Chapter 39: Strategically showing weakness, Ding Dong, the script-killing game enters the second...
"Shiho, you weren't as surprised as you should have been when you saw me in the cafe today," Vermouth changed the subject. "You knew I would come eventually, didn't you? After New York?"
Seeing that she changed the subject, Huiyuan also answered the question and pointed at her body: "This is my current reality."
This counterattack is a textbook example of "strategic weakness."
Pointing at the shrunken body, the subtext was: "Put away your pretense. Look at my current situation. Isn't it all thanks to you (them)?"
Who doesn’t love a broken beauty?
Masters clash, each one flawless. You practice Tai Chi, I practice Tai Chi. On the surface, each saying their own thing, but in reality, it's a battle of the highest spiritual levels.
Vermouth talked about "knowing it in the heart" and Haibara talked about "established reality", both of them were testing each other's bottom line and the thickness of the wall.
Ai-chan's finger is pointing to the scars of the past, which are also the shackles of the present.
She uses the calmest way to reveal her most vulnerable side. This attitude of "I can raise it myself, but you don't dare touch it easily" is both cool and heartbreaking.
Vermouth reached out and gently brushed Huibara's cheek. "Reality is what we create. You should understand this more than anyone else in this world."
This "gentle brush" touch on the face is downright foul. It's not a threatening touch, but rather a touch of tenderness and teasing.
In the dim room, the blonde girl leaned forward slightly, the smile in her eyes more mysterious than the raindrops outside the window.
The little brown-haired girl was forced to look up, and in her stubborn eyes were resistance, surprise, and a little bit of hesitation that she couldn't hide in time.
Outside the window, raindrops fell on the oval roof of Agasa's house.
This rain was not of water, but of the unspoken words and unshared thoughts that flowed in their hearts, so heavy and dense that it turned this little rice krispie house into an isolated island.
The BGM at this moment should be: the sound of rain and white noise mixed with the suspenseful main theme of "Detective Conan".
Neither of them mentioned that for them, trust was not a door but a locked room with no windows.
Closed, suffocating, with no way out unless someone can find that one and only key.
A door can be pushed open, but a secret room can only be broken into from the inside, or by another person with a key.
Some things become more deafening the less you mention them.
"Let's go downstairs to the dining room. I don't like you in my bedroom." Huibara said directly.
Even when facing a dangerous person who could kill her at any moment, Ai-chan never shows any fear. This calmness and courage are her most charming qualities.
Bedroom = the most private area.
Ai-chan drew a clear line with her actions: "You can flirt, but don't try to easily step into my inner forbidden area."
This sentence, seemingly an expulsion, actually reveals Ai's defensiveness. The atmosphere in the bedroom is too ambiguous, too dangerous, and she needs to return to a more "public" space to regain a sense of security and control.
Gray original territorial awareness max.
Bedroom = absolute safe zone, Sister Bei = walking pheromone crisis.
Sister Beijie's OS: Not allowed in the bedroom? It doesn't matter, being able to enter the house and the dining room is already a stage victory.
She shrugged and obediently followed Huibara downstairs.
The queen's obedience is not surrender, but an attitude of "Okay, I'll play with you".
She enjoyed this push and pull, like a cat teasing a ball of yarn that clearly wanted to be caught but was desperately trying to escape.
Vermouth’s OS might also be: “Oh? You don’t like it in the bedroom? Then the dining room is okay? Little guy, you make the rules and I break them.” This is not giving in, this is clearly indulgence.
She even shrugged, her body language full of ease and comfort. On the other hand, Huiyuan must have been alarmed.
Shrugging Sister Bei: Okay, okay, the kitten’s fur is standing on end, just stroke it along~
Following the scene of going downstairs: The Queen put away her claws and temporarily played the role of an elegant guest (but who knows if she was just pretending?)
In the restaurant, the sound of rain continued.
Huibara continued to make tea and took some cookies. These were no longer the neatly-made supermarket cookies that Professor Agasa had hidden behind her back.
Instead, they are little, slightly crooked handmade cookies. Everyday, warm, down-to-earth, something that belongs to "Haihara Ai" rather than "Miyano Shiho."
Tea and Biscuits: I want to dispel the dangerous atmosphere with my daily life...
Vermouth elegantly picked up a cookie and said, "Did you bake these?"
Her entry point is always so tricky. After the scene change, she doesn't ask for intelligence or Conan, but first asks about the origin of a cookie.
Perhaps, among all the spy techniques, the most brilliant one is infiltration, which uses the most lifelike details to pry open the first crack in the target's defenses.
Sister Beijie asks knowingly. Continue the casual game of "Tease Shirley".
In fact, she had already begun to imagine the serious genius scientist in the organization, wearing an apron and baking clumsily but seriously in the kitchen.
"I bought it." Huibara lied.
Because the cookies are handmade, it feels too important, and it feels a bit private and intimate.
And this cookie was actually made by Xiaolan.
This cute dolphin-like high school girl always says, "Oh, I accidentally baked some extra cookies and cakes," and then eagerly gives them to the doctor.
But Xiaolan knew that the doctor wanted to control his sugar intake, and Haibara would not allow him to eat too much.
So these two servings of handmade cookies are not for the doctor.
Xiaolan brand feeding warmed the doctor's stomach and nourished Ai's heart.
This sweet cookie has now become the hottest potato.
Why lie? Because this cookie came from Xiaolan and is a symbol of the "light" in Huiyuan's life.
Subconsciously, she didn't want Vermouth, a woman from the "darkness," to touch this warmth. This was to protect her food, but also to protect her own new life.
This cookie is the focal point where two worlds collide.
Moreover, because the baked food was really delicious, Xiaolan insisted on sending it to her several times, and Haibara no longer refused.
Shirley's rationality succumbed to the ironclad evidence of sweets.
Awkward tenderness. She didn't say it, but she had already accepted and cherished this kindness from the "bright world".
She is not an iceberg who is indifferent to worldly affairs, she is just not good at expressing herself. When faced with true warmth, she will accept it silently.
That's why she was so nervous when Vermouth asked her about it. Because behind the cookie was a small piece of happiness that she didn't want to be destroyed.
"You're lying." Vermouth took a bite and said, "Dr. Miyano is baking in the kitchen. This scene is so romantic."
Bei Jie's precise counterfeiting. The tongue-tip detective is online: Such delicious cookies cannot be made without ten years of experience as a child laborer cooking at home.
She not only imagined the scene at Sulli's Bakery, she also spoke it out loud. She directly projected her orange-filtered fantasy, thick as bulletproof glass, onto Ai-chan's face. What kind of lewd words are these? Vermouth, the queen of seduction.
The tone was rising, knowing everything, as if to say: "Little thing, lying again, how cute."
She didn't even need any evidence; she knew Ai was lying based on her intuition and observation.
It is the ultimate understanding and concern, and the absolute control of "all your little thoughts cannot escape my eyes."
Huibara looked at her, looking at her seriously.
Ai's defense system froze for a moment. Perhaps she was analyzing Vermouth's true intentions, or perhaps she was imagining a warm and homely scene that even she found unbelievable.
A joke, exchanged for a serious gaze. The air was filled with the crackling, tangy chemical reaction.
The blonde actress's blurry smile was reflected in Huiyuan's ice-blue eyes.
Feels very safe.
At this moment, feeling "safe" in the presence of one of the most dangerous women in the world is the ultimate paradox, yet it makes perfect sense.
Because at this moment, Vermouth had put away all her minions and only showed her harmless (even indulgent) side to her.
In the ruins of blood and lies, a temporary "safe zone" was built with Xiaolan's homemade cookies and tea...
But do Beijie's "safety" and Huiyuan's "safety" really mean the same thing? (Beware)
Question: When Vermouth said, "Dr. Miyano baking in the kitchen, what a romantic scene," her true thoughts were closest to which of the following?
A. "Did Angel make those cookies? Haha, next time I'll bake you a Michelin three-star one. Let's see if you still want to eat hers, hum." (Jealousy and comparison)
B. "It's so fun to tease her. Her face is almost red, like a ripe cherry. I want to take a bite." (Pure bad taste and appetite)
C. "I really think it's romantic. If I could just leave all this behind and live a peaceful, everyday life with her, it would seem... not bad?" (A bit of heartfelt emotion, spoiler alert for the finale after 3,000 episodes.)
D. "Good, Ai-chan's reaction was spot-on. The shock and embarrassment in her eyes were just right. Next, switch to Miyano Shiho, adult mode, and let's do a kissing scene." (A director's mindset that breaks down the dimensional wall)
"So," Vermouth said, leaning back in her chair as if nothing had happened in the past half hour. "Where were we just now?"
Rhythm master Vermouth created the right atmosphere and immediately withdrew.
After all, given the atmosphere just now, a kissing scene would unfold later. Unfortunately, the person in front of him was not the 19-year-old adult Shiho Miyano, but just Haibara who looked like an elementary school student, so the most he could do was pinch her face.
The multifaceted actress's emotional management skills are terrifying. She can enter a role in a second and then exit it in the next. She enjoys creating an atmosphere, and even more so, breaking it with her own hands and watching the other person's reaction.
Bei Jie: OK, a stage victory, the kitten's fur is smoothed out, and its guard is down. We can start to talk business. Master, this is a master.
The Queen Lazily Leaning on the Chair: That was just a warm-up, is the main show starting now?
Asking despite knowing the answer x2. Using the most relaxed tone to catch the most cautious fish.
"You were about to leave."
Ai-chan quickly counterattacked: "Aren't you amnesiac? Let me help you recall, I just ordered you to leave."
Subtext: "Stop acting, just leave now that the discussion is over."
She put up her defenses again. The momentary sense of security she had just felt made her wary, so she immediately used verbal expulsion to protect herself from getting sucked in even deeper.
It looked like an order to leave, but it was actually more like a fit of anger. You personally broke the peaceful atmosphere we had worked so hard to achieve, so I won't be nice to you either, humph. A little temper means you're really upset.
Gray original cold (and duplicity) no expulsion order. Want to take back the initiative.
Do you hope she leaves, or do you fear she might actually leave? That is the question.
"Really?" It was that Hollywood enchantress's smile again. "I forgot. How rude. But I noticed you. You kept asking me why I came here."
Bayonet kicked the ball back again. She enjoyed this cat-and-mouse game, enjoyed watching Huibara worry about her. Her "purpose" was a trump card in itself.
Q: What is the real reason why Sister Beijie didn't lie down in her luxury apartment in the harbor, but came to the peaceful Mihua for a chance encounter in the rain?
A. The organization sent her to urge the progress of APTX antidote (official version)
B. Let's see if the shrunken enemy is doing well (Twisted Caring Version)
C. It's cherry blossom season and I'm looking for someone to share the Tokyo Tower ticket deal (the season doesn't match, here's a clever excuse from Miss Beijie)
D. I just want to see Shirley make tea, lie, and eat cookies (Tachibana Gakuen version)
"Peak tourist season?"
As Huibara spoke, she poured some water into the teapot. Her hand was steady, which made her feel a little proud. "The cherry blossoms are in full bloom? Suddenly want to go to Tokyo Tower?"
It's autumn now, but it's almost snowing.
A trio of cold jokes from Huiyuan. Using the most nonchalant tone, giving the most ridiculous answers.
This round of the verbal attack competition, Haibara Ai triumphs. You're not going to speak directly? Then I'll use the most outrageous excuse to silence you. This irony skill is maxed out, not very damaging, but extremely insulting.
Little did she know how charming this pretending to be strong look was in Sister Bay's eyes.
"The reasons are all very good." Vermouth looked at the anger rising on Huibara's little face: "Although it's not quite accurate."
The high-end hunter’s opening remarks: “What you said is all right, but not completely right.” First affirm and then deny, the PUA rhetoric is well-developed.
Haibara's anger value was visibly increasing by +1+1+1 on her furry little head, while Sister Bei watched the fire calmly from the other side and even wanted to add fuel to the fire.
The four words "not quite accurate" can be translated as: "Baby, you are angry in a good way, but you are not angry in the right way. Let me, your sister, give you some advice."
"Then tell me about it."
The subtext of Huibara's words: "Hehe, woman, I want to see what tricks you can play." seems to be kicking the ball back, but in fact, she has fallen into the other party's language trap.
"I might have missed you."
A nuclear-level straight ball.
My pupils trembled. Did Vermouth put in so much effort in the previous scenes just for this powerful confession?
But, be careful of this "possibility." Masters clash, but only when it's enough. It's both a test and a lure, using uncertainty as a hook, making one itch but unable to act. Vermouth, you're worthy of being you.
Haibara carefully put down the teapot and looked at Vermouth.
She knew that whoever looked away first would lose in this eye contact. This was a top-level competition between highly intelligent adults.
However, when one is in a state of confusion, one's hands will unconsciously become lighter in their movements, fearing that any sound will reveal the turmoil in one's heart.
"People like you don't miss others." She said coldly, "What you miss is opportunity."
Haibara's counterattack is here. Perfect logic and precise strikes.
With just one sentence, Sister Bay returned to her cold-blooded and ruthless "movie queen" prototype, and she wanted to extinguish the little flame just now with rationality.
The translation is: "Don't give me that. People like you only care about yourself. Others are just stepping stones and tools for you."
However, Huiyuan was still too young and thought that by analyzing her, she was actually revealing how much she cared about her. The more she emphasized that she "wouldn't miss others", the more she proved herself, and was disturbed by the word "I miss you".
“Oh, that’s too cruel.” Vermouth’s expression remained unchanged. “But it’s not completely inaccurate. Tell me, what kind of person do you think I am?”
——Sister, not only am I not angry, I am also very curious. What kind of image do I have in your mind?
This rhetoric is known in the art world as "building a garden on ruins." A punch arrives, and not only does she not dodge, but she grabs the hand and invites a dance. Sister Bei, a master of language at the highest level.
"The dangerous kind."
The concise and honest answer is also the most ambiguous answer.
Not a "bad guy" or a "killer," but "dangerous." This shows that in Huiyuan's heart, Bei Jie's attributes have surpassed good and evil and become a pure, fascinating threat.
“But you actually invited danger home.” Vermouth leaned forward slightly, the sense of oppression suddenly bursting: “Is this… possible? What does this say about you?”
A precise counterattack. That one sentence threw all the questions back at Huiyuan. Yeah, if I'm so dangerous, why did you let the wolf into the house?
Huiyuan didn't want to answer this question.
Escaped. Silence is Cambridge tonight, and also Huiyuan's last stubbornness.
Read, not replying.
At this moment, Huiyuan's inner comments: (System prompt: The opponent's logic is too strong, our CPU has overheated, and it is recommended to restart.)
Vermouth ate a cookie and said it was delicious: "But we all know that you are not suitable for this kind of life of pretending to be stupid. You are too ambitious."
She even ate a cookie. This leisurely posture was like dancing a tango on Huiyuan's heart.
Seeing through Huibara's disguised calmness, he directly pointed out her deep yearning and unwillingness for a wider world.
She was telling Shirley: "Stop pretending to be a little rabbit. You and I are both wild animals that cannot be caged."
Otherwise, Haibara wouldn't have taken most of her time away from researching the antidote to study the Key of Logos.
In fact, if you count the time Huibara is awake every day, she spends more time on Logos than on the antidote.
Huiyuan tilted her head and looked at her. Her little face was cute but also scrutinizing. She said fiercely, "Do you have any better conditions?"
Huiyuan's mind raced: "Okay, stop making empty promises. Talk is cheap. Show me the money. What can you give me?"
From the tangy emotional tug-of-war, it instantly switches to business negotiation mode. It is indeed a conversation between two highly intelligent ladies.
"Maybe. It's a collaboration, I guess."
There was only one small light in the dim kitchen. She faced the light and gently brushed her chin with her fingertips. The air was filled with the scent of pheromones (crossed out) and custom-made perfume.
"I will not cooperate with a killer."
On matters of principle, no compromise. This is Miyano Shiho's bottom line, and also her final struggle.
This sentence is said not only to Sister Bei, but also to myself. It is like a kind of self-hypnosis, reminding myself not to sink.
"No?" Vermouth smiled. "What do you think of our little collaboration in the coffee shop today? Or how about the performance in New York that night?"
They started to look up old accounts, and every transaction was solid evidence of their tacit cooperation and complicity.
Every time we fight side by side, it is a duet dedicated to the world.
Kill like crazy, kill like crazy. Sister Bei's implication is: "Baby, we have been accomplices for a long time. It's too late for you to draw a clear line now."
Huiyuan felt her cheeks getting hot: "I was distracted for a moment."
"Which time?"
Beilu Modou, the king of the pursuit world, the GOAT of the last-hit world.
Shrimp and pig heart. I really need her to explain which "co-starring" made her lose her focus. There's no way to answer this question; any answer would be a trap.
One question, two possibilities. No matter which answer you give, it is equivalent to admitting that you were impressed and moved by one (or both) of the "performances".
"Both."
A confession that was half-abandoned, with a bit of shame and anger of giving up.
Lost, but not completely. At least, honestly.
Vermouth laughed, and her laughter echoed throughout the kitchen: "Oh, Shiho. You have always been a liar, what a bad little girl. Your only shortcoming as a scientist is that you are too obsessed with the truth."
"And your only talent as an actor is that you are too good at deceiving." Huiyuan retorted using her English sentence structure.
A medley of English and Japanese exchanged sharp words. A beautiful roundhouse kick followed. Haibara quickly regrouped, using her opponent's logic and sentence structure to counterattack.
"This is not my only talent." Vermouth whispered: "You must remember it."
Ah, what kind of talent is this? Let's talk about it in detail.
The air between them suddenly became heavy, filled with a dangerous, tangy electric current.
This is a high-voltage power grid. Anyone who touches it will get sparks flying.
Haibara felt how close they were standing, and was aware of the scent of Vermouth, her expensive custom perfume, and the memory of that night in New York that she had tried so hard to forget.
An all-round sensory bombardment, smell is the most loyal gatekeeper of memory, a whiff of perfume can instantly unlock a sealed and unforgettable past.
Q: What is the most likely thing that happened during the "New York Night" between 18-year-old Miyano Shiho and Vermouth that Ai-chan tried so hard to forget?
A. Keeping warm while escaping life and death.
B. "Punishment" teaching after mission failure.
C. dangerously crossing the line under the influence of alcohol.
D. Bayley's unilateral "talent display".
"I said, that night in New York was a mistake." Huibara said calmly.
Classic scene of not recognizing people afterwards. Pulling out. Ruthless. Miyano Shiho, also has the potential to be a scumbag. (Modo Modo)
The "mistakes" that night in New York were:
A. Killed a supporting actor by mistake B. Ordered a takeaway by mistake C. Got into the wrong bed D. I dare not tell the answer, for fear of being sniped by Vermouth across dimensions.
"Another mistake? Or the same one, just revisited?"
Review? Bayley calls this reviewing? This is clearly dangerous driving.
Huiyuan’s inner thoughts: Can this crappy New York game please stop reloading the save file?
"Either way, it was still a mistake."
A textbook example of tsundere speech: "I don't care, it's just wrong. Wrong, wrong. Humph." (The little head shook like a rattle).
Beijie OS: Very good, challenging, sister, I like to force the melon. I have to force it.jpg
"Oh, was that wrong?" Vermouth tapped her lower lip lightly with her fingertips, her charming eyes curved into a cunning arc. "Why do I remember someone begging me in a soft voice... 'Chris, do it again', huh? Which young lady said that?"
The heat rushed from her neck to Huibara's cheeks.
"You--." Huibara frowned and puffed up her face in anger.
"Look, isn't this much cuter? This kind of innocent reaction is more suitable for your age."
"I'm not a child." This is a talented girl who is actually 19 years old.
"That's right. After all, the most interesting scientific discoveries often begin with mistakes." Vermouth took a step back and broke the tense atmosphere: "Penicillin. X-ray. Your APTX-4869."
Beijie's science class is now open. Topic: "How to package flirting into an academic discussion"
Translation: "The mistake you made is very valuable. Make it a few more times and show me how to do it."
Huiyuan frowned. "From an academic point of view, there's no way to compare these."
He frowned, realizing that Sister Bei was quibbling again.
Haibara: I'm talking to you about ethics, and you're talking to me about science? I'm talking to you about science, and you're talking to me about metaphysics? This question is beyond the syllabus, and the teacher didn't teach it. Report it. Someone is trying to confuse the subject here.
Sister Bei's sophistry: Everything can be compared, as long as it can attract Shirley~
"Isn't it? The unexpected outcome changed everything." Vermouth took another step back, returning to her seat. She had retreated to her safe zone again. The Thousand Layers of Tricks of a Bad Woman.
Unexpected results: refers to the fact that Shiho Miyano has since opened the door to a new world (physical + psychological).
"You came to Mika, went through so much trouble (Japanese: wazawaza) to meet me by chance at a cafe, and go treasure hunting. What do you want to talk about?"
Impatient Ai: Big sister, stop talking nonsense and just tell me directly, what kind of membership do I need to buy to unlock the subsequent plot?
"You know what?" Vermouth said casually without responding, "When the little detective came, your first reaction was to hide me in your bedroom. This is really amazing. There are so many rooms in this house..."
Bei Jie's precise complaints.
Huiyuanjiang's subconscious: The most dangerous place is the safest place? No. The most ambiguous place is the safest.
"That's the most reasonable choice." Huibara said stiffly.
This explanation is as pale as saying "I eat midnight snacks to better digest dinner."
"Really? Or maybe... deep down, you want me to go there?"
"You're imagining things."
Huibara frowned. The way Vermouth looked at her made her feel like Miyano Shiho at eighteen again, smart, reckless, and full of energy.
Dreaming back to the days when she was the group's favorite (bushi) and engaged in scientific research. The smart, confident, and slightly rebellious Miyano Shiho only appeared in two situations: when she was working on her career, and... in front of Vermouth.
Bei Jie's filter: Look, this is the real you, not the little girl hiding in her shell.
Vermouth tilted her head and said, "Miyano Shiho, it seems she just... evolved? Adapted? Haibara Ai is a fascinating mutation. Tough. Smart. Still poisonous."
This is the key point. This is what Bayley admires most. She doesn't love some innocent little white flower, but this poisonous, biting black rose.
Vermouth moved a little closer: "Tell me, what do you want? Is it the antidote? Or revenge?"
The word "revenge" hit the nail on the head for Huibara.
The seemingly casual remark was made after so much preparation, including "mutation" and "venom", and finally focused on "revenge", which in an instant turned Huibara from a biological miracle back into the girl with a blood feud.
The masters clashed, each move deadly. Vermouth didn't ask if she was cold or hungry; she simply asked if she hated him. It was a soul-piercing interrogation.
You know, her parents and sister all died at the hands of the organization.
This was something etched into her bones. Therefore, Vermouth's question directly peeled off the ice of her disguise, revealing the hottest magma underneath.
The hatred for one’s parents is irreconcilable.
How could Shirley, who dares to love and hate, not consider revenge?
After being criticized, Haibara automatically went into defense mode. Before she could come up with a response without any complaints, the doorbell rang again.
Huiyuan: If you say that again, I'll start swearing.
...Ding Dong.
Doorbell: Hello, I'm here to interrupt the spell.
Going into defense mode = a furry cat. Imagine a cat with its back arched, fur standing on end, and purring menacingly, only to jump three feet in the air at the doorbell.
It couldn't be Conan, Huiyuan thought immediately. He was going to the convenience store to buy something and then going home to have dinner with Xiaolan. He wouldn't be back so soon.
A cold fear surged in my heart.
who?
Vermouth sitting in the room is the "old fear", and outside the door is the "new fear". Huibara is the first female protagonist in contemporary horror films.
Who? Of course, it's the one who adds fuel to the already chaotic CP relationship. #涼場尽管迟但来了#
She quickly walked over to the surveillance camera. A tall, bespectacled man with messy brown hair and a calm demeanor appeared on the screen.
Oki. Ya. Subaru.
The man who lives next door, has squinty eyes, cooks delicious food, and is actually an FBI ace.
Ding Dong, the script-killing game enters the second act.
Roles: The Black Organization's actress Vermouth, FBI undercover ace Shuichi Akai, and the trembling organization defector (who is also the team's intelligence) caught in the middle.
Location: Dr. Agasa's living room.
Theme: Whoever is exposed first will die.
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