"dad!"
Seeing her father about to go drinking again, Xiaolan immediately stepped forward to stop him, hands on her hips, eyebrows raised, her pretty face saying "This is non-negotiable," "You're not allowed to drink anymore! We still have to catch Kidd later! What if you mess things up!"
"Oh dear, just a little bit..."
Facing his beloved daughter, who controlled the family's finances and food rations, Kogoro Mouri instantly switched to ingratiating mode, a fawning smile plastered on his face. He held up his little finger and said, "Just one more small cup, the last one! I swear! It's mainly to get things going and get me into the swing of things!"
Xiaolan remained unmoved, even raising her voice an octave higher: "Dad! No—you—can't! Drinking will definitely lead to trouble! Don't even think about it!"
"Just a tiny sip! Just a tiny sip, Ran!" Kogoro Mouri clasped his hands together, almost begging, his expression as painful as if he were having a withdrawal reaction. "I heard that Kenjuro's homemade sake has been aged for twenty years! The aroma, the richness! I won't be able to sleep tonight without trying a sip!"
For hardcore alcoholics, being denied access to good wine is akin to torture.
"No means no!"
Xiao Lan's attitude was firm.
Once the girl's stubborn streak kicked in, no one could persuade her otherwise.
Seeing that winning over his daughter was hopeless, Kogoro Mori immediately cast a hopeful, starry-eyed glance at Nanami Hanyu standing beside him, frantically giving him meaningful looks, his lips moving silently: Good son-in-law! This is a lifesaver! Please help me!
Yuzuru couldn't help but chuckle. He stepped forward, put his arm around Ran's shoulder, and said gently, "Ran, let your uncle have a little bit of alcohol. A little alcohol can help relax your nerves, and you might be able to react more quickly when dealing with Kid later. Besides, with me here, there won't be any problems."
As he spoke, his fingers unconsciously and gently caressed Xiaolan's arm.
Xiao Lan's cheeks flushed slightly, and her attitude softened a bit.
Others can't persuade her, but her boyfriend isn't just anyone.
But she still glared at her father: "...Then...then you can only drink a small cup! Absolutely no more!"
"That's great!" Kogoro Mouri beamed and patted Nanami Hanyu on the shoulder. "You really understand me, Nanami!"
He happily ran into the museum, afraid that his daughter might change her mind.
Ran sighed helplessly at her father's spineless behavior, nudged Yuzuru's side with her elbow, and whispered reproachfully, "You always take your father's side! You're always like this!"
Yuzuru shook his head, offering no explanation.
It wasn't that he wanted to help; it was just that Uncle Mori was being too polite. The combination of his wife and daughter made Nanami Hanyu feel a little guilty, but not much.
After all, this was Kogoro Mouri's own choice.
Yuzuru smiled and took Xiaolan's "violent" hand, gently scratching her palm with his fingertips: "I'm just helping Uncle stay in top shape. Besides, don't you know who I spoil the most?"
His voice was low, with a hint of ambiguous magnetism.
Xiaolan's face instantly turned red. She subconsciously glanced around quickly, feeling both annoyed and amused, and tried to pull her hand away, but Yu Shengnan gently held it.
There was an intimate atmosphere between the two that no one else could penetrate, and the air itself seemed to turn sweet.
Not far away, Nakamori Aoko quietly watched this scene.
Watching the natural and intimate interaction between Ran and Yuzuru, seeing the beautiful blush on the girl's face, which looked exactly like hers, a mixture of shyness, helplessness, and happiness, and seeing the focused, doting, and slightly possessive look in Yuzuru's eyes when he gazed at Ran...
At that moment, Qingzi felt as if she were watching a live stream from a parallel world.
So, it turns out that the "self" in another world can be so cherished and held in the palm of someone so gentle and handsome...
A sudden emptiness welled up inside her, as if she had missed something very important, and a strange, indescribable envy quietly began to grow within her.
She didn't fully understand what she was envying.
Is it envy that Xiaolan has such a handsome and considerate boyfriend? Or is it envy of the natural and intimate atmosphere between them that is so open and unreserved? Or perhaps... is it simply envy of the feeling of being firmly chosen and protected?
The chuunibyou girl subconsciously touched her flat chest, which felt a little stuffy and sore.
Then it got even more stifling... and even more sour...
It's fine if I don't have a boyfriend.
But! But! She doesn't even have breasts...
They're both 18 years old, but the difference is so huge! God is so unfair!
I feel like crying, what should I do?
Aoko puffed out her cheeks, feeling increasingly aggrieved, and a nameless anger burned fiercely within her.
She's defying the heavens!
She wants to create a new world where all beautiful girls can have amazing figures and perfect boyfriends like Yuzuru Hanyu!
With this thought in mind, the girl's fighting spirit instantly soared.
Every seasoned sufferer of late-stage chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) harbors a world-destroying demon king within their heart, yearning to defy fate and change their destiny.
.........
Night fell, and time quietly crept toward 7:55 PM.
"5 minutes until the scheduled time!"
Inspector Nakamori's booming voice shattered the night's tranquility, "Everyone to your positions! That kid Kidd could jump out from any corner at any moment!"
"yes!"
The men responded and stood ready for battle.
Meanwhile, on the rooftop of a building not far away, a white-clad thief was peering down into the martial arts hall through binoculars, muttering to himself, "...What's with Aoko's expression? Why is she staring at that guy? Damn it!"
—The tone was sour, as if he had swallowed a whole lemon tree whole.
Kaito was in a real bind.
He had planned everything meticulously, but he hadn't expected Qingzi to come as well.
At the Longma exhibition a few days ago, his disguise was almost exposed by Qingzi with a stroke of genius. Now, seeing Qingzi makes him feel like he has PTSD, and his scalp is tingling.
"Never mind! The world is vast, but clues are the most important thing!"
Although he felt extremely guilty about Aoko's appearance, Kaito gritted his teeth and decided to bite the bullet and go for it, thinking of the key clue about the Pandora Gem that Koizumi Akako had promised.
"For Dad!" He gave himself a pep talk, adjusted his hang glider, and like an elegant white ghost in the night sky, silently glided towards the massive martial arts dojo compound.
The mansion was large and had a complex structure.
Kaito piloted his hang glider, carefully searching high in the sky for the possible hiding place of the treasured sword.
"Where exactly is it... hmm?"
Just then, a huge black shadow, accompanied by a panicked "caw!", suddenly leaped up from the eaves below—it was Grozaemon, the vulture that had been disturbed by the earlier commotion and had not yet fully calmed down!
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