My Mister Ostrich

Chapter 28

Pang Qian spit out a piece of grape skin, and she replied guiltily, “I told you already. There were four of us.”

“There were really four?”

“Really.”

Jin Ai’hua put Pang Qian’s camera onto the table. “When I go develop these pictures, if there aren’t four people in them, you figure out what you’re going to do.”

Pang Qian panicked. She hadn’t expected Jin Ai’hua to have this trick. Pitifully, she said, “Mom, at the start, they said they would go…”

Jin Ai’hua was angry to death, her hand reaching out to pull on Pang Qian’s ear. “You crazy girl! Do you want to die?! If your Uncle Gu didn’t tell me, I wouldn’t know that you and Gu Mingxi were by yourselves in Shanghai! When did you learn to lie?! Ah?! Aren’t you ashamed?!”

Pang Qian cried out in pain, “It hurts, it hurts! Mom! Of course I’m ashamed!”

Jin Ai’hua was furious as she shouted at the back of her head. “Still won’t admit your mistake! Gu Mingxi is a boy! You’re a girl! Can the two of you go out together? And overnight too! And in the same room! Your Auntie Li said that when Gu Mingxi goes out, he can’t use the washroom by himself! Did you know?!”

Pang Qian hid her head in her arms, “I know!”

Jin Ai’hua paled from shock, “You know?! You know and you still went out with him?! Answer me this. When you were in Shanghai, did you ever have to help Gu Mingxi use the restroom?”

Pang Qian refused to respond. Jin Ai’hua exploded, “I’m asking you a question!”

Pang Shuisheng was attracted to the commotion in the living room. He walked over slowly and said, “Qian Qian just got home, and she just finished eating. Why are you scolding her again?”

Jin Ai’hua hit the table and said, “You ask your precious daughter! Gu Mingxi is already a 15 year old boy! When the two of them go out, how can Gu Mingxi use the toilet!”

Pang Shuisheng looked towards Pang Qian uncertainly. Pang Qian hesitated before she said, “Gu Mingxi can use the bathroom on his own! I only helped him…once…a little.”

Her voice grew quieter, because she realized her parents were glaring at her with wide eyes.

Pang Qian finished with her final struggle, “It’s nothing. Really, it just once. When we were younger, didn’t I always bathe with Gu Mingxi? We always touched here and there…”

…

Li Han was putting away the clothes, and then said to Gu Guoxiang, “What’s going on next door? Didn’t Qian Qian just get home? Why is Ai’hua already hitting her? Qian Qian’s crying is really loud.”

Gu Guoxiang ignored her. He was leaning against the bed, engrossed in his book.

Li Hun folded all the clothes and put them into the cabinet. Then she went to shower and came back into the bedroom wearing a camisole nightgown.

She laid down next to Gu Guoxiang. After aimlessly shifting around a bit, she asked a bit shyly, “Guoxiang, today…is my that day.”

Gu Guoxiang didn’t even lift his eyes from his book as he asked, “What day?”

“When I’m ovulating.” Li Han lowered her eyes and moved closer to Gu Guoxiang. “It’s been a long time since we’ve done it. Let’s try today, okay?”

Gu Guoxiang was silent for a moment. Then he put down his book, took off his glasses, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He said, “Ah Han, I’m really tired today.”