“You understand humans. You can tell that?”

“I must have sensed your affection for the little bear, Ai.”

Miss Winnett launched a shameless offensive of praise.

“It’s more convincing that we don’t have a shotgun.”

Xiao Ai glared at Winnet, then raised her arm and held her hand, then said slowly:

“I’m frightened, now it’s your turn to take me away.”

“You might get lost.”

“Don’t think I don’t know that you record the location entirely by the direction of your body and the length of your stride. It’s amazing that you can remember such things clearly while talking. You’re just like a secret agent in a movie.”

Ai exposed Winnet’s disguise and put on an expression that said I’m tired.

The hand that was originally held together climbed up like a little snake and coiled under her armpit. As soon as she shifted her vision, she fell into Winnet’s arms.

She struggled uncomfortably. Then Winette did the princess hug, but the object was a child, which was not romantic at all; but for the same reason, she could stay in this embrace without worry, because it was a privilege of children, and she didn’t need to feel awkward or shy.

Winnet comforted her by saying:

“Then I promise you, I’ll just give you a hug from now on!”

“What a slow guy.” Xiao Ai muttered.

Unable to understand even this level of hint, Xiao Ai turned her face to her chest and smiled faintly; she no longer had any thoughts about the joking words, but seriously considered the way she held Winnet, thinking that it was like holding a princess, and it would be appropriate if she wore a white dress. However, it was still too conspicuous, and she was not the kind of person who loved to show off like Edogawa.

Winnett walked steadily, and Ai could hardly feel the shaking. This continued for a while, and Ai leaned to the other side, with the barbed wire close at hand. Thinking that she would meet up with the doctor next, she ordered Winnett to put her down, and she frankly said that she didn’t want her image to be damaged.

Xiao Ai thought that the itinerary would be somewhat different from the original one, but she didn’t expect Winnet to return precisely to the hole where they crossed the barbed wire. At this time, the voices of children came from not far away. She sorted out her clothes a little. Although she was wondering how Winnet had gotten her here past the incident, she didn’t ask, because she felt that there was a kind of dignity growing in her heart, which made Winnet respect her. Maybe this was the power of emotion, and even she cared about face.

So she gave her own explanation, saying that it was Winnet who calculated the path and planned another return route through geometry.

This gave her a headache.

She glanced at the somewhat silly silver-haired fox. Who would have thought that she had a calculator installed in her head?

Through a network, they met Dr. Agasa.

Conan Edogawa breathed a sigh of relief. In his opinion, with Winnet around, there shouldn’t be any danger, but there was still a possibility of getting lost. It would be dark soon, and the temperature in the forest dropped rapidly. At this time, it was already a little chilly. He called them to come over quickly. This time, Ai did not choose to drill a hole, but let Winnet hold her waist. It turned out that Winnet did have the ability to support her with one hand and easily cross the barbed wire.

There was no thrill in between.

Land smoothly.

The three little ones were impressed by Winnet’s amazing abilities.

Conan put his hands in his pockets and turned around as if to leave, with an air of “departing after the work is done, hiding his achievements and fame.”

Then he was caught by Yuantai.

“Conan, you are so deceitful. You have to help get these matsutake mushrooms too!”

Almost fell down.

“Please, if you pick so many, we will be scolded by the staff!” Conan retorted.

……

526 Faraway Place

On the way back to the hotel, Mitsuhiko Ayumi pestered Ai about what happened on the way. In order to avoid a certain great detective from getting sick, Ai did not mention the body, but just said that she met a cute little bear and hugged it, and she felt relieved; she felt a kind of unrestrained happiness, which made her feel that there was nothing wrong with retreating to the mountains. However, even in such a desolate wilderness, there would still be hunters with guns, and even if they took this road, they didn’t know where the muzzle of the gun was.

Instead of thinking about where your final resting place is, focus on the time you’ll have with her.

The two did not communicate along the way, but their occasional eye contact betrayed each other’s feelings. Holding so many matsutake mushrooms (mostly picked by Genta), Dr. Agasa was severely reprimanded by the staff; poor Dr. Agasa was used to these troublemakers and grabbed the three little ones to apologize. Winette suggested buying these matsutake mushrooms at the market price, but the simple staff did not care too much, saying that the hotel could still consume this reserve, after all, not all guests are willing to go up the mountain to experience picking matsutake mushrooms in person.

Winnet was skeptical of what he said. As soon as he left, Xiao Ai used her sister’s momentum to teach them a lesson:

“Don’t believe him just because he said so. When we came, our car was the only one in the parking lot, and there are no more than 20 guests at the event. Obviously, their business is not good, but they are not fussy about it because we are just children. Next time, please follow the rules and don’t cause trouble for others.”

The detective team members, who were originally beaming with joy because they were forgiven and looking forward to dinner, now became like eggplants hit by frost.

Sometimes, only by exposing a white lie can people grow.

“But don’t worry too much. Since we have added so much reserves to the hotel, we just need to consume them. Eat to your heart’s content tonight. Sister Winette will treat us.”

“Well, we’ll have a Matsutake feast tonight.” Winnett agreed with Ai’s statement.

She loved her cleverness, so it was a natural thing to pay the compensation and let the children enjoy the feast.

As for money.

Anyway, there is organizational funding, so why not spend it? After all, Miss Winnett hasn’t received a fixed salary slip for so many years, so the unit price of each task should not be cheap.

After sending them away, Xiao Ai gave Winnet a sly smile.

“Is your wallet all right?”

“Well, at least we are nominally the controlling shareholder of a large group.” Winnett hinted that it was okay to want to invest in luxury goods.

“Instead of buying me that kind of thing, it would be better to transfer some funds for escape. Maybe it will come in handy someday.” Xiao Ai said without interest.

“Do you not like it?”

“Ah, how could that be. Girls are like dragons in fairy tales, they can’t resist shiny, exquisite things. But such liking is shallow and difficult to sustain. What you care about today may not interest you tomorrow. Things are just things. You can discard them at any time when you meet something you like more, but things with profound meaning are different. Besides, I would feel it is a burden to hold such things now. But you, even though you are playing the role of a rich person, are still so tacky. Why don’t you just spend some money to find an assistant to take care of it for you?” As soon as she finished speaking, she regretted it, “No, you are more suitable for this natural state.”

Winnet was a little confused, thinking that Xiao Ai thought she was more suitable for the dress of a country girl. She pouted, did not protest, and even thought it was not bad. Fashion was like a flood and a beast. In her eyes, it was only a thin line between abstraction and simplicity. Xiao Ai should agree.

A total of four rooms were booked.

Professor Agasa and Conan, Genta, Mitsuhiko, Ayumi and Ai live in one room each, so Winnet has to live in one room by herself.

Xiao Ai stayed in Winnet’s room for a while.

After the incident of Genta’s disappearance, she was already very tired. When the detective team started playing board games, she said she wanted to rest on her own, and she did rest, but in Winnet’s room. She hugged her shoulders and slept soundly. Until dinner time – about half an hour later, the hotel staff came to inform Dr. Agasa. Xiao Ai rubbed her eyes and saw Winnet blinking at her, and her sleepiness disappeared all of a sudden. She blamed her for not knowing how to use the rest time, because she instinctively felt that Winnet was staying beside her motionlessly, but she didn’t sleep.

Winnett did not speak to defend herself, because she felt that she enjoyed watching Ai’s sleeping face, so she didn’t care about being tired at all. Moreover, she always had plenty of energy, but it was difficult to find a place in the world to vent, and this was the time to use her energy.

They met up with Professor Agasa and headed to the restaurant. Winette showed her generous and natural demeanor and added a special dish made of matsutake mushrooms to the menu, which made the originally scheduled dinner a little different. Although the portion was a bit large, the young detective team who had an adventure in the mountains were starving, and even the high school students showed the momentum of a foodie. Grilled matsutake mushrooms were covered on rice, served with sauce and fried pork cutlets, and Conan had no time to speak.

Dinner was silent.

Xiao Ai complained that compared to the others, Winnet’s eating posture was much more comfortable. After the etiquette correction during this period, Miss Winnet has mastered the elegant and fast eating method, and her speed is the same as that of the detective team – or deliberately slow down; she picked up food for Xiao Ai, and Xiao Ai did not refuse. Although the intimacy between the two has long been no secret, the Junior Detective Team as a whole is still curious about their relationship.

Winnett noticed that Ai was very measured in eating everything, as if she had planned out the nutrition and energy for them. However, she would still eat more of the delicious food. Winnett was happy with her attitude of enjoying food. She believed that Ai should try various things and learn to enjoy life, just as Mingmei expected.

After dinner, Xiao Ai quietly left the team and went for a walk in the hotel parking lot with Winnett. While digesting the food, they walked aimlessly.

However, there is a feeling that there will never be an end.

The autumn evening breeze lifted Winnet’s hair, which looked like willow branches covered with snowflakes swaying.

They walked out of the parking lot unknowingly and came to a small path that crossed the mountains and forests. Not far ahead was the highway, so they turned back along the path.

The wind was rustling, Xiao Ai put her hands to her ears and muttered to herself:

“It’s only a few hours’ drive away, but it feels like I’ve arrived in a very faraway world. It’s a bit strange.”

She stopped and looked at the pine branches arranged like umbrella ribs under the dim sky.

“Yes, it’s a faraway place. Fortunately, I went there.”

Winnet leaned over, put her arms around Ai’s neck, and kissed her cheek gently.

……

527 Dream Journey

The next morning, Conan woke up Professor Agasa and the three little ones who were lazing in bed.

Winnett woke up very early and ordered breakfast at the hotel counter. The steaming mushroom soup was already on the table, and the sleepy children rushed to the table. It seemed that the effect of fatigue came a little late. The spirit was awakened by the delicious food. They went outside. The sunlight in front of the forest seemed to be more golden and dazzling than in the city, making Winnett unable to raise her head. After getting in the car, the comfortable sofa in the back was occupied by a new person, and the children leaned against each other and fell asleep.

Winnet and Xiao Ai huddled together on either side of the small table in the car. Xiao Ai’s eyes kept switching between the window and Winnet’s face, and finally she couldn’t stand being stared at anymore, so she simply switched sides – turned to Winnet’s side and squeezed in on the inner side near the window.

“How can you see clearly when the sun is shining right at you?”

As she spoke, she pulled up half of the curtains to soften the light entering the car.

A gap was opened along the window of the seat, and the gentle wind slanted in, but it went to the front seat. Only the two of them and Dr. Agasa could feel it. Winnet liked her attentiveness, so she gently closed her eyes and felt her little elf with her shoulders and palms. She didn’t have the courage to do those ambiguous actions, so she sat there quietly.

Ai leaned against the window with her cheeks propped up. Although she said she had no interest in the scenery, there was nothing to do during the journey except looking at the scenery. Moreover, this situation always fits her uneasy imagination of the future, thinking that sooner or later there will be an endless journey; she looked at the trees listlessly going away, thinking it was really strange that she had the courage and determination to face the current situation, but lacked the spirit of moving forward. Once she encountered an unfavorable situation, she would definitely have the idea of ​​retreating.

When she got tired of leaning her head forward and sticking her chin out, she leaned the back of her head against Winnett’s.

From the window, she saw Winnet’s quiet reflection, with her eyes closed lightly, as if she was taking a nap, but she was sitting upright. She leaned against her, and she also leaned slightly towards her, as if to support her.

A soft touch.

This made her sleepy. Although she had a good rest last night, the fatigue and comfort of autumn made her want to take a deep sleep.

The vehicle rocked steadily.

Soon, she entered a state between sleep and wakefulness – dozing and trance. With her eyes half open and half closed, she seemed to be neither awake nor awake to everything around her. In a short period of time, she dreamed of many things in an instant, more than she had imagined, as if she and Winnett had experienced an escape; that vague consciousness broke free from the shackles of the self, transcended time, and formed another life.

With great enthusiasm, with fear and with indulgence.

She slowly exited this state, turned her head sleepily to look at Winnett, listened to her humming a melodious tune, and could clearly hear the sound of the wind blowing into the car. At the same time, in her heart, no similar sorrow emerged, leaving behind a tenderness that could not be expressed.

She squeezed Winnet’s palm.

“Oh, it’s so soft,” said Xiao Ai. “It’s a nice day, isn’t it? Why don’t you look out the window?”

“I can feel it, as if you’re seeing it all for me,” Winette said.

“It sounds like psychological nonsense.” Xiao Ai said, “It advocates the extension of consciousness and entering a mysterious state. Since you said you can feel it, guess what I saw in my dream?” She scratched Winnet’s palm with her fingertips, fascinated by the strange rough and soft touch. “I’ll give you a hint. I dreamed of you. You are a part of me that I can’t give up, even in my dreams, but the end of mankind will only be left with himself. It’s stupid to be sentimental all of a sudden. What do you think?” Xiao Ai threw the topic to Winnet.

“Saw the journey.”

“That’s right, it’s a bloody journey.”

She said that in her dream, Winnet had been killing pursuers in different ways, either by shooting them cleanly or hanging them up with her prop rope. In addition, every time she arrived at a new environment, she checked the room like a spy on TV. At such times, she was there to help, to make sure there was nothing suspicious. Planning routes, collecting supplies, and negotiating with people were her tasks. Despite being tired, she had another strange sense of happiness. Winnet was still eccentric and always enjoyed it.

“You have to think positively, which means you are no longer afraid. God is on my side, and I know what to do.”

“As for me, if I were you, Winnet, I would use my superb makeup skills to hide my identity in a place where no one can find me.”

“You know I don’t want to do that.” She said. This is not the life she wants to give Xiao Ai, and then she said into her little ear: “Even if the organization comes to eliminate me as a traitor, they will only get a pile of bones. Xiao Ai, let me tell you a secret – God and the devil are on my side.”

The life given by God and the heart taken away by the devil.

“what are you saying?”

“Well, he looks a bit like a fallen angel. What can mortals do to him?”

Winnett kept talking to herself. She was not going to explain to Xiao Ai. And that was not the part that could be explained. She was still as arrogant as before, thinking that fate favored her, and that Xiao Ai was safe and sound and had been reduced in size by drugs. This coincidence only increased her delusion. Xiao Ai had no idea what she was talking about.

After stretching her body a little, Xiao Ai said:

“Another religious excuse? Then you can go to hell no matter how many times you go there.”

She smiled sarcastically, but squeezed Winnet’s hand, as if to say, “I’m with you.”

If she was still an adult, she would probably take this opportunity to cover her lips with the soft spot and hold the gentle-looking girl in her arms. But she couldn’t do anything, because this posture, not only did her body become smaller, but her courage was also… too much to cover.

“Shh!”

Winnett put a finger to her lips. The winking look made Ai realize that there was a great detective watching from behind. Turning her head slightly, she saw not only Conan, but also several other little carrots jumping over the backrest, as if they had heard part of the conversation.

incomplete.

After being discovered, they asked if it was a line from a movie to avoid embarrassment. Winnet used French when she said those incomprehensible words, so they listened in vain, and even Edogawa was probably confused. The reason why Xiao Ai understood was because Winnet had taught her for a while.

This was also the gift left to her by the nun.

“Well, we were talking about the plot of a movie.”

Xiao Ai replied as if nothing had happened.

……

528 Yuanzi’s Invitation

Her deception skills were even better than Winnet’s, and she lied so naturally that no one suspected her, except Conan who doubted everything. However, this great detective had not yet reached the level of analyzing the whispers of young lovers, and at most he only stayed at the stage of gossip. She felt that the failure of her last confession was too much of a blow to him, so he showed a kind of cynicism towards other couples.

The topic returned to the Kamen Rider movie, and they chatted about it all the way. Winette also talked about the movie seriously, which made the children accept her more – to the point of treating her as half of their own. Finally, the car arrived in Tokyo, and Dr. Agasa sent them home in order. They were out for a whole day, and they needed to spend the next holiday with their families.

However, if she lets go of Ai halfway through the holiday, Winnet always feels a little unsatisfied. But Ai said she needed some private time, in fact, she was afraid that this kind of happiness would last too long and be taken for granted. She began to understand Yezo’s thoughts: happiness can also make people feel scared. However, her situation is much better, just leaving some time for herself to accept it.

After bidding farewell to Ai, Winette returned home slowly and left her car at Dr. Agasa’s house until Clyde was free to drive away. Her smile contrasted with the afternoon sun, but she was unaware of it. Her joy gradually settled, like a layer of fresh soil accumulated on her heart.