As An Antique Shop Owner, It's Only Reasonable That I Know A Bit Of Magic - Chapter 63

The notification brought an expected piece of news.

Death had added Su Fan to the list.

The reason, perhaps, was that he had just saved Scarlett, who should have died in the chain of events. Or perhaps it was because he himself was also one of the destined deceased.

Su Fan noticed earlier that Scarlett had specifically turned her head, intently watching a large truck drive past on the road. It wasn’t until the truck disappeared from view that she finally relaxed.

The answer was quite clear. In the premonition, what ultimately killed Scarlett was that very truck.

If such a huge truck came crashing into them, could he, sitting right beside Scarlett, possibly escape unscathed?

But then again, he hadn’t been on the same flight as Scarlett before either.

Su Fan began to understand his previous role now.

He was just a minor character, an insignificant casualty caught in the crossfire… the classic cannon fodder you see in horror movies…

Brilliant.

And this thing still has the nerve to talk about maintaining the balance between death and life in the world.

In front of Su Fan, the server had already come to clear the table and brought two new cups of coffee, identical to the previous ones.

After the terrifying scare earlier, although badly shaken, Scarlett had also gained a bit of confidence.

The fate of death could be changed. Knowing that was enough.

She took a sip from her cup and, seeing the pensive look on the dark-haired young man’s face, asked curiously, “Su, are you thinking about our next move?”

“Yeah.”

Seeing Su Fan nod but show no intention to elaborate, Scarlett didn’t press further.

She now knew Su Fan wasn’t some charlatan, but a truly capable person. Combined with her guilt over previously doubting him, this layered on top, making Scarlett place considerable trust in Su Fan.

After a while, Su Fan was the one to break the silence.

“For this period of time, you don’t need to go back to the psychiatric hospital.”

Hearing this, Scarlett was taken aback.

“Su, do you mean I should go somewhere safer?”

“No.”

Su Fan shook his head.

“On the contrary. As long as you’re careful not to be in close contact with others for too long, you can pretty much live a normal life.”

“Going to appointments, auditioning for roles – that kind of work is perfectly fine to continue. You can even try going out shopping. As for traveling…” Su Fan paused. “…let’s forget about traveling for now. Don’t go too far.”

“By ‘too far,’ you mean…?”

“Don’t leave California.”

The vastness of the area Su Fan defined left Scarlett somewhat incredulous.

“Is it possible to share the reason?”

“I’d rather not, please understand.”

Su Fan wasn’t intentionally being mysterious. He was unsure if this so-called “Death” would adjust its actions based on their conversation. As the saying goes, divine secrets cannot be revealed. Sometimes it’s not about fearing retribution, but worrying that speaking things aloud might trigger changes.

Su Fan’s reason for letting Scarlett live normally was actually quite simple:

To exhaust “Death.”

The notification had made it quite clear. Su Fan disrupting the chain had caused “Death” to incur unnecessary losses.

This confirmed his earlier hypothesis was correct. Orchestrating a series of accidents to kill someone indeed consumed something belonging to “Death.”

If that was the case, could he use talismans to drain its resources, to the point where it had no more tricks left?

Furthermore, if it’s a consumable resource, how is it replenished? Does it regenerate naturally over time, or is it obtained from elsewhere? And how much cost is the other party willing to bear to eliminate the names on its list?

Su Fan sighed.

[Conceptual existences without physical form are such a hassle.]

Just then, a phone ringtone sounded.

“Hold on a moment, I need to take this.” Scarlett took her phone out of her bag. Glancing at the caller ID, she answered.

“Hello?”

“…”

“I’m out busy with something, what’s up?”

“…”

A look of confusion appeared on Scarlett’s face.

“You want me to come back now? What about Dad’s side?”

“…”

“Alright, we can discuss everything once I get there…”

After a brief exchange, she hung up.

“Su, there’s something going on at home, I need to head back.”

Scarlett hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“It was my mom on the phone. She wants to have a proper talk about what’s been happening to me recently, to find a solution.”

“Go back? Right now?”

“Yes… because she mentioned that a film crew sent me an invitation…”

“Since you said it’s okay to live normally, Su, I didn’t refuse.”

“But… I still feel a bit uneasy.”

The protective talisman’s effect was acknowledged by her father, and Su Fan wouldn’t lie to her. Yet, Scarlett still felt some trepidation in her heart.

“Could I ask you to come with me?”

Hearing this, Su Fan didn’t answer immediately.

Those few short seconds felt more tense to Scarlett than waiting for the results after her first audition.

“Miss Johnson, I am not your personal bodyguard. You should also understand that someone like me isn’t available at all times.”

“Moreover, staying by your side could get me caught by paparazzi or reporters, which would greatly disrupt my personal life.”

“So… it’s not possible?” Scarlett’s heart sank, her eyes looking as vulnerable as a fawn’s.

“It’s not entirely impossible. It’s just that…” Su Fan said without changing his expression, “…the price goes up.”

“…”

—

Empowered by Scarlett’s ‘money power,’ Su Fan ultimately agreed to accompany her.

However, Scarlett was the one driving.

“In your current situation, it’s best to avoid too much contact with those close to you. Otherwise, it’s easy to implicate others, like a driver.”

“Death isn’t as bound by rules as you might think.”

Su Fan sat contentedly in the passenger seat, ignoring Scarlett’s somewhat resentful look.

He only agreed to come along for protection; he never said anything about being the driver.

Besides, if something really happened, he’d have to manage both the car and the person – that would seriously affect efficiency. Matters of life and death hinge on a moment; there’s no room for carelessness.

Scarlett seemed to share this view, as she followed traffic rules meticulously throughout the journey.

Stop at red lights, go on green, never cutting lanes.

The trip was uneventful, and they soon arrived at the destination.

“I’ll wait right here. You go on in.”

After getting out of the car, Su Fan simply leaned against the car door.

Seeing that she still seemed hesitant, he sighed.

“If anything happens, I’ll come in. Don’t forget you have the protective talisman… Go on.”

Reassured by Su Fan’s promise, Scarlett finally felt confident enough to enter her family’s house.

Not long after Scarlett went inside, Su Fan saw two figures approaching from a distance.

One was a typical middle-aged white woman. The other was dressed in clerical attire, holding a bible.