Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

The morning sun streamed through the windows of the Jingxin Café, gently casting its light on the tables and chairs. The air was filled with the faint aroma of coffee. Mao Lilan sat in a window seat, a steaming cup of coffee in hand, chatting with Chen Shuo with a smile on her face. Her smile was particularly bright in the quiet atmosphere.

Chen Shuo stood behind the bar, calmly brewing coffee and occasionally answering Mao Lilan's questions. Although his tone was calm, his knowledge and conversation always kept Mao Lilan fascinated. Chen Shuo's knowledge was very wide-ranging. He could discuss interesting anecdotes from around the world and deeply analyze various complex theories, which made Mao Lilan feel that every time she chatted with him, she benefited greatly.

"Brother Shuo, you really know everything!" Mao Lilan looked at Chen Shuo with admiration, "It's always so interesting to chat with you. It seems that you know a lot about the world."

Chen Shuo smiled slightly, his eyes gentle. "I only know a little bit, but I can't say I know it all. I feel a little embarrassed when you say that."

Mao Lilan smiled and shook her head: "No, Brother Shuo, don't be so modest. I really like chatting with you. Shinichi only knows about his Sherlock Holmes and cases all day long. I hate this the most!"

Chen Shuo smiled and continued to brew his coffee, while Mao Lilan took a sip of coffee, a faint smile still on her face. She felt that every time she came to the "Jingxin" coffee shop, she could get a unique sense of tranquility and peace of mind from Chen Shuo's company.

At this moment, the door of the cafe was suddenly pushed open, and a crisp shout came from the door: "Xiaolan, I finally found you!"

Mao Lilan turned around and saw a lively girl striding into the cafe. It was her good friend Suzuki Sonoko. As soon as Sonoko entered, her eyes sparkled as she stared at the cafe's decoration, and it was obvious that she was very interested in the atmosphere here.

"Ran, why do you always hide in places like this without telling me?" Sonoko walked up to Ran Maoli, her tone a bit reproachful and coquettish, "It took me a lot of effort to find you!"

Mao Lilan smiled helplessly: "Sonoko, I'm not avoiding you on purpose. I just like coming to this cafe recently to sit, chat and relax."

"Oh? Relax?" Yuanzi raised her eyebrows slightly, and suddenly a meaningful smile appeared on her face. Her eyes quickly shifted to Chen Shuo standing behind the bar. Her eyes widened instantly, as if she had discovered some incredible treasure.

"Wow! Xiaolan, this is the 'Jingxin' coffee shop you mentioned..." Yuanzi deliberately dragged out her voice, with a teasing smile on her lips, her eyes lingering on Chen Shuo's face, unwilling to move away, "This handsome guy is the manager, right? Wow, he's so handsome!"

Mao Lilan was a little embarrassed for a moment, and hurriedly explained: "Yuanzi, don't talk nonsense, Shuo Ge is the manager of the coffee shop, he just takes good care of me!"

However, Sonoko didn't listen to what Mao Lilan said at all. With stars in her eyes, she approached the bar step by step and looked at Chen Shuo with a sweet smile: "Hello, Mr. Chen, my name is Suzuki Sonoko, and I'm Xiaolan's good friend. You are so handsome!"

Yuanzi's tone made no secret of her praise, and her eyes were full of admiration for Chen Shuo, even a hint of infatuation. Chen Shuo had long been accustomed to this kind of scene, and in the face of Yuanzi's enthusiasm, he still maintained a polite and calm smile.

"Hello, Miss Suzuki, nice to meet you." Chen Shuo nodded slightly, his tone gentle, but with a hint of mature restraint. He was not at all embarrassed or uncomfortable by Yuanzi's enthusiasm.

"Wow! Xiaolan, how did you find such a great place? The environment of this cafe is amazing, and the manager is so handsome!" Sonoko looked excited and turned to give Mao Lilan a mischievous look, "You hid it well enough!"

Mao Lilan sighed helplessly and said with a smile: "Sonoko, don't talk nonsense, Shuo-ge is just a friend. Please sit down quickly and don't always be like this."

"Friend?" Sonoko narrowed her eyes, an ambiguous smile on her lips, "Xiaolan, are you feeling a little guilty? Why are you so nervous? Have you decided to abandon that crazy crime solver?"

Mao Lilan blushed immediately and waved her hands hurriedly: "I don't feel guilty at all! I'm just afraid that you will misunderstand!"

Yuanzi laughed heartily, with an expression that said, "I know everything," and continued to stare at Chen Shuo intensely. "Mr. Chen, may I ask if you have a girlfriend? Such an outstanding man shouldn't lack suitors, right?"

Mao Lilan heard Sonoko's direct question and felt a strange sense of discomfort in her heart, although she herself did not realize where this emotion came from. She bit her lip lightly, feeling a little complicated: "Sonoko... why are you here again... Really, why are you asking such a question?"

Chen Shuo still had a faint smile on his face and answered in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "I don't have a girlfriend at the moment. I'm too busy with work and don't have time to think about these things."

When Sonoko heard this, her eyes lit up instantly, as if a blazing fire was burning in her eyes: "Really? That's great! If you have time, can we have dinner together tonight?"

Mao Lilan heard this and couldn't help but interrupt Yuanzi, with a helpless tone: "Yuanzi, don't always be like this, Shuo Ge is not the kind of person who will do it casually!"

Yuanzi tilted her head, pretending to think: "Hmm? Really? Xiaolan, you seem to know a lot about Mr. Chen's affairs! Are you too concerned about him?"

Mao Lilan's face turned even redder after hearing what Sonoko said. She quickly defended herself, "I...I just come to this cafe often and talk to Shuo-nii a lot!"

Chen Shuo couldn't help but feel a warm and amused feeling as he watched their interaction. He knew Sonoko was just joking; despite her teasing tone, she harbored no malice. And Ran Maori's reaction was even more endearing to him. Although she denied it, the blush on her face betrayed some of her subtle emotions.

"Ms. Suzuki, thank you for your kindness." Chen Shuo said to Yuanzi with a smile, "But I am more focused on my work at the moment and have not considered other things for the time being."

Yuanzi blinked and sighed softly, with a trace of regret on her face: "Oh, what a pity, such an outstanding person is still single, it seems that someone has to work hard to pursue you."

Mao Lilan couldn't help but roll her eyes. Although she felt a little jealous, she suppressed her thoughts and said to Sonoko, "Okay, okay, Sonoko, stop making trouble. What exactly do you want to see me about today?"

Yuanzi finally realized what she had done. She seemed to have almost forgotten the important matter and quickly said, "Oh, by the way, I came here today to ask you out shopping! You've been coming to this cafe all the time, and I haven't gone shopping with you for a long time! Come on, Xiaolan, go out with me for a while!"

Mao Lilan wanted to refuse, but seeing Sonoko's expectant look, she felt embarrassed to refuse, so she had to agree: "Okay, since you are here, I will accompany you for a walk."

"Yeah! That's great!" Sonoko jumped up happily, then grabbed Ran Mouri's hand and prepared to take her out of the cafe.

Before leaving, Yuanzi turned around and waved to Chen Shuo, saying with a mischievous smile, "Mr. Chen, I'll come again next time!"

Chen Shuo nodded slightly and responded gently, "You are welcome to visit us anytime."

Watching the two depart, Chen Shuo calmly continued to brew his coffee, a faint smile playing on his lips. He didn't mind Yuanzi's enthusiasm and teasing, but rather felt that it added a lot of vitality to the cafe.

---

After walking out of the cafe, Mao Lilan's mood was still a little complicated. She always felt that Sonoko's words today made her inexplicably uncomfortable, especially when Sonoko mentioned "Does Brother Shuo have a girlfriend?", her heartbeat unconsciously accelerated.

"What's wrong with me?" Mao Lilan asked herself silently in her heart, but she quickly denied these thoughts.

"Xiao Lan, your behavior just now was not like your usual self." Yuanzi suddenly spoke with a hint of teasing in her tone, "Are you really interested in that Chen Shuo?"

"No!" Mao Lilan quickly denied, a trace of panic on her face, "Yuanzi, don't think too much, Shuo-ge is just a friend."

After hearing this, Yuanzi laughed even more happily: "Haha, it's okay, I understand. Mr. Chen is indeed very charming! But Xiaolan, don't be too nervous. There's nothing wrong with liking anyone!"

Mao Lilan sighed helplessly. Although she was refuting Sonoko, she felt that her words seemed to have hit the nail on the head. She couldn't figure out what was going on with her.

"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's go shopping with you!" In order to break the topic that made her feel uncomfortable, Mao Lilan hurriedly pulled Sonoko forward.

The two figures gradually faded away, but the warm and peaceful atmosphere of the Jingxin Café remained. Chen Shuo stood behind the bar, silently thinking about today's events. He looked out the window at the nearby street, a faint smile still on his lips.

---

The hustle and bustle of the early morning has passed, and the coffee shop has returned to tranquility. However, Chen Shuo knows that this tranquility may be broken in the days to come, because he knows in his heart that there will always be new stories and new encounters waiting for him in life. Chen Shuo enjoys this feeling very much.