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

Chapter 130 Eri Kisaki's Kidnapping

Yukiko stepped forward and gripped Hayashi Hideichi's arm tightly with both hands.

"Someone impersonated you and kidnapped Eri, didn't they?"

"Mm." Lin Xiu nodded.

Just then, his phone, which was in his palm, suddenly started vibrating again.

Lin Xiuyi's heart sank. Her fingers flew across the screen as she unlocked the new email. The sender was still the same unfamiliar address.

The email was brief but contained a blatant threat.

"Mr. Lin Xiuyi, if you want to save your lover, please go to room 302 of the Mihua Hotel before midnight tonight."

"If you are late, or if we discover that someone else is with Mr. Lin, we cannot guarantee Ms. Eri's safety. Signed: Kidnapper xxx, who is only after money."

This mark?

Yukiko leaned closer to read the email, and her expression changed instantly when her gaze fell on the three crooked "x" marks.

There was a mixture of surprise and a sense of "I knew it," as they had already vaguely guessed the identity of the person behind the scenes.

But just as Lin Xiuyi turned his head and looked at her with a puzzled expression, as if to ask if she recognized the mark, Yukiko quickly pretended to be very anxious.

"Shuichi, will Eri be alright? Will that kidnapper hurt her?"

"I don't know." Lin Xiuyi said with a tense face.

He desperately suppressed his worst thoughts—that Eri might get hurt or be bullied.

"I'm coming over now. If I haven't contacted you by 1 a.m., call the police. Remember, be very careful and don't do anything rash."

"Shuichi, you..."

Yukiko wanted to remind him a few more things, but Hayashi Shuichi had no intention of lingering any longer. He decisively turned around and quickly walked out of the kitchen.

Watching his hurried departure, Yukiko bit her red lips in resentment.

The beautiful cook stomped her foot angrily, venting her dissatisfaction, and stood alone in the kitchen, sulking for a long time.

Despite her anger, Yukiko couldn't let go of Eri or that impulsive guy.

A moment later, she sighed, reached into her pocket, took out her phone, and dialed a familiar number.

As soon as the call connected, Yukiko couldn't contain her anger and questioned him.

"Hey, is Eri with you? You went a bit too far this time, didn't you? What if you really scared her or angered Shuichi? Can you take responsibility for that?"

"Is that too much?"

A woman's languid and alluring voice came from the other end of the phone, tinged with a nonchalant laugh.

"I'm doing this for his own good, so that that bastard won't be unable to walk away when he sees a woman, like a headless fly, and get easily fooled by women. He'll suffer a great loss and won't even have time to cry."

"He was deceived by a woman?" Yukiko frowned slightly. "Which woman is Shuichi entangled with this time? How come I didn't know?"

"It's better if you don't know this," the woman chuckled, "so you won't get angry and throw a tantrum at me."

"As for Eri's safety, you don't need to worry. Although I don't like her and can't stand the sight of her, I won't let anything happen to her for your sake. At most, I'll just scare her."

"Hey, you really shouldn't play around like this anymore," Yukiko hurriedly advised. "Shuichi seems genuinely angry. He looked terribly upset when he left. What if he does something impulsive at the hotel? It'll be hard to handle!"

But before she could finish her words of advice, a crisp "click" sounded from the other end of the phone, indicating that the call had been abruptly ended.

Yukiko held her phone, only the monotonous busy tone in her ears, as if mocking her superfluity.

"Sharon?"

Yukiko sighed helplessly. She raised her hand, gently rubbed her temples, and silently prayed.

"I hope these two don't really cause any trouble, I hope Eri is safe and sound, and I hope Shuichi doesn't really fall out with Sharon..."

……

In room 301 of the Mihana Hotel, Vermouth put away her phone and casually tossed it into her bag.

She stood up and sat down in front of the dressing mirror.

The mirror reflected a blonde, blue-eyed woman with striking features and a cold, alluring beauty.

The witch reached for the powder puff on the table and began to touch up her makeup.

She tilted her head slightly in front of the mirror, examining her makeup, then picked up an eyebrow pencil and carefully drew her eyebrows.

On the large bed next to her, Eri Kisaki was tightly bound with ropes and lay on her side.

"I didn't expect a lawyer like you to be so vigilant!"

Vermouth didn't turn around, but only glanced at the woman on the bed in the mirror.

She reached up and rubbed her shoulder, where there was a bluish-purple bruise, a mark left by Eri Kisaki's skillful over-the-shoulder throw when she was off guard.

If Vermouth hadn't brought high-concentration ether spray beforehand, Eri might have actually escaped.

"Who are you? Why are you impersonating Shuichi?"

Eri Kisaki gritted her teeth, her fair face contorted with rage as she glared at the alluring and beautiful blonde woman.

The tape on her mouth had been removed, but red marks remained on both sides of her cheeks where the tape had been torn off, and her mouth felt slightly numb when she spoke.

Vermouth put down her eyebrow pencil and slowly turned around.

She stared at Eri without expression, her blue eyes revealing no emotion, like a bottomless pool of water.

"Is that even a question?... Because of you, I was abandoned by that guy. Now, naturally, I want revenge."

Eri Kisaki's face instantly turned ashen.

She stared intently at Vermouth, her breathing becoming rapid.

It wasn't because he had been kidnapped, but because of what the woman in front of him said.

That bastard...

A bittersweet feeling welled up in the female lawyer's heart.

That bastard Lin Xiuyi is definitely philandering again.

And this time, the person they've provoked is such a beautiful woman.

Looking at the lawyer's sullen expression, Vermouth suddenly found it somewhat amusing: "I said, you don't doubt my words at all?"

"Hmph, do you think I don't know what kind of bastard that is?"

Eri Kisaki turned her head away irritably, not wanting Vermouth to see the disappointment in her eyes.

"How could he possibly let go of a woman as beautiful as you?"

"That's true." Vermouth nodded thoughtfully.

The witch looked at Eri's profile, a face filled with anger and grievance, yet stubbornly refusing to show weakness.

No wonder they're childhood sweethearts who grew up together.