AWB Chapter 129 My best friend is attracted to my man?
Chapter 129 My best friend is attracted to my man?
In the early morning, the light filtered through the slits in the curtains onto the bed, suffusing the room with a soft golden glow. Chen Shuo slowly awoke, his biological clock ticking as punctually as ever. He reached out, wanting to pull the sleeping Mao Lilan into his arms, but his hand was empty. The quilt beside his pillow had grown cold, and Chen Shuo frowned before opening his eyes.
He sat up, smoothed his messy hair, and scanned the room, but couldn't see Mao Lilan. Chen Shuo quickly dressed and opened the bedroom door. It was quiet outside, but a familiar fragrance wafted through the air. He followed the scent to the kitchen, only to find Mao Lilan busy at work. She was wearing an apron, her neat ponytail swaying gently as she moved. The sunlight fell on her side face, making her look particularly gentle.
Chen Shuo smiled and quietly walked behind her, gently putting his arm around her waist. He asked softly, "Xiao Lan, why are you up so early? You're usually still asleep at this time."
Mao Lilan was so startled that she almost dropped the spatula in her hand. She turned around and glared at Chen Shuo, her cheeks slightly flushed, and she looked a little flustered. Then, she pushed Chen Shuo out mysteriously: "You are not allowed to come in today. Go and do your own thing! Be obedient!"
Chen Shuo was kicked out of the kitchen. Standing at the door, he felt helpless. He touched his nose, smiled, and shook his head. He looked at Mao Lilan busy in the kitchen, and his heart was filled with tenderness and sweetness. Although he didn't understand what she was busy with, it didn't matter.
The morning sun gradually filled the living room. Chen Shuo sat on the sofa, holding a newspaper in his hand, but his eyes kept glancing towards the kitchen, his mind full of confusion. A moment later, Mao Lilan came out of the kitchen, holding breakfast in her hands, and looked at Chen Shuo with a smug look on her face. She placed the breakfast on the coffee table, bent down and kissed Chen Shuo lightly on the cheek, and said with a smile: "Brother Shuo, I might have to stay at the office tonight, so I won't be back today!"
Chen Shuo was slightly startled, and looked up at her with a hint of curiosity in his eyes: "You're not coming back? What's going on?" Mao Lilan shook her finger and said mysteriously: "I won't tell you." Chen Shuo shrugged helplessly, but didn't ask any more questions. He just smiled and said: "Well, I may be busy all day tomorrow. I have something important to do. I guess I won't be home until tonight."
Hearing this, Mao Lilan's smile froze for a moment, and a hint of anxiety flashed in her eyes. She quickly asked, "When can you go home? What's the important matter?" Chen Shuo laughed at her reaction and said in a gentle voice, "I'm just having dinner with some important people and discussing some things. I'll be back after dinner."
Mao Lilan finally breathed a sigh of relief and nodded: "That's good, you must come back early." She leaned over and kissed Chen Shuo on the forehead, a relaxed smile on her face, then hummed a song, picked up her schoolbag and prepared to go to school. Looking at her brisk back, Chen Shuo couldn't help scratching his head, his heart full of confusion: "Why is this girl so weird today?"
---
The afterglow of the setting sun cast a warm golden hue on the treetops lining the street. Maoli Ran and Sonoko walked side by side on their way home from school. The streets gradually became quiet and leisurely as the number of pedestrians thinned out. However, this tranquility was broken by Sonoko.
"Please, Ran! Save me! This is the request of my lifetime!" Sonoko pleaded with her hands clasped together, looking desperate, her voice tinged with tears. Mao Lilan stopped, glared at her angrily, and said mercilessly: "How many times have you used the request of your lifetime? You always say it's the request of your lifetime, but this time it's absolutely not possible! You ask me to do this, and I have a boyfriend! What kind of thing is this? If Brother Shuo knew, he would definitely be furious!"
When Sonoko heard this, she rushed over and hugged Mao Lilan's arm, holding it tightly, like a helpless child: "I will definitely talk to Brother Shuo clearly in person! Please, help me... Just this once, I swear I will never make promises to others carelessly again!"
Mao Lilan was so annoyed by her that she sighed and asked helplessly, "What's going on? Please explain it clearly!"
Sonoko scratched her head hesitantly, then blushed and whispered, "Didn't we go to Jingxin to help a few days ago? And then, two guys came over to chat with us... It wouldn't have been a big deal, but the bad thing is that one of them was so handsome, he looked exactly like the male lead in the drama I've been following recently! You know, that pretty boy! And then... then, in a fit of rage, I agreed to their request to go to the party tomorrow."
Mao Lilan's eyes widened, and she looked at Sonoko in disbelief: "Since that time in Izu, I thought you had given up on handsome guys. Why are you here again?"
"I know! I know I was wrong!" Sonoko cried, shaking Ran Maoli's arm, her face full of regret, "But I really couldn't control myself at the time! He looked so much like the protagonist. By the time I realized it, it was too late. They were all gone... That's why I need your help! Xiaolan, you are my savior!"
Mao Lilan sighed helplessly. Although she thought this was ridiculous, she softened her attitude when she saw Sonoko's aggrieved expression. She rubbed her temples weakly. "Okay, I'll go with you tomorrow, but let me be frank. This is definitely the last time! If there's a next time, I won't help you! You can talk to Shuo yourself. If he agrees, I'll go!"
---
"You asked my girlfriend to accompany you to a party invited by a man?! You even called me to ask my boyfriend's opinion?! Are you crazy?! Do you want to listen to what you're saying?!"
Yuanzi on the other end of the line was so frightened by the roar that he quickly put the phone away. With a guilty look on his face, he stammered, "Brother Shuo, I was wrong! I really know I was wrong! I promise I won't do it again. Please, Xiaolan, help me. This is the only time I'll do it!"
Chen Shuo listened to her tearful tone and sighed helplessly. He knew what was wrong with his apprentice: he couldn't move his body when he saw a handsome man, but when it came to taking action, he was extremely timid. It wasn't surprising that he would do such an outrageous thing.
"Listen!" Chen Shuo's tone remained stern, but his anger was noticeably reduced. "This is the last time! If something like this happens again, I'll show you what hellish training is. Do you understand?"
"I understand, I understand!" Yuanzi nodded repeatedly, her voice full of obvious joy, "Thank you, Brother Shuo!"
Chen Shuo snorted coldly and continued, "Also! Bring your weapons! If anyone at the banquet dares to lay a hand on Xiaolan, you will kill him! Do you understand?"
"I heard you! I will definitely bring weapons and will never let Xiaolan suffer any injustice!" Sonoko quickly patted his chest and promised.
"Hmph!" Chen Shuo said nothing more and hung up the phone.
The moment she hung up the phone, Yuanzi's sad face brightened up instantly as if a switch was turned on. She stretched out two fingers and declared loudly like a winner: "Haha! I knew Brother Shuo would agree! After all, he dotes on me, his disciple, the most! Hahaha!" After that, she turned around proudly twice, her face full of excitement.
Mao Lilan looked speechlessly at her best friend who had forgotten the pain after the scar healed, and sighed helplessly: "Sonoko, you change your mind faster than turning the pages of a book... Do you really have no remorse at all?"
Sonoko patted Mao Lilan's shoulder with a smile: "Oh, Xiaolan, believe me, I won't do it again!"
Mao Lilan shook her head helplessly, but then she felt something strange and couldn't help asking, "But, Sonoko, I don't quite understand. Isn't it a happy thing for you to be invited to the party? Why did you look so sad in front of me just now, as if the world was about to end?"
Mentioning this, Sonoko's expression suddenly fell. She sighed, her voice filled with resentment: "Ah... It was originally quite good. After all, that flower boy is really handsome. But the problem is..."
She changed the subject and said with a pout, "I don't know why lately, every time I see a handsome guy, I subconsciously compare him to Brother Shuo! But once I compare, I feel nothing at all. Tell me, Xiaolan, am I just making things difficult for myself?"
When Mao Lilan heard what Sonoko said, she was shocked. "Not sisters? What do you mean? Are you targeting my man?!" She looked at Sonoko with a look of suspicion.
Before Ran Mouri could react, a sudden, sharp screeching of brakes echoed beside them. She and Sonoko turned to look. A yellow Polo slowly pulled up beside them. The window slowly rolled down, revealing a stranger with a warm smile. Soon, the door opened, and a sturdy man stepped out.
"Ms. Xiaolan!" As soon as the man saw Mao Lilan, he walked straight towards her with an undisguised enthusiasm on his face. His eyes were undisguised with a hint of possessiveness, which made Mao Lilan subconsciously feel uncomfortable.
As he spoke, the man actually stretched out his hand, as if trying to grab Mao Lilan's hand. Mao Lilan frowned and nimbly dodged his move, her voice a little colder: "Who are you? What do you want to do?"
The sturdy man was visibly embarrassed by Ran Mouri's cold gaze. He withdrew his outstretched hand, scratched his head, and forced what he thought was a bright smile. "Ms. Ran, you may not remember me. My name is Wakamatsu Toshihide, and I was one of the people you and Ms. Sonoko chatted with in the cafe that day."
After hearing this, Ran Mouri frowned and tried to recall it carefully, but she still had no recollection. Sonoko was also trying hard to recall it, but she couldn't remember anyone else except that handsome and heart-pounding boy. She simply said, "Café? Chatted? Do you remember, Ran? Why don't I have any impression of you at all? Oh, you're the one... uh, the one with the big muscles... the one..."
She finished hesitantly, her tone full of confusion and uncertainty, and it was obvious that she had no impression of Wakamatsu Toshihide.
Upon hearing Sonoko's response, Wakamatsu Toshihide's smile faltered for a moment, but quickly recovered. He ignored Sonoko's cold attitude and instead looked at Maori Ran, his tone still filled with a hint of eagerness: "Ms. Ran, perhaps it was too short that day, and you may not remember me, but I was indeed one of the people you chatted with. I'm here today to personally invite you to tomorrow's banquet."
"Banquet?" Mao Lilan raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at him coldly, her tone revealing impatience. "Didn't Sonoko already agree? What else do you want to confirm?"
Wakamatsu Toshihide nodded, his attitude somewhat stubborn. "Yes, Miss Sonoko agreed that day, but I still feel that this matter must be confirmed with you in person. After all, I really hope to see you at the banquet tomorrow."
Mao Lilan stared at Wakamatsu Toshihide coldly, her brows slightly furrowed, and her tone revealed a hint of unquestionable firmness: "I will accompany Sonoko. But I hope you know that I already have a boyfriend, and we have a good relationship!"
Wakamatsu Toshihide froze visibly when he heard this, and the smile on his face quickly fell. He scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly, "Uh... is that so? Ahahaha, I just... just... uh, nothing. Sorry to bother you. I'll be leaving now."
He seemed to have no idea how to respond, so he turned around and walked awkwardly to his car, opened the door and quickly got in, then started the engine and drove away in a hurry.
Mao Lilan watched the yellow Polo disappear around the corner, feeling relieved, but her brows were still furrowed. She turned her head and her eyes fell on Sonoko, who was standing beside her, only to find that Sonoko was lowering her head, not daring to look at her. Mao Lilan felt angry and helpless, and could not help but sigh. She said in a stern tone: "Sonoko! You have to reflect on this! This kind of thing can't happen again!"
Yuanzi suddenly raised her head and spoke in a long voice, obviously feeling guilty: "Yes~~~, I know, Xiaolan, I promise I won't do it next time!"
However, they did not notice that behind the electric pole across the street, a small figure saw everything that had just happened clearly.
Conan narrowed his eyes, folded his hands across his chest, and lowered his head in thought: "A party...? Xiaolan actually agreed to such a thing?" He turned his head to look in the direction where Wakamatsu Toshihide left, and frowned slightly.
---
As night fell, Maori Kogoro leaned on the sofa, holding a can of beer in his hand, but his eyes were cast towards the kitchen. The sound of busyness came from the kitchen, accompanied by Maori Ran's cheerful humming, and the atmosphere seemed unusually warm.
Conan sat aside, pretending to watch TV while secretly observing Mao Lilan's actions. Seeing her stirring the chocolate seriously with an expectant smile on her face, he felt indescribably complicated and frowned slightly.
Maori Kogoro couldn't help but ask, "Hey, Xiaolan, why did you come back to make chocolate today? Isn't Chen Shuo's kitchen bigger and more convenient? What are you busy doing here?"
He took a sip of beer, his tone full of doubt. After hearing this, Mao Lilan turned her head with a smile, shook her finger, and said with a bit of pride: "Dad, this kind of thing must have a sense of ceremony! Besides, this is a surprise for Brother Shuo! He must not know what day tomorrow is."
"Surprise?" Maori Kogoro was stunned for a moment, then scratched his head. "What day is tomorrow? Hmm...?"
Mao Lilan did not answer, but continued to hum the song, and the smile on her face became even sweeter.
Conan, standing nearby, felt a pang of bitterness when he heard these words. He stared at Ran Maoli's focused back with a complicated gaze, muttering to himself, "This Chen Shuo...what more surprise does he need? He's really getting a good deal!"
Although he has gradually accepted the fact that Mao Lilan and Chen Shuo are together, Conan still finds it difficult to suppress the jealousy in his heart.