23: Chapter 23 Sonoko Suzuki's Invitation

The renovation project of the Lin Family Manor was completed three days ahead of schedule.

The morning sunlight streamed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, spilling onto the newly laid lawn, where dew drops refracted a spectrum of colors.

The corridors connecting the main building to the three villas had been constructed, with natural wood-colored railings adorned by climbing rose vines, preserving the independence of each space while forming a cohesive manor layout.

Miyano Shiho's laboratory was also fully operational. The low hum of centrifuges emanated from the basement; she had been immersed in there for two consecutive days, with even her meals delivered by Miyano Akemi.

For this genius scientist, nothing was more attractive than cracking the molecular structure of APTX4869.

Lin Long sat on a rattan chair in the courtyard, watching Miyano Akemi carefully watering the newly purchased hydrangeas.

Miyano Akemi wore a simple white dress, her long hair loosely pinned behind her head. The sunlight fell on the soft fuzz on her cheek, making her look as gentle as a watercolor painting.

Having been away from the shadows of the Black Organization for these past few days, the sorrow in her brow had gradually dissipated, and her occasional smiles were even brighter than the flowers in the courtyard.

"Mr. Lin Long, would you like to taste my freshly brewed lemon tea?"

Miyano Akemi walked over with a tray holding two glasses of iced lemon tea, beads of water sliding down the glass walls, exuding a refreshing chill.

"Sure."

Lin Long took the glass and took a sip; the sweet and sour taste dispelled the morning lethargy.

"Is Shiho still in the laboratory?"

"Yes, she said she found a breakthrough in the antidote research and needs to hurry and verify it."

Miyano Akemi smiled helplessly.

"She won't listen even when I urge her to rest; it's exactly the same as when she used to do experiments."

"Let her be busy; scientists are all like that."

Lin Long was not worried. The Shadow Guards had already installed the most advanced life monitoring system in the laboratory, which would immediately sound an alarm if anything unusual happened to Miyano Shiho's health.

Just then, Lin Long's phone rang, and the name "Mouri Ran" flickered on the screen.

"It's Ran."

Lin Long raised an eyebrow and pressed the answer button.

"Hello, Ran?"

Mouri Ran's slightly shy voice came from the other end of the line:

"Mr. Lin Long, hello. Are you free right now?"

"I'm okay. Is something the matter?"

"It's like this..."

Before Mouri Ran could finish her sentence, there was a sudden sound of a struggle over the phone, followed immediately by a cheerful and energetic voice seizing control of the conversation:

"Mr. Lin Long! It's me! Suzuki Sonoko!"

Lin Long smiled helplessly; he could almost imagine Suzuki Sonoko snatching the phone on the other end.

"Miss Suzuki, is something up?"

"Of course there is!"

Suzuki Sonoko's voice was filled with irrepressible excitement. "My sister has a villa deep in the mountains, and she's hosting a small party this weekend. Ran and I are planning to go! We specifically called to ask if you'd like to come along?"

A villa deep in the mountains? A party?

Lin Long narrowed his eyes slightly, and the "bandaged man" murder case from the Conan plot instantly flashed through his mind.

Suzuki Sonoko's sister, Suzuki Ayako, was hosting a party at the mountain villa, only for a man named Takahashi Ryoichi to infiltrate it. He disguised himself as the bandaged man and committed a series of murders in the name of revenge, using cruel and bizarre methods.

"Interesting."

Lin Long muttered to himself.

Just finished the case at Tsukikage Island, and now another one pops up.

Lin Long tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of the rattan chair, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

He never missed such dramatic occasions, especially since he could incidentally collect some malice black qi.

"Sure,"

Lin Long agreed readily.

"I've been feeling a bit stifled lately, so getting some fresh air in the mountains sounds good. But can I bring an assistant along?"

He was referring to Miyano Akemi.

Keeping her in the manor all the time wasn't a solution; occasionally going out to interact with the outside world would be good for her state of mind.

The other end of the line fell silent for a few seconds; clearly, Suzuki Sonoko had returned the phone to Mouri Ran.

Soon, Mouri Ran's gentle voice came through:

"Is it Miss Miyano Akemi? Of course you can; the more, the merrier."

"Ran! Don't give him a chance!"

Suzuki Sonoko's voice chimed in noisily from the side.

"Make him come alone!"

"Sonoko!"

Mouri Ran chided her, then said to Lin Long,

"Sorry about that, Mr. Lin Long, Sonoko she..."

"It's fine."

Lin Long interrupted with a smile.

"Then we'll see you there?"

"Mm-hmm!" Just as Mouri Ran responded, the phone was snatched away by Suzuki Sonoko again.

"Mr. Lin Long! See you there! I'll send you the address!"

After saying that, Suzuki Sonoko hung up with a "snap," her actions crisp and decisive, carrying her unique young lady temperament.

Lin Long put down his phone and looked at the address information popping up on the screen, his eyes deep.

The bandaged man, huh? I hope you won't disappoint me.

...

On the other side, at the Mouri Detective Agency.

Mouri Ran looked helplessly at Suzuki Sonoko, who had thrown her phone onto the sofa, unable to laugh or cry.

"Sonoko, you're too reckless! You've only known Mr. Lin Long for a few days, and you've already invited him to a family party. Is that appropriate?"

"What's inappropriate about it?"

Suzuki Sonoko waved her hand dismissively, resting her chin on her hands, pink bubbles floating in her eyes.

"Mr. Lin Long is about our age and so handsome; what's wrong with getting to know him better? I'm increasingly feeling like he's my type!"

"Besides, I haven't known him for long, but you've known Mr. Lin Long for quite a while now."

"You're acting like a fangirl again!"

Mouri Ran reached out and poked her forehead.

"Be careful of being laughed at later."

"Let them laugh; the person I, this young lady, have set my sights on, definitely can't be wrong!"

Suzuki Sonoko proudly lifted her chin, then leaned close to Mouri Ran and whispered, "Besides, I'm doing this for your own good! How long has that jerk Kudo Shinichi been gone? You can't just stay single waiting for him forever, right? There are so many single boys at the party; you can take your time and pick one."

Suzuki Sonoko glanced at Mouri Ran with a mischievous look in her eyes:

"And I think Mr. Lin Long seems quite interested in you."

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

Mouri Ran's cheeks turned bright red instantly, and she quickly turned her head away.

"Mr. Lin Long and I are just ordinary friends!"

"Ordinary friends can develop into boyfriend and girlfriend!"

Suzuki Sonoko winked.

"I think he's quite fond of you too; he even took the initiative to greet you at the pier last time!"

Mouri Ran was flustered by her words, and the image of Lin Long involuntarily surfaced in her mind—

His tall figure in a suit, his gentle smile, his calm and composed demeanor on Tsukikage Island...

"Stop thinking about it, stop thinking about it!"

Mouri Ran shook her head vigorously, trying to shake off those messy thoughts.

"Let's hurry up and pack our things; we have to get up early tomorrow."

"Got it, got it."

Seeing her blush, Suzuki Sonoko laughed even harder.

"But seriously, Ran, Mr. Lin Long is really great; you'll regret it if you miss out!"

Mouri Ran didn't respond to her, but her ears were getting redder and redder.

...

At the Lin Family Manor.

Lin Long called the Miyano sisters to the living room and told them about the trip to the mountain villa.

"Suzuki Sonoko and Mouri Ran invited us to their family's mountain villa for a party tomorrow, and I've already accepted."

Lin Long looked at the two.

"Do you two want to come along?"

Miyano Shiho was looking at an experiment report and didn't even lift her head when she heard this, her tone flat and waveless:

"Not going, boring."

For her, the laboratory was more attractive than any party, especially a gathering full of strangers.

Lin Long had expected her to say this, so he didn't force her, turning instead to look at Miyano Akemi:

"Akemi, what about you?"

Miyano Akemi was stunned for a moment, feeling somewhat flattered:

"I... I can go too?"

She thought Lin Long was just asking casually and didn't expect him to really invite her.

"Of course you can."

Lin Long nodded.

"I've already agreed with Ran and the others to bring you along."

Miyano Akemi's cheeks instantly flushed red as she looked at Lin Long's face.

Being able to go to a party with Mr. Lin Long, this...

Ever since she was rescued from the darkness by Mr. Lin Long, Miyano Akemi had discovered that she seemed to have developed unusual feelings for Lin Long.

Miyano Akemi lowered her head, her voice as thin as a mosquito's hum:

"Then... I'll go."

"Great!"

Lin Long smiled. "Perfect, you should go out and relax too. Remember to dress comfortably; it might be a bit chilly in the mountains."

"Mm."

Miyano Akemi nodded vigorously, her heart feeling like it was harboring a little rabbit, both nervous and expectant.

At this moment, Miyano Shiho suddenly put down the experiment report and looked at Lin Long, a hint of imperceptible vigilance in her eyes:

"Mountain villa? Too many people and eyes, aren't you afraid..."

She didn't continue, but the meaning was obvious—she was worried that people from the Black Organization would take the opportunity to make a move.

After the incident at the White Dove Pharmaceutical Factory, she had become more concerned about Lin Long's safety.

"Don't worry."

A flash of coldness passed through Lin Long's eyes.

"I'll have the Shadow Guards follow, nothing will happen."

He not only had to ensure his own safety and that of Miyano Akemi, but also "solve" that bandaged man along the way—killing two birds with one stone.

Seeing that he was confident, Miyano Shiho didn't ask further. Instead, she stared thoughtfully at the expression on her sister's face while talking to Lin Long.

After returning to her room, Miyano Akemi opened her wardrobe and began to carefully choose the clothes she would wear tomorrow.

She tried on several pieces, feeling either too formal or too casual, and finally chose a light blue dress with a beige knit cardigan over it, which was both gentle and elegant.

She turned in front of the mirror, looking at the shyly smiling self in the mirror, and suddenly felt that perhaps life after leaving the organization could really be like this—peaceful and beautiful.

Miyano Shiho leaned against the doorway of her sister's bedroom and knocked on the door.

Knock, knock, knock...

"Oh! Shiho, why didn't you make a sound when you came here?"

"You scared me."

Miyano Akemi patted her chest.

"Sister, don't tell me you've fallen in love with Mr. Lin Long!"

"How could that be, Shiho, don't make jokes like that. I'm just grateful for everything Mr. Lin Long has done for us."

Miyano Akemi explained in a panic.

"Really?"

"Oh, it seems I overthought it."

Miyano Shiho stared at Miyano Akemi with deep eyes, making Miyano Akemi feel embarrassed.

...

The next morning, Lin Long drove a low-key black SUV and took Miyano Akemi to the agreed meeting point.

Miyano Akemi sat in the passenger seat, watching the street scene flying by outside the window, occasionally stealing a glance at Lin Long, who was focused on driving, and couldn't help but slightly raise the corners of her mouth.

Sunlight fell on his side profile through the car window, outlining a clear contour, and his long eyelashes cast faint shadows under his eyelids, shedding some of his usual sharpness and gaining a bit of gentleness.

"Are you very nervous?"

Lin Long suddenly spoke, breaking the silence in the car.

"A little."

Miyano Akemi nodded honestly.

"I'm not very good at dealing with strangers."

"It's okay, I'm here."

Lin Long smiled.

"Suzuki Sonoko and Mouri Ran are both very easy to get along with; don't feel pressured."

Miyano Akemi nodded, feeling much more at ease.

Soon, the car stopped in front of a cafe, and Mouri Ran and Suzuki Sonoko were already waiting there.

As soon as Suzuki Sonoko saw Lin Long's car, she immediately waved excitedly:

"Mr. Lin Long! Over here, over here!"

Mouri Ran also greeted with a smile, and when she saw Miyano Akemi in the passenger seat, her eyes lit up:

"Miss Akemi, long time no see."

"Miss Ran, Miss Sonoko."

Miyano Akemi got out of the car and greeted them politely, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Miss Akemi looks so beautiful today!"

Suzuki Sonoko exclaimed exaggeratedly.

"Mr. Lin Long, you are really lucky to have such a beautiful assistant!"

"Sonoko!"

Mouri Ran glared at her again, then said to Lin Long,

"Our car is behind; shall we set off together?"

"Sure."

The two cars drove away from the city one after another, heading towards the mountains.

The scenery outside the window gradually changed from high-rise buildings to dense forests, the air became fresher, and occasionally streams and unknown wildflowers could be seen in the mountains.

Suzuki Sonoko opened the car window and shouted excitedly:

"Wow! The air in the mountains is so fresh!"

Mouri Ran pulled her back helplessly:

"Be careful, don't mess up your hair."

In Lin Long's car, Miyano Akemi watched the scenery outside the window, her eyes gradually becoming gentle.

She hadn't looked at the scenery so easily in a long time; this feeling of freedom warmed her heart.

"Do you like it here?" Lin Long asked.

"Mm, I like it very much."

Miyano Akemi nodded.

"It's like the place where I lived when I was a child."

"You can come here often in the future."

Miyano Akemi was stunned for a moment, then nodded with a smile:

"Okay."

The car drove on the winding mountain road for about two hours, and a beautiful white villa appeared in the valley ahead, surrounded by dense forests, like a castle in a fairy tale.

"We're here, we're here!"

Suzuki Sonoko pointed excitedly at the villa.

"That's my sister's villa!"

Lin Long looked at the villa, his eyes sinking slightly.

The stage for the bandaged man murder case had arrived.

He glanced at Miyano Akemi beside him, who was curiously examining the villa with a pure smile on her face.

Rest assured, with me here, I won't let anyone disturb this peace.

Lin Long gripped the steering wheel tightly, a cold arc curling at the corner of his mouth.

The show was about to begin.