“Just… gone like that?”
Su Fan asked again, just to be sure.
“Just like that. The one who called to tell me was John, Mia’s husband.”
Teresa nodded in confirmation.
“Before Father Andrew fell into a coma, I gave him my phone number and asked him to keep us informed of the situation.”
“He also asked him to tell us that we must be careful — that evil would not give up so easily.”
As she said this, a look of sorrow crossed Teresa’s face.
Andrew wasn’t a professional exorcist. He had no obligation to get involved in something so dangerous. After everything that had happened with the Weeping Woman, Yurona, he knew just how terrifying malevolent spirits could be — and yet he still chose to act.
Su Fan nodded in response, the image of the elderly priest he’d met in that church coming back to him. In both appearance and conduct, Andrew had perfectly embodied the traditional, upstanding priest.
Annabelle disappearing at this critical moment was likely because she knew he was coming after her. Father Andrew’s attempt to bring the doll into the church must have enraged the entity behind it. The car accident was certainly no coincidence — it was an inevitable event manipulated by that being.
No matter how powerful the force controlling the doll from the shadows might be, it couldn’t fully exert its strength through a non-human vessel. In the short term, there probably wouldn’t be any immediate danger — but if it found a suitable human host to possess…
“So what do we do now?”
Teresa asked Su Fan.
“First, back to the shop. Then we go find Father Andrew and get the full story.”
Su Fan’s thinking was clear.
“As a man of the clergy, there are things he can’t say to ordinary people who know nothing, or to the police.”
“The truth is something only we can hear directly, in person. But we need to move fast.”
Su Fan pressed down on the accelerator, picking up speed.
“Night’s almost here, and there’s no guarantee that thing won’t use the cover of darkness to go to the hospital and silence him for good.”
The grim possibility spoken aloud by Su Fan made Teresa’s eyes sharpen.
“Hold on. I’m speeding up.”
With practiced ease, Su Fan shifted gears and turned the wheel, overtaking the car ahead. Gradually, Teresa felt as if some force was pressing her back into her seat. Looking ahead, this ordinary car was weaving past vehicle after vehicle in the adjacent lanes. Quite a few of the drivers, angered by being overtaken, tried to chase back — but Su Fan’s car quickly vanished into the flow of traffic.
The nun in the passenger seat watched as Su Fan worked with both hands and feet. Turn signals, steering wheel, accelerator — every motion was smooth, perfectly timed, without the slightest hint of haste. As he swerved left and right, Teresa’s body was inevitably thrown about as well. If not for her seatbelt, she would probably have ended up sprawled on the floor by now.
The unease brought on by the speed made Teresa grip the overhead handle with all her might.
After more than twenty white-knuckle minutes, Su Fan finally slowed down.
“How can you drive so fast!”
Teresa had ridden in taxis before, but the experience was nothing like this.
“I’m into racing. I know a little about driving.”
Su Fan didn’t bother explaining in detail. A new proficiency notification had popped up in his mind — Driving Skill — a minor ability with no particular special use.
Before long, Su Fan parked the car nearby.
“Wait here. I’ll go grab what I need and be right back. I’ll leave the keys in. If you feel stuffy, you can roll down the window.”
He paused, as if remembering something, then demonstrated the window operation right in front of her. The tinted glass hummed upward, then hummed back down, revealing Teresa’s expressionless face.
“I know how to do that! Just go.”
Feeling as though Su Fan had thoroughly insulted her intelligence, Teresa let out a frustrated sigh.
Seeing that, Su Fan didn’t waste any more words.
He got out and walked to the entrance of the antique shop, pushing the door open.
Inside, he saw two figures.
A customer?
Su Fan raised an eyebrow, feeling a wave of satisfaction. It seemed that even during these days when he hadn’t been actively running the shop, business was still thriving.
“Welcome.”
Behind the counter, facing the door, was Ron, who had been looking after the place recently. She looked up immediately at the sound of the door and greeted him.
As for the other person — her arms were slightly bent, elbows resting on the counter, upper body leaning forward, revealing an elegant curve. Even from the back, it was clear she was a woman of striking beauty.
“Su? You’re done with your business?”
Seeing Su Fan return, Ron’s ice-blue eyes sparkled with bright warmth. A smile instinctively spread across her face, making no effort to hide her delight at seeing him again.
The woman with her back to the door didn’t turn around fully, only tilting her head slightly to reveal half her profile. Her pale golden hair was tied back, the ends lightly curled, and the line of her jaw was soft and refined, without a trace of excess. On her fine oval face, full lips were moist and luminous, and her deep-set eyes carried an effortless, captivating allure with just a casual glance.
That familiar face made Su Fan pause in mild surprise.
It was Scarlett Johansson, whom he hadn’t seen in quite some time.
Still, his reaction wasn’t particularly dramatic — just a slight widening of his eyes, and nothing more.
“Long time no see. Can’t you show a little surprise or warmth? So cold.”
Scarlett chided him, though her tone carried a hint of amusement.
“I’d love to, but I’m not done with what I came for. Forgive me for not playing the proper host.”
Su Fan replied with a smile, then turned his gaze to Ron.
“Could you get me the longsword and the knuckle dusters from behind the counter?”
Hearing this, Ron’s expression turned serious, the earlier smile fading. She bent down, retrieved the sword case and the small box from the counter, and walked over to hand them to Su Fan at the door.
“Be careful. Don’t forget you’re still carrying injuries.”
“Got it.”
Su Fan nodded, then looked back at Scarlett.
Her expression was somewhat subtle, her gaze shifting between Su Fan and Ron a couple of times.
“We’ll catch up over tea another time. I’m off now.”
Before the words had even faded, he was already out the door.
Watching Su Fan leave, a trace of loneliness flickered in Scarlett’s eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. She watched Ron return to her spot behind the counter and asked tentatively,
“What’s he…?”
“It’s something serious.”
Ron’s voice was low, carrying a hint of gravity.
“For Su to come back for those two items, it’s no ordinary opponent.”
“Like the community incident?”
After hearing Ron’s explanation, Scarlett grew tense as well. When she’d seen the news about the gas leak explosion back then, her first thought had been of Su Fan. Who else could have pulled off something like that? Worried that something had happened to him, she’d hastily called the antique shop — only to have Ron pick up instead.
Su Fan had been out frequently during that time, and Scarlett had missed him several times, but in the process, she’d grown closer to Ron instead.
“It’s not that bad.”
Hearing Ron’s answer, Scarlett finally let out a breath of relief. Noticing the somewhat heavy atmosphere, she broke into a smile.
“About what I mentioned last time — have you given it any more thought?”
“…No…”
“I haven’t even said which one yet.”
“…None of them! Not a single one!”
Ron’s tone carried a hint of embarrassment and indignation.
“There are plenty of those in universities, aren’t there? I thought you’d be used to it by now.”
Scarlett’s voice carried a teasing lilt.
“I’ve never said anything like that. And I’ve never joined a fraternity.”
Ron mumbled in reply.
“Alright, alright.”
Scarlett was perfectly gracious about it.
“Then I’ll be going. See you next time.”
After Scarlett left, Ron fanned herself to cool her slightly flushed cheeks.
People in the entertainment industry… they really are… really are bold in what they say and think.
Counting yesterday’s…
