Not to mention the insincere probing and testing they exchanged with one another; even a simple sentence had to circle around several times, making it feel like a mental marathon that could exhaust one's brain cells in a single round.
She looked up at several ladies in magnificent attire conversing not far away, who were flattering a middle-aged noblewoman in an ochre evening dress as if she were the center of their world. The conservative evening dress was woven from silk, the mermaid hemline added a touch of vitality to this elegant Wife. Pearls adorned the neckline, shimmering under the Light, complementing the Woman's well-maintained face.
The noblewoman responded with a word or two from time to time, occasionally raising her hand to cover her lips with a gentle smile; she was as graceful and elegant as she was perfectly polite.
Nana bet that this noblewoman didn't even know all the 'Friends' around her, at least two of those 'Friends' were just following the crowd and talking nonsense.
Ms. Hashimoto, who had been invited by the second daughter of the Suzuki Conglomerate, curled her lip in speechless frustration, then turned and walked a few more steps toward the corner, silently finding a place that wouldn't attract attention to drink.
Then she saw Mori Ran, who was looking around.
The girl was like a rabbit that had wandered into a forest, her clear eyes filled with confusion, the corners of her eyes were even slightly reddened. Her right hand, hanging at her side, gripped her dress helplessly, revealing the girl's utter bewilderment.
Nana froze slightly, a hint of doubt rising in her heart: Didn't Ran say that she and Sonoko would arrive a bit later? Besides, Sonoko wouldn't leave Ran all alone.
Nana walked toward the girl.
Ran's hairstylist did a good job today; the Girl's usually stubborn and strange bangs were finally smooth this time. However, for some reason, Nana always felt that Ran was acting a bit strange today.
In fact, the moment she saw her, the girl even showed a hint of confusion.
“This lady.. are you here to find me?” The girl in the cyan-green dress gazed at her, her fingertips carefully crossed in front of her.
She looked cautious and polite—and that was exactly what was wrong.
“Ran?” Nani tentatively called out the girl's name. “Are you.. okay?”
Now, it was the Girl's turn to be lost.
She blinked in confusion, appearing somewhat dazed: "This lady.. have you mistaken me for someone else?"
The girl, who looked almost identical to Ran, spoke with hesitation, then hurriedly waved her hands, frantically clarifying, "I'm not the 'Ran' you're talking about."
Nana looked completely bewildered, letting out a belated "Huh?" after opening her mouth.
The two young ladies looked at each other for several seconds. After a brief pause, it was as if a switch had been flipped in the air, the two finally could not help themselves, bursting into laughter together as they looked at one another.
The clear laughter was not particularly conspicuous in the bustling Party, but it did indeed attract the attention of some people nearby. Seeing this, the two quickly shut up and then looked at each other again, with great tacit understanding, grabbing each other's hands and running toward a corner with fewer people.
Girl's friendship sometimes comes so inexplicably.
For example, an instance of shared laughter.
..
This girl, who looked almost identical to Ran, was named Aoshi Aoko; she was a second-year student at Egukota High School and the only daughter of Officer Nakamori Ginzo.
Nakamori Inspector is considered an old rival of Phantom Thief Kid, so he naturally attended the Party this time as well, setting up a so-called "impenetrable web" to show that he was determined to bring Phantom Thief Kid to justice.
—Even though Nana felt there was little hope.
However, such rude words clearly could not be said in front of the girl's daughter, so Nana quickly changed the subject: "Then, did you come with Nakamori Inspector, Ms. Nakamori?"
Just call me Aoko!" The bright and generous girl first corrected Nana's way of addressing her, then shook her head slightly, her expression tinged with a low, complaining tone: "I came with Kaito.. but that idiot has run off somewhere.. I can't find her.
The Kaito she mentioned must be someone very important to her, right?
For some reason, Nana had this feeling.
Then she asked as well.
“Huh? No.. not at all!” Aoshi Aoko's cheeks were stained with a lovely crimson, even her neck seemed to show a faint, ethereal glow of red: “We are just childhood friends who grew up together!”
'We'?
Nana pondered the pronoun the man used in her mind, then gave a playful smile.
However, our Ms. Hashimoto did not take the opportunity to tease Aoko, but instead tactfully changed the subject.
Although one was a university graduate detective and the other was a high school girl, the novelty of their recent meeting had not yet worn off, they could talk for a long time just by discussing the experiences around them.
Nana was in no hurry to find Ran and Sonoko.
The influence of the Suzuki Group cannot be underestimated, the reputation of Phantom Thief Kid is also widely known. This "battle" was grandly publicized by the prestige-seeking Mr. Suzuki. As guests entered one after another, finding someone became a difficult task.
Even after Aoshi Aoko searched without success, she helplessly gave up on the idea of finding her childhood friend.
“I want to try it too.” Aoko took a final bite of the egg tart in her hand, the rich aroma of milk blending with the heavy texture of the egg, blooming quietly on the tip of her tongue. The girl ate in a very refined manner, leaving no crumbs behind.
She looked at the wine glass in Nana's hand; the bright orange-red cocktail in the transparent glass shimmered with a magnificent hue, like a setting sun, under the crystal lamp of the party.
“You aren't of age yet, are you? Drinking isn't very good for you,” Nana coaxed softly.
Aoko showed a hint of disappointment, but the girl did not make any further demands, merely giving a shy smile: "Its color is very beautiful, I am also curious."
Many cocktails have beautiful colors.
Nana suddenly remembered the first time she went to the Bar with Azhen.
At that time, she was not yet an adult, but she was already interested in the profession of 'Detective'. Zhenjun did not express any opinions on this, but he would occasionally teach her some useful things.
For example, gathering intelligence, or tracking and counter-tracking, among other things.
The first time Gin took her to a Bar, Nana was looking around with great excitement, only calming down after being glared at by the Silver-haired youth.
Afterward, Zhenjun ordered a liquor with the same name as herself, while Nana tentatively asked if she could have a drink as well.
She was not a heavy drinker; she was simply curious.
The Silver-haired youth gave his a silent glance, then added a request to the Bartender: "And another 'Pina Colada'."
After a pause, the youth's green eyes flashed with a hint of a smile, shimmering like an emerald under the Bar's light. "No White rum."
Nana, a complete amateur, was clueless, while the bar around Gin was already stunned.
Pina Colada, without White rum..
Then may I ask what you would like to drink? Wouldn't it be easier to just order a Pina Colada?
The Bartender was speechless for a long while, but fortunately, his professionalism prevented him from staring for too long. He looked at the composed Silver-haired youth, then at the Black-haired girl beside the youth, a flash of realization passing through his eyes.
So, at the end of that day, the expectant Nana received nothing but a non-alcoholic Pina Colada.
The young detective looked at the graceful girl standing before her, a flicker of nostalgia flashing through her eyes.
Vaguely, she seemed to see her younger self.
"How is the 'Belarus'?" Nana asked kindly.
This low-alcohol cocktail is very suitable for girls with low alcohol tolerance. 'Belarus' uses Vodka as the base spirit, paired with whipped cream, coffee syrup or coffee liqueur, the ice cubes commonly found in cocktails. The mellow, elegant bitterness of the coffee and the silky, smooth sweetness of the Milk blend better within the Vodka, making it perfect for beginners.
However, the idea was ultimately rejected.
The youth's low voice sounded from behind the two girls who were in the middle of an animated conversation, "We don't serve 'Belarus' here."
Nana's back stiffened as a subconscious chill took over her brain, leaving her scalp tingling.
She pursed her lips slightly and turned to look.
As expected, it was Shuichi Akai.
..
Mr. Shuichi." Nana calmly stepped in front of Aoko, a polite smile curling her lips. "You are here as well?
There's no need to be so formal," Shuichi Akai said, the corners of his lips curling slightly. "Ms. Hashimoto.
Nana raised an eyebrow slightly, thinking to herself that his way of addressing her was just as formal, but she only gave a light laugh on the surface, following his lead. "Mr. Shuichi."
This uninvited guest claimed to be interested in Phantom Thief Kid's methods, which drew a bit of dissatisfaction from Aoko. However, he was, after all, a cunning and insidious adult (from Nana's perspective), with just a few words, he skillfully soothed the bristling high school girl.
“The gemstones on display today are very beautiful.” Seeing that Aoko was no longer in a furious mood, Shuichi Akai tactfully shifted the topic to the gemstones: “I caught a glimpse just now; they are very dazzling.”
Whether it was Nana or Aoko, both held a mindset of being "curious but not particularly envious" toward these exhibited gemstones. Even though the gemstones attracted the gaze of many people, the two of them only took a distant glance to satisfy their curiosity, having no intention of pushing into the crowd.
“By the way, I heard that the gemstone being exhibited this time is the Light of the Ocean, which had the second-highest sale price at the previous Russian international jewelry auction?” Aoko glanced toward the direction of the gemstone from a distance. “What was the gemstone that sold for the highest price?”
Before attending this Party, she had also learned some Basic knowledge regarding the Light of the Ocean.
Nana shook her head to indicate she didn't know; she had only been dragged here because she found it difficult to refuse such a warm invitation.
"It's 'Moonlight Forest'." Shuichi Akai gave the answer.
The smiling East University graduate student wearing glasses said, "The finale of the auction, a very beautiful Green diamond."
“Are you two ladies interested?” Shuichi Akai took a step forward nonchalantly, his tone steady and non-aggressive, easily winning the Little girl's favor.
Aoko shook her head. "Just curious."
Then, what about Ms. Hashimoto?
To be honest, Nana really didn't know what he was trying to test—although this man was being very subtle, Nana had a vague, unpleasant feeling.
The Black-haired girl glanced at him, tilting her head slightly in an indecisive manner. "I'm just a bit curious, is 'Moonlight Forest' a naked diamond?"
“Yes.” Shuichi Akai shrugged. “The person who buys them can dispose of them as they wish.”
The "them" in the youth's words clearly did not just refer to "Moonlight Forest," but likely included the "Light of the Ocean" from this Party as well.
Is Ms. Hashimoto very concerned about this?
It's not that." As if recalling something, Nana's expression turned slightly dejected: "I just thought of Sister.
My Sister once told me that if she were giving a gift, any style of Jewelry would be fine for an Ordinary person, but for someone important—
If it is Family or Friend, she will give a Necklace; if it is Lover or Partner, she will give a ring.
Nana closed her eyes, feeling a bit weary. What she had said was actually all trivial matters, yet for some reason, she felt as if she had said too much.
So she gave an apologetic smile and took a sip of the liquor in her glass, letting the cold, refreshing liquid stimulate her slightly clouded brain.
Shuichi Akai gave her a long, deep look, but did not insist.
The subsequent conversation mostly unfolded between Shuichi Akai and Aoko, consisting mostly of trivial small talk; Nana, occasionally being cued in, would casually answer a word or two to the inconsequential questions, so the atmosphere was not dull.
But anyone with eyes could see that the three people's minds were not on the conversation.
Aoko was thinking about her father and her childhood friend Kaito, who had run off to who-knows-where; Nana was thinking about how Zhenjun was doing; and Shuichi..
Shuichi showed nothing.
Unknowingly, the liquid in the glass slowly diminished, the second hand of the clock ticked without pause. The lively dance steps drove the minute and hour hands, their subtle ticking and tocking seemingly narrating the passage of time.
As the lights at the Party suddenly went out, the Magician in a white suit appeared under the Moonlight, finally making her entrance.
She was the focus of everyone, the true protagonist of this Party.
..