As An Antique Shop Owner, It's Only Reasonable That I Know A Bit Of Magic - Chapter 50

“You saved my life, and you helped Rachel escape her misery…”

“Just eat your food.”

Su Fan directly cut him off.

Jamie was great in many ways—brave yet meticulous, loyal and deeply principled—but he could also be a bit long-winded.

Even though he had already paid a considerable sum, he never felt it was enough.

Every time the topic of exorcism came up, it would trigger this same lengthy routine.

After hearing it so many times, Su Fan could tell from the very first word that it was time to interrupt the performance.

Jamie didn’t seem embarrassed at being cut off; he just paused for a moment.

“What’s your relationship with Rachel, anyway?”

Seeing that he was about to start up again, Su Fan quickly changed the subject.

“She was mine and Lisa’s childhood playmate.”

When they were kids, Lisa and Jamie’s best friend was Rachel.

But later, because of the curse, Rachel left town.

Although her family hadn’t been involved in killing Mary Shaw and weren’t directly targeted, staying in a town where people kept dying one after another was simply unbearable.

“After Rachel left, Lisa’s mental state kept deteriorating. Combined with issues involving my father, I made up my mind to leave too.”

“I just never expected that she would end up working in the film industry.”

At this point, Jamie looked at Su Fan.

“While you were in the dream world yesterday, Rachel and I discussed ways to promote the antique shop.”

Hearing this, Su Fan sat up a little straighter.

Go on, I’m listening.

“Rachel and I both agree that to make the business thrive, raising its profile is essential.”

“Advertising?” Su Fan asked.

“No, what we discussed wasn’t about boosting the shop’s reputation, but boosting yours.”

Jamie took a sip of water to wet his throat before continuing.

“People remember a person’s name more easily than they remember a shop.”

“Fortunately, Rachel has some connections from her work as an agent.”

“I’ve also recently sponsored an antique appraisal event.”

“So we thought, why not invite you to participate in some antique appraisal shows or offline appraisal events?”

I see.

Su Fan thought it over for a moment and agreed that the approach sounded promising.

The connections and pathways were already there; all that was left was to rely on Su Fan’s own skills.

Having grown up with Old Man Su, he naturally had some expertise in appraising antiques.

You couldn’t run an antique shop without a good eye, after all.

“When Rachel finds an opportunity, she’ll notify you right away.”

“Alright, I appreciate all the effort you’ve both put into this.”

Getting on a show wasn’t simple. All the behind-the-scenes maneuvering would have to be handled by Rachel, and the challenges involved were easy to imagine.

“Oh, right.” Jamie slapped his forehead.

“Rachel called earlier and said Anne Hathaway would like to have dinner with you to discuss the payment.”

“Lunch?”

“Dinner… because according to Rachel, Anne is currently… well, in a deep sleep.”

Got it. The kind of deep sleep nothing can disturb, right?

After being tormented by Freddy for so long, a single night’s rest clearly wasn’t enough for Anne to recover.

Su Fan was understanding about that.

“What are you planning to do in the meantime? Hole up in your room reading like before?”

“No, this time I plan to relax properly.”

Although the sense of progress from cultivation was addictive, it was important to balance work and rest.

For a long time, he had either been fighting demons, on his way to fight demons, or studying Taoist texts and drawing talismans.

It was about time he took a break.

“How about going for a drink, then?” Jamie perked up.

“At this hour?”

Su Fan would prefer to go in the afternoon or evening rather than the morning.

“Any time is a good time for a drink. Come on, let’s have one!”

…

The two of them walked together, searching for a suitable spot along the street.

Before long, they entered a small, understated tavern.

Looking at the scene before him, Su Fan was suddenly reminded of Tobey Maguire’s iconic dance in Spider-Man.

The vibe was just too similar.

“I thought you’d pick somewhere a bit noisier…”

The atmosphere in the tavern was relaxed and laid-back. People were chatting in small groups, occasionally clinking glasses.

“This is a proper place for drinking. The spots you’re thinking of are for picking up girls—impure motives.”

After saying this, Jamie immediately ordered.

“Give me a Screwdriver. And for this gentleman…”

“A Dry Martini, please.”

Just as Jamie was wondering what to order for Su Fan, the latter spoke up first.

Hearing “Dry Martini,” the bartender gave Su Fan an extra glance before turning to prepare the drink.

Seeing this, Jamie realized that Su Fan wasn’t exactly a cocktail novice.

“Don’t look at me like that. I have been living in the U.S. for a while, after all. I’ve been to a few social drinking events.”

Whether he liked it or not, once he started university, he had to socialize.

His roommates occasionally invited him out for drinks to thank him for cooking.

But the real reason Su Fan ordered himself was that he was worried Jamie might order him something like a Mojito.

The bartender moved with practiced ease, clearly skilled.

Su Fan initially wondered why the guy was putting so much effort into it, but then he realized.

A Dry Martini is the ultimate test of a bartender’s skill, which was why the bartender had glanced at him earlier.

Under normal circumstances, its taste is hard for most people to appreciate. Only three types of people order it: enthusiasts, trend-followers, and those testing the bartender’s ability.

The bartender had mistaken Su Fan for the third type and was now going all out.

To avoid any further fuss, Su Fan stopped watching him and turned his attention to the TV.

“A farce unfolded at XXX Airport when a female passenger suddenly began screaming and prevented the plane from taking off just before departure…”

“She claimed the plane would crash, causing panic among passengers and leading to the flight’s cancellation…”

“She was eventually escorted off the plane by security… Experts believe the woman may suffer from some form of mental illness…”

Watching the news, Su Fan felt a strange sensation arise in his heart.

Premonition?

He immediately thought of his newly acquired supernatural ability.

Did this mean the event in the news was about to become connected to him?

What kind of connection could there be?

Before Su Fan could ponder further, the next news report began.

“According to reliable sources, a death has occurred on a film set.”

“The deceased was a specially appointed psychological consultant, Elizabeth, aged 67, female…”

“The identity of the murderer is still under investigation…”

“A certain Hollywood director is a prime suspect in the case and is currently being investigated by the police.”

“Below is footage from the arrest scene…”

On screen, a bearded man with his face pixelated was being dragged by two police officers toward a squad car.

He looked terrified, yelling and shouting.

“It wasn’t me! I didn’t do it!”

“It was Freddy! Freddy came into our dreams, he tortured us, made our lives hell! Listen to me! You have to believe me!!”

“No, wait—you’re also illusions created by Freddy!”

“I’m still dreaming! I’m still dreaming! Let me go!!!”

The nearly delirious director suddenly began struggling violently, actually managing to break free from the two officers.

He ran away like a madman, but was hit by a taser from an assisting patrol officer. Convulsing, he collapsed to the ground…