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After being mercilessly exposed by his beloved daughter, the Mouri expert no longer had the heart to impart his horse betting wisdom to Mu Tianyuan. He then cast a weak glance at Ran and returned to his desk to work. Mu Tianyuan looked at Uncle Mouri, then turned to Ran and whispered, "Ran-chan, isn't that a bit too hurtful?"
Although Uncle Mouri might have been bragging, did you consider your dad's feelings when you so bluntly exposed him? Look at Uncle Mouri's crestfallen expression now.
I'm sure Uncle Mouri won't be bragging about his horse betting stories today! Ran showed no guilt for having discouraged her father, but instead retorted righteously, "I was just telling the truth."
"Sometimes a lie is also a form of empathy."
Mu Tianyuan sighed, then looked at Ran with the gaze of an elder teaching a junior and said, "Do you understand white lies? Although teachers tell us to be honest children, when you grow up, you'll realize that honesty isn't necessarily…
being a good child, because honesty often earns you more hatred!" Ran didn't know if she heard it or not, but after Mu Tianyuan finished speaking, she just nodded. Then Ran looked at Mu Tianyuan and said, "Oh, by the way, Little Mu, are you free this weekend?"
"Weekend? I don't know," Mu Tianyuan shook his head when he heard Ran's words, then looked at Ran and said, "What's wrong, do you have plans?"
"Dad said he wants to take us to Saitama Prefecture to see the 'World's Greatest Festival' this holiday! Do you want to come along?" Ran looked at Mu Tianyuan excitedly and said. Uncle Mouri also added, "Yeah, anyway… instead of staying home alone all day, why don't you come with us to the festival?"
"World's Greatest Festival?"
When Mu Tianyuan heard Ran's and Uncle Mouri's words, he scratched his head, looking completely bewildered, "What in the world is that?"
After Uncle Mouri saw a news report about Saitama Prefecture holding this event and slapped his thigh, deciding to go watch the fun, Ran had thoroughly researched this 'World's Greatest Festival.' Now, seeing Mu Tianyuan's bewildered expression, Ran immediately began to explain, "It's an event where they sequentially light up the characters for 'Heaven,' 'Earth,' and 'One' on the mountain, to pray for the best harvest in the world this year!"
"Hmm… these city folk really know how to have fun. But aren't they afraid of causing a forest fire?"
Mu Tianyuan scratched his head and asked Ran curiously. Mu Tianyuan knew that in many places in China, activities like burning paper offerings were prohibited, especially in areas where ancestral graves were on mountains. Many places strictly enforced this prohibition, and he even heard people say that guards were stationed there.
But in Japan, a large group of people could go up the mountain and burn characters for fun. Did they have no fire safety awareness, or did they think it didn't matter if the entire mountain caught fire? Or perhaps they were very confident in their fire department.
But even with all the confidence, you shouldn't be so depressed, aren't you just increasing the workload for the fire department comrades? "Uh, they have preventive measures, so it's not that easy for a forest fire to happen."
Ran smiled and replied to Mu Tianyuan, then looked at him and said, "How about it, Little Mu, do you want to come along?"
"Hmm, I'll think about it…"
Hearing Ran's words, Mu Tianyuan replied, then immediately used his private line to Little Fox, who was playing with a ball of yarn with Cat Heroine, "How about it, do you want to go?"
"Can we set fires?"
Little Fox tilted her head and asked Mu Tianyuan. Mu Tianyuan pondered and said, "Probably not."
"Tch, only the privileged are allowed to set fires, but the common people aren't even allowed to light lamps!"
Little Fox immediately flicked her tail in disdain. Then she added, "I thought we could also set fires everywhere. Since we can't just set fires wherever we want, it seems meaningless."
"What are you thinking? If you go around setting fires everywhere, that's arson, it's a crime, okay? By law, you'll be sentenced. If you really do that, I estimate you'll get at least a fur collar…" Mu Tianyuan gave Little Fox a helpless glare, then looked at her and said, "I really didn't realize you were a fire enthusiast.
The problem is, this hobby of yours is a bit dangerous, you know? As the saying goes, playing with pee at night… so you should give up this hobby of yours. I'm afraid one day I'll wake up to find a map drawn on the bed by you, and then I'll probably have to take the blame for you again."
"No way!"
Little Fox rolled her eyes at Mu Tianyuan, then, while batting the yarn ball to Cat Heroine, she said, "I just feel this event is boring. You decide. If you want to go, we'll go. If not, we won't."
"To be honest, I'm not very interested myself," Mu Tianyuan pouted in reply, then said to Little Fox, "How about you ask Maple for her opinion? If she wants to go, we'll go. If she doesn't, we won't."
When there were no outsiders, Mu Tianyuan would directly speak to Cat Heroine about anything, but if there were people around, Mu Tianyuan would convey it through Little Fox. Anyway… his communication with Little Fox, in cultivation terms, was…
Sound Transmission, and in everyday terms, it was… private messaging. So he wasn't afraid of others hearing. And others couldn't understand Little Fox's conversations with Cat Heroine.
"I guess this homebody cat won't want to go."
Cat Heroine was the type that liked stability. In the past, she had no choice but to run around for a living, but now, ever since being adopted by Mu Tianyuan, she only messed around in her small world, except when going out with Mu Tianyuan. She was a true homebody cat.
Little Fox also understood Cat Heroine's personality, so upon hearing Mu Tianyuan's words, she immediately muttered. However, even though Little Fox said that, she still meowed at Cat Heroine to convey Mu Tianyuan's message.
When Cat Heroine heard Little Fox tell her that Mu Tianyuan was asking if she wanted to go to that 'World's Greatest Festival,' she stopped playing with the yarn ball and looked at Mu Tianyuan. "Is that 'World's Greatest Festival' a barbecue, meow?"
Cat Heroine, following Mu Tianyuan, learned nothing else but recognized barbecue… Mu Tianyuan didn't speak, only shook his head at Cat Heroine. Then Mu Tianyuan used his private line to Little Fox, "Speaking of which, those guys are really wasteful. Such a big fire, and they only use it for looking. How good would it be if they could roast something!"
Cat Heroine saw Mu Tianyuan and immediately understood his meaning. Then Cat Heroine wagged her head and said, "If it's not a barbecue, then I don't want to go, meow."
Upon hearing Cat Heroine's reply, Mu Tianyuan immediately turned to Ran, who was waiting for his answer, and said, "I've thought about it. I think I won't go."
"Hey, you're not planning to just stay home for the holidays, are you?"
Before Ran could say anything, Uncle Mouri looked at Mu Tianyuan, and Mu Tianyuan spread his hands, "Mainly, from Ran's description, that… activity where you watch others set fires but can't set them yourself doesn't seem very fun.
I might as well stay home and watch TV. Besides, I remember that rerun of the drama starring Miss Yoko Okino that you recommended to me, Uncle Mouri, is on this week. I think watching Miss Yoko Okino's drama is probably more interesting."
"You rascal…"
Hearing Mu Tianyuan's words, Uncle Mouri looked at him seriously, then the next second, Uncle Mouri smiled broadly and gave Mu Tianyuan a thumbs up, "You have good taste!"
Ran, Conan: "…"
They didn't know why, but they could only think of one word right now: kindred spirits…! Before, these two's common hobbies were at most… drinking, smoking, and looking at beautiful women. Now, they suddenly had another hobby: liking Yoko Okino! Oh, right, and horse betting!
Do you two have to be so in sync?! Why don't you two just live together from now on?! Then Uncle Mouri stroked his chin and thought, "How about I don't go either and just watch Miss Yoko's rerun at home?"
"Dad, you already promised them!"
As soon as Uncle Mouri finished speaking, Ran looked at him disapprovingly. Before, her own father had enthusiastically suggested going to Saitama Prefecture to watch people commit arson—ahem, no, to watch the 'World's Greatest Festival.'
How come he was backing out now? In the end, Uncle Mouri still decided to go to Saitama Prefecture for the 'World's Greatest Festival.' Uncle Mouri had carefully thought it through: anyway… the festival was at night, so he could completely rewatch the classic shows in the hotel during the day, and then go out to watch the fun at night. The timing wouldn't clash at all!
Monday morning, Mu Tianyuan lay on his classroom desk, looking at Ran and saying, "Ran-chan, how was your 'burning wasteland' activity this time? Did you… encounter any more cases?"
"Little Mu, you knew about it too?"
Ran said, tidying up her textbooks. Mu Tianyuan, hearing Ran say that, immediately exclaimed in surprise, "No way, you actually encountered a case?"
"Uh, yeah, didn't you see it in the newspaper?"
Ran was even more surprised than Mu Tianyuan at this point. Ran had thought Mu Tianyuan had seen the newspaper and knew his dad had solved another case. But looking at Mu Tianyuan's stance, it didn't seem like it! "No…"
Mu Tianyuan shook his head, then used his private line to Little Fox, "The God of Death has struck again. I knew nothing good ever happens where Conan is. I just wonder which unlucky soul Conan has jinxed to death this time. May Buddha bless that… unlucky soul to rest in peace in heaven, Amen."
Ran, hearing that Mu Tianyuan hadn't seen the news in the newspaper, immediately looked at him in confusion and asked, "Then how did you know?"
Hearing Ran's question, Mu Tianyuan was silent for a moment, then said, "What if I told you I figured it out by calculating with my fingers? Would you believe me?" How was he supposed to answer this question? Should he tell Ran that he firmly believed in the theory that nothing good ever happens where Conan is?
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