As An Antique Shop Owner, It's Only Reasonable That I Know A Bit Of Magic - Chapter 1

The pedestrian street bustled with crowds in the evening.

Among them walked a couple, one slightly ahead of the other.

“Lisa… can we stop soon? I really can’t walk anymore,” the man halted with a wry smile.

“Sweetheart, this is the Hollywood Walk of Fame! We finally made it here—don’t you want to explore properly?”

Indeed, this was Hollywood—the heart of global film culture. Beneath their feet, the Walk of Fame bore the names of countless dazzling stars from the world of entertainment.

It was nothing short of an iconic landmark.

Seeing his wife’s delighted expression, Jamie decided not to spoil the mood and continued accompanying her as she wandered around.

Just then, Lisa noticed something.

“Look, Jamie! There’s an antique shop here!”

Jamie followed her gaze and saw a quaint, old-fashioned storefront.

It stood out starkly among the surrounding luxury boutiques with their grand display windows.

“Let’s go in.”

Jamie nodded.

His wife had a habit of ordering takeout, and back in their small town, there happened to be a decent Chinese restaurant.

Love for one thing led to love for its associations—so she had developed an interest in Chinese culture.

Besides, Jamie himself found it novel. After all, shops like this didn’t exist where they lived.

Pushing the door open, they were greeted by warm lighting illuminating an array of ink paintings, porcelain, and jade artifacts arranged elegantly throughout the store.

A single glance was enough to feel the weight of its refined cultural atmosphere.

Behind the counter sat a scholarly young man with black hair and dark eyes.

He held a book in his hands, his features sharp and refined.

The sound of the door seemed to startle him, and he looked up.

When their eyes met, Jamie thought he saw a faint glimmer in the young man’s dark irises.

But by the time he blinked, the eyes were ordinary again—as if it had all been his imagination.

“Welcome…”

The black-haired man’s greeting was simple, but his gaze was peculiar.

Unlike the usual enthusiasm of a shopkeeper seeing customers, his eyes held surprise, contemplation, and—more than anything—pity.

It was the kind of look one might give a terminally ill patient on their deathbed.

This unsettled Jamie.

But before he could dwell on it, his wife’s excited chatter pulled his attention away.

“Look, Jamie!”

“What exquisite pieces… they’re nothing like the ones outside!”

“Is this blue-and-white porcelain? I’ve read about it!”

The beauty and aged charm of the antiques left Lisa in awe.

Soon, her eyes landed on a bracelet.

“Excuse me, shopkeeper—how much is this?”

The young man seemed to notice Lisa only then.

Jamie, still observing him, saw the same strange look directed at her.

This time, however, the shopkeeper spoke.

“That one isn’t expensive—$200.”

Lisa nodded.

The price was reasonable, within her budget.

“But there’s a problem.”

“What problem?”

“You can buy it, but you won’t live to use it.”

The calm, steady tone of his voice ignited fury in both Jamie and Lisa.

Their expressions darkened instantly.

Who curses someone to their face like that? What kind of shopkeeper was this?!

Jamie’s earlier suppressed anger flared up again, and he stormed forward.

“What the hell did you just say, you damn punk?!”

Seeing her husband about to lash out, Lisa quickly held him back.

Though she disliked the comment too, she didn’t want trouble here.

The young shopkeeper remained unshaken, his demeanor unruffled.

“Let’s just go, Jamie…”

“Don’t let him ruin our day.”

“We won’t buy anything from this place.”

“Come on.”

Lisa’s intervention worked. Jamie gave up on teaching the guy a lesson.

Fuming, he grabbed Lisa’s hand and turned toward the exit.

“…If you receive any mysterious packages lately, don’t bring them home.”

“Otherwise, you’ll face mortal danger.”

Just as they reached the door, the shopkeeper’s voice carried over again.

Jamie and Lisa ignored it, dismissing it as the ramblings of a madman.

Inside the shop, the black-haired young man shook his head regretfully before returning to his book, murmuring to himself.

“These Taoist texts really aren’t like ordinary books… Can’t grasp much at a glance…”

“Guess I’ll have to study them a few more times…”

His name was Su Fan, age twenty-one.

Though mentally, he might have been a bit older.

Yes—he had been reborn.

A trope he’d read about countless times in novels had somehow happened to him. Su Fan was both thrilled and bewildered.

But he soon realized he’d been handed a hellish starting point.

He was in a children’s welfare home in the U.S.

And American welfare homes… well, let’s just say those who know, know.

Before he could escape, however, Old Man Su appeared and adopted him.

From then on, Su Fan took root in this antique shop.

Old Man Su was originally from China. In his youth, he’d racked up debts he couldn’t repay and fled to the U.S. by boat.

By all accounts, he’d started from nothing.

But Su Fan had his doubts.

A storefront on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame—was that something just anyone could get?

Whatever mysteries Old Man Su carried, they were buried with him.

Su Fan had arranged the funeral himself. He was the only attendee.

As the saying goes: People won’t come uninvited to joyous occasions, but they’ll show up unbidden for funerals.

At the end of one’s life, even distant relatives and acquaintances often pay their respects.

Yet no one came for Old Man Su. The thought weighed heavily on Su Fan.

Now, his goal was simple: keep the antique shop—inherited from Old Man Su—running smoothly.

But problems arose.

Most Americans had little interest in antiques, let alone when the shop was located on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.

Su Fan’s store stood out like a sore thumb among the luxury brands and clothing boutiques.

Naturally, business was scarce.

He had considered ways to boost its reputation, but most efforts yielded little.

Without startup capital, making things happen was tough. As the saying goes, you can’t make bricks without straw.

Over time, Su Fan simply stopped trying so hard.

He gave up and embraced the quiet life.

In his spare time, he began flipping through the books in the corner.

And then, by chance, he noticed something change within himself.

[You have studied the Taoist scripture Huangting Jing and gained a slightly deeper understanding of its contents.]