Chapter 450: Bring Your Boyfriend Along

After leaving the detective agency, Mao Li Lan felt the gaze behind her back had vanished.

"What a nuisance."

She muttered a complaint.

"But then again, it should be fine now."

This time, her purpose for returning was twofold: on one hand to improve her father's meals, and on the other, which was far more critical, to dispel Chuankenan's wariness toward Ren Amamiya.

"Detectives are troublesome; whenever something happens, they start guessing and bring a heap of trouble upon themselves."

If Kudo Shinichi hadn't become the so-called detective, perhaps that night he wouldn't have been knocked unconscious from behind by a dangerous figure, nor would he now need to fake his identity to avoid danger.

Mao Li Lan shook her head slightly; she was already beginning to feel that Kudo Shinichi's personality might be unchangeable. He had his own pursuits and his own convictions; changing that part might make him feel unlike himself.

A month of silence and a shift in mindset had cooled Mao Li Lan's enthusiasm for her childhood friend.

She had already confirmed in her heart that Kudo Shinichi was dead; now only Chuankenan existed, the second son of Aunt Yukiko and Uncle Kudo. Nothing else would exist.

"Ran?"

Suddenly, a voice tinged with doubt and speculation sounded, causing Mao Li Lan to instinctively look toward the source.

She saw a mature woman in a yellow-green dress with slightly wavy long hair looking at her, as if also confirming her identity.

"You really are Ran."

Seeing Mao Li Lan's reaction, the mature woman, carrying a bag over her right shoulder, walked up to Mao Li Lan, yet she was still a bit dazed; after all, being suddenly called out on the street by someone who seemed to actually know her was strange.

"Hello, may I ask who you are?"

"Oh my, has so much time passed that you've forgotten me? Well, it's understandable; our last meeting was five years ago~."

"Five years ago..."

Mao Li Lan looked carefully at the woman before her, seriously searching her memory, especially for memories from five years ago, and then she suddenly remembered.

"You are... Aunt Yumi?"

Horikoshi Yumi was one of her father's university classmates and one of the main organizers of the class reunion held every five years.

"You remembered? You've really changed a lot; five years ago you were still small, but in just five years you've grown into such a beautiful young lady."

Horikoshi Yumi felt time had passed so quickly; in the blink of an eye, an old classmate's daughter had grown into a great beauty.

"Aunt Yumi is the one; five years have passed, yet you're no different from five years ago."

Hearing the compliment, Mao Li Lan felt a bit embarrassed; looking at Aunt Yumi, the difference from five years ago wasn't actually that great, yet the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes still revealed traces of time.

Of course, seeing it was one thing, saying it another; Mao Li Lan's emotional intelligence wasn't that low.

"Oh my~ Ran has learned to speak so well now."

These were pleasant words, yet Horikoshi Yumi still felt very comfortable hearing them. Then she thought of something and asked.

"Ran, will you be coming with Mao Li to this year's class reunion?"

"Is today the agreed-upon day for the class reunion? But I just came from Dad, and he didn't tell me."

"Ah ha~ It seems Mao Li isn't planning to tell you."

Horikoshi Yumi felt she had already guessed Mao Li Kogoro's thoughts; it was normal not to want to bring his daughter along to a class reunion held only once every five years.

Glancing at Ran's expression, a smile curved her lips.

"This year, our class reunion is this weekend; we picked a time when everyone is off to gather after not seeing each other for so long."

"The specific location is still the Benkei Hot Spring Inn in Limu County. Ran, if you're interested, you can bring your boyfriend too. When you arrive, you'll surely give Mao Li a shock."

Aunt Yumi, playing pranks at your age... Mao Li Lan couldn't help but complain inwardly. But thinking it over, since Dad hadn't even told her about the reunion, she could indeed give him a surprise, especially since the time was still the weekend.

And a boyfriend.

Mentioning that word made Mao Li Lan think of the person she had been with recently, and a flush of red spread across her face.

"Getting shy, are you?"