Chapter 13: Before the Words Were Spoken, Sorrow and Joy Already Filled the Scene

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Chi Feichi fell silent for a moment.

Mihamachi 2-chome, number 22...

So the call came from Conan?

Was there a delivery mix-up?

Well, Ai Haibara only took that name after arriving at Professor Agasa’s house. The next day, a parcel arrived from Osaka. The timing didn’t make sense, so it was probably just misunderstood as a wrong delivery.

At the time, he really didn’t know what name to put on the package, so he simply wrote “Xiao Ai” (Little Ai). He didn’t care if it raised suspicions, but he was cautious nonetheless.

The recipient was “Xiao Ai,” not “Ai Haibara.” There might not be many people called Xiao Ai, but the world is vast.

The reason was that he forgot to ask her name and gave the little girl a nickname. Was that so wrong?

As for whether it would arouse suspicion...

Suspecting he had planted a bug in Professor Agasa’s house?

Forget bugs—they’re impossible to find, and he hadn’t even entered the house.

Or suspecting he had some kind of precognition?

If someone really thought that way, then they might as well come keep him company soon...

Chi Feichi quickly pieced it together. “The parcel wasn’t sent to the wrong place.”

Conan was momentarily speechless at the answer and explained, “It was sent to that address, but addressed to ‘Xiao Ai’...”

“To a little girl, that’s a nickname I gave her,” Chi Feichi said.

Conan sensed a communication barrier for the first time. “Then you are...?”

Chi Feichi: “I was the one who delivered her to Mihamachi 2-chome, number 22.”

Conan’s expression changed instantly. He quickly covered the phone with one hand and whispered to Professor Agasa, “Hey, Professor! You said you named ‘Ai Haibara,’ right?”

“Yes,” Professor Agasa replied, a bit puzzled by the question. “I told you, I named her after a female detective character. The ‘Hai’ in Haibara comes from ‘GRAY’ in Gothia Gray, and the ‘Ai’ is the ‘I’ from V.I. Wolfsky. I originally thought ‘Xiao Ai’ sounded nicer, but she insisted on the kanji ‘Ai’... What’s wrong with the name I gave her?”

“That delivery guy is the young man who brought her here. At least, that’s what he said. Although he claimed he didn’t know Haibara’s real name and just made up a nickname, but...” Conan glanced at Ai Haibara suspiciously, “Your original name has ‘Ai’ in it, right? He’s actually an accomplice who knows your true identity, isn’t he?”

Ai Haibara was momentarily stunned, then speechless. “No, give me the phone.”

Conan hesitated, then handed the phone over.

Sensing Conan’s distrust and knowing she was no ally of Chi Feichi’s, Ai Haibara took the call on speakerphone. “It’s me...”

“Hmm,” Chi Feichi replied, “What happened just now?”

Ai Haibara glanced at Conan. “The kid who answered the phone earlier suddenly had a headache and collapsed under the seat.”

Conan: “...”

Chi Feichi, of course, didn’t believe this but didn’t press further. “The parcel was a gift for you.”

“Okay...” Ai Haibara responded softly. “Are you in Osaka?”

Chi Feichi said, “I’m back now.”

“The recipient ‘Xiao Ai’ is a nickname you gave me? Why ‘Xiao Ai’?” Ai Haibara was a bit curious. Could such a coincidence really exist in the world?

Chi Feichi’s voice remained calm: “Before a child speaks, joy and sorrow are already fully expressed.”

Professor Agasa, a science-minded man, was speechless.

Ai Haibara, also a science enthusiast, was equally baffled.

What... did that mean?

Conan’s mind raced through classics, Japanese poetry, and even Chinese classical literature and poetry...

But Chinese classics and poetry were vast.

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Even with his immense knowledge, he could only recall bits and pieces, and there was much he didn’t know.

Ai Haibara instinctively looked at Conan.

Professor Agasa also looked at Conan with a look of inquiry.

Conan was stuck for the first time and silently took out his phone to search online.

Silence.

Chi Feichi showed no intention of explaining or continuing to speak.

Professor Agasa withdrew his gaze and focused on driving, waiting for Conan to find the answer.

Seeing Conan take action, Ai Haibara also waited patiently, though she found the quiet moment somewhat awkward.

About ten seconds later.

On the quiet road, the car passed under a streetlight.

The interior was pitch black. While the boy concentrated on searching the internet on his phone, a calm male voice suddenly came from the backseat: “Did you find it?”

In a car with only three people, it felt as if a fourth person had appeared...

Conan stiffened for a moment, then quickly pushed away the eerie thought that had popped into his mind.

Chi Feichi guessed the silence on the other end was probably because Ai Haibara didn’t understand that phrase.

Knowing Ai Haibara’s character, she would either ask directly or, if embarrassed, look it up herself—she would never just stare blankly.

However, he wouldn’t have expected Ai Haibara to put the call on speakerphone, with Conan doing the research online, which startled Conan...

Conan’s mind quickly turned. Did the other person guess they were searching for information?

Was it because of the sudden silence?

But why was the other party so sure they would look it up?

“It’s normal to look things up if you don’t understand,” Chi Feichi remarked, assuming Ai Haibara hadn’t searched yet, as a reminder.

Conan finally couldn’t help but glance at the backseat to make sure there wasn’t an invisible person watching him.

He had just started to feel awkward about looking something up, and the other party coincidentally responded—too uncanny...

Ai Haibara didn’t know what Conan had just been thinking, and Chi Feichi’s comment was so timely that when Conan suddenly turned his head toward the backseat, Chi Feichi was a bit puzzled.

What’s wrong with this famous high school detective? So jumpy...

Noticing Ai Haibara’s strange look, Conan snapped out of it, cleared his throat, glanced at his phone, and in a childlike tone said, “I found it~!”

Ai Haibara: “...”

Professor Agasa: “...”

Chi Feichi on the other end was silent.

What was with Conan’s sudden exaggerated childish voice...

Facing the strange silence, Conan suppressed his embarrassment and awkwardness. Children don’t fear awkward silences. Yes, he was just a child now, and the other side didn’t know he was Shinichi Kudo.

“Ahem, I found it. This phrase comes from the Chinese classical text ‘The Biography of Liu Jingtian’ by Huang Zongxi. It originally referred to a storyteller’s skill. What Chi-san meant was, before you even speak, your sorrow and joy are fully expressed.”

Professor Agasa glanced sideways. That phrase was strangely warm. The choice of the character ‘Ai’ here meant—before you speak, all sorrow is already revealed.

Ai Haibara was stunned, a torrent of emotions surging inside her, leaving her almost speechless.

Conan studied Ai Haibara and suddenly felt that he might have... probably... possibly... thought of her with too much malice before.

“That’s what it means,” Chi Feichi added after another silence on the line. Considering tonight might be the first time Ai Haibara cried when they visited Professor Hirota’s house, he added, “Sometimes it’s good to cry a little...”

That feeling of being completely seen through made Ai Haibara uncomfortable. “Don’t be so full of yourself. I’m not going to cry!”

Chi Feichi: “Alright, if you do cry, you have to call me...”

Ai Haibara: “...”

So sure she’d cry?

What a stubborn, arrogant man!

Chi Feichi: “I’ll record it and keep it.”

Ai Haibara: “...”

(ㅇㅁㅇ川)

“Anyway, the parcel wasn’t sent to the wrong place. That’s my number. I’ll contact you again another day.”

“Beep...”

The call ended.

Ai Haibara stood there holding the phone blankly.

“Call me if you cry... I’ll record it and keep it...”

Those two phrases echoed in Professor Agasa’s mind. He tried to suppress his strange expression, hesitant to speak.

Ai Haibara came back to herself, wrote down the number, and handed the phone back to Conan. “By the way, what’s his name?”

Conan froze as he took the phone. “...”

“When receiving a call from a stranger, wouldn’t most people give their name and ask the purpose?” Ai Haibara said casually. “Also, did he ask who you were? Did he ask Professor Agasa’s name?”

Well...

Conan broke out in a sweat. Was this payback for his earlier suspicion? But why did he feel like he was the scapegoat?

“At first, the person who answered mentioned ‘Mr. Chi,’ so his surname might be Chi or his name includes ‘Chi’... Anyway, since we have contact info, we can ask him later. For now, let’s go get the disc with the drug data back.”

“Okay.” Ai Haibara stopped teasing Conan, sat in the backseat, unwrapped the parcel’s packaging, took out the doll and keychain, examined them carefully, then packed them away neatly.

Before a child speaks, joy and sorrow are already fully expressed...

...

The next day.

Aoyama Fourth Hospital.

At 8:30 a.m., the person sent to pick up Chi Feichi arrived at the hospital by car.

He looked to be in his forties, with a neatly parted short haircut, a square face, thick eyebrows, drooping eyes, and deep nasolabial folds, seeming like a stern man who rarely smiled.

“Sorry, I seem to have arrived a bit early,” the man said when he saw Chi Feichi and Fuyuyama Shimei enter the lobby. “But the place we’re going to is quite far, so the drive will take some time. Oh, I’m Mamiya Mitsuru. My late father-in-law and Mr. Chi Shinnosuke’s father were cousins, so Chi Feichi-san can call me ‘Cousin.’”

“Not too early. If the drive is long, it’s better to come early,” Fuyuyama Shimei smiled kindly. “Does Mr. Mamiya usually have time?”

Mamiya nodded. “My mother-in-law is elderly and has some dementia. My son and I take care of her at home, so it’s no problem to look after Mr. Chi.”

“From what we can tell, Mr. Chi is doing well. There have been no recent personality alternations, and last night’s tests showed no depression, though some minor issues remain...” After briefing Mamiya about the situation and precautions, Fuyuyama saw them off and told Chi Feichi, “Mr. Chi, Kitagawa told me you bought some psychology books. If you’re interested, you can read them yourself to adjust your mindset. Just remember to take your medicine and rest well. If anything happens, come see me anytime.”

“Thank you.” Chi Feichi’s gratitude was sincere.

“Go ahead,” Fuyuyama smiled warmly. “You should go home and pack your things before leaving.”

Chi Feichi nodded and walked toward the car with Mamiya, suddenly remembering something. “By the way, Mr. Mamiya, what day of the week is it today?”

Having been under Fuyuyama’s pressure for so long, asking someone else this question felt somewhat gratifying...

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