Chapter 119: Jazz in the Winter Snow Orange Observer

Nineteen-year-old Kudo Shinichi, who eats a lot of fish protein on a British campus (whether it tastes good or not is another matter), has grown into a tall figure, with more angular features, making him a handsome young man.

As Vermouth said, he is the most popular boy on campus at Archer College, and he deserves the title.

Gosho Aoyama: The plan worked. With a popular male lead, it's not impossible to draw a 730-episode adult edition. (And then I accidentally took the drug A again and continued to be an elementary school student.)

With a tall figure and sharp features, he looks like a leading man.

Unfortunately, the heroine Miyano-san only has friendship with him as a classmate, and no physical love for him.

The orientation doesn't match, there's nothing I can do (spreading hands.jpg)

"Miyano," he greeted, his tone a little cautious, but his smile sincere. "I hope I'm not too early. I brought you those notes..."

Kudo, are you smelling a scorching heat here? Your detective instinct is calling the police.

His gaze passed Shiho and fell on Vermouth.

But she was sitting cross-legged elegantly, holding a glass of bourbon in her hand.

This pose gives her a queenly aura. Even sitting cross-legged is so elegant, she's truly Bayonetta.

“Those notes”, tsk tsk, they don’t sound like serious notes. They might be a collection of the organization’s black materials, or… a list of victims of APTX4869?

As soon as I opened the door, I saw my love rival (?) drinking at Shiho's house. It was exciting.

"Punctuality is a virtue, Kudo-kun," Shiho responded, moving aside to let him in. "Surely you remember Vermouth."

Huibara is taking the initiative this time, "This is my person (a guest in my house), you can do whatever you want."

Doesn't the tone sound like someone saying, "Look, you (the enemy) are in my house. Are you surprised or not?" (Wrong)

Kudo's detective-like eyes swept over Vermouth's figure, the two wine glasses, and the intimate atmosphere in the room.

Detective radar activated. Beep. Beep. Beep. High-energy, ambiguous reaction ahead. High concentration warning.

But according to Kudo-san's sensitivity in terms of emotions, he might still think it's a gathering of close friends, just like Xiaolan and Ye.

The mahogany bookshelves were filled with leather-bound books, a gramophone played jazz music, and a small pile of antique perfume bottles was carefully arranged on the table.

This place is definitely a meeting place for intellectuals (?). It has a very bourgeois vibe.

This room is either a date spot or a crime scene. (Science's Law)

Shinichi's expression went through several small emotions... surprise, confusion, calculation, and finally a disguise of politeness.

Kudo's CPU is about to burn out: What's going on with them? Is this the right time for me to come? What expression should I use?

As expected of an actor's (Kudo Yukiko) son, he is a master of expression management, with turbulent emotions inside but calm appearance.

"Polite disguise", inner OS: I can't panic, I'm a detective. This little scene is nothing. (No way)

"I didn't know you had company," he said carefully, switching to English. "Is it inconvenient now?"

They even changed to English, which was quite polite. After all, they are in the UK now.

According to social etiquette, when choosing a language to speak, one should choose the local language (pure Oxford accent), or a language that everyone in the audience can understand (English or Japanese), or the language that the most distinguished guests are accustomed to. According to the Japanese system of seniority, it should be Miss Bay's mother tongue.

Subtext: Shirley, have you been abducted by a bad woman? How could you have a drink with her...behind my back (and Xiaolan's)?

Shiho walked aside with a blank expression: "It's okay. Come in, Shinichi. Vermouth is just... visiting."

The ellipsis, it contains a huge amount of information. Those who understand will understand, and those who don’t understand will not understand even if I explain it to them.

"Very close company." Vermouth replied, raising her glass in greeting, her smile enigmatic. "We share some common... academic interests. You know, Shinichi-kun."

Bei Jie: Yes, it is just as you think. We are very close. (provocative eyes biubiubiu)

"Academic interests"? Studying how to get someone into bed (crossed out). Ahem, studying the anatomy and chemistry of the human body?

Moreover, if you are a Japanese who is more sensitive to the way people address each other, you will find that the way she addresses Kudo Shinichi is more intimate than the way she addresses Shiho. One is called Kudo-kun and the other is called Shinichi-kun.

After all, he is his ex-girlfriend's son. (doge)

When Kudo was just born, she followed Yukiko and called him Shin-chan. ("I held you in my arms when you were little. JPG")

Of course, she wouldn't confess this to Shiho. She wasn't stupid.

Kudo stepped into the house, a series of questions floating around him. The snowflakes on his coat melted and fell on the hardwood floor. Shiho closed the door behind her, and the lock made a decisive click.

The melting snowflakes suggest that someone (Shinichi) is also feeling a bit cold? Or does it mean that the room is too hot?

With a "click", not only the door closed, but also Shinichi's thoughts of wanting to escape? And the door where the gossip soul was burning.

Kudo: Who am I? Where am I? What are they doing? Should I not go out today? Is it too late to run away after delivering the things?

He took off his coat, moving cautiously, as if walking through a minefield: "Miss Wynyard, long time no see." He said politely, but there was a hint of caution in his tone.

Kudo Shinichi reports live from the front lines of the massive Shura Field melon-eating scene. Cameras are in place.

Taking off my coat was like defusing a bomb, my will to survive was at its peak, terrified that one wrong move would trigger some strange switch.

Shinichi: As long as I'm polite, embarrassment won't catch up with me. (But it's useless)

Vermouth smiled, her charm in full force. "It's always an honor, Shinichi-kun. I heard you were quite the heartbreaker at Archer Academy."

When Sister Bei smiles, life and death are unpredictable (for Shinichi). This smile seems to say: "Little brother, sister, I see through you~"

"Heartbreaker", the English word is heart breaker, which means that he is very charming and many people like him, but he rejects many people.

However, beneath this superficial courtesy of praising a boy's charm, if you think about it a little more, it's likely that this is a hint to Shinichi: I've seen a lot of boys like you, don't even think about interfering with Shirley and me. Your little bit of peach blossom debt is not enough to fill my teeth.

Shinichi blushed and shifted a bit, "I don't know about that. I was just focused on school."

Shinichi: I'm just a mediocre little genius at solving crimes. (Classic Versailles)

Shiho's factory-default sarcasm couldn't be contained anymore. She snorted softly and crossed her arms. "Stop pretending, Kudo-kun. We all know you've rejected more courtships than the geese in our school's lake."

Archer Academy, a place where marriage market inflation is a sure sign. Official complaints are the most lethal. Shirley's certified, honest to all. Kudo Shinichi, a self-propelled humanoid who harvests the hearts of girls (and boys?).

"Archer's Heartbreaking Man" "Legend of the Great British Sea King".

If you think about it, Archer College is a men's college, and Fairhaven, where Shiho is, is a women's college, and they are traditionally fraternity schools.

But if a student at Archer Academy confesses his feelings to Kudo Shinichi, wouldn't that be the boy confessing his feelings to him? (Osaka Black Chicken sneezed: Don't cue.)

Sudden philosophy: When childhood sweethearts meet a queen who falls from the sky, this is the ultimate proposition in the world of science.

At this moment, Shinichi felt that the temperature of the room was colder than Gin's heart.

Suggested title change: "Detective Conan: Pure Black Nightmare (Yuri ver.)"

At this moment, Miss Sonoko's gossipy spirit is needed to break the ice.

Faced with this delicate situation, Kudo Shinichi's inner thoughts at this moment are closer to:

A. "My reasoning spirit is on fire. These two definitely have a hidden secret. Is it new clues about APTX4869 or insider information from the organization?" (Detective's occupational disease strikes, gossip aside)

B. "Should I quietly walk away and pretend I didn't see anything? Or should I stay and eat some melon? Is this melon ripe?" (The Self-cultivation and Conflict of the Melon Eaters)

C. "Help me. It's more exciting than facing Gin. Ran, come and save me. Or Hattori. If all else fails, let Kid steal me away." (The Cowardly Detective is asking for help online)

D. "Which is more important, notes or gossip? Adults, of course, want both. First, get the information, then analyze it, and finally, solve the case. Perfect." (The Detective's Plan)

In the background of Shiho's tiny apartment, the voice of Billie Holiday sings about the strange fruits that grow on trees in the American South.

Outside, the snow continued to fall silently and swirlingly, covering everything in this academic town in England in a blanket of white.

Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit." The lyrics are terrifying. Are they hinting at some bloody secret?

Cold, depressing, and with a bit of dangerous ambiguity, when this BGM sounds, it's either a knife or candy, but looking at this CP, I bet it's candy with glass shards.

Two whiskey glasses. A crescent-shaped lipstick pattern on a Vermouth glass.

Jazz music.

Adult sentiments, those who understand will understand. (Profound meaning)

Shiho's delicate lips, with a hint of wine-red lipstick. (Sudden color change) (Magnifying glass emoji)

Chinese translation: I just kissed her and her lipstick is not even wiped off.

Kudo Shinichi, AKA "washing machine", AKA "Sherlock Holmes of the Heisei era", today transformed into "Tachibana Observer".

But I didn’t really understand it.

"Do I need to make another appointment with you?" He asked again, his shoulders tense and obviously nervous, but his voice was a little cautious, trying to remain calm.

Shinichi, danger. He still has some awareness of being a light bulb. His will to survive is raging, yes, but he also has a bit of a detective instinct that says, "I want to see what you girls are up to."

Little did they know that these two girls, like Xiaolan and Ye, were a completely different group of girls.

“Nonsense,” Vermouth said in a slightly British-accented English before Shiho could say anything. “I’m just here to return the book. Please, don’t let me disturb your students’… noble academic pursuits.”

Bayley's classic line: "I'm just passing by/I'm just here for XXX" (VIP member of the Association for Actually Doing Big Things).

Believe it or not. This woman is really bad. What book is it? "An Actor's Self-Cultivation"? Or "How to Conquer an Iceberg Beauty"?

Moreover, the words "academic pursuit" sound so cryptic when spoken by Miss Bayonetta (funny). What kind of "academic" is she hinting at? (dog head)

Shiho walked to the space between the small kitchen and the main living room, separated by a marble-topped island. "I'll make some coffee."

I'm going to strategically shift gears to avoid joining the battlefield directly. And by the way, I'm going to give you some time to yourself (and yourselves) to argue with each other.

Shiho's expression must be one of those "you guys do whatever you want, I just want some quiet time" look, but her ears are perked up. Her hair might even be a little messy, giving her a homey vibe.

"Black coffee, two sugars." Shinichi and Vermouth said in unison, then exchanged glances.

Synchronized. What kind of massive love rival (?) chemistry is this?

This wave may be the beginning of the Shura field.

"You two are really in sync."

Shiho commented coldly, curling her lips. "But I think I know how to prepare coffee for guests without being told."

Shiho: Heh, men (and women). (Classic head tilt + queen's cold face) Stop fighting for me. (bushi)

Shinichi took off his coat and hung it on the medieval coat rack by the door... It was a Victorian brass product, with a gorgeous eagle perched on the curved hook.

“I brought some journals from the biochemistry conference,” he said, trying to recreate the illusion of an academic encounter. “And here’s something else I thought might be of interest to you.”

Shinichi revealed the truth. As expected of you, you knew the atmosphere was off, and quickly used Shiho's academic interests to make up for it.

He put the brown paper package on the island.

Shiho stopped weighing the coffee, and the coffee spoon stopped in mid-air. She looked at it carefully but didn't touch it.

Brown paper bag. A classic science prop. Inside is either a bomb, an important clue, or a poison antidote. (DNA moved)

Shiho's reaction was very realistic. She was incredibly cautious. After all, she was a woman who had experienced many things, and she wouldn't touch an unknown package lightly.

"Maybe it's radioactive?"

Vermouth tilted her head, sat on the sofa and jokingly said, "Kudo-kun, you really have a talent for drama."

Sister Bayley is teasing the little detective again. "Radioactive," as expected of you, the actress with many faces, you always say dangerous things.

Hey, little detective, what big news are you planning to make? Every time you appear, you always have your own background music and suspense, as if you are afraid that others will not know that you are the protagonist?

Shinichi: Same here. When it comes to drama and riddles, who can compare to you, the Oscar-winning actress?

"That's a comment coming from an award-winning actress," Shinichi retorted, his voice growing more confident amidst the verbal sparring. "But I think we all, to some extent, play a role."

A beautiful counterattack. Shinichi's emotional intelligence and verbal skills are online.

This statement is a bit philosophical, "Everyone is playing a role", hinting at Beijie's disguise, and also hinting at Shiho's past and present identities. Even Shinichi himself, in real life, is not also wearing Conan's skin? It's a double entendre.

Masaka is worthy of being the son of Yukiko Kudo.

"Some people's acting is more convincing than others." Vermouth gracefully stood up and walked to Nakajima, standing very close to Shiho, their shoulders almost touching...

Bayley is so cool. She just stood up and stuck to him. Act like a queen.

"More convincing", is he showing off his acting skills, or is he implying that his feelings for Shiho are more "real"?

Shinichi's jaw tightened as he noticed the distance.

Are you jealous or feeling a strong sense of oppression?

Chinese Translation (Shinichi's inner thoughts): Damn. So close? What are you doing? In broad daylight, you guys... Is this the new trend among girls? (Pupil trembling.gif)

Vermouth's approach was not a provocation, but a declaration of sovereignty - this woman belongs to me, don't try to snatch her away.

Shiho didn't back off, which meant she wasn't pretending to be reserved, she was really moved... or perhaps, she wanted to see how crazy Vermouth could be.

Shinichi's jaw tightened, not in anger, but in despair as he watched the protagonist being snatched away.

"Open it." Shinichi got back to the point and said softly to Shiho, nodding towards the package.

Shinichi is a straight man. In this kind of atmosphere, no matter how soft his voice is, it can't be softer than the eyes of the Hollywood enchantress next to him, Bayonetta.

Shiho opened the brown paper package, revealing a leather-bound notebook. The cover was cracked with age. The title was faded and difficult to read, but the name "S. Miyano" was still clearly visible in the lower right corner.

Comes with historical debuff and mysterious aura.

Her fingers froze, pausing there in hesitation and disbelief, like the hand of fate swaying: "Where did you find this?"

"At an estate sale in Cambridge. The previous owner was a collector of scientific memorabilia."

Shinichi watched her reaction carefully. "This belongs to Miyano Satoshi, right? Your great-grandfather?"

The Family Secrets dungeon is now open. Organization: Oh my, there are new KPIs (bushi).

Vermouth's expression didn't change, but she narrowed her eyes... perhaps out of curiosity, perhaps out of calculation.

I’m afraid my inner OS has already flooded the screen.

It is the gleam of light when “the prey is hooked”, the sign that “something big is coming”, and the playfulness of “this little steamed egg is interesting”.

"Yes," Shiho nodded, finally touching the notebook with her slender fingers. "He was a chemist in the 1920s who specialized in drug synthesis. However, his research results disappeared after his death."

It's drug synthesis, and the research results disappear... The ancestral skills of the Miyano family belong to the "trouble-making gene" and "coveted physique" that have been passed down from generation to generation.

A chemist from the 1920s, this sense of history suddenly comes to mind. I wonder if the organization started planning from that time?

It's terrifying to think about it. This game has been going on for almost a century.

"It wasn't gone," Shinichi corrected gently. "It was just hidden. I believe his work was later continued by others. People with... special interests."

Washing Machine: I, the Emperor of Truth, specialize in all kinds of "disappearances." A walking rumor-busting machine and a thorn in the organization's side.

"Person of special interest"—a direct reference to the Black Organization. Shinichi was hinting wildly, all he needed to do was give his ID number.

Winery: Are you polite?

Conan's Law of the Universe: All unsolved disappearances/disappearances/mysteries will eventually lead back to the distillery. (Spreading hands) The universal scapegoat is...

The air in the apartment seemed to freeze. Perhaps it was the "absolute zero" aura.

Shiho opened the notebook, revealing notes handwritten in faded ink, chemical formulas, and complex diagrams.

She flipped through a few pages and suddenly stopped at a formula that took her breath away.

I don’t understand the world of academic masters, but I know there must be something big in it.

"Silver bullet," she whispered.

Silver. Bullet. Boom.

When these four words come out, they not only mean "panacea" in English, but also the nightmare of the organization, the clarion call of resistance, and the key connecting the past and the future.

These are unforgettable words for Shiho, for Sister Bei, for Shinichi, and for Shiho's older cousin Shuichi Akai, whom she has not yet recognized.

However, appearing in Miyano Satoshi's notes about a century ago, it is very likely that it only represents its original meaning, that is, his chemical experiment found a key to solving the mystery.

Vermouth's hand moved to Shiho's lower back... This intimate gesture did not escape the little detective's attention.

"How interesting," she murmured, her tone perfectly balanced between interest and indifference. "Family inheritance can be such a heavy burden, isn't it?"

Sister Bei's words "It's really interesting", coupled with the waist-touching, are simply the top operations of the lesbian circle. It's both fishing and teasing, with a sense of temptation and oppression.

That touch on her waist, that tone of voice, it was practically written on her face, "I'm greedy for the secrets inside your body..." This wave, this wave, is the gears of fate starting to creak.

When Vermouth placed her hand on Shiho's lower back, what was Shinichi's truest thought?

A. "Don't look or listen to anything indecent. I'm a professional detective and not interested in gossip." (The serious, nonsensical type)

B. "??? Is this some new way girls communicate? I don't understand." (The straight guy)

C. "Hiss... In this atmosphere, am I a little redundant standing here? Xiaolan, I miss you..." (Online help-seeking type)

D. "Wow. I'm like, wow. There's definitely something going on between these two. I'll have to take note and ask Hattori what he thinks." (A hidden drug addict, but asking the wrong person. Black Chicken doesn't understand women's hearts at all.)

"Or perhaps it's inspiration," Shinichi retorted, his large eyes sparkling beneath his bangs, but the same looks that charmed countless classmates at Archer Academy had no effect on Shiho.

Miss Miyano, her gender is quite fixed. (Spreading hands)

"Especially when this evidence explains a relationship we were previously unaware of."

Shinichi, you are worthy of being like this. Even though the atmosphere has reached this point, you can still force the drama back to the main point.

Only his eyes are bright and upright. The eye expressions of the other two ladies are enough to make a movie called "The Handmaiden".

The coffee machine, hissing and gurgling in the background, broke the silence.

Coffee Maker: Who am I? Where am I? Why am I brewing coffee in this hellish place? I'm under pressure I shouldn't be under. Lun Jia is just that innocent "background" NPC.

Shiho closed the notebook carefully.

It's about protecting this notebook, but also about temporarily burying the heavy past and the potentially dangerous future. Silence is better than words at this moment.

Everything returns to normal, but in fact there are undercurrents, throbbing and pulling beneath the calm surface, and the classic ends.

"What suggestions do you have, Kudo-kun?" she asked in a calm tone.

The honorific "Kudo-kun" created distance. Moreover, they were speaking English the whole time, but they did not use the common English way of calling him by his name. Instead, they called him Kudo-kun as in Japanese.

"What suggestions do you have?" is a common phrase in English, which is actually the polite version of "What do you mean?"

After all, whether they speak Japanese or British English, their expressions are more dignified and polite.

Of course, such English expressions sound too confusing and boring to the ears of Vermouth, an American (?).

She was so dramatic from time to time that she really wanted to switch to a Texas accent and make a long, sarcastic speech, but she held back.

But Shinichi also approached, leaning on the table, posing as if he was at ease: "Perhaps Vermouth's interest in you goes far beyond this. Certain organizations have a deep history and specific plans. Your family's research may be more valuable than you think."

Just name the distillery. Are you playing Riddler here? Are you afraid that Miss Baylor will give him the whole APTX4869 family bucket? (Miss Baylor: It's not impossible.)

I bet Shinichi's "easy as pie" posture is just an act, he's really panicking inside. He's just holding on, kid, you still want to act like a big shot in front of Sister Bei?

"Vermouth's interest in you goes far beyond this"—Shinichi finally hits the point. But is this "interest" murderous, exploitative, or... love? (Crazy hint) The assist king is you, washing machine.

This passage is still in the style of a master of nonsense literature. But coming from his mouth, it is just adding fuel to the fire of Bei Ai's entanglement.

The three-piece set of "organization, memory, and planning" combines the fate of the family and the emotional tugs of war.

Shinichi, what do you think Vermouth's "interest" in Shiho actually means?

A. Scientific research.

B. Family destiny.

C. The attraction of fate, both overt and covert.

D. Want to take the person and the notebook away with him.

Shinichi, the "wingman" (or troublemaker?), is actually making a false move while secretly attacking Chencang. On the surface, he is revealing the secrets of the family's past, but in fact, he is pushing Shiho into Beijie's hunting range.

Vermouth laughed, her laughter was both beautiful and thorny.

"Well, well. Detective work suits you well, Shinichi-kun. Weaving a story out of scattered evidence, weaving suspicions, bit by bit, into each chapter of your notes."

This tone is definitely Bayley's classic sarcastic opening move, a classic.

Her hand, still possessively on Shiho's back, only with slightly increased strength: "But sometimes, things are just like that... Between two people, despite some... inconvenient objective conditions, they still work together... and cooperate."

Shinichi: Subway, old man, cell phone.jpg (What is this woman saying? I don't understand.)

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Yukiko's New Sauce: I suspect you guys are working on something really new, but I have no proof. (This is mind-boggling)