The Gods Are Fighting Over Me - Chapter 38

The afternoon sun fell on the floor through the window, growing brighter and dimmer as the clouds drifted. Lin Jianyue hugged the pillow that had been retrieved and sat cross-legged on the sofa.

She buried the lower half of her face in the pillow, her cheeks noticeably puffed out. She made a clear sound with her breath when she exhaled, obviously sulking.

Kenji Hagiwara sat next to her, a little lost. He couldn’t understand Chinese and could only deduce from his keen observation of her emotions.

Jinpei Matsuda was squatting in front of the bookshelf, looking at the latest serialized volumes of “Detective Conan” with great interest.

Lin Shuyun was walking back and forth with his phone in his hand, and then he suddenly stopped. “Jianyue!”

He still looked tired, but his light brown eyes were surprisingly bright. “Let’s go. Big Brother is in a good mood today. I’m taking you all out to dinner!”

Lin Jianyue glared at him and said in a muffled voice, “I’m not going.”

Lin Shuyun frowned and protested loudly. “Come on. It’s not every day that I’m here. Didn’t you say you wanted to welcome me?”

“Didn’t you say you were tired and didn’t want to take another step?”

“That was then,” Lin Shuyun excitedly grabbed her wrist and started to drag her. “Seeing how capable my sister is, I suddenly feel so full of energy!”

Lin Jianyue’s temper immediately flared up. “I don’t want to! What kind of brother is not serious like you!”

The more Lin Shuyun pulled, the more she curled up into a ball. She tensed her whole body on the sofa, even her toes curling inward.

“I don’t care. We’re going out for a welcome dinner!”

The two of them were pulling back and forth in a tug-of-war in the living room, which ended with Lin Jianyue, who rarely exercised, being lifted off the sofa by her brother. Lin Jianyue’s feet were firmly planted on the rug, and her body was hunched over like a cooked shrimp, but she was still being pulled, slowly being dragged toward the door like a radish.

Kenji Hagiwara was behind Lin Jianyue, smiling as he scratched his cheek, looking a little helpless.

Jinpei Matsuda watched the chaotic scene in front of him. He frowned and walked next to Kenji Hagiwara. “What’s going on?”

Although he couldn’t understand Chinese, even an idiot could tell that the relationship between Lin Shuyun and Lin Jianyue was not ordinary from their familiar yet confrontational vibe.

“That’s her brother. He flew all the way from England to see her,” Kenji Hagiwara replied.

Jinpei Matsuda raised an eyebrow, clearly not satisfied with the answer. “And?”

Kenji Hagiwara spread his hands and pursed his lips. He only added slowly when Jinpei Matsuda’s gaze became more disdainful, “Do I look like I can understand Chinese?”

Jinpei Matsuda, Fine, what a stupid question.

At the entrance, Lin Jianyue had completely lost her temper. She was standing on the platform with her arms crossed, haggling with her brother, who had already changed into his shoes.

After about two minutes, she turned to the two men behind her and said in Japanese, “My brother said there’s a really high-end coffee shop five kilometers from here with great reviews, and he’s treating.”

Kenji and Jinpei were stunned. They looked at each other and saw a sense of understanding in each other’s eyes.

“Five kilometers…” Jinpei Matsuda smiled.

“Maybe it’s the new place the two of them are working at,” Kenji Hagiwara added with a smile.

Twenty minutes later, at the new, ridiculously expensive coffee shop on the top floor of the Beika Street shopping mall.

Rei Furuya, wearing a well-tailored suit vest, leaned down and took the delicate cake and coffee from the tray and placed them on the table. “Enjoy your meal.”

When he stood up, he made brief eye contact with Jinpei Matsuda and saw the playful look in his eyes.

It was already past lunchtime. There were only a few scattered elites in suits and ties, or people in unassuming casual luxury brands.

There was graceful music playing in the store, occasionally mixed with the sound of the elites typing on their keyboards.

Jinpei Matsuda and the others were sitting in the closest spot to the counter. They could look up and make eye contact with Rei Furuya and Hiromitsu Morofushi behind the bar and see every expression on their faces.

Rei Furuya had once been assigned by the Organization to get close to a Chinese businessman in Japan, so he had learned a few simple Chinese phrases.

He lowered his head to wash the coffee cups, discreetly listening to the conversation between the Lin siblings.

Although he couldn’t understand everything, he could catch a few key words.

Sister, amazing, man.

And a phrase with an unclear meaning…

Zou shen bu zou xin.

The Chinese businessman Rei Furuya had been investigated and was an irresponsible guy. When Rei Furuya used a smart translation app to translate the contents of the recording pen, he wrote down the phrase zou shen bu zou xin.

A strange saying. Rei Furuya thought this and remembered the meaning and pronunciation of the phrase.

Rei Furuya turned off the water and put the clean cups back in their place. He secretly looked up to observe the two people talking not far away.

Lin Shuyun was holding up one finger, his expression serious as he told Lin Jianyue something. Lin Jianyue, on the other hand, had her hands cupping her cheeks, staring at Lin Shuyun with little interest.

The curve of Rei Furuya’s mouth deepened.

He lowered his head, pretending to prepare ingredients, but using the cover of the higher bar counter, he quickly typed a line on his phone.

Hiromitsu Morofushi leaned over to look at the content on the screen, then raised his hand to cover his mouth, putting on an expression of holding back a laugh.

The next second, the message was sent to the group chat. Kenji Hagiwara and Jinpei Matsuda’s phones vibrated at the same time.

Kenji Hagiwara opened the message. After seeing the content, the smile on his face instantly collapsed. He looked like a deflated pufferfish.

Jinpei Matsuda raised an eyebrow and shot a gleeful look at Kenji Hagiwara.

Lin Shuyun rambled to Lin Jianyue for about ten minutes. Seeing that the latter was about to lose her patience, he finally stopped. He took a sip of the now lukewarm coffee and started asking Kenji and Jinpei all sorts of questions—in English.

Lin Jianyue had a headache from all the noise. She simply took out her tablet from her bag and started to work on her draft.

It was the first time Hiromitsu Morofushi had seen her like this, and he was a little curious.

He walked over with a slice of Black Swan cake. As he put down the cake, he asked softly, “What are you drawing?”

“The police’s promotional art recruitment,” Lin Jianyue said without looking up, with a hint of excitement in her tone. “I’m going to try to sign up.”

“That event…” Hiromitsu Morofushi smiled. His voice was as gentle as his demeanor and had a reassuring power. “I’ve heard about it. I heard the competition is very fierce.”

“Yeah, Jinpei told me,” Lin Jianyue brought up a new layer and started outlining. “You have to post your art idea with the hashtag on Twitter within a limited time. The police will choose one artist to officially collaborate with next week.”

Logically, this kind of event should have a period of at least a month.

But perhaps because the worlds had merged, affected by the strange timeline of the Detective Conan world, the time frame for the police’s event had also become rushed.

“What do you plan to draw?” Hiromitsu Morofushi asked.

“An incredibly cool illustration of a bomb disposal officer, of course!” Lin Jianyue looked up. Her eyes were sparkling as if they had stars in them.

Hiromitsu Morofushi was stunned by her enthusiasm and then smiled with understanding.

He finally understood why everyone’s attitude toward Kenji Hagiwara and the “ghost girl from his dreams” had changed from a mix of silent approval and worry to support after they had met Lin Jianyue.

The light in her eyes was so bright that it made people want to applaud her.

“Good luck,” Hiromitsu Morofushi said softly.

“If you succeed, I’ll buy you a drink,” Rei Furuya also said, walking over with a glass of juice.

He placed the juice in front of Lin Jianyue and whispered, “The cake and juice are complimentary. It’s a thank you for your information, which allowed… to live.”

Lin Jianyue’s eyes curved in a smile. Just as she was about to thank him, Lin Shuyun suddenly leaned over, elbowed her, and wiggled his eyebrows. “The vibe between you guys is off. You don’t seem like strangers… What, are you going to collect these two as well?”

He stared at the two waiters’ faces, looked them up and down, and then nodded in approval. “Not bad.”

“Big Brother!” Lin Jianyue was both angry and embarrassed. Her cheeks instantly burned up.

Kenji Hagiwara couldn’t understand what they were arguing about. He could only look at Rei Furuya for help.

Rei Furuya held back his laughter and translated seriously, “He said for us to become Jianyue’s third lovers.”

Kenji Hagiwara:

He silently picked up his water glass and took a big sip. He had a strong urge to send Lin Shuyun away.

Rei Furuya was about to say a few more jokes, but the corner of his eye caught a glimpse of someone coming through the door. His expression changed slightly, and he immediately stopped smiling.

Vermouth, wearing a well-tailored black dress and a wide-brimmed hat, walked in through the sparkling clean glass door.

Rei Furuya and Hiromitsu Morofushi had already composed themselves and returned to the bar, putting on the standard smiles of waiters.

Vermouth looked around the coffee shop. When she scanned Lin Jianyue’s table, her gaze subtly paused for a second.

The next second, she gave a slight smile to Lin Shuyun. Her London accent was perfect and pleasant. “I didn’t expect to see you here, Lin.”

Hearing this, the rest of the people were all surprised.

The four police officers were still able to control their expressions. Lin Jianyue, on the other hand, looked up at her brother, who had already stood up, her mouth agape.

The world fusion took a full four years to fix all the bugs—or maybe half a year; there was a time difference between Lin Jianyue and Kenji Hagiwara.

But they never thought that Lin Shuyun would actually know Vermouth.

Lin Shuyun was also a little surprised. He smiled and nodded at Vermouth, but he called her by the name that matched her young face. “What a coincidence, Chris. Why are you here?”

Vermouth crossed her arms and walked slowly to Lin Shuyun’s table. She pulled down her hat and said in a lazy tone, “I heard the desserts here are good. I came to try them.”

It was obvious that she was here to find either Hiromitsu Morofushi or Rei Furuya.

“And these are?” Vermouth lowered her eyes, scanning the people. Her gaze finally landed on Lin Jianyue.

“This is my sister, and these two are my sister’s lovers.”

Lin Shuyun used English. Jinpei Matsuda naturally understood, but he only said “Hey,” and didn’t continue to argue.

Vermouth smiled. Her voice was raspy and mysterious. “That’s good. Only stupid women get deeply involved in love.”

Lin Jianyue had already thought of a countermeasure the moment her expression went out of control. She stood up a little stiffly and bowed to Vermouth on her own accord. Then, pretending to be naive and unbothered by the world, she looked at Lin Shuyun curiously and whispered, “Big Brother, how do you know Chris? She’s a huge superstar.”

“The difference between you two is probably…” She raised her hand and gestured twice. “…this is big. A world of difference.”

Vermouth seemed to be amused and laughed a few times.

Lin Shuyun pursed his lips helplessly and explained, “I met Aunt Sharon first. You were still little back then, and I was only six. Later, Aunt Sharon passed away…”

He paused and apologized to Vermouth in a low voice.

“It’s fine. My mother’s death was a few years ago. I’ve moved on,” Vermouth said, still with a slight smile on her lips and her arms crossed.

Of course, she didn’t mind.

Sharon and Chris were both her. She was just tired of playing two roles and had retired the identity of “Sharon,” who required makeup to look old. Her mother hadn’t actually died.

Lin Shuyun continued, “Aunt Sharon’s memorial service clashed with my dad’s concert, so I went in his place. That’s when I met Chris.”

“Why did you know Sharon?”

“My dad knew her. Our family is a top musical family in the world, so what’s so strange about knowing a few international superstars? And Aunt Sharon used to do a lot of operas in her earlier years.”

Vermouth raised her eyelids. She was starting to lose her patience.

Rei Furuya came forward at the right time and adopted a standard service posture. He said to Vermouth, “Ma’am, we have a more private room upstairs. Would you like me to take you up?”

Vermouth glanced at him and didn’t refuse. She smiled and said, “We’ll talk later,” to Lin Shuyun before following Rei Furuya toward the attic.

It wasn’t until the two of them had completely disappeared that Lin Jianyue breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn’t wait to leave this place of trouble, but she was afraid that leaving immediately would seem suspicious.

After thinking about it, she decided to sit for a few more minutes.

She cut the swan cake into small pieces with her fork and put them in her mouth. The rich imported chocolate melted in her mouth. Lin Jianyue was not in the mood to enjoy it. She propped her chin up, feeling like she was chewing on cardboard.

She looked up and drank the juice. She then poked her brother’s arm. “Big Brother, when are you going back to England?”

“What? Are you in such a hurry to get rid of me?” Lin Shuyun knew exactly what Lin Jianyue meant.

Lin Jianyue shrank her neck guiltily. Her brother had already lost his memories related to “Detective Conan.” She didn’t dare to tell him about the detective manga and the Organization.

Given his personality, once he knew there was an Organization in Tokyo that could shoot at the Tokyo Tower with a helicopter and that there were bomb threats every other day, he would definitely grab Lin Jianyue’s arm and drag her to England, even if he had to tie her up.

But Lin Shuyun knew Vermouth and was completely unaware of her identity.

His current situation was like a male Ran Mori, standing on the edge of a cliff without knowing it. The unfortunate thing was that Ran Mori had incredible fighting power and was protected by her godmother, Vermouth, in the shadows.

On the other hand, Lin Shuyun…

Lin Jianyue looked her brother up and down. She let out a long sigh and asked unwillingly, “Big Brother, did you ever save Aunt Sharon’s life? Or Chris’s would work, too.”

Lin Shuyun was stunned. He looked at Lin Jianyue with an expression that said she was an idiot. “What are you talking about? How could I have saved them?”

Lin Jianyue lowered her head dejectedly. “Big Brother, you should really leave Japan as soon as possible.”

“What’s the rush?” Lin Shuyun took a sip of his coffee. “I met a wealthy family’s boss during my last tour in Japan, and his youngest daughter really likes me. It’s her birthday in a few days, and her dad invited me to play a few songs.”

“When?”

“November 7th.”

As soon as he said that, the three people present changed their expressions at the same time, and the air became quiet.

Lin Shuyun sensed that something was wrong. He frowned. “What’s wrong? Is there a problem with that date?”

Lin Jianyue shook her head, her fingertips unconsciously tightening. “Nothing…”

Her throat suddenly tightened, and it became difficult to speak. “…Big Brother, I want to go home now.”

Lin Shuyun was stunned. He was confused but didn’t argue. He nodded. “Alright.”

After Lin Shuyun landed in Tokyo, he found a car rental agency nearby, and then he went to find Lin Jianyue.

He was currently driving the car he had rented.

The car stopped downstairs from the apartment building. Lin Shuyun didn’t get out of the car. He only rolled down the window. “I’m staying at a hotel.”

“Big Brother?”

“You’re in a bad mood, so I won’t go up and bother you.” He pointed to the next street. “I just checked. There’s a five-star hotel two hundred meters away. It’s a little expensive, but at least it’s safe. I’ll stay there for a few days.”

Just as Lin Jianyue was starting to feel touched, she heard him add, “Let your two little lovers comfort you.”

Lin Jianyue rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but call out to him. “Brother!”

Lin Shuyun turned his head, his eyes filled with confusion.

Lin Jianyue hesitated for a moment but still asked, “Are you and Chris very close?”

“Not really. We’re not close friends.”

“Then be careful. Stay away from Christine. She…” Lin Jianyue paused and lowered her voice. “She’s involved with criminals.”

“How do you know that?”

Kenji Hagiwara spoke up at the right time, his tone serious and in English. “We are currently investigating her case. You know we’re police officers, Big Brother.”

“Please keep this confidential, and… be sure to be careful of any suspicious people in all black.”

The unlocked phone in his hand was on the translation app, simultaneously translating the conversation between the Lin siblings into Japanese. Although there were a few parts that he couldn’t understand, he could understand the general meaning.

The nonchalant look on Lin Shuyun’s face gradually faded. He looked at Lin Jianyue with a serious expression, his face terrifyingly grim.

Just as Lin Jianyue thought her brother would demand that she leave with him, Lin Shuyun suddenly let out a long sigh, and his expression relaxed.

He ruffled his hair and pulled at the corner of his mouth helplessly. “Even if I told you to come back to England with me now, you wouldn’t.”

He motioned for Lin Jianyue to come closer. He raised his hand and patted Lin Jianyue’s head, his movements uncharacteristically gentle. “Take care of yourself in Japan alone.”

Then, he turned to Jinpei and Kenji and switched to English. “I’m leaving my sister in your care.”

“Don’t worry,” Jinpei Matsuda nodded. “Whether it’s as a friend or as a life-saver.”

Kenji Hagiwara immediately added, his tone serious, “Or as a lover.”

Both of them said at the same time, “We’ll protect her well.”

Lin Shuyun was stunned for a moment, then he smiled again. “You’re truly my sister. You’re so charming. Alright, I’m leaving.”

He waved and turned around, rolling up the car window.

The black car, which had some mud on it, drove steadily away. It was about to disappear around the deserted corner. The black car suddenly braked and then quickly reversed, stopping in front of Lin Jianyue again with a sudden screech.

The car window rolled down again, revealing Lin Shuyun’s ferocious face.

He grabbed Lin Jianyue’s face. “Wait! What do you mean, ‘life-saver’? Did you do something dangerous?”

“I didn’t!” Lin Jianyue struggled to argue, also grabbing her brother’s face and pulling on it.

Lin Jianyue finally let out a sigh of relief when her brother’s car disappeared around the corner.

Kenji and Jinpei walked Lin Jianyue to her front door. The whole way was silent.

“Oh, right,” Lin Jianyue said as she opened the door after saying goodbye to the two of them. She suddenly remembered something and looked at Jinpei. “Did you come for something?”

Jinpei Matsuda leaned against the white wall of the hallway. His tone was calm. “You drew a picture of the bomber from memory last time, right? We found him.”

“But we don’t have direct evidence, so we can’t arrest him. But…” He paused, his eyes sharp. “He’s not going anywhere.”

Lin Jianyue nodded silently, her heart feeling heavy.

Jinpei and Kenji looked at each other. They both raised their hands and gently patted her on the head. There was no ambiguity. It was a silent promise and a thank you, like a warm current slowly flowing through her heart.

“Oh, right,” Jinpei took his hand back, with a deliberate hint of showing off. “Rei helped me apply for a budget and rent an apartment in this building. It’s on the same floor as yours, just three rooms away. I’m moving in tonight.”

“Huh?” Kenji Hagiwara was stunned. He then pointed to himself. “What about me? Why didn’t little Rei apply for one for me?”

Jinpei Matsuda glanced at Kenji Hagiwara and smiled maliciously. “Didn’t you already move in?”

Kenji Hagiwara immediately retorted, “I did not!”

“Oh, then you’re really slow,” Jinpei said and turned to leave.

“Little Jinpei, wait! Give me the password! I want to move in, too! The rooms here are so big. There’s definitely enough space for an inflatable bed!” Kenji Hagiwara hurried to catch up.

“Okay.”

“What do you mean, ‘okay’!”

The sound of the two of them arguing faded away. Lin Jianyue stood still, watching Kenji Hagiwara’s back. She suddenly started to run.

After a few small running steps, she hugged his waist tightly from behind and rested her forehead on his back.

“Kenji,” her voice was muffled, with a hint of tiredness and dependence. “Stay with me tonight.”

Kenji Hagiwara’s footsteps paused. He reached back and held her hand. Her fingers were warm to the touch.

He turned around, leaned down, and gently kissed her forehead. His voice was as gentle as melted moonlight.