Intern Incubus Chapter 41: I Don’t Want to Help You

Chapter 41: I Don’t Want to Help You

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Kiramekineko

 

Qiao Xi’s eyes widened, and his nose twitched subconsciously—

No, it just looks like him. He was not Han Tian.

Unlike Han Tian with his sweet fragrance, this man’s soul had no smell. No sweet fragrance, no bad smell, probably just an ordinary soul.

Perhaps Qiao Xi’s surprise was so obvious that the man stood still for a few seconds, took his hat in his hand, and asked again, “How are you?”

Qiao Xi then came back to his senses and quickly said, “Sorry, sorry. Would you like something to drink?”

The man closed his eyes slightly, sniffed gently in the air, opened his eyes again, and smiled. “I smell black tea. Please bring me a cup of black tea.”

Qiao Xi guided the person to a round table by the window and sat down, saying, “Yes, wait a moment,” while he couldn’t help but peek at the person’s face.

It was too similar, too similar.

If it was in the dim light, one would have mistaken him for Han Tian.

Only after the sunlight poured in from the window could we see that this man was actually several years older than Han Tian and had some very fine wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. Moreover, he had a distinctive bunch of white in his hair, which was extremely conspicuous.

Such a similar appearance, this person and Han Tian should have some kind of relationship, right? Is he Han Tian’s relative?

Speaking of which, it seems that Han Tian has never said what his family is like?

When Qiao Xi thought of this, he felt a little annoyed with himself: Hey, I am a little demon who came out of an egg, but Han Tian is not. Why didn’t I think to ask Han Tian what his parents’ family was like? Maybe it’s because of these details that I’m stuck in my project and can’t get my Capture Value up!

Qiao Xi thought in exasperation while making a cup of black tea from a tea bag; the tea broth was clear and the tea tasted mellow.

After he served the tea, the man looked at him with a smile and said softly, “Is there any cake here? I can smell the aroma of cake.”

Qiao Xi nodded. “Yes, there is. The brownies are especially fragrant, the cheesecake is pure, the strawberry cream cake is fresh… Anyway, everything is delicious, which one do you want?”

The man rubbed his black gloved hand back and forth on his chin, and finally smiled lightly. “Since you think they are all good, let’s have one of each.”

“Okay!” According to the other party’s request, Qiao Xi took out one of each cake in the cabinet and served them on a tray, splitting them twice before bringing them all over.

“Your cake, please enjoy it.”

When he took the last chocolate muffin to the table, his hand suddenly lost its strength and shook slightly, almost dropping the muffin on the floor.

“Ah, sorry…” Qiao Xi apologized, while vaguely wondering: What happened? Why is my hand shaking?

“It’s okay, it’s okay, you don’t have to care,” the man softly persuaded.

Qiao Xi felt that this person’s tone of voice and attitude toward people were very similar to Han Tian’s. Both were humble and polite.

They were the same: modest and courteous, gentle and generous.

The same appearance, similar temperament, so, what is the relationship between this person and Han Tian?

But it’s too sudden to ask such a question, right?

He was thinking how to subtly and unobtrusively speak, when the man picked up the cup of tea, took a sip of tea, his eyebrows relaxed, and he sighed softly. “This taste is too nostalgic ah…”

Hmm?

Qiao Xi, who heard these words, continued to wear a business smile, as a diligent and conscientious shopkeeper would do, and politely asked, “This tea, there is a special recipe, still to your taste?”

“Special recipe?” The man really noticed the word and looked up with some surprise on his face. “Really? I thought only my brother could make this flavor. Could it be that there are other people who have this recipe as well?”

“Your…brother?” Qiao Xi trailed off, asking a rhetorical question with a great deal of meaning.

“Mn,” the man nodded, smiling with a bit of regret and a bit of longing, “my brother, Xiao Tian. Speaking of which, I haven’t seen him in a long time.”

“Your brother Xiao Tian?” Qiao Xi looked at the man intently.

The other person played with the dessert spoon with a gloved hand, his face both puzzled and expectant. “Yes, Xiao Tian. I heard that he works in a private hospital near here, so as soon as I arrived in this city, I rushed to this neighborhood, thinking that I might be able to meet him…”

Looking at Qiao Xi’s expression, the man asked tentatively, “You don’t happen to know my brother, do you? Ah sorry, you see, I was so excited, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Luo Lin, and I have a real brother named Luo Tian, but he has changed his name to ‘Han Tian’.”

The other party had said this much, Qiao Xi instantly thought that there was no need to pretend any further.

“Coincidentally, we do know each other.” Qiao Xi’s eyes curled up in a smile and he said frankly, “My name is Qiao Xi, Han Tian is my… Han Tian is my…well, he’s my colleague. He used to work here, and the black tea you just drank was made from the tea bag he gave me.”

“Really?” Luo Lin was so surprised that he stood up directly from his seat and even stretched out his hands to shake Qiao Xi’s hand—

However, before Luo Lin’s hand touched his, it was as if he was electrocuted by something, and swished back.

“I’m sorry, I got excited for a moment and was too rude.” Luo Lin’s face turned a little white, shrugged off his wrist, and explained slightly embarrassed.

“It’s fine, it’s understandable.” Qiao Xi said so, but in his heart, he still felt that the man’s posture was a bit too unnatural.

“Mr. Qiao Xi, if you are not busy, can you tell me how Xiao Tian is doing lately?” Luo Lin asked sincerely, and his tone was even a bit begging for mercy.

Looking at this face, which is almost identical to Han Tian’s, and using this tone of voice to talk to himself, Qiao Xi could not refuse at all. Besides, there was nothing else going on in the cafe at all.

So, he sat down opposite Luo Lin and talked about Han Tian’s recent history in a simple and clear manner.

For example, Han Tian was a brilliant doctor, a visiting professor, a donor to students and an orphanage, a gentle and good-tempered person, and, in short, a wonderful person.

Of course, he did not intend to tell the brother that he was living in his brother’s house and almost kissed him yesterday.

After listening to Qiao Xi’s fancy compliments, Luo Lin looked relieved and sighed. “Great, I’m relieved to see our Xiaotian is so happy now.”

Qiao Xi frowned a little.

Luo Lin seemed not to notice Qiao Xi’s expression at all and continued to sigh. “When Xiao Tian was a teenager, he chased after me every day. I loved black tea, and he learned to make it to make me happy… He also very thoughtfully added his secret recipe to the black tea, the aroma is particularly unique. So, as soon as I drank this tea, I immediately thought, ‘Maybe Xiao Tian will be here?'”

Hmm? Because you like tea, Han Tian learned to make black tea?

Why does that sound so uncomfortable?

Unknowingly, Qiao Xi’s brow furrowed even tighter.

Luo Lin paused and said with an apologetic smile, “Ah, look at me, how to talk about such trivial matters. You must be more interested in knowing why my brother, who is so close to me, and I have not seen each other for so many years, right?”

Qiao Xi gave a “hmm” and pointed to the desserts on the table. “Mr. Luo, actually I am more concerned about which cake you want to eat first?”

The cakes had been out of the refrigerated cabinet for a while, but the man hadn’t touched a single bite.

“Oh, this one is not in a hurry.” The man did not think anything of it, and at the same time began to tell himself the family story of him and Han Tian.

This story, and what Qiao Xi previously read from [human sociology] [extracurricular extension reading] of those gentry feuds, is not very different.

Presumably, the story is about a famous family with a hundred years of prestige. Both brothers are expected by their parents, but Han Tian, who is the second son, is particularly intelligent and highly anticipated. On the other hand, the eldest son, Luo Lin, is a little less successful.

As a result, there is a lot of fighting between the two brothers.

However, Han Tian announced his withdrawal from the competition and left the family to start his own business so that his brother could succeed.

After that, Luo Lin tried to contact Han Tian more than once to get him to return to the family, but to no avail. Even over the years, he has not been able to see Han Tian again.

“So, even though I know that Han Tian went to pursue his dream, I still feel that I am guilty of forcing him away from the family. I wish that I could have a chance to talk to him properly and apologize to him…” Luo Lin’s words were extremely earnest, and his eyes even faintly glittered with tears.

This scene, this tone of voice, if it were a soft-hearted person, it was guaranteed they would wipe tears together.

However, Qiao Xi only nodded and asked again, “Mr. Luo, which piece of cake are you going to eat first?”

“Hmm?” Luo Lin froze, obviously not expecting Qiao Xi’s focus to be on the cake. He seemed to be still immersed in that sad mood, and only casually used a spoon to dig a small corner into the matcha lasagna cake, while continuing, “Actually, I always wondered if Han Tian was still angry with me because he insisted on not seeing me. Or is it because his feelings for me are too heavy that he can’t let go? So, this apology is very important for him and for me…”

Qiao Xi skimmed his mouth slightly, quite unimpressed.

In his opinion, Han Tian was living a good life now, and his days were so full that he did not need any apology at all.

As for Han Tian’s separation from his family and refusal to see his brother, Qiao Xi believed that Han Tian must have his own reasons.

“Mr. Qiao Xi?” Luo Lin dug a corner of the brownie with his spoon again, while politely continuing to ask, “I just wanted to ask, this little star you are wearing around your neck has a unique shape, very much like the ornaments Xiao Tian used to make by hand. This is not a gift from Xiaotian, is it?”

“This?” Qiao Xi touched the little pendant. He had originally carried the small pendant close to his body, and it seemed that it had fallen out of his clothes when he bent over just now.

“Well, yes.” He added, “Mn, Han Tian gave it to me specially.”

“… Sure enough…” Luo Lin’s eyes had a sad look in them. “How nostalgic. He used to give me something similar.”

“… Ah yes.” Qiao Xi didn’t know how to answer this sentence, so she could only give a sullen response.

Luo Lin looked into Qiao Xi’s eyes and his tone was sincere. “Mr. Qiao Xi, if it’s convenient, could you take off this pendant and let me take a look at it?”

“Hmm?” Qiao Xi furrowed his brow and subconsciously pressed his hand on top of the shiny pendant. “This? Sorry, I don’t want to.”

He really didn’t want to.

Han Tian gave it to him, why should he take it off for others to touch? Even if you are a brother, you can’t.

Being rejected by Qiao Xi so categorically, Luo Lin’s face changed slightly.

But soon, with a smile, he took out a small box from the pocket of his trench coat. “By the way, look at this.”

Luo Lin opened the small box; inside was actually a small star, similar to the one hanging around Qiao Xi’s neck, only the color was much duller.

“Look, this is the star he gave me before. It’s exactly the same as the one you have, right?” Luo Lin said with a smile. Luo Lin smiled and said, “Once, when I was seriously ill, he stayed by my side, cried and prayed for me, and made this little star for me. He also said that this star could take his place and watch over me…”

Wait, Han Tian cried and prayed for you?

Qiao Xi looked at the star a few more times, and always felt very uncomfortable, even a little… Want to throw up.

And it’s weird that Luo Lin, as the older brother, looks like he’s in his thirties, but he still carries around the toys his brother gave him when he was a kid? It’s not like you need such a small toy to be able to recognize a brother, right?

In addition, this brother, why would his brother, as a child, say such nonsense and remember so firmly?

What guarding or not guarding, that’s all childish nonsense, it must be nonsense.

Thinking this way, Qiao Xi’s expression became more ugly.

“Mr. Qiao Xi, since you and Xiao Tian are colleagues, I wonder if I can ask you a favor,” Luo Lin asked earnestly.

“Please go ahead, Mr. Luo.” Qiao Xi stiffened his face.

“Xiao Tian and I haven’t contacted each other for years, so I don’t think it’s appropriate to rush to his door to find him. You still seem to know him well, why don’t you help me bring this star to him, when he sees this star, he will naturally remember me and know that I am here, maybe—after so many years, he also wants to see me.” Luo Lin finished in one breath, his expression even took on a bit of humility.

Qiao Xi frowned again.

This was really just a simple request, just take the star and bring it to Han Tian, wouldn’t that be enough to fulfill this poor brother’s wish?

Looking at the complicated look on Qiao Xi’s face, Luo Lin’s lips opened slightly and he whispered, “This star, so small, is really easy to lose… If this star is lost, it probably means that the brotherhood between Han Tian and I is completely over. I probably won’t want to look for him anymore.”

These words seemed to be just self-talk, but also seemed to be a helpless self-pity.

But in Qiao Xi’s ears, it had a different meaning.

If I take the little star and throw it away, will this brother, who was once so close to Han Tian, really never come to him again?

So, it seems, it’s not bad?

Sensing Qiao Xi’s wavering, a cold smile appeared on Luo Lin’s face, but it quickly faded away as he continued, “So, Mr. Qiao Xi, would you be willing to do me this favor?”

However, Qiao Xi finally gritted his teeth and shook his head. “No.”

Luo Lin’s eyes flashed with a gloomy look.

He smiled and asked, “Ah, this matter, will it be very troublesome..?”

Qiao Xi looked at him and then at the little star on the table and said in a firm tone, “It’s not troublesome. However, Mr. Luo, you also said that Han Tian had left home by himself and had been living on his own for so many years. In my impression, Han Tian is an opinionated, kind and gentle person. If he was willing to meet you, he would have done so long ago. If he didn’t, then he must have his own reasons. Therefore, I will not remind him of this matter, I don’t want to add to his worries.”

After finishing in one breath, Qiao Xi paused and added, “Besides, I am prone to losing things. The one he gave me before was lost by me accidentally. This time, I don’t want to lose this one again. You’d better keep it for yourself.”

Luo Lin froze, and his face finally showed embarrassment.

“In that case,” Luo Lin took another sip from the cup and slowly stood up, saying, “In that case, I’ll wait until I have the chance to find him myself.”

After saying that, Luo Lin put the dull star away and walked towards the door.

Qiao Xi looked at Luo Lin’s back and then at the table full of desserts that had only been touched with a small bite, or a bite that hadn’t been touched, and finally didn’t hold back. He took a few quick steps, grabbed Luo Lin and said, “Mr. Luo, you look like Han Tian, but now I think you don’t look like him at all! Han Tian is a person who never, ever wastes food!”

There was no way to recycle this table of cakes, it would all be wasted! It’s a pity! How happy they would be if they took it to Tong Tong!

“Waste…food…?” Luo Lin looked at him with astonishment.

Before Luo Lin could react, Qiao Xi opened the door for him and said loudly, “So, thanks for coming! Welcome to the next one!”

After saying that, he closed the door with a bang.