Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

Chapter 26 Early Morning Interaction

The next morning, sunlight filtered through the curtains into the "Jing Xin" coffee shop, a warm and gentle glow. Accompanied by the rich aroma of coffee, the entire space felt tranquil and comfortable. Chen Shuo, as always, stood behind the bar, smiling, preparing fresh coffee for the guests. Amuro Toru was busy nearby, meticulously arranging coffee beans and equipment.

"Amuro, the customers seem to be very busy recently, and business is a bit slow." Chen Shuo said lightly, his eyes still focused on the coffee machine in his hands, and he didn't seem to care much about the noise around him.

"Yeah, things might get better over the weekend." Toru Amuro replied with a somewhat relaxed tone, occasionally looking up to observe the movements outside the door.

Just then, the door to the cafe slowly opened, and Maori Kogoro and Kisaki Eri walked in. They both looked exhausted, clearly haggard from last night's experiences. Maori Kogoro, in particular, had a look of helplessness in his eyes, while Kisaki Eri looked so tired she was practically leaning against him.

"Hey, Kogoro, Eri, it seems like you really had a great time last night. You didn't even go home." When Chen Shuo saw them come in, his brows raised slightly, and there was a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

Maori Kogoro sighed, then smiled bitterly, shook his head and said, "It wasn't fun at all. I was planning to go shopping last night, but I ended up getting a commission."

"Commission?" Toru Amuro asked curiously, his eyes falling on the Mori couple, wanting to hear what happened.

Kisaki Eri shrugged helplessly, a hint of fatigue in her tone: "A wealthy family's little daughter was kidnapped. We just wanted to relax, but ended up being forced to become a rescue team."

"Sounds like an interesting night." Chen Shuo raised his head and looked at them with a hint of sarcasm: "What kind of efforts did you take to rescue her?"

"After a lot of trouble, we finally succeeded." Maori Kogoro's voice was filled with pride. Although exhausted, a sense of satisfaction still appeared on his face when he mentioned the successful rescue. "However, this case is really not a simple one. It exhausted us."

"So after you finished solving the problem, you just found a hotel to rest?" Chen Shuo asked with a cunning look in his eyes.

"Yeah, when we were done, we were exhausted, so we just found a place and fell asleep." Hibiki Eri ran her hand through her hair, looking a little helpless. "Unfortunately, the bed in the hotel wasn't very comfortable, so I didn't get a good rest at all."

"It sounds like it wasn't easy." Chen Shuo sighed softly, his tone full of understanding. "Even our plans were disrupted in order to save people. Thank you for your hard work."

"It doesn't matter." Maori Kogoro looked at him weakly while lying on the bar, rubbing his stomach: "I'm almost starving, give us something to eat."

"No problem, Amuro, go make two... no, three sandwiches. It's my treat. Let them enjoy a good breakfast." Chen Shuo smiled as he looked at the tired-looking Maori couple. It seemed that the experience of working together last night had made their relationship better.

Amuro Toru nodded and said, "Mr. Maori, Ms. Hime, please wait a moment. I will make sandwiches for you right away."

Kogoro Mori and Eri Kisaki glanced at each other, a flicker of understanding in their eyes. Although they had been separated for a long time, it seemed as if this experience had quietly warmed their relationship. Immediately, they began to banter with each other, their playful banter adding warmth to the café's atmosphere.

"Chen Shuo, what do you think of this guy! He's such a bad detective. If I hadn't reminded him last night, I don't know how far he would have gone!" Fei Yingli said with a somewhat angry look, but there was a hint of intimacy in her tone.

"Hmph! I've noticed that something is wrong with that butler for a long time, I just don't want to alert him!" Kogoro Mouri fought back without showing any weakness, and their quarrel was filled with warmth and laughter.

"It seems that your breakfast is not just to fill your stomach, but also contains a little emotion." Chen Shuo raised the cup, his face expressionless, but a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

For a moment, laughter and conversation intertwined in the cafe, and the warm sunshine shone on everyone's face, making this moment seem particularly beautiful.

---

A few people chatted cheerfully, a relaxed atmosphere spreading through the "Jingxin" cafe. Sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating everyone's faces and brightening their moods. Meanwhile, Amuro Toru was busy preparing breakfast, concentrating on placing three freshly made sandwiches on a plate.

At that moment, the door to the cafe opened again, and Mao Lilan walked in. She looked a little tired, and the dark circles under her eyes made her look like she hadn't slept well. Seeing her parents still together, she felt a little relieved, and a smile unconsciously curled up at the corner of her mouth.

"Good morning, everyone!" Ran Mao Li greeted cheerfully, with a hint of kindness in her voice.

"Good morning!" Kogoro Mouri responded, his voice a little tired.

"Ms. Xiaolan, you're here! The sandwiches are ready, come and try them." Toru Amuro handed her the plate with a hint of teasing in his eyes.

"Wow, is this for me?" Ran Mouri looked at the sandwich in surprise. She never expected that breakfast would be placed in front of her as soon as she arrived at the cafe.

"This is all the boss's intention." Amuro Toru smiled slightly.

"Thank you, Brother Shuo," Mao Lilan said gratefully, feeling a warm feeling in her heart. Knowing that this was Chen Shuo's order, it seemed that Brother Shuo cared deeply about her, even knowing her travel habits like the back of his hand. At the same time, she felt a surge of mixed emotions. She secretly wondered what Chen Shuo's concern for her truly meant.

Then, Mao Lilan turned to look at her parents, and her mood relaxed: "Dad! Mom! How was your time last night?"

"Oh, we... nothing special." Maori Kogoro said, but his tone was a little helpless. His expression was complicated. What happened last night made him feel tired and helpless.

Kisaki Eri sighed softly, thinking about last night's experiences. Finally, she spoke, "Actually, we received a commission to rescue a kidnapped little girl."

"Ah? This... you guys have worked so hard." After hearing this, Mao Lilan was speechless. Her parents finally had a date, but something unexpected happened. However, seeing that the relationship between her parents had warmed up, a relieved smile appeared on her face again.

"But..." Mao Lilan paused, an idea in her mind. She mustered up the courage to say, "How about, Mom, why don't you consider moving back to the detective agency? It would be very happy for the family to be together."

After hearing this, Fei Yingli hesitated for a moment, but then shook her head, with a hint of helplessness in her eyes: "Xiaolan, I'm usually very busy with work and can't go back to rest often."

"But this way we can spend more time together." Mao Lilan was a little unwilling. She saw a glimmer of hope between her parents, but felt lost because of the helplessness of reality.

"Actually, it doesn't matter if this woman doesn't move back." Maori Kogoro said proudly, with a hint of stubbornness in his tone, but his eyes flashed with uneasiness.

"What do you mean it doesn't matter? You obviously want me to go back!" Kisaki Eri glared at him in anger, her brows slightly furrowed, but there was a hint of doting in her eyes. Although they had been separated for a long time, she knew her husband, who was in the late stage of tsundere, too well.

"Stop nagging!... I just think that I can take good care of Xiaolan even if you don't come back." Kogoro Mouri hurriedly explained, but there was a hint of powerless struggle in his voice.

"Hmph, that's easy to say. I'm afraid it's Xiaolan who takes care of you!" Kisaki Eri shook her head helplessly, but a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. The quarrel between the two heated up again, as if the feelings between them were quietly sublimated in this silent bickering.

Mao Lilan smiled helplessly, feeling relieved by the interaction between her parents. Although their relationship was not perfect, such "quarrels" seemed to be part of their relationship.

Seeing that her parents were arguing, but the tense atmosphere was gone, Mao Lilan was so happy that she almost laughed out loud. God knows how much she wanted her family to be reunited.

However, watching Chen Shuo watching the excitement from the sidelines, Mao Lilan began to feel conflicted. This mature, considerate man... Compared to Kudo Shinichi, Chen Shuo was always so calm, while Kudo Shinichi always impulsively rushed into cases, completely disregarding those around him. Her disappointment in Kudo Shinichi made her rely more deeply on Chen Shuo, but she didn't know how to handle the relationship between them that went beyond friendship.

"Xiao Lan, what's wrong with you?" Chen Shuo seemed to notice something was wrong with her expression and asked with concern, "It seems you didn't sleep well last night? Are you thinking about your parents?"

"It's okay, I just... it's nothing." Mao Lilan laughed, hiding the confusion in her heart: "You guys continue, I'll have breakfast first."

She lowered her head and took a bite of her sandwich, but her mind was full of thoughts. Faced with complex interpersonal relationships, she didn't know how to choose. After all, in her heart, Kudo Shinichi and Chen Shuo were both so important, but she felt extremely confused.

---

Several people chatted and enjoyed the warm time of breakfast. The aroma of coffee and the relaxed atmosphere made everyone feel happy. As time passed, Mao Lilan finally realized that it was time to go to school.

"Ah! I have to go. I almost forgot that I have to go to school!" Mao Lilan suddenly stood up, tidied her schoolbag, and prepared to rush out.

"Okay, remember to be careful." Kogoro Mouri waved his hand and seemed a little absent-minded.

"Let me take you there. I also have to go back to the office to deal with a case. I didn't work the whole day yesterday." Kisaki Eri also stood up and straightened her clothes.

"I want to go too!" Kogoro Mouri suddenly interrupted. Although there was a hint of arrogance in his tone, he actually showed his concern for his wife and daughter.

"Didn't you say you were tired and wanted to rest?" Kisaki Eri glanced at him, her lips slightly raised, as if she noticed his inner conflict.

"I... I'm just worried about Xiaolan!" Although Kogoro Mouri said this, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that he was worried about his tired wife, but this warmth was overshadowed by his tsundere personality.

Hearing the concern in his words, Hibiki Eri couldn't help but sneer: "Xiaolan, I'll take you to school and it's safe. You should just have a good rest."

"I'm worried about you. You're so tired, and you still want to go to work?" Although Kogoro Mouri's tone was bad, the concern revealed in his words was obvious.

"What? Can't I handle the case?" There was a hint of sarcasm in Kisaki Eri's voice, as if she was fighting back against her husband's unreasonable behavior.

At this time, Chen Shuo saw that the two seemed to be about to quarrel again, and hurriedly stepped forward to interrupt: "Kogoro, today's breakfast is very good, you should rest first. Amuro, I'll give you a day off, go see Xiaolan and Eri off."

Amuro Toru nodded with a look of delight: "Okay, boss!"

"I don't need you to give me orders!" Kogoro Mouri responded dissatisfiedly, but there was a hint of fatigue in his eyes. His arrogance and concern were intertwined, making people laugh and cry.

"Dad, Mom, I really should go." Mao Lilan anxiously took Kisaki Eri's hand and walked towards the door, as if she didn't want to see them arguing anymore.

"Let's go, Xiaolan. Amuro-san, I'm really sorry to trouble you." Kisaki Eri smiled slightly. Although she didn't want to trouble Amuro Toru, she was really tired. It would be very dangerous to force herself to drive. Then she held her daughter's hand tightly and walked out of the cafe.

"You two are such a fool!" Chen Shuo shook his head with a helpless smile on his face. Maori Kogoro and Kisaki Eri, a loving yet tsundere couple, always had little arguments in their daily lives, making people laugh and feel helpless.

As the door gently closed, the café returned to silence. Chen Shuo looked at their backs, a warm feeling welling up in his heart. Although the couple's way of getting along was a little awkward, it was this interaction that made their relationship stronger.

After leaving the cafe, Toru Amuro took Kisaki Eri's car keys, and the three of them drove along the street towards the school. Mao Lilan felt relieved about the relationship between her parents. Although they quarreled constantly, these small quarrels made her feel the warmth of the family, as if everything was so natural.