Chapter 74 Memory Reappearance
Chapter 75: Memory Reappearance

"Now, honey, what shall we call our baby?"

"Ah. Let's follow the agreement with the Kudo family and name the girl after an orchid. Maori Ran. What do you think?"

"Yeah. That's great. What about this? What should the boys do?"

"For boys, name him after your favorite lavender. Kaoru. Maori Kaoru. Is that okay?"

"Xiaoxun, Xiaolan. Haha, that sounds nice. Let's decide it."

Xiaoxun? Is that my name? Maori Xun. This is... when I was just born, right? I can clearly remember those words, Maori Kogoro, Kisaki Eri, they were still young at that time, but my father's hearty laughter and my mother's sweet voice, I think I will never forget them in my life.

"Hey, brother. Wait for me."

"Really? Xiaolan. It's been so long. Why can't it get a little faster?"

"Yes... it's you, brother... you're getting faster again."

Haha, this happened when I was running with Xiaolan. I remember that year, we were six years old.

"Hey, hey. You guys are so slow."

"Hey, hey. Sorry, sorry. We walked a little extra."

This sound...

"Really? Xun, are you a freak? You ran so far and played soccer for so long, yet you're still in such good spirits."

"Hey, if you run like me every day, you can do it too."

"I can't compare to you. My dad said that playing football for two hours a day is enough exercise for a kid. But you are always so energetic."

"Hehe. Maybe it's because my dad is a policeman. I inherited his talent."

Yes, I remember now, this voice is Kudo when he was a child. By the way, we knew each other when we were very young.

"Mom. Where's Dad?"

"Your father is working overtime today. He might not be back until very late. I might have to bring him food in the evening. I'll have to trouble you to cook then, Xiaoxun."

This is... a conversation with my mom. No wonder cooking brings back memories for me. It turns out...

"Hehe. You are worthy of being dad's good son. Dad will reward you with a thousand yuan in pocket money when you go back."

"Come on, Dad. How many times have you given me pocket money to buy beer for you?"

Dad? Haha, Maori Kogoro, you are actually my dad.

"elder brother..."

"Ok?"

"Can you carry me on your back..."

"...Come up."

"Yeah. Brother is the best~"

"Xiaolan. Are you still afraid?"

"No. Not at all."

"Hmm? Xiaolan is so brave."

"Hehe. Because it's safe to lie on my brother's back. Xiaolan won't be afraid."

"Haha. Yeah. Don't worry, Xiaolan, brother will always protect you."

"Hehe. Brother is the best~"

"Ah, Xiaolan. Let go a little. I can't breathe."

"No. Xiaolan, hold on to your brother tightly~"

"Haha. Yes, little princess~"

"Xiao Lan..." I turned around and looked at Xiao Lan who was sleeping soundly, tears unknowingly flowing like a spring. Yes, the memories before the age of six, everything, including the car accident that night when I delivered food to my father, and the incident after the car accident when I was brought into the organization by Gin, all the memories have been connected.

I slowly approached Xiaolan, and sat beside her with a nostalgic smile. Looking at her frowning face, I felt distressed. I reached out to wipe the tears from her eyes and smoothed the sadness between her brows. I quietly looked at this sister whom I hadn't seen for ten years. I felt an indescribable feeling in my heart.

Should I recognize her? No, I can't recognize her now that I am in the organization. This will implicate her and my parents. Before the organization is destroyed, I can't appear in front of them as Maori Kaoru.

I stared at the sleeping girl in front of me, and couldn't help but reach out to touch her cheek. Inadvertently, a crystal teardrop fell on Xiaolan's jade-like face. ————The smell of orchids, the smell of lavender, the smell of home & the wings of angels, the wings of demons, the wings of guardians————

"Hey."

After a moan, Xiaolan's eyebrows, which had just been smoothed by me, were slightly frowned again. Then, her purple eyes opened with a hint of haziness.

When I saw Xiaolan wake up, I didn't move at all. I just looked at her quietly and lovingly, looking at her gentle lavender pupils.

"Brother... are you... Brother Xun?" Xiaolan's gentle words rang in my ears, causing my eyes, which also had purple pupils, to shrink slightly. This silly girl, when she saw a stranger sitting next to her while she was asleep, her first reaction was not to scream.

"You... you are Brother Xun, right?" Xiaolan grabbed my black windbreaker and sat up, but there was still a trace of confusion in her eyes. It should be that the hypnotic gas was still working. And she woke up probably because my tears dripped on her face.

"Xiao Lan..." I didn't avoid her expectant eyes. I spoke softly with the same tenderness I had when I was six years old. "Xiao Lan... I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I'm back."

"Brother... Brother! It's really you... Is it really you who came back?" Xiaolan's eyes were already filled with tears. She was expecting my answer. Haha, so was I.

"Ah, Xiaolan. I'm back." I gently wiped away the tears that were flowing from the corners of Xiaolan's eyes again. I smiled faintly. "Sorry, Xiaolan. Brother is back late."

"Brother...Brother! Woohoo!!!" Xiaolan didn't say anything else, she rushed towards me, wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me tightly. She hadn't shown her weakness in front of others for ten years, but now it all burst out, and her tears wet my windbreaker.

"Great. Brother Xun is back. Great..."

"Haha, we haven't seen each other for ten years. Are you really so sure that I am your brother?" I reached out and rubbed Xiaolan's hair, smiling slightly.

"There's no mistake. The lavender scent on my brother is still so warm. Xiaolan will definitely not make a mistake!" As she said that, Xiaolan hugged my arms tightly again.

"Haha, Xiaolan, loosen up a little, I can't breathe." I hugged Xiaolan's trembling body with my backhand, smiled gently, and said the dialogue that Xiaolan remembered most deeply.

"No! Xiaolan will never let her brother go again! Xiaolan will hold her brother tightly and never let go!" Xiaolan cried loudly, tears of excitement constantly pouring out of her eyes.

"Haha, yes, little princess." I ruffled Xiaolan's delicate hair with my backhand and smiled at her gently. "Brother will never leave you again."

"Brother, you are really my brother, that's great. It's really great. Brother is back." Xiaolan let go of my hand and looked at my face, as if she wanted to remember my current appearance firmly in her heart. The black hair, long bangs, and handsome face seemed a little blurry under the moonlight, but still so familiar.

"Haha, stop looking, Xiaolan, go tell daddy." I gently scratched Xiaolan's nose and said to her gently.

"Well. Dad doesn't know that you're back yet. I'll go tell him right now." Xiaolan quickly stood up from the bed and ran towards the door.

bang~
The moment Xiaolan turned around, I gently chopped her neck with my hand. With just a soft groan, Xiaolan fell softly into my arms.

"...I'm sorry, Xiaolan, I can't officially recognize you now." I picked up the fainted Xiaolan with a hint of apology. "Just think of what happened just now as a beautiful dream." I carried Xiaolan back to the bed, tucked her in, and wiped away the tears from her eyes for the last time. I kissed her forehead, and with a sad smile, I opened the window and jumped out. I stood on the ceiling outside and closed the window again.

Just after I finished all this, Xiaolan's door was knocked by Maori Kogoro, my father. Yes, at the moment when Xiaolan cried out, I clearly heard the movement in the next room. I believe they have been awakened by Xiaolan's crying, so I didn't dare to stay for too long.

"Hey, Ran. Are you okay?" At the door, Kogoro Mouri anxiously shouted to Ran inside.

"Sister Xiaolan, are you in there?" A childish voice, that was Conan's voice.

Seeing no response from inside, Kogoro immediately opened the door with the key and turned on the light. They saw Xiaolan still sleeping soundly on the tatami. His nervous heart was immediately relieved.

Kogoro walked up to Ran and shook her shoulder gently. "Hey, Ran. Wake up."

After Kogoro's pushing and pulling, Xiaolan woke up again. The strong light pierced her eyes, making her frown slightly.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Xiaolan's voice sounded a little confused.

"Ah, I just heard you yelling, so I came to check it out, but it looks like you had a nightmare, and now you're fine." Kogoro gestured to Conan standing at the door to turn off the light. The room became dark again, with only the light from the street lamp outside shining through the curtains. Then he turned on the wall lamp, filling the room with a soft light.

"Nightmare?" Xiaolan shook her aching head and recalled what had just happened. Slowly, the scene of her hugging her brother just now appeared in her mind. Looking at the people in the room, besides herself, there was only her father and Conan, and there was no trace of her brother.

"Ah. Dad, where is my brother? Where did he go?" Xiaolan sat up and asked Mouri Kogoro.

"Brother?" Maori Kogoro was also surprised when he heard it, "So you dreamed of your brother, no wonder..." Kogoro's small eyes became dim at this moment because of the disappearance of his eldest son.

"Ran, it's okay, it was just a dream." Kogoro Mouri comforted.

"No, Dad, that was not a dream, I really saw my brother. I clearly smelled the scent of lavender on my brother, and I could also smell what he said to me. He said he came back late and he would never leave me again!" Xiaolan looked at Maori Kogoro excitedly. She hoped her father would believe her, but...

"Okay, Xiaolan. Don't think about it. Your brother disappeared ten years ago." Maori Kogoro's voice also became choked. Ever since the body fished out of the sea ten years ago was identified, Kogoro and Eri's hearts have been hanging in the air. The dead child's heart was indeed on the left, and their own Xiaoxun's heart was on the right. However, no matter how they searched for the past ten years, they could not get any news about Xiaoxun.

"Okay, Xiaolan, go to sleep, it was just a dream." Kogoro helped his daughter lie down and tucked her in. Then he took Conan back to his room. Before leaving, Conan took a deep look at Xiaolan, who was still crying, and then looked at the window with a serious expression, and left Xiaolan's room with a hint of doubt.

The room was quiet again. After all the twists and turns, Xiaolan couldn't fall asleep anymore, so she went back to the window, opened the window and looked at the sky. The moon was no longer visible, so Xiaolan took out the orchid brooch that she had never taken off with the help of the weak street lights and sat in a daze. She was recalling the scene just now. Was it really a dream? If it was a dream, why did her brother look so real? If it was not a dream, why did her brother disappear when she woke up again? After a long time, Xiaolan raised her eyebrows slightly, grabbed her collar and sniffed hard, and then the sadness just now turned into a faint smile. She tightly grasped the brooch in her hand and put the brooch close to her chest.

"Brother, I believe that was not a dream, because Xiaolan will never forget the faint lavender scent on you. I know you have your own difficulties and cannot come to see me, but I believe you will come back one day. Brother, I will wait for you. Wait for you to come back to Xiaolan again." Xiaolan silently complained to the stars in the sky. This scene can't help but make people feel love.

"Ah. I will definitely come back, Xiaolan, wait for me." Behind the street light in front of Xiaolan's window, I heard every word of Xiaolan and whispered in my heart. "One day, I will stand in front of you as Maori Kaoru. Definitely!" Then, without stopping, my figure disappeared in a corner of the street and walked towards the cafe where Shiho was.

(End of this chapter)