As An Antique Shop Owner, It's Only Reasonable That I Know A Bit Of Magic - Chapter 19

With that thought, Esther smiled.

It was an expression she had practiced to perfection in front of a mirror—one brimming with innocence and sweetness.

“Mr. Su Fan, right? I heard Mother and the others mention you at last night’s banquet.”

“They said you turned down a corporate job offer after graduation to take over your foster father’s antique shop. Such a kind and loyal man.”

“Thank you for your concern about my health, and for not holding a grudge against my brother Daniel for his rudeness.”

“He’s not a bad person—he just fell in with the wrong crowd. Please don’t think poorly of him because of that.”

Esther started with a barrage of flattery to break the ice.

Then, she cleverly used Su Fan’s own words from yesterday to steer the conversation, even apologizing on behalf of her brother—someone she barely knew.

Most people, faced with such contrast, would naturally warm up to this polite, adorable little girl.

Esther certainly thought so.

But Su Fan remained utterly unfazed, responding with a lazy, indifferent tone.

“You just joined the Coleman family yesterday, didn’t you? Already calling them ‘Mother’ and ‘Father’? And now you’re apologizing on their behalf? Aren’t you overestimating your place?”

His words froze the smile on Esther’s face.

Visible fury flashed in her eyes—a brief but intense surge of hatred that she quickly suppressed. If one weren’t paying attention, they might’ve missed it entirely.

“Mother and Father are wonderful people. My younger siblings have been so kind to me. For the first time, I feel like I have a real family. I don’t see anything wrong with apologizing for my brother.”

“Hm.”

Su Fan nodded, as if acknowledging her explanation.

Esther’s face brightened slightly.

“So, Mr. Su Fan, does that mean—”

“I don’t accept it.”

Su Fan cut her off bluntly, leaving no room for argument.

“Anything else you wanna say?”

“……”

Two sentences. That was all it took for Su Fan to kill the conversation, leaving the little psychopath speechless.

Tears welled up in her eyes, her lips trembling as if on the verge of crying.

“I-I’m sorry… I just wanted to ease your displeasure…”

She wiped her eyes—and in that fleeting motion, she stole a glance at Su Fan.

The previously indifferent man now frowned, his gaze shifting away as his fingers clenched into a fist.

Esther’s lips curled into a sinister smirk.

Just as I thought. He’s softening.

Men were all the same. The moment a fragile, pretty girl showed vulnerability, their protective instincts kicked in. Even if they’d been disgusted before, their hearts would inevitably waver.

Pleased with herself, Esther decided to press the advantage—leaning in as if to embrace him.

But just then, Mrs. Kate’s voice called from outside.

“Esther! Time to go!”

Hearing this, Esther didn’t stop. Instead, she lunged forward even faster, aiming to throw herself into Su Fan’s arms.

If Kate saw this, Su Fan would instantly lose the Colemans’ trust—and be branded a pedophile.

She’d ruin this damned Chinese man’s reputation for good!

But Su Fan wasn’t about to let her have her way.

Pretending to stretch, he deftly sidestepped her arms. Esther, now off-balance, slammed chest-first onto the counter—her ribs taking the full brunt of the impact.

Kate walked in just in time to see it.

“Esther! What are you doing?!”

Assuming the girl had been fooling around, Kate immediately scolded her.

“Stop bothering him while he’s working! Get down now!”

After reprimanding her adopted daughter, Kate turned to Su Fan with an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry. The kids insisted on visiting, and John and I couldn’t say no…”

“No problem.”

“We won’t disturb you any longer. Feel free to drop by our place anytime.”

“Will do.”

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Kate led Esther away.

Only after they were gone did Su Fan finally unclench his fist.

This low-tier white lotus act is getting old.

Once you stripped away the illusion of childish innocence, this psycho’s motives were laughably transparent.

He had no idea how, in the original storyline, she’d managed to take down so many people one after another.

For Su Fan, the real challenge wasn’t seeing through her—it was not vomiting on the spot.

Especially when she lunged at him.

At this point, he was starting to think the system’s warning—“Proceed with caution”—was less about avoiding danger and more about not beating her to death on impulse.

He’d really wanted to give her the Mary Shaw treatment right then and there.

But one well-placed elbow strike would’ve sent her straight to the afterlife.

And since the detective hadn’t delivered his intel yet, killing her now would mean cutting off his own leads.

With a quiet sigh, Su Fan pulled out the Huangting Jing (Yellow Court Scripture).

The only cure for frustration? Daoist scriptures.

After some serene study, he felt the qi within him grow denser, more potent. Satisfied with today’s cultivation, he put the book away.

Next, he set up his tools and began crafting the Tranquil Heart Talismans he’d promised the detective.

By the time he finished, it was almost evening. He brewed a cup of tea and waited.

Soon enough, the detective arrived as scheduled.

“Long time no see, Su.”

Knowing Su Fan disliked small talk, the man went straight to business, pulling a file from his coat.

“Everything we have on the girl the Colemans recently adopted is here.”

His expression was uneasy—clearly, he’d already learned the truth.

Su Fan flipped through the documents.

The first page featured a photo of “Esther”—except the woman in the picture bore no resemblance to the radiant little girl from earlier. Her face was twisted with malice, her eyes dark and unsettling.

“Her real name isn’t Esther. It’s Lena, from Russia.”

“She’s an adult suffering from a rare hormonal disorder that stunted her growth, leaving her with the body of a child.”

“Her actual age is thirty-three—damn it, she’s older than her so-called parents.”

The detective shuddered, muttering a curse before continuing.

“Because of her condition, she’s always been mistaken for a little girl. She’s been hopping from orphanage to orphanage.”

“Before the Colemans, a family of seven took her in. Not long after, they all died in a fire—except for her.”

“The investigation ruled it arson, but her lawyer successfully argued insanity. She was sent to a mental institution.”

“Recently, she escaped, made her way to that orphanage, and got adopted by the Colemans without a proper medical check.”*

As the detective relayed the information, Su Fan skimmed through the rest of the file.

The orphanage’s records seemed normal—except for one detail that caught his attention.

A certain black nun.