Chapter 54: Keeping Guests on Rainy Days and Living in the Sun
Haibara, after all, did not see the faint smug smile on the corners of Vermouth's alluring lips and the narrowed look in her watery peach blossom eyes when she was carrying her on her back.
The expression of a planner.
However, no matter how smug your smile is when your back is turned, the second you turn around, your expression becomes so innocent. You are worthy of being you, Sister Bei.
Huibara raised her hand, and the corners of the photo were slightly curled up by her small fingertips.
Her voice was steady and clear: "Who else knows about this?"
Classic switch back to business mode. "Hmph, Lun, the Lun family doesn't want to keep you, I just have something important to ask." (Tsundere face)
There are some important details that need to be clarified so that she can discuss countermeasures with Edogawa. No matter from a personal point of view, she really hopes that Vermouth will leave now.
On How to Cover Up a Woman's Chaos with Public Affairs
At least that's what her first conscious mind told herself.
First, conscious: Let her go. Second, subconscious: Don't go. Third, deep in the soul: Come a little closer and I'll go with you. Just a little more courage...
But now the business was important, so she didn't have too much time to think about whether she was deceiving herself or not.
Translation: As long as I don't want to, I'm not deceiving myself. Ostrich mentality get.
Low memory warning. Emotion process is using 99%.
Maybe it was because business was more important, or maybe she subconsciously knew the answer and she wouldn't like it, so it was better not to dig too deep.
Vermouth's eyes swept across Haibara's small face, and the corners of her lips showed the iconic seductive smile of a Hollywood actress.
For this Beika Town Mona Lisa Smile (Dangerous Edition), it is recommended to project the screen directly to New York's Times Square.
Yan Yi's nuclear weapon. Haibara HP-999.
The smile was different from the previous teasing and frivolous one, nor was it the smile of success when he carried Huibara on his back just now. But it was tinged with a little softness when he was leaving for the last time.
Full of scheming.
A thousand layers of tricks. One layer to lure you in, one layer to appease you, and one layer to make you fall.
Bei Jie's smile taxonomy: frivolous smile/successful smile/limited gentle smile (SSR)
"Well, I'm the only one who knows now."
Translation: This is a secret that belongs only to us～ひ～み～つ～
The sounds of "ひみつ" are just like acting like a spoiled child. They come with cherry blossom effects.
Vermouth leaned against the door frame and smiled at her. Only then did Haibara realize that in just a few hours, she had actually become a little accustomed to Vermouth's presence.
Doorframe: Don't ask. If you're asking, it's hit, and the hinges are creaking. I'm just there as a backdrop, witnessing history.
From "a dangerous member of an organization" to "a somewhat familiar presence", how many heartbeats have passed in between?
Habit is the beginning of the fall. The alarm is sounded.
Ugh, dangerous statement. What kind of "I moved in with my old enemy and found out she's pretty nice" storyline is this?
At the entrance, Vermouth leaned leisurely against the door frame, her golden hair gilded with gold edges, and her perfectly tailored windbreaker vaguely revealed her healthy curves carefully crafted in the gym.
No matter how you look at her, she looks like a carefully composed movie poster.
"I have to cook for one person." Huiyuan said, "Akai's cooking skills are surprisingly good for an agent."
Shura Field Alert. Mentioning my cousin at this time.
Haibara, you're playing with fire. Mentioning Akai in front of Bayonetta is like stepping on a landmine with precision.
"One person's meal" emphasizes the boundaries, and "Akai" is to raise the shield and take a full defensive posture.
Huiyuan's subtext: Go away. I want to enjoy the FBI's special palm curry all to myself.
Akai: When you are at Kudo's house, the pot will come from the sky.
"About the time I used my ex-brother-in-law's cooking skills to stimulate my current (?) girlfriend", after being PUA'd by the movie queen for a long time, Huibara wanted to use the same trick on her.
Akai: Good cooking skills, accurate shooting skills, and can also be a babysitter at critical moments. A true FBI KPI.
"So, when you're alone, you call him Akai instead of Mr. Okiya? Interesting."
Vermouth, the master of detail, has her gossip radar activated. As expected of an intelligence expert, even the subtle differences in address are noticeable.
"Okiya-san" is for outsiders to hear, and "Akai" is for our own people. It's over, this is no longer clear.
The shield that Huihara held up, which had a slightly PUA meaning, was penetrated in a second.
The vinegar factory director has a keen sense of smell. The acidity in the air soars.
"How to Use One Sentence to Trigger Both Jealousy and Shura Field" The emotional game in Beika Town is even more brain-burning than the missions of the Black Organization.
As Huibara took the crisper out of the refrigerator, she glanced at her angrily and said, "Stop analyzing everything I say."
The angry expression must be very cute.
Refrigerator: I am just an ordinary storage place for fresh-keeping boxes. Why should I have to witness such a passionate scene?
Freshener: Did I appear just to witness the Queen teasing the tsundere loli? I've endured too much orange tangerine.
"I can't help it. You're so charming when you put your guard up."
"I was off guard," Haibara said loudly, but was stopped by Vermouth's raised eyebrow. "Okay. This situation is... unusual."
Only a few hundred million.
Bayley's eyebrows: a silent, barrage-like launcher of sarcasm, with maximum lethality. One eyebrow is worth a hundred lines.
"Beautiful things always come true." Vermouth glanced at his watch. "It's getting late and the rain has stopped. I'd better leave quickly, lest your guardians come to visit you again."
"Guardians": refers to Detective Conan, Mao Lilan, and possibly the FBI team.
Haibara, the certified favorite of the Mikado group of protagonists.
Rain: Did I stop at the wrong time? I should have kept it raining a little longer to give them more time to spend together.
Huiyuan felt both relieved and a bit disappointed. "That would be the wise thing to do."
Relieved (relieved): Finally, I don’t have to worry anymore.
Disappointed (pursed lips): Why is she really leaving?
He said "wise" but in his heart he was thinking "don't go".
The standard configuration of the ambiguous period: hard words + soft heart + a short separation.
Reaching the door, Vermouth paused, "Be careful, Shiho. Someone is moving pieces on the chessboard, and neither of us fully understands the situation yet."
Subtext: Don't think I'm here just to tease you, I have something serious to do. (Although teasing is also important)
"I'm always careful." Huibara replied.
Tsk tsk tsk. The flag is too high. Confidence shines, but looking back brings disaster. One of the immutable laws of the Conan universe.
When you say this, can you please check your conscience? Think about those moments when you were reckless, and the moments when you were dragged into the incident by the three little detectives.
Haibara: I'm so cautious that even Conan is on guard, except you.
Once again, Vermouth's smile was genuine, yet a little worried. "Well, it wasn't always like this. New York, remember?"
New York, the wholesale place for "nostalgia" in the Conan world.
Huiyuan walked her out and checked the surveillance camera to make sure Conan hadn't returned. Everything was fine.
If Conan really came back and saw this scene...it was bound to be a bloody scene. I even had the title in mind: "Shocking! My companion had a secret meeting with the number one blacklisted person on a rainy night."
Only when Conan is away can Lily breathe freely.
Surveillance: I've witnessed too many things I shouldn't have seen. This video will be replaced with a blank one by Queen Huiyuan in a moment.
"Everything is fine" = "Something will definitely go wrong in the next episode."
Vermouth stopped at the door. "Oh, by the way, your young detective is investigating the poison case. Ask him to look for a mixture of nightshade plant derivatives and synthetic paralytics. This kind of thing is very popular in certain circles."
Here we go. Time for the intelligence roundup. The Science of Poison Encyclopedia is online. What kind of "speaking incoherently but acting honestly" assist is this, Bayonetta?
"Your little detective" - tsk tsk, such a sour tone, are you jealous, Sister Bei?
Huiyuan frowned: "How do you know?"
It's a standard detective drama where the supporting actor asks questions and then the other party starts showing off/explaining.
"I make it my business to learn all kinds of interesting information," Vermouth replied, "especially things that might affect people I find...interesting."
aka "My career is intelligence, please keep an eye on my 'kitty'."
Bei Jie is a career-oriented strong woman, whose side job is to tease Shirley.
"Shirley, the organization is evolving. It's becoming something... even I'm not sure."
The codenames were changed back, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense. This was about to start something big.
Organizational evolution? Is it upgrading from a winery to a soy sauce factory? (No)
"Why tell me?"
Huiyuan's classic three-part series: Who are you? Why are you helping me? What do you want from me?
aka Are you here to spread information or to show off?
"Because despite all this, you created a remarkable medicine. One that defied its own design."
She pointed at Huibara's tiny body and said, "Your understanding of science is unmatched."
"You need my help." Huibara narrowed her eyes, not wanting to be flattered by the bad woman in front of her.
Is this the legendary "help-seeking ambiguity"?
Haibara: After all, it turns out you just want to take advantage of my scientific research abilities for free?
"I want to hear your opinion," Vermouth corrected. "Just think of it as professional curiosity."
Translation: I want to do scientific research with you (and have a romantic relationship at the same time).
A tsundere duo, one who refuses to admit needing help, the other who refuses to admit that care can lead to chaos. A perfect match.
Vermouth visits in the rain, giving information and praising people. What is her real purpose?
A. It's really just "professional curiosity" and I'm checking in with an old friend (?)
B. A sugar-coated bullet sent by the organization to try to persuade Shirley to rebel.
C. took a fancy to the newly developed ice cream machine of Dr. Agasa.
D. Covets Shiho's body (her intelligence and beauty). Wants to find a research partner to help him overthrow the winery.
The atmosphere of impending departure made Huibara feel a little complicated.
Vermouth put on her shoes, then stopped and looked down at Haibara with a slightly unreadable look in her eyes.
Chinese translation: The hunter's final gaze before closing his net.
"See you next time, my little scientist," she whispered. "There will be a next time."
The tone of voice clearly had "next date" written all over his face.
Then she opened the door and walked into the damp night.
When the Hollywood actress left the stage, she did so without any hesitation. She just turned around, opened the door, and walked into the night, as lightly as if she had never appeared.
But the air was filled with her scent.
What remains is the scent of rose perfume in the air, mixed with the moist smell of rice flower rain outside the window.
Huibara stood there, holding the photo in her hand even tighter.
Vermouth's back, like a puzzle, slowly disappeared from her sight.
A mysterious woman, with a mysterious fragrance, leaves behind a mysterious heart.
But Haibara knew that the answer to this puzzle might not lie in Conan's top reasoning ability.
There is only one truth, but the truth about love is beyond the grasp of elementary school students.
This game of chess may only be played by her and Vermouth.
Vermouth is both the chess master and the uncontrollable factor on the chessboard - the most dangerous woman in the Ko School District.
A walking hormone bomb and a bug-generating machine.
See you next time.
Four words, two worlds.
Huibara's heart clenched. She knew this was just the beginning. The woman who had demanded her countless times in the darkness during that snowy night in New York when she was eighteen years old, now told her in the most gentle way in the world: This game has only just begun.
If the Black Organization knew that a senior member was playing Russian roulette with a defector, they might gather in Mikado, where the density of criminals is already too high, which would bring another wave of shock to Mr. Xiaohei Fanze who came to Luoyang from his hometown.
What is the Black Organization's view on love? A. Indifferent to life and death. B. Love is a crime. C. All members are single. D. Gin: I don't understand women.
Huibara leaned against the wall and slowly slid down to the ground.
My knees are giving out. I'm so tired of being in love. I'm kneeling down like a Japanese. (Famous scene: Girl's paralysis.jpg)
After all, the scientists' knees became weak due to the Japanese-style kneeling.
When facing Gin's gun, he could still think of various ways to escape, but now, a pure kiss from Vermouth on the face makes people slide down the wall. Could this be the gravity of love?
Bei Jie's kiss = Ke Xue District's strongest weapon
OS at this moment: Beauty has misled me.
There seemed to be a lingering sense of coldness on the little face.
The light kiss that Vermouth gave before leaving was both a threat and a hint of possessiveness.
Sister Bei’s OS: Just stamp it, you are mine, little traitor.
Maybe she thought there were surveillance cameras in the restaurant, and this seemingly innocent little thing, which actually concealed the two people's... adult scandal and was not innocent at all, would be seen by Conan Edogawa.
This action is clearly an act of marking out territory.
Alpha's behavior is confirmed.
However, even if there is a surveillance video, Haibara will replace it and will not let the doctor or Conan see it.
Q1: What was the main purpose of Bayley's "innocent cheek kiss" before she left?
A. It's just a farewell etiquette, a common social practice for Europeans and Americans. Don't make a fuss about the neon gold.
B. A warning to Huiyuan: "Don't think about other wild men/women anymore."
C. A protest against possible Conan (or organizational surveillance): "She's mine."
D. True feelings are expressed, and love is overflowing and uncontrollable.
E. All of the above. You are worthy of being the queen of many faces.
Q2: (Imagine it) If Gin broke in at this moment and saw this scene, what would his first line be?
A. "Vermouth. How dare you betray the organization?" (Classic Poems)
B. "Sulli...you..." (shocked and speechless)
C. (pulling out a special pistol) "Clean up the house." (Ruthless Talk)
D. "...Excuse me, please continue." (Silently closing the door, thinking: This world has finally gone insane and I don't recognize it.)
Huibara raised her hand and touched her forehead, feeling dizzy.
Closing my eyes, Vermouth's gentle words came to mind: "It's just me."
Dangerous game.
But Huiyuan knew that this was probably more than just a hunting game.
She vaguely felt that she, who wanted to hide from the world in Mihua University, was being pulled by some force and slowly approaching the dangerous figure.
Who will surrender first?
Will they finally reach the light together, or fall into the abyss together?
At this moment, Huiyuan, who had consumed too many brain cells in the verbal battle with Vermouth, had no time to think carefully.
There are two kinds of scents floating in the air.
One is the curry made by Shuichi Akai, which is mixed with the meaty aroma of Japanese-style cooking, warm and calming, reminding her that life in the small house at home should be so ordinary.
Although she lost three family members and was hunted by the organization, she can still enjoy the life of an ordinary person.
Just don't fall into the trap of the owner of that other scent, that alluring perfume.
On the other hand, there is the limited edition perfume of the brand "Vermouth Temptation", the top note of which is betrayal, the middle note is ambiguity, and the base note is "Sister stepped on me" (dangerous statement).
Two kinds of auras overlapped in Dr. Agasa's oval cake villa, urging Huibara to make a choice.
"On the question of whether I smell bread or my wife", Orange is in a good mood
Haibara Ai opened her eyes, and the sound of rice flowers and rain outside the window continued.
Rain: That’s right, it’s me again, the classic image tool Rain. This time I’m responsible for providing the ambient light for the lilies. Hehe.
She knew that after she escaped from the organization, her peaceful life might be broken, or to be more specific, it would be leisurely crushed by the bad woman, Vermouth, with her red-soled high heels.
Huibara stood in the doorway, the cool, moist air blowing over her body.
The feeling of Vermouth's touch and the warmth of her kiss seemed to remain around him.
The woman just disappeared like that, disappeared into the night, just like she had suddenly appeared in the coffee shop a few hours ago, chattering in plastic Japanese with a strong translation accent, pretending to meet by chance.
Huibara stood at the door, looking at the empty street, feeling a mixture of relief and loss.
A typical yuri emotional mixture of "She's gone, my heart is half empty, but I can breathe."
She closed the door, shutting out the foggy night, but also sealing out the aftermath of her emotions.
The air still lingered with the scent of expensive rose-scented perfume.
Vermouth: I'm gone, but my perfume isn't gone.
Oh my, this is the marked territory (bushi).
Huiyuan walked back into the living room, no longer feeling the usual heavy pressure of the secret. Instead, a fierce energy surged within her.
The danger remains undiminished. Akai is still Okiya. Conan is still Conan. The Organization still looms large.
But she, Haibara Ai, is different because of Vermouth.
She is no longer just Haibara Ai, the miniature fugitive.
She is Miyano Shiho, who gazes into the abyss and finds not just a monster but a reflection.
There was a stinging sensation on the little face where Vermouth's lips touched, as if the touch and warmth of the soft lips were still lingering.
The house suddenly felt larger and emptier, as if after a storm, everything was intact on the surface, but fundamentally changed.
The physical space has not changed, but the psychological space has collapsed.
She touched her cheek, with mixed emotions churning in her heart, and walked to the monitor, watching Vermouth's elegant figure at the end of the street.
It wasn't until she completely disappeared from the heavily armed surveillance cameras of the oval building that Huibara finally breathed a sigh of relief.
In the restaurant, two teacups sat side by side on a tray, now cold, silently witnessing a conversation that had rewritten too many of her existing plans.
The tea is cold, but my heart is still warm.
Huibara put away the teacup and saw a faint lipstick mark on the rim of the cup.
Just like Vermouth herself, dangerous, exquisite, full of fatal temptation, and strong.
This red mark is the signature of "I was here" left by Vermouth. It is also an unsolved mystery and an ambiguous invitation.
Q: What does the lipstick mark left by Vermouth mean?
A. A hidden sign declaring sovereignty: Don’t touch my people.
B. Emotional feeding behavior: This child is too cold, give her some warmth.
C. I simply forgot to apply it and the perfume was too strong and distracting.
D. Scheming as the sea: I know she will see it, keep it, and go crazy.
E. "Stamp it and declare my sovereignty, so that some clueless elementary school detective or handsome FBI guy won't bother my Shirley anymore."
She came, she kissed (the cup), she left behind the DNA (not) of the classic Roman conquest.
aka "My dangerous lover just performed an extreme tug-of-war and then left, leaving only a trace of lip color that makes me uneasy."
Haibara carefully picked up the teacup, brought it to the sink, and washed away all traces of Vermouth.
It is a physical deletion operation of old feelings.
However, when the lipstick disappeared under the running water, Huiyuan knew that some traces could not be easily wiped off.
Vermouth had swept in like a beautiful storm, back into her life, leaving behind questions that Haibara wasn't sure she wanted answered.
"See you next time." She whispered to the empty kitchen.
The kitchen is empty, but the heart is full. I say "goodbye" with my mouth, but I say "come again" in my heart.
Where is the line between promise and warning? It lies in the unspoken thought: "Will you come to me again?"
Outside, the first stars appeared in the sky, indifferent to the game of secrets and shadows playing out on earth below.
In the gradually darkening night, at the corner of Beika 2-chome, a woman wearing a golden wig smiled and got into the black luxury business car that came to pick her up.
Taking off one mask and preparing to put on another, Vermouth is already planning her next move in this game that seems to have no end.
Always mysterious, always the queen of many faces, always playing a big game of chess.
He is indeed a master of time management, and he can both pick up girls and get things done.
Huibara stood in the kitchen, feeling the weight of too many secrets, too many dangers, too many conflicting things.
Inner thoughts: "I have it so hard. I'm just a beautiful scientist who wants to live a peaceful life. Why do people always want to seduce me/kill me/take advantage of me?" (Sigh)
It's chess, yes. But who is playing against whom? And what happens when the game finally ends?
Barrage pops up:
Of course, it’s a back-and-forth battle between masters, with the ultimate goal being to “checkmate” the opponent in their own bed (fog).
What else could happen? Of course, Haibara transforms back into Shiho and they have a happy ending.
Conan thought he was solving a case, but in reality, you two were in love.
.
Huiyuan sighed. It was going to be a long day, and she needed to keep a clear head.
Ai-chan: I'm so tired, but she's so good at flirting, I think I kind of like her. (Today's Ai-chan-style dilemma is a yes)
Sigh = emotional version of Ctrl+Z, the heartbeat that cannot be withdrawn can only be swallowed.
After all, she wasn't just playing one game of chess—she was playing three games at once, against Conan, Akai, and Vermouth.
Conan is the "friendship/family line", Akai is the "career line", and Bayonetta is definitely the "love line". (Forced explanation)
These three are top-tier opponents (and teammates) in the entire world of science.
But to be honest, the only game with Vermouth was a high-risk emotional match.
Others need intelligence to play chess, but she also needs to be careful about her mentality.
She couldn't afford to lose any chess game.
I can't lose trust in Conan, I can't lose cooperation with Akai, and I can't lose my heart to Bayonetta.
Huibara washed the cups and put them back into the cabinet in an orderly manner.
The scientist's last stubbornness is: even if his mind is in a mess, he must keep his hands moving gracefully.
She was washing cups, hiding her emotions, the most stable household emotional repression mechanism in the whole place.
Washing cups is a daily routine, a habit, and the shell that she uses to pretend that her life is flawless.
She began to face the reality that she had been avoiding since she recognized Vermouth in the cafe: everything that began between them in New York, the fragility of that night, that passionate short connection, had not yet ended.
Cafes are nodes, and New York is the source of all undercurrents.
It was just paused, like a game of chess, where the pieces were still in place, waiting for the players to return.
This is not a chessboard, this is an ambiguous resurrection point.
The thought should have filled her with fear. However, as she climbed the stairs to the bedroom—which would surely also be filled with the lingering scent of Vermouth's pheromone (crossed out) perfume—she felt a touch of dangerous anticipation.
In Ai-chan's mind, what does the "trace" left by Vermouth look like?
A. A difficult math problem made her rack her brains but she couldn’t help but explore.
B. A glass of specially blended absinthe, dangerous and fascinating, but after just a taste you will find yourself addicted.
C. A depth bomb is dropped into the calm lake of the heart, creating a huge wave called "love".
D. A double bed (crossed out) and an endless game of chess made her willing to play to the end.
Haibara stopped at the bedroom door and thought of Vermouth and his careful observation of her private space in the bedroom just now.
She should have felt violated and angry.
Yet, she felt a sense of clarity.
Vermouth gazed at her bedroom and saw not only the surface orderliness but also the hidden duality—who she had been and who she was becoming.
Beijie brand CT machine, scan your life trajectory.
Vermouth: I'm not just looking at a house, I'm looking at a showroom of the human soul.
As soon as Huibara entered the room, her eyes immediately fell on the photo on the bedside table, which was the smiling face of her sister Mingmei.
Next to the photo, there is a red rose.
Huiyuan picked up the flower, the petals were soft.
She put the flowers in a small vase and placed it where the morning light would first shine on them.
This is definitely the PLUS version of "Letting the Wolf In".
This is "growing towards the sun", but the person who sent the flower is a black rose.
Here comes a textbook example of saying no but being honest. She said no, but her body honestly found a VIP viewing spot for the rose.
This is not being invaded, but inviting the invader into your heart to make tea.
The first ray of sunshine in the morning: it shines on the flowers, but also makes the sad face blush.
Excited comments popped up: From a fan's perspective, this is a classic "enemy love" scene, and the next step is to fight side by side and then have sex. (bushi)
Q. Why didn’t Huibara destroy the rose?
A. Soft-hearted.
B. Aesthetics are manipulated.
C. unusually clinging to emotional fragments.
D. I want to see it first thing when I wake up the next day.
Those who clicked D, please join the "Bai Ai Girls Mutual Aid Association" voluntarily.
"Stupid," she whispered to herself. "Dangerous."
He says stupidly, but his heart is blooming.
A rational person in love always scolds himself but still refuses to pull the plug.
Outside, the rain started up again, tapping against the windows.
Rain: Who is knocking on my window? I am beating the drums and gongs for the progress of the love (?) between the two big guys.
Outside the window, it was a cold rainy night in Tokyo, with neon lights flickering.
Inside the room, there was Ai-chan's slightly pale face and the red rose that was still charming in the darkness.
Haibara turned off the lights and lay in the dark, listening to the rhythm of the rain, thinking about Vermouth in the Tokyo night, perhaps also thinking about her.
This was a subconscious resonance, and both of them exchanged codes of longing in the rain.
The game will continue. The next steps and the ending are still unclear.
Game (No) Love Chess (Yes)
But for the first time since she was shrunk, since she lost her sister, since she escaped from the organization, Haibara felt fully awake, fully alive.
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