“That matter from the news?”
“So it’s already made the news…”
Hearing this, Annie was momentarily stunned.
She had spent her afternoon either sleeping or getting ready, with no time to check the news.
“Looks like her PR team couldn’t keep a lid on it,” Annie muttered under her breath.
But soon, she regained her smile.
“Let’s not talk about that for now. Try the food here, see how it tastes.”
Annie glanced towards a waiter not far away, who immediately understood her meaning and spoke into the walkie-talkie on his lapel. Soon, servers arrived with their dishes.
Their discussion had gone smoothly, and in their pleasant mood, the conversation flowed easily between them. Annie wasn’t as perfectly poised as she appeared in front of the cameras; she quickly started venting to Su Fan about some of the eccentric people she’d encountered on film sets.
Later, as they chatted more animatedly, Annie even ordered a bottle of wine. She drank glass after glass without showing the slightest sign of intoxication, allowing Su Fan to witness a side of her few people saw.
Still, the scene before him—fine wine, a beautiful companion—was quite agreeable, especially since he wasn’t paying. The right approach was simply to enjoy it.
Amid conversation, the clinking of cutlery, and the successive clearing of plates, their evening together gradually drew to a close.
“I really enjoyed having dinner with you… I never imagined time would pass so quickly,” Annie said, looking out the window.
The sunset had completely faded. Lights from the streets and buildings had long since lit up, casting the dark sky in an orange glow. For some reason, around Su Fan, she felt she could shed her constant “perfect” persona and just be an ordinary person. Since starring in The Princess Diaries, the roles offered to her were mostly variations of the beautiful princess archetype—utterly vase. This stereotype had, to some extent, influenced her real life, making her feel she had to be impeccably spoken and mannered at all times.
“If it’s possible, I’d like to occasionally invite you out for dinner like this, Su,” she said, almost without thinking, then immediately realized her slip. “I mean…”
“Thank you for the kind offer, but I probably won’t have that much free time,” Su Fan replied, not accepting the invitation.
Yeah, right. If I spent my time having dinner with you every day, who’s going to make up for my cultivation training?
Hearing this, Annie didn’t seem offended but simply smiled. “It seems I’ll have to place my hopes with Lady Luck then.”
After the meal, they didn’t linger in the restaurant but headed downstairs promptly. Los Angeles at night was bustling, with crowds jostling and many women of a particular profession beginning to appear on the streets. In such a noisy environment, Su Fan and Annie didn’t stand out particularly.
“Goodbye, Master Su Fan.”
“Goodbye.”
After a brief farewell, Su Fan watched her get into her car before turning to leave.
Truth be told, a client like Annie was close to perfect: she listened carefully to advice, never acted willfully, paid promptly and without fuss, and even treated him to a meal afterward. If possible, Su Fan wished all future clients could be like this.
Time to head back.
Meanwhile, in the car, Annie was subjected to Rachel’s rapid-fire questions: “Did dinner go well? Did you give him the gift? What was his reaction?”
“Extremely well!” Rachel could hear the uplift in Annie’s tone, her high spirits. Then, catching a familiar scent of alcohol, Rachel’s eyes widened.
“You drank?!”
“I did.”
Hearing this, Rachel facepalmed. Though Annie was young, early financial independence had led to some less-than-ideal habits, like a fondness for drink. And when she drank too much, she tended to complain incessantly about everything. No matter how charming a woman was, turning into a grumbling nag would diminish her image in any man’s eyes.
“How did Su react?”
“He didn’t really react much. He just listened to me talk, didn’t seem impatient at all.” Annie recalled, a smile touching her lips. “Isn’t that what you’d call… a true gentleman, gentle and refined?”
No, no. I think he was probably just being politely reluctant to interrupt you. Seeing Annie’s happy expression, Rachel couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud.
…
Back at the antique shop, Su Fan resumed his leisurely routine: reading, practicing martial arts, drawing talismans. In his spare time, he also reflected on the cases he’d encountered so far.
America was a land of… vibrant spirits. It seemed anyone, whether wronged or not, had the potential to become a ghost. The reasons for turning into a vengeful spirit were even more baffling. The malevolent ghosts causing trouble were invariably people who had been utterly wicked in life. Especially those two: Mary Shaw and Freddy. One was a puppet-maker gone mad, the other a born abnormal and child-murderer. What right did such scum have to become evil spirits and slaughter ordinary people? What, they could kill others, but couldn’t handle being killed themselves? The sheer audacity.
Wait…
Freddy gained his dream-invading power through a connection with the Dream Demons, who bestowed their blessing. But what about Mary Shaw? What did she rely on to acquire her ability, the “Domain of Silence”? Did she just figure it out on her own through making puppets? Unlikely.
“Messy. It’s all too messy,” Su Fan sighed. If he didn’t have his skills, this place would genuinely be unsettling. He wondered when he’d be able to build Su Lao’tou’s antique shop into something bigger and more successful, restoring its former glory?
As Su Fan pondered, he reached for his teacup. Just then, he felt a sudden intuition and looked up towards the door.
Outside the glass door, a blurred figure gradually approached and finally pushed the shop door open.
“Welcome,” Su Fan offered a token greeting without rising from his seat.
Oddly, the visitor showed no displeasure at this casual reception. The man walked directly up to Su Fan, removed his hat, revealing a weary face.
“I apologize for the intrusion, Master Su Fan,” the man said. “My name is Carsten Johnson.”
He produced a business card and placed it before Su Fan. A glance showed the title “Senior Architect.”
“I found you through a referral from Ms. Kate, seeking your help,” Carsten explained. “My daughter has recently been experiencing some… unnatural phenomena that science can’t explain. She’s suffering. We hope you can assist us. As for payment, we assure you a satisfactory sum.”
Su Fan wasn’t surprised. Anyone addressing him as “Master” right off the bat had undoubtedly heard his name after encountering supernatural troubles.
Referred by Ms. Kate… Looks like she’s recovering well, even resuming basic social activities.
“If you want my help, you must tell me everything about the central figure in this incident and all the experiences,” Su Fan stated. “I hope you won’t attempt to conceal anything. Doing so will only harm you and yours.”
Carsten offered a faint, bitter smile. “There’s nothing to hide. Since I’ve come to seek your help, I will cooperate fully.”
“Take a seat here.” At Su Fan’s gesture, Carsten sat down and began his account.
“My daughter’s name is Scarlett Johansson. She’s currently an actress in Hollywood…”
