The conversation reached this point, and the bartender conveniently placed the "Sunrise" cocktail, prepared with care, in front of Lin Yi.
Looking at that cocktail called Sunrise, with colors ranging from yellow to red, resembling the tones of the sky at dawn, it was visually appealing.
Eri Kisaki couldn't help but smile and say, "Tequila Sunrise, made with tequila, orange juice, and grenadine syrup, represents the passionate and uninhibited personality of Sagittarius… It's clear you're someone full of passion for life."
Lin Yi smiled as he picked up the Tequila Sunrise and took a small sip.
With just that phrase from Eri Kisaki, Lin Yi felt a strong queen-like aura emanating from her, making him realize that conquering her would be an unprecedented challenge.
This was nothing like the high school girls or adult women Lin Yi had known before.
If Xiaolan and Sonoko were enthusiastic and full of life, and Akemi Miyano was gentle and reserved, then Eri Kisaki was elegant and intelligent.
Not only was she beautiful, but she was also intelligent and had enough life experience.
She not only started the conversation but also gladly accepted Lin Yi's compliments, radiating an entirely dominant presence.
Compared to those girls who blushed with just a couple of compliments, the difference was immense.
Most importantly, a strong woman like her had already surpassed the superficial level of caring only about looks.
Although Lin Yi's charm still had some effect on Eri Kisaki, its impact was considerably smaller.
If Lin Yi's charm could raise the favorability by 40 points with ordinary women when they met, with Eri Kisaki, it barely reached 10 or 20 points.
In front of a strong woman like her, Lin Yi knew deep down that if he didn't make a lasting impression in the first meeting, it would be very difficult to win her favor later.
Putting the glass down, Lin Yi looked at the light green cocktail in Eri Kisaki's hand and said, "Cocktails come in a variety of colors, and each color represents a different meaning. For example, green indicates that you're not feeling very well right now."
"This cocktail is made with gin, lime juice, lemon, and mint, inspired by the Brazilian style, ideal for those who are melancholic. It seems you've had some issues lately… Would you like to talk about them with me?"
Eri Kisaki gently swirled her glass,
With a slight smile at the corners of her lips and a look full of joy, she said, "It doesn't seem like it, you're young, but you know quite a lot."
Lin Yi responded, "Age is the amount of time that has passed since a person was born until now. The only thing it tells you is how long someone has lived, but it doesn't tell you what that person has experienced."
"Judging someone's maturity just by age is not a very smart idea…"
Eri Kisaki didn't hide her interest in Lin Yi, resting her face in her hand while looking at him, "However, most people associate age with maturity, and some are even far behind the maturity they should have."
"And there are a few people whose maturity greatly surpasses their age," Lin Yi added.
"Are you talking about yourself?" Eri Kisaki said, amused.
"Yes, I'm talking about myself." Lin Yi nodded in confirmation.
Eri Kisaki laughed several times, then looked at him carefully. In truth, she could notice a maturity in him that didn't correspond to his age.
"Actually… you're more mature than others your age." Eri Kisaki nodded, then added, "But only a little more mature…"
As she said this, she showed the small space between her index finger and thumb, about the width of a nail.
...
The game of "Truth or Dare" had continued for several rounds.
Why hasn't she come back yet?
Masayo Aoshima listened absentmindedly to the others' "truths," while her eyes occasionally slid over to Lin Yi, who was still sitting at the bar.
It was very clear that all her attention was focused on Lin Yi.
Even though Lin Yi was separated from Eri Kisaki by a table, Masayo Aoshima could still guess that Lin Yi had started talking with the beautiful bar waitress.
This made her very angry, upset.
Clearly, you invited me, but in the end, you go talk to other women—what does that mean?
However, more than getting angry or uncomfortable, Masayo Aoshima felt mostly jealous, and she was jealous.
She wanted to walk straight over to them and stick her nose in their conversation.
But she worried that if she did that, Lin Yi's opinion of her could drop drastically.
The most important thing was that Masayo Aoshima didn't feel secure in front of Lin Yi.
She was just an ordinary bank employee, while he, at such a young age, was already assistant to Detective Mouri, and just based on his performance on the set, one could tell his future achievements would not be limited to that.
Thinking about this made her feel a mix of uncertainty and fear, afraid that one mistake on her part could make her lose the opportunity with him.
This isn't right, that isn't either, Masayo Aoshima didn't know what to do correctly, so she just took the glass and kept drinking.
When Lin Yi wasn't around, she didn't feel like answering the others' questions either, she just drank, drank, and drank.
When it was empty, she called the waiter to order another drink.
The other four actors, seeing her attitude, made an unspoken pact not to ask her anything, and after several rounds, they completely ignored her.
On the other hand, the carefree Mina Aoshima enjoyed the game as if nothing had happened.
...
"Since you know I have problems… How about you guess what kind of problem I have?"
Eri Kisaki said that, then took a sip of her cocktail, slowly savoring its bittersweet flavor.
Lin Yi moved the straw in his glass and, straightforwardly, looked at Eri Kisaki, saying, "There are many problems that can worry a person, but in general, they can be divided into two types…"
"One is work-related stress, and the other is personal life stress."
"From your behavior, it's not hard to deduce that you're a powerful woman in the workplace… If your problem were work-related, you'd face it head-on, not seek comfort in alcohol."
"Your problem seems personal, as you came alone, without friends or confidants, which indicates you don't want to talk about this problem with people close to you… I dare to assume it has to do with a relationship issue. Did your partner cheat on you?"
"You guessed quickly… How boring."
Eri Kisaki made a face, though her tone indicated that, despite what she said, she was quite pleased with Lin Yi's answer.
If he could guess it, that meant he had enough experience, and he might have even gone through something similar, understanding her feelings and generating a small resonance.
Besides, if he could guess it, maybe he could give some more accurate advice.
Anyway, guessing it was much better than not doing so.
-------------------------
Remember, if you want to support me, you can visit my Patreon.
Coming soon: a brand new Pokémon fanfic!I'm preparing 100 chapters that I'll be uploading over the next few days, all completely free on Patreon. You don't want to miss this!
Discover exclusive and free content on my Patreon!
• 23 FREE novel chapters + R‑18 novels.• R‑18 manga translations on demand: you request it, I translate it!• 2 new chapters published automatically every day.• Early access to over 850 chapters and 7 ongoing projects.
Featured projects:
Goddess Training Manual — 300 chapters
Second Generation Villain (Revised Version) — 22 chapters
Detective Conan Fanfic — 320 chapters
The Heroine Wants to Join My Harem — 860 chapters
I Am the Villain's Father — 320 chapters
I Have 90 Million in Funds — 11 chapters
👉 Join and support these projects at: patreon.com/LEYI396
— Don't miss a single chapter or any manga translation done on demand!