with expectant eyes.

But what attracted Yomi Yosen the most was an event being held at an acupuncture shop.

An elderly Chinese master, dressed in Taoist robes, set up a table and was discussing something called "qi." He would occasionally demonstrate a few Tai Chi moves, the sound of his fists cutting through the air quite impressive.

Lai Chuan Huang Quan was confused by what he heard, but he thought it was amazing and would occasionally clap along with the other onlookers.

It wasn't until the master craftsman brought out a marble brick about one centimeter thick and demonstrated how to use his breath to protect his arm and split the brick that the brick was broken.

The master craftsman bowed to the crowd and slowly said, "If anyone here can split a marble tile with their bare hands, my shop will give them a free one-year membership trial card. Of course, everyone is also welcome to come and learn about Chinese culture."

Lai Chuan Huang Quan stood in the crowd, enthusiastically cheering for the old master's performance of splitting stone bricks by hand, but suddenly had other thoughts.

She raised her hand high, her eyes sincere and determined: "Me! Please let me try, I can also split a marble tile with my bare hands!"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone around him immediately cast surprised glances. Even Hagi and Matsu stared wide-eyed, looking on with suspicion.

Matsu and Hagi knew very well that hand strength was not Yomi's forte. Unless she used a skill, Yomi couldn't possibly split a marble tile with her bare hands.

The man who had previously tested the use of "qi" to split the stone brick raised an eyebrow, but he did not question it. Instead, he moved another marble brick, stroked his beard, and took a few steps back to make room for Lai Chuan Huang Quan to perform.

Kenji Hagiwara said with some concern, "Hey, softie, you can easily get hurt chopping marble tiles with your bare hands. Are you really okay?"

"Don't worry," Lai Chuan Huang Quan raised his chin, his smug expression making him extremely proud, "Absolutely no problem!"

Having said that, Lai Chuan Huang Quan clenched her fists and assumed a horse stance. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then imitated her master's movements, gathering her energy in the air.

The initial stance, the gathering of energy, the swing of the arm, the step forward and the blocking palm—each move was quite impressive. Although the fist didn't make a rustling sound as it cut through the air like a master, the movements were clean, crisp, and extremely powerful.

Lai Chuan Huang Quan opened her eyes, staring intently at the marble tiles in front of her, her gaze piercing. She took a deep breath, focusing her energy in her dantian, straightened her palm, raised it, and her eyes also turned fierce.

The surrounding crowd stared wide-eyed, not wanting to miss a single exciting moment.

They were filled with anticipation and curiosity, holding their breath nervously, eager to see how this seemingly petite and delicate woman would split the marble.

The next second, Raikawa Yomi shouted, grabbed Matsuda Jinpei's hand, and slammed his forearm down on the marble tile: "Ah-da!!"

"Smack!"

The marble tile broke instantly.

Matsuda Jinpei, forced to split the marble tile with his own hands: ?

The master craftsman who split stone bricks with air: ?

Onlookers: ?

Lai Chuan Huang Quan stood with his hands on his hips, looking smug: "How about that? Did you split it open?"

Matsuda Jinpei's lips twitched twice, his expression instantly turning fierce: "It was indeed split open, but why was it split with my hand!?"

Lai Chuan Huang Quan, with his hands behind his back, said coyly, "A certain blond gentleman once told me that you once easily split five stone pillars in one go. And knowing you as I do, you can split them."

“That’s true,” Matsuda Jinpei almost laughed in exasperation, “but since you were planning to use my hands from the start, don’t you think your breathing exercises just now were completely unnecessary?”

Lai Chuan Huang Quan: "It's not superfluous. I was just praying for your hands."

Matsuda Jinpei: ? ? ?

Are you even speaking human language?!

[Author's Note]

This chapter's events take place after [Yomi confirms that Matsuda will not be injured].