Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

With Conan's help, the case quickly unravels. Although there's no "sleeping Kogoro" to act as a cover, Conan unapologetically provides crucial clues. The experienced Inspector Megure, observing this, also cracks the case. Once the matter is concluded, Conan and Kisaki Eri leave the café together, where Ran anxiously awaits them outside.

"Mom, is the case solved?" Xiaolan asked with concern.

"Yes, it's been taken care of." Kisaki Eri nodded with a smile. "We can't discuss it in the cafe. Why don't you come with me to the office and have a good talk as mother and daughter?"

Xiaolan agreed happily and said with a smile: "Okay, I just happen to have something to tell you."

Conan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Xiaolan's "important date" was not with Chen Shuo. He did not think about it any more, waved goodbye, and walked away with peace of mind.

---

In the office, Kisaki Eri's assistant, Midori Kuriyama, poured steaming cups of coffee for the mother and daughter. After a few pleasantries, she quietly left, leaving them alone. Ran held the coffee cup, her palms slightly warm, but she seemed a little nervous. She looked into her mother's gentle eyes, her thoughts in a tangle.

"Mom..." Xiaolan's voice was a little hesitant, "I...I seem to have someone I like."

Kisaki Eri didn't take it too seriously. After all, she had always believed that Ran had feelings for Kudo Shinichi, and even thought it was just a small tangle in her daughter's heart. She picked up the coffee cup and smiled faintly: "Oh? Is it that boy Kudo Shinichi?"

However, Xiaolan shook her head slightly and whispered: "No...I seem to have fallen in love with Brother Shuo."

"Pfft..." Hibiki Eri nearly spit out the coffee she had just taken. She covered her mouth and coughed non-stop, her expression filled with shock and bewilderment. Finally recovering, she stared at Xiaolan with wide eyes, "What did you say? Chen Shuo?!"

Xiaolan nodded, her cheeks slightly red, looking a little embarrassed. "Yeah... I don't know what's going on, but... I seem to have really fallen in love with him."

Kisaki Eri couldn't believe her ears.

Kisaki Eri and Chen Shuo have been friends for many years, and she's well aware of his charms—calm, reserved, and incredibly charismatic. Honestly, if Maori Kogoro weren't her childhood sweetheart, he wouldn't have stood a chance against a man like Chen Shuo. However, the thought of Chen Shuo being thirty and Xiaolan only seventeen—the significant age difference—sentenced a wave of mixed emotions.

She looked at her daughter's slightly red face, feeling helpless and at a loss. Chen Shuo was indeed an excellent man, but this relationship was really hard for her to accept. Kisaki Eri gently put down her coffee cup and tried to steady her tone: "Xiaolan... Chen Shuo is indeed very good, but you are only seventeen, and he is already thirty... Don't you think the gap is a bit big?"

Xiaolan lowered her head, twirling her fingers a little embarrassedly, and said softly: "I know...but is age really that important? I think...I really like him."

Hibiki sighed inwardly. Although she understood that matters of the heart weren't simple, the subject was still too heavy. Seeing her daughter's stubborn yet slightly childish expression, she could only temporarily suppress the turmoil in her heart and said softly, "I understand, but matters of the heart need to be taken slowly. Don't jump to conclusions, okay?"

Xiaolan nodded. Although she was still a little confused, she could sense her mother's worry. The mother and daughter fell into a brief silence.

Hibiki Eri was silent for a moment, realizing that she couldn't directly deny Xiaolan's feelings. Chen Shuo was a mature and steady man, and for a girl of Xiaolan's age, he did have a fatal attraction. She knew that if she rashly stopped him, it might make her daughter even more stubborn. Hibiki Eri calmed herself down, looked at Xiaolan gently, and said in a slightly gentle tone: "Then can you tell your mother why you like Chen Shuo?"

Xiaolan lowered her head, hesitating for a moment. Then, looking up at her mother, a firm look in her eyes, she slowly recounted her experiences with Chen Shuo. Everything she described was a small, everyday experience. Chen Shuo always cared about her thoughtfully, helping her solve problems. He was always there when she needed him, even without her asking. Furthermore, he gave her a different feeling: mature, calm, and composed, he always made her feel at ease.

"Unlike Shinichi, Brother Shuo doesn't always make me worry about him." Xiaolan said softly, with some complicated emotions in her tone.

Kisaki Eri was stunned. When she heard her mention Kudo Shinichi, she couldn't help but ask, "What about Shinichi? What are your feelings for him..."

Xiaolan bit her lip and shook her head gently: "Shinichi is also very good, but... he always makes people worry, and he is devoted to solving cases. Sometimes I really don't know what he is thinking. When I am with him, I always feel a layer of distance, as if I can never catch up with his pace."

Hibiki nodded, but her heart was filled with turmoil. Although she didn't fully understand Chen Shuo's identity, she knew he was no ordinary man. Xiaolan's relationship with Chen Shuo seemed to develop naturally, but she knew there was more to him than meets the eye.

"I understand," Hibiki Eri finally spoke, her tone still gentle, "But, Xiaolan, feelings take time, and you need to truly understand your own heart. Chen Shuo... he is a good man, Mom admits, but you must make sure you understand the weight of this relationship."

Xiaolan nodded slightly. Although she didn't fully understand her mother's worries, she could feel her mother's warmth and care.

That day, Hibiki Eri, uncharacteristically absent from her duties, was instead fully present with Xiaolan. They chatted for a long time, even going shopping together. Hibiki noticed that no matter what topic Xiaolan discussed, she would inevitably bring up Chen Shuo, her eyes gleaming with unconcealed joy and anticipation. With a soft sigh, Hibiki knew clearly—Xiaolan was deeply trapped.

As they walked and talked, Kisaki Eri's emotions were somewhat complicated. On the one hand, she could see that her daughter was truly moved, but on the other, she couldn't ignore her inner worries. Chen Shuo was no ordinary man, after all, and Xiaolan was still so young. Although the relationship between mother and daughter was relaxed and happy, Kisaki Eri always felt an indescribable regret and annoyance in her heart. As a mother, she knew that she was usually busy with work and had very little time to spend with her daughter. This state of love was so obvious that she was afraid that the grown man Mouri Kogoro would not even notice it.

Thinking of this, Kisaki Eri couldn't help but secretly blame herself. Perhaps if she had discovered Xiaolan's worries earlier, things wouldn't have developed so quickly. She turned her head and looked at her daughter's cheerful face, feeling distressed and tangled.

"It seems I should discuss this with Kogoro," Kisaki Eri made a decision in her heart. Although Kogoro Mouri seemed careless, as Ran's father, his opinion was still important. Kisaki Eri felt that she had to have a good talk with her husband about this matter to see what he would think about it.

Thinking about this, Kisaki Eri decided to go back in the evening and find a chance to talk to Maori Kogoro. This was a big deal about their daughter's future, and she could no longer stay out of it.

---

At night, the soft lights of the Maori Detective Agency shone through the windows onto the wooden floor of the living room. Maori Ran had finished a tiring day and went back to her room early to sleep, but the atmosphere in the living room was a little unusual.

Kisaki Eri and Maori Kogoro sat facing each other on the sofa, the atmosphere less relaxed and more solemn than usual. Maori Kogoro was usually carefree and informal, but today he seemed unusually serious. He knew that the topic at hand involved their only daughter, and there was no room for frivolity.

Kisaki Eri broke the silence first, her tone revealing worry and a bit of fatigue: "Kogoro, Xiaolan talked to me about her relationship problems today, and I think she is very deeply involved. She said she fell in love with Chen Shuo." There was obvious hesitation in her voice, and her brows were slightly furrowed.

Maori Kogoro sighed upon hearing this, ruffled his messy hair, and looked a little annoyed. He naturally knew his wife's concerns. After all, Chen Shuo was not an ordinary person. Although he appeared to be a gentle and steady coffee shop owner, Maori Kogoro knew better than anyone else the other side of Chen Shuo.

"I know." Maori Kogoro put down his pipe, his eyes deep and his voice filled with helplessness. "Chen Shuo is indeed not a simple guy." He looked at Kisaki Eri and continued, "He's a good man. Although his work is...unique, I'm sure he's not the kind of person who would kill innocent people. But the problem is, you and I both know the dangers of this line of work."

Kisaki Eri was silent for a moment, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes. As a lawyer, she knew the implications of Chen Shuo's profession, perhaps even more so than Maori Kogoro. But when she thought of Xiaolan's youth and innocence, her heart grew heavier.

"I know Chen Shuo isn't a bad person," Hibiki Eri whispered, a hint of worry in her eyes. "But Xiaolan is still young, only seventeen. With such a big age difference, plus Chen Shuo's background... I really don't know if she can handle the complexity of this relationship."

Maori Kogoro nodded, he felt the same way. As a father, the last thing he wanted to see was his daughter falling into a relationship she couldn't handle.

"I don't deny that Chen Shuo is a good man," Maori Kogoro spoke slowly, his brows furrowed and his thoughts heavy, "but his relationship with Xiaolan... is indeed a bit worrying. You know, what Chen Shuo has done over the years is much more dangerous than those of us who make a living by our brains. What if one day..." He didn't continue, his words were already full of worry.

Kisaki Eri looked up and gave her husband a long look. She knew Kogoro was right; Chen Shuo's danger couldn't be ignored. But she also knew her daughter's feelings were already deep. Forcibly stopping them would probably backfire.

"But what are you going to do?" Hibiki sighed, her voice low. "We can't just stop Xiaolan. If she really likes Chen Shuo, she'll become even more stubborn because of our opposition. But if we let her go on, what if something happens..."

Maori Kogoro pondered for a moment, looking a little tired, leaning back on the sofa, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest. He was an old detective, accustomed to all kinds of complicated cases and human nature, but when it came to his own daughter, he felt helpless.

"Perhaps..." Maori Kogoro suddenly spoke, his tone becoming firm, "We shouldn't rush to stop it, but give Xiaolan some time and space. Although Chen Shuo has a special status, he has his own principles, and I believe he won't hurt Xiaolan easily. Perhaps we can observe for a while and see how their relationship develops."

Kisaki Eri frowned slightly, a hint of hesitation in her eyes: "You mean, we won't interfere? Let Xiaolan make her own choice?"

"Yeah." Maori Kogoro nodded. "Sometimes, the more you interfere, the more rebellious she will become. It's better to give her some time to face and think on her own. After all, Xiaolan is no longer a child. She has her own judgment."

Kisaki Eri was silent for a moment, thinking about her husband's proposal. She didn't completely agree with Maori Kogoro's idea, but she also knew that simply opposing it was not the solution. She knew that Xiaolan was a stubborn child, and if she tried to stop her by force, the result might be counterproductive.

"Okay," Kisaki Eri finally spoke, her tone filled with a hint of helplessness and compromise, "We won't interfere for now, but I will continue to pay attention to Xiaolan's movements. If there is anything unusual, I hope you can face it with me."

Maori Kogoro nodded in agreement, a smile on his face: "Don't worry, I'm always keeping an eye on her. After all, she is our daughter."

The couple fell into a brief silence. In the quiet living room late at night, only dim lights and soft breathing sounds remained.

Kisaki Eri leaned back on the sofa, her eyes slightly tired, but also revealing a hint of determination. She knew in her heart that although this conversation with Kogoro did not come up with a clear solution, at least the two had reached a consensus: not to interfere for the time being, and let Xiaolan experience the complexity of this relationship on her own.

"Do you think Chen Shuo...will hurt Xiaolan?" Kisaki Eri suddenly asked, her tone full of confusion and worry.

Maori Kogoro was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "No, although Chen Shuo is a killer, he is a man of principle. I believe he will not do anything to hurt Xiaolan. However, his world is destined to be different from ours. Whether Xiaolan can accept it depends on her."

When Hibiki heard her husband's answer, she felt a little relieved, but she still couldn't be completely reassured. She knew in her heart that the danger didn't just come from Chen Shuo himself, but from the world behind him - a world that she and Kogoro could not control.

"I hope so." Kisaki Eri said in a low voice, with mixed feelings.

As the night deepened, the street outside the detective agency gradually quieted down, broken only by the occasional passing car. The couple leaned back on the sofa, their thoughts swirling, but neither spoke.