In the world of Detective Conan, the female characters are all acting strangely!

Page 189

(Wang Le's)

"what is that?"

Xia Ye said she didn't want to guess anymore.

"Fine, I'll tell you then."

Ayako Suzuki smiled and stopped making things difficult for Natsume.

Instead, the answer was given directly:

"It's an art film!"

"Arthouse film?"

Xia Ye frowned and asked in surprise:

"Even in Japan, art films don't do well at the box office. Are you planning to give up on box office success and try to win various awards instead?"

It's a fact that art films can't carry box office revenue.

However, this kind of pretentious stuff is very popular with the judges of major film awards, and it is an industry consensus that art films are vying for awards.

"I do have that idea!"

Ayako Suzuki didn't deny it, and smiled:

"Chika's script is almost finished. Let me give you a brief overview of the plot. Since you're planning to invest, consider this my report on her behalf!"

"it is good!"

Xia Ye nodded.

Indeed, I still need to invest, so it's good to listen to what's going on.

Chapter 174 Sonoko: Even my own family is trying to steal my man!?

Ayako Suzuki gave a brief narration of the plot.

After listening.

Xia Ye frowned immediately.

In the neon-lit countryside, young men and women are entangled in emotional conflicts, exploring desires and humanity, making choices and missing out—a very traditional template for an art film.

simply put.

This script is no different from those pretentious and abstract coming-of-age films in China.

Xia Ye doesn't like art films.

But I don't have any prejudice against good art films.

Even from an objective perspective, the story lacks any appeal; it's mediocre overall, without any truly compelling elements, making it almost too tedious to even criticize.

"Xia Ye, you also think it won't work, right?"

Ayako Suzuki sighed softly, a wry smile appearing on her pretty face. She glanced upstairs, looking somewhat conflicted.

"When Chikako gave me the script, I thought the story was a bit... ordinary, but seeing how hard she racked her brains to write it, I felt too embarrassed to tell her. Now, seeing your performance, I'm sure my feeling was right..."

"Indeed~"

Xia Ye nodded and said bluntly:

"This script is clearly no good. The plot isn't exciting enough, and the topics it explores lack depth. The screenwriter and director are both newcomers like Chikako. Unless the Suzuki Group pushes it hard after the movie comes out, it probably won't make a splash!"

"I think so too~"

Ayako Suzuki gently rubbed her temples with her slender fingers, looking troubled.

How should I tell Chikako?

"She wrote this script over three months!"

"cut!"

Having listened to a few sentences and then given up, Sonoko, who had been boredly playing on her phone, looked up and rolled her eyes at her older sister:

"Just say it!"

"I think you still don't consider Chikako a true friend, which is why you're so anxious and afraid of losing her after you speak up. Hmph, I don't know where your usual shrewdness went. Speaking your mind directly can avoid a lot of misunderstandings, you know? Like me and Ran, if we have any complaints, we just argue, and after the argument, we're still inseparable!"

"Ahem, Sonoko, isn't this 'lovey-dovey' way of using it a bit—"

Xia Ye suppressed a laugh and reminded him:

"This word is usually used to describe couples deeply in love or affectionate spouses. Using it to describe a girl... well, it's too ambiguous~"

"Hmph! I'll use it! Why can't girls use 'inseparable' between each other? Besides, if I were a boy, Xiaolan would have been mine long ago. What business is it of yours, Xia Ye!"

Sonoko's dark green eyes darted around slightly, and she gave a soft hum:

"Besides, don't think I don't know. Ai already told me that you're a yuri fantasist and you must have fantasized about me and Ran being a couple countless times, right?"

"Ha, men!"

"I have no comment on that!"

Xia Ye had no way to refute it. To be honest, if Sonoko were a boy, even if she had a cheat code, she probably wouldn't be able to take Ran away from her.

As for yuri pairings, well, there's no way around it, that's just how I like it, I'm hopelessly addicted!

"Oh dear, you've gone off-topic!"

Seeing that Natsume was completely taken aback by his sister's words, Ayako Suzuki covered her mouth and chuckled as she helped him out of the awkward situation:

"Weren't we talking about the script?"

"What's there to talk about?"

Sonoko pursed her lips, showing no interest whatsoever in Chikako's script. She casually remarked:

"I think it would be better to change the plot into a yuri (lesbian) doujinshi (fanfiction). At least that way Xia Ye's investment would have some return, otherwise his money would have gone down the drain!"

"and many more!"

Xia Ye was taken aback upon hearing this.

He immediately curled his lips into a smile.

A playful smile appeared on his face:

"The method Sonoko suggested is worth a try!"

“Ayako, think about it. If you replace the male lead in this script with a woman, doesn’t the whole story feel much more reasonable? All those melodramatic misunderstandings and emotional entanglements become painful struggles in love that are not understood by the world, and the theme is inexplicably elevated to a higher level?”

"Xia Ye, you're joking, right?"

Sonoko stared at Natsume with her mouth agape. "Come on, I was just rambling. Why are you taking this so seriously?"

"No!"

Ayako Suzuki's pretty face turned serious. Her slender fingers caressed her cheek as she mentally reconstructed the plot, following Natsume's instructions. Then—

"It actually looks much better! At least I'm really interested! I can't wait to shoot some sample photos!"

"Are you serious?"

Sonoko hadn't listened to her sister's story at all, so she didn't know the original plot. However, seeing how serious Natsume and her older sister were, she knew that the two of them weren't joking. They were really going to make a movie about a lesbian romance based on what she had jokingly said!

"Of course!"

Xia Ye became interested.

The spirit of lilies burns fiercely in my heart.

"Ayako, when you have time, go find Chikako and discuss it with her. Then we'll revise the script, and then we'll quickly get the production team ready. Also—"

"What else?"

Seeing that Natsume looked like she couldn't wait to start filming right now, Ayako Suzuki covered her red lips with her slender hand and chuckled.

Sonoko is right, Natsume really is a super yuri fan. Look how excited he gets when it comes to making this kind of movie!

"besides--"

A strange smile appeared in Xia Ye's dark eyes:

"As for the female lead, a certain washed-up actress who spends all day idly in my house, practically growing mushrooms from boredom, seems like she could do it. If we cast her in a movie, she might even give us money~"

"what!"

"Natsuha, you mean Yukiko-neechan!"

Sonoko was a little surprised, but then she remembered chatting with Ai before, and Ai complaining that Yukiko would lie on the sofa in Natsume's living room watching TV and playing games when she had nothing to do, and that she had gained three pounds in just a few days. Sonoko thought that if she were to make a movie now, she might actually be looking forward to it!

"Yukiko-neechan..."

Xia Ye remembered Xiao Lan's resentment towards this form of address, so she smiled and said, "You and Xiao Lan have been well-educated by Yukiko. Even when you're not in front of her, you still call her Yukiko-neechan~"

"Haha~"

Sonoko pouted and snorted softly:

"It's not like Ran hasn't told you how much Yukiko cares about age. Ten years ago, when she was only in her twenties, she forced me and Ran to call her 'older sister.' Ran and I are used to it!"

As she spoke, she rolled her eyes at Xia Ye again:

"Besides, from some perspectives, it's perfectly normal for Ran and me to call Yukiko 'older sister,' don't you think, Natsume?"

"Ah, yes, yes, yes~"

Xia Ye, of course, knew what Sonoko meant. Looking at the teasing smile on Suzuki Ayako's pretty face beside him, he felt a flush of embarrassment.

Sonoko wrinkled her nose.

After all, Xiaolan and I were among the first girls to meet him, yet this guy doesn't even know how to take the initiative.

So many days have passed, and even Xiaolan has only confirmed her relationship with him without any further progress. When will it be her turn?

Ayako Suzuki watched her sister chat with Natsume with a gentle smile, and when Natsume became a little embarrassed by her sister's words, she spoke up again to help him out:

"Alright, you've gone off-topic again!"

"Xia Ye, it would be wonderful if Miss Yukiko could really be our leading lady. You can go back and ask her if she'd be willing?"

"Row!"

Xia Ye nodded, then suddenly remembered something, stroked her chin, and pondered:

"Hmm, right now, there's a Hollywood actress living across from Ran and Eri. If we could get her to come out of retirement, even if the script is a bit lacking, with her and Yukiko as the leads, the movie should be able to win a few awards, right?"

It's more than just winning a few awards.

Ayako was almost shocked by Natsume's wild imagination.

As a log holder, who doesn't know that the person living across from Eri Kisaki is Vermouth, who is also Hollywood actress Sharon Vineyard and well-known Hollywood actress Chris Vineyard?

With Yukiko, an actress who has won countless awards in Japan, to put it bluntly, even if the script is terrible, as long as they just put a beautiful kissing scene at the end of the movie, countless people will definitely go to the cinema to watch the whole movie just for that scene!

Of course, this is just a metaphor.

If Vermouth and Yukiko really agree to participate.

Then you can't possibly fool people with a lousy notebook.

Ayako can't afford to lose face like that!

"Then it's up to you, Xia Ye!"

Ayako Suzuki casually grasped Natsume's large hand with her small one, and said with a smile:

“You’re most familiar with Yukiko and Vermouth… so this is the perfect job for you. I’ll be responsible for getting Chikako to revise the script. We must come up with a perfect script that will satisfy those two!”

Ayako Suzuki had originally planned to say, "You have affairs with both Yukiko and Vermouth," but considering her dignified and elegant young lady persona, she ultimately didn't say it. This made her quite envious of her younger sister; if it were her, she probably would have blurted it out already.

However, this matter really needs to be handled by Xia Ye.

Yukiko is somewhat better; given Sonoko's relationship with Ran, she should be easy to talk to. As for Vermouth, Ayako doesn't believe a member of the Black Organization who has killed countless people would give her a friendly look. After all, there's only one Ran, and not just anyone can be Vermouth's angel.

"it is good!"

Xia Ye readily agreed.

A yuri movie featuring Bayonetta and Yukiko.