The Gods Are Fighting Over Me - Chapter 28

By the time Kenji Hagiwara left, the streets outside had completely darkened. The temperature difference between the indoors and outdoors caused a layer of mist to form on the French window, blurring the streetlights downstairs into a hazy, wet image.

Kenji Hagiwara stood at the entrance, cupped Lin Jianyue’s face, and kissed her. The smile on his lips held a hint of success that was hard to detect. “I’ll wait for you at the Beika City Building tomorrow afternoon. We can have lunch together and then go to the exhibition.”

Lin Jianyue lowered her eyes, not daring to look at Kenji Hagiwara. Her thick eyelashes trembled slightly. She nodded in silence.

Kenji Hagiwara gently smoothed out the loose strands of hair on Lin Jianyue’s face, his eyes full of tenderness. “I’m leaving now.”

The soft closing of the door hit Lin Jianyue’s heart. She covered her face and slowly squatted down. The coolness of the entrance spread to her, but her face still had a scorching warmth on it, making her fingertips tremble.

The moon outside was hidden in the clouds. Lin Jianyue walked back to her bedroom on shaky legs and threw herself onto the soft bed. She casually grabbed a pillow and hugged it.

The cold air from the air conditioner swept over her ankles, causing a slight shiver, but she felt hot all over, as if she were being baked over a charcoal fire, with heat radiating from her bones.

As soon as she closed her eyes, Kenji Hagiwara’s kisses would rush at her without warning, replaying over and over again.

The urgency when he pried open her teeth, the burning hot touch of their tongues, and the hand on her waist. Through the thin fabric, it felt like it was on fire, firmly holding her in place on his thighs, making it impossible to escape.

“Ugh…” Lin Jianyue flipped over in annoyance. The pillow in her arms was crumpled out of shape.

The skin on her inner thighs was still burning. When she remembered the feel of his suit pants brushing against her skin when he hugged her, Lin Jianyue suddenly pulled the blanket over her face.

In the darkness, her heartbeat was especially loud, strongly thumping against her eardrums.

The air under the blanket gradually became stuffy. A fine sweat beaded on her forehead, but she didn’t dare to move it. The stuffy air was like a protective shell, allowing her to temporarily escape the unspeakable desires that were swimming through her body.

Buzz.

The phone on her nightstand suddenly vibrated.

The slight sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet bedroom, like a stone thrown into a lake.

She crawled out from under the blanket and fumbled for her phone. The light from the screen made her squint.

It was a message from Kenji Hagiwara. It was only a few short sentences: ‘Good night. Have sweet dreams. See you tomorrow~’

Lin Jianyue stared at the words. The frustration that had been weighing on her chest suddenly surged. She held her phone and flipped it over. Her fingers typed furiously and quickly, sending a message back: ‘You were definitely doing that on purpose today!’

The notification that the message had been sent popped up. She felt like she had finally let out a breath, but she also felt a strange nervousness.

A few seconds later, her phone vibrated again. Kenji Hagiwara replied with a pitiful and innocent question: ‘What? innocent.jpg’

It was also followed by a pitiful emoji of a big dog.

Lin Jianyue pursed her lips. Her finger hovered over the phone screen. The anger that had just flared up was like a balloon that had been popped, and all the air was gone.

After all, it was her unspoken permission that had given Kenji Hagiwara the opportunity.

Lin Jianyue buried her face back under the blanket in a dejected manner, only exposing her ears, which were still flushed with color.

Maybe… after the date tomorrow, I should ask him to stay the night?

Lin Jianyue’s eyelashes trembled. She clutched the pillow in her arms. Her ears were burning hot.

Anyway, I’m already an adult. I’ve had more intimate contact with him in my dreams… so it’s fine even if we really do it.

… Right?

She buried her face deeper into the pillow. Her nostrils were blocked by the soft fabric, and her breathing became a little difficult. She felt sullen and angry, but she couldn’t muster any real anger. In the end, she could only act like a little cat that had been wronged, constantly whispering that Kenji Hagiwara was an idiot.

It was all his fault. He must have been deliberately teasing me.

But as soon as that thought came to mind, Lin Jianyue suddenly deflated.

He had only kissed her today and hadn’t done anything too out of line. The most intimate contact was just having her sit on his lap, with his arm wrapped around her waist, gently caressing her.

But the warmth and scent coming from him, and even the slight tremors when he laughed, had completely thrown her off balance.

Lin Jianyue tossed and turned under the blanket. The more she tried to fall asleep, the more awake she became.

The images of Kenji Hagiwara circled in her mind endlessly, like a movie that wouldn’t stop playing, making her completely sleepless.

Ten minutes later, Lin Jianyue suddenly sat up in bed. After a sigh of resignation, she got out of bed with her bare feet and walked to her desk, pressing the power button on her computer.

The light from the screen reflected on her face, dispelling some of her frustration.

She started to draw.

The first thing she outlined was Kenji Hagiwara’s firm body. Then his smooth and powerful arms, and his chest muscles that would bulge when he raised his arms. The lines were distinct, casting shallow shadows under the light, with a strong visual impact.

He had her trapped between his arms and the wall. His tall figure almost blocked all of her vision.

He looked down at her, a familiar smile in his eyes. His expression was so gentle it could melt water, but deep within that gentleness was an unmistakable aggression, like a beast in waiting.

This was a painting from her perspective. Every detail showed her affection for him and the indescribable palpitations she felt.

Lin Jianyue was having fun drawing, completely immersed in her own world. The moonlight outside the window quietly moved, and the sky gradually changed from pitch black to a pale gray, but she didn’t notice at all.

It wasn’t until she finished coloring that she raised her hand to rub her sore eyes and glanced at the time on the bottom right corner of the screen.

5:00 a.m.

Her hand holding the pen suddenly trembled. Lin Jianyue hurriedly turned off the computer and stumbled into bed. She didn’t even have time to cover herself with the blanket before she fell into a deep sleep, clutching her pillow.

When she opened her eyes again, the sunlight from outside had already shone through the gaps in the curtains, casting a scattered light on the floor.

Lin Jianyue groggily grabbed her phone from her bedside. The time on the screen clearly showed 2:30 p.m., followed by five missed calls from Kenji Hagiwara.

Lin Jianyue’s heart almost stopped. She scrambled out of bed and rushed to the bathroom while grabbing her phone to call Kenji Hagiwara back.

She had clearly made up her mind to invite Kenji Hagiwara back to her place after the date today. The first time in reality, Lin Jianyue didn’t care about the so-called first time or the idea of tying a woman’s value to her virginity—but she wanted to have a little more of a ritualistic feel for the first time in a real sense, for herself.

But now, forget about preparing. She couldn’t even make it on time.

Lin Jianyue grabbed a bunch of makeup products and stuffed them all into her bag. She hailed a ride-sharing car as she ran downstairs.

The white car drove through the bustling streets. The pedestrians outside the window were hurrying along, and the shops on the side of the street were lively. Lin Jianyue sat in the back seat and called Kenji Hagiwara for the second time.

The ringing tone of the call waiting sounded like a drum thumping against Lin Jianyue’s heart. The cherry blossom trees outside the car window passed by quickly. Her reflection was in the car window. The dark circles under her eyes looked like she had been punched. She looked disheveled and panicked, completely out of place with the bright sunlight outside.

“The number you have dialed is currently not answering…”

The robotic female voice rang in her ears again, with an inhuman coldness.

Lin Jianyue pursed her lips and finally gave up on calling. She edited and re-edited a text message before sending it:

‘I’m so sorry, Kenji. I couldn’t sleep last night, so I got up to draw and ended up waking up late. I’m on my way to the City Building now and will be there soon.’

She hesitated for a moment, as if she was afraid it wasn’t sincere enough, or perhaps she was afraid it wouldn’t be enough to completely calm Kenji Hagiwara down. She added another sentence: ‘I drew you last night. I can show you.’

Showing Kenji Hagiwara a drawing of him was as embarrassing as publicly sharing a diary with a crush. But this was the most effective way she could think of to apologize, with a hint of flattery.

The message was sent, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea.

Lin Jianyue’s heart suddenly tightened. She was a little panicked. She knew that she was indeed very late this time. Even if she rushed to the venue right now, she would still be a full three hours late.

It was understandable if Kenji Hagiwara was so angry that he didn’t want to talk to her.

“We’re here,” the driver’s voice suddenly rang out, pulling her back from her panicked thoughts to reality.

Lin Jianyue looked out the window.

The Beika City Building stood under the sun. Its exterior was beautiful, and the white walls reflected a dazzling light. White doves flew in the air. Parents walked past the car with their young children. Everything was so warm and ordinary.

Lin Jianyue paid the fare and got out of the car. She stood there for a few seconds, uncharacteristically lost.

She glanced at her unanswered phone, sighed, and finally calmed down.

Kenji Hagiwara wasn’t the kind of person who would give someone the silent treatment because he was angry. He must have been delayed by something else, just like last time when he rushed to the island to see her, and his phone got wet from the ocean waves.

He wasn’t answering the phone now. Could it be that…

Something happened?

This thought just came out when Lin Jianyue pushed it back down.

She sighed for the second time and decided to go to the art exhibit in the City Building first.

The light in the exhibition hall was soft. The cold light was evenly cast on each painting, creating a quiet and solemn atmosphere.

Lin Jianyue was focused. She looked at the paintings while taking pictures with her phone. When she came across a work she liked, she would open her notes and write down some inspiration and thoughts.

After passing a painting called “Waiting,” Lin Jianyue put down her phone and stared at the painting for a long time.

The painting had a delicate brushwork, and the composition was very impactful. The brilliant hidden color techniques were also something to be praised.

But what Lin Jianyue cared about the most were the small words at the bottom of the painting. In addition to the artist’s name, the date it was painted, and the name of the painting, there were two extra sentences about the artist’s feelings:

‘Love made me stop for you. Time will take time away, but the person who waits will not leave.’

Lin Jianyue’s gaze lingered on those two sentences. Her heart felt as if it had been lightly nudged by something. She suddenly felt that the waiting figure, whose features were blurred in the painting, looked a little like Kenji Hagiwara.

Lin Jianyue was lost in thought, looking at the painting, but then she heard a series of light footsteps behind her.

Two high school girls walked past her, laughing and whispering about something. Their voices were full of joy.

“Have you read Mobile Unit Police Story? The male lead is so cool,” one of the girls with a high ponytail said, her eyes sparkling.

The other girl with long, shoulder-length hair shook her head. “You mean that new manga that only has one chapter? No, I haven’t. It’s too short, it’s not satisfying.”

“Go read it, go read it,” the girl with the high ponytail pulled on her friend’s arm, her tone urgent. “Even though it’s only one chapter, the male lead is so cool. His character was established right away! This morning, it even made it onto the new releases chart!”

Lin Jianyue blinked, as if she hadn’t processed what she just heard. It wasn’t until the two of them had walked away that she belatedly realized what she had heard.

Mobile Unit Police Story? Wasn’t that the manga she was currently serializing?

She quickly took out her phone from her pocket, her fingers trembling a little as she opened the ico app. After the screen loaded, she saw her name on the new releases chart.

Lin Jianyue was confident in her skills. The characters and plot she had written were all things she had worked on repeatedly. But she also knew that not every skilled artist could successfully stand out. Luck had always been a part of skill.

She stared at the name on the screen and blinked blankly. She suddenly remembered the president of ico she had met at the banquet yesterday.

At that time, her teacher had indeed introduced her serialized manga to him. It must be that the president had pushed her manga to get some traffic out of respect for her teacher, which was why it was able to get on the new releases chart in such a short amount of time.

This was undoubtedly good news.

Lin Jianyue’s mouth curved into a smile. The gloom in her eyes was dispelled by this sudden joy.

When she met Kenji Hagiwara, she had to share this good news with him.

Just as she was thinking this, Kenji Hagiwara’s name popped up on the screen, accompanied by the ringtone.

Lin Jianyue’s heart leaped. She answered the call almost immediately.

“Hello, Kenji, I’m sor—”

The word “sorry” hadn’t even left her mouth when she was cut off by the voice on the other end of the phone.

“I’m sorry, Jianyue-chan.” Kenji Hagiwara’s voice came through, with a hint of hard-to-detect solemnity.

This was the first time he had ever interrupted her.

His voice was heavy, as if there was a stone pressing on it, making Lin Jianyue’s heart sink a little. “There are five bombs on the Tokyo Loop Line. They will explode after sunset. Jinpei and I were called back for an emergency. We might be a little late to come and meet you.”

In the background, there were dog barks and hurried footsteps, as well as an unknown man’s shout: “You two check the left side, we’ll go to the right! Be careful!” It must have been Kenji Hagiwara’s subordinate.

Lin Jianyue subconsciously looked out the window. The sun was slowly setting. The sky had already been dyed orange-red. It wasn’t long until the sun would completely set.

She opened her mouth, but her throat felt like it was blocked by something. The thousands of words that rushed to her lips finally turned into just one sentence: “Please be very careful.”

The person on the other end of the phone chuckled softly, his tone soothing, trying to dispel her worries. “Don’t worry. Jinpei and I finally managed to survive. We won’t die so easily.”

“I’ll solve everything as soon as possible and come to the Beika City Building to pick you up. There’s a good romance movie showing today. We can watch it together then.” His voice returned to a bit of its usual cheerfulness, as if he were describing a plan that was already within reach.

“Inspector Hagiwara! We found a bomb here!” A hurried shout came from a distance, breaking the short moment of peace.

Kenji Hagiwara turned and answered him, then he said to Lin Jianyue, “Wait for me.”

The moment he finished speaking, the call was abruptly cut off, leaving only a cold dial tone.

Lin Jianyue stood in place, holding her phone. The screen had automatically returned to the home screen from the call-ending screen.

The cold light in the exhibition hall fell on her face. The joy of her manga making it onto the chart was completely gone now, leaving only an overwhelming worry that was drowning her like a tidal wave.

“Ha,” Lin Jianyue laughed at herself.

She had probably been too happy these past few days and had forgotten that this was Conan’s world, a place where bombs and cyanide ran rampant.

Kenji Hagiwara and Jinpei Matsuda being alive was a kind of luck in itself, but it also meant that they were destined to be running around on the dangerous front line to defuse bombs and protect more people.

In the future, she might have to experience more of this anxiety-filled waiting.

This realization was like a heavy stone, pressing on her heart and making it hard for her to breathe.

But Lin Jianyue closed her eyes and took a deep breath, suppressing her churning emotions. She left the exhibition hall and walked toward the restroom.

In the mirror, the dark circles under her eyes were still there, and her expression was a little haggard. She took out the makeup she had brought from home and began to carefully put it on.

She wanted to greet Kenji Hagiwara in her most perfect state. She was still going to ask him to stay the night tonight.

Just as a… reward for him returning safely from defusing the bomb, and as a kind of compensation for herself.

Half an hour later, Lin Jianyue walked out of the restroom with a flawless face of makeup. The worries in her eyes were cleverly hidden, leaving only a sense of calm and anticipation.

But just as she reached the corner, she ran into someone.

“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” the other person apologized repeatedly. Her voice paused, then took on a hint of surprise. “Miss Jianyue?”

The familiar voice made Lin Jianyue’s heart skip a beat. She looked up and met Ran Mouri’s worried but slightly surprised expression.

Lin Jianyue’s eyes scanned the corners of the hallway, but she didn’t see Conan.

She discreetly took the manga from her bag, turned her back, and quietly flipped through two pages. The story was still at the same place where it had stopped last time. There was no update.

This isn’t right. It’s too calm. According to the usual case rate in Conan’s world, there should have been no progress after two days.

A hint of confusion arose in Lin Jianyue’s heart. She frowned imperceptibly.

“Miss Jianyue, what’s wrong?” Ran Mouri asked curiously, her clear eyes full of confusion.

Lin Jianyue quickly put the manga back in her bag and shook her head, covering her tracks. “Nothing. I’m preparing for an exam recently, and memorizing things is driving me a little crazy.”

She smiled and asked in return, “What about you, Ran? What are you doing here?”

Ran Mouri returned a smile, her voice gentle. “I’m waiting for a friend.”

Lin Jianyue nodded and casually said, “What a coincidence. I’m waiting for someone, too.”

When Ran Mouri heard that, she pointed to an empty bench not far away and enthusiastically invited her. “Since we’re both waiting for someone, why don’t we go sit over there together?”

Lin Jianyue nodded and followed Ran Mouri to the empty bench. The cold surface of the bench sent a chill through her thin clothes. Outside the window, the stars were shining brightly, and the night was slowly swallowing the world.

The sun had completely set.

Kenji Hagiwara hadn’t called back. He was probably held up by some other unexpected situation.

Lin Jianyue stared at the night view outside the window, lost in thought, but then she heard Ran Mouri’s tentative voice in her ear. “Miss Jianyue, are you waiting for Inspector Matsuda?”

Lin Jianyue was stunned for a moment, then she gently shook her head, her voice naturally correcting her. The end of her sentence had a hint of warmth that was hard to detect. “I’m waiting for Kenji.”

When Ran Mouri heard this answer, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. But the surprise was fleeting. It was more like an understanding that had confirmed a certain guess.

She moved closer to Lin Jianyue and lowered her voice. “Conan said that Inspector Matsuda isn’t actually your boyfriend and that he’s on a secret mission, pretending to be your boyfriend.”

“So, Miss Jianyue, your boyfriend is Inspector Hagiwara, right?”

Lin Jianyue looked at Ran Mouri’s clear eyes, which were full of curiosity. She slowly nodded, not hiding anything. “But please don’t tell anyone.”

Before the world merged, Lin Jianyue had seen some accusations on forums about Ran Mouri being a “blabbermouth.”

But she didn’t think so.

The things Ran Mouri had unintentionally revealed were things that no one had ever asked her to keep a secret.

If a friendly acquaintance had come to chat with Lin Jianyue and mentioned a few casual things about her brother’s life, she would also have happily “sold out” her brother’s information to the other person.

Ran Mouri didn’t know about the Organization, nor did she know that Conan was Shinichi Kudo—even though she had been very close to the truth many times. Ran Mouri had just unintentionally mentioned the daily life of the child who was staying at her house to a friend.

The “blabbermouth” evaluation was not fair to Ran Mouri.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone,” Ran Mouri immediately promised, her tone sincere.

Lin Jianyue lowered her eyes. “Yeah, I trust you.”

Ran Mouri tilted her head, showing a cute, sincere, and even a little excited smile. “Miss Jianyue, are you also here to watch The Legend of the Red Thread?”

The Legend of the Red Thread?

These five words were like a small stone thrown into the lake of Lin Jianyue’s heart, causing ripples to spread. She vaguely touched on a vague memory, but it was like there was a layer of mist, and she couldn’t see it clearly.

Lin Jianyue shook her head, answering truthfully. “I don’t know. Kenji only told me that he would come to pick me up after he had solved everything, take me to a movie, and then take me home.”

“It looks like we can only wait,” Ran Mouri pursed her lips, then she smiled and pulled out a beautifully packaged dessert from the paper bag next to her legs. “But Miss Jianyue, you can eat some dessert while you wait.”

She curved her eyebrows, with a hint of joy in sharing. “I specifically bought this from West Street in the Second Block. It’s especially delicious. There’s a long line in front of the store every day. Maybe it can help pass the time for you while you wait.”

Lin Jianyue stared at Ran Mouri, looking at the gentle and expectant smile on her face. She was silent for a while, then she suddenly spoke. “Ran, you’re so brave.”

Ran Mouri was stunned by the sudden praise. Her eyes widened slightly. “Huh?”

Lin Jianyue lowered her eyelids. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her eyes became a little cloudy. “Shinichi Kudo left without a word, and he didn’t even leave you a message. Even when you two talked, it was him contacting you one-sidedly.”

She had a god’s-eye view and knew that Shinichi Kudo was actually right by Ran Mouri’s side, but Ran Mouri herself didn’t know. At this point, Ran Mouri could only passively wait for the phone call from Shinichi Kudo that would ring at who knows when.

Readers could know the truth through the pages, but the girl in front of her could only hold on to fragmented clues, enduring the long wait alone.

Lin Jianyue looked up at Ran Mouri, her voice with a hint of emotion. “But you can still believe in him so firmly.”

“If it were me, I probably would have turned around and left because of the insecurity and distrust of love. I definitely wouldn’t have waited.”

The moment she said that, she suddenly thought of Kenji Hagiwara.

After the dream connection was broken and before the worlds merged, a time difference appeared between her and Kenji Hagiwara.

During the three years when she was out of contact, he had been waiting for her the entire time.

Lin Jianyue lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the hem of her dress, which she was clutching tightly. She whispered to herself, “Why would you wait so long, like an idiot?”

Ran Mouri, however, thought she was asking her. A gentle smile appeared on her face.

“Because I firmly believe that the other person will definitely come back.”

Ran Mouri’s warm voice hit her. Lin Jianyue suddenly looked up and met the other person’s eyes, which were filled with starlight.

“Why?” Lin Jianyue asked subconsciously.

“Because I love him enough,” Ran Mouri raised her hand to cover the side of her chest where her heart was beating. Her smile was so gentle it could melt the ice and snow of spring. “Just thinking about what he’ll look like when he comes back makes me feel like any amount of waiting is worth it.”

Lin Jianyue’s eyelashes trembled a little. She was moved. She quickly looked away, looking at the deep and quiet night outside the window, changing the subject. “Are you waiting for Sonoko?”

“No,” Ran Mouri shook her head, gently caressing the paper bag with a gift inside, which she had been holding in her arms the entire time. Her voice held a hint of a trembling anticipation. “I’m waiting for Shinichi.”

“Shinichi?” Lin Jianyue was stunned.

“Yeah, tomorrow is his birthday. We agreed to watch a movie here tonight and cross over to midnight together.”

Ran Mouri’s cheeks had a faint blush, with the shyness unique to a young girl. She happily raised her pinky finger, her eyes sparkling with hope. “The movie we’re watching is The Legend of the Red Thread that I just told you about. I’ve always firmly believed that it was the red thread of fate that connected Shinichi and me.”

Lin Jianyue’s expression slowly changed. Her pupils began to tremble, as if she had been seized by something terrifying.

Shinichi Kudo’s birthday.

The Legend of the Red Thread.

The bomb on the Shinkansen.

The Beika City Building.

These fragmented pieces of information exploded in her mind like lightning, instantly connecting to form a clear line.

She remembered!

This was the plot of Conan’s first movie, “Countdown to Heaven!”

Teiji Moriya, the master architect she had met with her teacher yesterday, the host of the banquet, and the person she thought would be the victim, was the mastermind behind this series of bombings!

What was happening now was a special plot that was completely separate from the manga, which was why the manga hadn’t updated!

A huge sense of panic instantly seized Lin Jianyue’s heart, making it hard for her to breathe. She suddenly stood up from the bench, her movements so urgent that they created a gust of wind.

Ran was startled by her sudden action. She took a step back slightly and asked, confused, “What’s wrong, Miss Jianyue?”

Lin Jianyue grabbed Ran’s wrist. “There’s no time to explain now. Just come with me—”

A deafening explosion echoed throughout the entire building, instantly covering all other sounds and swallowing the word “go” that Lin Jianyue hadn’t had time to say.

The load-bearing wall next to them was blown up. Broken stones fell with a sky full of dust. The gust of wind was so strong it almost blew them away.

A sharp stone flew past Lin Jianyue’s exposed calf, leaving a burning-hot scratch. The pain made her more clearly aware of the danger in front of her.