Don't Turn from Summer Chapter 57

Chapter 57!

Chapter 57

The entrepeneur coffee shop is still the same as before, located downtown but still very secluded, as if its located faraway from the rest of the flourishing town. The lady boss is still as elegant and charming as before, never asking where any of the customers were from. Brother Ba Tai is still calm and amiable, but he seems to be able to see everything.

Feng Chen’s misfortune doesn’t change how they treat Mu Han Xia at all. The coffee they offer is still just as warm and fragrant. But Mu Han Xia has waited here for two days yet hasn’t been able to see the person she is looking for.

Thinking back on it, the hint that Lao Fang had given her was already extremely clear-cut: New face, foreign businessman, hidden in the city, even surpassing the imaginations of a company like Rong Yue. But Lao Fang had also said it very clearly– whether or not she could win this angelic investor, it was up to her. The difficulty was high.

Mu Han Xia is sitting in her usual window seat, her heart calm and undisturbed.

These two days, she hadn’t completely wasted them. During this period of time, she had brought her proposal around and discussed with a few people. Some people had expressed their interest, but there were very few who had actually made any substantial progress.

“Ding dong,” a sound rings out, the door bell rings. Mu Han Xia raises her head as usual, and suddenly sees the lady boss give her a look from behind Ba Tai.

Mu Han Xia’s heart trembles slightly. Suddenly, she has a wonderful sort of intuition. The person who just came, he was the person she had been waiting for.

Although she had never mentioned her intentions to the lady boss, and although the lady boss had never asked her anything these few days, Mu Han Xia already understands clearly. The world is wise and experienced, able to see through everything, far beyond her imagination. In her life, there is still a very long way to go and to learn.

She looks at the door, slightly startled.

It’s … this person?

Indeed, it is a foreigner. His hair is grizzled, his body small and skinny, and his face is also angular and thin. He’s about 50 years old. But he is wearing a very old jacket, which is even fraying at the edges. His jeans are also well washed and are a pale color. His sneakers are worn and old, and there’s even a piece of tape somewhere.

Mu Han Xia silently watches him walk in. He sits somewhere not far from her and asks for a cup of coffee and a sandwich, all in authentic English.

“Hi, Bert!” The lady boss personally brings the coffee his table and greets him with a smile.

Mu Han Xia continues to watch silently, remaining calm and collected.

He probably sensed her gaze and Bert looks up, shooting a glance at her. Mu Han Xia immediately puts a sweet smile on her face. Just now, she had wanted to greet him and say “Hi,” but Bert just gives her a dismissive look.

Mu Han Xia: “… …”

In the afternoon, the coffee shop is extremely quiet. People at neighbouring tables are conversing quietly and there’s also the sound of fingers tapping on a keyboard. Old Bert* takes out an Apple computer from his wrinkled bag and looks at it. No one else notices him. Mu Han Xia remains calm, once again reveals a smile, then walks over to his table and sits down. “Hi, Mr. Bert, I’m Summer, can we talk a bit?”

*- This is like the Lao in Lao Fang (it means old). In Chinese, Lao is sometimes added as like a form of address (like Mr., Ms., etc.) and used for an older person. Since Lao Bert sounds a bit strange, I’m taking the liberty of translating it to old Bert, but his name is really just Bert.

Originally she had been prepared to greet the dismissive look from the old man with his strange personality. She never expected that, when he raised his head, on the originally unimpressive looking face, there was a pair of piercing and perceptive blue eyes. Unexpectedly, her heart trembles because of his gaze.

“So you are Fang’s young friend Summer?” He asks.

“Ah, yes.”

He laughs coldly, his gaze like a cold knife. “I admit that I have some relations with Fang, and he also asked me to help you out. But, what I hate the most is people telling me where I should invest. Furthermore, it is even a small company on the verge of bankruptcy. Don’t bother me again, this conversation is over. Goodbye*. Oh, wait, no. Farewell.”

*- In Chinese, goodbye is 再見 (zai4 jian4) which directly translates to “again see” so its more like “see you another time.” Bert doesn’t want to see her, so he changes his wording from this to 永別 (yong3 bie2), which means to part forever.

Mu Han Xia freezes. She had never expected that Lao Fang would actually help her out with this, and she also hadn’t thought that this Bert’s character would be so arrogant. His tone is full of ridicule and disgust, making it hard for Mu Han Xia’s heart to bear. Her face slowly reddens.

“Today was really unlucky… …” Old Bert mutters. After putting away his computer, he walks towards the door. Mu Han Xia grits her teeth and follows him.

Two people walk together on the road, one in front and one in back. Old Bert’s expression is terrible, and he turns back to give her a ruthless glare. “Oh, is it that you as a Chinese person has no shame in your heart?”

Mu Han Xia follows up, her stubborn strength showing. She smiles and says, “I just want to have a talk with you, at least give me this opportunity.”

Bert angrily scolds her, saying “*”

(There was a * in the chapter, so maybe it was a swear? Haha)

He walks to the bus stop, and Mu Han Xia is a bit astonished to find that he is going to take the bus. But she still continues following him and gets on the bus behind him.

The bus is pretty empty, and he actually finds a yellow priority seat for the elderly, sick and pregnant women to sit down in. Mu Han Xia immediately sits directly behind him.

The large bus shakes and sways, and rain flies up from the bus windows. The both of them remain silent. Mu Han Xia is in fact quite embarrassed, as this is the first time she has ever pestered and harassed someone like this. But when she thinks of Lin Mo Chen, she realizes that if it was something even more shameless, she would still be willing to do it for him.

Why would Old Bert be scared by this young lady? When he finally begins to look out the window, feeling a bit tired, he closes his eyes to rest. Since he’s dressed like this, he obviously isn’t afraid of anyone staling from him. Mu Han Xia also isn’t sure whether he is sleeping or not. Inspiration hits her; she feels that she might as well just move towards him a bit, and so she does, and then she begins whispering in his ear about Feng Chen’s unique competitiveness and advantages, all in English… …

“… … Lin is a graduate from the Columbia, and he started a fruit business battle before in New York. Using his own power, he attacked the fruit market in New York… … the competitiveness in Feng Chen’s clothing business lies in how simple, fashionable and high quality the brand is. Furthermore, it is the fastest rising in the industry. It has captured this part of the market, completely dominating the market… … Feng Chen’s real estate… …”

Her low voice is soft and sweet sounding. Of course, she still speaks English with a bit of a Chinese accent. At first, old Bert doesn’t want to listen, but her voice seeps into his ears little by little and he has no choice. Listening, he does not even lift an eyebrow, remaining with his eyes closed throughout, as if he is indifferent and also as if he is truly asleep.

The sky darkened.

The bus has arrived at the last stop. Mu Han Xia sees the driver pull on the hand break, and the bus firmly stops in place. After, the driver roars, “It’s the final stop!” He ignores the two of them and directly jumps off the bus, walking away.

Their surroundings have all turned dark, and Mu Han Xia looks outside than back at old Bert sleeping in the seat in front of her, his eyes still closed. The only sound in the bus is the slow, measured sound of his breathing.

“Hey! Mr. Bert! We’ve arrived at the last stop!” She gently pushes him a bit.

There is no response.

She calls out to him a few more times and even shakes him body. But he is sleeping too deeply; after smacking his lips a few times, he is motionless once again.

Mu Han Xia is not provoked, but she doesn’t dare to pinch him. This old man’s temper is too big, what should she do if she pinches him too hard and it hurts? She quietly sits beside him.

There is only a little bit of light from the roadside lamps in the bus. It’s quiet and dark. But this time Mu Han Xia sees his elderly status clearly. His forehead is full of wrinkles, his hair is silver, his body gaunt and weak. Even though she had just met him today, and even though he was a crafty foreigner, at this moment, the most natural feeling that Mu Han Xia feels is that he is only an old man. That is why he is able to accidentally fall into such a deep sleep on the bus.

Chapter end