Conan: The Magician of the End of the Century

Chapter 3 Homecoming
In Paris at night, a newlywed couple held hands and strolled through the fiery streets.

Feeling the warmth from the palm of his hand, Ishino's heart at the moment was filled with joy, happiness, and a little complexity.

Being confessed by the girl he likes, there is no man who will not give birth to a sense of accomplishment and joy, but for Shi Ye, a time traveler, there is a sense of unreality.

When he accepted Kasaka Natsumi's love and expressed his heart, he felt as if he had truly become a resident of this world, and his own destiny was firmly bound to her.This feeling made him feel at ease for the first time since time travel, but he also faintly worried whether he would not be able to return to his original world, or whether he would be able to let go of everything in this world when he had the chance to go back...

"Shi Jun, what are you thinking about?" Xia Mei looked at Shi Ye who was thinking, and exerted a little force on her palm to pull his thoughts back.

Ishino moved his eyes to Xia Mei's red and happy smiling face, and the complicated mood was swept away immediately, thinking: "Yes, it's the best choice to enjoy the life now, isn't it? As for the future Why think too much about things, it is better to cherish the time in front of you.”

"I was thinking, Xia Mei, why did you take the initiative to confess to me. Normally, even if you like the other person very much, you would expect the man to take the initiative to confess, right?"

"Actually, I originally planned to confess to you before returning to Japan..."

Just hearing the first sentence, Xia Mei's heart skipped a beat, thinking that the other party had doubts about her intentions, she just wanted to explain, but when she heard the last sentence, the small mouth that was opened just now slowly closed again, her heart was full of warmth. Yi, a shy expression appeared on his face.

"Originally, I have been expecting Shi Jun to confess to me, and I am very confident in myself..." Xia Mei recalled the phone call she received before, and silently sorted out how to explain to Shi Ye in her heart.

"But yesterday, I received a call from home saying that my grandma is not feeling well recently, I hope I can go back and see her..."

After three months of contact, the two have learned about each other's family situation.Natsumi's parents and grandfather died in a car accident when he was 5 years old. She was raised by her only relative, Yoko Kasaka, with deep affection, and Ishino also explained to Natsumi that he was an orphan.Hearing that Ishino is an orphan, Xia Mei, who thought her life experience was already very miserable, looked at Ishino more tenderly, and in the subsequent exchanges, she cared more about Ishino.

So when she told the reason, Ishino immediately understood why Xia Mei confessed on her own initiative.

"So, you want to take your boyfriend back and let grandma meet?"

Hearing Ishino guessed what she wanted to say next, Xia Mei was taken aback for a moment, and then felt a little happy because the other party could understand her mood, and continued to ask: "Well, is it okay?"

"Of course." Ishino stared into those eyes full of expectation, and said with a smile, "I have long wanted to meet such an excellent grandma who raised Natsumi, and thank you very much."

"Really, speak well, and even took the opportunity to tease me." Seeing her happy expression reflected in Shi Ye's dark jewel-like eyes, Xia Mei couldn't help standing on tiptoe, closing her eyes, and at the moment when the other party had no time to react, Gave her her first kiss.

Opening her eyes again, seeing Ishino's expression frozen in surprise, Natsumi burst out laughing.

"Shouldn't Shi Jun be kissing for the first time too?" Xia Mei said slightly teasingly, and then softly said in a voice full of affection:

"Thank you."

For a moment, Ishino couldn't tell what Xia Mei was thanking for. After being shocked by the kiss just now, his mind was full of the words that the other party said-"Could it be the first kiss too? She said" also'……"

On the street full of romantic atmosphere, the slim girl is holding the arm of the tall and straight boy beside him, leaning her cheek on his solid shoulder, walking forward, leaving behind a pair of happy and warm backs...

……

Two days later, the exchange meeting ended successfully. Ishino and Natsumi took the flight that night and rushed to Japan immediately.

Before boarding the plane, an international call connected France and Japan, thousands of miles apart:

"Well, I'm back, the two of us will arrive tomorrow."

……

The next morning, the plane came over Tokyo.

Xia Mei was awakened from a deep sleep by Ishino, saw the long-lost scenery outside the plane window, was happy, but also eager to visit her grandmother whom she hadn't seen for almost a year.Although Xia Mei is studying in France, she still goes home to reunite with her grandma every Chinese New Year. Thinking of the last time she went home, grandma was already sleeping most of the day and only awake for a few hours. Worried about grandma's current physical condition.

Ishino saw Natsumi's worry, and after a few words of comfort, the plane landed safely at Tokyo International Airport.

As soon as they got out of the airport, the two took the express train directly, and then took a taxi to the Kasaka mansion in Yokosuka—the German-style Neuschwanstein Castle.

Before arriving at the castle, Natsumi had already called Sawabe Kuranosuke, the old housekeeper who had served the Kasaka family for many years, so when the two of them got out of the car and brought their luggage to the gate of the castle, the housekeeper Sawabe already waiting there.

"Miss Xia Mei, welcome home." Housekeeper Zebe saluted Xia Mei respectfully.

"I'm back, Grandpa Sawabe."

"Mr. Ishino, this is our first meeting. I am the housekeeper of the Kasaka family, Kuranosuke Sawabe. On behalf of the old lady, I welcome you here." The housekeeper Sawabe respectfully saluted Ishino beside Natsumi. In addition to his respect, there is also a trace of scrutiny.

"Hello, I'm Shi Ye. It's the first time we meet, please take care of me." While bowing his head to salute, Shi Ye quickly looked at the old housekeeper in front of him, and combined him with the image in his memory.With his keen observation ability, he sensed that the old butler was very impressive. Although his aura was not obvious, the habits he had developed over the years in his gestures all showed that the other party was a hidden master.

Seeing that the two had finished greeting each other, Xia Mei couldn't wait to ask the housekeeper Zebe: "Grandpa Zebe, I was really shocked when you called me suddenly a few days ago. How is grandma now? Wake up Are you ready? Can I see her now?"

"Miss, don't be in a hurry. The old lady knows that you are going home today, and she is in a good mood. She is waiting for you in the room now. I will take you there."

"Great, Mr. Shi, let's go see grandma!" After speaking, Xia Mei handed over the luggage to the maid beside her, took Ishino's hand, and followed Butler Sawabe to the castle.

Before coming to the "lady's room", the steward Sawabe knocked on the door lightly and informed the inside: "Madam, Miss Natsumi and Mr. Ishino have come to visit you."

After hearing the weak response from inside the house, Butler Sawabe gently pushed the door open and led the two behind him in.

The two entered the door one after the other, and saw an old woman sitting on the sofa behind the coffee table. Although she was a little old in stature, her spirit looked good, her face was kind, and she was wearing a pair of monocular reading glasses. He adjusted the frame of the mirror and looked this way with a smile.

"Is my precious granddaughter back?"

"Grandma, I'm back!" As soon as the old man finished speaking, Xia Mei walked around the coffee table in two steps, sat down beside her, held a wrinkled hand, and gently stroked it. Tears welled up, "Grandma, it's great to see you're fine! I'm so worried these days!"

"Hehe, silly boy, grandma is fine. Grandma is just getting old and misses you a little bit, so she nagged a few words, but unexpectedly they called you back in a hurry." As he spoke, the old man stroked his granddaughter's hair with his hand, On the one hand, he glanced at the butler at the door with a slightly sullen look.

But when the old man turned his gaze to look at the young man next to him, the pupil behind the lens shrank imperceptibly...

(End of this chapter)