123: Chapter 123 Sonoko Suzuki is taking action, trying to find herself a comrade-in-arms.

The crystal chandelier in the dining room refracted a warm halo of light, making the silver tableware on the long table shine brilliantly.

When Mouri Ran walked in with Suzuki Sonoko, she saw Kisaki Eri sitting next to Suzuki Tomoko at a glance—

She was wearing a well-tailored beige suit, her hair meticulously tied back, and she was holding a teacup while talking to Suzuki Tomoko, a perfectly appropriate smile on her lips, as elegant as ever.

"Mom?"

Mouri Ran's eyes widened in surprise, and she walked over quickly, "Why are you here too?"

Kisaki Eri looked up and saw her, a flash of softness appearing in her eyes:

"Surprised? Tomoko called and invited me. She said Sonoko had called you over too, so it's a good chance for us mother and daughter to get together."

She patted the empty seat beside her, "Sit down, the food is just about to be served."

As soon as Mouri Ran sat down, she heard Mouri Kogoro's muffled voice from beside her: "Hmph, some people say they aren't here for anyone in particular, but they run faster than anyone else."

Kisaki Eri shot him a cold glance:

"Mr. Mouri, I don't think we are on close enough terms for you to be commenting on my itinerary."

She picked up her teacup and took a sip, "And you, drink less alcohol, so you don't make a fool of yourself in front of the young people later."

Mouri Kogoro immediately stiffened his neck in retort: "Whether I drink or not has nothing to do with you..."

Before he could finish, he was glared back into silence by a sharp look from Kisaki Eri. He shut his mouth resentfully and turned to complain to Lin Long, "Don't you think women these days are all so unreasonable?"

Lin Long suppressed a laugh and poured a glass of wine for Mouri Kogoro: "Uncle, say less, it's rare for everyone to be together like this."

Suzuki Sonoko was amused, watching from the side, and leaned over to whisper in Mouri Ran's ear: "Your parents are still the same, bickering as soon as they meet, just like elementary school students."

Mouri Ran smiled helplessly, but felt warm inside.

Ever since her parents separated, opportunities for the family to sit down and eat together like this had been rare, and she hadn't expected it to happen on this small island.

Dinner was sumptuous, with lobster, steak, king crab... exquisite dishes were brought out by the waiters, the aroma mouth-watering.

Mouri Kogoro had long since cast aside his earlier unhappiness, holding a knife in his left hand and a fork in his right, eating with great gusto;

Suzuki Shiro and Lin Long were discussing business, their hearty laughter ringing out from time to time;

Kisaki Eri and Suzuki Tomoko were chatting about recent fashion trends, occasionally picking up food for Mouri Ran.

Looking at the lively scene before her, the sense of loss in her heart seemed to have been diluted quite a bit.

She ate the steak on her plate in small bites, listening to Sonoko chatter about interesting things on the island, occasionally interjecting a word or two, a smile unconsciously tugging at the corners of her mouth.

After the meal, the waiter served dessert and coffee. Lin Long checked the time and said to Sonoko: "It's getting late, you should get some rest early."

Sonoko suddenly grabbed Ran's hand and winked at Lin Long: "Honey, I'm sleeping with Ran-chan tonight. We sisters have some secrets to share, so you should sleep by yourself."

Mouri Ran blushed and gently tugged at Sonoko's sleeve: "Sonoko..."

"It's fine."

Lin Long waved his hand with a smile, his tone gentle as he turned his gaze to Ran: "Ran, if you have anything on your mind, it's good to talk to Sonoko about it, don't keep it bottled up."

Mouri Ran froze for a moment, then nodded subconsciously: "Thank you, Mr. Lin Long."

Back in Sonoko's bedroom, Ran realized how surprisingly large the room was—the bedroom was connected to an open terrace with two lounge chairs, and looking up, one could see stars filling the sky; the large bed in the room was a full two meters wide, covered with velvet sheets, as soft as a cloud.

"How is it? Isn't it comfortable?"

Sonoko kicked off her high heels and flopped onto the bed, rolling around, "This bed was custom-made by Lin Long. He said it needed to be 'spacious enough.' I think he just wanted to take up space."

Mouri Ran smiled, sat on the edge of the bed, and stared blankly at the stars outside the window.

Sonoko climbed up from the bed and leaned over to her: "Ran-chan, what are you thinking about? Mr. Lin Long could tell you had something on your mind."

She paused and asked cautiously, "...Are you thinking about Kudo Shinichi?"

Mouri Ran's body stiffened suddenly, and her fingers gripping the hem of her clothes tightened.

Mentioning that name felt like being pricked by something in her heart, causing a dense, throbbing pain.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say "No," but found her throat felt blocked, and she couldn't say a single word.

Seeing her like this, Sonoko knew she had guessed correctly.

She sighed and gently patted Mouri Ran's back: "I know you're very sad, after all, you grew up together and were so close... But Ran-chan, the dead cannot come back to life, you can't keep living in the past."

Mouri Ran lowered her head, her eyes slowly turning red: "I want to forget him too, but..."

But every time she saw a familiar street, heard a similar voice, or even ate the lemon pie he liked, she would think of him. She thought of his confident look when solving cases, his awkward way of caring for her, and the look in his eyes the last time he said to her, "Wait for me to come back."

"Nothing is impossible to get over."

Sonoko held her hand, her tone serious, "Look at me, I used to think I'd never find someone I liked, but then I met Mr. Lin Long, and I realized what it feels like to like someone. You are so good, Ran-chan, you will definitely be able to meet someone better."

Mouri Ran gave a bitter smile: "I haven't thought that much, it's just... a little unaccustomed."

Sonoko rolled her eyes, suddenly leaned closer to her, and said mysteriously: "Actually, Mr. Lin Long mentions you to me sometimes, saying you are beautiful and gentle, and you know karate, you are a very impressive girl."

Mouri Ran froze for a moment: "Mr. Lin Long?"

"Yes."

Sonoko nodded and said casually, "He said that when he first saw you, he felt you were different from other girls, especially resilient. And you don't know, he secretly admires you a lot, saying you take care of Uncle Mouri all by yourself and keep the agency in perfect order, much more capable than me."

Mouri Ran was a bit embarrassed by what she said: "Stop teasing me."

"I'm not teasing you!"

Sonoko said seriously, "Ran-chan, listen to me, in this life, it's not easy to find someone who is truly good to you. I always thought that kid Kudo Shinichi wasn't good enough for you, and now... I mean, you should look forward, right?"

As she spoke, she secretly observed Mouri Ran's expression. Seeing her just lowering her head without speaking and not showing any sign of resentment, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Actually, she was quite conflicted inside, after all, Mouri Ran was her best friend, but thinking of Lin Long's energy, she felt that having another person to help wouldn't be bad—at least she wouldn't have to "suffer" alone.

But if she let Lin Long find another woman, Suzuki Sonoko would feel very uncomfortable. So Suzuki Sonoko's wise brain thought of her good best friend, Mouri Ran.

After all, charity begins at home; that kid Kudo Shinichi had passed away, and Mouri Ran was still so sad, so Suzuki Sonoko thought it wouldn't be bad to share half of Lin Long with her.

"It's late, let's sleep."

Mouri Ran didn't want to talk about this topic anymore and pulled the blanket, "I'll have to trouble you to take me around the island tomorrow."

"Okay, okay!"

Sonoko nodded immediately and dove into the blanket, "Tomorrow I'll take you to the beach; the sand there is pink, it's so beautiful!"

The room quieted down, with only the sound of the waves from outside the window, gently lapping against the shore.

Mouri Ran lay with her eyes open, staring at the ceiling, her mind in a mess—one moment it was Kudo Shinichi's face, the next it was what Suzuki Sonoko had said, and then she would think of Lin Long's gentle gaze.

She sighed softly, turned over, and looked at Sonoko beside her, who was already letting out a slight snoring sound, thinking silently to herself:

Perhaps Sonoko was right, she should look forward.

It was just that the corner of her heart seemed to still have a void that no one could fill.

The stars outside the window blinked, as if listening to the young girl's troubles.

The night was gentle, yet long, and Mouri Ran did not know what kind of changes this seemingly ordinary trip would bring to her life.