My Mister Ostrich

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Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian were neighbours, classmates and deskmates. From year to year,even when the class seating was rearranged,they would still be d...

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MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 70 The Classic
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Chapter 70 The Classic
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

When the sun shines on the sea, I miss you. When the dim moonlight shines on the spring, I miss you.

Miss Crab is an interesting girl.

When Mister Ostrich was still a small ostrich, he already knew Miss Crab. Of course, at the time, she was also just a little crab.

The little crab loved to eat and sleep. With a plump, round face and a plump, round body, she didn’t have the smartest brain. She did all the childish things that a childish kid would do. After being scolded very badly, she cried. But after she realized that her tears were useless, she would wipe them away and start to act cute towards the adults.

On this point, Little Crab definitely wasn’t dumb.

She was just a bit innocent.

Little Ostrich played together with Little Crab ever since he was very small. At that time, they didn’t know what the world outside was like. They were very happy and carefree. Even if they fought sometimes, they would make up really quickly.

That wonderful life came to an end the summer that Little Ostrich turned 6 years old. He had a serious illness.

The sick Little Ostrich felt very scared, unsure of what the outcome would be in the end. Would the cowardly Little Crab no longer agree to play with him?

Little Ostrich won’t ever forget the moment that he realized the rest of his life would no longer be the same, and then he saw Little Crab’s eyes.

Little Crab didn’t cry out of fear, nor did she try to hide. She just gave a gentle look towards Little Ostrich and curled her lips without making a sound.

When she realized that Little Ostrich was crying, she reached out her little plump hand and helped him wipe away his tears. And then she smiled.

Little Crab loved to eat sweets. Several of her teeth had cavities, but she didn’t care. She just smiled mischievously with a mouth full of rotten teeth.

That year, Little Crab was just 5 years old.

…

The 19 year old Mister Ostrich wrote a letter to the 18 year old Miss Crab.

He stuffed it into a pretty picture frame. He gave the frame to Miss Crab and told her to immediately put a photo inside. And Miss Crab agreed to.

Mister Ostrich thought, she’d definitely see that letter.

Actually, Mister Ostrich wasn’t a cowardly person. He’d already expressed himself and left implications many times. Although he was uncertain whether Miss Crab was pretending to be a fool or if she was truly that slow, in any case, Miss Crab’s response left Mister Ostrich very confused.

Mister Ostrich could never understand Miss Crab’s intentions. But they were grown up now, and the cruel reality was that they would probably be separated. Mister Ostrich wrote that letter to Miss Crab as a last chance for himself. Miss Crab was ever the romanticist, so Mister Ostrich used a very romantic gesture to express his feelings to her.

He thought that as long as she showed even a sliver of a response, he wouldn’t be afraid of anything, and he would continue to stay by her side.

Mister Ostrich went to a small park, where the two of them often played together, and he waited under that London planetree. Mister Ostrich’s heart beat rapidly, his eyes stuck on that road into the park. He waited expectantly for his Miss Crab to show up in front of him.

But she never came.

That day, there was a heavy rainstorm. Mister Ostrich kept waiting. He imagined that Miss Crab couldn’t find the place, or that she’d been delayed by other matters. Or even, maybe she was embarrassed, so she was hiding behind some tree, silently watching him.

Drenched in rain, Mister Ostrich waited a very, very long time, until he finally admitted that Miss Crab wouldn’t show up.

His world lost all color. In that heavy storm of torrential rain, Mister Ostrich stood alone in that dark park. In that moment, he decided to let go.

Pang Qian opened her eyes, surrounded by quiet. She fished up her phone to check the time, 7:10 AM.

She had slept in a simple hostel, but it had heating so it wasn’t too cold. Pang Qian got up, walked to the window, and pulled open the curtains. She looked out at the snow-covered world and watched as the snowflakes flew through the air. She let out a sigh and made a call to the airport. She was informed that because of the blizzard, the airport was still closed. The weather condition was too poor, so no flights would be taking off.

Pang Qian immediately decided to ask for a refund.

She collected her luggage, braved the snow, and hailed down a taxi to the train station. The train station was filled with people. Pang Qian wanted to buy a sleeper ticket back to E City, but there weren’t any. She asked about Shanghai. Yes, there was a soft sleeper. She immediately bought the ticket without hesitation.

Because of the snow, the train was also two hours late arriving to the station. While they were waiting, Pang Qian called Jin Ai’hua. She asked, “Mom, do you remember when we moved, I brought along a crystal picture frame? It was pretty big. The one that Gu Mingxi gave me when we graduated high school.”

“Gu Mingxi?” Jin Ai’hua hadn’t heard that name in a long time. She thought for a moment, and then said, “Didn’t you pack up all your things? Gu Mingxi gave you a lot of stuff. Didn’t you put it all into one box?”

Pang Qian was silent, and then said, “Oh, that seems about right. As long as we didn’t throw it away, that’s good.”

“What? Why did you suddenly mention Gu Mingxi?” Jin Ai’hua asked, “Did you find him?”

Pang Qian smiled and said, “No.”

“Where are you right now? The plane still can’t take off?”

“Nope. Don’t you watch the weather report? There’s a blizzard up north. I got my ticket refunded and bought a train ticket. We get on at 12 PM, and we’ll probably be back in Shanghai tomorrow morning. And then I’ll take the railcar back home. If things go smoothly, I should be home tomorrow afternoon.”

Jin Ai’hua exclaimed, “So much trouble!”

Pang Qian sighed, “Yeah, there’s no other way.”

“Did you call Xiao Yu yet?”

“No, I’m not calling him. If he asks you, don’t tell him when I’m coming home.”

Jin Ai’hua chuckled. “Got it.”

When she entered the sleeper car, Pang Qian was met by two men, a 40 year-old and a 20 year-old, who seemed to be on a business trip together. And there was also a young mother with a 3 or 4 year old boy. The young mother had bought the top bed and Pang Qian had the bottom. The young mother sheepishly asked Pang Qian if she wouldn’t mind switching beds, and Pang Qian smiled and agreed. The young mother was about to repay Pang Qian for the difference, but she said forget it, since it was only a few dollars’ difference.

And so, the two of them became friendly. The young mother warmly invited Pang Qian to sit on the bottom bunk and the two chatted.

The weather was bad, real estate was expensive, the price was raised for vegetables, kids are getting harder to raise…

Pang Qian’s phone rang. She looked at it, it was her team leader, Zou Liwen.

Zou Liwen’s voice was as cold as always. “How’s the progress?”

Note: In her work conversations, words in italics were originally written in English.

Pang Qian answered calmly, “The DD in Shenyang is complete. I already spoke to the lawyer about it, and I’ll put out a memo when I get back.”

Zou Liwen said, “The Regulatory Commission and the stock exchange already gave their OK. Follow up with them.”

Pang Qian responded, “OK, I can check the work inbox on my BB at any time. It won’t leak. I’ll update the agenda, and then I’ll send it to the client.”

“Okay, good work.” Zou Liwen’s voice finally eased up a bit. “When are you getting back?”

“Can’t get back. There’s a blizzard here, so the plane’s can’t take off.”

“…” Zou Liwen asked, “Then where are you right now?”

“Aiya, the signal’s really bad–” Pang Qian pulled the phone away from her ear. Holding in her laughter, she said, “Team Leader, what did you say? Hello? Hello?! I can’t hear–”

And then she ended the call.

The young mother looked at her with admiration. “What kind of work do you do? I couldn’t understand anything you said. How amazing.”

Pang Qian laughed. “I’m just a regular worker.”

“Regular workers don’t make calls and speak English. What do DD and BB mean?”

“Oh, DD means due diligence, due diligence. BB is a phone, blackberry, blackberry. They’re just abbreviations we’re used to using.” Pang Qian looked at the young mother’s perplexed face, and then she smiled. “I’m really just a normal office worker. It’s just that my team leader likes to pretend to be cooler, so we can only pretend along with him.”

The young mother laughed. “You’re really interesting. What field do you work in?”

“I work in investment banking.”

“Investment?”

Pang Qian didn’t know how to explain it, so she just threw out some nonsense. “Like, banks.”

The twenty-something man across from them let out a short, muffled laugh.

The young mother looked on with realization and said, “Ah, so it’s banking!”

On the long journey, Pang Qian couldn’t help pulling out the illustrated book again. She’d already flipped through it three times, but she didn’t seem to tire of it.

The little boy saw the picture book and leaned over to look at it. The kid couldn’t read yet, but he liked the colorful pictures. He pointed at the illustration and said, “This is an ostrich.”

Pang Qian smiled. Then she pointed to the crab and said, “What’s this?”

The kid looked at her with a bit of disdain. “This is a crab! You’ve never eaten it before?”

Pang Qian was extremely amused.

The young man across from her struck up a conversation with her. He pointed to the book and asked, “Do you like this author?”

“Mister Ostrich?” Pang Qian nodded. “I do.”

“He’s really popular right now,” the man said. “He’s already put out several books. This one, My Miss Crab, is said to be semi-biographical. It’s selling especially well now.”

Pang Qian stared at him. “I’ve never heard of him before. He’s already published several illustrated books?”

“Yeah, at first, he used to post comics online. He was really popular on Tianya and Sina (websites). Later on, he published a book,” the man said. “But he’s pretty low-profile. People only know that he’s a man, but not much else.”

Pang Qian let out a sigh. “I must have been too busy with work these years. I haven’t gone to a bookstore in a long time.”

One day and night later, the train finally arrived in Shanghai. Because they were in a soft sleeper, Pang Qian didn’t really feel tired after the trip. She got off the train and bought a ticket back to E City on the railcar. Less than two hours later, she arrived at E City’s train station.

When she exited the station, she saw Yu Jialei. He smiled as he stood among the group of people waiting outside the station. He wore a fitted black coat, and with his tall stature, he looked very elite.

Pang Qian walked up to him, “Don’t you have to work?”

“I skipped work. At worst, they’ll just take out a day’s wages.” Yu Jialei took Pang Qian’s luggage. “You must be tired. I’ll send you home.”

Pang Qian’s lips twitched. Yu Jialei reached out grab her shoulders, but she slipped away from him.

“Keep your hands still, move your feet.” She stared at him, and Yu Jialei smiled warmly at her. “Little Crab is really mean.”

Pang Qian, “…”

Pang Qian’s new house was in an area called Prosperous North, situated in the heart of E City. She lived on the 17th floor of the 28 story building. 109 sqm, north and south facing, with good lighting and a good view.

Carrying Pang Qian’s bags, Yu Jialei and Pang Qian entered the house, and were welcomed in by Jin Ai’hua.

“You’re back?” You could see the wrinkles in her face for how big the smile she gave Yu Jialei. “Xiao Yu, you’ve worked hard. You haven’t had lunch yet, right? What do you want to eat? I’ll make you something.”

Pang Qian rolled her eyes at the side. She said, “I’m going to change.”

She entered her room and quickly locked her door. She took off her jacket and then started rummaging through her things.

After searching for ten minutes, Jin Ai’hua knocked on her door. “Qian Qian, come out and watch TV with Xiao Yu. What are you doing in your room by yourself?”

“I’m changing!” Pang Qian shouted. She wiped away the sweat on her forehead, and then said to herself, “Where is it…”

And then, in a flash, she finally remembered.

Pang Qian rolled up her sleeves, and then pushed the pillows and blankets off her bed. She pushed the mattress aside somewhat. Under her mattress, there was a separator and then storage space in her bed. She finally found that hidden box.

The box was stuffed full with things, with a layer of dust on top. Pang Qian knew that there were still a lot of comics inside. She couldn’t pull the box out, so she just started pulling out the items.

Very quickly, she found that picture frame.

Yu Jialei knocked on the door. “Little Crab, what are you doing?”

“Be quiet! I’m changing!” Pang Qian’s heart boomed. She took out the dusty picture frame and sat down beside the table. Carefully, she opened the back.

This time, she was very careful, so as not to prick her finger. After she took off the backing, she saw that between the back and the cardboard, there was a sheet of light blue stationary.

Pang Qian pulled out the paper and opened it. After many years, she once again saw that youth’s elegant writing.

There were just a few sentences, but they entered her mind very clearly.

Pang Qian recalled that year, after the college entrance exams, she was very relaxed. When she was hanging out with Gu Mingxi, they watched a new movie on his computer. It was a Korean romance movie, “The Classic.”

The movie was very moving. The young Pang Qian had cried buckets. Leaning onto Gu Mingxi’s shoulder, her tears wouldn’t stop flowing.

There was a classic line from the movie, and Pang Qian had repeated it many times. And then, it was written into Gu Minxgi’s letter. He wrote–

My Pang Pang,

When the sun shines on the sea, I miss you. When the dim moonlight shines on the spring, I miss you.

Tonight at 8, I’ll be waiting for you at the Little Market.

I’m sure that you’ll come.

Gu Mingxi

2003 June 25

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Home My Mister Ostrich Chapter 71 Reborn
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 71 Reborn
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Chapter 71 Reborn
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

It was he who made me this way.

The next morning, Pang Qian felt especially bad. She went to wash up with a pair of panda eyes, giving Pang Shuisheng quite the scare.

“What happened to you last night? You look terrible.”

“I couldn’t sleep all night.” Pang Qian’s mouth was full of toothbrush foam as she vaguely said, “I have a splitting headache.”

“Did you work overtime?” Pang Shuisheng asked, standing outside the bathroom door.

“No.” Pang Qian rinsed her mouth. After thinking for a moment, she stepped closer to Pang Shuisheng. In a quiet voice, she said, “Dad, there’s something I have to tell you. But don’t let Mom know about it for now.”

Pang Shuisheng grew anxious from her serious tone. “What is it?”

“I think I’ve found Gu Mingxi.”

Pang Shuisheng’s suddenly widened. “Really?!”

Aside from slight fatigue, Pang Qian felt pretty good. She carefully put on her makeup, and then put on a navy blue wool coat and walked out the door.

She drove to work, and as she was waiting for the elevator, she ran into Zou Liwen. Zou Liwen was more than 30 years old. He was wearing a dark suit. When he saw Pang Qian, the first thing he said was, “Didn’t you say you weren’t coming?”

“Team Leader, I took an overnight train and rushed back. I arrived home yesterday afternoon at 1 PM, so I came to work today.” Pang Qian’s face looked aggrieved. “It’s one thing to not award me a top employee trophy, but why are you talking like I skipped work and spent the past few days playing and relaxing. Look at my dark circles.”

Zou Liwen looked over Pang Qian, then said lightly, “You look very pretty today.”

“Thank you,” Pang Qian smiled. “Team Leader, you’re super handsome too!”

This was really Pang Qian’s life, the ideal that she’d shared with Gu Mingxi more than seven years ago.

She became an office lady. Every day, she put on delicate makeup and wore pretty clothes. Standing on a pair of heels, she headed to work in a tall office building downtown. She bought a car, and her family moved to a bright, spacious house that was decorated in a modern style. She earned a decent salary. Sometimes she would be in a morning business meeting, and then be sent out on a business trip in the afternoon. She spent a lot of time in the air, and even going to Hong Kong had become very commonplace.

In front of others, Pang Qian was put together and beautiful, but alone in the dark of night, she put on her black-rimmed glasses and dirty clothes, sitting up at night to work overtime on her computer. Sometimes, she felt confused about it.

Perhaps her life had really changed because of certain things. Presently, there were multiple people pursuing her, and their qualifications were pretty good. But deeply rooted in her heart, there had only ever been one person.

During the morning meeting, Pang Qian’s mind wandered a bit. After the meeting, she immediately pulled out her phone and slipped into the stairwell.

She dialed a number that she’d found online. The publisher for “My Miss Crab.”

The receptionist answered the call. Pang Qian just said that she was a fan of Mister Ostrich and wanted to get in touch with his editor. The receptionist stayed calm in light of surprising matters, and helped Pang Qian connect to the phone.

No one picked up the phone, so eventually, Pang Qian hung up reluctantly. She called the receptionist again and said, “It’s really important that I contact Mister Ostrich. Can you give me his editor’s cell phone number?”

The receptionist said, “I’m sorry, we can’t just give out personal numbers as we like. She’s out on a business trip these few days. If you’d like, you can leave a message and I’ll help you relay it.”

Pang Qian thought for a moment, and then straightforwardly said, “Actually, I’m the Miss Crab from the book. I want to find Mister Ostrich. I’ve already lost contact with him for so many years.”

The receptionist laughed. “I’m really sorry, miss. I often received calls from girls claiming to be Miss Crab.”

Pang Qian got angry. “I can prove it! I know Mister Ostrich’s name. Do you want me to tell you?”

“But I don’t know his name.” The receptionist’s voice sounded very pretty, and she sounded sincere. “To be honest, I can understand your feelings. A lot of female readers call to ask about Mister Ostrich. I, myself, am very curious about him, but in the office, we only have contact with his editor. None of use know anything about his personal life.”

She didn’t seem like she was lying, so Pang Qian could only hang up after the call.

She returned to her office and turned on her computer. She went onto Sina Blog and searched for Mister Ostrich’s blog page. His latest post was from two years ago. Seems like he stopped using this blog a long time ago.

His posts were mostly comics. A casual drawing with a few interesting words even received lots of comments.

The previous night, Pang Qian had actually stayed up all night. She went through each and every post on Mister Ostrich’s blog, but she didn’t find any hint of his personal information. But who could understand his style more than Pang Qian?

This was her Gu Mingxi. From 2006 to 2008, he had been here.

Pang Qian rested her chin in her hands and zoned out. Suddenly a cold voice pulled her back to reality. “I didn’t know that you had such a child-like side to you.”

Pang Qian held up her head and looked at the illustration on her computer screen. It was about a group of pink pigs. She silently X-ed out of the page. Turning to Zou Liwei, “Team Leader, are you looking for me?”

Zou Liwen glanced at her. “Come to my office, there’s an E I want to talk to you about.”

That evening, Pang Qian made an unprecedented call to Yu Jialei, inviting him out to dinner.

The two of them met in a private restaurant. Yu Jialei was obviously in a good mood. He took a seat and said, “Little Crab, what’s up today? Inviting me for a meal?”

He looked at her face and then laughed. “You’re really pretty today, but your expression is too scary. That’s not good.”

Pang Qian looked at Yu Jialei. She bit her lip hesitantly, and then said, “Today, Yu Jiawei gave me an E. You introduced it, right?”

“Yeah.” Yu Jialei said as a matter of fact. “My friend wanted to do some business. If I don’t introduce him to you, who would I introduce him to?”

Pang Qian said, “Yu Jialei, I already told you. I don’t like you.”

“That’s because you still don’t understand me.” Yu Jialei poured Pang Qian a cup of tea. “Pang Qian, do you think that I’m not being serious enough?”

“No, that’s not what I mean.” Pang Qian waved her hand dismissively. “I know that you’re very serious and genuine. That’s why I’ve never hidden it from you that I’m looking for someone. I have to find him. Before I find him, I won’t be able to date.”

“Pang Qian, I’m really curious. Is there really such a person?” Yu Jialei folded his hands in front of him on the table. His hands were very pretty. Long, slender fingers, delicate joints. His index finger was tapping lightly on the table, and he was really mesmerizing.

Yu Jialei was 33 years old, who’d returned after getting his master’s degree abroad, a bank executive. He and Pang Qian met through work. Although it hadn’t even been half a year, he had very seriously starting pursuing her.

Pang Qian didn’t answer Yu Jialei’s question, but instead asked, “Yu Jialei, what is it that you like about me?”

“Hey, are you trying to say that you’ll change whatever I like about you?” He laughed. “Pang Qian, I’ve never had such a difficult time chasing after a woman. Especially with someone who has such suitable qualifications for marrying.”

Pang Qian asked again, “I’m not joking around. I really want to know, what do you like about me?”

Yu Jiahe was actually quite unsure about this question. “You’re a girl with great qualifications. Isn’t it normal for me to like you?”

“Great qualifications?”

“Don’t you think so?” Yu Jiahe smiled. “Although it’s a bit crass, I’ll tell you a bit about your strengths. First, your family background. You’re from this area, your family is on good terms, your parents are healthy, your mother’s retired, your father has a stable job that pays well and he’ll also retire. Next, you’re also very qualified. You graduated from a top university, you have a good job, you’re strong and smart. And Zou Liwen told me that you’re a hard worker. Although you complain about the workload sometimes, but you’ll work overtime when you need to, and you’re not lazy. As for money, you have a decent income, really not bad… Sorry, I’ve been friends with Zou Liwen for more than ten years now, so this (information) really isn’t a secret. And lastly, as a person… You’re 25, very young, very pretty, very interesting, very lively. When I’m with you, I’m always very happy. You might not know this, but every time I eat with you, my appetite is especially good, because when you eat, you really look like you’re enjoying it. I always felt that a woman who likes to eat and can maintain their figure is the kind of person who enjoys life the most.”

This long explanation really left Pang Qian a bit stupefied. So she’d already been reborn as a delicious cake on the marriage market?

But, why was it that after hearing Yu Jialei’s praises, Pang Qian felt some sorrow and grief? She was silent for several minutes, and then came back to answer Yu Jialei’s question from earlier.

“Yu Jialei, I’m not lying to you. There really is someone like that. This person absolutely exists. It’s not just an excuse, and I’m not just saying it for you to hear.”

Yu Jialei looked at her silently. Pang Qian smiled at him and said, “Do you want to hear about my story with him?”

“…” His eyes looked like they were concealing something, and then after a moment, he said, “Okay, tell me. I’ll listen.”

“Where should I start.” Pang Qian lowered her eyes, smiled slightly, and said, “Let’s start from your praises for me. Yu Jialei, you think that right now, I’m full of merits, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then let me tell you, it was that person, it was he who made me this way.”

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Home My Mister Ostrich Chapter 72 Lost and Found
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 72 Lost and Found
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Chapter 72 Lost and Found
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

That’s okay, I just want to see you.

Pang Qian had wanted to tell Yu Jiale a heat-rending and soul-stirring love story, but after she started, she realized that her head was just full of bits and pieces of trivial things.

None of it really had anything to do with love.

Pang Qian didn’t know how to explain her long history with Gu Mingxi to Yu Jiale. They were two very ordinary kids from this city. They didn’t go through any major events. Though Gu Mingxi was disabled, in Pang Qian’s memory, he was just like all the other boys.

She couldn’t tell Yu Jiale that she and Gu Mingxi walked to school together every day carrying their backpacks. And then on the crowded bus, she was always pressed up against his chest, her arms wrapped around his waist in an ambiguous manner. Although there were many smells mixed in the bus, she could always smell his particular scent. She could even hear his heart beating in his chest. And he would usually have his head turned, looking out the window quietly.

She also couldn’t tell Yu Jiale about her and Gu Mingxi going to the small park to eat snacks. 50 cent fried sticky rice cakes, 80 cent radish pancakes, 1 dollar sausages and stinky tofu, 2 dollar strawberry cones… Right now, Pang Qian’s casual lunches all cost some tens of dollars. Yu Jiale was the same, so how could she explain this to him?

Even more than that, she couldn’t tell Yu Jiale about all the years that she and Gu Mingxi were deskmates, doing hours of homework together. Those countless days and nights, she sat by him. Sometimes she was good, sometimes she was naughty. He would bend over, with a pen in his right foot, patiently and meticulously going over and explaining the calculations to her.

Gu Mingxi probably didn’t know this either. Sometimes, when Pang Qian was daydreaming, she would see his beautiful face and start counting his eyelashes. When he was younger, his voice was crisp and sweet. When he grew older, his voice was steady and clear. Pang Qian remembered his voice very well. In her dreams, she would hear him laugh and then say to her, “Oh, Pang Pang, it’s you.”

She remembered that year, how she cried tears of happiness as her phone call to him connected.

That summer, after Gu Mingxi and Li Han went back to Z City, Pang Qian pleaded with her father to ask Gu Guoxiang for Li Han’s phone number. Pang Shuisheng didn’t agree at first, comforting her that Gu Mingxi would contact her. But after two weeks, Gu Mingxi hadn’t called. Pang Qian couldn’t stop herself, and she caused a scene, crying in front of Pang Shuisheng. That’s when he bit the bullet and went to find Gu Guoxiang.

Because the Pang’s hadn’t attended Gu Guoxiang’s wedding, Gu Guoxiang had become a lot more cold towards Pang Shuisheng. He said he didn’t know how to contact Li Han at her family’s home. In the past few months, he hadn’t received a call from Gu Mingxi.

Pang Shuisheng felt that Gu Guoxiang was just brushing him off, but he didn’t feel like he should keep asking. He could only relay those words to Pang Qian.

And then, Pang Qian started going to the internet bar. She didn’t know what she wanted to do. She just opened up QQ and stared at that grey rat icon. She continually left messages for him, long paragraphs of words. But “Mister Ostrich” was silent the whole time and didn’t respond to a single message.

Pang Qian called Teacher Dai, but she didn’t know about Gu Mingxi’s whereabouts. Then she called Zhou Nanzhong and Wang Song. They were Gu Mingxi’s good friends in high school, but Gu Mingxi hadn’t contacted them either. Pang Qian even called Jian Zhe and Liu Hanlin, but the outcome was the same.

She ran over to Shark’s barbecue shop on her own, and then found out that he’d sold the shop. Then she ran over to Shark’s house and was informed by Shark’s mother that he’d gone to Shanghai with is friends to start a business.

Pang Qian asked for Shark’s phone number, and then quickly returned home.

The turning point was on Pang Qian’s 18th birthday. She went downstairs to get the newspaper and found a parcel slip from the post office.

Pang Qian grabbed the small, white slip of paper, her heart booming in her chest, and she quickly biked over to the post office to get her parcel.

She opened the package right then and there, and was surprised to find a Motorola phone box. She opened the box and there was a brand new phone inside.

Pang Qian picked up the small card next to the phone and looked at the one line written on it: Pang Pang, happy birthday.

And there was also a phone number with the area code 139.

Pang Qian simply couldn’t describe her feelings at that moment. She grabbed the box, ran outside, and then found a public phone and dialed the number. The dial tone rang for what felt like a century, and then a click sounded and that young man’s beautiful sounding voice asked, “Hello, who is this?”

When she heard his voice, Pang Qian’s tears started streaming down. She gripped tightly onto the phone receiver, her voice thick with tears, and said, “Gu Mingxi.”

After a few seconds of silence, he started to laugh. Hearing his laugh, Pang Qian could imagine what he looked like in that moment. He said into her ear, “Ah, Pang Pang, it’s you.”

School would be starting in just a couple weeks. Pang Qian’s mind was in an uproar, and there were a ton of things she wanted to ask Gu Mingxi. She didn’t know where to start, so just started questioning him. “Why didn’t you call me?! It’s been more than a month! How can you be like this?! You went to Z City! Why didn’t you tell me?!”

Gu Mingxi didn’t make a sound. Pang Qian’s voice was very nasally. She slowed down, and with a sob, “Gu Mingxi, are you okay?”

“I’m good, Pang Pang. Don’t worry,” he said evenly. “I’ve been really busy recently. My mom and I just got settled down. Before, we were staying with my grandparents, and we had to sleep on the living room floor at night. During the day, my mom and I would go house hunting.”

“You bought a house there?” Pang Qian felt her hear breaking. Was Gu Mingxi really going to move to Z City? He wasn’t going to come back over winter and summer breaks?

He answered, “Mm, we bought a two bedroom house, a bit more than 70 sqm. We still have to decorate and furnish it, so we probably won’t be able to move in until the end of the year.”

Pang Qian asked, “Are you guys accustomed to it there?”

“It’s okay. The summer here is much cooler than in E City.”

“Are the winters really cold?”

“That’s without a doubt. But the house has heating, so it won’t be cold.” Gu Mingxi paused. “Did you get the phone? It’s my present for your 18th birthday. Sorry that I can’t spend your birthday with you. Pang Pang, happy birthday.”

“Thank you. I didn’t get to say happy birthday to you either,” Pang Qian said. “Gu Mingxi, I bought you a present too, but I couldn’t get in touch with you. Give me your address, and I’ll send it to you.”

“…” He thought for a long time, and then said, “We’ll talk about it later. Right now, my mom and I are renting a place by the school. It’s a very simple place, and there’s not even a mailbox. I’m worried that the mail will get lost.”

Pang Qian asked, “You’re not going to live in the dorms when school starts?”

“Mm, it will be too troublesome for the other students.”

The two of them were both quiet for awhile. Then Gu Mingxi said, “Pang Pang, Shanghai’s a really big city. You have to make sure to take care of yourself when you’re there.”

Pang Qian started to cry again. With a pout, she said, “You’re the one who didn’t keep your word! Even if SHUFE wouldn’t take you, I don’t believe that none of the other schools in Shanghai wouldn’t either! Shanghai has so many top schools, and you exam score was 130 points higher than the minimum for tier-1! You couldn’t have been unable to get into any of them!”

Gu Mingxi sighed. “What’s the point of saying that now? Pang Pang, don’t cry.”

Pang Qian asked, “Are you coming back for New Year’s next year?”

“Probably not.”

Pang Qian suddenly wiped away her tears. “Gu Mingxi, next summer, I’ll go visit you, okay?”

He was startled, “Ah?”

“Since you bought a house, I’ll have a place to stay when I visit,” Pang Qian said. “You said that the summers in Z City were very cool. Then I’ll just go to get away from the heat for a few days. You’ll have to be the host and take me out to play.”

Gu Mingxi said helplessly, “Z City isn’t a vacation city.”

“That’s okay, I just want to see you,” Pang Qian said. “Gu Mingxi, I’ve never gone so long without seeing you! A year! I definitely have to go see you!”

Gu Mingxi was silent again. Then he said, “Pang Pang, if you still want to visit me next spring, then I’ll gladly welcome you in the summer. But I hope that you can understand that some things are better left to the past. Some people you meet will only be with you for a certain part of your life, like Wang Tingting in primary school, Sun Mingfang in junior high, and even Zheng Qiaoqiao in high school. You guys were really good friends at one time, but later, you grew distance because you went to different schools. You’re always moving forward. After you start SHUFE, you’ll meet a lot of new people, and you’ll meet some boys.”

His voice carried a warm smile. “Pang Pang, when you’re in college, dating isn’t unusual. If there’s someone that you like, you should try to see where it takes you. Maybe in a few months, you’ll have a boyfriend and you won’t want to see me anymore.”

His words were very strange, and Pang Qian felt extremely depressed hearing them. Her mouth was faster than her brain, and she’d already started saying, “I won’t! Gu Mingxi, if you like another girl, you have to be sure to tell me!”

Gu Mingxi, “…”

Pang Qian’s face reddened. Gu Mingxi said, “Alright, we’ve already talked for a long time. I’m handing up. Pang Pang, when you get to Shanghai, set up your phone and message me your number.”

“Oh.”

“Then I’ll hang up, bye.”

“Bye.” Pang Qian still couldn’t bear to hand up the phone. Her eyes were red. She asked the shop boss, “How much?”

The boss glanced at their screen, “18 dollars.”

A very expensive long-distance phone call, but Pang Qian didn’t feel it was a waste at all as she handed the money over.

Because she’d finally found Gu Mingxi.

At the end of August in 2003, Pang Qian went to Shanghai to register. Pang Shuisheng and Jin Ai’hua went with her. The K train took two and a half hours to get to Shanghai. Then they got onto a shuttle bus arranged by the school and made their way to the campus.

Seeing the school gates for the first time, Pang Qian felt a bit disappointed. SHUFE was such a renowned school, so how come it didn’t look impressive at all?

Pang Qian dragged her luggage onto the campus. The school was located in the middle of the city, and the area wasn’t very large. There was green grass and trees providing shade. Along the way, she saw a building that looked ancient with a very Shanghai style.

Pang Qian and her parents were very busy that day. They took care of all the admission papers. Before returning to her dorm, she insisted on going to the mobile store to set up a sim card.

She stuffed the card into her Motorola phone and turned it on. When the screen appeared, she immediately wanted to call Gu Mingxi to let him know her number in Shanghai.

But he’d actually turned off his phone.

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Home My Mister Ostrich Chapter 73 Distance Between North and South
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 73 Distance Between North and South
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Chapter 73 Distance Between North and South
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

Mingxi, I told you a long time ago. Qian Qian doesn’t like you.

In the faraway Z City, Gu Mingxi and his mother were busy setting up their new house. They went to the building supplies market and the furniture store. Li Han wanted to get the house set before Gu Mingxi started school.

Because of his body’s limitations, Gu Mingxi rarely carried his phone when he went out. Most of the time, his phone was turned off, lying inside the drawer of their rental apartment.

Sometimes he would think of Pang Qian. What was she doing right now? Was she also preparing for school? Gu Mingxi had grown up in E City. He’d spent 19 years there, and now suddenly, he was here in this foreign northern city. When he imagined spending the next four years there, or even longer than that, he couldn’t help feel lost.

He was a boy from the southern region, more suited to the weather and food there. He even spoke with such a warm tone. Gu Mingxi didn’t dare to ask Li Han if it was possible to move back south after he graduated. He was worried she would use Pang Qian as an excuse to scold him.

When they got on the train, Li Han had told him, “Mingxi, I told you a long time ago. Qian Qian doesn’t like you.”

After two months in Z City, Gu Mingxi felt that life was extremely dull and boring. Especially when they had been living with his grandmother. His mother seemed like she was just depending on others.

Li Han left her home more than 20 years ago. The few times that they’d visited, they’d stayed in fancy hotels. At the time, all her family and friends saw that she was living well in E City. Even if her son was disabled, everyone still envied her. But now, she’d gotten divorced and dragged her disabled son back to her hometown. The gazes and criticism she received were as you would expect.

Gu Mingxi’s grandparents were already more than 70 years old. They weren’t in the best physical condition, and they were worried about their daughter, so they naturally welcomed her return. As for Li Mu, who lived with and took care of the two elderly folk, he didn’t feel the same.

Li Mu was Li Han’s younger brother. He didn’t have a great educational background, so he was a security guard at a building. His wife, Huang Lingli didn’t work. And their son, Li Shiyu was 16 years old, about to start high school. Li Han’s parents’ home was rather small, with only two rooms. Li Shiyu had always slept in the living room, with a curtain to divide the space.

Many years ago, Li Mu had told Li Han that she was always away and had left him to take care of their parents, so she should give him some allowance. He wanted to sell off his parents’ house and asked for some money to buy a new three bedroom home. Then Li Shiyu would be able to have his own room.

Li Han discussed it with Gu Guoxiang, but he refused. His reason was that they already sent 10 thousand dollars every year, which was enough. Their parents’ property would all be handed down to him later too. Him wanting to change houses wasn’t Li Han’s responsibility.

Because of this, Li Mu and Li Han had quarreled for quite some time.

After she divorced and brought her son back home, she wanted to buy a house as soon as possible. Knowing that her sister had brought along some money, he wanted to ask about it again.

Li Han had 650 thousand with her, which was her divorce settlement. At the time, homes in E City were pretty cheap, with just a 5 thousand dollar down payment for one floor. It was even cheaper in Z City, one floor for 3 thousand. Li Mu cried in front of his sister, and when Li Han and Gu Mingxi slept on the floor at her parents’ home, she personally saw her brother’s hardship. Thinking back to how Gu Mingxi had grown up wearing name brand clothing, whereas her nephew Li Shiyu only had clothes from the market and couldn’t even buy a new pair of shoes when his broke, Li Han felt terrible.

She picked out some of Gu Mingxi’s more gently-worn summer clothes to give to Li Shiyu. She even said that in a few days, she’d buy a pair of new shoes and some clothes for him. In the end, she agreed to help Li Mu. He wanted to get a new house, and Li Han helped cover 80 thousand of the cost.

Actually, she’d thought it over herself. She would get old in the future. If she helped Li Mu a bit now, his family would also be able to help Gu Mingxi in the future.

After Gu Mingxi and Li Han returned from getting building supplies and furniture, he suddenly remembered that he hadn’t checked his phone in a long time. He immediately went to pull it out of the drawer.

Gu Mingxi sat on his bed and turned on his phone with his toes. A short while later, several unread messages popped onto his screen. With a pen in his mouth, Gu Mingxi bent over to click on the small phone buttons. He opened up the text messages and noticed they were from an unsaved number.

>> Gu Mingxi, why did you turn off your phone?! It’s Pang Qian. This is my new number in Shanghai. Make sure to save it.

>> Turn on your phone and call me. A text is fine too.

>> Gu Mingxi, are you unable to text?

>> Why don’t you turn on your phone?! Where did you run off to?!

…

>> It’s late, I’m going to sleep. This is my first night at school. My dorm room is for four people. It’s very clean, but there’s no bathroom. My roommates are very nice. Two of them are from Shanghai, and one is from Fuzhou. We even chatted for awhile before sleeping. One of the Shanghai girls is really funny. I really like her.

>> When my parents left, I cried, but I didn’t let them see. Gu Mingxi, I’m all alone in Shanghai now. I was thinking that if you were also here, that would be so great.

>> Alright, that’s enough. It’s time for lights out. I miss you. Goodnight.

Those were from the previous day. She’d sent more than twenty texts total. Gu Mingxi had been silently reading them all, when he finally grabbed his pen and started to send a reply.

>> Pang Pang, I’m sorry. I’ve been busy these past few days. I just saw your messages.

This was the first time he was sending a text. The buttons on the phone were really small, and Gu Mingxi had tried pressing them with his fingers before, but it was too much trouble. So he just used a pen to press the buttons. Now he’d learned this way of sending messages.

His phone quickly sounded in response. Pang Qian was calling. Gu Mingxi turned his head and moved the phone to his ear. He immediately heard Pang Qian’s excited voice. Pang Qian happily relayed how school was going in detail. Gu Mingxi couldn’t help but remind her, “This is a long distance call.”

“It’s okay! My dad gave me a lot of money to recharge it. Later, I’ll send you the number for the dorm. When you start, send me yours too. I’ll go buy an IP card (internet phone?) to call you, and then it will be cheaper!”

Just when Pang Qian finished speaking, another girl’s voice sounded in the background. “Crab, let’s go eat.”

“Okay, I’m coming,” Pang Qian turned to the side to say.

Gu Mingxi laughed. “You’ve only been at school for a day, and they’re already calling you Crab?”

“I don’t know why either, I never told them about it.” Pang Qian scratched her head and suddenly said, “Gu Mingxi, hurry and send me your address. Otherwise your present will expire.”

“Expire? Is it food?”

“No. But just hurry and send me your address.”

Gu Mingxi thought for a moment, and then told her the address to his grandparent’s house. He said to just address it to his mom, because he’d probably have to ask her to pick it up from the post office.”

Pang Qian happily agreed. “No problem!”

A few days later, Li Mu received the parcel notification from the post office. In a sucking up manner, he asked Li Han if she needed help to pick it up. Li Han was busy discussing the pricing for the house construction and decoration, so she agreed

When she returned to their rental apartment, Gu Mingxi said, “Mom, remember I told you last time that Pang Qian would be sending a package to grandma’s house. When are you going to check? I think it should have arrived by now. Can you help me pick it up from the post office?”

Li Han said, “Oh, it’s already arrived. Your uncle went to get it.”

Gu Mingxi was very excited, “Then that means it’s already at grandma’s house?”

Li Han replied casually, “Mm. We’ll be going over in a few days for dinner. You can pick it up then.”

Two days later, Li Han and Gu Mingxi went to her parent’s house for dinner. She asked Li Mu about the package.

Li Mu thought for a moment, and then said, “I left it on the table after I brought it back.” He went to look for it, but found that it was gone. Gu Mingxi watched him anxiously. Li Mu asked Huang Lingli and then went to ask Li Shiyu who was watching TV. “Son, have you seen the package I brought back and left on the table?”

Li Shiyu stood up and said, “Yeah, I saw it. It was for Aunt.”

Li Mu asked, “So where’s the package?”

Li Shiyu said, “I opened it.”

Gu Mingxi’s face immediately darkened.

Li Mu asked him a bit awkwardly, “If you opened it, then where’s the stuff?”

Li Shiyu pulled at the t-shirt he was wearing. It was a white Nike shirt with a light yellow and gray pattern on the front. He chuckled and said, “I’m wearing it. Aunt bought it for me, right? It looks good, but it’s just a bit too big.”

Gu Mingxi asked coldly, “Was there anything else in the package?”

Li Shiyu looked at him and thought, then said, “I think there was a card.”

Gu Mingxi stared at him, “Where is it?”

“I threw it away with the box,” Li Shiyu said indifferently.

Gu Mingxi suddenly took a step forward. Li Han grabbed him by the waist, and he clenched his teeth. After he calmed down, he lowered his head without saying a word.

Li Han whispered into his ear, “I’ll buy you another one that’s exactly the same. Stay calm.”

Gu Mingxi turned away and heard Li Mu and Li Shiyu’s conversation.

He was praising his son. “It really is a good brand. Our son looks great wearing it, much better than your cousin Mingxi.”

Li Shiyu said very pleased, “I’m going to play basketball tomorrow. I’m wearing this!” He glanced over at Gu Mingxi, and then his eyes landed on his empty shirtsleeves. He suddenly smiled and asked, “Oh yeah, Gu Mingxi, who’s Crab? Your girlfriend?”

“Where’s the card?” Gu Mingxi had been silent, but hearing those words, he couldn’t help asking.

“I said I threw it away.” Li Shiyu looked at him, raised his head and laughed.

Gu Mingxi’s shining eyes stared at him. Li Shiyu stared back, feeling extremely happy.

He really hated his cousin. He hated him so much.

– – – –

From translator: The author posted this at the end of her Ch.73 update (when she was originally writing this), presumably because some of her readers were getting butthurt that she wasn’t writing the story that they wanted. Personally, I appreciate that our leads are getting some time apart, because I always wanted to see what they would do without the other always by their side– Anyway, I felt the following was worth sharing.

Words from the author:

Let me say a few things about the story. Because the outline for this story was very detailed, when I was writing, I was also very calculative. My old readers will know that I won’t ever let a story run off course. But there are times when, inevitably, a writer’s intent and a reader’s expectations are contrary to each other. I welcome you to guess how the story will unfold, but I won’t give out spoilers. I know that everyone is waiting for the reunion, for the sweetness. But I haven’t even gotten to the real reason that they’ve separated yet, so it wouldn’t be suitable to write a reunion here.

In order to disperse any misunderstandings, I felt that I had to write a few words. Part 3 is indeed a bit tormenting, but it won’t be without any sweetness. I promise that (1) I won’t bring harm to the female lead, and (2) I won’t bring physical harm to the male lead. I can’t be too specific. All I can say is, please trust me that no matter what Gu Mingxi must suffer, he will remain strong inside.

As for Gu Guoxiang, I promise that I will write a reasonable ending. Not for the sole purpose of making him suffer, but he definitely won’t simply be joyous and happy. But that’s something that will come in the end.

Also, part 4 will be just as sweet as the beginning.

I suspect that a lot of girls will stop reading the text and wait until part 4 starts. But I want to say that if you don’t suffer through the pain of part 3, how can you understand the sweetness that comes for Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian in the end?

Of course, you’re free to do as you please. I will continue to write according to my plans. I only hope that if you’re going to stop reading, that you do so quietly. You don’t need to tell me about it. I will maintain the integrity of this story.

Actually, from the start, I was a writer who torments. But because my stories have happy endings, everyone feels that those tormenting parts are bearable (?). This is the same thing. All of Gu Mingxi’s past experiences become his fortune in the future.

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Home My Mister Ostrich Chapter 74 A Tale of Two Cities (1)
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 74 A Tale of Two Cities (1)
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Chapter 74 A?Tale of Two Cities (1)
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

A long distance relationship? I don’t think it will work out.

In the past years, Li Shiyu and Gu Mingxi had only met a few times. Although they were cousins, their relationship wasn’t much different from two strangers.

Ever since Li Shiyu could remember, he’d known that his aunt was a great beauty. She married and moved to the southern E City. His uncle had a decent job and his family qualifications were good. They also had a son. Unfortunately, his cousin had an accident when he was 6 years old, and he became a crippled child.

The first time Li Shiyu saw Gu Mingxi, he was really startled. At the time, he was just 8 years old and Gu Mingxi was 11 years old. That was the first time Gu Mingxi had come to visit his grandparents after his accident. When they saw their grandson, their grandparents cried until their voices were hoarse. The other members of their family were much the same.

During those few days, everyone had pampered Gu Mingxi. When they ate, the adults would keep giving him food. Even Li Shiyu’s favorite chicken legs were handed over to Gu Mingxi.

Li Shiyu watched quietly from the side as Gu Mingxi ate and cleaned up with his feet. When his grandparents gave him some stationary, he used his feet to flip through it as well.

Li Shiyu didn’t really dare to speak to Gu Mingxi. Every time that Li Mu told him to go play with Gu Mingxi, he would just turn on the TV and watch a random show together. He didn’t know how to interact with Gu Mingxi. Subconsciously, all he could think about was that this cousin of his was rather different than himself.

Under Li Han’s request, Gu Mingxi even put on a demonstration for their relatives, writing and drawing. His writing was very beautiful. When someone asked if Gu Mingxi could keep up in class, Gu Guoxiang would say lightly, “Mingxi is always top three in his year. He’ll definitely be able to get into a top university in the future.”

The ordinary student with scrawly handwriting, Li Shiyu was pissed. Just seeing Gu Mingxi writing, he would turn to the side and say a few belittling words.

Li Shiyu’s great dislike for Gu Mingxi emerged when Gu Mingxi was taking the high school entrance exams. Li Han called to give her family happy news that he’d gotten into a top high school. His score even placed him 5th in the entire year. Li Shiyu’s grandparents and parents immediately admonished Li Shiyu, with Gu Mingxi as an example of what he should be like.

Gu Mingxi lost his arms when he was young, and with his two legs, he was able to get such good grades. You have arms and legs, so why can’t you do a good job studying?

13 year old Li Shiyu retorted to Li Mu, “Gu Mingxi has a rich dad! His clothes are all name brand! His family has a big house! His dad even has a car! We don’t have any of that! What makes you think I should be a good student?!”

Li Mu was furious and couldn’t stop himself from slapping Li Shiyu. Li Shiyu started to cry. Disagreeing with this, Huang Lingli immediately pulled her son into her arms and said to Li Mu, “Xiao Yu didn’t say anything wrong! You don’t have any ability either! If you want to compare Xiao Yu to Gu Mingxi, why don’t you go compete with brother-in-law!”

The two parents started quarreling, and in the end, hits were exchanged.

In many families, the root of all family conflicts was one word, money.

– – – –

Gu Mingxi followed Li Han back to their rental, and he was still in a bad mood. He washed his face and went to bed early.

He laid on his bed for a long time, and then got up. Gu Mingxi bit onto a pen and sat down at his desk and wrote Pang Qian a text.

>> Pang Pang, I got your gift. I like it, thanks.

A little later, Pang Qian’s reply came.

>> Does it fit?

>> It fits pretty welll.

>> When I come to visit next summer, you’d better wear it for me to see!

Gu Mingxi bent his head and responded, “Okay.”

>> Gu Mingxi, when do you start school?

>> There’s still another week.

>> We’ve been doing military training these few days. I’m dead tired.

>> I also have to participate in the training, but it should probably be a lot easier for me.

>> Oh yeah, Gu Mingxi, I’m going to buy a computer. It will be in the dorm. Then we can chat.

>> Okay.

>> Ah, I have to go.

Gu Mingxi was startled when she said she was busy. He wanted to ask why she needed to go out when it was already past 9. But in the end, he didn’t ask and just responded, “Mm.”

He lied back in his bed again, staring at the ceiling, in a daze. This rental was near B University, and it was about a ten minute walk to the school. This place was just a bit more than 30 sqm. One bedroom, one living room, one kitchen, one bathroom. Li Han added a bed in the living room. They planned to spend the next half a year there.

This was a very simple and crude house. It really was a peasant’s house. The walls were stained by the leaking rain, the furniture was tattered, the closet door was nearly broken, the windows were covered in a layer of dirt and probably hadn’t been washed in years. In the hot summer, Gu Mingxi had seen cockroaches and mice, and the corners of the rooms were filled with cobwebs. In the past, he’d never thought that he would live in a place like this one day.

That day, Gu Mingxi was feeling rather down. He let out a sigh and decided not to think about unhappy things. Just sleep early.

Pang Qian ran down to the first floor of the dorm and saw Sheng Feng waiting there for her.

“Sheng Feng? What is it?” Pang Qian asked.

She and Sheng Feng were in the same major and year. They had just started military training and most people didn’t know each other yet. But since Sheng Feng was also from E City, when they had breaks, he and Pang Qian would often chat together. And so, they naturally grew closer.

— “You’re from First High? I’m from Vast Voyage.”

— “Do you know Wu Min? Ah, we went to the same junior high. He’s at Beihang now.”

— “What about Wang Song? You guys were in the same class too? What a coincidence. Wang Song and I were from the same primary school. We got along really well.”

— “He’s dating, I know. He and his girlfriend both got into Nanjing. What was his girlfriend’s name… Something Xiaoyan. Ah! That’s right, Li Xiaoyan!”

— “Yesterday I called Wang Song, and he told me that your nickname is Crab.”

Sheng Feng wasn’t very call, just barely 170 cm tall. He wore a pair of glasses and looked very intellectual, but his gaze always carried an air of arrogance.

When Pang Qian walked up to him, he handed her a stack of papers. “You’re buying a computer the day after tomorrow, so you should look over these configurations first. Then you won’t be fooled when you go to pick one out.”

Pang Qian took the papers and looked at them. It looked to be different computer configurations, each with a pricing underneath. Sheng Feng even wrote down the pros and cons of each setup.

Pang Qian looked at him, “When did you put this together?”

Sheng Feng said, “Yesterday afternoon, I went to look around at the computer store. I found a few places that fit your price range and got a list of their specs.”

Pang Qian felt very apologetic. She just occasionally mentioned that she wanted to get a computer, and then Sheng Feng said that he’d go to the computer store with her on Sunday. When Pang Qian told Pang Shuisheng about it, he agreed. It wasn’t convenient to buy it in E City and then move it to her, so she might as well buy it in Shanghai.

“Ah, thank you. I’ve troubled you too much.” Pang Qian looked at the papers in her hand and Sheng Feng smiled. “No problem. Then I’ll get going first. Take your time looking through it, and if there’s something you don’t understand, feel free to call me.”

“Mm.”

“We’re going to the computer store the day after tomorrow. Don’t forget.”

“Mm.”

Sheng Feng’s left hand was stuffed into his pants pocket and he waved at Pang Qian with his right. “Goodnight, Crab.”

Pang Qian took the papers and headed back up. After hearing about it, her roommate Yang Lu said with a giggle, “It’s really obvious. Sheng Feng is pursuing you.”

Pang Qian made a face 囧 (embarrassed emote). “How could that be! I only met him a few days ago!”

Yang Lu said, “You underestimate these boys whose biological hormones were destroyed by high school life. When they get to college, they’re just like male dogs, running around a girl’s ass.”

“Oh come on.” Pang Qian couldn’t take Yang Lu’s analogy. “I don’t intend to date anyway.”

“Why not? Sheng Feng’s not bad.” Yang Lu didn’t understand. “Crab, do you already have a boyfriend?”

Pang Qian didn’t know how she should respond. She thought for a moment, and then said, “There is a boy. We grew up together. Originally, we agreed to come to Shanghai together, but in the end, he went to another city. There were times that I thought that after we got here, we would start dating, but maybe we’ll only be able to come this far, unable to reach that last step. Right now, we’re in two different cities, and he hasn’t really said anything to me. I’m not really sure what I feel for him right now either. Next summer, I’m going to visit him. After I see him, I’ll probably know what kind of existence he has in my heart. Maybe at that time, we’ll be together.”

Yang Li bit on her lollipop and shook her head. “A long distance relationship? I don’t think it will work out.”

“Really?” Pang Qian looked at her suspiciously. “It’s just four years, and we can see each other before then.”

“You’re too naive,” Yang Lu said. “If I were you, I would definitely consider Sheng Feng. A long distance relationship really isn’t reliable.”

Pang Qian pursed her lips, without a word.

Two days later, Sheng Feng went to the mall with Pang Qian to buy a computer. She spent 5200 dollars. Pang Qian offered to buy lunch, and he happily agreed.

When they were eating, Sheng Feng tested the waters with Pang Qian. She pretended she didn’t see the signs, and since Sheng Feng was a smart person, he could see her reaction. He immediately retracted his questions so that the two of them wouldn’t become awkward.

– – – –

Gu Mingxi finally started school. Li Han went with him to take care of the special admission procedures. He was studying software engineering, which was considered a popular major at B University. But Gu Mingxi didn’t tell Li Han that he didn’t actually like this major.

He didn’t live in the dorms. Every day, he woke up in the rental house, washed his face and ate breakfast, and then put on his backpack and headed to class. After morning classes, he didn’t have to go eat in the cafeteria, and he just returned home to eat lunch and rest. It was the same in the afternoon. The students in his class all treated Gu Mingxi politely, and they help him with things when needed. But in this time, Gu Mingxi hadn’t made any new friends. Everyone was just merely an acquaintance. He was very lonely in his classes. A few students would speak among themselves, that since he was disabled, his personality naturally became a bit reclusive.

Gu Mingxi was aware of this problem as well. He wasn’t an entirely introverted person, but he could never talk to the people in his class. He was all alone in this place. Most of the people around him were all from the northern regions. Gu Mingxi tried to interact with people in his classes before, but they’d always just reply courteously.

This was a two-sided problem. Gu Mingxi wasn’t willing to open himself up to people, so how could people try to understand him? Moreover, Gu Mingxi didn’t live in the dorms. Everyday, outside of class, he spent his time in the rental house. So there were few chances for him to make friends.

Li Han asked Gu Minxgi how things were at school. Gu Mingxi always reported the good and never the bad. He’d always say, “It’s going well.”

But in truth, he didn’t have any friends.

He gradually became a loner. Every day, he carried his backpack and walked silently to school. Except when it was raining. Then Li Han would send him to school with an umbrella and pick him up after class. Gu Mingxi was exempt from physical education and an elective class. He could even choose not to go to evening study class. The class head didn’t even notify him about class events anymore. Essentially, his existence became a very particular one.

In the next few months, he and Pang Qian didn’t have much contact. One, because it wasn’t convenient. Two, because Pang Qian was always busy. Three, because Gu Mingxi felt that he didn’t know what to talk about with Pang Qian.

Pang Qian got a computer, so she went online. But Gu Mingxi lived in a rental and there. Pang Qian’s college life was very colorful and rich. She always told Gu Mingxi excitedly about where she went to play, what new clothes she’d bought, what movies she’d watched, what events she’d gone to… She was in Shanghai, the brilliant and colorful metropolis. How could she not be doing lots of things? How could she be as bored as him?

Z City was a very, very small city. Gu Mingxi would go to class every day. Then when the weekend came, he would follow Li Han to her parent’s house for dinner. Then they would check out the progress on their new house.

Other than that, he didn’t go anywhere.

It was with this stagnant life that Gu Mingxi welcomed the first midterm exams. But his results were contrary to all expectations. This outstanding student, who had gotten into B University with a 641 entrance exam score, actually failed many of his classes.