Conan: Ran turns into an elementary school student and calls me dad.

Chapter 40 Are you cooking or poisoning?

"What are you afraid of? We're husband and wife, it's normal for us to hug and cuddle."

Lin Xiuyi smiled and kissed the female lawyer on the forehead, his tone affectionate.

"Alright, I'll stop teasing you. Let's get some rest too. We're taking Xiaolan to the tropical amusement park tomorrow."

……

At Kudo's house, Shinichi Kudo put down his phone, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

After Xiaolan disappeared for more than ten days, he finally heard her voice again, and his previously anxious heart was relieved.

What puzzled him was Xiaolan's attitude on the phone just now.

He and Xiaolan grew up together and knew her personality all too well.

Xiaolan has always been gentle, considerate, and understanding. In the past, when the two of them talked on the phone, she rarely took the initiative to talk about her own affairs. Most of the time, she would quietly listen to him recount the details of the case and occasionally interject a few words to comfort him.

But during the phone call just now, Xiaolan took the initiative to talk about her life in America.

But when he heard that voice, he felt it lacked some of its usual gentleness and instead carried a strange coldness and aloofness.

Although the voice and tone of voice proved that the person on the other end was Ran, Shinichi Kudo still felt that something was wrong, as if something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Never mind, maybe I'm overthinking it. She's just arrived abroad and might not be used to it yet."

Shinichi Kudo shook his head, forcing himself to put aside his doubts, and his gaze inadvertently fell on the calendar beside him.

Tomorrow is the weekend, and next to that date on the calendar, the words "Tropical Paradise" are written neatly in pen.

That was a promise he made to Xiaolan: if Xiaolan won the Kanto Karate Championship, he would take her to a tropical amusement park to have a great time and relax.

But now it seems that this agreement will probably never be fulfilled.

Xiaolan has already gone abroad, and he doesn't even know exactly where she is.

Thinking of this, Shinichi Kudo couldn't help but sigh deeply, gently stroking the "Tropical Paradise" on the calendar, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

……

The next morning, Eri Kisaki's apartment was filled with the aroma of breakfast.

The three sat around the dining table, quietly eating their breakfast.

"Xiaolan, after breakfast, how about Daddy takes you to the tropical amusement park? They've opened a lot of new attractions there recently, it's really lively."

Lin Xiuyi put down her chopsticks and looked at Xiaolan expectantly.

This was an idea he and Judy had discussed yesterday: to take Xiaolan out for a trip over the weekend and strengthen their father-daughter bond.

"Tropical Paradise..."

Xiaolan's hand holding the chopsticks suddenly paused, her smile instantly froze, and a complex emotion flashed in her eyes.

That was the place she and Shinichi had promised to go, but now she had to go with her father, which inevitably made her feel a little bitter and disappointed.

However, when the girl looked up at Lin Xiu, her eyes were full of expectation, and she swallowed back the refusal that was on the tip of her tongue. In the end, she nodded gently and said, "Okay."

"Very good!"

Lin Xiuyi turned to look at Fei Yingli with delight.

"Ran has agreed. Eri, do you want to come along today? It would be so much fun if the three of us went together."

Eri Kisaki put down her cup, apologetic smile on her face, and gently shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Shuichi. I missed work a few days ago because of Ran's situation, and I have a lot of work to catch up on. I have to go back to the office today to deal with it, otherwise it will delay the project schedule."

The female lawyer reached out and gently patted Xiaolan's head, her voice soft.

"Xiaolan, have fun with Daddy, and be careful. Mommy will cook your favorite dishes for you tonight."

"...Let's forget about this," Xiaolan's lips twitched.

"Eri, we just got back together, and you already tried to poison me?!" Lin Xiuyi said, her face still trembling with fear. "What you made wasn't cooking, it was poison..."

"Shut up!" Eri Kisaki slammed her hand on the table in a fit of rage. "I don't care, you have to eat whether you want to or not!"

Lin Xiuyi looked at Xiaolan, and Xiaolan looked at Lin Xiuyi. Both father and daughter had the same "we're doomed" expression on their faces.

"You two..." Eri Kisaki bit her lip in annoyance. "I've been learning to cook over the years and I've improved a lot. At least I can guarantee that neither of you will get diarrhea after eating this."

Your guarantee makes your cooking skills seem even more unreliable!

Lin Xiuyi and Xiaolan felt the same way and thought to themselves that they should stay out late today, preferably past mealtime!

……

After breakfast, Lin Xiuyi took Xiaolan downstairs, where Judy was already waiting in her car.

The car drove smoothly toward the tropical amusement park, with the scenery changing constantly along the way. Xiaolan leaned against the car window, watching the street scenes rushing by, but her mind was still on her promise to Shinichi, and she looked somewhat dazed.

Soon, the car arrived at the entrance of the tropical park.

The place was already packed with people, filled with laughter and joy. The colorful amusement facilities were particularly eye-catching in the sunlight, and the air was filled with the sweet aroma of cotton candy and popcorn.

"Boss, Miss Lan, I've already bought the tickets. You can go straight in." Judy handed two tickets to Lin Xiuyi. "I'll go back and take care of some things first, and I'll come back to pick you up tonight."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work." Lin Xiu nodded, took the tickets, and, holding Xiao Lan's hand, walked into the tropical park.

……

Lin Xiuyi took Xiaolan to ride several popular attractions, including roller coasters, carousels, and bumper cars.

Xiaolan, however, remained unenthusiastic, her smile somewhat forced, unlike the other children who were excited.

Lin Xiuyi thought she was tired from playing, so she quickly suggested, "Let's rest for a bit. You wait here for me, and I'll go to the stall next door and buy two ice creams. They have your favorite strawberry flavor."

"Um."

Xiaolan nodded and sat on a bench in the center of the park, looking at the laughing and playing crowd around her, still somewhat absent-minded.

Lin Xiuyi smiled and ruffled her hair before turning and walking toward the ice cream stand not far away.

But when he returned with two ice creams, he found that Ran, who had been sitting alone on the bench, was now surrounded by three familiar figures: Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta.

"Xiao Lan, I didn't expect you to come to the tropical park!"

Ayumi sat down affectionately next to Ran, her little hand still holding Ran's arm, her face full of joy.

"If I had known, we would have invited you to come with us yesterday."

"By the way, Xiaolan," Genta asked sheepishly, "did you come alone?"

"No, I came with... Dad." Xiaolan forced a smile, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment.

She's not quite used to calling Lin Xiuyi "Dad" in front of strangers.

"Ran's dad?" Mitsuhiko's eyes lit up instantly. "Isn't that Dr. Hayashi from school?"