My Mister Ostrich

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MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 101 Three Days and Two Nights
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Chapter 101 Three Days and Two Nights
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

With hearts entwined, we will grow old together.

Gu Mingxi recalled some things of the past.

Several years ago, while his mother was still alive, he stayed with her in S City for her treatment. Before any of their relatives came to help, Li Han usually just stayed in the rental house, and Gu Mingxi was in charge of dealing with their daily needs. But because he often went in and out into the cold, he happened to catch a cold.

That cold lasted for more than half a year. He would constantly have a fever or cough. Li Han tried to get him to see the doctor, but Gu Mingxi didn't want to bother others about it. He just bought some medicine for fevers, colds, and coughing.

Half a year later, when Li Han was undergoing a round of chemotherapy, Huang Lingli came to help take care of her. They decided that he would stay with his mother during the day and Huang Lingli would stay at night.

Those were the few days that Gu Mingxi's symptoms were the most intense. When he stayed with his mother during the day, the nurse that came to check on her would also tell that he wasn't well. She pleaded with him to get treatment, but Gu Mingxi was worried that he wouldn't be able to watch over his mother while he was getting an infusion. So he pushed through a few more days, until his mother's chemotherapy was completed.

When he got back to the rental house in the evening, he was exhausted and dizzy. When he sat down on the edge of his bed to take off his pants, his mind suddenly went blank. His chest hurt, he swayed, and then his body fell onto the floor.

It was the middle of the night when Gu Mingxi woke up. The moonlight shined in through the windows and he'd maintained the posture he'd fallen over in.

Thankfully his room was heated. Even though he was lying on the floor, he didn't feel very cold. Only, his head and his chest did hurt. With great difficulty, he climbed up and then he realized he was still in the midst of taking is pants off. He used his efforts to pull of his pants and then went into the bathroom. The reflection of his face in the mirror was dark and gloomy. His eyes were dull, there was a bump on his forehead, and head was in pain.

He still had a fever. He was still coughing. His chest still hurt and it was hard to breathe. After he washed, he moved himself to his bed, and then he felt a pang of regret.

If a few hours ago, he'd fainted and then fallen to his death, what would have happened to his mother?

He slept for two hours and then got up to cook congee for his mom. He put it into an insulated container and then put that into his backpack.

He put on his backpack and braved the early morning cold to get to the hospital. After he found Huang Lingli, he asked her to stay with his mother for a few more hours so that he could see the doctor and get an IV. From the sofa bed, Huang Lingli yawned and said impatiently, "I spent the whole night here, you should let me sleep a bit. I'll come back a bit earlier in the evening and then you can go see a doctor."

Gu Mingxi could only let her leave and stay with his mom.

But in the afternoon, he couldn't hold on anymore. His coughing had gotten very severe and he was afraid he'd disturb his mother. He walked into the corridor, but before he could walk very far, he collapsed onto the ground.

Thankfully he was in the hospital. The doctors and nurses quickly moved him, and they found out he had pneumonia.

Gu Mingxi slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He was at his house in Sanya. The sky was already bright and he was sleeping alone in his soft bed. The window was open, a gentle breeze blowing in past the curtains. The sky outside was sunny and clear.

Gu Mingxi knew that his fever was very serious. He wanted to go to the bathroom, but he didn't have the strength. He closed his eyes for awhile, and then he struggled to sit up.

When he walked out of his room, Gu Mingxi immediately saw a travel bag outside of the living room and also a pair of female shoes. He stared for a moment and then someone walked out from the kitchen. When she saw him, she laughed. "You're awake? Do you feel any better?"

Gu Mingxi looked at her in a daze. Shocked at finding that last night's events weren't a dream, his lips slowly curved up. The warmth and joy he felt inside slowly flowed to his eyes.

Pang Qian was wearing an apron and carrying a soup ladle. She said, "I'm cooking congee, but I'm not sure if it will be any good. There are some frozen dumplings in the freezer. Do you want to eat dumplings?"

He didn't answer her, his eyes just circling around her. Pang Qian had put down the ladle and dried her hands. She walked over to him and complained, "You're sick with a fever and you're walking around without any clothes on. Aren't you afraid your cold will get worse?" She walked over to his dressed and pulled out a clean t-shirt and helped him put it on. Then she asked, "Do you need to go to the bathroom?"

He didn't answer her, but then he foolishly nodded his head.

"I'll help you." She pushed him over to the bathroom and quickly and familiarly helped him pull his pants down. She pulled open his boxers and was about to help him pee.

In the past few weeks in E City, Gu Mingxi had spent a lot of time with Pang Qian. Hanging around outside, eating, drinking coffee, watching movies, shopping... Occasionally he would have to use the bathroom, so Pang Qian helped him.

At many of the places they went to, aside from male and female restrooms, there were also ones with disability access. Although it was designed for those with wheelchairs, for Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian, a single restroom was still better.

She seemed to already have become accustomed to this intimate act, and she didn't get embarrassed because of the differences between men and women. But Gu Mingxi would still get a bit embarrassed. After all, he was a man, and there were some things that couldn't be controlled just because of his will.

For example, the question from that 'Warm Harbor' radio show that once troubled Pang Qian greatly- What was morning wood? Pang Qian pretty much knew the answer to that now.

Even up until Gu Mingxi washed his face, it was still a bit red. Pang Qian smiled as she watched him eating. Gu Mingxi felt her eyes on him and looked up. He asked extremely quietly, "When did you get here?"

"2 in the morning."

"You don't have to work today?"

"It's Friday today, so I took the day off and got a return ticket for Sunday night." Pang Qian smiled again. "I get three days with you."

Gu Mingxi felt very happy, but instead he said, "It's not that serious. You didn't have to come."

"Not serious? When I got here, you were talking nonsense! When you're done eating, I'll go with you to the hospital."

Gu Mingxi asked hesitantly, "I was talking nonsense? What did I say?"

"Not telling." Pang Qian crossed her arms and laid down on the table, giggling as she look at him.

Pang Qian accompanied Gu Mingxi to the hospital, and unsurprisingly, his body was inflamed. The doctor gave him an IV drip.

When the nurse came to insert the needle to his neck, he frowned. Pang Qian quickly pressed down on his shoulders.

After his infusion was done, Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi went home. With regards to lunch, it was a bit difficult for both of them. Gu Mingxi's house didn't have any cooked food and Pang Qian couldn't bear to see him bustling about while he was sick. So in the end, Gu Mingxi finished the congee from the morning and Pang Qian boiled a few frozen dumplings.

After lunch, Pang Qian fed Gu Mingxi his medicine and had him go to sleep. Then she pulled out her laptop and was about to get to work in the living room. But in just half an hour of looking at her report, Gu Mingxi had come out three times. The first time was to use the bathroom. The second time was to drink water. And the third time, he walked over to Pang Qian and looked at her laptop. "Pang Pang, you got here in the middle of the night and you woke up really early. Aren't you sleepy?"

Pang Qian quickly shut her laptop and stood up. "Okay, I'll sleep with you. Happy?"

Gu Mingxi silently smiled.

This was the first time that the two of them slept in the same bed.

Gu Mingxi didn't let Pang Qian sleep in Dou Dou's bed, because 'It had been a long time since the sheets were changed so it was too dirty.'

They slept on Gu Mingxi's bed, and Pang Qian really was a bit sleepy. She closed her eyes, half awake and half asleep. Then she felt a hot body moving closer to her.

He had a fever so his whole body was hot. Pang Qian unconsciously moved away a bit and turned her back to him. Still, he moved closer to her, his wide chest resting against her back.

His light breathing landed on her shoulders. His legs entangled with hers, his toe nail stroking her calf. Afraid that he would hurt her, he was extremely gentle.

Pang Qian helplessly opened her eyes, but she didn't turn back. She said, "Stop messing around. You have a fever, go to sleep."

The two of them laid there, side by side, his shoulders more broad than hers. After hearing her words, he nudged her back with his right shoulder. Hoarsely, he said, "Pang Pang, I want you to hug me to sleep."

Without any hesitation, she immediately turned around and embraced him.

His frighteningly hot forehead rested between her shoulders. He wriggled around to find a comfortable position, and then he closed his eyes contentedly.

Ten minutes later, the heat from his body made Pang Qian start sweating. She touched Gu Mingxi's body and found it was the same for him. She wasn't sure if he was awake or asleep, but wanted to let go of him. Just as she loosened her arms, he unhappily said, "Don't let go, keep holding me."

"Aren't you hot?" Pang Qian was very helpless. "You're covered in sweat."

"I'm not hot." His eyes were still closed as he answered reluctantly, his body still stuck to hers.

She reached out her hand to touch his back again. Her fingers happened to move across his depressed spine. The skin on his back was taut and smooth, and also sticky- It was greasy and sweaty, but she actually found it rather sexy.

A strange thought suddenly popped into her mind. Pang Qian blinked her eyes, and then her fingers wandered across his body. Strong and lean waist, solid thighs, broad chest...

He kept enduring, even clenching his teeth, until her hands reached his crippled shoulders.

That was the most sensitive area on his body, the most fragile part of him. But she was very curious about them.

Her fingers brushed across the scar on his underarm, the protruding sensation causing Pang Qian's heart to beat chaotically. Gu Mingxi's heavy voice suddenly rang in her ear, "Pang Pang, if you don't pull your hands back, you'll have to take responsibility for the consequences."

Of course she understood the meaning behind his words, but not only didn't she move her hands away, she reached down to that spot. Defiantly, she responded, "You still have this thought when you're so sick?"

Oh... He suddenly opened his eyes, flames burning in his eyes. He said, "Don't say I didn't warn you later."

And then he stepped onto the bed with his feet and covered his with his body...

After his kisses disoriented her, Pang Qian still had the sense to say, "You have a cold! Don't give it to me!"

His heart dropped as he realized that this was indeed a problem. As he was about to stop and move away, she pulled him back to her.

She looked into his eyes and gently said, "It's okay. Worse comes to worse, I'll just get an infusion together with you."

He laughed lightly, and then suddenly became capricious.

Under her encouragement, he continued kissing her, an emotional and romantic kiss. His gentleness and affection made her turn to water.

......

On Sunday morning, Dou Dou's mother dropped him off at Gu Mingxi's house. Dou Dou's mother saw two sick people with different symptoms. One had a fever and one had a simple cold.

"Teacher Gu, are you and Auntie Crab sick?" Dou Dou laid down on Gu Mingxi's legs and asked him with concern. Pang Qian sneezed. After she wiped her nose, she put on a face mask and told Dou Dou, "Dou Dou, don't get too close to Teacher Gu to talk. Right now, he's a big walking virus. Be careful or else you'll catch his cold."

"I'm not scared," Dou Dou said. "When Teacher Gu got sick in the past, he didn't give it to me."

He looked curiously at Gu Mingxi and then asked, "Teacher Gu, did you give your cold to Auntie Crab so that she'd be sick too?"

Gu Mingxi looked at Pang Qian silently. His cheeks reddened slightly and he smiled.

In the past three days and two nights, his and her relationship had already changed. They'd become more familiar, more intimate, more attached.

He remembered when she snuggled up against his chest and told him, "There's a poem you must have heard before. 'Across the expanse of life and of death, I made a promise to her. With fingers entwined, we will grow old together.'"

She put her palm onto his left chest, over his hot skin and his pounding heart. She raised her eyes to him, and said quietly, "Gu Mingxi, I want to change that a little. This is our promise- With hearts entwined, we will grow old together."

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Home My Mister Ostrich Chapter 102 Will of the Heavens
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 102 Will of the Heavens
Prev Chapter

Next Chapter
Chapter 102 Will of the Heavens
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

Make sure to take advantage of your three years of school to give birth.

After Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi went for the last round of infusions, she sent him home, and they had a meal with Dou Dou and his mother. Then Pang Qian got ready to head to the airport.

Gu Mingxi had already gotten a lot better from his cold. He walked Pang Qian out to catch a taxi, and the two of them took a walk down the street.

The February weather in Hainan was just delightful. As the sky darkened and the scorching sun was hidden away, the moonlight started to poke through and shyly look down at a pair of lovers.

Standing at the intersection waiting for a taxi, Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi shared a few sappy words. Then Pang Qian told him to make sure to take his medicine, drink lots of water, and get rest. Gu Mingxi smiled. As she was about to leave, Pang QIan suddenly said, "Oh yeah, what we talked about earlier, what did you end up deciding?"

Gu Mingxi naturally knew what she was talking about. She was asking about his intentions on going back to school. They hadn't spoken about it in awhile because Pang Qian wanted to give Gu Mingxi a bit of time to think about it on his own. Gu Mingxi lowered his head and looked at Pang Qian. He said, "Pang Pang, have you really thought it over? Right now, your work is going well and you make good money. If you resign to go study, you'll have to spend three or four years on that. Do you think it's worth it?"

"Do you think it's not worth it?" Pang Qian opened her eyes wide at him. Then she asked again, "Gu Mingxi, do you think it's not worth it?"

"No, I don't think that." Compelled by her gaze, he slowly shook his head.

"I know that you have a dream," Pang Qian said. "Whatever your reason is... Whether it's to give yourself more opportunity for employment, whether it's a promise you made to yourself, whether it's to be an example to little kids, or even if it's to make more money in the future, you and I both should go back to school."

He was silent for a long time. Then he said, "I'm not sure I'll be able to pull up my liberal arts subjects."

Pang Qian smiled. "It's okay. It's been a long time since I've studied too. I have to get high scores for graduate school too. We'll study together then. We can go to a prep academy it we have to."

He smiled at how calm and unconcerned she was. "What if you get into the school but I don't?"

Pang Qian didn't think much about it and just said, "You can keep drawing and then review for the entrance exam the next year."

Gu Mingxi frowned. "Are you saying that my educational background is poor?"

Pang Qian laughed and then swat at him. "If you really don't want to go back to school, I won't force you. But I know that you miss it too."

Seeing Gu Mingxi's pensive expression, she put her travel bag onto the ground and spread her arms to hug him. She said, "If I don't get it, but you do, then I'll just keep working to support your studied. If you don't get it, but I do, then we'll go by your opinion. You can keep trying at the exam or you can become a freelance illustrator to support my studies. In any case, we'll just let things happen how they happen. Don't force anything. Okay?"

Gu Mingxi, "..."

"The Mayans predict the world will end in 2012, Gu Mingxi. That's next year. Let's just do our best for now."

"..."

She looked up at him. "Okay? We'll go with your decision."

He was never the type to make random promises, and he didn't know how to speak with flowery or insincere words. He was a man of his words. Looking at Pang Qian's expectant eyes, he knew that if he agreed now, he would have to work really hard for it during the next year.

But he was still a bit hesitant, and then Pang Qian said something that added the pressure. "Gu Mingxi, I've thought about it. Next year, when you get your acceptance letter, let's go register our marriage as a celebration, okay?"

Gu Mingxi started to think about that. Did that mean if he didn't get admitted next year, did that mean this wife would leave and go far away?

She was really something!

He clenched his teeth. "Okay, let's do it. We'll try the entrance exams again next year."

In March, Pang Qian received the three documents for the house ownership as well as the house keys. She was extremely happy and went to take a look at the house. Then she called Gu Mingxi and asked him about the renovations. Gu Mingxi was a bit apologetic as he said, "Pang Pang, my royalties probably won't be in until August. I don't really have the money for renovations right now."

Pang Qian was taken aback. Then she called out, "Who asked you to pay for it?!"

They discussed for a bit and decided that they'd choose the furniture and lighting when Gu Mingxi came back. They'd start the interior, water, and electricity now. As for styling- Gu Mingxi didn't really have much opinion on it, so he told Pang Qian, "Just pick what you like."

Pang Qian found some time to talk to Zou Liwen. They decided to have a meal after work one day.

Zou Liwen graduated from Fudan University with a Masters in finance. Pang Qian spoke to him a bit about work and then she breached the topic of SHUFE and Fudan as choices for graduate school. She asked Zou Liwen which was easier to get into.

Zou Liwen was a very smart person, so he glanced at Pang Qian and asked, "What? Planning on going back to school?"

Pang Qian picked up her napkin and wiped her mouth. "Team Leader, I asked you out to dinner today because I wanted to talk to you about something. I decided to work until the end of June, or July at the latest, and then I'm going to spend half a year reviewing before challenging (the entrance exam) again."

She didn't try to hide her intention at all, and she didn't give Zou Liwen any space to try to hold her back. Truth be told, Zou Liwen understood Pang Qian very well. He wouldn't try to hold her back.

As he cut his steak, he gave her his opinions. "With regards to the exam difficulty, both schools are pretty much even. With regards to prestige, Fudan has more of it, though those in the industry hold SHUFE at a higher standard. You graduated from SHUFE, so it's a safer bet to go with it."

Pang Qian said, "Team Leader, you don't know, but I have a very special feeling towards Fudan."

Zou Liwen asked, "You didn't get in when you took the college entrance exams?"

"It would have been impossible to get into!" Pang Qian laughed. "But now, I actually feel that I'm a lot closer to Fudan."

"You did your undergraduate at SHUFE, and if you go to Fudan for grad school, you wouldn't ever have to worry about a job in the future. Moreover, you have more than four years of experience in the field." Zou Liwen couldn't help laughing. "Pang Qian, when I invite you back later, you might think I'm not good enough."

"How could that be, Team Leader!" Pang Qian flattered. "I made it this far because you were able to spot (this) pearl! Team Leader, don't worry! After I graduate, I'll come back to find you. If you're eating meat, I'll eat meat. If you're eating porridge, I'll eat porridge..."

"Alright, that's enough..." Zou Liwen's ego had already been blown up. "How are you and your boyfriend now?"

Pang Qian smiled shyly. "Pretty good."

"Are you planning on getting married?"

"Mm, next year. We've already bought a house. Since he decided to go back to school, we agreed on getting married after the entrance exams next year." Pang Qian took a sip from her water bottle.

Zou Liwen spoke with complete seriousness, "Make sure to take advantage of your three years of school to give birth."

"Pu-" Pang Qian spit out all her water.

Over the short Qingming break, Gu Mingxi left Dou Dou in the care of Teachers Ji and Chen for two days. Then he went to visit Z City with Pang Qian.

They met up at S City's airport. Pang Qian arrived first, and after waiting two hours at the terminal, Gu Mingxi walked out with his backpack.

It had been more than a month since they'd last seen each other, so they missed each other very much. After they saw each other, they quickly turned into a pair of conjoined twins, sticking to each other constantly.

On the bus ride to Z City, Pang Qian pulled out her iPad and showed Gu Mingxi the renovations to their house. Usually when they would chat online, she would show him a bit, but this time, she'd taken photos of every little corner and detail of their new house. She swiped past each for him to see.

"I had the stove, sink, and counters in the kitchen lowered a bit so that it would be easier for you." Pang Qian said with pride. Gu Mingxi curled his lips, "What you're saying is that in the future, you're not going to touch anything in the kitchen?"

Pang Qian's face reddened. "No, that's not it. I'm short, so I can use it all too."

Gu Mingxi smiled and bumped her forehead with his. "I'm just kidding. I'll take care of the cooking in the future. I like watching you eat the food I make."

Pang Qian was elated as she continued showing him the photos. "This room faces south, and I was planning to leave it for your studio. We can get a custom desk and bookcases, okay?"

Gu Mingxi looked down at it for awhile. Then he said, "I was planning on leaving this room for the baby."

"There's another room for the baby. It's about the same size too."

He bit his lip and then said, "Okay. If the baby grows up and wants a room with more light, we can switch then."

Pang Qian knew better than anyone else what Gu Mingxi liked. That's why he was so at ease letting her take care of the designing. Pang Qian said she was intending on painting the walls in the master bedroom light beige, with dark floorboards, to give a warm feeling. The living room would be light blue with light pine floors, to give a cool tone. "If it's not warm enough, we can add some lighting." Pang Qian showed Gu Mingxi the living room ceiling. "It's wavy, like the ocean. We can add some LEDs. What do you think?"

Gu Mingxi nodded and said quietly, "Pang Pang, is this really our house?"

"Of course!" Pang Qian laughed happily. "But I don't know if we'll have a son or a daughter, so I don't want to paint the walls pink yet."

Gu Mingxi asked, "You want a daughter?"

"Yeah, daughters are more considerate." Pang Qian rested her head on his shoulder and asked, "What about you? Do you want a son or a daughter?"

"I want a son," Gu Mingxi said.

"..." Pang Qian felt a bit conflicted. She thought he would say either a son or daughter would both be good. She couldn't help asking, "Why?"

Gu Mingxi responded very sincerely. "Two reasons. First, I'm afraid that I'll spoil her too much if she's a girl. Second... I don't know if you've ever heard this saying, that when a parent raises their kids, it's like they get to experience their youth again. In particular, the things the parents never got to do, they'll let their kids experience it in their stead. I think that there's some reason to this saying. For example, I want to have a son, to love him, to be there for him, to teach him well, and... To praise him. I want to raise him to be a good boy. Kind, impressive, responsible, motivated. The things that I was unable to do well, I want him to be able to do them."

Pang Qian was extremely touched. She hugged him tightly and said, "You're already good enough, Gu Mingxi. Really."

When the coach bus arrived in Z City, Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian got a taxi to the cemetery.

There were a lot of people at the cemetery during Qingming. Gu Mingxi found Li Han's gravestone. There were some candles left in front of the tombstone, likely left by Li Chun or Li Mu. Pang Qian put down her flowers and, according to custom, she lit incense and burned paper money for Li Han.

Gu Mingxi stood beside her, quietly watching.

Pang Qian lit six incense sticks and kneeled down in front of Li Han's headstone. She looked at the picture of Li Han on the stone. It was from when Li Han was about 40 years old. She was very pretty, her hair braided and sitting on her chest. Her eyes were clear and bright, and she had a warm and tranquil smile on her face.

Pang Qian kowtowed three times for Li Han and placed the incense sticks into the ground. Then she said, "Auntie, it's me, Qian Qian. I've come to visit you. Gu Mingxi and I are together now. Don't worry, I won't let him be alone ever again."

She stood up and Gu Mingxi walked to the tombstone. He slowly kneeled down. Just as he started to say, "Mom..." he started choking up.

Pang Qian stood beside him and quickly wrapped her arms around him. She knew that Gu Mingxi must have suffered all these years, even if he didn't tell her about it. But now, facing Li Han like this, he must have thought about their days and nights together. No matter how strong he was, he was just a person. And he was disabled, more vulnerable than those who were all healthy. Every minute and second of his life, he was faced with difficulties. Pang Qian would sometimes think about it carefully, but then she wouldn't dare to keep thinking about it. Li Han had passed away nearly five years ago. Five years! Gu Mingxi had been alone for all that time.

Because everything was alright now, Pang Qian understood Gu Mingxi's changing mood even more. She quickly kneeled down beside him and held his shaking shoulders. She whispered into his ear, "It's okay, it's okay. Auntie will worry if she sees you crying. Everything's okay now. Don't cry..."

The cemetery was filled with ash and smoke. There were incense and candles lit all around. The spring wind blew and the pine trees rustled.

Pang Qian held tightly onto Gu Mingxi, and then she lifted her head to the sky. "Alright, it's just the two of us anyway. If you want to cry, go ahead. To be honest, I think Auntie would laugh at you. You brought your girlfriend to see her and then you cry like this."

After they left the cemetery, Gu Mingxi gave Li Chun a call.

The year that Li Han died, Gu Mingxi had fought a lot with her family. That's because he'd insisted on selling their house to pay back everyone who had given them money, but Li Mu didn't understand. Li Mu felt that the money given to them for Li Han's illness didn't need to be repaid. That was the convention. He hoped that Gu Mingxi wouldn't sell the house and would just rent out a room. In the future, when Li Shiyu got older, they could borrow the house for his marriage.(Note: I'm not sure if this means using the house for the ceremony/festivities or if somehow the house would be 'lent' to Shiyu to live in.)

Gu Mingxi completely ignored his opinion on the matter, and with Xu Shuanghua and Shark's help, he sold the house. Li Mu had said back then that he and Gu Mingxi would no longer have any relation in the future. If ever Gu Mingxi came to Z City, he wouldn't be welcome to stay with him.

When Gu Mingxi left Z City, it was Li Chun who sent him off. Li Chun gave him 10 thousand dollars and told him not to return it. After that, he'd kept in touch with Li Chun. He would give her a call each time a holiday came around, and he would also send her 3 thousand dollars every year. He said it was for living expenses now that she'd gotten older. He also sent Li Chun a lot of things from Hainan.

Li Chun was very happy to receive Gu Mingxi's call, and they spoke for a very long time. Gu Mingxi knew that his grandparents' physical conditions were getting worse. Li Shiyu was getting married but their family didn't have a house for him. So Li Mu sent their parents to a retirement home and rented a small place with Huang Lingli, leaving that three room house to Li Shiyu.

"Xiao Yu was spoiled too much by his parents," Li Chun said. "His studies were bad, he won't find work, and instead, he just spends all day playing games at the internet cafe. Then he met a girl through his games and they decided to get married. The girl's a year older than him, but I heard she didn't even graduate from high school. Usually she just works part time and then spends the day playing games. When they're out of money, they just ask your uncle. It's a shame. He's already 50 years old, but he still needs to work as a night security guard. Ah..."

After they hung up the phone, Pang Qian asked Gu Mingxi, "Do you want to go see your uncle and grandparents?"

Gu Mingxi shook his head and said, "Pang Pang, I didn't grow up here. Do you understand?"

She thought for a moment and then nodded, "I understand."

They took the bus back to S City and decided to stay for the night and then fly out the next day.

That evening, Gu Mingxi brought Pang Qian to meet Xu Shuanghua.

Xu Shuanghua spent most of the year away from home. Even over the Spring Festival holidays, he would probably go to England to visit his son. But over Qingming, he would definitely be in S City.

Gu Mingxi contacted Xu Shuanghua ahead of time. When he arrived at his house, Gu Mingxi told Pang Qian, "This is where I spent half a year after my mom passed away."

The door opened and Xu Shuanghua seemed the same as always. Thin facial features and a blank, even expression. But when he saw Gu Mingxi, a trace of warmth was revealed on his face and he gave Gu Mingxi a hug.

It seemed that everyone knew this, that the most surefire way to warm Gu Mingxi's heart was to hug him when they met.

Gu Mingxi brought some Mingqian tea from E City for Xu Shuanghua. When he saw Pang Qian, he grew curious.

Gu Mingxi shyly introduced her, "Teacher, this is my girlfriend, Pang Qian."

Xu Shuanghua let them in for dinner. And after dinner, Pang Qian went to the living room to watch TV as Gu Mingxi and Xu Shuanghua went to his study to talk. Gu Mingxi wanted to consult his teacher about the college entrance exam situation.

As Xu Shuanghua listened to his plans, he wasn't surprised at all. He just nodded along and said, "Advancing your studies is not a bad plan. There's no end to learning. I support you."

Gu Mingxi said, "Teacher, this time I want to get into an art program."

Xu Shuanghua asked, "Do you have an idea for which school you want to go to?"

"I want to go to Shanghai. Do you have any suggestions?"

"Shanghai?" Xu Shuanghua thought for a moment. "Have you heard of Fudan's Shanghai Institute of Visual Art (SIVA)?"

Gu Mingxi nodded. "I looked at this school too."

"My friend teaches there. The school's not bad. If you want to continue teaching in the future, I suggest that you get into SIVA's drawing program. With your foundations, if you work really hard for half a year, it shouldn't be a problem. As for the liberal arts courses, you'll have to count on yourself."

Gu Mingxi nodded, "I got it."

Xu Shuanghua asked Gu Mingxi what his current plans for the future were. Hearing that Gu Mingxi would return to E City in July, he immediately called up a friend in E City right there.

"I have a student who wants to take the exam for SIVA next year. He'll be in E City from July... His residence is in E City. Right. I'd like to ask you to help tutor him. Don't worry about his foundations. I hope that you can tutor him one on one. You have to guarantee that he'll get into SIVA. ...Yes, that's right. He's my student, my fourth one."

After he hung up, Xu Shuanghua added a phone number to Gu Mingxi's phone. He said, "This professor specializes in tutoring people for the fine arts exam. His skills are very good. When you get back to E City, call me. I'll head over to meet up with him with you. Don't worry, he's a pretty good person."

Gu Mingxi and Xu Shuanghua left the study, both with smiles on their faces. Pang Qian stood up. Seeing the two young people, Xu Shuanghua said, "Mingxi, when are you getting married? You must invite me to the wedding. These few years, I've missed you more than I missed my son. Seeing that you're doing well now, I'm really especially happy."

He was a rather cold person, but hearing him say such moving words in that moment made Gu Mingxi especially touched. He moved close to Xu Shuanghua for an embrace. He said, "Teacher, thank you."

Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian's hotel was in the middle of the city. When they got off the taxi, Gu Mingxi lifted his head to look around. Not so faraway, he saw a bridge.

Without saying anything to Pang Qian, he brought her over to the bridge for a walk.

Although it was nighttime, the bridge was still very lively. Vendors, entertainers, beggars, all lined up in a line. The tall buildings all around were lit up, and the neon signs on the tops of them shined brightly. The traffic under the bridge was like a trail of gold. The pedestrians walked past Gu Mingxi without taking so much as a glance at him. Occasionally, someone would notice his empty, swinging sleeves and the pretty girl beside him, and an inquisitive expression would appear on their face. Gu Mingxi didn't mind them and walked along slowly. Pang Qian didn't know what they were doing, but when she asked him, he didn't answer.

Everyone had some secrets and the current Gu Mingxi wasn't ready to tell Pang Qian about this bit of his past. He thought, perhaps after a few years, after they were married, on a cold winter day, as they sat inside their heated house watching TV, he would happily tell her about his story with this bridge.

When they got back to the hotel, they were both extremely tired. After a day of traveling, it was finally time to rest.

They closed the door and dropped their bags. Without even taking off her and his coats, she was already attached next to him.

She looked up at his face and he looked down, their lips tangling together.

She stumbled over to the washroom together with him. "Let's shower together..."

He simply couldn't bear letting go of her lips, so he just mumbled, "Mm."

Her voice was soft and sticky, as her hands traveled across his body. "Gu Mingxi, I missed you."

"I missed you too."

"How much?"

"When I'm awake, my head's full of thoughts about you. When I'm asleep, all I dream about is you."

"Me too, me too!" she moaned out. She even craftily used her tongue to tease his two tiger teeth. Pointy, sexy, and really interesting.

Her provocation made his kiss more frantic, hotter, stickier, leaving him unable to control himself. He kissed her deeply as his brows furrowed and he called her name over and over, "Pang Pang, Pang Pang..."

"I'm here," she said.

As the night grew longer, they moved from the washroom to the white, soft bed, their two figures lingering, rising and falling.

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Home My Mister Ostrich Chapter 103 Aged Examinee
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 103 Aged Examinee
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Chapter 103 Aged Examinee
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

Pang Pang, you can just hold the umbrella for me from now on.

Ever since Gu Mingxi decided to once again take the college entrance exam next year at the 'ripe old age' of 28, Pang Qian asked Teacher Dai to help gather teaching materials, practice questions, and mock exams for high school seniors in E City for Gu Mingxi to review.

In his last semester in Sanya, Gu Mingxi was very busy. One one hand, he had to teach math and English to his graduating class. On the other hand, he also had to fulfill his publishing deadlines. And then on yet another hand, he had to review the high school liberal arts courses.

His colleagues knew that he was planning on retaking the college entrance exam, so they helped him to review. But when they picked up the math and science questions from the school, each of them became dumbfounded.

"It's too hard. It's been so many years since I've studied it, I've already forgotten all the formulas." Teacher Chen shook his head. "If you told me to take the entrance exam again, I'd go mad."

Teacher Song said, "Thank goodness Teacher Gu can draw, so he can take the arts exam. He ought to be able to get into an art program without any problems."

Gu Mingxi sighed. "Actually, the exam tests you on sketching and color, which I haven't practiced in a long time either. The exam is at the start of next year. Being able to bring my skills up to par in half a year will be difficult too."

Ji Xiu'er comforted him, "You can do it. I believe in you."

In June, the Sanya weather grew hotter and the rain came in greater force. The sixth grade students were going to graduate.

Pang Qian had nearly taken care of all her work at Jialai. Zou Liwen turned a blind eye, and she quickly took her bags to Sanya to spend time with Gu Mingxi.

All of the graduating students at his school had been accepted to a junior high already. After their final exams, the school prepared a simple graduation ceremony for them. Pang Qian sat in the teacher's quarters, out of the sun, eating ice cream and watching the teachers and students gathering on the courtyard under the scorching sun to take a graduation photo.

The students in the first row crouched down, and the teachers sat in chairs behind them. In the third row, students were standing up, and behind them were students standing on chairs.

Pang Qian looked into the distance at Gu Mingxi. He was wearing a white collared shirt with beige pants. Pang Qian had helped him button his shirt, all the way up to the top. Gu Mingxi said that it looked more formal and official that way.

His hair was cut neatly and freshly and his clothes were clean and crisp. Sitting with the teachers between all the students, a light and gently smile remained on Gu Mingxi's face. He taught art for all the students, so he took photos with all four of the graduating classes. After photos were done, Pang Qian saw that a lot of kids were huddled around Gu Mingxi.

She curiously walked out and realized that they were crying. A lot of them were holding small trinkets, saying that it was a gift for their teacher because they'd heard he was leaving.

The gifts were handmade cards, notebooks and albums, pens and paint, and other such items. The most shocking gift was a basket of eggs, and the student said his parents had told him to give it to Teacher Gu.

Gu Mingxi couldn't bear to turn away the kids' kind intentions, so he asked Pang Qian to help him collect the gifts. He crouched down and a lot of girls surrounded him, crying and whispering to him.

More than anyone else, Pang Qian could understand their feelings. She'd known from a young age that Gu Mingxi was a very good teacher. He was strict but not harsh, reasonable and filled with warmth. He was detailed and patient with his teaching, lively and interesting as well. He treated his students equally, encouraging them and also giving them criticisms. Most importantly, he didn't give up on any students. Even the biggest troublemakers would slowly get better under his concern and guidance.

Actions speak louder than words. Under Gu Mingxi's guidance, two classes of students' math and English scores were better than the other classes, so not only the students, but their parents also felt especially fond of the no-armed Teacher Xiao Gu.

After the conclusion of the graduation ceremony, summer break started for the students. That evening, all the teachers packed up their things to head home. Usually at this time, Gu Mingxi also brought Dou Dou back to his house in Sanya Bay.

But this year, they would be parting. After Pang Qian came, she found that Dou Dou was utterly dejected, just like a frostbitten eggplant. The carefree summer vacation didn't bring him any excitement, and instead, he hoped the school semester would never end.

Pang Qian didn't try to talk to Dou Dou about it. One night after dinner, Gu Mingxi took Dou Dou out for a walk. They walked around for two hours, and when they returned, Dou Dou's eyes were swollen up like peaches. He ran over to Pang Qian, sobbing and sniffling. "Auntie Crab, in two days, I-I'm going to go to my mom's house. I-I'll pro-probably stay there for school. Auntie Crab, after you bring Teacher Gu home, you can't bully him. You promised me before that y-you would become his two hands."

Pang Qian was suddenly brought to tears by his words. She crouched down and hugged Dou Dou. "I definitely won't bully Teacher Gu. I promise. And Dou Dou, when you're on vacations, you can come to our house to play. When you grow up, you can go to university in E City, and then you'll be able to see Teacher Gu all the time.

Dou Dou cracked a smile, his mouth missing a few teeth. "Mm, Teacher Gu told me that."

Two days later, Dou Dou's mother came to Sanya to pick him up. Gu Mingxi packed up Dou Dou's things, his clothes and toys and study materials... Dou Dou would be settling in Guangdong, and Pang Qian wondered if his stepfather would be able to accept him. In any case, he would probably suffer a little bit, but there really was no other option.

When it was time for him to leave, Dou Dou cried his heart out. He nearly started to roll around on the ground in a fit. He couldn't hear anyone else's words, just holding onto Gu Mingxi's leg and crying out.

Gu Mingxi didn't know how Dou Dou's future would turn out either. He could only crouch down and make a promise with him.

"If you score 95 points or higher on your language, math, and English exams next semester, I'll come pick you up to visit E City for two weeks. I promise, I keep my word."

After being comforted for a long time, Dou Dou finally nodded as he continued crying. Eventually, he walked away and left Sanya to head home with his mother. Pang Qian wiped away her tears. When they could no longer see Dou Dou, Gu Mingxi walked over to her and kissed her on the forehead. He asked, "When I left before, did you cry like that too?"

Pang Qian looked at him with watery eyes and asked, "How did you know?"

He said, "I'm guessing."

"You left me twice," Pang Qian said. "Gu Mingxi, you can't let this happen again in the future."

He smiled, and his moist eyes were enough to appease her heart. "I promise, it won't happen again."

With Pang Qian's help, Gu Mingxi finished up the procedure to leave the school. He set up with the property manager to take care of the utility fees for his property. He cancelled his bank cards and used up his supermarket credits. When he was cancelling his phone line, it finally hit him that he was leaving Sanya.

Packing up was a lot easier this time around with Pang Qian's help. He didn't have much luggage to bring along. He had very few clothes and shoes, and most of his belongings were books and paintings that filled up several boxes.

When she was helping him clear out the drawers, Pang Qian found a pen, dark blue, Hero brand. She pulled off the cap and saw that the tip was already broken.

"You still kept this? It's already broken." She laughed happily. "It's been so many years, and you've run off so far away, but still, you didn't lose this."

Gu Mingxi sat down on the floor together with her. With his foot, he took the pen from her hand. He rubbed the pen gently and said, "Because of this pen, I scolded Dou Dou for the first and only time."

Pang Qian's eyes widened. "Ah?"

"Dou Dou's the one who broke this pen." He smiled. "When I saw him drop it, I couldn't do anything to prevent it. I yelled at him and Dou Dou got really scared, so he cried for half the night. He was only 6 then. After that, I took him out to eat fried chicken and bought him a Transformers toy before he stopped ignoring me."

Pang Qian couldn't help laughing and Gu Mingxi shook his head helplessly. "Sometimes I really think that Dou Dou is just like you when you were younger. Likes eating and likes toys, not very petty and pretty good to comfort."

Pang Qian pouted. "I'm not good to comfort now? (easy to placate)"

"Now, you're... How could I say it." He tilted his head, as if trying to weigh out his words. "You're a bit greedy and insatiable."

"Hey, Gu Mingxi! Do you know your idioms?!" Pang Qian called out angrily. "What do you mean 'greedy and insatiably'?!"

"I mean..." He lowered his head and kissed her shoulder, biting gently. "In certain respects."

Pang Qian mercilessly took a bite at his shoulder. Very satisfied with his cry of pain, she clenched her teeth and said, "Who's the greedy and insatiable one? You'd better make it clear! Who's the one who wants to study every night? Huh, who is it?!"

He closed his eyes and kissed her, as if he hadn't heard anything.

Five minutes later, Pang Qian called out, "Gu Mingxi! We haven't even finished packing yet!"

"If you don't like studying at night, we can work on it in the afternoon," he said. "After we're done studying, we can pack again."

She felt hopeless, but also quite happy inside.

To be honest, she was really quite easy to placate.

During the rainy season, the shining sun could disappear behind dark clouds in an instant. The gentle breeze turned devastating. After the sky darkened, large raindrops would drop from the sky. The tropical trees would shake in the wind.

Pang Qian stood by the window in her nightgown, and curiously opened the window. The whirring wind and rain blew in, soaking her clothes. She quickly closed the window, and stood there, arms crossed, staring out in a daze.

This was their last night in Sanya. They'd be heading back to E City the next afternoon.

Gu Mingxi walked up to her and bent down slightly, his chest against her back. His shoulders rested on hers as if embracing her.

"What are you looking at?" he asked.

"When the weather was like this and you were alone, how did you go out?" Pang Qian asked. "When it rains, who helps you hold the umbrella?"

He started, unsure of how to respond.

No one helped him hold an umbrella, and he'd gotten used to walking out into the wind and rain. Every rainy season during summer break, there would be the occasional typhoon. It was difficult for Gu Mingxi to go out, but he and Dou Dou still had to eat. If there was nothing to eat in the house, he just had to go out into the storm.

This was just a minor difficulty in his life, such that he didn't even find it worth mentioning. Gu Mingxi whispered into Pang Qian's ear, "Pang Pang, you can just hold the umbrella for me from now on."

All the suffering had passed, and all the sorrow had turned into a gust of wind. Pang Qian understood what Gu Mingxi meant. He wasn't the kind of person who liked living in the past. It was just like his new book, 'The Lonely Whale,' which was a story about hopes and dreams. (Note: Such a plug, lol; this is the title of Ostrich's author's upcoming novel.)

Pang Qian looked out the window at the pouring rain and said, "I wonder if the rain will slow tomorrow. I'm worried it will affect the flight."

Next to her, Gu Mingxi said, "The weather report says there will be clear skies tomorrow."

The next day, it was indeed windy and sunny. Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi had shipped several boxes, and so they boarded the plane back to E City with minimal baggage.

This time, he was genuinely heading home. When they exited the plane, Pang Shuisheng was already waiting at the airport. He drove Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi back to the Prosperous North. They got out of the car and Pang Qian insisted on showing Gu Mingxi their new house.

The renovations on the house were complete, and only the furniture and some appliances were missing. Compared to when they first bought the house, it looked much more spacious, bright, and warm now.

Gu Mingxi followed Pang Qian to look through each of the rooms. He almost couldn't bear stepping onto the clean floors as he looked around the place with hungry eyes. Aluminum shuttered windows, bright yellow kitchen cabinets, a marble wall for the TV and entertainment area, white ceilings, a balcony filled with sun... and the bathroom that surprised him.

The bathroom was very spacious. There was a tall chair in front of the sink and counter, and also a bathtub and smart toilet. A towel bar was attached to the wall and the shower hooks were put it at waist level, obviously meant to be more convenient for Gu Mingxi.

He said, "Pang Pang, you don't have to accommodate me that much."

"It's not about accommodating you," Pang Qian said. "You're the owner of the house, so everything should be designed to be easy to use for you. This isn't a model house for showing to others." Pang Qian wrapped her arms around him. "I want you to live comfortably, and I hope that we'll be able to live here for a long time because I really don't like moving house."

He thought for a moment and said, "Mm, I don't like moving house either."

She smiled. "My dad said that our task for the next half month is to go shopping for furniture and appliances, and that we don't have to do anything else. When we finish buying everything, we can start working hard."

It was July 6th, 2011. There was just half a year left before the fine arts exam and grad school entrance exam, and only eleven months before the college entrance exam.

The aged examinee Gu Mingxi let out a deep breath. Indeed, he would have to work as if his life depended on it.

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Home My Mister Ostrich Chapter 104 Victorious First Battle
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 104 Victorious First Battle
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Chapter 104 Victorious First Battle
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

Who'd have thought that after I helped fight for an egg that year, that a chubby little girl was going to keep following me around.

After bringing Gu Mingxi's things into the guest bedroom of Pang Qian's house, Pang Qian took care of her resignation procedures and then became an unemployed vagrant.

Every day, she drove herself and Gu Mingxi to the furniture and appliance stores to pick out things for their new house. Every day, the delivery truck would come by and drop off something new, and Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi watched as their empty room filled up with a large bed, tables, dresser... In the hot summer, their house still didn't have air conditioning, so as they went around their house moving things around, their bodies became covered in sweat. And yet, they didn't feel like it was hot. They didn't feel tired, and they only felt a satisfying contentment.

When the mattress arrived, Pang Qian was extremely excited. She opened her arms wide and plopped down onto the bed. The gentle bed bounced back, and she enjoyed herself a bit before dragging Gu Mingxi down.

"Our house, our room, our bed." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "And my man."

He closed his eyes and felt the fragrance of her lips.

She suddenly said, "Gu Mingxi, let's get married."

His eyelids opened, revealing a pair of shining eyes. Who expected her to scrunch up her nose and shake her head. "No, no, we have take care of the entrance exams first."

Gu Mingxi, "..."

In order to buy some more things for their house, Pang Qian drove Gu Mingxi to the IKEA in Shanghai and they shopped around for the day, returning home with a small car stuffed to the max. Before they left, she invited Wu Feiyan, Yang Lu, and Xue Wenwen out to eat. She said she wanted to introduce her boyfriend to them, but only Wu Feiyan and Xue Wenwen showed up.

Her two roommates had previously heard that Pang Qian's boyfriend was a bit special, but when they saw Gu Mingxi, they were still a bit startled. But they quickly adjusted their attitude and the group had a happy meal.

As they ate, Pang Qian complained, "I don't often make it to Shanghai. Why didn't Lu Lu show up?"

Wu Feiyan and Xue Wenwen exchanged a glance. Wu Feiyan told Pang Qian that Yang Lu and Sheng Feng had broken up.

"Why?" Pang Qian was taken by surprise. "Before I left, I had a meal with Lu Lu and Sheng Feng. They'd decided that after Sheng Feng finished his post grad, they were going to buy a house and get married. When I spoke to Lu Lu on the phone last year, they were still doing well. She told me that he was working at CITIC Bank and work was good too."

"What else, it was because of the house." Wu Feiyan sighed. "Sheng Feng's house in E City is under his parents' names. They prepared it earlier for his marriage, but it wasn't very big. Lu Lu's family said they ought to sell it and put a down payment on a newer and bigger house in Shanghai. Lu Lu's family said they'd cover the cost of renovations and a new car, and then the two of them would cover the mortgage later on."

Pang Qian said, "That doesn't sound bad."

Xue Wenwen said, "The problem is that Sheng Feng's family didn't agree to it. They said that even if the two were to buy a house in Shanghai, it would have to be under Sheng Feng's name, and they wouldn't let Lu Lu's name be added on."

"Ah?" Pang Qian asked, "What did Sheng Feng say?"

Wu Feiyan said, "The key to it all was Sheng Feng's attitude. According to Lu Lu, he actually agreed with his parents. Lu Lu was extremely direct then, and she said they should break up. After that, Sheng Feng finally seemed to come to his senses and chased after her and said he'd agree to put her name on the deed. But Lu Lu's feelings already went cold."

Pang Qian curled her lips, unable to say anything, feeling disappointed and frustrated.

Xue Wenwen, "Crab, you don't have to worry about Lu Lu. She already has a new boyfriend, an executive at a foreign investment firm or something. Lu Lu's work is going well too. When I went shopping with her, she seemed totally fine."

"How can she be totally fine?" Wu Feiyan said, "Look, Crab called her out to eat but she wouldn't come, because Crab would definitely ask about Sheng Feng. Lu Lu has to be feeling at least a bit hurt."

While the three girls talked, Gu Mingxi didn't interrupt. Instead, the two of them spoke about this topic in the car later.

Pang Qian said a bit regretfully, "Sheng Feng and Yang Lu dated for more than five years. Why didn't they have more confidence in each other? Wang Song and Xiaoyan didn't have this problem, and neither did we."

Gu Mingxi answered her evenly, "Pang Pang, actually, confidence is a rather extravagant word. Especially because they both also have parents and families behind them. The more people, the more talk. Everyone wants the best for their kids. When you date, you inevitably talk about marriage, and there are some things you just can't avoid. And when it comes to these things, there's nothing that is absolutely fair. The more you talk about it, the more likely someone's feelings get hurt."

Pang Qian asked, "Who do you think is right between Sheng Feng and Yang Lu?"

Gu Mingxi thought about it. "It doesn't matter who's right or wrong. But in my opinion, I always feel that a man should be a bit more generous. A woman doesn't marry a man because she covets his house. A woman just wants the house as a sort of guarantee."

Pang Qian smiled. "I suddenly feel like I'm very lucky."

"About what?" he turned to ask her.

"I seem to have picked up a treasure." She giggled. "Gu Mingxi, you know, when we're together, whether it's in the past or now, I seem to have never worried about these troublesome things. When my mom first mentioned buying a house, I felt she was very meddlesome and I didn't think it was something we had to worry about. I think that if I were Yang Lu, and I loved Sheng Feng enough, I would just tell him that we wouldn't have to buy a house in E City. We'd just save money and buy a house in Shanghai. If we couldn't buy one, we'd just rent. What's the big deal."

Gu Mingxi smiled and glanced at her without saying anything.

He thought to himself that actually, he was very fortunate as well. He'd also picked up a treasure.

At the end of July, Xu Shuanghua arrived in E City and took Gu Mingxi to a studio. The studio was actually a training academy. The students lived on the campus and practiced there in preparation for a variety of fine arts exams.

The school's principal was Xu Shuanghua's good friend, a Mr. Ke, an experienced fine arts teacher who specialized in sketching. Teacher Ke also found teachers who taught color theory and sketch form. After Gu Mingxi made a quick sketch, several teachers examined it and agreed that there wouldn't be a problem with getting into a program. But he would have to practice like his life depended on it.

And thus, Gu Mingxi started his studying life. Because of his physical condition, he didn't have to live at the school. Every morning, Pang Qian drove him to the school to practice drawing, and then she would pick him up at night. In the evenings, he stayed at home and studied the high school cultural studies material.

Pang Qian enrolled in a training course for the graduate school entrance exam. She went to class every day, and then she studied with Gu Mingxi at night.

It had been a long time since either of them had been students, so at first, they weren't accustomed to it. Especially Pang Qian. After less than half an hour of working on math problems, she laid down on her desk to sleep.

Gu Mingxi looked at her and shook his head. He'd let her sleep awhile before waking her up. Pang Qian rubbed her eyes and said, "These math problems are much more annoying than the reports I have to write for work."

Gu Mingxi couldn't help showing a sour expression. "Then try working on some physics problems."

Pang Qian laughed happily, "Gu Mingxi, even you have such a day!"

They studied English together. After a certain time, they would compete to see who memorized the most, and the loser would be punished. If Pang Qian lost, she would have to give Gu Mingxi a massage. If Gu Mingxi lost, he would have to sing for Pang Qian.

Most of the time, Pang Qian lost, but she happily started massaging at his legs and back. Gu Mingxi hadn't practiced drawing to such a degree in a long time, and it was purely for the exam now. When he came home every day, his waist was sore, his legs hurt, and his muscles were stiff. Even his toes would get a bit numb. Pang Qian pulled his legs onto her thighs and started massaging each of his toes, one at a time.

"Do your feet cramp nowadays?" she asked him. "Don't lie!"

Gu Mingxi was quiet for a moment and then he nodded. "Sometimes, but what can you do about it."

"Rest a bit after you draw for awhile."

"The exam is timed. How can I just rest whenever I feel like it?" He smiled. "Pang Pang, it'll be over after awhile. I know my body best. You don't have to worry."

Every night, they stayed at Pang Qian's house. Pang Qian sat at her desk and Gu Mingxi sat on a chair with a tea table in front of him. The room was very quiet, and there was only the rustling sound of pencil on paper. Sometimes Gu Mingxi would stop to rest awhile. He looked at Pang Qian's profile, cheek on her left hand, as she scribbled with her right hand. When she came across a difficult question, she bit the back of her pen and stared out. Then she flipped through the lesson material and continued.

She wore loose pajamas and her hair was braided messily. When the light shined on her bare face, Gu Mingxi saw her smooth neck and long eyelashes, her raised nose, her slightly pouting lips. He'd seen this scene before.

It was just like all those years ago, when they studied together every day.

Pang Qian felt his stare and then turned to smile at him. She dropped her pen and walked over to him.

When her kiss landed on his lips and her arms wrapped around his neck, Gu Mingxi realized that she wasn't the same silly girl from the past.

That Qixi Festival would be Gu Mingxi's 27th birthday. He didn't want to go out to eat and volunteered to cook a meal for Pang Qian's parents. Jin Aihua was skeptical, but Pang Qian clutched her shoulder and said, "Mom, don't worry. He can do it."

Pang Qian helped Gu Mingxi go out to buy groceries. They went to the supermarket and then the outdoor market. And lastly, they headed to the fish market. Gu Mingxi diligently picked out the ingredients as Pang Qian smiled at the side. So this son in law wanted to show off to his future parents in law.

While Gu Mingxi worked busily in the kitchen, Pang Qian helped him out. Jin Aihua was really concerned, so she secretly snuck over to take a look. She saw Gu Mingxi sitting on a chair with the cutting board on the ground. His head was lowered in concentration as he grabbed a knife and cut the ingredients. Jin Aihua nearly had a heart attack.

She scolded her daughter, "Qian Qian, why aren't you helping?! What if Mingxi cuts off his toe? You always said you were busy with work when I tried to teach you to cook. Now that you're jobless, you should learn it!"

Gu Mingxi laughed. "Auntie, it's okay, I can do it. I'd be more worried if Pang Pang were to do the cutting."

With Pang Qian's help, Gu Mingxi cooked up six dishes and a soup- Steamed crab, deep fried breaded shrimp, beef and onion stir fry, sausage with bamboo and soybeans, luffa and bamboo shoots, roasted eggplant, and tofu and tomato soup. Jin Aihua and Pang Shuisheng saw the dazzling menu on the table and were indeed startled. They knew what a poor cook their daughter was, which meant that this table of food was all cooked by Gu Mingxi.

Jin Aihua looked at the dishes on the table and asked, "Mingxi ah, did you cut all of these?"

Gu Mingxi was a bit embarrassed. Pang Qian helped him untie his apron as he laughed shyly. "Auntie, I didn't do that well. Don't joke about it."

"What's not done well?!" Jin Aihua took a bite of the eggplant. The sauce was very fragrant. Then she took a bite of beef, smooth and tender. She couldn't help praising him, "It's delicious, even better than when Pang Qian's dad cooks."

Pang Shuisheng already had a bit of alcohol, so he frowned and said to Pang Qian, "Qian Qian, let me tell you. When you start your own family, you have to learn how to do some things too. You can't just have Mingxi do it all on his own. Husband and wife have to share the household duties. When you're together, you have to help each other and take care of each other. You can't just throw a tantrum or bully him." Then he spoke to Gu Mingxi. "And Mingxi, I have to tell you too. You spoil Qian Qian too much. You spoiled her in the past and even more so now. You're a grown up man, you have to take the lead a bit."

Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi both nodded modestly. And then she whispered to him, "When my dad gets happy, he starts to drink. After he drinks a bit, he talks a lot. Don't worry about it."

Gu Mingxi whispered back in her ear. "Actually, I think that what Uncle said makes sense. It seems I've spoiled you too much."

Pang Qian looked at him. "You regret it?"

"A bit." He smiled. "Who'd have thought that after I helped fight for an egg that year, that a chubby little girl was going to keep following me around."

A few months passed, and the days grew calm. During the Double Ninth Festival (Note: around October) of 2011, Jin Aihua's company put on an event for their retired workers, which included a tea party at the tea house.

Jin Aihua dressed up prettily and went to the event. There, she ran into some old neighbors and colleagues. Everyone started chatting about their kids' work, studies, and relationships.

Every year, Jin Aihua was the object of envy for the others because Pang Qian's work was good, her income was high, and their family had moved into a big house.

Zhong Xiaolian once again lamented that she hadn't been brave enough at the start. After renting a place for three years, she was finally able to move back into the rebuilt apartments, and the houses were pretty much the same size as they had been originally. She always said to Jin Aihua, "Because Shuisheng was more bold, you guys are doing well now. Housing prices are so expensive now that we won't even have a house for our son when he gets married."

Jin Aihua was extremely proud. "It was Qian Qian's suggestion back then. She's pretty bright after all."

Zhong Xiaolian asked, "Does Qian Qian still work for that Hong Kong company?"

Jin Aihua didn't try to avoid the question, "She resigned and she's getting ready for graduate school."

"Aiyo, your Qian Qian is going back to school!" A group of old women cried out. "It's not good for a girl to study so much! Be careful, she might not be able to find a husband later!"

Jin Aihua said, "Quit your nonsense. Our Qian Qian already has a boyfriend! And they're getting married next year!"

The aunties all got excited. Like a swarm of bees, they started asking about his age, where he was from, what his job and income were, and most importantly, did he have a house.

Jin Aihua replied confidently, "The house is already settled. It's in our neighborhood, 138 sqm. He paid the down payment and put Qian Qian's name on the house."

The aunties were full of jealousy and envy. Zhong Xiaolian suddenly cried out, "Ah... Qian Qian's getting married soon. I wonder how Mingxi's doing."

Someone elbowed her and Jin Aihua looked away. She looked around at their surroundings with a cheerful heart.

As everyone dispersed, each of them reminded Jin Aihua to invite them to Pang Qian's wedding. Jin Aihua happily agreed. When she was about to leave, Zhong Xiaolian walked over to her.

She said quietly, "Aihua, did you hear, Gu Guoxiang got divorced."

Jin Aihua was taken aback and asked, "Divorced? With the current one?"

"Mm, the current one. It's already been half a year. Old Ma still works at the factory, so he told me about it. There were a lot of people earlier who didn't know, so I didn't mention it."

Jin Aihua asked, "Why are they getting divorced? Who gets the child?"

"Why else? When she married Gu Guoxiang, she was just 26. Now she's only 34, but what about Gu Guoxiang? He's nearly 55 years old! What kind of 30 year old woman would be willing to stay with an old man like him?" Zhong Xiaolian looked like she was retelling a dramatic movie. "Of course the child will stay with Gu Guoxiang. Didn't he divorce Li Han to have that kid after all? He's even giving the woman a pile of money to give up custody rights."

Jin Aihua wasn't sure how to respond. "Then he's going to take care of that kid by himself? How old is the kid?"

"8 years old, just in third grade." When they got to the topic of the kid, Zhong Xiaolian sighed. "You don't know, but Gu Guoxiang's spoiled the kid rotten. Old Ma said that whenever anyone at the factory hears about Gu Guoxiang's little princess, they all shake their heads. They say she's very capricious and unruly, she doesn't understand things and everything must go her way. When she's unhappy, she throws a fit. And her school results aren't very good. She just cares about looking at pretty clothes and shoes. She probably got that from her mother."

"..."

"They said that if you had to compare the little brat with Mingxi, one was obviously like the sky and the other was like dirt."

Jin Aihua returned home with a lot on her mind. After dinner, she told Pang Qian to wash the dishes and sent Pang Shuisheng out to buy fruit. She took the chance to talk with Gu Mingxi.

Jin Aihua said, "Mingxi, did you know that your dad got divorced?"

Gu Mingxi's expression remained unchanged, though he felt a pang of surprise inside.

He found an opportunity and gave Gu Guoxiang a call. Pretending as if he didn't know anything, he told his father that he'd already returned to E City and that he was currently studying with plans to go back to school.

Gu Guoxiang didn't speak about his own situation the entire time. He asked, "Mingxi, where are you staying?"

Gu Mingxi told him the truth. "I'm staying at Pang Qian's house."

"Ah!" Gu Guoxiang was a bit unhappy. "What's this mean! If someone finds out about this, they'll start to gossip! It's not like you don't have family! Mingxi, you can stay with me."

Gu Mingxi rejected the offer. "Dad, it's okay. Living at Pang Qian's house is pretty good."

Gu Guoxiang was silent for a moment and then he said, "When should we have a meal together? It's been a long time since you've seen your sister."

Gu Mingxi had only seen Gu Ziyue once before. He didn't even remember what she looked like. He said, "Dad, we'll talk about it when New Year's comes. I'm busy with revision lately, and there's an exam in two months. After the exam, at New Year's, I'll have more time."

"Okay." Gu Guoxiang didn't push him more. "Let's keep in touch, Mingxi. Take care of yourself."

Gu Mingxi nodded. "I know, Dad. You take care of your health too."

In December, Gu Mingxi successfully registered for the entrance exam. The fine arts exam took place the next January.

He prepared well for it. As he carried his supplies and drawing board through the door, Pang Qian gave him a hug and said, "Gu Mingxi, you can do it! I'll be waiting for the good news outside!"

Although the examinees around him were nearly ten years younger than himself, Gu Mingxi's eyes shined confidently. He said, "Pang Pang, I won't disappoint you."

January was pretty much exam month. Not only did Gu Mingxi participate in the national exam, he also partook in two school exams. One of them was for SIVA. Xu Shuanghua said that he'd already looked into it, and as long as Gu Mingxi's scores for the practical and the cultural exam reached the cutoff, he wouldn't have to worry about SIVA rejecting him because of his disability. His words cleared Gu Mingxi of all his worries. During the exam, he was calm and focused as his feet changed brushes, washed them, added color... His painting was very simple, but it may have been the most important painting of his life.

After the exam, he put down his brush. His legs felt a bit sore, but he felt very light inside.

Pang Qian also took part in the first round for the graduate entrance exams, and she did very well. Her English foundation had always been pretty decent, so after her dedicated studying and practicing, she felt great walking out from the exam. All that was left was to wait for the results at the end of the year.

When she walked out of the exam, she saw Gu Mingxi waiting. He stood under a large tree on the side of the road. When he saw Pang Qian, he walked over to her.

He didn't ask her how the exam went, and instead just kissed her forehead. He said, "Now that you're done, let's have a meal to celebrate, okay?"

"Okay!" She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked at him happily.

The first report of good news came to Gu Mingxi.

The exam scores were made public, and he'd successfully scored above the cutoff for undergraduate schools. He also passed the cutoff for SIVA. That meant that for the next few months, he just had to focus on his cultural studies.

The Spring Festival of 2012 was especially meaningful to Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi, because that was when they moved into their new house.

Although they hadn't gotten married yet, Jin Aihua knew that Gu Mingxi had a lot inconveniences in his life, so she agreed to let Pang Qian live together with him.

When their relatives came to visit for New Year's, they also stopped by to take a look at the new house. One after another, they were blown away. In the next half year, Pang Qian's family all accepted Gu Mingxi. No one called him into question because other than him not having arms, this guy pretty much had it all. He was handsome, genuine, and knew how to make money. He left a good impression and he was a good cook. And of course, he treated Pang Qian better than words could express.

But there were still some who didn't quite understand Gu Mingxi's family background. They would ask Jin Aihua, "Why doesn't Mingxi go home for New Year's? What about his parents?"

At this time, Gu Mingxi received a call from Gu Guoxiang, asking him to dinner.

"Your grandparents miss you," Gu Guoxiang said. "Bring Qian Qian, and come visit them."

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Home My Mister Ostrich Chapter 105 The Gu Family
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 105 The Gu Family
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Chapter 105 The Gu Family
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

We don't have one. Houses are really expensive right now, so how could we buy one.

Gu Guoxiang organized for their family dinner to be at a seafood restaurant. Before their appointment, Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi went to buy some gifts.

Pang Qian's memories of Gu Mingxi's grandparents and aunt were frozen from the day of his 16th birthday. That meal wasn't exactly a joyous one, and it left an impression on Pang Qian, that his family treated him with such contempt.

At the mall, Gu Mingxi left the gift choices to Pang Qian. She picked out a sheepskin hat for Grandpa Gu and a wool shawl for Grandma Gu. Then she picked out a red wine set for Gu Guoying and her husband, and since she'd heard that Dong Yuan had just gotten married, she also picked out a pair of gold pendants for the new couple. Lastly, she discussed with Gu Mingxi and chose a pair of high grade thermal underwear for Gu Guoxiang and a down coat for Gu Ziyue.

They were the younger generation. Although it had been many years since they'd been in contact with the relatives, and they likely weren't going to see them often in the future, the two thought they should at least do them this courtesy. After they finished buying the gifts, Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi hurried over to the restaurant. Carrying the bags, Pang Qian went up the elevator with Gu Mingxi, and there, they ran into Dong Yuan and his wife.

If they'd crossed paths on the street, Pang Qian definitely wouldn't have recognized Dong Yuan. 27 year old Dong Yuan wasn't very tall, and he looked to be at least 100kg. His hair was cut short and his face had a lot of acne. He stood there holding his wife's hand.

Dong Yuan didn't recognize Pang Qian either. He looked her up and down and then turned his head away. That was the typical gaze of a person who saw a beautiful woman on the street. They wanted to look, but they pretended like they weren't looking. Pang Qian, who was originally about to greet him, stopped in that instant.

In the end, it was Gu Mingxi who called out, "Dong Yuan."

Dong Yuan was extremely surprised to see Gu Mingxi. He hadn't expected that Gu Guoxiang had contacted Gu Mingxi and even called him over for dinner. Seeing Pang Qian beside Gu Mingxi, he was even more surprised. Firstly, because the beautiful woman standing there was actually that silly girl who used to stick to Gu Mingxi. Secondly, because that beautiful woman had become Gu Mingxi's girlfriend!

Dong Yuan looked over Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian. Pang Qian was wearing makeup and a pretty dress. Gu Mingxi's clothes were very simple, a grey coat and black pants. He seemed to have gotten a bit taller. His skin was a bit tan, but his face was still pretty handsome. Dong Yuan's eyes fell onto Gu Mingxi's coat sleeves. Just as in his memories, his empty sleeves hung straight down, and there was nothing poking out of his cuffs.

Dong Yuan's wife, Xiao Liang, had a medium build and a familiar kind of face. She kept looking over Gu Mingxi curiously. Dong Yuan introduced her. "This is my older cousin, Gu Mingxi, Gu Ziyue's half brother."

The four of them rode the elevator up. When they exited the elevator, Dong Yuan lit a smoke and held out the box to Gu Mingxi. "Want one?"

Gu Mingxi shook his head. "I don't smoke, thanks."

Dong Yuan squinted at him a bit, and then asked, "Uncle said that you'd been studying in Z City all this time. Is it true? When did you get back?"

Gu Mingxi didn't want to talk about his past, so he just answered, "I got back a few months ago."

"I heard that your mom passed away?"

Gu Mingxi nodded.

"Are you staying in E City from now on?"

"Yeah."

"Have you found a job?" Dong Yuan asked. "Where have you been staying these days?"

Gu Mingxi didn't lie at all. "I haven't found a job yet. I've been staying at Pang Qian's house since I got back."

Dong Yuan nodded. "Indeed, it would be hard to find a job with your situation. I'm working at a supermarket right now, in the warehouse. Our supermarket has a few disabled people. A few of the stockers are mute or deaf. There's one in the warehouse too. I can go back and ask about it for you, if our supermarket has a job for someone in your situation."

Gu Mingxi smiled and said, "That's okay. I'm not planning on working for awhile."

Dong Yuan was startled and asked, "Are you planning on having Pang Qian raise you?"

Pang Qian wasn't about to bicker with him, so she just laughed and said, "That's not okay? I'm willing to! I'm happy to!"

Hearing her words, a strange expression crossed Dong Yuan's eyes. Pang Qian saw it very clearly. In his eyes, there was pity, sympathy, and even a bit of contempt.

Indeed. Dong Yuan said, "Gu Mingxi, sounds like you came back at a great time. Uncle divorced last year, so you can take advantage of the fact that he's not married and Ziyue's still young, to try to win some things."

Gu Mingxi, "..."

Pang Qian's complexion darkened.

When they walked into the private room, the Gu grandparents, Gu Guoying and her husband, and Gu Guoxiang and Gu Ziyue were already present. Gu Guoxiang saw Gu Mingxi and quickly welcomed him. His expression was buried deep, but his eyes revealed a repressed joy. Standing before Gu Mingxi, he hesitated before finally patting his son's shoulders. "Mingxi, you're here."

"Dad, Happy New Year," Gu Mingxi called out. His attention landed on the little girl beside Gu Guoxiang. She was very pretty, tall with fair skin, wearing a red plaid dress. Her facial features looked more like Gu Guoxiang's than even Gu Mingxi's did. She had shoulder length hair and wore a butterfly clip. Her eyes looked over Gu Mingxi.

Gu Mingxi smiled and said, "Is this Ziyue? She's grown so much." He turned to Pang Qian and said, "Pang Pang, bring the gifts over. We bought Ziyue some clothes, but I'm not sure if they'll fit."

Gu Guoxiang didn't mention Fang Hui, and Gu Mingxi didn't ask about her.

Pang Qian brought the presents over and handed them out to the elders, one after another. Gu Mingxi stood beside her. "Grandpa, Grandma. Auntie, Uncle." Grandpa and Grandma Gu were already more than 80 years old, but they were still quite healthy. When Grandma Gu saw Gu Mingxi, tears flowed from her eyes. Grandpa Gu's gaze was a bit complicated. After he asked about Gu Mingxi, he closed his eyes.

Gu Guoying looked subtly at Gu Mingxi, and even whispered something to her husband.

When Xiao Liang received a wedding present, she was clearly very happy. She stood up and said, "Thank you Cousin (and Cousin's Wife). But I didn't know you two were coming, so I didn't prepare anything."

Pang Qian laughed and said, "It's okay. And don't call me Cousin's Wife. We still haven't married yet."

Xiao Liang also laughed. "It'll happen eventually. Remember to invite us to the wedding."

Before Pang Qian could respond, Gu Guoying laughed insincerely from the side. "What's the use in saying that. When our Yuan Yuan got married, Mingxi didn't bother to grace us with his presence at the wedding."

Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian looked at each other, chuckled, and walked on.

Before they'd arrived, Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian came up with a simple method of communicating. They agreed to talk less and laugh more during dinner. No matter what anyone said, they'd laugh a bit and move on.

Pang Qian had thought about this before. Gu Mingxi's family hadn't seen him in so many years and only knew a tad bit about his current situation. When they met again, how would they act? She'd even thought about those dramatic reunion scenes where everyone breaks into tears, like they show on TV. But the reality wasn't like that. Those people didn't ask about Li Han and they didn't ask about how Gu Mingxi had been living the past years. Other than Gu Guoxiang and Xiao Liang, those people looked at Gu Mingxi with strange eyes, as if facing a foreign invader. Pang Qian realized that Gu Mingxi's family seemed to have some misunderstanding after the two of them suddenly dropped back into their world.

Pang Qian handed over presents to Gu Guoxiang and Gu Ziyue. Previously, Gu Guoxiang had already told Gu Ziyue that this man she'd never seen before was actually her brother.

Pang Qian handed the new clothes to Gu Ziyue, who glanced at it and then tossed it to the side. She looked at Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi with obvious hostility.

Gu Guoxiang saw this and scowled. He told her, "Ziyue, what do you mean by this? This is your older brother. He brought you a gift. What should you say?"

Gu Ziyue pretended as if she didn't hear and scurried over to her grandfather. Gu Guoxiang grabbed her and said, "Ziyue, say thank you to your brother!"

Gu Ziyue glared angrily at him and then clenched her teeth.

Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian didn't know what to think. After Gu Guoxiang reprimanded Gu Ziyue once more, the little girl's eyes reddened and tears flowed down from her eyes. Gu Guoying walked over to pull her away and kept coaxing her, "Be good, darling. Yue Yue. Princess Ziyue," over and over. Gu Ziyue finally stopped crying and looked at Gu Mingxi. She said to Gu Guoying, "Auntie, my mom said that I had a crippled brother who didn't have arms. Is it because of him that my parents got divorced?"

A 'boom' went off in Pang Qian's mind. She felt as if all the blood in her body had rushed to her head. She couldn't stand that someone had called Gu Mingxi 'crippled' right in front of her face. Especially since that person was his own flesh and blood, his sister! Pang Qian couldn't help herself from stepping forward, but Gu Mingxi stepped in to block her path.

He pushed against her with his shoulder and spoke in a low voice. "Pang Pang, forget it. She's still a kid."

Pang Qian's expression was sour from how angry she was. Gu Mingxi tried to placate her again. "Pang Pang, I'm fine. Calm down."

No one else stepped in to reprimand Gu Ziyue. After Gu Guoxiang chided her with a few more words, Gu Ziyue looked like she was about to cry again. Grandpa Gu looked at Gu Guoxiang and said, "It's the New Year, what are you yelling at the child about?"

With these circumstances, what could Pang Qian say. To all these people, Gu Mingxi was like a stranger, and Pang Qian was even more so.

She helped Gu Mingxi take his coat off and the two of them sat down. She helped him clean his feet with a wet towel, and she repeated to herself that they were just here to eat a meal. When the meal was over, they could leave, and then they wouldn't see these people often after that.

Gu Ziyue kept observing Gu Mingxi who ate with his feet. As she watched, her eyebrows furrowed. She realized that Gu Mingxi couldn't grab the food himself from the dishes, and Pang Qian was helping him. Then an idea sprouted in her head.

After that, Pang Qian realized that when she went to grab some food, the glass turn table started to turn quickly. Sometimes Pang Qian would be in the middle of grabbing the food when the dishes suddenly moved away. In a difficult situation, she could only pull back with her chopsticks in the air.

Pang Qian looked over at Gu Ziyue, who looked to be very happy. Her hand was always at the turn table, spinning away, just like she was playing a game. It was hard for others to get food as well. Gu Guoxiang finally realized what was happening. After he spoke to her, she would stop for a bit, but soon after, she started up again.

When they were eating, they also had to talk. Gu Guoying asked Gu Mingxi about work and Gu Mingxi said he wasn't currently working. Gu Guoying recalled what Gu Guoxiang had once told her- that Gu Mingxi had quit school.

Gu Guoying said to Gu Mingxi, "It's hard to find work now. Our Yuan Yuan graduated college, but he still had to count on his dad's connections to get a job at the supermarket. Mingxi, for someone with no arms or educational background like yourself, it's impossible to find a job."

Gu Guoxiang asked, "Mingxi, didn't you mention that you wanted to go back to school before?"

"Yeah, I'm taking the college entrace exam." Gu Mingxi explained everything very simply. "I'll get a job after I get my diploma."

Dong Yuan chipped in. "How many years will that take? Are you going to a prep school or are you studying on your own?"

Gu Mingxi smiled but didn't respond.

Gu Guoxiang pondered a moment and then said, "Mingxi, don't force yourself when it comes to school. It's best if you can get your degree, but it's okay if you can't. If you want to work, I can help you arrange something. Find some work in an office, something simple and easy. Something that would suit you."

Gu Mingxi laughed again and said, "Dad, it's okay. I want to go back to school."

Since Gu Mingxi used the Mister Ostrich pen name when he published his books, Gu Guoxiang didn't know about it. And neither Gu Mingxi nor Pang Qian had any intention to tell him. They'd already set their plans. While they were studying, Gu Mingxi could continue to draw after classes. With his current popularity, if he released just one book a year, the two of them would still be able to live comfortably.

Gu Guoying was very interested in Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian dating. In her eyes, Gu Mingxi was a disabled person without education or work, and thus without a house or money. Pang Qian was such a pretty girl, so why would she date him? What was her plan?

She asked quietly, "Mingxi, Qian Qian, how long have you two been dating?"

Gu Mingxi glanced at Pang Qian, and then he answered, "A bit more than a year."

"For that long already? Are you planning on getting married?"

"Mm, we are." Gu Mingxi nodded and smiled a bit. Pang Qian added on, "We're going to get married this year."

Gu Guoying asked, "That... What about the house for your marriage?"

Gu Mingxi was about to answer when Pang Qian's hand suddenly reached under the table to press on his leg. She smiled and said, "We don't have one. Houses are really expensive right now, so how could we buy one."

Gu Mingxi gave her a curious look. Pang Qian stared at him and blinked her eyes. She said, "My dad said that our house is big, so we can use it when we get married."

Gu Guoying's husband, Dong Ping, asked, "Then are your parents going to rent a place somewhere else?"

"Of course not," Pang Qian replied with surprised. "Naturally, they'll live together with us. In any case, the house has a lot of rooms. When we have a child, there will still be room too."

Dong Ping said, "That means Mingxi will be joining his wife's family?"

Gu Guoying pat his arm. "What do you mean joining? When they have a child, they'll surely keep the Gu name."

"Not necessarily." The speaker was actually Gu Mingxi, which caused Pang Qian to jump in place.

Gu Mingxi said, "Whether the child's name is Gu or Pang, I don't mind."

"Nonsense!" Grandpa Gu hadn't spoken before, but he'd been listening to everyone's words. This time, he couldn't hold back as he slammed his hand down on the table. "The children of the sons of the Gu family will have the name Gu! How can you name your children recklessly?! I definitely won't agree to it!"

Pang Qian laughed grimly and picked up her teacup to drink a bit.

Gu Guoxiang's expression became awkward and he finally spoke firmly to Gu Mingxi. "Mingxi, if you and Pang Qian need a house for your marriage, you can tell me. I can help a little."

Gu Guoying quickly called out, "Brother! You still have Ziyue!"

All these years, Gu Guoying had benefitted a lot from Gu Guoxiang. Fang Hui was rarely home, so when Gu Guoxiang was busy with work, Gu Guoying stayed around with the nanny. The little girl looked down on the nanny, and her naughty tricks left the nanny in tears. After that, since Gu Guoying was retired and Dong Yuan didn't have a child yet, he hired Gu Guoying to take care of Gu Ziyue's daily needs.

Gu Guoying wasn't a nanny though. When she went to Gu Guoxiang's house, she wasn't treated like an outsider. The metals company was successful so they would send lots of things to his house. When Gu Guoying saw this, she would pack it up and take it home, and Gu Guoxiang wouldn't say anything either.

The sister and brother pair both spoiled Gu Ziyue greatly. She was given whatever she wanted. Whenever the little girl started making a ruckus, Gu Guoying would ask Gu Guoxiang for some money to buy snacks, toys, clothes, take her out to eat, go to watch a movie, or to go play games. Sometimes, Gu Guoying would invite Dong Yuan and Xiao Liang along. Since her brother was paying for it, she didn't worry about it.

And so, Gu Guoying was also very sensitive towards Gu Guoxiang's assets. She'd rather her brother spend the money on Gu Ziyue and refused to allow any of the money to go to Gu Mingxi.

Gu Ziyue had already snuck over to Gu Guoying's side, and Gu Guoying held her in her arms. She told Gu Guoxiang, "I can't agree to that. Ziyue's still young, and you'll be retiring in a few years. Didn't you say you were going to send Ziyue to study abroad? That needs money! Mingxi's already a grown up. When Li Han left, you didn't treat the two of them poorly. Gu Mingxi didn't work for it himself. He didn't finish school or get a job. Do you have to be responsible for that? When Ziyue's mother left, I promised her that I would take care of Ziyue..."

Gu Guoying started crying as she spoke. Gu Ziyue was very smart. She saw Gu Guoying and then quickly ran back to Gu Guoxiang's side, wrapping her arms around his leg, crying out, "Daddy, Daddy, don't let Auntie cry! Auntie treats me so well!"

Grandpa Gu told Gu Ziyue, "Ziyue, be good. Come over to Grandpa."

He grabbed Gu Ziyue's hand. He looked at her pale and slender finger and sighed. "The children in our family. Yuan Yuan wasn't good at his studies, Mingxi doesn't have arms. What's so good about them. All our family's hopes are resting on Ziyue's shoulders. Little Ziyue, don't worry, I'll make sure to educate you. Your father said you wanted to learn piano? I'll buy it for you! I'll send you to school! Look at our Ziyue's pretty fingers. They were made to play piano."

Gu Guoxiang wasn't even a person to them. Gu Guoying didn't give up though, and she continued, "Actually, with Mingxi's condition, can't he apply for public welfare?"

Xiao Liang worked in that area, and after Gu Guoying asked some more, Xiao Liang's face reddened. She looked at Gu Mingxi and said, "He can indeed do that."

"Can't he also apply for public housing?" Gu Guoying felt that she was so smart, helping Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian come up with such a good solution. "Mingxi, you and Pang Qian can get public housing and use that for their marriage. First register the marriage and apply for financial difficulty, and then you can get a house. Although the house will be a bit far away, but it only costs some tens of dollars each month. Aiya, you meet the criteria. Even if we wanted to apply, we can't!"

Dong Yuan said, "Actually, Mingxi can apply for affordable housing like me."

Gu Guoying shot him a death glare. "Affordable housing is more than 200 thousand dollars. Where will Mingxi find the money for that!"

Dong Yuan said, "200 thousand. Uncle can help out with that. When I bought my house, Uncle helped me with 50 thousand too."

Gu Guoying panicked to shut him up. "You fool, don't talk nonsense! Your uncle was lending that to us! We have to return it!"

Pang Qian was no longer angry at all. In fact, she felt it was kind of interesting. From the moment she spoke that lie, it was like she was watching a clown show. Originally, she wanted to let everyone know the truth, to tell them she was just kidding and she and Gu Mingxi already had a house.

But now, she suddenly didn't want to clarify things. Just let them all think that Gu Mingxi was a pauper. After all, there was nothing embarrassing about that. Just then, Gu Mingxi whispered to Pang Qian, "I'm going to head out a bit. I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Pang Qian asked.

"I'll tell you later." He flashed a naughty smiled at her.

Gu Mingxi stood up and apologized to everyone before heading out of the room. Not long after, he returned but didn't sit down. He stood by the table and said there was a pressing matter and he and Pang Qian would leave first.

They were only halfway through dinner. Gu Guoying kept talking about public housing, and while Pang Qian didn't know what was going on, she stood up and helped Gu Mingxi put on his coat. She even helped him wipe off his mouth.

Gu Guoxiang was a bit angry. "Mingxi, what are you doing?! Your aunt didn't have any ill intentions. You don't have to be so willful!"

"No, Dad, something's really come up." Gu Mingxi smiled politely, his gaze even. "A friend of mind is visiting E City for New Year's and invited me out to talk about work."

His eyes shimmered. "I'm sorry, I didn't mention it earlier. Although I don't have a job, I do some illustration work for magazines, and the income isn't bad. As for buying a house, you don't have to worry, Auntie. I don't need my dad's help with it. Pang Qian and I have already looked at some houses and we're putting a down payment on one soon."

He was carrying on Pang Qian's fib. Gu Guoying was taken aback and then asked, "Where is the house?"

"Prosperous North."

It was Dong Ping's turn to be startled. "Downtown?"

Gu Mingxi nodded, "Yes."

Gu Guoying asked, "How big is the house? The houses there cost 20k per sqm."

"Not big, 138 sqm." Gu Mingxi smiled. "When we're better off, we can buy a bigger one."

Everyone else, "..."

Pang Qian had already grabbed her bag. Gu Mingxi said, "Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Aunt, I'm heading out first. I'm sorry for being unable to stay longer. Next time, please invite me again."

As he spoke, he and Pang Qian left the room.

A few minutes later, Gu Guoying came back to her senses. "He's just talking big. How much money could he make from some illustrations? Does he think we're some country bumpkins?!"

Dong Yuan said, "Mom, it's your fault. You didn't give Mingxi any face at all, so he could only find an excuse to leave. He probably won't eat with us again in the future."

Gu Guoying curled her lips. "If he doesn't want to eat, fine. No one's clinging to him."

Gu Guoxiang's expression was overcast. After dinner, he called the waiter to get the bill. The waiter walked into the room and said, "Sir, a young man already paid earlier. He wanted me to relay that since he hadn't treated his grandparents to a meal in so many years, he would pay for this meal."

Gu Guoying's mouth dropped. She asked, "How much was it?"

The waiter smiled slightly. "Ah, 4380 dollars."

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Home My Mister Ostrich Chapter 106.1 (Part 1) Re-challenging the Entrance Exam
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 106.1 (Part 1) Re-challenging the Entrance Exam
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Chapter 106.1 (Part 1) Re-challenging the Entrance Exam
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

I said I wasn't black bellied. Everything I said was true.

As she headed down to the parking lot with Gu Mingxi, Pang Qian couldn't stop thinking about what he'd said earlier. And then she burst out laughing.

He looked at her suspiciously and asked, "What are you laughing about?"

She cleared her throat, and then mimicked him, "Not big, 138 sqm. When we're better off, we can buy a bigger one." She laughed out joyously again. "Hahaha, Gu Mingxi, you're so black bellied!"

He didn't understand. "What's black bellied mean?"

"Black bellied is, uh... On the surface, you seem really harmless, but you're actually full of tricks." Her lousy explanation left Gu Mingxi unhappy. "What do you mean I'm full of tricks?"

Pang Qian hugged him, and looked up at him cutely. "Okay, no tricks. Just a few thoughts."

He looked down at her and laughed gently. "What I said was true."

His expression was so warm, Pang Qian's heart calmed. They stood at the exit to the hotel as the cold wind blew against their face. Pang Qian held him a bit more and said, "Gu Mingxi, don't hold onto all those things that just happened."

He nodded. "I know, I don't mind about those things."

But Pang Qian still didn't quite understand. "But why do they treat you like that? Why do they go so overboard?"

"Don't you work in finance? Can't you tell?" Gu Mingxi used his nose to rub her forehead. Her skin was cold and his nose was cold too. "They think that right now, I have nothing. I didn't come back for several years, but now that my dad's divorced, I'm suddenly back. And I'm even saying that I'm getting married. To my family, it's obvious that I'm here to get some family property."

Pang Qian thought it was unimaginable. "Even if you were back for that, it's got nothing to do with them! It's your dad's money, so what business is it of theirs?!"

"How can it be none of their business?" Gu Mingxi asked. "I've never been close to them, and they know that my dad didn't like me much. My dad's all about keeping face. Whenever my aunt goes to him with troubles, he'll always help out, whether he's got to spend money or connections. When my grandparents were sick, my dad was the one who payed for all the hospital fees, and of course, the doctors and nurses all praised him for being a dutiful son. Do you think my aunt and grandpa would be happy to see my dad giving me money?"

Living in a large and harmonious family, Pang Qian couldn't understand this situation. She asked, "Gu Mingxi, why don't they like you? You're your dad's son!"

He laughed. "You don't know, but in the past, they never liked my mom because she was an outsider (from a different city/district). My grandpa always thought that my dad married my mom because he'd been entranced by her beauty. My grandpa always said that if my dad had found a wife with a better family and better qualifications, he'd be a lot better off now."

Pang Qian was dumbstruck. "But I remember that your grandparents liked you a lot when you were little. Every time they came over to your house, they would bring toys and snacks."

"That's when I still had arms. After my amputation, how many times did you see them visit?" Gu Mingxi's tone was even, as if he were talking about something very normal. "Pang Pang, I didn't use to understand. I always wanted to do better, to be more outstanding, and then maybe my dad would like me, maybe my grandparents and aunt wouldn't dislike me. When I was in high school, I finally realized that no matter how hard you tried, there were just some people's opinions that you couldn't change. If they were certain that you were a loser and a failure, certain that you had no prospects, certain that you were a disgrace that they couldn't show to anyone, no matter what you did, they wouldn't change their minds. They wouldn't change the way they thought about you. So then, I came to accept (the unpleasant truth)."

Pang Qian's heart ached. For all the years of torture he went through, for the fact that she never picked up on his feelings back then. And she felt guilty. She said, "When we were younger, you never told me any of this. You're always like this, always keeping everything inside and not letting anyone know. You can't keep doing that anymore."

He responded, "I won't. I'll definitely tell you everything."

Actually, Pang Qian didn't know, but there were two people who helped him through his bitter adolescence. One was Li Han, and the other was her.

Gu Mingxi had done all he could and was unable to receive any sense of belonging, closeness, or recognition from Gu Guoxiang. The things he wanted - respect, reliance, trust, encouragement, and concern - he was able to get each and every one from Pang Qian.

That boisterous little girl was the person who'd relied on him the most in this world. When he was together with her, Gu Mingxi always felt needed. Even when things were difficult, he would turn to see Pang Qian's timid expression, and then he wouldn't be scared anymore. He bravely stood up straight to stand in front of her.

A couple passed by them on the street, holding hands and slowly swinging them. Gu Mingxi's gaze landed on their hands. This was his biggest regret, that he was unable to hold her hand. He was unable to hug her. And in the future, he would be unable to hug his child.

Pang Qian seemed to sense something and she tightened her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his warm chest. "It's cold. I want to go home."

Another gust of wind blew by. Pang Qian wasn't wearing much, so she couldn't help but shiver. Gu Mingxi pulled out of her arms and walked to the other side of her to block the wind. "Pang Pang, we can't go home yet. Come with me to meet Qi jie at the tea house."

She was doubtful. "Ah? Qi jie? She's in E City?"

"Yeah. She's on vacation with her husband and kid. They got into E City today and she invited me out."

"I thought you were just making up an excuse."

Gu Mingxi laughed. "I said I wasn't black bellied. Everything I said was true."

He really was a clever kid.

Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian hurred over to the tea house. Jiang Qi was already there, and she was extremely happy to see Gu Mingxi. She hugged him and then she hugged Pang Qian. The three of them sat down.

"Xiao Gu, you seem to be doing well." Jiang Qi lamented, looking at Gu Mingxi across the table. "You really did head back to your hometown and you found your love. Right now, you're so handsome that you're even captivating a married woman like me."

"Qi jie, don't make fun of me." Gu Mingxi's face reddened and he glanced at Pang Qian. She rested her head in her hands as she smiled at him.

Jiang Qi brought some good news. The new book he put out last summer was selling really well. The first printing was nearly sold out, and they'd be doing a second print after the New Year holidays.

Jiang Qi asked, "What did you decide about the film rights we spoke about last time? Four companies, four plans. Did you compare them?"

Gu Mingxi apologized, "I'm really sorry, Qi jie. Pang Qian and I were really busy with exams last month. I still haven't looked over the papers. I'll definitely go over it in the next few days. After I discuss it with Pang Qian, I'll get back to you with an answer."

Jiang Qi glared at him. "Your efficiency's really dropped."

"I'm really sorry. You know, I'm busy with exams this year." Gu Mingxi felt troubled. "After the college entrance exam is over, I'll start working on my new draft right away. I'll give you the synopsis next month and then we can discuss it then."

Jiang Qi laughed. "Alright, I was just kidding. Your career's on the rise, so you shouldn't put out too many works all at once." She paused a moment. "By the way, when are you and Pang Qian getting married?"

"After we get our acceptance letters." Gu Mingxi glanced at Pang Qian and then laughed. "Qi jie, you don't have to rush me. The exam is really important. Pang Qian said that I'll only have a wife if I get into a school. If I don't get in, I'll just have to live as a bachelor."

"Gu Mingxi!" Pang Qian's face burned with embarrassment and she smacked him in the side. "Don't distort my words!"

Jiang Qi laughed out loud. "I used to think that someone as introverted as Xiao Gu would surely find a gentle and tender girlfriend. Now I realize that actually he changes when he dates. It's really so unexpected."

The three of them spent two hours at the tea house chatting very happily. When they were about to part, Jiang Qi told Gu Mingxi that the movie script for My Miss Crab had already been completed and all the investments were in place as well. They were currently casting and would start filming soon.

"Wow!" Pang Qian asked excitedly, "Who's acting in it?"

"We don't know yet. The actors auditioning are mostly unknowns." Jiang Qi glanced over at Gu Mingxi and said, "Originally, the production company wanted to bring on the original writer to help with the script, but Xiao Gu declined. The two of you could have come by the set otherwise."

After saying goodbye to Jiang Qi, Pang Qian went home with Gu Mingxi. On the way, she asked, "Why didn't you agree to work together for the script?"

"I don't have any experience with it and I was busy studying. Moreover, when the adaptation rights for the movie turned into money, I told myself that this story would have nothing else to do with us," he answered very seriously. "Our story only exists in the book that I drew. The one that's going to get filmed is a different story. No matter how the adaptation turns out, I won't express any opinions on it."

Pang Qian suddenly thought up another question. "In the movie, what are our names?"

"I don't know either." Gu Mingxi laughed. "When it starts airing in theaters, we'll find out."

The car arrived at the Prosperous North and Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi took the elevator up to the 22nd floor. She pulled out the keys and opened the door. Then she turned on the living room light.

A warm yellow glow lit up the living room. Pang Qian took off her shoes and immediately went to help Gu Mingxi who was trying to take his off. She had him sit down and then she crouched down to help him take off his shoes. "One pair of these costs more than 2000 dollars. If you take them off like that, they'll get ruined very quickly."

He muttered, "How petty."

She recalled that he'd told her that he footed the bill at the restaurant and then glared at him. "You're the one who's too generous!"

The two of them changed into slippers, a pair of fuzzy monkey couple slippers. Pang Qian turned on the heat and helped Gu Mingxi take off his coat and told him to go wash up.

After Gu Mingxi showered, he changed into a pair of velvet pajamas. When he stepped out of the bathroom, he heard the whirring of the kitchen exhaust fan. He walked over and then saw Pang Qian with an apron on, cooking noodles in the brightly lit kitchen.

A pot of noodles was bubbling on the stove, and on the counter, there were two bowls with fried eggs. One bowl had one, and the other had two.

Pang Qian cut up some vegetables and dumped them into the pot. After awhile, she turned off the stove and turned to look at Gu Mingxi who was standing at the door.

She laughed. "I didn't really eat anything for dinner, so I'm starving. I figured it was the same for you."

He nodded. "I am pretty hungry."

"Taste what I made!" She waved the soup spoon in an arc through the air. "If it's too bland, you can add salt. If it's too salty, you can add water. In any case, you can't say it tastes bad!"

Of course he wouldn't say it tasted bad. Not only did he finish the noodles, vegetables, and eggs, he even drank all the soup in the bowl.

Pang Qian cleaned up the kitchen and then showered before heading to the bedroom. Gu Mingxi was already lying on the bed, watching TV.

She climbed into the bed and then Gu Mingxi moved over slightly. "The bed's all warm now."

"Good boy." She hugged him and with a soft voice, she said, "Gu Mingxi, sometimes I really wonder if we've already gotten married."

"Huh?" He didn't seem to understand.

"What's the difference between us and a married couple?" Pang Qian curled her lips. "Did you hypnotize me, and we've actually already registered our marriage?"

"No." He raised his chin to look at her. "We can register our marriage anytime. You're the one who said we had to wait until after he entrance exams."

She pouted and murmured, "How insincere."

"Mm? What did you say?"

"Nothing." She suddenly straddled him and started unbuttoning his pajamas. "What I was saying is that we should get started on homework."

Startled, he gaped at her without saying a single thing. She'd already leaned in for a deep kiss.

......

After the Spring Festival, by the suggestion of his 'manager' Pang Qian, Gu Mingxi sold the full rights to another book. He handed the 800 thousand dollar bank card over to Pang Qian and said that it was a late Valentine's Day present, and that his manager should take care of the finances.

She was unhappy. "Why did the price drop for this? Is it because they don't like you?"

Gu Mingxi smiled. "No, this just isn't as popular as My Miss Crab."

"Oh!" She held her face shyly." I know, it's because I'm just too cute!"

She suddenly gave him a nonsense suggestion. "Actually, you can draw the sequel to My Miss Crab, and you can call it My Crab Wife. And then you can do My Crab Son, My Crab Grandson... Then we'll never run out of money!"

Gu Mingxi, "..."

At the start of March, Fudan released the score cutoff for the first exam. Pang Qian successfully passed and received the opportunity to take the second round exam in Shanghai at the end of March.

Zou Liwen gave Pang Qian a call and told her to arrange a weekend for him to take her to Shanghai.

"I'll introduce you to an advisor," he said. "The next exam also has an interview portion. Discussing things with an advisor first is really important."

Pang Qian was so touched she nearly cried. On the day they set out, Zou Liwen drove to their building. Through his rearview mirror, he saw Pang Qian and a young man walking over.

The man was pretty tall and compared to that photo, he seemed to have matured greatly. Zou Liwen's gaze swept over the man's empty shirt sleeves and then he lowered the car window.

Pang Qian had already bent over and said, "Team Leader, I'm bringing a family member along today. That's not a problem, right?"

Zou Liwen helplessly shook his head. "Would I be able to send your boyfriend back upstairs?"

"No." Pang Qian giggled as she opened the back door and got in with Gu Mingxi. She said, "Team Leader, let me give an introduction. Gu Mingxi, my boyfriend. Zou Liwen, my team leader."

"Former team leader," Zou Liwen added as he started the car.

"No, no, no. You'll still be my team leader in the future." Pang Qian's mouth seemed like it was covered in honey. "Team Leader, I don't want to be jobless after graduation. Please take care of me in the future."

Gu Mingxi couldn't help laughing. "Mr Zou, hello."

"Hello."

Zou Liwen felt that he was a professional driver. The entire drive, sitting in the backseat, Pang Qian prattled on nonstop. Gu Mingxi occasionally said a few things, but Zou Liwen concentrated on driving and didn't say a single thing. After driving for half an hour, Pang Qian suddenly said, "Aiya, I forgot to eat the breakfast I brought." She pulled out a plastic bag and asked Zou Liwen, "Team Leader, do you want some pancakes? My boyfriend made them. They're really good."

Zou Liwen, "No, thanks, I've already eaten."

Pang Qian didn't continue the courtesies and just ate the pancakes. She also fed Gu Mingxi two pieces.

The car was filled with the smell of scallion pancakes. Zou Liwen took off his sunglasses. When it came to Pang Qian, he was always at his wits' end.

When they arrived in Shanghai, Zou Liwen drove to his alma mater, Fudan University. He contacted the advisor and brought Pang Qian to his office. Gu Mingxi waited downstairs for them. After awhile, he suddenly grew curious about the campus, so he started strolling around on his own.

He walked down the street and passed by a school building. There were lush trees growing by the road, and then groups of young students passed by him. Some of them noticed his distinctness, but they didn't show surprise. Instead, they smiled slightly at him, and Gu Mingxi returned their smiles. He continued walking until he saw the Fudan landmark- the 142m tall Guanghua Building.

"As the dawn comes again, so does the sun shine and the moon glow."

-Each and every day, the light of the sun and moon shines on this place.

Gu Mingxi stood in front of the Guanghua building and looked up at it. This was a pretty new buliding, but standing before it, Gu Mingxi felt so very small.

He suddenly felt very jealous that Pang Qian would have the chance to study at this place of higher education, to become a part of this school's legacy. He recalled many years ago that he and Pang Qian had sat side by side on a park bench. She told him that she wanted to go to school in Shanghai. Gu Mingxi laughed and asked if there was a school she wanted to go do.

Her eyes lit up as she said, "Yes! Fudan!"

At the time, they were so very young.

Pang Qian and Zou Liwen walked out of the advisor's office and gave Gu Mingxi a call. He said he was at the school motto wall.

The two of them headed over to find him. As they walked around the campus, Pang Qian took in the unfamiliar scenery and atmosphere of the school and she grew excited.

Meanwhile, Zou Liwen's expression was very light. His hands were hooked at his pants pockets as he pointed out the things Pang Qian had to remember for the second round exam. When they passed the basketball court, he suddenly stopped and looked that way a moment before walking on with Pang Qian.

Pang Qian turned to look at him and asked curiously, "Team Leader, did you suddenly remember your college girlfriend?"

Zou Liwen glanced at her. "You seem to be very interested in my love life."

"Of course not!" Pang Qian cried out innocently. "All the female employees at Jialai know that I'm your disciple, so they kept asking me about it."

Zou Liwen smiled.

Pang Qian asked gutsily, "Team Leader, you're already 36. Why don't you get a girlfriend?"

"None of your business." Zou Liwen asked, "You know, Yu Jialei's getting married next month."

Pang Qian's eyes widened. "Really? Tell him I said congratulations, but I won't make it to his wedding."

"I might not go to the wedding."

"Ah? Why not? Yu Jialei said that you two were best friends for many years."

"..." He paused for a moment and then said, "I just don't want to run into my ex-girlfriend."

Dark lines crossed Pang Qian's face. (Note: The expression alludes to those black lines that drop down on someone's face in cartoons and stuff)

When they were nearly at the school motto wall, Pang Qian saw that particular figure in the distance and her eyes immediately lit up. Her expression softened as well.

Zou Liwen looked at her. Quickly and quietly, he said, "Pang Qian, do you remember when you first showed me the picture of you and your boyfriend? At the time, I just felt that you'd end up with him in the end."

Pang Qian turned and looked at him with surprise. Zou Liwen had never smiled so warmly before. "My ex-girlfriend and I were childhood friends too, but we weren't as fortunate as you two."

Pang Qian walked over to Gu Mingxi who was still staring at the school motto wall.

"Rich in knowledge and tenacious of purposes, inquiring with earnestness and reflecting with self-practice."

Pang Qian hugged Gu Mingxi and asked, "What's this mean?"

Gu Mingxi thought for a moment and then said, "Probably something like people should study extensively and have a firm goal in mind. You have to be curious and ask questions. You shouldn't have unrealistic fantasies, but rather consider things from your situation."

She frowned. "Why are you being so profound?"

"It's not being profound." Gu Mingxi laughed. "Pang Pang, I wish you success in your next exam. When you become a part of this school, all of your history will embody this motto.

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Home My Mister Ostrich Chapter 106.2
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 106.2
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Chapter 106.2
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

At the end of March, Pang Qian successfully completed her second round exam. The heavy stone hanging on her heart for the past year finally fell off.

She wasn't at peace while waiting for her admittance letter though. Every day, she would help Gu Mingxi with his arts and culture lessons review.

Teacher Dai helped Gu Mingxi find a prep academy, and without hesitation, Pang Qian decided to study with him all day. Under his daughter's instruction, Pang Shuisheng went to the carpenter to have a custom desk made for Gu Mingxi, which they then moved into the prep academy classroom. Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi once again became glorious students studying to take the college entrance exam.

In the final months before the exam, Gu Mingxi worked on a lot of practice problems. This time, he didn't need to score more than 600 points. He only really needed to score more than 400 points to make the cutoff, but he felt since he was disabled, there would be more of a guarantee to score a bit higher. So then, he made his personal goal to get more than 500 points.

Pang Qian went with him to class, worked on practice questions, and took mock exams with him. She ate food, drank water, and went to the restroom with him. The students in the class didn't interact with each other much, so Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi sat together at the back of the class, not disturbing anyone else.

The weather started getting hotter, and they two of them sat in the corner where the breeze of the electric fan couldn't reach. Pang Qian brought along a handheld fan and would fan Gu Mingxi from morning until night.

During break times in class, she would insist Gu Mingxi stop working. Then she would massage his legs or stand behind him to massage his shoulders.

She even brought along snacks and soup in a thermos. Occasionally, a fragrant smell would drift across the room from their corner, causing the students snacking on cookies to (figuratively) collapse.

At the prep school, sometimes Gu Mingxi's heart would ache to see Pang Qian spending all day in the classroom with him. When he tried to convince her to go home, she didn't agree. She said, "Here I was thinking that it's not long enough. You don't know how much I miss those days when we sat in the classroom together. There's just one more month. I'll definitely work hard together with you!"

They were the most peculiar students at the prep academy, a pair of older lovers. The male was disabled and the female came along to help him study. Every day, they walked side by side into the school. They didn't leave all day, until 9 o'clock in the evening, when they would finally head home exhausted.

In those few months, Gu Mingxi had been drowning in a sea of study questions. He was tortured by all the now-unfamiliar English, math, and science. For him, the best comfort was being able to 'do homework' together with Pang Qian at night.

But sometimes, after he washed up and happily returned to the bedroom, he'd find that Pang Qian had already fallen asleep from exhaustion.

Like a kitten, she curled up on the bed. Gu Mingxi sat down beside her and lowered his head to look at her face.

In this quiet and peaceful moment, his heart stopped beating restlessly. Instead, it became much more calm and warm. He looked around the room, at the light beige walls, the mahogany floors, the white furniture, the warm glow of the light... The TV was still on, broadcasting some predictions for the 2012 European cup. On the TV stand were a few picture frames filled with images of him and Pang Qian. Next to that, there were some potato chips and candied fruit, the things Pang Qian loved eating when she watched TV.

The dresser was covered with Pang Qian's makeup and skincare products, as if exclaiming that a woman lived in this room.

Their room had a bay window with a white wool pad and a large flower patterned pillow on top. When the sun shined in during the winter, Pang Qian would often sit there together with Gu Mingxi. They listened to music together, read books together, and drank fragrant coffee together.

Over and over again, he felt bursts of joy inside. This was his and her home.

He quietly climbed onto the bed and picked up the remote with his foot to turn off the TV. He turned off the light and kissed Pang Qian's cheek. "Pang Pang, goodnight."

In June, Gu Mingxi's second college entrance exam came. He wasn't anxious though. When he woke up, Pang Qian helped him put on a white shirt and a pair of loose, beige pants.

She said, "Wearing beige will help stay cool a bit."

She sent him to the testing center and, as expected, he attracted many curious eyes. Sitting at the door to the exam center were also some reporters who wanted to interview him. Pang Qian declined, protecting Gu Mingxi until he walked inside. As he was about to head inside, Pang Qian suddenly called out to him.

She pulled out a red necklace from her pocket. The necklace had a small silver pendant on it. Gu Mingxi took a closer look, and it was a '100 points' image (?).

His mouth twitched as he watched Pang Qian seriously tie it around his neck and tuck it into his shirt. She pat his chest and said, "They say its a test charm, and it will lend you blessing to pass the exam."

Gu Mingxi, "..."

Pang Qian waved her fist enthusiastically. "Gu Mingxi, you can do it!"

Under the sun, his forehead started sweating, but there was a bright smile on his face. He couldn't help kissing her. "I promise that we'll see each other in Shanghai in September."

In the days leading up to the entrance exam, the temperatures had risen. Pang Qian felt like a parent, sweating in front of the examination center, waiting for her Gu Mingxi to come out.

Finally, the bell signaling the end of the exam rang. Pang Qian let out a deep breath. Not long after, she saw Gu Mingxi's shoulders walking towards her. He was walking pretty quickly so his shirt sleeves swayed about. As he walked, a smile came onto his face and his eyes curved up. His eyes were clear and bright and his smile was warm enough to melt her heart.

She couldn't help it and she ran towards him with her arms open, throwing herself into his warm chest.

About half a month later, the scores were announced. Gu Mingxi passed the cutoff for his exams for first tier arts and culture students by 130 points. There was no doubt that he'd done well enough.

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Home My Mister Ostrich Chapter 107
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 107
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Chapter 107
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

The first batch of notices for arts schools came out in mid July. Every day, Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi waited at home, and finally, the postman came.

The day that the acceptance letter came, Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi invited Pang Shuisheng and Jin Aihua out for a celebration dinner. Halfway through dinner, Pang Shuisheng said, "Qian Qian, Mingxi, you two have both received your admission notices and you'll be heading to Shanghai in September. Shouldn't you take advantage of the summer break to register your marriage? As for the wedding, we can do it on National Day or over the Spring Festival. You guys can decide that."

Gu Mingxi glanced at Pang Qian, his lips raising up slightly. Pang Qian often joked about registering their marriage, but in the end, she would retract her words, saying to wait until the entrance exams were over. Now, both of their study plans were set, so he thought that Pang Qian would agree.

Instead, as she was gnawing on a chicken foot, Pang Qian casually said, "There's no rush to have a kid while we're in school, so we'll talk about registering the marriage later."

Gu Mingxi was startled, and Pang Shuisheng was also shocked. He originally planned to have the two kids register their marriage so he could add Gu Mingxi to their family registry. He hadn't expected at all that Pang Qian would block his plans.

Pang Shuisheng was in a bit of an awkward situation. He was, after all, a father-in-law. He told Gu Mingxi, "Indeed, you can't have a child while you're in school. There's no rush. You two discuss it yourselves. We won't push you."

Jin Aihua asked Pang Qian, "You can't have a kid while you're doing your degree? You're already 27. You'll be 30 by the time you graduate."

"Nope." Pang Qian lied, "Mom, how can I walk around school with a big belly!"

Jin Aihua figured that was true, so she didn't say anything in response.

When they returned home that night, after Pang Qian showered and got into bed, Gu Mingxi decided to have a discussion with her.

He laughed and said, "Pang Pang, let's celebrate our birthdays together next month."

"Huh?" Pang Qian pulled out her phone and opened the calendar. "There's 10 days between them. Why would we celebrate it together?"

"We can just celebrate it on your birthday." He looked over at the calendar on her phone. "The 13th is on Monday, and it's the 26th of the 6th month on the lunar calendar. Not a bad day. We should go register our marriage."

"..." Pang Qian didn't respond as she swiped through the calendar all the way through August 2013. Then she showed the screen to Gu Mingxi. "See? August 13th next year is my birthday, and it's also Qixi."

Gu Mingxi stared at her.

Pang Qian laughed and her eyes curved up. "Think about how rare it is! The last time our birthdays were on the same day was when I was 9! Gu Mingxi, we should register our marriage next August 13th!"

Gu Mingxi's mouth dropped. "You're the one who said we should register it after we got our acceptance letters."

Pang Qian's eyes rolled around. "Ah... Did I say that?"

"You did," he responded seriously.

Pang Qian's lips curled up. She kneeled on the bed and suddenly reached out her hands to hold Gu Mingxi's face and pushed his cheeks together. Gu Mingxi couldn't avoid her, so he could only stare at her with wide eyes. Pang Qian pinched his cheek and said firmly, "Gu Mingxi, why are you so stupid?!"

And so, this question remained unsettled.

After the college entrance exam finished, Gu Mingxi started preparing his next book. Before he started drawing, he had a discussed with Jiang Qi about the main points of the story and he also had to research some things.

The summers in E City were blisteringly hot. Pang Qian was too lazy to go out as well. After spending half a year working so hard, she just wanted to rest at home for two more months. Pang Qian would stay at home in the air conditioning every day with Gu Mingxi. He worked and she browsed the net, watched TV dramas, and played games. In the morning, the two of them headed out together to buy groceries and then after dinner, they would go out for a walk. When he worked on his draft, Pang Qian napped comfortably through the afternoon. It was the same day after day, and yet, they didn't find it boring.

One day at the end of July, Jiang Zhiya called Pang Qian and said that there was a concert being held by a Taiwanese singer. Because of work, she was able to get tickets and she had some extra, so she asked if Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi wanted to go.

Pang Qian asked Gu Mingxi, and since they didn't have anything to do, she thanked Jiang Zhiya and went to pick up the tickets.

The concert would be starting soon. That evening, the weather was still hot and stuffy. Leaving her face bare, Pang Qian pulled her hair up in a ponytail. She wore a loose t-shirt, denim shorts, and a pair of slippers, ready to head out to the gym arena for the concert.

Gu Mingxi wasn't dressed as casually though. He had on a light yellow shirt with jeans. He wasn't dressed in loose pants as usual, like when he was going to the market or for a walk on the beach. Before they left, he was even sitting in the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror. He held a comb to his hair, seriously tidying it up.

Pang Qian looked at him oddly and asked, "We're just going to see Jiang Zhiya, aren't we? Why are you making yourself up so much?"

Gu Mingxi saw the clothes she was wearing and instead asked, "Do you want to change into a dress?"

She said, "No, too much trouble."

The singer holding the concert wasn't very popular, but she was good at singing love songs. Pang Qian carried a cold cola and bobbed her head along with Gu Mingxi, pleased with the music. The only uncomfortable thing was that the gym was really quite hot, like being in a steamer. Pang Qian's back was covered in sweat, but she just thought of it as going to a sauna.

When the singer started singing a classic love song, Pang Qian saw a sudden commotion at the front, near the stage. She looked over curiously. It seemed that several rows from the front, a young man had proposed to his girlfriend.

The lighting was dim and light sticks waved through the air. Almost everyone was standing up, stretching their necks to catch a glimpse. The audience circled around the main pair, and the man kneeled down. He held up an open jewelry box with a shining ring inside.

Pang Qian excitedly hit Gu Mingxi's side. "Wow, it's a proposal!"

Gu Mingxi, "..."

That girl was surprised and also embarrassed. She held a hand over her mouth and looked like she was going to cry.

Someone in the crowd started cheering, "Marry him! Marry him! Marry him!"

Pang Qian chanted along with them. She even whistled passionately and applauded loudly. Gu Mingxi's mouth twitched as he looked at her, slightly uneasy.

The girl being proposed to twisted in embarrassment, and then the boy got down on one knee and started speaking. The singer was still singing, her tender voice moving the entire audience. It was noisy so Pang Qian didn't hear clearly what the boy said. She just saw the girl sniffling and nodding. Then the crowd around them started cheering loudly. Pang Qian happily raised up her light stick. Gu Mingxi was quiet the entire time, as if in shock.

The boy held the girl's hand and helped her put her ring on. Finally, he stood up and pulled the girl into his arms. A perfect marriage proposal scene came to an end, and the excited audience gradually quieted a bit and continued listening to the concert.

That pair of lovers stood close together. Seeing their backs, Pang Qian let out a sigh in their heart: I wish all the couples in the world could become family.

After the crowd settled, Pang Qian quietly told Gu Mingxi, "Actually, I think that kind of proposal is pretty silly. Like a monkey in a zoo, with everyone watching you... If the girl agrees, then it's okay, but what if she doesn't agree? That would really make the guy lose face."

Gu Mingxi's eyebrows jumped up. He asked, "Don't you think it's kind of romantic?"

"What's romantic about it? You're just trying to be the center of attention," Pang Qian said. "Although I don't know them, and it was pretty fun when it happened, I think the guy was a bit frivolous. If I were the girl, and I originally liked him, I might reconsider at that moment."

A cold sweat came down from Gu Mingxi's forehead.

He said, "Pang Pang, can you pull out the phone in my pocket?"

"What do you want to do?"

"I... I want to make a call."

As instructed, she pulled out his phone and asked, "Who do you want to call? I'll dial it."

With a slight stutter, he said, "Wang... Song."

"Wang Song? Why do you want to call Wang Song?" Pang Qian started dialing Wang Song, but then the opening of a song started playing in the arena.

Gu Mingxi's expression immediately turned unpleasant.

It was a song that Pang Qian had never heard before. The female singer's voice was clear and refreshing and Pang Qian was gradually drawn into it.

Oh, how I wish I was a candle

To light up when you need me

When you've lost your way

To guide you from being lost

She forgot to dial Wang Song's number and was focused on listening to the song. Just then, some noise came from behind them. And then the crowd grew restless once again.

Pang Qian casually turned to look and was stunned.

Under the not-very-bright lights, she saw a few familiar people. Wang Song, Li Xiaoyan, Jian Zhe, and Liu Hanlin were all walking down the steps toward them.

Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi's seats were at the side of the stairs. The four of them walked over with big smiles on their faces. Li Xiaoyan was carrying a large furry stuffed bear in her arms. Jian Zhe was carrying a bouquet of roses. Liu Hanlin was happily taking photos with his DSLR. And lastly, Wang Song came out with a velvet jewelry box in his hands.

Pang Qian was completely dumbstruck and her mouth dropped open. She even forgot to glance over at Gu Mingxi, whose face was completely red now. She heard his voice apologize, "I'm sorry, I didn't know someone else would be proposing. I know that right now, this may be a bit foolish, but... I really wasn't just trying to grab everyone's attentions."

The female singer was still singing.

My heart is like the sea

Gentle at times, but also fierce

In this impermanent life

I'll stay with you and never leave

I want to sing out loudly

And no one can stop me

I want to share it together with you

All the happiness and sadness in this life

When Wang Song, Li Xiaoyan, Jian Zhe, and Liu Hanlin surrounded Pang Qian, Gu Mingxi didn't give her any time to react. He was already kneeling down on one leg in front of her.

Wang Song opened the jewelry box and a diamond ring showed up in front of Pang Qian's eyes.

Gu Mingxi looked up at her. All around them, the crowd was cheering and whistling, light sticks twinkling brightly in the background. Some people had already noticed how the man was different from most people. He had no way to hold up the ring for his beloved woman. He could only look at her with his dark eyes, his gaze piercing into her heart.

He didn't say any moving words, maybe because he'd been affected by the proposal scene they saw earlier or he originally didn't prepare anything. He just said, "Pang Qian, I love you. Will you marry me?"

Liu Hanlin snapped a photo from beside them, and Pang Qian's heart started pounding out of control. She suddenly thought that this story was just too magical. When she complained to Gu Mingxi about how foolish some guys were with their proposals, she actual felt a bit envious inside.

Maybe it was a dream that every girl hid inside her heart, for the person they loved to create such a romantic scene. When he kneeled down in front of you to propose, you really felt like a princess.

Was Gu Mingxi foolish? Extremely!

Was Gu Mingxi crazy? Too crazy!

Was Gu Mingxi brave? Of course, definitely! She'd never expected him to do something like this.

Tears started streaming down Pang Qian's face. She felt so ashamed. She didn't want to cry, but her tears wouldn't stop flowing out. She cried a lot, and even at the end, she was crying. She looked at Gu Mingxi's face. He hadn't moved since the start, still down on one knee, stretched up, broad shoulders extended, gentle but firm eyes. She looked into his eyes. Trembling, she slowly stretched out her hand and cupped his cheek.

The scenes of their past started passing through in her mind. That youth with a white shirt, and that gluttonous and silly girl. They kept growing up, and finally fate brought them to marriage's door.

Our love will keep on growing

Keep on giving and no longer hide

All the setbacks and hopes that belong to us

They're like the dew that lets the flowers bloom

Pang Qian bent over and held his face in her hands. She closed her eyes and kissed him gently. She didn't answer to the world, but instead, she whispered in his ear, "I love you too, Gu Mingxi. I will marry you, yes. I'll be your wife, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for the rest of our lives."

Her hand trembled as she pulled out the ring from the box. In front of Gu Mingxi, she put the ring onto her left ring finger. Gu Mingxi suddenly stood up and leaned into her. She hugged him tightly and closed her eyes, all the sounds around them drowning out. Maybe there was applause, maybe there was cheering, maybe some congratulations... But in all the chaos, she just hugged him tightly and listened to the end of the song.

This kind of light, though it is small

It can guide someone home

This kind of love, though it is light

It gives an unbounded hopes

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Home My Mister Ostrich Chapter 108 On the Same Track
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 108 On the Same Track
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Chapter 108 On the Same Track
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

Gu Mingxi, why are you looking at me like that? Are you really unhappy? Just yell at me a bit then.

On August 3rd, Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian registered their marriage.

It was a very ordinary Friday. E City was still in the midst of its hot summer season, and the asphalt could fry an egg. There weren't very many people lined up to get married. Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi arrived to to the registrar at 3 o'clock, and they were the only new couple there.

All the staff members circled them, as if they were VIP members. Even the photographer was very patient. He said, "Take a look after we finish. If there's anything you're not satisfied with, we can retake the photos."

Gu Mingxi wore a white dress shirt and his hair was made tidy and neat. Pang Qian wore a sea blue dress, her hair flowing onto her shoulders, and her eyes shining brightly. She stood close to Gu Mingxi, and the two of them smiled at the camera. The photographer took photos as he said, "The groom's so handsome! And the bride is also very beautiful! This is the best wedding photo I've taken recently!"

Not long after, this photo was printed onto their new marriage certificate.

That evening, the newly married Mr Gu officially consummated his marriage with his Mrs Gu. The first time, it was passionate. The second time, he became gentle. She fell onto him, her body limp and weak for the rest of the night.

Panting and sweating, the two of them laid side by side on the bed, just talking and discussing the events to follow.

"I want to have the wedding reception on National Day (October 1st)," Pang Qian said. "I don't want to push if off until next year. It's too cold to get married in the winter."

He kissed her shoulder and nodded. "Okay."

But then she hesitated again. "Then we'll have to take our wedding photos soon, but... It's too hot to take wedding photos in August."

"We can take them in September."

"It'll be too late to get them done by National Day."

"Pay more to rush it."

"I guess that's all we can do... I originally wanted to take the photos in Sanya," Pang Qian said regretfully. "Too bad it's typhoon season there now."

Gu Mingxi kept kissing her shoulder, licking, biting, and enjoying himself. He casually said, "We can go to Sanya later to take another set of photos. We can go to Sanya for vacation. Uncle's retiring at the end of the year, so we can take them along."

"What are you calling Dad?" Pang Qian laughed. Gu Mingxi raised his eyes and looked at her, his lips curving into a smile. "At the end of the year, we can take Mom and Dad to visit Sanya for some sun, okay?"

Pang Qian wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her forehead against his. "Does that count as a honeymoon?"

"If you want it to, it can be. If you don't, it won't be," he said. "Pang Pang, where do you want to go? Europe? Maldives? America? Australia? Wherever you want to go, I'll go with you."

"I'll remember that." She giggled and bit his nose. "We'll send Mom and Dad to Sanya over winter, and then we'll go on a honeymoon."

His nose hurt and he frowned. Pang Qian helped him rub his nose and then suddenly whispered into his ear, "Husband, I love you."

Gu Mingxi was startled, indeed a bit unaccustomed to this name. After he thought about it a bit though, he decided it wasn't bad.

A long time ago in Z City, before Li Han had gotten sick, she used to chat with Gu Mingxi. One time, he and his mother had an argument. They were discussing whether someone's closest family was their parents, their brothers and sisters, or their husband or wife.

Gu Mingxi thought it was your parents, but Li Han said it was your significant other.

"Mingxi, you'll be together with your wife from the age of 20 something. If you're lucky, the two of you will stay together until you're 80 or 90 years old. Fifty years together, day and night. The relationship between parents and their children can't compare to those feelings and that intimacy. Parents will grow old, and their kids will inevitably leave them. Mingxi, while you're young, you might believe that your parents are the most important, but when you reach 40 years old, you'll have to take care of your parents and your kids. You'll realize who exactly it is who undertakes the family responsibilities and goes through thick and thin with you."

At the time, Gu Mingxi didn't think it was the case. "Mom, I don't think that Dad takes on the responsibilities with you or goes through thick and thin with you."

Li Han didn't get angry. She just smiled and said, "Your father's and my marriage has been a failure, so of course you can't use it as an example. Actually, Qian Qian's parents are a good example. I just wanted to tell you that when you get married, you have to treat your wife well. You should know that being your wife won't be an easy thing. No matter who it is, she'll have to carry a certain pressure. It will come from her family, from her friends, from all around her. If she's willing to marry you despite it all, you mustn't ever let her down."

Gu Mingxi said, "What if she fights with you? Relationships between mothers-in-law and daughters are hard to be a part of. I don't want to get sandwiched between."

"I won't live with you guys," Li Han laughed. "Your (paternal) grandparents never liked me, so I know how much it hurts. That's why I won't be critical of your wife. Moreover, I trust in your insight."

......

Pang Qian didn't wait for Gu Mingxi to call her 'Wife.' Too tired, she just went to sleep.

Gu Mingxi didn't feel like sleeping at all. He sat up and grabbed his marriage certificate book from the bedside table. Pang Qian had kept holding onto it earlier and laughing as she looked it over.

Under the lamp light, Gu Mingxi opened up the marriage certificate and saw his photo with Pang Qian.

The photographer had avoided photographing his crippled arms. His right shoulder was behind Pang Qian and his empty left sleeve was cut off at the edge of the photo. So from the photo, you wouldn't be able to tell that he was a person without arms.

As he looked carefully at the two smiling persons in the photo, Gu Mingxi suddenly realized that they weren't so young anymore. He suddenly felt a bout of panic and thought about the words his mother once told him. Things can change. There can be accidents, illnesses, natural disasters... There are lots of stories unfolding every day in the world. Every day, someone at the hospital is found to have a terminal illness. Having already walked back from death's door as a child, Gu Mingxi understood this more clearly than others. More than anyone else, he really had to treasure his life.

Gu Mingxi turned to look at his sleeping wife and he made a vow to himself.

For all my life, I won't leave you.

After Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi agreed about the matter of their wedding, they grew very busy. She, Gu Mingxi, and Pang Shuisheng went around to various large restaurants in E City. After they estimated how many guests there would be, they reserved the ballroom at a four star hotel.

Next, they bought their wedding suit and gown, ordered wedding sweets and presents (to give to guests), and hired a wedding company to organize. After taking care of the major wedding arrangements, they still needed to take wedding photos... Mr Gu didn't much care for this at all, so he left it to Mrs Gu to take care of. He just stayed at home drawing and saw Pang Qian rushing in and out of the house delightedly. Occasionally, she would run over to him to ask his opinion about something, like how was this or how was that.

Gu Mingxi was already starting to add color for the draft of his new book. He insisted on painting it with traditional medium. Although he could use the computer to add color, but he always thought that traditional painting moved people more. He grabbed onto a pen with his toes and added color, stroke after stroke, and he felt that the readers would be able to feel his sincerity.

One day in the middle of August, Jiang Qi came to visit Gu Mingxi in E City with an editor for a Taiwan publishing company. They wanted to discuss the copyright for traditional (character) print publications. Coincidentally, Pang Qian was expecting several wedding gifts to arrive, so she stayed at home instead of accompanying him.

That afternoon, the doorbell rang. Pang Qian thought it was a delivery, so she opened the door to see. She stood there quiet for a moment, because standing in front of the door was actually Gu Guoxiang and Gu Ziyue.

"Uncle Gu."

Although Pang Qian was shocked, she kept her manners. She invited the two into the house and then brought them some house slippers.

Gu Guoxiang carried in a bag of fruit and he looked around the house. He said, "The place is nicely decorated."

"Ah, it's nothing special." Pang Qian pat her thighs as they were a bit cramped. Gu Ziyue looked pretty obedient as she stood still next to her father. She even greeted Pang Qian.

Pang Qian invited them into the living room and let them sit on the sofa. She brewed some tea for Gu Guoxiang and brought out a drink for Gu Ziyue. She tried to feel him out as she asked, "Uncle, are you looking for Gu Mingxi? He's gone out."

Gu Guoxiang said, "I know. I called him and he said you were home."

"Ah..." Pang Qian didn't understand his meaning. "Gu Mingxi went out for some work matters. He'll probably have lunch before coming back."

"He told me," Gu Guoxiang said. "Qian Qian, I came over this time to ask you two for a favor."

Gu Ziyue quietly drank her drink and looked around curiously. Pang Qian said, "What is it? Did you talk it over with Gu Mingxi yet?"

"No, I didn't tell him." Gu Guoxiang laughed. "He said he wasn't home, but you were, so I decided it would be best to come over to discuss with you first."

Pang Qian picked up her tea and took a sip. "Uncle, tell me. If there's something that we can help with, we will. If we can't help, well then, nothing can be done about that."

"You'll definitely be able to help." Gu Guoxiang's expression was very confident. "It's like this. You know that I'm busy with work. Right now, Ziyue's on summer vacation, so I usually have my sister help take care of her during the day. But next week, my sister and her family are going on vacation to Hong Kong. I originally wanted to ask a neighbor to help take care of Ziyue during the day, but I was just notified that I'd have to take a business trip to Taiyuan next week. So... I was thinking. You and Gu Mingxi would both be at home, and Mingxi is Ziyue's older brother. If nothing else, your mother has also retired. What I mean is that next week, for the six days that my sister will be in Hong Kong, you guys... Can you help take care of Ziyue for a bit? I'd like her to stay here, and she's very obedient. Moreover... She can get to know Mingxi more."

Pang Qian listened calmly to him. After Gu Guoxiang finished, she took another sip of tea. "What about Ziyue's mom? She's not in the city?"

Gu Guoxiang's complexion paled. "I won't let her mother take care of her."

Pang Qian blinked. "Why?"

"That person isn't fit to be a mother."

Sitting on the sofa, Gu Ziyue's face sank. Pang Qian glanced at her and then suddenly stood up. She said, "Uncle, let's talk somewhere else."

Pang Qian turned on the TV for Gu Ziyue and then she brought over some snacks and fruit, leaving Ziyue to play in the living room by herself. She and Gu Guoxiang headed out onto the terrace.

The sliding door out to the terrace was double paneled glass, so the sound insulation was very good. When Gu Guoxiang got outside, he lit a cigarette. He looked at Pang Qian and said, "Ziyue's mother currently has a boyfriend and they're living together. It's not suitable for Ziyue to stay there."

Pang Qian had her arms crossed as she contemplated. Gu Guoxiang continued, "It's just six days. When my sister comes back, she'll take Ziyue home. Qian Qian, I know that you and Mingxi are starting school in September, so you two are resting at home now, right?"

Pang Qian finally lifter her head to look at him. Softly and clearly, she said, "Uncle, I'm sorry but we can't help you with this."

Gu Guoxiang examined her tone and expression, and he realized she was being serious. A bit angry, he responded, "Qian Qian, Ziyue is Mingxi's younger sister. I came to visit you first to give a greeting, but if I were to call Mingxi, he would definitely agree."

"Go ahead and call then." Pang Qian laughed. "This is my home, my house, and I'm the one who decides who can stay here. I won't agree to let Gu Ziyue stay here. I'm sorry."

"Your house?" Gu Guoxiang's eyes squinted behind his glasses. "This is Mingxi's house! You two haven't married yet, so you don't have the right to make any decisions for him!"

Pang Qian smiled. "The right to make decisions... Uncle, would you like me to bring out our marriage certificate for you to see?"

Gu Guoxiang had no idea that Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian had already registered their marriage. As a father, it was really disgraceful.

Now that they'd come to this point, Pang Qian no longer had any regard for older or younger generations. She looked into Gu Guoxiang's eyes and said, "Uncle, Mingxi doesn't have arms. No matter what he can do, he can't be entirely self dependent. Usually I'm the one who takes care of him. It's enough that we don't come to trouble you, so how can you ask us to take care of Gu Ziyue? Do you think that someone like him, without arms, can take care of a child? And you even wanted my mom to help? You must be joking. My mom was Auntie Ah Han's best friend!"

Gu Guoxiang's face darkened. Hearing how sharp her words were, he softened his tone. "Qian Qian, I know that all of you have some misunderstandings toward me and Ziyue, but Ziyue is a child and she's innocent in all this. To be honest, I can hire a 24-hour nanny to take care of Ziyue, but I thought and hoped that since Mingxi and Ziyue were sister and brother, they could get to know each other better. After all, the affairs of adults... I know that I was the bad one, that I've wronged Mingxi's mother, but that's why I'd like for Mingxi and Ziyue to get along. Everyone is family, so when I get older, it will be best if the two of them can take care of each other..."

Pang Qian scoffed. "Ziyue is a child and she's innocent. But Uncle, before your affair, Gu Mingxi was also a child, a disabled child. Was he not also innocent?!"

Her finger moved to the door. "I know that you treat Ziyue like she's your treasure. She's very pretty, very smart, and most importantly, very healthy. She's your pride and your hopes, someone you can show off to others! None of us will interfere in your ability to love her! I know that in your eyes, Gu Mingxi can't compare to her. He's a disabled person. When he walks down the street, everyone turns his way. When he does things, he has to use his feet! He quit school. He doesn't have a stable job. In the end, he doesn't even have a mother! But Uncle Gu, let me tell you! In my heart, ten of your Ziyues, a hundred Ziyues, a thousand Ziyues- Still won't be able to compare to one toe of my Gu Mingxi!"

She glared angrily at Gu Guoxiang, her courage already reaching the skies. "Gu Ziyue's mother was the third party who broke up Auntie Ah Han and your marriage! And in my eyes, you are an utter hypocrite! The two of you are the culprits that caused Auntie's physical and mental exhaustion that finally led to her illness! Don't you dare deny it! If Auntie Ah Han was living happily and carefree, where would she have gotten liver disease?! It was caused by exhaustion! Because of you two! Uncle Gu, how much courage do you have to think that based on this little blood relation that Gu Mingxi would want to get along with Gu Ziyue?! How much courage do you have that you would believe that in Gu Mingxi's heart, you are all still one family?!"

"Pang Qian! Don't act so impertinently! Do you know who you're talking with right now?! Since you and Gu Mingxi have gotten married, you're speaking to your father!" Gu Guoxiang suddenly screamed out loudly. His body trembled, and it was obvious how angry he was. But Pang Qian wasn't at all scared. She sneered. "Uncle Gu, don't talk to me like you're my boss. I'm not your subordinate, and I don't have to kiss your ass. I just want to say one thing. I don't care how Gu Mingxi treats you, but I, Pang Qian, won't call you 'Father' in this lifetime, because Auntie Ah Han is my mother and she's already divorced you!"

Gu Guoxiang's cigarette nearly burned his finger. Pang Qian added her final words, "Let me say one more thing. This is my and Gu Mingxi's home, my and Gu Mingxi's house. As long as I'm here, I will never agree for Gu Ziyue to stay here, not even for half a day! I won't agree to it now, and I won't agree to it later. If you think you can convince Gu Mingxi, go ahead and call him. Ask him if he'd rather have his father and sister or if he'd rather have his wife!"

And then, she pulled open the door and headed back into the living room.

When she got back to the living room, she was shocked. She'd just been gone for a short while and the entire room had changed.

Gu Ziyue had probably gone into Gu Mingxi's studio and found the paints on his work table. She'd dipped her hand into the paint and covered the sky blue walls in handprints.

She'd dropped paintings all over the floor, all large pieces that Gu Mingxi had been working on for his new draft.

They'd been graffitied over with paint, fingerprints, and footprints. Pang Qian looked at Gu Ziyue who was holding a crystal picture frame that used to sit on the TV stand. It was a picture of Gu Mingxi and Li Han. Gu Ziyue glanced over at Pang Qian and shot her a strange smile before smashing the frame to the floor, which shattered into little pieces.

Gu Guoxiang had just stepped into the living room and he called out, "Ziyue! What are you doing?!"

He walked over to his daughter and reached out to hit her. Surprisingly, Gu Ziyue didn't try to avoid him. Instead, she held her head firm and stared defiantly at Gu Guoxiang. Gu Guoxiang's hand hung in the air, unable to hit her.

"Apologize to your sister!" he said heavily.

Gu Ziyue clenched her teeth. "No! I don't want to live here! I want to stay with my mom!"

"Apologize!" Gu Guoxiang couldn't hold it in any longer and raised his hand. Pa! He smacked her across the face. Gu Ziyue immediately started crying and dropped down to sit on the floor.

Gu Ziyue's piercing cry sounded in the living room. Pang Qian was deaf to it all though, as she crouched down and picked up Gu Mingxi's paintings. She looked at them, unable to be fixed, and merciless tears welled in her eyes. Pang Qian told herself she couldn't cry in front of Gu Guoxiang and Gu Ziyue. She walked over to Gu Guoxiang and showed him the paintings.

"Gu Mingxi drew this with his feet. One painting takes three or four days. He's already spent more than a month on these. When he paints, his feet often cramp. But he doesn't rest because he's someone who chases perfection. Whatever he does, he has to do the best he's able to."

Gu Ziyue was still crying and Pang Qian grew agitated.

She put down the paintings on the table and then pointed at the handprint covered wall. "The walls can be repainted."

Then she picked up Gu Mingxi and Li Han's photo, shaking off the crushed frame. She pointed to the frame fragments and said, "You brought this frame back from abroad. To be honest, I wanted to get rid of it a long time ago. Now that it's broken, we can buy a new one."

She looked firmly at Gu Guoxiang and said, "If they're messed up, Gu Mingxi's paintings can be repainted. All of it's in his head anyway. No matter how many pieces get messed up, he can still repaint them. But Uncle Gu, there are some things that can't be fixed once they're broken. Don't think that blood ties can accomplish everything. On this point, I trust that Gu Mingxi and I believe the same thing. In the future, when you get old, we can pay for you to see the doctor if you get sick. We can hire a nurse and pay for your expenses, but please don't expect us to personally take care of you. We're not scheming to get any of your assets, so please stop dreaming that we will accept Gu Ziyue."

Gu Guoxiang's face turned ashen.

"Finally, please take your precious daughter out of my house." Pang Qian crossed her arms and looked at him coldly.

When Gu Mingxi returned home, Pang Qian was kneeling on the floor, taking stock of the wedding gifts they'd bought. There were several boxes of stuffed dolls, some large and some small. Gu Mingxi walked over to her and looked at the gifts curiously. He couldn't help laughing and then asked "Why does the house look like a kindergarten?"

Pang Qian kept her head lowered, and Gu Mingxi finally felt that something wasn't quite right. He kneeled down onto the ground and turned to look at her face. Pang Qian turned her head away but couldn't hide her face, and Gu Mingxi saw her swollen eyes still shining with tears.

"Pang Pang! What's wrong?" Gu Mingxi suddenly felt very anxious and he leaned into her. He asked, "What happened? Why are you crying? Pang Pang, don't cry..."

Pang Qian dropped the doll in her hand and hugged him. She spoke into his chest, "Gu Mingxi, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"What's wrong? What happened?" Suddenly, he seemed to recall something. "Did my dad call you?"

"No, he came over." Pang Qian wiped at her eyes and then stood up. "Let me show you something. Don't hit me."

Gu Mingxi, "..."

Pang Qian brought over the messed up paintings and sat down on the floor with Gu Mingxi. She told him what had happened that morning and then pointed at the handprints all over the wall.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect your paintings." Pang Qian's mouth hung open and her eyes were red. She grabbed onto a stuffed tortoise and poked its back. "I was very absolute. I don't think your dad will ever want to see me again. But Gu Mingxi, I don't regret it at all. I don't like Gu Ziyue and I don't want her staying at our house."

Gu Mingxi didn't say anything, so Pang Qian looked up at him uneasily. "Are you angry? I know I should have discussed it with you, but there's really no room for discussion on this matter. Gu Mingxi, why are you looking at me like that? Are you really unhappy? Just yell at me a bit then."

Gu Mingxi chuckled. He stretched out his leg and nudged her leg with his right foot. "Why would I yell at you? I didn't say you did anything wrong. But... You really should have discussed with me first and then let me reject my dad. Why are you always so impulsive? We should at least try to hold up appearances."

Pang Qian pushed the stuffed tortoise into him and responded, "What's the point of keeping up appearances? Then it will just happen a second time, a third time, and then will you still have an excuse later? In the future, over every summer and winter break, won't he start looking for us? It's better to just settle things, once and for all."

Gu Mingxi realized that he couldn't beat her with words.

Pang Qian lowered her head and sat still stuffily. She suddenly said, "Gu Mingxi, there's something I think we ought to talk about. We're married now, we're husband and wife. You have relatives and I have relatives. What I'm trying to say is that with regards on my side of the family, no matter what they may think of you, I'll always be on the same track as you ('same side as you'). I definitely won't let my family bully you or wrong you, even if its my parents. So I hope that when it comes to your family, you'll also be on the same track as me. I'm saying this to you because... You're too good and kindhearted of a person. I know that you're softhearted, so just let me be the bad guy. If you think that I've gone overboard sometimes, just think of your mom."

Gu Mingxi thought about her words. After a moment, Pang Qian cautiously asked, "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yeah." He nodded solemnly. "Pang Pang, I can't say that you were completely right in your actions today, but your intent was the same as mine. I agree with you, and I don't want Gu Ziyue living in our house. So don't worry, in front of my dad, I'll definitely be on the same track as you."

Pang Qian smiled. She didn't expect his next words. "But, Wife, are you really against having a kid stay in our house? Even if it's just for a week?"

Pang Qian didn't understand, "Mm?"

Gu Mingxi smiled. "I called Dou Dou's mom today and invited him over for a few days. I promised him last year, so I can't go back on my word."

Pang Qian let out a sigh. "You nearly scared me to death. I was wondering what you could be thinking! Of course I welcome Ding Jiangkang to E City! Don't worry, you can busy yourself with your paintings. I'll take him out to play!"

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MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 109
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Chapter 109
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

Ten years ago, I fell in love with you here.

Pang Shuisheng found a painter to help repaint the living room walls at Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi's house. They hadn't even had their wedding yet, and the nice, new house had already been ruined. Pang Shuisheng was very angry.

"Was it really Gu Guoxiang's daughter who did this?" Pang Shuisheng couldn't believe it. "The little girl's just 9 years old. How can she be so thoughtless already?"

"Thoughtless? She did it intentionally." When Pang Qian thought back to it, she got so angry. "Messing up the walls wasn't enough, she even ruined seven or eight of Gu Mingxi's paintings. Now he has to redo them. He needs to send in the draft by December, because they'll be publishing it after the Spring Festival. Now he has to spend all day and night working on it."

"You have to let him know that his health is more important." Pang Shuisheng thought for a moment and then said, "Qian Qian, you'll be getting married to Mingxi on National Day. Don't have a standoff with Old Gu. After all, he's still Mingxi's father. He'll definitely come to the wedding. Make sure you two don't cause any unhappy feelings on that day."

"He's the one who came to provoke me, okay?!" Pang Qian felt offended. "In the past, he never treated Gu Mingxi like his son. He said he was too disgraceful! Behind Auntie Ah Han's back, he got one mistress after another. Now he's gotten his wish. He's got a daughter. So he should stop coming to provoke us! Now he's saying that everyone's one big family, that siblings should develop some relationship. Tch- What a hypocrite! Gu Mingxi can take care of himself now, but if he was poor and destitute, would his father even look at him?"

Pang Shuisheng knew what his daughter's temper was like, so he tried to appease her. "Alright, don't get angry. How about this. We have to send out invitations next month. You two will be in Shanghai, so you can have Mingxi give a call to his dad to invite him, and I'll personally deliver the invitation card to Old Gu. I'll say that you two can't make it back because of school. It'll save all the awkwardness of you two meeting face to face, okay?"

Pang Qian giggled and grabbed onto Pang Shuisheng's arm. "No one understands a daughter better than her father. Long live my dad!" (Note: Funnily, I believe the phrase is usually that no one understands a son better than his father.)

Three days later, Ding Jiankang boarded the plane by himself, with the service of 'summer trip accompaniment for kids.' He flew from Guangzhou to E City. Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian went to pick him up at the airport, and quickly saw the airline staff escorting the boy out.

"Teacher Gu!" When he saw Gu Mingxi, Dou Dou basically flew at him. Gu Mingxi crouched down and hugged him, who was crying and shouting. His tears even wet Gu Mingxi's face.

Gu Mingxi smiled brightly. He looked over Dou Dou and realized that the boy had sprouted. "You've grown taller!"

Dou Dou grinned proudly as he looked at Gu Mingxi. "I'm 9 years old already! Teacher Gu, look at my teeth!" As he spoke, reached out to touch Gu Mingxi's face and said, "Teacher Gu, you look like you've gotten whiter."

Pang Qian giggled. After returning to E City for more than a year, he spent less time on outdoor activities compared to when he lived in Sanya. Naturally, his skin would lighten a bit.

Pang Qian asked, "Dou Dou, was it scary riding the plane by yourself?"

"It wasn't!" Dou Dou smiled happily. "Auntie Crab, it was my first time riding the plane. They even had chicken rice! It was really good!"

On the car ride back home, Dou Dou sat with Gu Mingxi in the backseat. He opened his backpack and couldn't wait to pull out his presents to Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian - two boxes of Guangdong-styled durian pastries and a bag of Guangdong-styled sausages. He also pulled out three test papers to show Gu Mingxi. "Teacher Gu, look. I got more than 95 points on all of them!"

When the three of them got back home, Dou Dou looked around Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi's house, curious and excited. Gu Mingxi brought him to the baby room. Since they didn't know what gender their future baby would be, the room was filled with pastel green toys. Because Dou Dou was visiting, Pang Qian had laid out a new set of sheets on the bed.

"Teacher Gu, is this going to be the baby's room in the future?" Dou Dou asked cautiously.

Gu Mingxi nodded, "Yeah."

"Then it doesn't seem quite right for me to sleep here." Dou Dou grabbed at his hair. "I can sleep on the sofa."

Gu Mingxi laughed. "It's okay, I want you to sleep in here."

Dou Dou and Gu Ziyue were the same age, but in Pang Qian's eyes, the two of them couldn't be compared.

When they went out to buy groceries, Dou Dou offered to carry the bags. When they were shopping in the supermarket, Pang Qian told him to pick up anything he wanted to eat, but he just followed Gu Mingxi obediently and didn't ask for anything. If Pang Qian offered to buy him something, he immediately went to check the price. Then he would say, "Auntie Crab, I don't like eating this."

Actually, he just didn't want Teacher Gu to waste money.

When they got home, Dou Dou wasn't willing to stay in the living room to watch cartoons. Instead, he would slip into the kitchen, and then Gu Mingxi would chase him out. Taking advantage of the time when Pang Qian was collecting the dried laundry, Dou Dou went to the bathroom to get a cloth and started washing the floor. Pang Qian had to kneel down and spend quite a bit of time to persuade him to go back and sit on the sofa.

She gave Dou Dou a bag of fresh lychees. Dou Dou found an empty bowl and started to peel the lychees. Pang Qian looked at him curiously and asked, "Dou Dou, do you like to peel all of them before you start eating?"

Dou Dou shook his head. "No, I'm peeling them for Teacher Gu."

That night, Pang Qian considerately told Gu Mingxi to sleep with Dou Dou, who was overjoyed. Gu Mingxi leaned against the headboard and talked with him.

Gu Mingxi had been very worried that Dou Dou would be bullied when he moved in with his mother, but Dou Dou said that his new dad treated him really well.

"Dad doesn't talk a lot, he doesn't hit anyone, and he cooks really well." Dou Dou climbed onto the bed and laid on his belly, his feet swinging off the side. He prattled on to Gu Mingxi. "Mom likes my little brother, but Dad likes my little sister more. They said they weren't going to have another kid. They already had three, and they had sons and a daughter, so it was perfectly good."

Gu Mingxi smiled and asked, "Then do you like your little brother or sister more?"

Dou Dou thought about it a bit and said, "I like my little sister. She listens well, but my little brother's a bit naughty. He's always fighting with me."

Gu Mingxi frowned. "You're the older brother. If you argue with your little brother, there's no pride in winning."

"He ripped up my homework!" Dou Dou fumed. "But my grades are better. I'm always top three in my class, so my dad helps me scold him, haha."

Gu Mingxi's heart settled. Thankfully Dou Dou met a good stepfather.

Dou Dou blinked his eyes, and then he asked Gu Mingxi, "Teacher Gu, does Auntie Crab treat you well?"

Gu Mingxi laughed. "She treats me very well, don't worry. You saw it all before. Auntie Crab and I are very happy together."

Dou Dou nodded. Proud of all his experience, he said, "Teacher Gu, I came to visit this time to make sure you were doing well. If you weren't doing well, we could return to Sanya and live at the school. I already learned how to wash and cut vegetables. I can help you out."

Gu Mingxi, "..."

Dou Dou crawled over and lied next to him. He curled up and closed his eyes. "Teacher Gu, I always dream about when we lived in Sanya. Once I started crying as I dreamed, and my mom had to wake me up."

"..."

"Teacher Gu, I really, really miss you."

Gu Mingxi lowered his head and used his shoulder to pat the back of Dou Dou's head. He said gently, "Sleep. Dou Dou, I'll be here with you."

Dou Dou stayed in E City for ten days, up until Qixi. Only after spending Gu Mingxi's 28th birthday with him, did he get back on the plane to Guangdong.

During those ten days, Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian often took him out to play. They went to the Children's Park, the aquatic center, museums, bookstores, the aquarium... They took him out to eat and watched animated movies. Every night, they went to the supermarket to enjoy the air conditioning.

Pang Qian brought Dou Dou to her parents' house to eat. Dou Dou was a very smart kid and his greeting of Grandpa and Grandma left them overjoyed. After they ate, he helped Jin Aihua clean up, and he was very deft at it. Seeing this made Jin Aihua's heart ache, so she gave him a red envelope.

When he parted with Gu Mingxi at the airport, Dou Dou was firm and didn't cry. He carried his backpack, which was filled with new clothes and toys that Gu Mingxi bought for him and his siblings. He passionately waved goodbye to Gu Mingxi.

"Teacher Gu, bye! I'll definitely study well and come back to E City for school!"

After Dou Dou left, Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi started preparing to head to Shanghai.

They drove there a week early with their luggage, preparing to rent a place near Gu Mingxi's school.

Although they had known previously, Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi were still surprised to find how far apart their schools were. Fudan was in the Yangpu District and Gu Mingxi's school was at Songjiang University Town. Pang Qian tested it out and drove from Yangpu to Songjiang Town, and it was more than 50km away, taking more than two hours by car.

She called Wu Feiyan and asked how long it would take by the subway. She said you had to transfer from the bus to the subway to another line to another bus... And it would take about two hours.

Pang Qian was in despair.

"What do we do know." She was extremely depressed, dropping against the steering wheel out of sorts.

Gu Mingxi comforted her beside him, "It's okay, Wife. I can take care of myself. Dorm or apartment is still okay."

Pang Qian bit her lip and considered for a moment, before shaking her head. "No, I promised we'd live together. We can rent an apartment, and I'll just commute into the city."

They went around for two entire days before finding an apartment they were satisfied with. Three room and simply decorated. The landlord agreed to turn one of the rooms into a studio, so Pang Qian paid a year's rent all at once.

After one week in Shanghai, the two of them were inseparable. They went to pick up some furniture and items to fill in their house. Pang Qian invited Wu Feiyan, Xue Wenwen, and Yang Lu out to eat. This time, Yang Lu finally showed up.

Yang Lu wasn't the foolish girl that was utterly in love with Sheng Feng anymore. She'd gotten very pretty and confident. When she saw Gu Mingxi, she laughed and said, "Sorry for not making it out to the last meeting. Feiyan told me that Crab's boyfriend was extremely handsome. I didn't believe it, but seeing you here today, your reputation is well-deserved."

Pang Qian extended her hand for them to see the sparkling diamond on her finger. "Boyfriend? I'm certifiably taken now."

The three of them were startled. "Ah? Crab, you already registered it?"

Pang Qian opened her bag and whisked out three invitations. With a grin, she said, "Red bomb! October 2nd in E City. Anyone willing to be my bridesmaid?" (Note: A 'red bomb' is a colloquial(?) phrase for a wedding invitation.)

All three girls rushed to shout, "Oh, me! Me, me!"

The last week before the star of the school semester, Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi headed back to E City. They'd arranged to take wedding photos that day.

After the indoors shots, they went to a scenic area for a few more photos. And then a line of people headed to their last stop- E City's First High.

Pang Qian had already made arrangements with the school in advance. One of the teachers on duty let them into the classroom, the one that Year 1 Class 2 used that year.

The classroom looked different from when they were students. Air conditioning had been installed in the school. There were also more water fountains and projectors. The desks and chairs had all been replaced. Since the school term had just started up, the board at the back of the classroom was filled with welcoming words to the students.

Gu Mingxi wore a white shirt, jeans, and a pair of white sneakers. Compared to when he was sporting a suit earlier, he looked much more like a student now.

He stood at the back window and looked out at the school yard. The school had put in a new running track. Red tracks around the green field, really quite eye-catching. The trees around the school yard were still there, but they'd grown a lot taller. Gu Mingxi laughed as he recalled the day he started school here. They'd sat around in a circle by those small trees to introduce themselves. Back then, Pang Qian's speech was horrendous, but now she was easily able to hold conversations with foreigners.

A sound came from behind him. When he turned to take a look, he saw Pang Qian who'd changed clothes. She was wearing the same style of white shirt as him, with a jean skirt underneath. She was also wearing the same pair of white sneakers. She looked like a very lively student, her smile bright as a flower. Only the thin, white tulle on her head belied that she was a new bride.

Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi stood in front of the blackboard, looking and smiling at each other. There were four words written on the blackboard- It wasn't puppy love!

Gu Mingxi took several photos in the school yard. At the end of the summer, it was sunny, and the sky was blue with some white clouds. Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi sat side by side on the stands. They closed their eyes and kissed tenderly. A light breeze blew at the wedding veil on Pang Qian's head, and it also blew at Gu Mingxi's empty shirt sleeves. He heard her whisper into his ear, "Gu Mingxi, did you know? Ten years ago, I fell in love with you here."

Ten years ago, on a scorching hot summer day, the sun started to set behind the school yard, and they sat there together side by side.

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Home My Mister Ostrich Chapter 110.1 (Part 1) Wedding Banquet
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 110.1 (Part 1) Wedding Banquet
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Chapter 110.1 (Part 1) Wedding Banquet
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

Part 4. My Heart, Like the Sea

We're finally married! It's been a 27 year long run! Has it been easy?!

With the start of the new semester, Shanghai's Songjiang University Town grew lively. The empty streets and desolate campus gradually filled up with people coming and going.

Pang Qian went along with Gu Mingxi to take care of school registration procedures, and then the two of them went to set up new phone numbers in Shanghai. By Xu Shuanghua's request, his teaching friend helped set Gu Mingxi up with a place to stay.

Because of Gu Mingxi's physical condition, it wasn't convenient for him to stay in a regular four person dorm room. Out of consideration for him, the school arranged a two person room at the school for him to stay in. His roommate was a 22 year old boy named Fu Qinfeng.

Fu Qinfeng was a rather introverted boy. When he first met Gu Mingxi, he didn't say much. He just helped Pang Qian to clean up a bit and helped Gu Mingxi put out new bed sheets.

Pang Qian asked him to help watch out for Gu Mingxi during the school year, especially with meals, using the restroom, carrying his art supplies and such. Fu Qinfeng nodded, "Don't worry, leave it to me."

Gu Mingxi attended the welcoming ceremony and then returned to their apartment. During dinner, he told Pang Qian about his day.

"When I walked into the classroom, those kids were all dumbstruck by the fact that I didn't have arms. Some of them thought I was the teacher or the advisor. They even called me 'Teacher.'" Gu Mingxi wanted to laugh when he recalled that scene. "I told them that actually I was a new student, just like them."

Pang Qian listened with interest, "And then what?"

"And then the ones who weren't dumbstruck earlier were all shocked." Gu Mingxi ate some rice and continued, "When the advisor came in, we introduced ourselves, and I gained a new name."

"What name?"

"Old Gu." He laughed.

"Puah!" Pang Qian laughed out, and the food in her mouth nearly fell out. "Why are they calling you Old Gu?!"

"They're all 18 or 19 year old kids. If they don't call me Old Gu, what would they call me?" Gu Mingxi laughed again. "Fu Qinfeng said he had to take the exam three times before getting in. He thought he was old and would be the oldest in the class. To be honest, he hadn't expected there would be a 28 year old student."

Pang Qian was extremely pleased. "28 isn't that old. At my old school, there were graduate students that were older than 30."

"That's grad school though. You can't compare the two." Gu Mingxi frowned. "Pang Pang, actually, I didn't use to feel that I was very old, probably because I was always in a school setting. When I was in S City, I often went to the art institute there to sit in on lectures. And then I worked at an elementary school after that. I thought I was still young. But today, when I looked at all the kids in my class, I realized that I really am a bit old. Look, there are wrinkles all around my eyes."

He picked up his chopsticks with his foot and showed his eyes to Pang Qian.

"Please!" Pang Qian picked up a piece of luffa with her chopsticks and stuffed it into his mouth. "That's because of all the sun in Sanya. Look at Xie Yi, he hasn't aged at all. He could put on a school uniform and walk back into high school. Alright, I'll go buy you some skin care products tomorrow. Who knew, Gu Mingxi, you care quite a bit about your appearance too."

"What do you mean?" He raised his eyebrows. "But speaking of, there were a couple girls that asked for my number today. Some of them even asked if I had a girlfriend."

Pang Qian asked curiously, "What did you say?"

"I said that I didn't have a girlfriend, but there was a tigress at home."

"Gu Mingxi, you want to die?!" Pang Qian dropped her chopsticks and then smacked him. "Tell me the truth, Gu Mingxi. Now that you're surrounded with young and pretty 18 and 19 year old girls, are you very happy?"

"Just eat your dinner!" Then he hid from her. After she was done venting, he finally laughed and looked at her. "There's only one girl in my eyes. Forever young, who loves eating sausages, loves sleeping in, loves crying and laughing too. She's also a bit smug and chattery."

"Who's smug? Who's chattery?!" That's what came out of Pang Qian's mouth, but really, she felt quite pleased inside. "I can still pretend to be a girl now, but what about when I'm 30 and 40? When I'm like my mom now, you're not going to be saying that."

"You'll still be a young girl." Gu Mingxi's smile couldn't be hidden. "I'd still like if you gained some weight. You used to love eating a lot, and now you just eat a little and say you're full. You're already so thin and you say you want to lose weight. It's not good for your health."

Pang Qian curled her lips. "You don't get it. This is so I'll good in my wedding dress."

A few days later, Pang Qian started school. The graduate student dorms were two to a room, and her roommate was a Ms Wen. Pang Qian told her that she'd already gotten married, so she would rarely be staying in the dorm. Most of the time, she'd go home.

Xiao Wen asked, "Where do you live?"

"Over by Songjiang University Town."

"Goodness!" Xiao Wen was taken by surprise.

Xiao Wen's surprise wasn't without reason, because that was quite far away from Pang Qian's school.

After the rush and busyness of the start of school, Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi slowly returned to a normal schedule. They lived near Gu Mingxi's school, and every morning, Pang Qian would wake up at 6 and leave at 6:30. Taking advantage that the morning rush hour hadn't started yet, she drove to school, and would just barely make it into her 8 o'clock class. When she returned home, the sky would almost certainly be dark.

Gu Mingxi's heart ached to see Pang Qian travel and work through the day and night, but she felt that there was nothing else to be done. For Pang Qian, driving to and school each day, eating a warm meal with Gu Mingxi, taking a walk around campus after a meal, doing her homework as he drew, chatting about their days before sleeping - even if all they talked about was what they ate that day or a joke they'd heard... These were the world's most wonderful things. Every night, cuddling with Gu Mingxi and entering their dreams together, Pang Qian felt that all her fatigue disappeared.

Sometimes, when Pang Qian didn't have class, she would tag along with Gu Mingxi to school. They would eat together or study in the library together for a bit. When Gu Mingxi had an open lecture class, Pang Qian would also sneak in and attend. The students in Gu Mingxi's class were very interesting. They really called Gu Mingxi 'Old Gu,' and when they saw Pang Qian, they affectionately called her 'Sister-in-law.'

A few of the boys were a bit naughty and clamored up about having a meal at Gu Mingxi's house. They said they wanted to taste Sis-in-law's cooking, and Pang Qian's face reddened. Gu Mingxi laughed and said, "Sure, come on over. How's hot pot sound?"

On the weekend, some ten plus students arrived at their rented apartment, like a pack of hungry wolves. Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian had prepared a lot of food for hot pot, and they all gobbled it up. In the end, it wasn't enough to eat, so Gu Mingxi personally cooked a pan of stir fried rice to fill them up.

Female student Xiao Wang said enviously, "When I get a boyfriend, I definitely have to find one like Old Gu. Tender and considerate, tall, handsome, and with good cooking skills."

Male student Xiao Liu teased, "How do you know Old Gu's tender and considerate?"

Xiao Wang blushed. "Anyone can see that!"

Xiao Liu curled his lips. "How come I can't see it?"

"You're so annoying." Xiao Wang and Xiao Liu were always bickering. Turning the attention back to Pang Qian, she asked, "Sis-in-law, how did you meet Old Gu?"

Pang Qian laughed and asked, "He never told you guys?"

"No!" Everyone cried out. Another girl said, "Sis-in-law, tell us about your relationship."

"Ah..." Pang Qian cleared her throat and glanced over at the smiling Gu Mingxi. Earnestly, she started, "We had an arranged marriage, a betrothal in the womb."

"No way!" the young kids called out, stunned. "What decade is this? Sis-in-law, you must be kidding!"

Pang Qian looked at them, "If I'm lying, then you're a dog!"

......

Gu Mingxi's school was rather new compared to Pang Qian's Fudan. Each building, road, and even sculptures and trees in that old campus carried a story. That place had a long history filled with human sentiment. On the other hand, Gu Mingxi's school was new, stylish, pioneering, and full of youthful vigor.

When he walked through campus with Fu Qinfeng, he would sometimes be taken aback. The students passing by all had young and immature faces, they wore fashionable clothes. They were all 90s kids. Some skateboarded around, some carried camera tripods, some had bright golden hair like a lion's mane. There were also some couples that stood together and kissed as if no one were around them.

Gu Mingxi thought back to his formerly brief university life. That faraway Z City, at B University, famous for its science and engineering. He'd stayed there for one year.

During that year, he was lost, confused, in the dark, lonely.

But he could hardly recall the pains from that year now. Even when he did remember some things, he felt that his past self was just ridiculously childish.

Fu Qinfeng turned back and saw him standing still. He asked, "Old Gu, what's wrong?"

Gu Mingxi came back to his senses. "Oh, nothing."

"Let's go, we're going to be late for class."

"Okay." He walked to the academic building with Fu Qinfeng.

After nine years, his train had finally returned onto the right path.

Thankfully, it wasn't too late.

Thankfully, she was still waiting for him.

October 2nd, a clear and sunny day, was the day that Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian had their wedding.

Gu Guoxiang hesitated for a long time before deciding to attend their wedding.

Grandpa Gu's health wasn't that good. He said he couldn't handle all the celebration noise at a wedding, so he said he wouldn't go. But Grandma Gu kept saying that she wanted to go to her grandson's wedding. Gu Guoxiang decided to follow the elder's wishes and take his mother along with him to the wedding. Dong Yuan and Xiao Liang also went.

Gu Guoxiang had had remained angry after his dispute with Pang Qian over the summer. He felt that he'd been stifling his anger enough. Now that half his life was over, he kept feeling more and more guilt towards his ex-wife. And he felt more and more concerned about losing contact with Gu Mingxi.

Indeed, he hadn't gone to B University to find out about Gu Mingxi. He hadn't known he'd quit school. He'd always thought that Gu Mingxi's life wouldn't be problematic because he had his (maternal) grandparents and his aunt and uncle by his side. They would all help him. Gu Guoxiang thought that if Gu Mingxi ever ran into troubles, he would come back to find his father. No news was good news.

When he learned that Gu Mingxi had returned to E City and was dating Pang Qian, Gu Guoxiang was surprised, but more so, he was confused. He didn't understand why Gu Mingxi had returned but hadn't contacted him. He knew that he'd wronged Li Han, but he didn't think he'd done anything to his son that he ought to feel bad about. He raised Gu Mingxi for nearly 20 years. Hadn't he fulfilled his role as a father?

Gu Guoxiang admitted that he'd been a bit demanding of Gu Mingxi in the past and they'd become a bit estranged. But he was trying to make up for it. He'd gotten divorced and had no plans to remarry currently. That meant that all his assets would be passed on to Gu Mingxi and Gu Ziyue, didn't it?

He didn't understand why Gu Mingxi looked at him like he was looking at a stranger. And Pang Qian had actually turned hostile so quickly after he asked them to take care of Gu Ziyue for six days.

It also happened that Gu Ziyue had been very stubborn and caused trouble that day, so presently Gu Guoxiang really had no face to see them. When he received the wedding invitation from Pang Shuisheng, he really didn't want to attend the wedding. Then he thought that if, as the groom's father, he wasn't present at the wedding, it would be very awkward for the newlyweds. People would speak ill of them. The Chinese held family to a high esteem, so originally, Gu Guoxiang wanted to punish Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi a bit. But in the end, he couldn't help himself. He decided to go to the wedding.

It was his son, after all. His biological son. He didn't want Gu Mingxi to be made a joke of by others.

Gu Guoxiang walked up to the banquet hall, supporting his mother on his arm. The corridor was lined with banners, Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian's wedding photos. Every few meters, there was a flower wreath with a sign that said: Welcome to Mr Gu Mingxi and Ms Pang Qian's wedding banquet!

Gu Guoxiang looked at all the photos-

Pang Qian at the seafront, her veil blowing in the wind. Her long white dress spilled across the ground. Gu mingxi was wearing a white suit. He stood beside her, looking at her tenderly.

Pang Qian wearing a red dress, her arm bent in, carrying a fan. Gu Mingxi was wearing red and black evening wear. His head was tilted to the side as he sat next to her with a smile on his face.

On an athletic field, Gu Mingxi wore a shirt and jeans. He sat on the stands, his brows furrowed with a helpless expression on his face. Pang Qian was also dressed casually. She stood behind him with a big smile on her face as she pulled at his ears.

Gu Guoxiang was shocked at the sweetness and understanding that showed in Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian's photos. What surprised him even more was that their wedding photos didn't try to conceal Gu Mingxi's disability.

He thought that the photographer would help them hide it a bit, but in each and every photo, Gu Mingxi's empty sleeves hung very obviously. Whether it was a suit jacket or the cuffs of his sleeves, the nothingness there felt very unpleasant to Gu Guoxiang. The casual photos were especially so. Gu Mingxi wore a short sleeved shirt and his empty sleeves blew in the wind. Gu Guoxiang stared hard at those photos. That feeling of shame and embarrassment that he hadn't felt in a long time gradually filled his heart.

This was obviously his son, but he couldn't get over that pit in his heart.

Gu Guoxiang and Grandma Gu walked into the ballroom. The couple were at the door, greeting guests. Pang Qian was especially pretty that day. She had on delicate makeup and wore a white, floor-length wedding dress. Her hair was loosely twisted up behind her head, and her eyes were shining like stars as she greeted the guests with a big smile.

As for Gu Mingxi, Gu Guoxiang felt he barely recognized his own son. He stood straight and tall, and his hair was styled freshly and stylishly. Under his thick brows, there was a pair of shining, dark eyes.

Gentle eyes and a light smile that countered his tough facial contours and handsome features. He wore an excellent quality dark suit with a light colored shirt and a reddish brown tie. Completed with the shiny, dark shoes on his feet, he looked very handsome and extraordinary.

It's just that his suit sleeves hung so strikingly at his sides, swaying as he moved. Gu Guoxiang stood still at the side, because he'd realized that Gu Mingxi was no longer the quiet youth with stubborn eyes that existed in his memory. He'd matured greatly, grown a lot more prudent and handsome... and also unfamiliar.

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Home My Mister Ostrich Chapter 110.2 (Part 2) Wedding Banquet
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 110.2 (Part 2) Wedding Banquet
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Chapter 110.2 (Part 2) Wedding Banquet
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

We're finally married! It's been a 27 year long run! Has it been easy?!

When Gu Mingxi turned and saw him, he smiled. It wasn't a fake smile, but he also didn't look very happy. He said, "Dad, Grandma, you came. Let's take a photo together."

Pang Qian also turned, and when she saw Gu Guoxiang, her face went stiff. But when she noticed Grandma Gu, a smile blossomed on her face again. She said sweetly, "Grandma."

Dong Yuan and Xiao Liang gifted a red envelope and Dong Yuan said, "My parents were a bit busy today so they couldn't make it. They wanted to apologize and congratulate you on your marriage."

"Thank you." Pang Qian accepted the red envelope and then pushed Gu Mingxi off to the side slightly. She warmly greeted the others, "Grandma, Dong Yuan, let's take a photo!"

Dong Yuan and Xiao Liang stood to one side of Pang Qian, and Grandma Gu stood next to Gu Mingxi. With a long face, Gu Guoxiang stood next to his mother, and the photographer took their picture.

When they were taking photos, Gu Mingxi asked quietly, "Dad, Ziyue's not coming?"

Gu Guoxiang responded, "Oh, your aunt's taking her to her piano lesson tonight."

Gu Mingxi smiled. "Ah, it's like that."

Pang Qian brought them over to bridesmaid Zheng Qiaoqiao to take them to their seats. Zheng Qiaoqiao held the seating chart in her hands and asked Gu Guoxiang, "Are you with the bride or the groom?"

Gu Guoxiang said, "I'm the groom's father."

"..." Zheng Qiaoqiao gave him a strange look and then said, "Please come with me."

The guests quickly arrived in waves. Wang Song and Li Xiaoyan walked up, hand in hand. One of the groomsmen, Zhou Nanzhong, called out to then, "You said you were coming to help, and then you end up coming so late! You're drinking three cups later to make up for it!"

"Fine, three cups. Who's scared?" Wang Song smiled happily. After gifting his red envelope, he pat Gu Mingxi on the shoulder. "Bro, congrats. Class 2 ended up with two romances. That's definitely more than usual!"

"Thanks," Gu Mingxi said. "Thanks for your help at the concert. I still haven't treated you to a meal."

"Help with what?" Zhou Nanzhong asked curiously. He didn't understand, since at the time, he hadn't returned from abroad yet.

Pang Qian glared at him. "Migrant workers shouldn't worry about our city folk's affairs."

Zhou Nanzhong cried out, "Goodness, Crab, are you so heartless?! I came all the way back to be a groomsman, and you're still treating me like this?"

As he said that, Teacher Dai and Jiang Zhiya arrived together. Teacher Dai happily said to Gu Mingxi, "Xiao Gu, Xiao Pang, congratulations! May your relationship last long and may you bear a child early!"

Jiang Zhiya laughed. "I wonder whether Gu Mingxi or Wang Song will be a dad first."

Zhou Nanzhong laughed along. "I bet on Gu Mingxi! They're lovers reunited after a long separation. Ah Wang's like an old married couple already. Hahaha! A rain coming after a drought and grinding a metal rod into a needle are two totally different things!" (Note: Rain after a drought is kind of obvious, but the metal rod into a needle is a saying that means you can do anything with enough patience.)

Gu Mingxi and Wang Song, "..."

Jiang Zhiya looked at Zhou Nanzhong with disgust. "Gosh! Zhou Nanzhong, could you be any more obscene?!"

Wang Song said steadily, "Migrant worker, you bet on Gu Mingxi? What are you betting? What if you lose?"

"I'll met a meal. A buffet meal at a revolving restaurant."

Wang Song laughed. "Teacher Dai can testify. Migrant worker, you can go and make a reservation at the restaurant."

Zhou Nanzhong, "..."

Pang Qian tugged Li Xiaoyan and asked, "You're pregnant?!"

"Mm, two months." Li Xiaoyan blushed and nodded her head.

The group started cheering. "Wow! Congrats!"

When Xie Yi arrived, his shining aura was like a star's. All the bridesmaids eyes sparkled and the groomsmen clenched their teeth.

Xie Yi gifted Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi three red envelopes. Pang Qian was startled, "You really are tall, rich, and handsome. Gifting three red envelopes defies the order of things!"

Xie Yi was speechless for a moment. "One is from me, one is from Wu Min, and one is from Xiao Yujing. They're both in America and can't make it back. They should have told you guys already. I'm just a messenger."

Pang Qian laughed. "I'm just kidding. Thanks for making it back from Beijing."

Xie Yi raised his eyes. "If it were any other couple, I wouldn't have anything to say. But Crab, it's your and Gu Mingxi's wedding. Of course I have to come. I was your matchmaker after all."

Match...maker?

Gu Mingxi looked at him with a hint of bitterness, but Xie Yi seemed not to notice as he said, "Gu Mingxi, speaking of, you really didn't give me any face. Think of our relationship. You couldn't even give our company the rights to one of your books? Tell me, why?"

Gu Mingxi said evenly, "Your bidding price was too low."

With grief and indignation, Xie Yi walked into the banquet hall.

Pang Shuisheng and Jin Aihua were inside, their faces aglow, as they greeted the guests. They both wore new clothes, with a flower pinned on their chest, laughing along with everyone. A lot of guests were old employees from the metals company. They were Pang Shuisheng, Jin Aihua, and Li Han's longtime friends, and they basically watched Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi grow up together. They were especially happy to come to this wedding banquet.

A few guests who still worked at the company went to greet and chat with Gu Guoxiang a bit. But for the rest who had already retired, they would, at most, greet him, "Chief Gu," and many pretended they hadn't even seen him. There were even a few particular people who asked him, "Chief Gu, the princess isn't coming today?"

How could Gu Guoxiang not hear the mocking tone in their voices?

His face was gloomy. When he saw Li Chun's family at a distance, Li Chun didn't even glance at him. She just chat with Jin Aihua as Gu Mingxi's relatives.

Gu Guoxiang looked at the joyous atmosphere and realized that it wasn't at all how he'd imagined it to be.

A long time ago, Gu Guoxiang had once imagined going to Gu Mingxi's wedding. Back then, he'd already had a stable and powerful position at work, with friends and clients all across the country. Even in E City, he knew many businessmen and people in the political circle. In front of others, Gu Guoxiang was refined, with great expertise and professionalism. He was smooth and slick, and everyone said his future had great prospects. But all those people didn't know that behind his bright future, he had a heavily disabled son.

Gu Mingxi was a thorn in Gu Guoxiang's heart. A tumor, a scar. He didn't want to bring it up, but neither could he give it up.

Gu Guoxiang often had a headache when he thought about Gu Mingxi's wedding. He'd attended many weddings of the children of high ranking officials. He'd gifted many red envelops and it had been a major question about how to receive that money back, because he didn't want to let his friends know that he had such a special son.

When Pang Shuisheng had come to deliver his invitation, Gu Guoxiang asked how many tables there would be at the wedding. Pang Shuisheng said there wouldn't be too many, about twenty. Gu Guoxiang had hesitatingly said, "Actually, my friends would probably need another ten tables."

After Pang Shuisheng heard this, he laughed. "The banquet hall can hold at most 24 tables. Just wait for Ziyue's wedding to invite those friends."

He'd given a sincere suggestion, and for some reason, it made Gu Guoxiang's chest hurt.

Gu Guoxiang had always thought that Gu Mingxi's wedding would be a bit oppressive, simple, or even something others would laugh about. Other than the workers from the metals company, he actually didn't recognize any of the other guests. Unconsciously, he could see from their eyes that those people weren't making fun of Gu Mingxi.

He'd assumed that most of the guests would be from Pang Qian's side and Gu Mingxi would have very few guests. But in the end, he found that he was wrong.

Pang Shuisheng came over to give Gu Guoxiang a smoke. He told him that the honest guy who's helped with the preparations all day was called Shark, and he was a good friend of Gu Mingxi's. And the two young guys who were busy helping out were both his good friends. That ordinary but indifferent looking man was a famous painting master, and he and his group were all Gu Mingxi's teachers. That graceful woman in her 30s was Gu Mingxi's agent, and they worked together. That table of young people and the kid were Gu Mingxi's colleagues in Sanya. And those two tables of kids were all Gu Mingxi's students. When they heard that he was getting married, they insisted on coming to the wedding and filled up two tables...

Other than Jian Zhe and Liu Hanlin, Gu Guoxiang didn't recognize a single one of Gu Mingxi's friends.

Outside the banquet hall, the makeup artist fixed up Pang Qian's makeup once more and said, "The auspicious time is here. Time to head inside."

Pang Qian turned to look at Gu Mingxi and smiled brightly. She said, "Mr Gu, are you ready?"

Gu Mingxi smiled and nodded. "I'm ready. Mrs Gu, are you ready?"

Pang Qian took the bouquet that Wu Feiyan handed her and stood next to Gu Mingxi. She said, "You know, we're not walking down this red carpet, we're walking down a lifetime."

He nodded. "If this lifetime isn't enough, we can add another and another after that."

"We'll never part."

"Mm, we'll never part."

The door in front of them gradually opened up and all eyes from the banquet hall turned to them. All Pang Qian could see was the shining spotlight and the red carpet leading to the bright stage.

The Wedding March sounded in their ears, and Pang Qian turned to check Gu Mingxi once more. He also turned to look at her. Neither of them was nervous as they looked at each other.

This wasn't a show, this was their wedding. It didn't need to be extravagant. It didn't need to be expensive. It didn't need to be perfect. And they didn't even have to walk down hand in hand.

As long as they were sincere, a disability was no longer a disability and regrets were no longer regrets.

Their wedding was simple, happy, and festive. According to their wishes, the host didn't try to stir up any emotions, but instead went for a very casual and entertaining mood.

Pang Qian had said, "Today's a good day. I don't want anyone shedding tears."

Xu Shuanghua acted as their marriage witness and after his statement, he hugged Gu Mingxi. He said simply, "Mingxi, I have a few words for you as your teacher. Fire is the test of gold; adversity, of strong men. I know that you won't undervalue yourself, but I still want to give you a word of encouragement. You, are definitely an extraordinary person. I wish you and Pang Qian a marriage of happiness. When you're free, bring her to S City for a visit. We can have a drink and talk as well."

Gu Mingxi smiled and nodded. "Definitely! Thank you, Teacher."

Their tender words made several people turn to Gu Guoxiang, who felt like a thorn had stabbed into his back as he sit up straight.

When it was time to exchange rings, Pang Qian confidently put her own ring on, and then she pulled out a necklace and put it around Gu Mingxi's neck. Before the master of ceremonies said that the groom may now kiss the bride, Pang Qian had already gone onto her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around Gu Mingxi's neck. Then she kissed him on the lips. The force even made Gu Mingxi stumble back slightly.

The host had been startled. "Aiyo, it's the first time I've seen a bride in such a rush!"

The audience roared with laughter and Gu Mingxi's face reddened. Like a crazy person, Pang Qian grabbed the microphone from the host and shouted out, "We're finally married! It's been a 27 year long run! Has it been easy?!"

"Not! Easy!" It was their old friends from elementary school, middle school, high school, college, and even Gu Mingxi's students born in the 90s. They were like a group of rogues, causing the older guests to become dumbfounded.

Zhong Xiaolian cried out, "When you were kids, you always argued with us! I said that Qian Qian and Mingxi would get married when they were still drinking milk!"

The table laughed as they started reminiscing about their factory days. Sitting at the table beside then, Gu Guoxiang's complexion darkened. Their big voices drifted over, letting him hear about all the things of their past. He pulled out a cigarette, his appetite long gone.

When they went around for toasts, Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi were caught by Gu Mingxi's teacher friends from Sanya. They'd thought up lots of tricks to mess with the new couple. If they were unsuccessful, their bridesmaids and groomsmen would have to drink (?). Dou Dou jumped and cheered for Teacher Gu on the side. Groomsmen Clam and Fu Qinfeng were nearly passed out from drinking, so only Zhou Nanzhong was left. The bridesmaids, Yang Lu, Wu Feiyan, and Zheng Qiaoqiao, were all scared off.

While Gu Guoxiang was waiting for the couple to come around for a toast, he received Gu Guoying's call. She said that Gu Ziyue was throwing a tantrum and breaking all sorts of things. She was crying that she wanted to find her mom. Upset, Gu Guoxiang shouted back, "Let her call her mother by herself! If her mother wants to take her, I'll send her there tomorrow!"

After he hung up the phone, he tried to calm down. But in the end, he felt uneasy, so he stood up and picked up his car keys. He told Dong Yuan, "I've got to head home to take care of things. Send your grandmother home later."

Dong Yuan said okay and then added, "But Uncle, they haven't come to our table yet."

"It's okay, I'll let them know."

Gu Guoxiang went over to a clamoring table. Even Xie Yi and Jiang Zhiya had gone over to help out. The young people were playing very joyously, and Gu Mingxi had been fed a lot of alcohol. His face was all red. He was bargaining with Teacher Chen to drink a few cups less.

Gu Guoxiang walked up to him and pat his shoulder. Gu Mingxi turned back, slightly drunk with slurred speech. Suddenly, he went silent. Gu Guoxiang said, "Mingxi, something came up, so I have to leave first."

"Oh, okay." Gu Mingxi said he would send him off, but Ji Xiu'er wouldn't let him off, "Don't run away!"

Gu Mingxi looked back at Gu Guoxiang and said, "Dad, then I won't send you off. Be careful on your way."

Gu Guoxiang nodded. Before he left, he stuffed a bank card into Gu Mingxi's pocket and whispered to him, "The pass code is your birthday. It's a gift from me. Keep it."

Then he walked away from the crowd and lit a cigarette, heading out on the side of the banquet hall.

He heard a few voices from behind him. "Teacher Gu, that was your father?"

"Your biological father?"

"Eh? Teacher Gu had a father?"

"How come I've never heard you mention him?!"

......

As Gu Guoxiang walked out of the hall, he saw a few colleagues. They smiled courteously at him and then went back to their chatting.

He left the joyous festivities behind, about to head out to the parking lot. Then Pang Qian's voice came from behind him.

"Uncle Gu!"

Gu Guoxiang turned around and saw Pang Qian, in a red dress, running over to him. She handed the bank card back to him and said, "Uncle Gu, take this back. We're not short on money."

Gu Guoxiang thought he would be angry, but he wasn't. He just said quietly, "I didn't even help with your newlywed house. There isn't much money, just a hundred thousand or so. Take it. It can help pay off the mortgage."

"Thank you, but we really don't need it." Pang Qian's voice was calm. "If you don't take it back, I'll just mail it back later."

Gu Guoxiang glared at her. "Pang Qian, don't casually make decisions for Mingxi."

"I'm not making a decision for him. He's the one who told me to chase after you. He has no hands, so he can't return it himself." Pang Qian didn't care and just stepped forward to stuff the bank card back into his suit pocket. She held up a cigarette and a lighter in her other hand. After giving him the cigarette, she motioned for him to put it in his mouth and then helped him light it. She said, "Gu Mingxi said that he was sorry for being unable to give you a toast, but you had to at least accept a smoke from the bride."

Gu Guoxiang, "..."

Pang Qian looked at him, "Uncle, I have to hurry back. Goodbye."

She turned and ran back, in a red dress that was as enchanting as fire, leaving Gu Guoxiang standing at the door. He pulled out the bank card from his pocket, but still didn't come back to his senses for a long time.

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Home My Mister Ostrich Chapter 111 I'm You
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 111 I'm You
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Chapter 111 I'm You
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

Really, I don't need you anymore.

Gu Mingxi returned to Sanya.

Just for one night.

The moon hung above the sea, the twinkling stars lighting up the sky. The coast was filled with tropical plants, and the breeze carried the scent of the sea. Gu Mingxi walked barefoot along the beach. In the daytime, the sand would be scorching hot from the sun and it would hurt to walk barefoot. But in the nighttime, the sand under his feet felt very pleasant.

There was no one by the sea side, but he didn't find it strange. His upper body was bare and he only wore a pair of swimming trunks. When the sea water slowly washed over the backs of his feet, Gu Mingxi seemed to feel his mind get refreshed. He was a bit hot, so he needed the seawater to cool him off.

Just as he was about to walk into the water, a man's voice sounded behind him. It was very clear, a bit low, and very familiar.

"Gu Mingxi."

Gu Mingxi turned back and saw a young man slowly walking toward him.

He was tall, and the wind blew at his hair. His features were very clean cut, and his eyes were deep as the night. When he smiled, two canine teeth popped out.

His upper body was also bare, but he had a pair of strong and fit arms. As he walked over to Gu Mingxi, he pulled out a cigarette and a lighter from his pants pocket. He expertly lit the cigarette, closed his eyes, and took a breath.

Gu Mingxi looked at his elegant and pretty fingers, a burning cigarette between them. They both remained silent.

The two men, who looked identical, stood side by side at the sea, with the breeze blowing past them. After a long while, the man asked, "Don't you want to know who I am?"

Gu Mingxi shook his head."

The man lifted his right hand and poked at his chest, where his heart was. "I'm you."

"I know," Gu Mingxi said.

"Have you seen me before?"

"Perhaps." Gu Mingxi smiled. "When I was younger, when I couldn't write with my feet or eat my food, I would see you at night. When the kids bullied me and when I fell on the ground as I walked, I saw you. After I was rejected by many schools or ridiculed by others, I would also see you."

"Right. I've always been with you, growing up with you." The man smiled slightly. He played with the lighter in his right hand, looking very cool. "I kept telling you that you didn't need to work so hard, that you were different from others, that you didn't need to give yourself such strict demands."

Gu Mingxi said, "Although that's true, I don't want to see you. It's been a long time, and I rarely think of you anymore."

The man laughed. "But when you graduated high school, I saw you then. Did you forget? In that park, under the parasol tree. It was raining heavily and you were crying. I know that you thought of me again then."

That was true. Gu Mingxi's eyes darkened.

The man continued, "And after that, we met often, didn't we? In Z City, in S City, in Sanya... Even that year in Shanghai."

"That's right." Gu Mingxi's voice lowered, but just for a bit. Then he said firmly, "But all of that's in the past. It's all done with and I'm doing well now."

"What you're saying is that in the future, we won't need to meet again. Is that right?" The man's eyes carried a smile. "Gu Mingxi, no need force yourself to be brave. Everyone has times when they feel weak. Everyone desires the things they'll never be able to attain. In your heart, I'm the most perfect version of yourself, your ultimate ideal. Although you've never told anyone else, I know. You can't hide anything from me. I know that you often think, if only you were like me, things would be so great."

The man was very handsome. He had wide shoulders and a well-developed chest. The muscles on his stomach were clearly divided. When he spoke, his hands would casually gesture. He appeared very composed and leisurely, and his eyes lit up.

Gu Mingxi smiled and said, "I don't deny I've had those thoughts before, but I also can't deny that in the past few years, I haven't thought about it as much."

The man thought for a moment. "That's true. But... Gu Mingxi, you really don't want to see me again?"

"There's something you're mistaken about. You've never been my ultimate ideal." Gu Mingxi said calmly, "You're just one of the thoughts I've had, an idea of perfection that I imagined in my head during my most helpless times. I understand what my ideal is now, so, that's right, I don't want to see you again."

"You called me out to say goodbye, didn't you?" The man asked.

Gu Mingxi's deep eyes were like the sea beneath his feet. "Right, I wanted to say goodbye. Thank you for 22 years of accompaniment, but from now on, I don't need you anymore."

He took a deep breath and repeated, "Really, I don't need you anymore."

Just as he spoke the words, the man's smoke finished. As the light extinguished between his fingers, his entire person gradually turned transparent, a look of relief on his face. The tide flowed across the sand again. When the water touched his feet, he disappeared in an instant just like bubbles bursting.

There was only one Gu Mingxi left at the sea side. He lowered his head and looked at his shoulders. Aside from the scars at his underarm area, there was nothing there.

He stood there along for a long time, and then he walked into the sea. When he was waist-deep in the water, he took a step and then his entire person fell into the water. Gu Mingxi took a breath and rolled over before swimming leisurely in the backstroke position.

The tide pushed his body along, wave after wave. He kicked his legs and floated on the water, slowly opening his eyes to look at the expanse of sky above him. In the vase universe, the human species looks particularly small. Gu Mingxi looked at the clear image of the Milky Way, just like a misty ribbon floating through the night sky. From his memories, he recognized several stars.

He was born on Qixi, so ever since he was young, he had a special feeling for the Milky Way.

When he was younger, Li Han taught Gu Mingxi how to recognize the stars. On either side of the Milky Way, there was the weaving girl star and the cowherd star. There were two stars by the cowherd star, the cowherd and the weaving girl's children. The cowherd carried the two children with a shoulder pole. Every year, the cowherd would walk onto the magpie bridge to meet the weaving girl, and so the little stars were called pole stars.

After he learned about it, he went to tell his father. After listening to his narrative, his father said that the proper name that scientists used for the cowherd star was Altair. And the two pole stars next to it were Beta Aquilae and Gamma Aquilae.

"The story of the cowherd and the weaving girl is just a legend." Gu Guoxiang pat Gu Mingxi's head and said, "Mingxi, you're a boy. You have to understand how to separate fantasy from reality."

How could the 5 year old Gu Mingxi separate fantasy from reality? Later on, after he lost his arms, he finally understood how cruel reality could be.

The warm sea water enveloping his body reminded him of being in his mother's arms.

As he thought of his mother, he heard her voice sound in his ears.

She called him, "Mingxi, Mingxi..."

Gu Mingxi closed his eyes and smiled as he responded, "Mom."

"Mingxi, how are you now?" Li Han asked. "I miss and worry about you a lot."

"I'm doing well, Mom. Don't worry," he said. "Pang Qian and I ended up together. We got married. Did you see?"

"I saw it all." Li Han smiled. "My son was really handsome, and Qian Qian was extremely beautiful."

She paused for a moment, and then in a particularly gentle voice, she said, "Mingxi, you've married now. You'll be family with Qian Qian from now on. You have to remember what I told you. Take care of her. Qian Qian's a very good girl. I trust that together, you two will be very happy."

Gu Mingxi wanted to open his eyes and see her, but he was afraid that after he opened his eyes, there would be nothing there. He just nodded firmly, eyes still closed. "Mom, I won't let her down."

"My son's all grown up." Li Han laughed gently. "Mingxi, I have to go."

He couldn't bear to part with her. "Mom, stay with me a little longer, won't you?"

Li Han sighed. "Silly kid."

The next second, Gu Mingxi felt that he'd been pulled into a warm embrace. Two arms were wrapped around his body, gently patting his back. He did all he could to move into her, like a drowning person, trying to absorb all the warmth of her body.

"Gu Mingxi, Gu Mingxi."

He heard a familiar female voice in his ear.

At first, it sounded like a little girl's voice, and then it became a young and tender voice. Gradually, it turned into a crisp sounding young woman. And finally, it sounded soft and smooth, like honey.

"Gu Mingxi, Gu Mingxi, Gu Mingxi..."

He seemed distracted for a moment, and then he felt an incomparable peace of mind. In her arms, he muttered, "They've all gone."

"Who's gone?"

"My mom, my other self..."

"Mm, they've all gone," Pang Qian responded. She kissed his forehead and said, "You've drunk too much. Go to sleep early."

Gu Mingxi felt like he was sleeping on the grass. On a summer evening, with empty space all around him, the breeze blew gently against the grass, and all sorts of insects sand. He smelled a lingering and familiar scent. As if calming his mind, he contentedly closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

When Gu Mingxi woke up, the sky was already bright. The sunlight streamed into the room through the curtains. He drowsily opened his eyes and turned over, pushing himself up slowly.

Pang Qian was still lying beside him, sound asleep. Gu Mingxi got out of bed and realized that he was missing a chunk of his memory. He'd drunk a lot at the wedding last night and the last thing he remembered was those bastards insisting on coming over to his house. And then they all drank crazily again. The last he remembered, he was still wearing a formal shirt and suit pants, with a tie around his neck. But now, he was wearing comfortable pajamas, and it seemed like he'd already washed up.

Gu Mingxi walked over to the window and pushed open the curtain with his shoulder and cheek. The bright sunlight immediately lit up the room, the warmth enveloping the bed. Pang Qian turned over and woke up. She saw Gu Mingxi standing by the window and then got out of bed as well. She walked over barefoot and hugged him from behind.

"Husband, good morning." She whispered as she rested her cheek against his back.

"Good morning." Gu Mingxi was still looking out the window. "Wife, the weather's really nice today."

After he stood in her embrace for awhile, he suddenly felt the back of his neck start to itch. Gu Mingxi turned around and saw Pang Qian holding a white feather.

The feather wasn't exactly small, and in the middle, there was a thick rachis. Pang Qian giggled as she waved the soft and gentle feather around, amused.

Gu Mingxi asked, "What's that?"

Pang Qian swept the feather along his cheek and said, "I don't know either. Xiao Yujing stuffed it inside her red envelope."

Gu Mingxi looked it over carefully and then suddenly realized.

He recalled an email Xiao Yujing had sent him before the wedding. In the email, she shared a story of when she was younger. After the story, Xiao Yujing said: Mr Ostrich, Happy Marriage.

He suddenly gave a light laugh. Pang Qian asked, "What are you laughing about?"

"Nothing." He shook his head. Then he lowered his head and sucked on her lip. Pang Qian pushed him away, "You haven't brushed your teeth yet!"

"I want to make up for the homework we didn't get to do last night." He bit her ear. In a hoarse voice, he said, "You only get a wedding night once in a lifetime. I drank too much. I'm really sorry."

"..." Pang Qian looked at him oddly. "You really don't remember anything?"

Gu Mingxi asked innocently, "What should I remember?"

Pang Qian silently pulled at her shirt collar, revealing a red hickey on her shoulder. She shyly said, "Actually... We already finished the homework last night."

Gu Mingxi stared dumbfounded for a moment before his eyes lit up and turned. He kissed her shoulder again, his tongue gliding over the hickey. In a quiet voice, he said, "The teacher said we have to re-do the homework."

"..."

After the end of the National Day holiday, Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi returned to Shanghai. Pang Qian's course load was very heavy, so her schedule was packed. Thankfully, Zou Liwen had previously reminded her about getting an immunization shot, and so Pang Qian was able to push through her busy school life.

Gu Mingxi wasn't at all relaxed either. Aside from schoolwork, he also had to work on his illustrated book. That was Pang Qian's and his source of money for the next few years. He was very detailed with his drawings and constantly consulted with Jiang Qi. He rarely even went out on the weekends.

Pang Qian knew about his deadlines, so she didn't complain about anything. On a weekend afternoon, Gu Mingxi was still sitting in his studio drawing. Pang Qian was a bit bored, so she and Wu Feiyan and Yang Lu went out to shop.

The girls conversation topics were a bit limited. When the three girls were drinking coffee at the coffee shop, Wu Feiyan asked Pang Qian when she planned to have a child.

Pang Qian replied depressed, "My team leader told me to have a kid while I was working on my degree. Is that really normal?"

"It is!" Yang Lu said. "Do you remember when we were in our third year, we had a senior who was pregnant while she was doing her graduate studies. She kept studying, and after nine months of being pregnant, she took some time off to take care of her kid. After another half a year, I heard that she applied for a year's deferment on her graduation. When she graduated, her kid could already walk and talk, and then she just started working right away."

"I seem to recall that, but I want to experience a world with just the two of us for awhile." Pang Qian curled her lips. "We just got married."

Yang Lu laughed. "Haven't you already lived with your husband for a year? You haven't had enough time?"

"Please. What do you mean a year? Before June, we were both busy studying for the entrance exams. After June, we were busy with marriage preparations. We haven't even gone on a honeymoon yet!"

Speaking of honeymoons, the topic suddenly changed. Wu Feiyan asked, "Where do you plan to go for your honeymoon?"

Pang Qian's face lit up and she raised up a finger. "Oh! Greece, Maldives, Fiji, Australia. Which one do you guys think is better?"

"I liked Maldives!" Yang Lu said. "I'm definitely going there for my honeymoon."

"I've been before, to the Island Hideaway. It was pretty nice, but I heard that Fiji is really pretty too. You can go scuba diving." Wu Feiyan asked Pang Qian, "You want to go to Greece?"

"Mm, I want to go to Greece the most. When our company organized a European tour, we only went to England, Italy, and France before heading home. We didn't get to go to Greece." Pang Qian found it regretful. "Gu Mingxi said that we'll take our honeymoon over the Spring Festival, so I have to pick a place in the next few months. Aiya, just thinking about it makes me excited."

Yang Lu curled her lips. "You're terrible. Now, I want to get married too."

Wu Feiyan asked, "Oh yeah, how are you and your boyfriend doing?"

Their conversation finally turned to a man.

......

Gu Mingxi submitted the final draft for his newest book in mid January. After completing the major project, he slept at home for two days to recuperate. And then, before the end of the school term, he and Pang Qian set their honeymoon destination- Fiji.

Pang Qian was a very active kind of person. She speedily bought plane tickets and a hotel. Then she bought a bunch of new clothes for herself and Gu Mingxi, including a cute couple outfit and a pretty straw hat. She bought an underwater camera case and snorkeling gear, and then she bought plane tickets to Sanya for her parents so that they could spend some time in warm Sanya over the winter.

Pang Qian spent her time on a traveler's forum, looking over others' travel guides. Then she would discuss with Gu Mingxi about how they ought to spend their time in Fiji and what they would eat.

Gu Mingxi listened to her call her best friends. She happily said, "Yeah, we're having our honeymoon over the Spring Festival. We're going to Fiji. I'll bring back presents for you!"

Everything was ready, and all they had to do was board the plane now.

The Spring Festival of 2013 was Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi's first one after their marriage. Their family went back and forth between houses for New Year's dinners. On the fourth of the new year, Pang Qian saw her parents off at the airport.

She and Gu Mingxi would be heading out on the sixth (of the new lunar year). On the morning of the fifth, Pang Qian was packing up their things, when she suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable. She went to the bathroom and returned with a doubtful expression.

"What's wrong?" Gu Mingxi saw that her complexion didn't seem to be very good. He hurried over and asked, "Where is it uncomfortable?"

"It can't be..." Pang Qian's mouth dropped. She said, "Do you remember when my last period came?"

Gu Mingxi thought for a moment and then said, "January 7th."

Pang Qian's eyes widened. "How do you remember so clearly?"

"The day I had to submit my final draft was the last day of your period, so..." He laughed gently. "What's wrong? Did your period come? Does that mean you can't go swimming while we're in Fiji for a few days? You should probably be able to go in for the last few days."

Pang Qian blinked her eyes. "Gu Mingxi, what's today's date?"

He answered, "It's Valentine's Day, February 14th. Didn't you say last night that I should make you a big meal tonight?"

"The 14th?" Pang Qian screamed out as she held her cheek. "Today's not the 5th?! How can it be the 14th?!"

"It's the 5th of the new (lunar) year, so it's the 14th (of February)." Gu Mingxi knew that she was exhausted from the New Year's activities. "Pang Pang, what's wrong?"

"I-I-I..." Her face paled as she stuttered. "Gu Mingxi, I might be... It's just a possibility. I'm not sure. I-I'm just guessing. I might be pregnant."

Gu Mingxi: ⊙ o ⊙

Pang Qian suspected she was pregnant because her underpants were stained slightly. Women understood their bodies well. Her period had always been very regular, and now, it was already a week late. She knew that meant the she might've hit the prize.

When Gu Mingxi accompanied Pang Qian to the hospital, his face was taut. Pang Qian was just worried about whether they'd be able to go on their trip tomorrow. They could get a refund for the plane tickets, but they couldn't for the hotel. It was a lot of money!

There weren't a lot of people going to see the doctor over the Spring Festival. The obstetrician on duty helped Pang Qian with her blood test. An hour later, the doctor told her that she was pregnant. But her progesterone levels were low, so she should be careful and rest for the following few days.

Pang Qian's first question was, "Doctor, I'm going on my honeymoon tomorrow. We have to transfer flights as well. It's a 13 hour ride. Do you think I can fly?"

The doctor raised their eyebrows at her. "What do you think?"

"..." Pang Qian turned to glare at the man at the side, who already seemed to be out of sorts. "It's your fault! Gu Mingxi, I hate you! I hate you!"

When they returned home, Pang Qian looked at the luggage in the living room and the half filled travel bag in the bedroom. Then her tears started falling.

As she cried, she started calling the airline to cancel their tickets. As she cried, she went online to discuss the possibility of getting a refund for their hotel room. She knew that, at most, she'd only be able to get half the money back, so her crying escalated in intensity.

Finally, as she cried, she called her parents. Jin Aihua was extremely startled by Pang Qian's sniffling sounds. She asked, "Qian Qian, what's wrong? Did Mingxi bully you? Did you two fight? Are you still going on your honeymoon tomorrow? Don't cry. Tell me, who wronged you?"

Pang Qian suddenly started crying. "Mom! I'm pregnant! ...(crying sounds)..."

Jin Aihua, "..."

Gu Mingxi stayed right by her side. Wherever she went, he would follow. When she sat down, he would stand by her side. Finally, Pang Qian yelled at him, "Why do you keep following me?! You bastard! I hate you!"

She wiped away her tears. Since there was no one else at home, she could scream as loud as she wanted. She started to list all her accusations. "It's all your fault! It was that time! While we were showering, you said you had to do it! You were in such a rush! What for?! Why couldn't you just wait?! Now... Great! I don't get my honeymoon anymore! My Fiji... (crying sounds)..."

Gu Mingxi tried to comfort her. "Pang Pang, It was my fault. Don't cry. Be careful of your health."

Pang Qian shouted out loud, "What do you know?! I'm pregnant! It's easy for your emotions to go out of control when you're pregnant!"

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Home My Mister Ostrich Chapter 112.1 (Part 1) Won't Ever Leave You
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 112.1 (Part 1) Won't Ever Leave You
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Chapter 112.1 (Part 1) Won't Ever Leave You
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

Pang Pang, if we have a boy, I want to name him Gu Haichuan.

Pang Qian cried for a long while before finally stopping, but her lips were still pursed and she ignored Gu Mingxi. Whenever Gu Mingxi walked over to try to talk to her, she wouldn't bother to answer.

Pang Qian had to put away all the things she'd packed up. She had to return things to their original spots and put away their suitcases in the small storage room. How could Gu Mingxi let Pang Qian clean things up? Seeing her bend over to take the clothes out from the suitcase, he tried to convince her to stop. Of course, she didn't listen, so Gu Mingxi's tone grew serious.

"Pang Pang, did you forget what the doctor said? She said that since you were spotting a bit, you should lie down and rest more. Don't you know that crouching down like that is really dangerous? What if something happened and you hurt your body? A miscarriage takes a major toll on a woman's body. When my mom had a miscarriage, she bled a lot, and then she got a gynecological illness and couldn't get pregnant again. You saw it all, so why are you still throwing a tantrum with me right now?!"

When he saw Pang Qian's lip tremble as if she were about to start crying again, Gu Mingxi quickly went to coax her. "It's okay, I know that it's not because you don't want a kid. You're just unhappy that we weren't able to go on our honeymoon. But Wife, we'll still have the chance to go later. We can bring our baby along. Fiji, Greece, Maldives, Egypt, Brazil... Wherever you want to go, I'll go with you."

Pang Qian wasn't happy. "But I'm still young right now! I have a good figure and I'll look good in dresses. After I have a baby, I'll be fat! I might not be able to wear any of the dresses I bought this time!"

"Then you can buy new ones. I already said that I like when you're a little more plump." Gu Mingxi knew that she'd prepared a lot for their honeymoon. Having to cancel suddenly would naturally leave her unhappy. He could only tenderly say, "Listen to me. Go and lie down and rest. Don't move around too much. Is there something you want to eat? Do you want me to make some desserts?"

Pang Qian pointed at the suitcases. "I'm not done with all the stuff. Looking at it is such an eyesore!"

Gu Mingxi immediately declared, "You go and rest. I'll put it all away."

"What about the suitcases?"

"I can take care of it." He lowered his body and pushed the suitcase with his shoulder. "Go lie down on the bed. Be good."

Pang Qian finally climbed into bed, albeit somewhat unwillingly.

Gu Mingxi really started to put away the things they'd packed up. For convenience, he pushed the suitcase into the master bedroom with his legs. He sat down on the floor and pulled out the things in the suitcase. After taking out the clothes and swimming suits, he sat down on the bed and put them into the dresser.

He was very meticulous with it all, but it was different from other people. It was troublesome to put the clothes away. Sometimes he would bite onto them, and sometimes he would hold the clothes between his cheek and shoulder. He was only able to carry one or two pieces of clothing at a time, so he had to make several trips back and forth. Finally, he emptied out the suitcase and pulled the zipper closed. He looked around and then got up and lifted the case up with his foot. He moved the suitcase over to the corner by the dresser.

Gu Mingxi's forehead was covered in a sheen of sweat. He turned around and saw Pang Qian lying on the bed, looking at him. When he was tidying up earlier, her eyes hadn't left him for a moment. Gu Mingxi smiled at her and asked, "Are you hungry? Want to eat something?"

She shook her head, and suddenly reached her arm out to him. She said, "Gu Mingxi, come here."

Gu Mingxi walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. Pang Qian said, "Bring your foot up."

"Mm?" He quickly sat onto the bed and lifted up his foot. He asked, "For what?"

She stroked the back of his foot and then beckoned him to touch her stomach. "Touch the baby."

Gu Mingxi was taken aback and immediately started shaking his head. "My foot is really strong. I'm worried I'll hurt you."

"You won't." She grabbed his foot. Gu Mingxi hesitated for a moment before lightly touching Pang Qian's still-flat abdomen. He held back his strength and only used his toes to touch her.

"Gu Mingxi, you're going to be a dad." Pang Qian's hand was still on his foot. Her fingers stroked some of his old scars and said quietly, "It's really amazing."

Gu Mingxi was worried about something else though. "Pang Pang, can you go to school if you're pregnant?"

"Sure," Pang Qian said. "The doctor said the due date is sometime in October. I'll finish my first year in June and then I can rest during summer break. I won't go back to school in September. After the baby's born, I'll stay home for a year and then the next September, I can go back for my second year. Then we'll be able to graduate together."

While she was resting, she'd thought about a lot of things. But Gu Mingxi was still uneasy. "But we live really far from your school. I'm worried about you driving to school by yourself. And you have to wake up so early. You won't sleep enough."

This really was a problem. Pang Qian thought it over, but she didn't have any ideas either. She said, "We'll talk about it when we're back in Shanghai. Let's try it out. I had an English client before who was pregnant, but she still spent the entire day in Shanghai for a business trip. She looked entirely fine."

"The physical condition of girls in Asia are different from those in Europe. But this is something that depends entirely on the person. Just because 100 people are fine, it doesn't mean that you'll definitely be fine. I don't want there to be any chances of danger." Gu Mingxi had this lingering fear from the time that Li Han had miscarried. He couldn't imagine Pang Qian going through such a thing. With regards to taking care of a pregnant woman, although he had some experience, he was also physically unable to help as much as he'd like. He thought about it for a long time, and even suggested renting a place nearby to Fudan. He could take the subway to school every day. But Pang Qian immediately rejected the idea.

"You worry about me, but I worry about you too," Pang Qian said. "Do you know how crowded the subways and busses in Shanghai are during rush hour?! Gu Mingxi, I know that you can take public transportation on your own. If it were just one bus, I'd agree to it, but you have to transfer three times! Think about how worried I'd be for you!"

Pang Shiusheng and Jin Ai'hua hurried back home from Sanya. Pang Qian's emotions had already been settled and she was quite okay. She happily put on a loose sweater and put away her skinny jeans. She went and bought several pairs of loose sweatpants. Someone who didn't look at all like a pregnant woman yet walked around with a sway started to actually kind of looked like a pregnant woman.

Her annoyance at being unable to go on a honeymoon soon vanished, replaced by the joy of being a parent. After several hectic days, Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi had already prepared themselves to welcome a new life into their world.

When winter break ended, Gu Mingxi's new book hit the market. It was called 'The Boy Named Xiaochuan.'

Gu Xiaochuan is a 7 year old boy. The story is about the boy's search for the mother that had abandoned him, and it leads him to a mysterious village where he meets many strange people and surprising things. Xiaochuan received suspicions and unfair treatment from the townspeople, but he was also met with understanding and friendship. On his journey, he befriends two other kids, Dou Dou and Xiang Xiang. They grow together, and though he isn't able to find his mother in the end, he was able to help the townspeople through a crisis.

At the end of the book, there was also a preview picture for 'Xiaochuan 2.' The publishing company posted this advertisement: A great book for parents and their children to read together, the perfect gift for a child starting school. A story that brings back the wondrous memories of travel for city folk- Two years after 'My Miss Crab' and 'Lonely Whale,' Mister Ostrich returns with a heartwarming story, and he says that inside every heart, there exists a Gu Xiaochuan.

Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi stood in front of the bestseller shelf at Xinhua Bookstore. Every once in awhile, someone would pass by and pick up a book. There were adults and children, and even elderly people. A lot of people would eventually walk to the counter with the book in hand.

Pang Qian picked up an unpacked copy of the book and flipped through a few pages. Then she asked Gu Mingxi, "Why did you name the boy Xiaochuan?"

Gu Mingxi looked at the book in her hands; the Xiaochuan in the book was running. He laughed and said, "Pang Pang, if we have a boy, I want to name him Gu Haichuan."

Pang Qian repeated the name. "Haichuan, Gu Haichuan... Sounds pretty good. What's this name mean?"

"One hundred rivers into the sea," he responded. "I hope that he will grow up with an open mind. There's also another important meaning; it originates from my mom's name. 'Han' means to be inclusive, to show tolerance and forgiveness. I hope our child will be able to inherit my mother's character and be someone who is forgiving, kind, and honest." (Note: Read as 'hai na bai chuan,' the more literal translation of the name's explanation is 'one hundred rivers into the sea,' or perhaps you might say, 'all rivers run into the sea.' As an idiom, it means you can achieve the same result via many different means. It's also part of a longer phrase that means something like 'the sea is great because it accepts a hundred rivers, and a person is great when they are tolerant and accepting of others.')

Pang Qian listened to his explanation as she flipped through the pages of the book. Xiaochuan was a very lively boy. He had shaggy hair and a pair of dark, shining eyes. It reminded her of young Gu Mingxi.

"What if it's a girl?" Pang Qian asked. "The sea is great because it accepts a hundred rivers, and a person is great when they are tolerant and accepting of others. Gu Yourong? Or... Gu Naida?" (Note: Mentioned in the previous note- The second half of the phrase is pronounced 'you rong nai da,' which is where Pang Qian's names come from. However, 'nai da' is a homophone for 'big breasts.')

Gu Mingxi burst out laughing. Pang Qian was also very happy. Gu Mingxi said, "If it's a girl, let's call her Gu Lanzhi."

"Why?" Pang Qian looked bewildered. Gu Mingxi said, "There's a saying 'lan zhi chang sheng,' which means to have a beautiful character (be virtuous). Have you heard it before?"

"No." Pang Qian asked, "But haven't you heard that Lanzhi (Laneige) is a Korean makeup brand?"

Gu Mingxi said seriously, "I've only heard of Lankou (Lancome)."

Pang Qian said, "Then... Should we call her Gu Lankou?"

"..."

After school started back up and with some family discussion, Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi's troubles were resolved.

Pang Shuisheng and Jin Aihua went along to Shanghai with the young couple. They rented a small place near Fudan, and from Mondays to Fridays, Jin Aihua would live with Pang Qian at the apartment by Fudan and Pang Shuisheng would live with Gu Mingxi at the Songjiang University Town. On the weekends, Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi would spend their time together and Jin Aihua and Pang Shuisheng would enjoy themselves in Shanghai.

And so, the pregnant Pang Qian was able to sleep well at night and didn't have to rush in the mornings. With Pang Shuisheng's assistance, Gu Mingxi was also able to live comfortably.

'Xiaochuan' was selling better than forecasted, and its online reputation was also pretty good. Several children's clothing brands also contacted Gu Mingxi about using Xiaochuan's image on their clothes. Gu Mingxi started preparing for 'Xiaochuan 2,' and set up a contract with Jiang Qi stating that he'd submit it by the year's end.

When they couldn't see each other, Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi would call and talk on the phone. Sometimes they even made video calls.

Gu Mingxi asked in detail about her daily diet. Of course he was assured with leaving Pang Qian in Jin Aihua's care, but being unable to stay by his pregnant wife's side really left Gu Mingxi feeling quite guilty and uneasy.

In the first three months of her pregnancy, Pang Qian's morning sickness was rather severe and her vomiting was easily stimulated. When she video called Gu Mingxi, she would start by complaining, "Husband, I want to eat your tomato and beef soup."

"I'll make it for you when you come back on the weekend." Gu Mingxi looked at Pang Qian on his screen. She actually hadn't gotten any fatter. On the contrary, she seemed to have gotten a little thinner. It really made his heart ache. "Wife, what else do you want to eat? I'll make it for you."

"I want to eat stewed chicken feet."

Gu Mingxi was developing a headache. "Wife, the bird flu is really serious right now. Let's forget about the chicken feet for now."

"No, no, I want to eat chicken feet!" Pang Qian was acting cute on the screen.

"Why don't we eat salt and pepper open-back shrimp?"

Pang Qian rolled her eyes and swallowed. "I feel uneasy about you making that. The last time you were cutting open the backs of the shrimp, you cut your toes."

"It was just once, because I was a bit careless. I won't do it again in the future. Wife, do you want to eat it?"

"..." She was very conflicted.

Gu Mingxi said, "Then I'll go buy shrimp on Saturday."

"I also want to eat crab."

"No. The doctor said you can't eat crab while you're pregnant."

"(whining noises?)..."

With the concentrated efforts of her family, the six-month pregnant Pang Qian was able to smoothly complete her first year of graduate school. The four people packed up and headed back to E City for summer break. Pang Qian had previously set up an appointment, so she went in to the hospital for her 4D ultrasound.

Gu Mingxi had always gone along with Pang Qian for checkups and parenting classes. As he saw the little speck grow into a baby from the ultrasound reports, as he heard the strength of the baby's heartbeat and found out that the baby was developing well, Gu Mingxi felt an indescribable emotion.

It's like the things you yearned for in your dreams suddenly became real. That feeling of excitement, joy, gratefulness, and even worry wasn't something you could understand if you'd never experienced it before.

Pang Qian's stomach was showing quite obviously by now, and she'd gotten a bit plump as well. She laid down on the exam bed and Gu Mingxi sat beside her.

When the image of the baby appeared on the screen, Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi were so excited that they nearly forgot to breathe. The baby was moving and there was a smile on his little face. Pang Qian's hand gripped tightly onto Gu Mingxi's shoulder. The two of them were overcome with happiness and satisfaction. The doctor said, "The baby's very healthy. Look, he's biting his own hand... Look at his little feet. His bones are very soft, so his foot can even bend up to his mouth..."

Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi stared foolishly at the screen. That was their child, their successor, the fruition of a labor of love. Because of his existence, their life would change a lot and they would gain a lot more responsibilities.

When they left the hospital, Gu Mingxi despaired a bit. Pang Qian's hand was wrapped around his waist. She asked, "What's wrong?"

"I still can't get over it, after seeing the baby." He smiled and then said, "I was thinking, the baby looks so cute. But after he's born, as his father, I won't be able to carry him. Will he blame me for it when he gets older?"

"You're looking down on our baby a bit too much. He wouldn't." Pang Qian stopped in her steps and hugged Gu Mingxi. "Kids are very smart. Don't worry. When his parents love him this much, he'll be able to feel it. He'll be proud of you, just like me."

Gu Mingxi smiled. He lowered his head and kissed Pang Qian's forehead. "Thank you, Wife."

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Home My Mister Ostrich Chapter 112.2 (Part 2) Won't Ever Leave You
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Chapter 112.2 (Part 2) Won't Ever Leave You
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Chapter 112.2 (Part 2) Won't Ever Leave You
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

Pang Pang, if we have a boy, I want to name him Gu Haichuan.

August 13, 2013, Qixi, was Gu Mingxi's 29th birthday. It was also Pang Qian's 28th birthday. On this day, something rather special to them happened. That is, the film, 'My Miss Crab' premiered in theaters nationwide.

Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian went to the theater. Because it was the first showing in E City, the production held an event at theaters. Any couple that bought tickets could get a free crab or ostrich fridge magnet if they kissed at the theater.

With her big belly, Pang Qian just grabbed Gu Mingxi for a kiss, right out in public. Gu Mingxi's face reddened, and Pang Qian happily picked up an ostrich magnet. Then she asked the employee, "There's another in my belly. Can I get a crab too?"

The employee laughed, and then really gave her one.

As they headed inside, Gu Mingxi laughed at her. "If you wanted a magnet, I could go ask and we could get a box of them without a problem."

Pang Qian said, "You don't get it. It's only meaningful if we get it ourselves!"

After they bought popcorn and drinks, they headed into the theater. It was already about 80% full of people. For a small-scale film like this, such a turnout was already decent.

Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi sat in the back row. Because Pang Qian's 'volume' was too big, they didn't sit in the couple seats. They sat to the side, and like the rest of the audience, they chat and munched on popcorn while waiting for the movie to start.

The lights went dim, a few commercials played, and then the movie started.

The screen panned to show an '80s street with a factory, a dorm, and young men and women in corduroy jackets and white bell-bottoms, their hair done up. The Little Tigers 'Green Apple Paradise' (YT: song) floated through the streets.

6 year old Fang Xiaotuo and Pang Qingqing were holding hands and running across the factory compound. They were a pair of childhood friends. They often bickered and quarreled, but they would make up very quickly. (Note: 'tuo' from 'tuoniao' meaning ostrich, and 'pang' from 'pangxie' meaning crab)

Fang Xiaotuo was a smart and pretty boy, with a pair of big and bright eyes. When he smiled, two silkworms appeared beneath his eyes (the skin/fat under some's eyes?), and he looked prettier than a girl. Pang Qingqing's only friend was Fang Xiaotuo, but Fang Xiaotuo had numerous friends. Pang Qingqing would stand in the corner quietly, as Fang Xiaotuo played with his other friends, her eyes filled with disappointment.

Pang Qian said to Gu Mingxi, "The actor they chose for the boy is really good looking."

Gu Mingxi whispered back, "I think the girl is a lot like you."

"In what way?"

"She's fat."

"..."

A car accident changed Fang Xiaotuo's fate. Pang Qingqing had rushed out into the street to pick up a ball when a car suddenly drove up. Just in time, Fang Xiaotuo pushed Pang Qingqing out of the way, but then the car rolled over him.

The audience in the theater collectively gasped. This was something that the readers of the original book wouldn't have expected, because in the book, Gu Mingxi had only said that Mister Ostrich had been hit by an illness at the age of 6. In later illustrations, he had used the images of an ostrich and a crab to represent the characters. When he drew images of the young boy and girl, they both appeared very healthy, and he'd never once mentioned that Mister Ostrich was physically disabled.

The nerves in Fang Xiaotuo's hands were severely damaged, so although he still had his hands, they were paralyzed. From then on, he helplessly (or reluctantly) started to use his feet in place of his hands.

When Fang Xiaotuo's mother burst into tears on the floor, there were already several girls in the audience crying along.

Pang Qian turned to Gu Mingxi and fed him some popcorn. She whispered, "Did they change it this way because an arm-less character would be hard to act?"

"Probably," he whispered back. "For most actors, hiding their arms would be pretty hard. The screenwriter did a good job with the change."

"Then will the actor use his legs to do things?"

"There's not too much of that in the movie. As long as he's flexible, the actor should be able to do simple things."

"That's true."

And the story continued.

Fang Xiaotuo and Pang Qingqing entered elementary school, and sometimes a naughty boy would bully Fang Xiaotuo. Then Pang Qingqing would start fighting them like a little lioness. She always accompanied Fang Xiaotuo to and from school. She helped him get his meals, tie his shoelaces, and carry his umbrella. The two of them slowly grew up and entered junior high. Fang Xiaotuo grew up into a pretty 14 year old youth. Pang Qingqing had also grown up into a beautiful young girl. And then, she developed a crush on a popular boy- Ouyang Chengye.

Pang Qian suddenly choked on her drink. "Ouyang Chengye? Seriously?! Who picked that name?!"

Gu Mingxi's shoulders shook from laughing. "I really want to see what his reaction will be when he sees this."

"Hahaha, he'd probably vomit blood!"

Ouyang Chengye was a cool and handsome rich kid, and there were countless girls who liked him. Pang Qingqing fell into a whirlpool of puppy love, completely unable to see Fang Xiaotuo by her side.

Fang Xiaotuo had always helped Pang Qingqing with her studies, and with his help, she was finally able to get into a top high school. Fang Xiaotuo's father had an affair.

There were many situations that Gu Mingxi hadn't explained in detail in his book, but the scriptwriters filled in story with their imagination. For example, in the cases of Mr Fang's affair, Mrs Fang's collapse, Ouyang Chengye liking another girl, but pretending to like and pursue Pang Qingqing.

The young Pang Qingqing couldn't resist the wealthy prince, and she finally agreed to date him. Dejected, Fang Xiaotuo quietly slipped out of her life. But accidentally, he discovered that Ouyang Chengye was just using Pang Qingqing, and then Fang Xiaotuo got very angry.

Despite his physical handicap, he went to fight Ouyang. On a rainy day, the two of them rolled around on the ground, getting covered in mud. Coupled with an emotion stirring melody, the image created a great impact. Fang Xiaotuo couldn't fight Ouyang with his hands, so he could only kick him. In a moment, Ouyang took him down and had his fists ready to punch. Fang Xiaotuo couldn't hide or dodge, so he could only glare angrily in the rain.

Pang Qian asked Gu Mingxi, "Tell me the truth. At that time, did you want to beat up Xie Yi?"

"No."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Looks like you didn't like me enough."

"Xie Yi didn't trick you about anything," Gu Mingxi said. "If he did, I definitely wouldn't have let him go."

After high school ended, the classic picture frame story appeared.

Fang Xiaotuo stood all alone at the tree where he and Pang Qingqing often played. It was the middle of the dark night and the rain was pouring down. There, he waited and waited for Little Crab who never came.

The light sobbing in the movie theater had already become a repressed cry. In the midst of the crying sounds, there came the particularly unexpected sound of Pang Qian's laughter.

"Hahahaha..." She was really laughing as she watched the foolish, young Fang Xiaotuo, pitifully crying in the rain. Pang Qian nearly fainted from her laughter.

"Stop laughing. Everyone's looking at you," Gu Mingxi told her.

Pang Qian's tears had come out from laughing. She rubbed her belly and then looked around at the tear-filled eyes of the female audience around her. She apologized, "Sorry, sorry. I couldn't help myself."

She grabbed Gu Mingxi's ear and asked, "When you were waiting for me that day, did you really cry?"

"..." Could he deny that?

"Gu Mingxi... Ah..." Then Pang Qian gently rubbed her stomach again. "Baby, don't learn from your dad. If you like someone, just tell them directly. Why torture yourself? He caused your mom and dad to miss out on so many years."

Gu Mingxi, "..."

In the years that Fang Xiaotuo and Pang Qingqing were separated, He suffered a great deal, but he never cried. The only time he cried was when his mother passed away.

To create a sensational effect, the film created an accident that caused Mrs Fang's death.

Because Fang Xiaotuo's hands were disabled, all the housework was taken care of by his mother. When she climbed up a ladder to change a light bulb, she slipped and fell down.

Fang Xiaotuo had been watching from the side the entire time, but he'd been unable to grab onto the ladder or to catch his mother. He could only watch as she fell to the ground.

"I hate this screenwriter," Pang Qian said.

Gu Mingxi nodded, "I don't like it either."

He let out a sigh and turned to kiss her forehead. "I can't imagine what it would be like if you were to get hurt because I didn't have arms. I think I really wouldn't be able to forgive myself."

"We wouldn't be so unlucky." Pang Qian laughed. "I can take care of myself. But life, you know, it comes with its own share of bumps. No matter where I fall, you can't blame yourself. I don't think I have to say this to you. You should already understand it all."

"Mm, I do."

While they were talking, the rest of the audience was crying their hearts out. The entire theater was in sorrow. Pang Qian could barely stand to see it.

"What's there to cry about?" she asked quietly. "Isn't it just a movie?"

Gu Mingxi said, "You cry when you watch cartoons. How can you say that about others."

"I do not!"

The female viewer beside them turned, her eyes misty, and she said, "Be quiet! (crying sounds)..."

Pang Qian, "Sorry, sorry."

The kiss on the cinema screen was so romantic and poignant that it made the viewers' hearts ache.

Pang Qingqing stood at her school's gate, but after a day of waiting, Fang Xiaotuo didn't show up.

From morning until noon, noon until dusk, dusk until midnight, pedestrians and cars continued to pass by Pang Qingqing. Still, she stood there stubbornly, the crab key chain she planned to gift Fang Xiaotuo clenched tightly in her hand. In the end, her slender figure was the only one left on the street.

The female audience members around Pang Qian were pulling out tissues as they said, "How can Ostrich be so cruel?! What kinds of things can't they have gotten through together?! Crab too, if she liked him, she should just say so. If she doesn't, how is he supposed to know?!"

Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi, "..."

After the long separation, the sweetness begins. A magical scene appeared on the screen.

Gu Mingxi looked at the large screen and was shocked to see the outdoor coffee shop that he and Pang Qian had reunited at. He knew that it must have been Jiang Qi's doing.

Pang Qingqing walked up the stairs and stood at the side, looking out at the terrace.

There was only one person sitting at the tables there.

His back faced her. He wore a white shirt and he had dark hair.

A slight breeze blew and his shirt sleeves billowed. Even his hair flew around a bit.

His head was lowered and his shoulders trembled. Pang Qingqing smiled and walked toward him.

Step by step by step.

Finally, she arrived behind him. She saw his curled up hands, those familiar hands that had lost their function to save her.

She bent over and stretched out her arms, wrapping them gently around him from behind.

The film was reaching a climax as the audience's emotions peaked and the entire theater was full of crying sounds. But this crying was unlike that from the sad scenes. This time, the audience was letting out tears of happiness.

Only Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi sat calmly in their seats. They didn't drink anything or eat any popcorn. Her hand rested on his thigh, and the two of them almost devoutly celebrated this reunion.

Fang Xiaotuo and Pang Qingqing's story ended with a romantic wedding on the lawn as balloons floated into the sky. All the people who had helped them throughout the film came to their wedding. Fang Xiaotuo wore a white suit, tall and handsome, like a perfect prince. The beautiful Pang Qingqing held his hands, tiptoed, and gave him a tender kiss.

The camera slowly panned away from their faces and chased a red balloon into the sky.

Some words appeared on the screen.

-Dedicated to everyone who enjoys life. We hope you'll find your Miss Crab or Mister Ostrich.

No one in the theater was crying anymore. With all the difficulty and hardship gone, everyone was enjoying the sweetness. In the theater, there was only person who was crying like a child. She didn't try to suppress her voice, and everyone around her looked at her strangely as they handed towels over.

Nearly three decades of emotion from her life had been concentrated into 90 minutes. For others, this might just be a movie, a story. But for Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi, this was their reality.

Still, after the movie ended, life had to move on. Their wonderful life had just begun.

The lights turned back on, and Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian got ready to leave.

Pang Qian grabbed onto the armrests to help herself up. Her waist felt very sore. She pat Gu Mingxi's shoulder and said, "Let me hold onto you as I walk. I sat too long so all my bones hurt."

"Should we find somewhere to sit outside for awhile, to rest?" Gu Mingxi asked with concern.

"No, I just sat for too long. I'll be fine after we walk a bit."

Her eyes were still red as she grabbed onto Gu Mingxi's shoulder and they walked out. Beside them, there was another couple, and the woman was also wiping away her tears. Her boyfriend kept comforting her, "Alright, don't cry. It's just a movie. In the end, they got married. It wasn't a tragedy."

"What do you know?!" As the woman said this, her eyes fell onto Gu Mingxi's receding figure. She wiped her eyes and looked more carefully. She realized that there were no arms in his plaid blue shirt.

The woman didn't know what to say as she watched Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi walk off. She said to her boyfriend, "Did you see that couple just then? The woman had a big tummy and the man, he was just like Mister Ostrich in the movie. His arms were disabled."

"Disabled?"

"It was more serious that Mister Ostrich. He actually didn't have any arms." The woman pointed at her own shoulder. "It started here, and then that was it. He didn't have any arms at all."

The man shook his head. "I didn't pay attention."

The woman thought about it some more and then said, "You said that it was just a movie, but seeing the couple just then, I believe that this story exists in real life too. They looked very in love. I hope that man will be like Mister Ostrich and live happily ever after."

Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi walked outside. Pang Qian kept one hand on his shoulder and held her waist with the other. They walked slowly and stepped up to a row of stores. A song floated out from somewhere and she laughed. "Gu Mingxi, listen, it's this song."

My heart is like the sea

Gentle at times, but also fierce

In this impermanent life

I'll stay with you and never leave

I want to sing out loudly

And no one can stop me

I'll share it together with you

All the happiness and sadness in this life

Our love will keep on growing

Keep on giving and no longer hide

All the setbacks and hopes that belong to us

They're like the dew that lets the flowers bloom

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MY MISTER OSTRICH
Side Story 1 HOW MUCH I ENVY YOU (1/4)
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Side Story 1 HOW MUCH I ENVY YOU (1/4)
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

Martin's not my boyfriend.

_______________________________________________________________

After a simple discussion with several teachers in the small conference room, Daisy scurried over to me before I could return to my office. "Hey! Dr. Xiao, I finally found you! Gary's crying a fit right now! Hurry and check up on him. We can't handle it!"

I immediately followed after her to the consultation room. I asked, "What's wrong with Gary?"

"He hasn't gotten used to it." Daisy gestured at her right arm. "He keeps feeling that it hurts."

I nodded and entered the room. The 7 year old Gary was currently crying in his mother's arms, and my two female colleagues were standing at the side, helpless in the face of this crisis.

After Gary saw me, he seemed to grow more aggrieved. He cried out loudly, his face a puddle of tears.

"Leave it to me," I told Daisy. I walked over to his side and sat down. With a smile, I said, "Who's this crying so much? Could it be our little Superman, Gary?"

Gary was a pretty little boy with brown, curly hair and big green eyes. He looked at me, blinking, with beads of tears on his long eyelashes. Sniffling, he said, "Jodie, you lied to me! This arm isn't good to use at all! It hurts so much!"

A year ago, Gary lost his right arm in a car accident. When his parents brought him in to get fitted for a prosthetic, he was extremely dejected. But for some reason, the little kid and I got along quite well. When the staff was measuring the size of his stump, he was very uncooperative. I went over to see what was happening after he started crying. After getting caught up on the situation, I tried to talk to Gary a bit. Only then was he willing to take off his clothes so we could get a mold for his stump.

"You can call me Jodie," I told Gary at that time. "Lovely Gary, only the bravest kids get the chance to put on this super cool arm. I don't agree to help everyone who comes asking for one. For example, people who love to cry. Oh... I really don't like them."

Gary was crying like a kitten. "Jodie, will I really be able to have a new arm?"

"Of course," I told him with a smile.

After arriving in America, I studied biomedical engineering. After my PhD, my specialty was focused on intelligent prosthetics. Although most patients who come in, like Little Gary, will choose myoelectric prosthetics that respond to EMG activity (Note: electrical activity from skeletal muscles), I and my advisor and research associates are striving to tackle intelligent prosthetics that respond to human brain and nerve signals.

On Gary's right shoulder, there remained a 10cm length stump. He was young and hadn't adapted to the use of prosthetics. It was probably an emotional rejection. He periodically came to our institute for rehabilitation and training. He learned to use the prosthetic to drink water, to turn pages of a book, to eat, to pick up and place objects... I knew that this type of prosthetic wouldn't allow him to perform very precise movements. For example, he wouldn't be able to fold a (paper) lucky star, and he would be unable to use this fake arm to write. But I still patiently advised him.

"Can you pick up the cup for me, Gary?"

I encouraged him and watched him. Gary really tried to lift the cup of water for me. He was still in the adaptation phase for the prosthetic, so its appearance didn't look like that of human skin. It looked like a metal skeleton, with lots of wires, connected to metallic fingers.

With ours and Gary's efforts, this object that was completely lacking in vitality became a very magical part of his body. It wasn't alive, and it wasn't filled with things that were in human bodies, but it could move.

The arm could move. The elbow could move. The wrist could move. Even the fingers could move.

Gary's arm trembled as he picked up the cup of water and handed it to me. I immediately accepted it and applauded him.

"You're so awesome, Gary! You've made a lot of progress!" I gave him a hug and he raised his left arm to return the hug, his right arm moving slightly.

"Hey, don't be shy," I told him.

Gary's face reddened and his brows furrowed as he exerted effort. He finally raised his right arm and completed his hug.

"You simply couldn't be better!" I gently pat his head. "Gary, I know that in the beginning it's a little hard, but trust me, it'll get better with time. Maybe one day, you'll play basketball like Kobe Bryant. He's your role model, isn't he?"

Gary nodded his head sheepishly. Then he said, "But Jodie, don't you think this arm looks really ugly?"

I feigned surprise. "How could I? I think it's really cool!"

"Next time I come, will you visit me again?"

"Sure, but you also have to listen to Daisy." I pulled Daisy over and told Gary, "She's a super amazing doctor, and she'll teach you how to use your new arm. I'm definitely not as good as her with that."

Gary finally agreed to let Daisy and the other staff members help him practice using his prosthetic arm. After I said goodbye with him, I heard some angry shouts from the rehabilitation hall.

At a place like this, people often lost control of their emotions. A healthy person suddenly losing one of their limbs because of an illness or an accident would naturally find it hard to accept at first. All of our staff understand that, but this man's shouts were a bit excessive.

I couldn't help walking over. I spotted him immediately among more than twenty rehab patients and the physiotherapist. He was a tall, young man, wearing a prosthetic left leg. He was leaning against the parallel bars as he shouted at the therapist.

I walked over to him and realized that although his hair and eyes were dark brown, his features were obviously East Asian.

He was still shouting when I attempted to calm him down. "Sir, please relax."

He turned to look at me, his eyes showing surprise. Then he shouted again, "Who are you?! Mind your own business!"

I wore a light blue uniform and said, "My name is Xiao and I work here. I know that you're going through a lot of difficulties, but sir, you're a grown adult. There are many children here and they've gone through disastrous things as well, but aren't they working hard to do well? Not only aren't you setting a good example, you're even scaring them."

What I said wasn't false. In the rehab hall, there were many kids wearing prosthetic legs, practicing to walk. A lot of the kids looked over at the man, a frightened expression on their faces.

His expression turned awkward and he clenched his jaw. After he stared at me awhile, he asked me in English, "Are you Chinese? Or Japanese, Korean?"

"Chinese," I responded.

And then in standard Beijing dialect, he said, "If you were standing in my shoes, you wouldn't say that."

I decided to ignore him.

After I returned to my office, I made a cup of coffee. Wendy knocked on my door and said a package arrived for me from China.

Somewhat coincidentally, I walked over to the counter and opened the package. It was a book and a card.

"My Miss Crab," I read the book name out loud. Then I saw the author, Mister Ostrich. A 'boom' went off in my mind as I started to feel a bit unsure about who and where I was.

I opened the card. It was Xie Yi's handwriting.

Dear Jodie,

Merry Christmas!

Do you like the gift? We found him.

-Martin

Christmas 2010

I carried the book back to my office. As I passed by the rehab hall, the angry man from earlier was walking out. During the rehab session, he had been wearing gym shorts and his left leg was amputated. His thigh was connected to a stump-receiving chamber with a pylon underneath, like a leg bone. After the session finished, he changed into a black coat and jeans. If not for the crutch he was using, I probably wouldn't have realized that he was missing a leg.

He'd already calmed down a great deal by then. He glanced over at me with a long face. I smiled and then walked back into my office.

When I was getting off work, Wendy and Daisy both called after me, "Dr. Xiao, it's Christmas soon. Ada said we'd have dinner together tonight. You should come too!"

I put on my coat and shook my head. "Thanks, but I have an appointment tonight."

Daisy giggled and said, "Are you going to video chat with your handsome boyfriend in Beijing?"

I couldn't help laughing. "Martin's not my boyfriend."

"Please, he's already come here several times to see you."

"Regretfully, there's just no chemistry between him and I." I grabbed my bag and put on my scarf, and then walked out with them. After locking the door, I said, "Moreover, he already has a girlfriend."

December in New York was as cold as in E City, if not colder.

I walked across the icy parking lot and drove my car home. The first thing I did when I got inside was pick up my cat.

I picked up (adopted?) this cat. It was yellow and white without an obvious breed. I named it Ah Miao, and since I gave it a Chinese name, I spoke to it in Chinese. This American Ah Miao answered really well, seemingly having grasped onto the language well.

I lived by myself at a building near the school. I'd bought the house because I planned to live there for a long time. The subject I was studying would need a lot of time, so I wouldn't be able to roam around like my parents had. My dad was a zoologist and my mom was a veterinarian. The place they moved to was poor and remote, and they often ran into dangers. I used to want to live that kind of life, but the present me wanted to stay in one of the most developed countries in the world to further the studies of smart prosthetics.

I made myself a bowl of noodles and vegetable soup for dinner. Afterwards, I filled the tub with water and took a bath. Then I changed into my pajamas and crawled under the covers.

I read 'My Miss Crab,' and when I finished, I sat on my bed and sent Xie Yi an email on my laptop.

I told him I received the gift and thanked him.

His name immediately popped up on Skype and I answered his call.

"I just got to the office," Xie Yi said clearly. "What are you doing?"

"I just got into bed," I said. "Oh yeah, where's he been all these years?"

He knew who I was talking about and quickly responded, "Sanya, in Hainan."

"Oh..." It clicked for me. That was a place with a warm climate, and he hated cold winters.

"Crab's going to see him in a few days," Xie Yi said. "We're planning on giving him a Christmas surprise."

He'll definitely be happy, I thought.

"Not bad." I asked, "How have you been lately?"

"The same. You?"

"Also the same. Busy with work."

"Will you come home next year for New Year's?"

I thought for a moment. "Why do you ask?"

"Crab's planning on bringing Gu Mingxi home then. If you came back too, we could have a big party."

"I'm not sure," I said. "We'll talk about it when the time gets closer."

Xie Yi suddenly said, "Jodie, you don't have any questions you want to ask me?"

I rolled my eyes. "How are you and your girlfriend?"

"We broke up," he responded very quickly.

I was left speechless.

Countless people had asked me before, 'Jodie, why don't you accept Martin?' Or they'd say, 'Xiao Yujing, why don't you accept Xie Yi?'

The reason they ask that is because Xie Yi was really too perfect.

So perfect that you couldn't find any flaws.

Once, I asked him, 'Xie Yi, if you could use one animal to describe yourself, what would you choose?'

He said, 'An eagle.'

In the story of 'My Miss Crab,' there were two supporting characters. Miss Antelope, who was myself, and the other was Mister Peacock.

I don't know if that was Gu Mingxi teasing Xie Yi or not, but I felt that, regardless of whether it was an eagle or a peacock, they couldn't be likened to Xie Yi.

He was a very, very good person. With an eye-catching appearance and a superior family background, but he didn't carry the usual arrogant demeanor of rich kids. He studied hard and worked hard. If I had to name a flaw of his, it would probably be that other people see him as a bit whimsical, doing as he pleases.

Xie Yi never forced himself to do anything he didn't want to. In that respect, he and I are very alike.

But where we differ is that he would always put his life on the line to do the things he wanted to do, whereas I would come to a decision to act or retreat after careful consideration.

That was the reason I rejected him.

He's great, but I don't love him.

Ah Miao jumped onto my bed and purred at my laptop. I sneezed and said, "Xie Yi, I'm going to sleep."

I laid on the bed and Ah Miao settled down beside me. I was very tolerant with him, so if he wanted to sleep together on the bed, I didn't shoo him away. (Note: The author doesn't specify whether the cat is male or female. I simply adopted 'he' because using 'it' sounded strange in English.)

I pet Ah Miao, who appeared very comfortable, meowing lazily. Lying in the dark room, I couldn't go to sleep. For some reason, I suddenly thought about that summer day so many years ago.

The first time I saw Gu Mingxi was the first day of school. There was a strange desk in the last row of the classroom. One side was a normal height, but the other half was shorter.

The rest of the class and I were all very curious, unsure of the purpose of that desk. Until Gu Mingxi came into the room.

That boy had a pair of doe eyes, pure and clear, calm. He didn't seem to fear the class' eyes on him. He just walked toward that particular desk and sat down.

There was already a girl sitting on the other side. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and she had a smiling face. The boy walked over and wriggled his shoulders, and then his backpack fell onto his desk. Then he sat down and took of his shoes, resting his feet on his desk.

He lowered hie head, and naturally tidied up his backpack with his feet. His two shirt sleeves swung around by his sides. He would occasionally say a few things to the girl beside him. I watched for awhile before turning back to the front.

During the military training, I remembered his name.

Gu Mingxi.

Mister Ostrich.

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MY MISTER OSTRICH
Side Story 1 HOW MUCH I ENVY YOU (2/4)
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Side Story 1 HOW MUCH I ENVY YOU (2/4)
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

Don't cut it. You look good with long hair.

_______________________________________________________________

When I was younger, I lived in South Africa. My dad often went away for business trips across the African continent. My mother and I stayed in Cape Town awaiting his safe return each time.

South Africa was one of the more developed countries in Africa. There was more diversity, and education there was better than much of the continent. I would go to school with all the other little kids, and then I'd study Chinese at home with my mom.

When my dad returned, he would tell me about all the things he'd heard and seen when he was away. Interesting things, thrilling things, difficult situations, magical things... Listening to the stories, I felt almost intoxicated. He showed me the pictures he took. Sometimes he would stay in the field with his team for a very long time, just to observe the habits of zebra or antelope. He told me about how a lion hunted a zebra. He told me that this was a world where the strong preyed on the weak, and if you didn't want to get eaten, you'd have to make yourself stronger.

I was completely amazed with the fantastical world. During summer vacation, Dad would take me and Mom along with him to work. The first time that I sat in the off-road SUV and saw the vast African savannah filled with droves of animals, I was shocked. For the first time in my life, I felt the insignificance of humankind.

Once, when I followed my dad's team out to the field, we came across an area covered with animal carcases, left after a large fight. From the remains, one of the scientists supposed that it was a fight between some lions and a group of hyenas.

On the battlefield, my dad and his team found a dying baby lion in the heap of hyena corpses. It was heavily injured, left behind by its pack. It had likely survived a few days by eating the rotting flesh remains.

Dad brought the little lion back to our camp. It wasn't really that small, but Dad said that it was still young. Its body was covered in scars. In order to protect its life, the accompanying veterinarian amputated a limb.

The little lion's entire right-side front leg was amputated. Its right-side hind leg was also missing a chunk. When I saw at it, it was wrapped up in gauze, asleep from the anesthesia. I asked my dad when it would get better, when it could return home.

My dad told me that it would never be able to go home.

A major predator on the food chain, still young and missing a leg. If it was released back to the wild, the only end for it was death.

At the time, the film 'The Lion King' was sweeping the globe. My dad told me that his team stole the name and called their little lion Simba.

Simba followed us back to South Africa and was handed over to a zoo in Cape Town. Afterwards, Derrick and I often went to visit it. All by itself in a cage, it looked very lonely.

Watching Simba limping around with difficulty, its front leg missing, I grabbed onto the railing and felt a strange sense of loss.

Derrick was the boy who lived next door to us. He was white and a year older than me. He had blond hair and a pair of deep blue eyes. We were good friends. Derrick told me that, on our street, I was the most particular kid.

It was true that I was the only Chinese girl in our neighborhood, with straight, black hair and a pair of dark eyes. Derrick said that I looked like a fairy, and I was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen.

My concept of aesthetics was likely formed around that time. With regards to people's appearances, I'd never had any particular preferences. When I returned to China, I'd often heard the neighbor girls say that black people looked disgusting. I found that outrageous. In my memories, the black kid next door when I lived in Cape Town, Arno, was brave and cute. Often times, I preferred to play with Arno instead of Derrick.

I started learning violin at a young age, along with Derrick. I wasn't very good, but Derrick often received the teacher's praise. Mom had asked me before, 'Xiao Jing, do you dislike playing violin? If you don't like it, you don't have to keep taking lessons.'

I told her, "I don't dislike it."

My mom was a bit suspicious. "Then why don't you practice more?"

I thought it was strange. "Who said that I don't practice?"

I clearly practiced very diligently. It's just that I wasn't as good as Derrick, but that didn't say anything about my enthusiasm for playing the violin. I practiced every day. Derrick would knock on my window and rest on the window sill, saying, "Jodie, your violin playing sounds bad."

I would quietly push his hands away and lock the window before continuing to play the violin.

Only Arno said that my violin playing was nice. He was from Nigeria, with dark skin and big, bright eyes like two big grapes. Because of his dad's work, they had just moved to South Africa a few years before. He said that when he listened to me play violin, it reminded him of home, back in Nigeria.

When I was 12 years old, an epidemic started spreading through several countries in Africa. For my and my mother's safety, my dad accepted a work transfer and prepared to take us back to China.

I told Derrick that I was going back to China. After being startled for a moment, he finally said, "Jodie, I love you. I will miss you."

I told Arno that I was going back to China, and he blinked a few times before silently heading home.

That evening, Arno came over and knocked on my window. He handed me something.

It was an African drum.

It had a strange body with some complex carvings on it.

Arno told me that the drum was handcrafted by his grandfather when he was younger. Even the skin used for the drumhead were from the animals that his grandfather personally hunted.

"Jodie, I'm giving this drum to you." When Arno opened his lips in the dark of the night, his shining white teeth and eyes were very conspicuous. He said, "My grandpa told me that this is a magical drum. He gave the drum to my grandma and they got married later. My dad gave my mom this drum, and then they also got married. My grandpa told me that if I give this to the girl that I love, we'll be together in the end."

I felt that I couldn't accept such a precious gift. Arno looked a bit crestfallen. He asked, "Jodie, do you not like me?"

No, I liked him.

I accepted the drum and held it tightly. Arno smiled and said, "I'll come teach you how to play it tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," I said.

Later on, I followed my parents back to China. The first summer vacation, I started to practice the drum at home, but the neighbors ended up complaining.

My mom said that this wasn't Cape Town and implored of me to stop playing the drum. Then I begged my dad to let me call Arno's house. I wanted to play the drum for him. But then came the despairing news.

Arno had been infected with a virus. A month ago, after treatment failed, he passed away.

That was the most heart-aching summer day of my life.

The day that Year 1 (of high school) finished, I gave the drum that Arno gave me to Gu Mingxi. I knew that a few minutes later, he would give that drum to Pang Qian.

If this drum from Africa was really as magical as Arno said, then, one day, a pair of lovers would finally end up together because of it.

After Year 2 started, Pang Qian was no longer in our class because of the class restructuring. Teacher Dai asked Gu Mingxi and me about our opinions, and then we became deskmates.

Gu Mingxi didn't speak much. After the 'Outstanding Student' incident, he became much more quiet and solemn. And perhaps it had to do with the fact that Pang Qian was no longer by his side.

Zhou Nanzhong and Wang Song would help Gu Mingxi with some of his daily needs, but otherwise, he would use his own two feet to slowly take care of his own matters. He rarely asked me to help him. And I didn't offer my help either. At lunch, he would still eat together with Pang Qian. When we lined up in the cafeteria, I often saw the two of them together, standing at the window. Pang Qian carried two lunch boxes and pointed at the food behind the glass, asking Gu Mingxi what he wanted to eat.

Only when he was with Pang Qian would Gu Mingxi's expression relax and be at ease. He would smile and discuss with Pang Qian about which dishes were better.

The image of them eating together was still clear in my mind. They sat across from each other, a lunch box for each of them. Pang Qian would steal Gu Mingxi's food, and Gu Mingxi would help her eat the things she didn't like.

One person used their hands, the other used their feet. They picked at each others' lunches with their spoons. That kind of intimacy and understanding was like an invisible wall, keeping everyone else out.

So I didn't interact much with Gu Mingxi.

Perhaps to other people, I was a very strange person. I didn't really have any friends in the class. I didn't understand what the girls in class would chat about. The comics and celebrities that they liked, fashionable clothing, I didn't know about any of it.

I always kept my hair short and wore a pair of large glasses. My clothes were very ordinary, a t-shirt and jeans. I knew that I wasn't a girl who would catch anyone's eye, but I didn't care about that at all. After I returned to China, everyone said I was very refined. At first, I didn't know what that word meant. After I understood it, I was a bit surprised, and also relieved.

What right did I have to say that Gu Mingxi didn't speak much? I was clearly the mystery to everyone.

I was short, even shorter than Pang Qian. That's why I always sat in the front row in class. When I became deskmates with Gu Mingxi was the first time that I sat in the back of the room.

I sat at Pang Qian's old spot, and I found out that it was really an interesting seat. In the back corner of the classroom, with a window beside me, I could clearly see the schoolyard below.

Zhou Nanzhong and Wang Song who sat in front of us were both very tall. Sometimes, I suspected that if I played around behind them, the teacher wouldn't even be able to see me.

After being deskmates with Gu Mingxi for two weeks, I realized that he wasn't stuffy at all. Sometimes he would do some interesting things, just like other kids.

For example, when he was tired of working on practice problems, he would start to draw a bit. Just like other boys his age, he liked to draw big-breasted, small-waisted, long-legged girls and strong, muscular guys. Other times, it would be robots and monsters. He would start sketching on the paper, hunched over, head down, his body leaning slightly to the right. He used his left foot to block the drawing, seemingly not wanting for me to see.

So of course I pretended not to see. Still, I couldn't help myself from looking. After he drew for awhile, Gu Mingxi would return to doing his practice problems. He folded up the paper he drew on and stuffed it into his desk.

More than once I saw him sketching out a girl. The girl would sometimes be standing, sometimes sitting, sometimes jumping, or looking back. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, and her face always carried a bright smile.

I rested my chin in my hands and secretly watched him draw. I really wanted to remind him that Pang Qian's chest wasn't that big, that her waist wasn't so small, and she didn't have long legs like that.

But of course, I didn't say anything.

For the Autumn sports festival in Year 2, I ran the 800m. Pang Qian participated in her class' 4x100m relay. From the stands, I watched as she slipped away and joined our class. She sat down next to Gu Mingxi and started chatting with him.

"It's so hot." She separated her hair and braided it. She turned and saw me. Then she said to Gu Mingxi, "Ah, do you think I should cut my hair? Like Xiao Yujing's. It'll be easier to wash and better to stay cool."

Gu Mingxi stared for a moment. Then he shook his head and said quietly, "Don't cut it. You look good with long hair."

After Christmas, I saw that angry man again in the rehab hall.

He didn't shout anymore, but was diligently practicing to walk. The t-shirt on his body was covered in sweat. After training a bit, he would quietly say a few words to his physical therapist. With furrowed brows, he pointed to his left leg prosthetic, as if saying there were something wrong with it.

I saw him several times after that, but we never spoke. When he saw me, his expression turned a bit unnatural. I didn't take it to heart though, and each time, I smiled at him.

As the Spring Festival of 2011 approached, I decided to go home for New Year's.

Before I left, I had a bit of a headache about where I would leave Ah Miao.

I didn't want to bother my friends or colleagues, so I ended up deciding to leave it with a pet store.

I found a pet store near the school and carried Ah Miao over in its carrier. And then I met the angry man there.

He was a bit surprised to see me. At this point, we couldn't help but introduce ourselves.

"My last name is Xiao, little moon Xiao." I started speaking in Chinese, but then I became a bit uncertain since some ABCs (American-born Chinese) could speak Chinese but didn't know to read it. Then I added in English, "You can call me Jodie." (Note: 'little' and 'moon' are the characters used to write her last name)

"I know, little moon Xiao." With a serious look, he extended his right hand to me. In Chinese, he said, "Lin Weiqi, English name Virgil."

I politely shook hands with him. His hands were very big, warm, strong. After we pulled back our hands, his expression warmed slightly. He said, "I have to apologize about last time, Jodie. I was really very irritable that day and I scared those kids. I'm sorry. I promise it won't happen again."

I smiled and lifted up my carrier to show him Ah Miao. "I'd like to check in this cat. If you give me a discount, I'll forgive you."

He couldn't help laughing. His firm face suddenly broke into a smile, and his eyes filled with a gentle light. I suddenly felt my mood improve.

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MY MISTER OSTRICH
Epilogue
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Epilogue
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

It was the fourth year of his studies and Gu Mingxi was getting ready to head back into the work field.

His professional foundation was very solid, and since he was a lot older than his classmates, his artwork generally left a deeper impression. A few of the younger professors had even become pretty good friends with him. They often had lunch together and went to art exhibits together.

Gu Mingxi was working on a fine arts degree in painting. After graduation, people would probably work in an art studio or for the design department in a company. Some even accepted teaching jobs at primary schools and even high schools.

He was already 31 years old. While he'd continued making books, Gu Mingxi had never let go of his intent to return to teaching.

Currently, Gu Mingxi had already completed the fourth book of his 'Xiao Chuan' series. He was busy with school, and because he also had to spend time with his wife and son, he could only guarantee one book release a year. Still, his 'Xiao Chuan' series was selling very well. The series followed the young boy, Gu Xiaochuan, as he grew up, and the character was already a 13 year old boy. A lot of animation companies had already locked their eyes on the story. After Gu Mingxi discussed with Pang Qian and Jiang Qi, they picked out a strong company to sell the rights for an animated adaptation for the first three books in the 'Xiao Chuan' series.

During the past few years, he'd made quite a bit of money from selling the rights to his works. 'Mister Ostrich' had become very popular in the book, film, and animation markets. The only thing was that he never revealed his identity and appearance to the public. Though many people knew about his situation, everyone was in agreement to keep that knowledge secret. To this day, Mister Ostrich was still a very mysterious person that fans scrambled to find out more about.

Gu Mingxi left all the money he earned in the care and management of Pang Qian. As an industry insider, Pang Qian completed this task beautifully. One day, she opened up their online account and looked at the startling number on the screen. Then she ran over to Gu Mingxi and hugged him, swaying back and forth.

"What's going on?! Pang Pang?" Gu Mingxi asked in surprise.

Pang Qian closed her eyes and giggled foolishly. "I wanted to see what it felt like holding onto a money tree." (Note: The phrase she uses refers to a legendary tree that drops coins when you shake it)

Gu Mingxi laughed and asked her, "Do you know what it feels like now?"

"It's more wonderful than words can express!"

Because she'd given birth, Pang Qian took a gap year in her second year of studies. She was currently faced with interning in her third year of studies. Of course, for someone who'd already had work experience like herself, she wasn't overly concerned with internships or future job prospects. She'd already chosen the company she would work for after graduating.

Over the past few years, Pang Qian had continued to stay in contact with Zou Liwen. She would be graduating soon, so she invited him out for a meal and expressed her interest in a job. Zou Liwen was still working in E City at Jialai Investments. While the company indeed had a vacancy, he felt that the salary wasn't fitting of Pang Qian's experience and academic background.

He hadn't expected for Pang Qian to so gladly accept the offer. She said, "My son is still young, and my husband works too much. The important thing for me is to be able to spend more time with them for a few years. It's better not to be too busy when I first return to the workplace. Team Leader, let me get myself readjusted first. After two years, when my son starts school, I'll think about my plans again."

Zou Liwen nodded his head. Then he said, "Actually, in the past two years, I've had some other thoughts."

Pang Qian's eyes shined. Hesitatingly, she asked, "Team Leader, are you... planning on starting your own business?"

She'd already been working with him for nearly ten years. Although they were polar opposites, they'd developed a working rapport through the years. Zou Liwen looked at Pang Qian and asked, "If I were, would you come along and help?"

"Of course!" Pang Qian seemed to be more excited than him. "Team Leader, you should've done this a long time ago!"

Zou Liwen said, "But, if you follow me, I probably won't be able to match the salary that Jialai's currently offering."

Pang Qian shook her head. "That's okay. I'm not the breadwinner in our family anyway. What's important when it comes to work is that you enjoy it. You should face challenges and grow, and most importantly, you should have a good team leader."

Zou Liwen stared at Pang Qian for a long time, then he narrowed his eyes. "Pang Qian."

"Mm?"

"Have you ever considered not being my subordinate?"

Those words were really quite ambiguous. Pang Qian's head grew muddled. "T-t-t-team Leader, what do you mean by that? If I'm not your subordinate, what would I..."

"Business partners." Zou Liwen gave her a very clear-cut response as he crossed his legs and took a sip of his coffee. "Be my partner and venture into this together with me. Pang Qian, I hope you'll seriously consider it."

Pang Qian went home and told this story to Gu Mingxi, asking for his opinions. She originally thought that he would be against it because starting their own business would require a lot of work. Instead, Gu Mingxi actually showed his approval of the idea.

"When you're still young, you can push yourself a bit," he said. "Moreover, you've been working together with him for a long time. You must know pretty clearly about his abilities and his contacts. Although I haven't talked to him much, I can tell that he's not an impulsive person. Without having made serious considerations, he wouldn't have put forth such a suggestion."

He leaned to Pang Qian and said quietly, "Most importantly, I think that you also want to give it a try."

He really understood her. Pang Qian raised her eyes to look at him. "Aren't you worried I'm going to lose all your hard-earned money?"

"Oh... I'll allow you to take half of it. It's fine if you use it all up." Gu Mingxi laughed. "Starting a business definitely has its share of risks. The economy changes so quickly. Even Zou Liwen can't predict it with a 100 percent guarantee. So I have to leave a backdoor for me and my son."

Pang Qian reached out and tapped his nose. "Coward."

He was still smiling, when he suddenly thought of something. He said, "I also have something to discuss with you."

"What is it?"

Gu Mingxi slowly told Pang Qian that he'd also settled on his job plans. Teacher Dai helped arrange for some school interviews. She'd made certain that they didn't mind his physical condition and would allow him to student-teach. There were two schools.

"One is Sunny Middle School. I would be helping to teach art for the junior high students. If I end up staying, the work will be relatively leisurely and the salary isn't bad. I'll have abundant time to work on my own projects as well."

He paused. Seeing that Pang Qian didn't respond, he continued. "The other is an elementary school. Wenzheng Elementary. Have you heard of it?"

Pang Qian thought for a moment. Surprised, she said, "It's a school for the children of migrant workers."

"That's right," Gu Mingxi nodded. "All the students there are kids of migrant workers. The principal there looked over my work history and saw that I'd previously taught in Sanya. They hoped that I could go to their school and not only teach art, but also English or math as well."

Pang Qian looked at him with wide eyes. Since she still hadn't responded, he asked, "Where do you think I should go to work?"

Seeing how careful his expression was, Pang Qian suddenly smiled. "Gu Mingxi, why are you playing dumb! You already decided which one you want to work at, didn't you?"

Gu Mingxi couldn't help smiling. "Mm, I already gave them a response."

"You definitely picked Wenzheng."

"Mm," he nodded. With a somewhat regretful tone, he said, "It's just that the work there will be a lot busier than at Sunny Elementary."

Pang Qian hugged him and said, "No matter what choice you make, I'll support you. I think that it's more fitting that you go to an elementary school rather than a middle school."

Gu Mingxi asked, "Why?"

Pang Qian replied righteously, "Junior high's full of 15 and 16 year old girls who have just started learning about love. Seeing a handsome teacher like you, how dreadful would that be! I know how risky that is. But elementary schools are full of little girls, so I won't have to worry."

Gu Mingxi was nearly in tears from laughing. "Says who? Haven't you seen Haichuan when he sees Wang Song's daughter? He immediately turns into a servant. He told me before that he really liked her and would marry her when he grew up."

Pang Qian stared in disbelief. "My goodness! He's only 2 years old!"

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After National Day, Gu Mingxi, Pang Qian, and their son returned to E City from Shanghai, ready to start their 'graduation fieldwork.' Pang Qian entered Jialai, still working under Zou Liwen. Gu Mingxi started teaching at Wenzheng Elementary, just an art teacher for now.

On the first day of class, Pang Qian helped him put on a long-sleeved navy shirt and a beige knit sweater. She carefully helped him button it up and then tidied up the hem and sleeves. Gu Mingxi looked at his reflection in the mirror and asked, "How do I look?"

Pang Qian raised her thumb. "Handsome!"

The first class that Gu Mingxi taught was Grade 4's Class 2. The head teacher brought him to the classroom and all the students stared, dumbfounded.

After the head teacher left, Gu Mingxi turned to face the blackboard. He slipped off his right slipper and raised his foot to the board. He easily picked up a piece of white chalk and wrote down three characters: Gu Mingxi.

He put down the chalk and turned back to face the class. Standing up straight, he smiled at the classroom of kids. "My name is Gu Mingxi. I'm 31 years old this year, and starting today, I'll be your art teacher."

Seeing how astonished the students still were, Gu Mingxi smiled even more brightly. "I'm sure you all find it kind of strange. You must be thinking that this Teacher Gu doesn't even have arms, so how could he draw. But I really can draw, and I use my feet to do it, in just the same way that I wrote my name on the board. Oh, student."

He looked at one of the male students and smiled. "You think I'm just talking big, don't you? How about this. Why don't you guys give me one class period to prove myself?"

A few of the students nodded slightly. Gradually, more students started nodding. One student even had the guts to shout out, "Okay then!"

Gu Mingxi stood at the lectern and bent over, flipping the page of his book with his mouth. "Then, let's start class."

When the class ended, a group of kids circled around him, scrambling to ask questions.

"Teacher Gu, how do you eat?"

Gu Mingxi answered seriously. "I use my feet. My feet are really amazing, and they can do a lot of things."

"Can you put on your clothes too?"

"Yep."

"Teacher Gu, why don't you have any arms?"

"When I was little, I was a naughty kid. I climbed onto a pole and got shocked with electricity and lost my arms."

"How old were you?"

"6 years old."

The students started a commotion. One girl suddenly asked shyly, "Teacher Gu, do you have a girlfriend?"

Gu Mingxi smiled. "I'm already married and I have a 2 year-old son."

"Wow..." A few girls started laughing and pushing each other. Gu Mingxi asked, "What are you laughing about?"

The girls stood around the first girl who'd asked the question and all started talking at once. "Lu Xiaofang was just saying how she thought Teacher Gu was so handsome!"

"When did I say that?!" Lu Xiaofang's face turned red. One of the boys pursed his lips and then pulled on Lu Xiaofang's sleeve. He said, "Hey, I'm going to buy snacks. Do you want to come?"

Lu Xiaofang found a way out and walked off with the boy. The group of girls chased after them, full of laughs and then split up into their own groups of twos and threes.

The class representative helped Gu Mingxi carry his tools back to the teacher's office. As they walked down the corridor, Gu Mingxi turned and saw Lu Xiaofang and the boy carrying their purchases back.

The boy's hands were empty. As they walked, he kicked along a pebble on the ground. Lu Xiaofang was carrying a bag of snacks, eating with pleasure.

Gu Mingxi looked at her a bit and then turned to head to the teacher's office.

And like that, he worked as an ordinary art teacher at Wenzheng Elementary, with none of his colleagues or students aware that he was the famous Mister Ostrich. Working as the art teacher was pretty leisurely. After two months of teaching, Gu Mingxi started to teach English for Grade 2. He'd never taught students that young before, and he felt that it was really too interesting.

He was naturally well-liked. No matter what class he taught, his students all really liked him. At the end of the term, Teacher Gu, who only taught art class once a week, beat out the language, math, English, and other teachers as the favorite instructor for the six classes of Grade 4 and 5 students.

Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian both grew busy with work, so Gu Haichuan was taken care of by his (maternal) grandparents. Pang Qian tried not to work overtime. Then she would pick up Gu Mingxi from Wenzheng Elementary. They would have dinner at her parents' house before taking Baby Gu home.

One day, after dinner, Pang Qian was washing dishes in the kitchen. Gu Mingxi and Jin Aihua were playing with Baby Gu in the living room.

Pang Shuisheng slipped into the kitchen and asked Pang Qian quietly, "Old Gu gave me a call today."

Pang Qian suddenly became alert. She asked, "Mm? What did he say?"

"He asked if Haichuan was well, if you you and Mingxi were well, if you'd settled your jobs. If Mingxi was having a hard time finding work, he could help to arrange something. He still has two years before he retires." Pang Shuisheng closed the door to the kitchen and lit a cigarette. "He wants to see Haichuan. He said the last time he saw him was when you came back over summer, so it's been several months."

Pang Qian lowered her head without a word.

Pang Shuisheng sighed. "Qian Qian, now that you and Mingxi are back for work, find some time to take him to his (paternal) grandpa."

Pang Qian thought for a moment and then said, "Okay, we'll visit. But Dad, I hope that you won't put any pressure on Gu Mingxi about this. The problems between him and his dad can't be resolved by just a few words from us. I know that Uncle Gu is older now and he wants to see his grandchild and he's concerned about Gu Mingxi and Haichuan. But where was he when Gu Mingxi needed a father the most?"

Pang Qian turned to look at Pang Shuisheng. "I'm definitely not going to try to convince Gu Mingxi to repair his relationship with his father, because I know that he doesn't hate Uncle Gu. It's just that he's unable to love him, respect him, or understand him. It's not my business how sad Uncle Gu is now, or how poor Gu Ziyue's grades are, or how poor her temper is. The only thing I care about is whether or not Gu Mingxi is happy. You don't know how vexing it is every time we have dinner with Uncle Gu and his family. I don't think Gu Mingxi can be happy in the midst of all that. Gu Mingxi's relationship with them is beyond saving. Do we really have to force Gu Mingxi to be a 'filial son', to be such a 'magnanimous' person?"

Pang Shuisheng pondered on Pang Qian's words. He nodded and sighed. "I understand what you're saying. How about this. In the future, if Old Gu wants to see his grandson, we can invite him over during the day. We can all have a meal together and he can play with Haichuan. The two of us can even reminisce on the old days. And then you won't have to get bullied by their family."

Laughter suddenly sounded from the living room. Pang Qian and Pang Shuisheng walked out of the kitchen and saw Baby Gu running around the living room, his butt naked. Jin Aihua was chasing behind him with his pants.

"Rotton kid, hurry up and put your pants on! You'll get sick!" Jin Aihua yelled at Baby Gu.

Baby Gu ran over to hide behind Gu Mingxi. Suddenly, he was caught in Gu Mingxi's feet and propped onto the sofa.

Gu Mingxi grabbed onto Baby Gu and tickled him with his toes causing Baby Gu to squirm on the sofa, laughing. Then he got tired and climbed over to rest on top of Gu Mingxi.

"Daddy," he whined. "I want to pee."

"Mm?" When Gu Mingxi realized what he meant, it was already too late. He felt something warm and wet on his leg and then cried out, "Gu Haichuan!"

The bare butt Baby Gu seemed to be urinating quite happily. Then he used his hands and feet to get up. He shook his little birdie and then turned to Jin Aihua. "Grandma, I want to put my pants on."

Pang Qian and Pang Shiusheng nearly went mad from laughter.

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One summer day the next year, Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian graduated.

Gu Mingxi was formally hired by Wenzheng Elementary and became an official state-employed teacher.

Fudan's masters and postdoc graduation ceremony was held first. Pang Qian wore her master's cap and gown and received her diploma from the dean. She stood together with her peers and looked down from the stage. She saw her parents, her husband, and her son.

She looked over at them, and Baby Gu in Jin Aihua's arms waved at her. "Mommy!"

Pang Qian, who'd brought her son along to the graduation, had caught a bit of attention. But the real attention-grabbing event occurred two days later.

Gu Mingxi's graduation ceremony.

A 32 year old married man with a 2 year old son. He had no arms, but he was already signed on to teach at an elementary school. Fresh graduate, Gu Mingxi, had already become a legend at school.

On the evening before his graduation, Gu Mingxi returned to his dorm. He wanted to spend his final day as a student in the school.

When the sky just started to brighten, he woke up. Fu Qinfeng hadn't woken up yet so Gu Mingxi quietly got out of bed and went to wash up. He carefully shaved. When he combed his hair and brushed his teeth, he spent even more time than usual. When he was done, he smiled at himself in the mirror. Seeing the row of white teeth, he finally put away his rinse cup.

Fu Qinfeng helped him put on his graduation gown. The large gown draped over his body, obscuring his missing arms. It really made Gu Mingxi look like a tall and handsome man. Fu Qingfeng helped him put on his graduation cap as well. After tidying up the tassel, he smiled and said, "Old Gu, congratulations on graduating."

Xu Shuanghua had hurried back in order to attend Gu Mingxi's graduation ceremony. Because of him, even Pang Qian and Haichuan were allowed into the preparation hall.

Before Gu Mingxi headed to the stage, Pang Qian helped him neaten his cap and gown. She looked around at the young men and women, who had obviously relaxed a great deal. Then she looked at the man in front of her. He wasn't that young. His eyes weren't so willful, and his expression not to stubborn. He smiled warmly, the corners of his eyes crinkling, marking the passage of time.

Pang Qian told Baby Gu in her arms, "Haichuan, what do you have to say to Daddy?"

Baby Gu cried out, "Daddy, congratulations on graduating!"

Gu Mingxi didn't have someone else accept his diploma for him. He held the diploma between his cheek and shoulder, smiling as he took a photo with the school president.

After the ceremony ended, everyone flocked outside the hall. Gu Mingxi's classmates quickly surrounded him, each one of them wanting a photo with him.

Some girls hugged him and cried, "Old Gu! I'll miss you!"

The boys kept saying, one after another, "Old Gu, when we go to visit E City, you have to come out for a drink with us!"

Gu Mingxi smiled. "No problem. When you guys come to E City, I'll act as your tour guide. I'll take you around and treat you to a meal! We'll stay out 'til we're drunk!"

"We want to go to your place! To eat your specialty dishes!"

"It's a deal!"

A lot of people attended Gu Mingxi's graduation ceremony. Afterwards, they waited outside the auditorium. Pang Shuisheng, Jin Aihua, Shark, Xiao Le, Tian Tian, Xu Shuanghua... Everyone took a photo together. Then the class president called for all the students to get a photo together and everyone circled around Gu Mingxi again. Pang Qian carried Baby Gu and watched them, and she realized that he'd been smiling the entire time. He was smiling so much that he couldn't close his lips.

After posing for a serious group photo, they started to take silly pictures. Pang Qian carried Baby Gu and walked over to them. Baby Gu raised his head and looked at the cap on Gu Mingxi's head. "Daddy, I want to wear your hat."

Pang Qian helped Gu Mingxi take off his hat and put it onto Baby Gu's head. It was a bit big and dropped down to cover Baby Gu's eyes. All the girls on the side couldn't stop laughing.

Baby Gu laughed along. "I'm also a college student."

Just then, someone said, "Let's toss up our caps!"

"Ugh, you're so old fashioned!"

"This is called tradition!"

"Old Gu, come on then. Have your son help you throw it up!"

Pang Qian held onto Baby Gu and let him stand on his dad's shoulders. She told him to hold the cap in his hands. She looked over at Gu Mingxi and realized that he was looking at her as well. A pair of clear, dark eyes, full of happiness.

Gu Mingxi asked his son, "Are you ready?"

Baby Gu nodded his head.

The person taking photos said, "One, two, three!"

Countless caps flew into the air. With Pang Qian's help, Gu Haichuan's little hands went up and Gu Mingxi's graduation cap flew up into the sea of caps.

Above their heads was the June Shanghai sky. Clear, blue, with floating white clouds.

A school of birds flew past, flapping their wings with their might, headed into the distance.

This story hasn't ended.

Perhaps one day, you'll turn around and see Mister Ostrich and Miss Crab.

They exist right beside us, just as all the other people in this story.

So please, do not cry for them. And please, live a good life.

Each and every one of us should live our own romantic story.

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MY MISTER OSTRICH
Side Story 1 HOW MUCH I ENVY YOU (2/4)
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Side Story 1 HOW MUCH I ENVY YOU (2/4)
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

Don't cut it. You look good with long hair.

_______________________________________________________________

When I was younger, I lived in South Africa. My dad often went away for business trips across the African continent. My mother and I stayed in Cape Town awaiting his safe return each time.

South Africa was one of the more developed countries in Africa. There was more diversity, and education there was better than much of the continent. I would go to school with all the other little kids, and then I'd study Chinese at home with my mom.

When my dad returned, he would tell me about all the things he'd heard and seen when he was away. Interesting things, thrilling things, difficult situations, magical things... Listening to the stories, I felt almost intoxicated. He showed me the pictures he took. Sometimes he would stay in the field with his team for a very long time, just to observe the habits of zebra or antelope. He told me about how a lion hunted a zebra. He told me that this was a world where the strong preyed on the weak, and if you didn't want to get eaten, you'd have to make yourself stronger.

I was completely amazed with the fantastical world. During summer vacation, Dad would take me and Mom along with him to work. The first time that I sat in the off-road SUV and saw the vast African savannah filled with droves of animals, I was shocked. For the first time in my life, I felt the insignificance of humankind.

Once, when I followed my dad's team out to the field, we came across an area covered with animal carcases, left after a large fight. From the remains, one of the scientists supposed that it was a fight between some lions and a group of hyenas.

On the battlefield, my dad and his team found a dying baby lion in the heap of hyena corpses. It was heavily injured, left behind by its pack. It had likely survived a few days by eating the rotting flesh remains.

Dad brought the little lion back to our camp. It wasn't really that small, but Dad said that it was still young. Its body was covered in scars. In order to protect its life, the accompanying veterinarian amputated a limb.

The little lion's entire right-side front leg was amputated. Its right-side hind leg was also missing a chunk. When I saw at it, it was wrapped up in gauze, asleep from the anesthesia. I asked my dad when it would get better, when it could return home.

My dad told me that it would never be able to go home.

A major predator on the food chain, still young and missing a leg. If it was released back to the wild, the only end for it was death.

At the time, the film 'The Lion King' was sweeping the globe. My dad told me that his team stole the name and called their little lion Simba.

Simba followed us back to South Africa and was handed over to a zoo in Cape Town. Afterwards, Derrick and I often went to visit it. All by itself in a cage, it looked very lonely.

Watching Simba limping around with difficulty, its front leg missing, I grabbed onto the railing and felt a strange sense of loss.

Derrick was the boy who lived next door to us. He was white and a year older than me. He had blond hair and a pair of deep blue eyes. We were good friends. Derrick told me that, on our street, I was the most particular kid.

It was true that I was the only Chinese girl in our neighborhood, with straight, black hair and a pair of dark eyes. Derrick said that I looked like a fairy, and I was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen.

My concept of aesthetics was likely formed around that time. With regards to people's appearances, I'd never had any particular preferences. When I returned to China, I'd often heard the neighbor girls say that black people looked disgusting. I found that outrageous. In my memories, the black kid next door when I lived in Cape Town, Arno, was brave and cute. Often times, I preferred to play with Arno instead of Derrick.

I started learning violin at a young age, along with Derrick. I wasn't very good, but Derrick often received the teacher's praise. Mom had asked me before, 'Xiao Jing, do you dislike playing violin? If you don't like it, you don't have to keep taking lessons.'

I told her, "I don't dislike it."

My mom was a bit suspicious. "Then why don't you practice more?"

I thought it was strange. "Who said that I don't practice?"

I clearly practiced very diligently. It's just that I wasn't as good as Derrick, but that didn't say anything about my enthusiasm for playing the violin. I practiced every day. Derrick would knock on my window and rest on the window sill, saying, "Jodie, your violin playing sounds bad."

I would quietly push his hands away and lock the window before continuing to play the violin.

Only Arno said that my violin playing was nice. He was from Nigeria, with dark skin and big, bright eyes like two big grapes. Because of his dad's work, they had just moved to South Africa a few years before. He said that when he listened to me play violin, it reminded him of home, back in Nigeria.

When I was 12 years old, an epidemic started spreading through several countries in Africa. For my and my mother's safety, my dad accepted a work transfer and prepared to take us back to China.

I told Derrick that I was going back to China. After being startled for a moment, he finally said, "Jodie, I love you. I will miss you."

I told Arno that I was going back to China, and he blinked a few times before silently heading home.

That evening, Arno came over and knocked on my window. He handed me something.

It was an African drum.

It had a strange body with some complex carvings on it.

Arno told me that the drum was handcrafted by his grandfather when he was younger. Even the skin used for the drumhead were from the animals that his grandfather personally hunted.

"Jodie, I'm giving this drum to you." When Arno opened his lips in the dark of the night, his shining white teeth and eyes were very conspicuous. He said, "My grandpa told me that this is a magical drum. He gave the drum to my grandma and they got married later. My dad gave my mom this drum, and then they also got married. My grandpa told me that if I give this to the girl that I love, we'll be together in the end."

I felt that I couldn't accept such a precious gift. Arno looked a bit crestfallen. He asked, "Jodie, do you not like me?"

No, I liked him.

I accepted the drum and held it tightly. Arno smiled and said, "I'll come teach you how to play it tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," I said.

Later on, I followed my parents back to China. The first summer vacation, I started to practice the drum at home, but the neighbors ended up complaining.

My mom said that this wasn't Cape Town and implored of me to stop playing the drum. Then I begged my dad to let me call Arno's house. I wanted to play the drum for him. But then came the despairing news.

Arno had been infected with a virus. A month ago, after treatment failed, he passed away.

That was the most heart-aching summer day of my life.

The day that Year 1 (of high school) finished, I gave the drum that Arno gave me to Gu Mingxi. I knew that a few minutes later, he would give that drum to Pang Qian.

If this drum from Africa was really as magical as Arno said, then, one day, a pair of lovers would finally end up together because of it.

After Year 2 started, Pang Qian was no longer in our class because of the class restructuring. Teacher Dai asked Gu Mingxi and me about our opinions, and then we became deskmates.

Gu Mingxi didn't speak much. After the 'Outstanding Student' incident, he became much more quiet and solemn. And perhaps it had to do with the fact that Pang Qian was no longer by his side.

Zhou Nanzhong and Wang Song would help Gu Mingxi with some of his daily needs, but otherwise, he would use his own two feet to slowly take care of his own matters. He rarely asked me to help him. And I didn't offer my help either. At lunch, he would still eat together with Pang Qian. When we lined up in the cafeteria, I often saw the two of them together, standing at the window. Pang Qian carried two lunch boxes and pointed at the food behind the glass, asking Gu Mingxi what he wanted to eat.

Only when he was with Pang Qian would Gu Mingxi's expression relax and be at ease. He would smile and discuss with Pang Qian about which dishes were better.

The image of them eating together was still clear in my mind. They sat across from each other, a lunch box for each of them. Pang Qian would steal Gu Mingxi's food, and Gu Mingxi would help her eat the things she didn't like.

One person used their hands, the other used their feet. They picked at each others' lunches with their spoons. That kind of intimacy and understanding was like an invisible wall, keeping everyone else out.

So I didn't interact much with Gu Mingxi.

Perhaps to other people, I was a very strange person. I didn't really have any friends in the class. I didn't understand what the girls in class would chat about. The comics and celebrities that they liked, fashionable clothing, I didn't know about any of it.

I always kept my hair short and wore a pair of large glasses. My clothes were very ordinary, a t-shirt and jeans. I knew that I wasn't a girl who would catch anyone's eye, but I didn't care about that at all. After I returned to China, everyone said I was very refined. At first, I didn't know what that word meant. After I understood it, I was a bit surprised, and also relieved.

What right did I have to say that Gu Mingxi didn't speak much? I was clearly the mystery to everyone.

I was short, even shorter than Pang Qian. That's why I always sat in the front row in class. When I became deskmates with Gu Mingxi was the first time that I sat in the back of the room.

I sat at Pang Qian's old spot, and I found out that it was really an interesting seat. In the back corner of the classroom, with a window beside me, I could clearly see the schoolyard below.

Zhou Nanzhong and Wang Song who sat in front of us were both very tall. Sometimes, I suspected that if I played around behind them, the teacher wouldn't even be able to see me.

After being deskmates with Gu Mingxi for two weeks, I realized that he wasn't stuffy at all. Sometimes he would do some interesting things, just like other kids.

For example, when he was tired of working on practice problems, he would start to draw a bit. Just like other boys his age, he liked to draw big-breasted, small-waisted, long-legged girls and strong, muscular guys. Other times, it would be robots and monsters. He would start sketching on the paper, hunched over, head down, his body leaning slightly to the right. He used his left foot to block the drawing, seemingly not wanting for me to see.

So of course I pretended not to see. Still, I couldn't help myself from looking. After he drew for awhile, Gu Mingxi would return to doing his practice problems. He folded up the paper he drew on and stuffed it into his desk.

More than once I saw him sketching out a girl. The girl would sometimes be standing, sometimes sitting, sometimes jumping, or looking back. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, and her face always carried a bright smile.

I rested my chin in my hands and secretly watched him draw. I really wanted to remind him that Pang Qian's chest wasn't that big, that her waist wasn't so small, and she didn't have long legs like that.

But of course, I didn't say anything.

For the Autumn sports festival in Year 2, I ran the 800m. Pang Qian participated in her class' 4x100m relay. From the stands, I watched as she slipped away and joined our class. She sat down next to Gu Mingxi and started chatting with him.

"It's so hot." She separated her hair and braided it. She turned and saw me. Then she said to Gu Mingxi, "Ah, do you think I should cut my hair? Like Xiao Yujing's. It'll be easier to wash and better to stay cool."

Gu Mingxi stared for a moment. Then he shook his head and said quietly, "Don't cut it. You look good with long hair."

After Christmas, I saw that angry man again in the rehab hall.

He didn't shout anymore, but was diligently practicing to walk. The t-shirt on his body was covered in sweat. After training a bit, he would quietly say a few words to his physical therapist. With furrowed brows, he pointed to his left leg prosthetic, as if saying there were something wrong with it.

I saw him several times after that, but we never spoke. When he saw me, his expression turned a bit unnatural. I didn't take it to heart though, and each time, I smiled at him.

As the Spring Festival of 2011 approached, I decided to go home for New Year's.

Before I left, I had a bit of a headache about where I would leave Ah Miao.

I didn't want to bother my friends or colleagues, so I ended up deciding to leave it with a pet store.

I found a pet store near the school and carried Ah Miao over in its carrier. And then I met the angry man there.

He was a bit surprised to see me. At this point, we couldn't help but introduce ourselves.

"My last name is Xiao, little moon Xiao." I started speaking in Chinese, but then I became a bit uncertain since some ABCs (American-born Chinese) could speak Chinese but didn't know to read it. Then I added in English, "You can call me Jodie." (Note: 'little' and 'moon' are the characters used to write her last name)

"I know, little moon Xiao." With a serious look, he extended his right hand to me. In Chinese, he said, "Lin Weiqi, English name Virgil."

I politely shook hands with him. His hands were very big, warm, strong. After we pulled back our hands, his expression warmed slightly. He said, "I have to apologize about last time, Jodie. I was really very irritable that day and I scared those kids. I'm sorry. I promise it won't happen again."

I smiled and lifted up my carrier to show him Ah Miao. "I'd like to check in this cat. If you give me a discount, I'll forgive you."

He couldn't help laughing. His firm face suddenly broke into a smile, and his eyes filled with a gentle light. I suddenly felt my mood improve.

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Home My Mister Ostrich Side Story 2 HANDWRITTEN POSTERS
MY MISTER OSTRICH
Side Story 2 HANDWRITTEN POSTERS
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Side Story 2 HANDWRITTEN POSTERS
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

I just remembered something from when we were kids.

_______________________________________________________________

The year that Gu Haichuan was in kindergarten coincided with the Olympic Games. The kindergarten teacher handed out a sheet of A3 poster to all the kids. Their assignment was to, under their parents' guidance, create an Olympics welcoming (or introduction) poster. On the parents' open house day, they would display all the posters.

Pang Qian was extremely stressed out as she brought her son home. She couldn't help complain to Gu Mingxi, "Kindergarten students making welcoming posters? What kind of joke is that?! They can hardly read. Isn't this basically telling us to write and draw everything?"

Gu Mingxi smiled. "You can tell him to do it himself. He really likes to draw, so just let him play around or trace something."

(Note: GMX uses a pet name for his son- jiu jiu. It's like the sound of chirping, or I'd always thought of it as the sound of kissing. The author seems to call the kid jiu jiu a lot, but um, well I'll just refer to him as Baby Gu or Haichuan accordingly.)

"How can we do that? They're going to put on an exhibit!" Pang Qian jabbed at Gu Mingxi's waist with her elbow and giggled. "Our family has a great illustrator. It's your chance to make yourself known!"

On the weekend, Gu Mingxi, Pang Qian, and Haichuan sat around the dinner table to discuss what to do with that white sheet of paper.

Gu Mingxi asked his son, "What do you want to put on it?"

Haichuan plopped down on the table and thought for a moment. Then he said, "Olympics welcoming."

"I know it's to welcome the Olympic." Pang Qian sat next to him and asked, "Do you know what the Olympics are?"

Haichuan furrowed his little eyebrows and hesitatingly nodded his head. "It's a competition where they run and swim and play sports."

"Mm, that's right. Then, what kind of competition do you like?" Pang Qian continued leading him. "There are a lot of different competitions at the Olympics. We can't draw all of them, so we'll draw the three that you like most, okay?"

"Okay." Haichuan obediently nodded his head.

Gu Mingxi asked, "Which competitions do you like?"

Baby Gu thought for awhile, and then answered, "When the pretty girls do somersaults."

Pang Qian asked, "What is it when the pretty girls do somersaults?"

Baby Gu motioned with his fingers to show her. "Just-just like we saw on TV before! The girl with the big eyes, standing on a piece of wood, doing somersaults! They didn't even fall off!"

Gu Mingxi suddenly understood. "Oh, women's balance beam gymnastics."

Pang Qian asked, "What other competitions do you like? You only named one."

Baby Gu scratched his head and said, "I like swimming and diving, and also the bouncing trampoline. And also when they play ball on the sand!"

Seems like they were all competitions where athletes wore skintight costumes, or swimsuits and bikinis...

Pang Qian reminded him, "Don't I often bring you to the ping pong gym? Have you forgotten about ping pong?"

Baby Gu shook his head seriously and answered, "I don't really like ping pong that much."

His childish voice made Gu Mingxi laugh. "Why not?"

"Because... Because the girls playing ping pong aren't that pretty," Baby Gu said. "I like the girl who does somersaults the best! She's really pretty!"

Gu Mingxi asked, "Is the somersault girl prettier, or is your mom prettier?"

"Mm..." Baby Gu's face turned red and he plopped onto Gu Mingxi's body. Burying his face, he quietly looked at Pang Qian. "The somersault girl is prettier."

Pang Qian smiled. "Gu Haichuan, you can do your poster on your own! Gu Minxgi, you can teach him, but don't do it for him."

After she finished speaking, she turned around and went to the study to work.

When it came to Baby Gu's education, Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian didn't take the eagle dad - tiger mom approach, but they didn't pamper their son either. They opted for the method where they let things run their course through guidance, accompaniment, encouragement, and occasionally criticism. (Note: eagle dad and tiger mom are basically parents who push their kids to their limit, often in ways modern society views as cruel; see eagle dad for more)

Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi came to a consensus for teaching their son. Two people, of a single mind. Though they would occasionally come across disagreements or doubts with teaching methods, they would discuss those in private. For example, after Pang Qian said that Gu Mingxi couldn't help Baby Gu with his poster, Gu Mingxi listened obediently and didn't help at all.

Baby Gu's written vocabulary wasn't large, so Gu Mingxi found two sports-related songs and let him copy them onto the poster. The rest of the poster would be for drawings.

But Baby Gu was just a 6 year old child in the end. His handwriting was a mess, like something that was chewed up by a dog. When his characters were large, they were as large as a 5 cent coin, and when they were small, they were as small as melon seeds. After awhile, he finally painstakingly copied down one song. Then he lost his patience and started to pester Gu Mingxi.

"Daddy, help my draw and write." He crawled onto Gu Mingxi's legs and raised his little, pitiful face up. "I don't want to write anymore."

"No, I can't. This is your homework." Gu Mingxi comforted him, "After we finish copying the second song, we can draw, okay? I know that you like to draw. We'll draw the pretty girls who do somersaults."

"Daddy, you draw!" Baby Gu was very self-knowledgeable. "I don't draw well. Daddy, help me draw!"

"But Mommy said that Daddy can't help." Gu Mingxi continued warmly and patiently, "You heard what Mommy said. Daddy will stay here with you and teach you how to write and draw. We'll work hard together, okay?"

"No..." Babu Gu grimaced. "Daddy, I want to go out to play."

"When you finish drawing, we can go out to play. You're going to the square later to practice skating too."

"I won't finish the drawing!" Baby Gu looked like he was going to cry. "This paper is so big! So big! Daddy, I don't want to draw!"

Gu Mingxi looked up at the clock. He stood up and said, "Daddy has to make lunch. Stay here and finish copying down the song, and then draw. Draw the girls who swim and somersault. I'll be right back."

Baby Gu hugged Gu Mingxi's leg and wouldn't let him walk away. "Daddy, help me draw..."

"Daddy's going to make Louisiana chicken wings. Do you want to eat it?"

"..." Baby Gu released his hold and wiped at his eyes. "I want to eat four."

"Deal." Gu Mingxi bent over and knocked his son's head with his forehead. This was his secret move with Baby Gu, just like how other fathers and sons would high five or hook pinkies.

When it was lunch time, Baby Gu happily ate four chicken wings. After he finished, he realized that he had to work on his poster again. The little guy couldn't help himself and started crying. Gu Mingxi really felt conflicted seeing this, so he had Baby Gu go take a nap. The poor little Baby Gu went to sleep on his bed, his eyelashes laced with tears.

The large poster had already been turned into a mess by Baby Gu. Pang Qian felt that there was no way to save it, but Gu Mingxi said, "It's okay. Just let him play with it. As long as he doesn't rip it, it's fine."

Pang Qian picked up the rag-like poster and said helplessly, "If anyone found out that this was made by the son of the author of 'Xiao Chuan,' they'd probably laugh themselves silly."

"You were a bit harsh with him." Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian sat together by their son's bed and watched the sleeping boy. He had a head of fluffy, dark hair and looked very pretty. His facial contours looked more like Pang Qian's, but his eyes were more like Gu Mingxi's.

Gu Mingxi said to Pang Qian, "Adults were obviously supposed to help out with this assignment. The kids wouldn't be able to do a good job by themselves. He doesn't know anything about making a poster, so it was inevitable that it turned out like this."

"Then what do we do?" Pang Qian asked.

Gu Mingxi said, "When he wakes up, tell him that you'll let me help him, and then have him talk to me again."

Pang Qian nodded, "Okay."

Gu Mingxi looked at her somewhat gloomy face. Suddenly, he chuckled. Pang Qian looked at him strangely, "What are you laughing about?"

"I just remembered something from when we were kids," he said. "It was during the Olympics then as well, and we had to do posters. Do you remember?"

Pang Qian was thought about it and then she laughed. "How could I forget."

It was May 1996, and Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi were in the fifth grade.

That summer, the Olympics were held in Atlanta, USA. The whole nation was passionately welcoming the Olympics, elementary school students included. The art teacher gave an assignment to make a handwritten poster with the theme of welcoming the Olympics. Due on Monday.

Faced with such an assignment, Pang Qian didn't need to exert her brain at all. On Saturday afternoon, she flipped through the newspaper they subscribed to at home and found three articles about the Chinese team. Then she pulled out her notebook and found an article she'd previously written called 'Our Olympics.' She copied them neatly onto a piece of A3 paper. After spending a bit more than an hour copying it all down, Pang Qian brought the poster, still with lots of empty space, over to Apt 502 to let Gu Mingxi help her draw some pictures and write in the title.

Gu Mingxi made a face. "You should draw a bit too. If I draw it all, the teacher will easily find out."

Pang Qian didn't think it was a problem. "It's fine. My drawings are really ugly. Yours look nice. Just help me a bit. I'll be back later to get it."

Gu Mingxi mumbled to himself, "I haven't even started on my own poster yet."

"Aiyo, just help me out. I'll treat you to a doll popsicle later."

He raised his head to look at her. "I want cola."

"Deal!" Pang Qian stood up. "I have to go home to watch TV. Tonight is the finale episode of 'Instinct.' Have you watched any of it?" (Note: Instinct is a 1994 Hong Kong drama)

Gu Mingxi shook his head. "My dad doesn't let me watch TV."

"Ekin Cheng's Pau Man-lung is so handsome! And Poon Long-ching's such a baddie!" Pang Qian ran through the story of the drama and then got up, pat off her bottom and said, "Hurry up and draw. I'm going back to watch TV."

After Pang Qian left, Gu Mingxi started to look over the A3 paper she left behind. She was really lazy. She'd only written a little bit, and left all this space for him to fill in. Gu Mingxi sat at his desk and grabbed an illustrated book with his right foot. There were a lot of animals and plants inside that he could copy. Gu Mingxi flipped through the book with his toes and picked a few images to leave for Pang Qian to draw.

He earnestly helped her to fill in the title for the board. In all the blank spaces, he carefully made a pencil sketch for what he'd fill it in with. After two hours of preliminary work, he picked up the poster with his toes and looked at it with satisfaction. He got ready to add the colors.

He didn't use watercolors because the effect wouldn't be good. Gu Mingxi found some paints, a palette, and a brush. As he hummed, he filled in Pang Qian's poster with color.

When he painted, he was always in a good mood. Moreover, this was for Pang Qian. Gu Mingxi sat in his chair, his two feet busying themselves on the desk. The poster slowly turned colorful. The drawings and Pang Qian's articles were interlaced seamlessly.

But when the poster was nearly completed, a small accident occurred.

Gu Mingxi was picking up some paint on his brush with his right foot when he accidentally knocked into the cup of rinsing water next to his palette. He watched the cup tremble and anxiously raised his right foot to steady it, but in the end, he knocked the cup of water over.

The cup of muddy water crashed onto the table. Gu Mingxi's first reaction was to save Pang Qian's poster, but it was already too late. Most of the poster was already soaked, and slowly, his paintings and Pang Qian's writing were washed in the muddy water. The paper was a mess, and Gu Mingxi's mind went blank.

Li Han walked into his room after she heard the noise. She only saw that his desk was a mess as she helped him stand up and tidy his desk.

The water was running down his desk onto the floor. Gu Mingxi stared at the poster, completely dejected.

"What are you staring at? Hurry and go wash your feet," Li Han told him. "Look at your feet. Ah, what's this?"

She picked up the soaked paper as Gu Mingxi called out, "Don't throw it away!"

But he was too late. Li Han had already balled up the paper and thrown it into the trash.

Gu Mingxi looked at her, his head hanging in despair. "Mom, that was Pang Qian's homework."

Pang Qian was in tears from watching the finale of 'Instinct.' After dinner, she went over to Gu Mingxi's house to pick up her poster. She didn't forget to head downstairs to buy him a cola first.

With red eyes, she carried the cola to his room. Gu Mingxi looked at her a bit restlessly and asked, "Why did you cry?"

"Lam Ching-lit died. She burned to death. (crying sounds)" Pang Qian explained the story of the finale as she continued to cry sadly. "I hate them. If I knew she was going to die, I wouldn't have watched it. (crying sounds) Oh, your cola."

She put the cola down on Gu Mingxi's desk and sniffled. "Do you want me to help you open it?"

Gu Mingxi shook his head. How could he still dare to drink her cola. Quietly, he said, "You drink it. I don't want it."

"What's wrong? You're the one who said you wanted to drink it." Pang Qian finally stopped her crying. She looked at his desk and then around his room. "Where's my poster?"

Gu Mingxi, "..."

She continued asking, "Did you finish drawing it?"

"..."

"Gu Mingxi, can you hear what I'm saying?"

Gu Mingxi gathered up his courage and raised his head to look at her. He extended his right foot and pointed to the trash can next to his desk. "Pang Pang, I'm sorry. I got your poster dirty, I..."

Pang Qian rushed over and pulled out her broken poster from the trash. She looked at the text that she'd copied down. It was already illegible. Suddenly, she got mad. "Gu Mingxi, what did you do?!"

"It wasn't on purpose." Gu Mingxi stood next to her, rushing to explain. "My foot accidentally hit the cup of water I used to wash the brush. The cup fell and the water spilled. I..."

"I don't care! It took me so long to copy it!" Pang Qian stared at him with red eyes. "I hate you! I'm going to ignore you from now on!"

As she said this, she tossed the ragged poster back into the trash. Then she turned away and ran out. Not two seconds later, she returned to snatch the cola from his desk. With a "hmph!" she ran off.

Pang Qian sat angrily in her room for half an hour.

In that time, she finished the bottle of cola. Then she recalled that poster. Aside from her text, it was mostly colorful drawings. And then her anger disappeared.

She sat on her bed and hugged her knees, thinking that she'd write out the article again tomorrow morning and have Gu Mingxi draw again.

"If you make the drawing so complicated, the teacher will know right away that I didn't draw it. What an idiot." Pang Qian picked up a comic book and started reading. She spoke out loud, "Alright, I forgive you. I'll treat you to another cola tomorrow."

On Sunday morning, Pang Qian slept until 8 o'clock. When she recalled that she still had to work on her poster, she got out of bed, whining. As she was washing her face and brushing her teeth, Jin Aihua told her, "There's something of yours on the table. Gu Mingxi's mom brought it over earlier."

Pang Qian thought it was odd. After she washed up, she headed to the living room and saw a roll of paper on the table.

She pulled off the rubber band and unrolled the paper. She was entirely dumbfounded.

It was a completed poster, filled up and colorful. On the top, there were the signature five Olympic rings, and on the side of it, there were white clouds and birds. The articles were scattered around, and each one had interesting illustrations accompanying them. Pang Qian looked carefully at the paragraphs of writing. That idiot even tried to copy her handwriting. His writing was originally very pretty, but he intentionally wrote carefully, but childishly. Pang Qian looked at the spot where the title and her name went: Thirst for Knowledge Elementary, Class 3, Pang Qian.

Pang Qian went over and knocked on the door to Apt 502. Li Han opened the door and told her quietly, "Gu Mingxi's still sleeping."

Pang Qian asked, "Auntie, do you know how late he was up until last night?"

"Probably around 4 in the morning. The sky was already lighting up," Li Han said. "Did you get the poster? Mingxi said he messed up yours so he should pay you back."

"I got it..." Pang Qian bit her lip. "Auntie, can I go in to see him?"

Li Han nodded. "He just fell asleep not long ago, so don't be too loud."

"Mm."

Pang Qian walked to Gu Mingxi's room. The curtains were drawn and he was fast asleep.

She looked at his desk and saw a pile of brushes, paints, and scratch paper. Clearly, he hadn't cleaned up after he finished.

Pang Qian sat down by Gu Mingxi's bed. He was covered with a thin blanket, his eyes closed, giving off a light snoring sound. Gu Mingxi was only wearing a white tank top, and his exposed shoulders and scars made Pang Qian's heart ache.

She watched his sleeping face and curled her lips. Reaching out to ruffle his hair gently, she said quietly, "Why are you so stupid. It's not even due today. Why did you stay up so late."

When Gu Mingxi woke up, it was already noon. He hadn't slept enough, but when he thought of his own poster that he'd yet to start, he could only bite the bullet and push off his blankets to get out of bed.

As he sat up, he saw a bottle of cola by his pillow and a note beneath it.

Gu Mingxi reached over with his leg and grabbed the paper. Pang Qian drew a grimace and wrote: Idiot, thank you. But in the future, don't stay up all night, otherwise I'll get angry!

Looking at her threatening words, Gu Mingxi couldn't help laughing.

But then, in the next instant, he looked down at his bare shoulders, startled.

She'd once said that his scars were very scary. He wondered if she saw them this time.

Gu Mingxi didn't want to frighten her.

When Baby Gu woke up, Pang Qian gave him some good news. He could ask Daddy and Mommy to help him with his poster so he didn't have to do it alone anymore.

Baby Gu got up right away and ran to his dad's studio. He wanted Dad to help him draw the pretty girls who did somersaults. Gu Mingxi said, "Daddy can help you write. Let Mommy help you draw, okay?"

"No!" Baby Gu had already developed a sense of aesthetics. "Mommy's drawings are ugly!"

Gu Mingxi laughed out loud, and then he and Baby Gu walked over to the living room. The whole family sat together with the messy A3 posted in front of them. Gu Mingxi exhausted his abilities to save that poster, and finally had a delightful and completed poster.

After dinner, Gu Mingxi, Pang Qian, and Baby Gu went to the New Century Plaza to roller skate.

There were some tens of little kids practicing with the instructor. Pang Qian helped Baby Gu put on his protective gear and then he rushed off to join the instructor.

Four kids stood side by side and the instructor asked, "What's four plus three?"

The kids looked at him blankly, and then instructor said, "We'll start with the first one to answer correctly."

The kids scrambled to raise their hands, and the instructor pointed to one of the girls. "You can answer."

"Five!"

"Wrong."

One of the boys shouted, "Ten!"

"Wrong!"

Baby Gu rushed to raise his hand and the instructor called on him.

Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi looked at him expectantly.

With full confidence, Baby Gu answered, "Two!"

All the parents at the side chuckled and the instructor completely abandoned the question.

He walked behind Baby Gu and had him squat down with his hands behind his back. Then the instructor pushed him forward.

"Slower, slower. Slowly open your legs. Open. Okay, pull back. Good."

Baby Gu skated for a very long stretch under the instructor's guidance. On his way back, the instructor said, "Do you see your mom and dad? Can you skate over to them on your own?"

Baby Gu lifted his head and saw Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian some tens of meters away. He nodded. "I can do it."

"Okay, go on over!"

The instructor gave him a push, and the little boy with a blue helmet started sliding forward.

He rolled along with a stagger, but he wasn't scared at all. He looked at his parents with shining eyes, and Pang Qian cheered out for him. Gu Mingxi was already crouched down on the ground.

He was a special kind of dad, unable to open his arms to pull his child in for a hug like other parents. But just like everyone else, he could use his warm chest to accept his baby.

Gu Haichuan smiled happily. He finally slid over to Gu Mingxi, and he spread out his little arms and landed onto Gu Mingxi's body. He wrapped his hands around his dad's neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Daddy, I can skate!" He giggled.

Gu Mingxi kissed him on the cheek as well. "You're so awesome."

At this moment, a girl wearing a red helmet slid over to them.

Baby Gu turned to her. When Gu Mingxi noticed, he asked, "Who's this?"

"She's Guodong," Baby Gu whispered into Gu Mingxi's ear. "Daddy, isn't Guodong really pretty?" (Note: Don't know if it's a nickname, but 'guodong' means jelly)

"..." Gu Mingxi asked, "Didn't you like Xiao Hudie?" (Note: 'xiao hudie' is little butterfly)

Baby Gu responded seriously, "Now I think that Guodong is prettier than Xiao Hudie."

Gu Mingxi: = =

"Guodong and I will go to the same elementary school," Baby Gu said happily, his smile reaching his eyes.

Gu Mingxi asked, "Are you happy that you two will be going to the same school?"

"Yes!"

"Are you two good friends?"

"..." Baby Gu blinked his eyes and his head drooped. "I don't think she knows who I am."

Gu Mingxi laughed. "Then, go over and play with her. Look, Guodong skates very well."

Baby Gu turned to look and nodded. "Mm, I want to play with her!"

He left Gu Mingxi and stumbled over. Guodong was already very good at skating, so Baby Gu had to use a lot of effort to catch up to her. Gu Mingxi stood up and looked at Baby Gu, grinning as he talked to Guodong. Then the two kids held hands and skated together.

Pang Qian had been listening to their conversation and she couldn't help shake her head now. "I realized that our son's rather fickle, completely unlike you. He sees a new one and likes a new one. His head's just full of pretty girls. What do we do about it?!"

Gu Mingxi smiled, "Don't worry. He'll have his own life later."

Right beside him, Pang Qian wrapped her arm around his waist and pulled him closer.

Gu Mingxi whispered to her ear, "One day, he'll grow up and leave us to have his own life."

She said, "Mm, just like you and me."

Yes, just like every one of us.

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Side Story 1 HOW MUCH I ENVY YOU (4/4)
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Side Story 1 HOW MUCH I ENVY YOU (4/4)
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

Jodie, your new haircut's not bad. Short hair makes you look cuter.

_______________________________________________________________

After Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian parted ways with us, I sent Xie Yi home. After he got out of the taxi, he didn't stagger anymore and his eyes had cleared. He just grabbed my hand tightly and walked down the deserted road to his house.

I didn't struggle. The street lights cast two shadows behind us. As we walked, Xie Yi suddenly said, "Jodie, do you know how much I envy you?"

I looked at him beside me, but I didn't answer.

He suddenly laughed at himself and then turned to me, pulling me into his arms.

"How exactly was your heart formed?" Xie Yi held me tighter. His hoarse voice floated into my ear. "Where is it exactly that I fall short compared to him?"

"I've never thought of you in comparison to anyone else," I said. "Xie Yi, you should know. You're the one that everyone envies."

"Really?" He released me, and then looked at me with red eyes. "Then, do you envy me?"

"No." I honestly shook my head.

He couldn't help laughing. "You can't even bother to lie to me."

"No, I don't envy anyone," I said, looking him straight in the eyes.

He suddenly moved closer to me, forcing me to step back. He spoke slowly and clearly, "Do you dare to say that you don't envy her, even a little?"

Faced with this question, I could only remain silent.

I wondered how I could leave, when suddenly my phone rang. I picked it up. It was Lin Weiqi.

"Jodie, I have some good news and some bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?" His voice sounded tired, heavy. My heart tightened, and I said, "Bad news."

"I have a fever," he said. "Good news is that Ah Miao's fine."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Ah... Thank you."

His voice was gentle when he responded, "You're welcome. I'm a veterinarian, so this is my job. But... Why didn't you say anything about my own condition?"

I suddenly laughed. "Did you go to see a doctor?"

"No, but I took some medicine."

Firecrackers sounded in the distance. It was the last day of the Spring Festival holiday, so a lot of people were set off all the fireworks they still had. Lin Weiqi must have heard the sound, because he said, "Sounds lively. I miss the New Year's in China. That's how you celebrate a new year."

I asked curiously, "You've spent New Year's in China before?"

"My mom's Vietnamese-Chinese and my dad's Chinese-American mixed. My grandpa's from Beijing, so I lived there for a long time."

I laughed. "No wonder your Chinese is so good."

When I saw Xie Yi's cold expression, I immediately stopped the conversation. "Sorry, Virgil, I have to hang up. I'll call you when I get back to New York. Thanks for taking care of my cat."

After I hung up, I turned to Xie Yi. "I want to go home."

He said, "I'll send you."

I was speechless. "I had to send you back because you drank too much. How can you send me back now?"

He was angered by me again. He suddenly asked, "Who were you on the phone with?"

I looked at him. "Xie Yi."

A moment later, his hands curled into fists. "Let me apologize to you. I'm sorry. I feel a bit light-headed."

He hugged me again, pressing my face to his chest. "I'm a bit light-headed, really. (Note: or perhaps 'I'm out of my mind' is more fitting) Jodie, I'm beyond saving."

After the holiday concluded, I returned to New York and went to pick up Ah Miao from Lin Weiqi.

He would occasionally give me a call and ask something about prosthetics. After we got to know each other a bit more, I found that he was a rather interesting person. He was very serious, and his face often gave a fierce impression. But when he smiled, he was very cute.

Lin Weiqi ran a pet shop and a small animal hospital. Because of my parents, I've always liked pets, so sometimes I would drop into his store to look at the puppies.

I would help him bathe the dogs. He taught me how to feed the little kittens with a syringe. I watched as Lin Weiqi treated the dogs. He was very patient and gentle. He would speak to the dogs as he helped to clean up their wounds.

I sat at his side and watched. I watched as he walked, his left leg a bit stiff. I watched the serious and quiet expression on his face. I licked my milk candy lollipop, a snack he bought for me and left in the shop. He said, "Girls love sweets."

I could very clearly feel the slight change between Lin Weiqi and myself. But before anything could happen, I was sent to Germany to study for a year.

A year later, in the summer of 2012, I returned to New York and received Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian's letter. They told me a lot of good news. Pang Qian got into her graduate program, Gu Mingxi got into college, and they were getting married.

I sat in front of laptop for a long time, before I finally sent a reply to Gu Mingxi.

I told him the story of Arno and his family's drum. And then I said, "Mister Ostrich, Happy Marriage."

Then I went to the hair salon and cut the hair that I'd been growing out for years, returning to my refreshing, short hair.

Every day, I went for a morning run. I took the same path and I went at the same time each day. One morning, as I was running, I turned a corner and then someone started running beside me.

I turned to look at him, surprised. "Virgil?"

I hadn't seen Lin Weiqi in a year, but he was looking good now. His dark brown hair bounced as he ran and his eyes glowed. He was wearing shorts, and I could see his slender and strong right leg, as well as the left leg prosthetic wearing a pair of running shoes.

He was running really well, keeping pace with me. He smiled at me. "Jodie, your new haircut's not bad. Short hair makes you look cuter."

"Thanks," I said. "Hey, let's have a race."

He raised his brow. "Sure."

After a bit, he fell behind. I heard him shout, "Jodie, hey! Xiao Yujing! Wait for me!"

I finally stopped, and put my hands on my waist, gasping for breath. Lin Weiqi slowly and leisurely came over. His posture and pace wasn't as good as when he started.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

He was covered in sweat as he reached out a hand. "I can't keep going. You'll have to drag me."

He was also out of breath. I grabbed his hand and he shook his head. "The Chinese are especially attentive to the old, sick, disabled, and pregnant. But you... You're really too bad."

I glared at him. "Where did you see that?"

"When I... When I was in Beijing... Sitting... Sitting on the subway. And on the bus too, they wrote it everywhere." He clasped tightly to my hand and walked forward with me. "Goodness, after we run this far, how are we going to make it back? I'm afraid I won't be able to walk anymore."

I laughed. "I'll piggyback you back!"

He turned to look at me, and the sun behind created a halo of gold around him. In the sun, his brown eyes looked the color of amber.

I suddenly felt that the joke was over and I wanted to let go of his hand, but he didn't let go. Instead, he held on tighter.

"Jodie, I'm tired. Let's find somewhere to have breakfast, okay?"

I could feel the sweat on his palm. Wet, sticky, and hot. I also heard the heart inside of my chest beating very fast.

On an ordinary morning, on an ordinary street corner, I held hands with a man, both of us soaked in sweat, looking at each other.

I raised my head up to the sky. The weather was really nice.

I smiled toward him and said, "Okay."

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Side Story 1 HOW MUCH I ENVY YOU (3/4)
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Side Story 1 HOW MUCH I ENVY YOU (3/4)
Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

If you had a boyfriend, how could he handle your weird temperament?

_______________________________________________________________

I arrived back in China before the start of the Spring Festival. The break was two weeks long. I decided to fly to Beijing to visit my college professors first and get together with my old college classmates. Then I would return to E City.

When Xie Yi found out I'd be in Beijing, he called me out to meet with him. I told him that my schedule in Beijing was pretty packed, and that we could talk when I got back to E City. Xie Yi didn't try to force me past that.

I first became entangled with Xie Yi in Year 2, with the Spring Festival arts performance. Before then, I hadn't even known who he was.

At that point, he'd already been designated the most handsome boy at First High, and he was the object of countless crushes. But I really had no clue who he was.

We met for the first time in the teacher's office. When the teacher asked the two of us to perform a violin duet together, I immediately said, "There's no need to cause such trouble. I can withdraw from the performance and let this student perform his solo. I'm not used to performing together with someone else."

I swear, my words were completely genuine. What I said was what I meant, and there was no hidden meaning behind it. But oddly enough, both the teacher and Xie Yi thought that I was a bit unhappy about it. I figured that they must have misunderstood my last sentence.

And indeed, Xie Yi said, "Look here, (this) student, I'm also not used to performing with someone else. But more than that, I don't want to strip you of your right to perform. If you don't want to do a duet, then I'll withdraw."

I didn't want to get any more involved in these questions, so I said, "Forget it. Let's do a duet then. As long as you're willing to practice, I don't mind."

From then on, Xie Yi and I would practice together after school ended. But on the first day of practice, we fought.

My violin playing wasn't that good. If I were to go and take an exam at a professional institute, I'd definitely lose tons of points. But I just enjoyed playing the violin, with my own style, to express my heart. I didn't care about the fingering, the stance, or even the tempo. If I wanted to play faster, I would. If I wanted to play slower, I would. Who decided that there was only one way to play a song? So when Xie Yi pointed out all the parts where my tempo was wrong, I told him, "I think we're wasting time here, really. I don't want to perform. You can just perform your solo."

Later on, Xie Yi told me what he thought at the time. When he first heard me say that we were 'wasting time,' he simply didn't dare to believe his ears.

Xie Yi really was like an eagle, enjoying being able to fly freely through the sky. But at the same time, he was also like a peacock. A lot of people liked him, and he was very popular. No matter where he went, he was the focus of everyone's attentions. I guessed that there were countless girls who'd have loved to be able to perform a violin duet with him, but I said that we were just wasting time.

Xie Yi didn't agree to my dropping out of the performance. Instead, it seemed as if his fighting spirit was ignited by me. He transformed into a violin teacher, wanting to teach me from the basics, hoping that through his training, we'd be able to perform a stunning duet on stage for the audience. But in the end, we just ended up fighting each time.

Eventually, I ended up following along with his ideas. I still felt that we were wasting our time, but Xie Yi didn't seem to think so.

That performance was said to be a huge success. Many years later, when I was talking to Teacher Dai on the phone, she would start talking to me about the performance and how every year, the teachers still remembered it.

My memory of that day's events aren't very clear. What I remembered most was the expression on Gu Mingxi's face when I got backstage.

He wasn't as excited as the rest of the crowd. Others were applauding, but he just stood quietly at my violin case, waiting. There was just a hint of amazement and commendation in his eyes.

It was that tiny gleam in his eyes that reminded me of Arno.

After I changed my clothes and picked up my case, I asked him, "Gu Mingxi, what did you think of my performance?"

"It was good," he said. Then he stressed, "It was really good. I'm not just saying it."

I secretly smiled. I saw Pang Qian looking over from afar, and then I asked him, "I'm going out to the auditorium. What about you?"

His face reddened and he replied quietly, "I'm going to stay a little longer."

I nodded. "Okay. Thanks for watching my things. I'm going first."

After that performance, I thought that Xie Yi wouldn't ever want to talk to me again. I hadn't at all expected that it was just the start.

It was the first time in my life that a boy had so persistently and fervently pursued me with such youthful spirit.

From the very start, I clearly told Xie Yi that I didn't like him. But he seemed unable to accept my answer, or maybe, he just didn't believe me.

In June of Year 2, the Korea-Japan-hosted World Cup was getting into full force. One afternoon, Xie Yi called me out of class and confessed to me again.

"I'm sorry." With just those two words, I turned to head back into the classroom. Xie Yi grabbed my hand and pulled me out to the balcony.

He blusteringly asked me, "Xiao Yujing, do you like Gu Mingxi?"

I bit my lip and looked at him silently.

He said, "I knew you liked Gu Mingxi! When I invited you over to my house to watch the ball game, you were so adamant against going. Then when I said that Gu Mingxi would be coming, you suddenly agreed! Xiao Yujing, you sit next to Gu Mingxi all day long. Don't you know that he likes Crab?! The whole world knows that he likes Crab! But you don't know?! Wake up, won't you?! He won't like you!"

I stared at him coldly. "Xie Yi, do you know you're really stupid?" (Note: 'Stupid' or wuliao is one of the hardest words for me to translate sometimes. It's such a common word, but doesn't have a 'standard' translation. It can mean boring, senseless, or annoying... but also, sort of all of it)

He glared at me with resentment, his pretty eyes full of anger.

When I turned to leave, he grabbed onto me and pulled me into his arms.

Then he kissed me.

I spent the Christmas of 2004 in Beijing. Xie Yi called me and said he and Pang Qian had gone to Z City to find Gu Mingxi.

"You didn't find him, did you?" I asked.

He responded, "Mm," and then told me what he'd heard about from Pang Qian.

Gu Mingxi quit school.

I'd never thought of that happening before.

"Gu Mingxi liked Crab for so many years, and only after he disappeared did she realize her own feelings." Xie Yi's mood seemed a bit down. "Jodie, if one day, I were to go missing, would you suddenly wake up and realize, 'Oh, so I liked Xie Yi.'"

I really didn't want to hurt him, but I had to tell the truth. "I wouldn't."

Xie Yi was quiet for a moment. Then he gave a laugh, as quiet as possible. "I knew it."

Two months later, he sent me a message with an attached photo. It was him and an Asian girl having fun at Disneyland. Xie Yi said that the she was his girlfriend.

But his love life didn't go so smoothly. After just half a year, Xie Yi and his girlfriend broke up.

After that, he got another girlfriend. I was already in America by then. He flew from the west coast to the east coast to see me, which caused everyone around me to misunderstand that he was my boyfriend.

I was stone-hearted enough that I never made any comments about Xie Yi's personal life.

I was in no position to. I was just an old friend.

All these years, I've been following the plan I set. I got into the top university in the nation. I picked a major that I liked. I chose an outstanding school to study abroad at. I didn't stray even a single step off the path. And I decided that I wouldn't date while I was in school.

It was already four years since I'd been back to China. My parents had come to live in New York for awhile as well. That Spring Festival, I met many relatives and friends I hadn't seen in a long time. They all said that I'd changed greatly. But actually, all I did was grow my hair out, learn to wear makeup, and pick out clothes.

I thought that they were all mistaken, thinking that the past me was very individual and solitary, unlike other girls my age. In truth, I wasn't at all different from everyone else. I was already 27 years old. If I hadn't learned to dress up, I'd probably have become the school weirdo.

Wu Min called me and said that our high school classmates were having a get together. Coincidentally, my family was also having a dinner, so I declined.

In high school, Wu Min and I didn't interact much. It wasn't until we both studied at Peking University that we became close. He was a very pure and simple person. When I left for America, we would still often chat online, already having become quite good friends.

Wu Min said that Gu Mingxi was also coming to the get together. No one had seen him in nearly eight years, and (Wu Min?) hoped that I could make it.

I thought about it, and then said okay and told him to send me the time and address.

After I hung up, I sat at the table for a long time, my mind wandering. So it had already been eight years.

The Gu Mingxi in my memories was still an 18 year old youth. We sat together at the desk near the window. The warm sun streamed in and made me sleepy, so I would lay down on my arms for a bit. I looked over my arm at him. The sun shined onto his shoulder, making the dust floating in the air visible. His thick, black hair glowed healthily in the light. I could see his slender neck, the white collar from his shirt, the tiny and fine hairs on his skin, and the beads of sweat rolling down the side of his face.

During the lunch break, the weather was really hot. The ceiling fan would turn, but the wind barely reached our back corner. Still, I felt so at ease.

Gu Mingxi never took an afternoon nap. Maybe it had to do with his physical condition. When everyone else was resting, he would still be working on practice problems.

I looked at his side profile, at the subtle expression on his face. His slightly pinched, dark brows. The gentle blinking of his eyes. His straight nose. And his thin lips.

Sometimes, sweat would slide down his cheek. When he felt it, he would rub his cheek against his shoulder and shake his sleeve.

He would unobtrusively look over at me, perhaps because he didn't want me to see his slightly awkward movements. So each time, I would close my eyes and pretend that I was asleep.

It was such a scene that was engraved into my mind. Every summer, I would remember that wet afternoon, clothes soaked in sweat and skin sticky from the heat.

I had once secretly watched a boy like this too, when I was 18 years old.

My phone suddenly rang. I answered it, and it was Lin Weiqi.

"Jodie, did I disturb you?" he asked.

"No. Did you need something?"

"Ah Miao's sick." Lin Weiqi's voice was very apologetic. "It might be because the sudden change in environment scared him a bit. I also fed him a different brand of food, and he seems to have come down with acute gastroenteritis."

"Is it serious?" I asked. I'd been raising Ah Miao for nearly two years and he'd never gotten very sick before.

"A bit of vomiting and diarrhea. I gave him some medicine, so it should be okay for now," Lin Weiqi said. "I thought I should still call and let you know. I'm sorry for not taking better care of Ah Miao. But I'll make sure he recovers well before you get back."

I thought for a moment, and then I said, "Virgil, it's okay. I'm sure that you've been taking good care of Ah Miao. If, and I'm saying if, he gets really sick or dies, you don't have to feel bad. I won't blame you."

Lin Weiqi seemed a bit speechless. "Jodie, Ah Miao just has gastroenteritis."

"Since you called me, that means that the situation is very dire. Isn't that so?" I asked. "Virgil, you have to do your best to treat him. If Ah Miao dies, tell him something for me: I love him. But you have to use Chinese, since he doesn't understand English anymore."

Lin Wieqi started a moment. Then he said, "Jodie, do you have a boyfriend?"

"Eh?"

"If you had a boyfriend, how could he handle your weird temperament?"

"Do you have a girlfriend then?"

"No."

I said, "Thank goodness. If you did, how could she handle your anger issues?"

Lin Weiqi, "..."

I was a bit unhappy, because Lin Weiqi said that I had a weird temperament.

I admit that I'm not the kind of person to get along with everyone. Even now, I wasn't that close with any of my colleagues at work. When they went out for dinner or drinks, I rarely participated. Instead, I went home to my little place, hugged Ah Miao, and read.

Of course I would polish off my edges a bit. I didn't want to be looked upon as a freak. In truth, I've always thought that I was a very ordinary female, just a bit socially inept.

A few days later, I attended the high school get together. I hadn't expected there to so much traffic, and I ended up late.

I pushed open the door to the private room, and everyone inside was very lively. When the people at the table saw me, they all calmed down.

I smiled and said, "What's wrong, you don't recognize me?"

They stood up. The young and innocent faces I remembered had changed a bit. I saw Gu Mingxi, and he was wearing a beige shirt with black pants, looking mature and handsome. He was no longer the youth in a white collared shirt that I remembered. Standing together with the fashionable Pang Qian, they looked perfect for each other.

I also saw Xie Yi, still ever the image of a shining prince. At the dinner table, with all these other people around, we didn't speak much. I just watched as he downed glass after glass of red wine.

In the end, Xie Yi got drunk. I decided to send him home, and also to have a talk with him.

Outside the restaurant, Xie Yi wrapped his arms around a tree and started vomiting. Pang Qian considerately held a bottle of water for him. I turned around and saw Gu Mingxi not far away.

In the midst of the winter wind, he wore a grey coat, giving off a very calm air. When he caught me eye, he smiled slightly.

Taking advantage of Pang Qian standing with Xie Yi, I walked over to Gu Mingxi. The cold wind blew. We were standing right in front of each other, but I didn't know what to say.

Finally, he was the one to break the silence. He asked, "Are you planning on returning to China after you finish your doctorate?"

I shook my head. "Probably not. For the next ten years or so, I probably won't come back (to stay)."

He frowned and said, "I heard you and Wu Min talking earlier. Sorry, my English isn't very good anymore. But I seem to have heard... that you two were talking about prosthetics?"

Regarding this topic, I usually used English to speak to Wu Min about it. I lifted my head and looked him in the eyes, not avoiding his gaze. Calmly, I responded, "Yes, my advisor and I are currently researching the topic of smart prosthetics, upper limbs in particular. Modern lower limb prosthetics have already made great progress, and their compensation for real limbs is very good. However, upper limb prosthetics are still far away from being a replacement for an arm."

He smiled, not at all unhappy because of this sensitive topic. He said, "That's how it is. Arms and legs have different purposes, so they're hard to compare."

"We're making great progress in our research." I explained it to him simply, "In the next few years, we might have a breakthrough. After implanting a chip into the human brain, the user will be able to perceive and control their prosthetic limb. Coupled with the nerves that still remain in their amputated limb, they'll be able to have fuller control of the prosthetic. In the best case scenario, people will be able to rely on these upper limbs to completely take care of themselves."

Gu Mingxi laughed. "Like a robot?"

I thought for a moment and then nodded. "That's right, like a robot."

Probably because he'd had some alcohol, a mischievous expression slipped onto his face. "When I was younger, I always wanted to have two mechanical arms. When I found out it couldn't happen, I was depressed for a long time."

"Nothing's impossible now." Curious about it, I said, "Gu Mingxi, if... I'm saying if, you needed some help on this front, you can give me a call." Hearing my voice, I still couldn't believe I'd just said those words. I continued, "Your condition is very suitable for electronic prosthetics. At first, you might find it hard to adapt to, but after you practice, you'll be able to do a lot with the help of the prosthetics."

He nodded. "I know. I looked into it before. Thank you, Xiao Yujing, but... I don't plan on getting prosthetics."

I didn't ask him why, because I already knew the answer.

For Gu Mingxi, prosthetic arms may be a kind of burden. But I trust that the majority of physically disabled people will need our help. Especially young, poor, and disabled children. I firmly believe that our research can change their fates.

I decided on this path in the winter of 2003. I was studying in Beijing when my dad called and said that Simba had died.

That lion prince that should have been running through the African savannah ended up dying in a zoo.

At the time, I thought of Gu Mingxi. Not that long before I found out about Simba, I was on the phone with him, through the number that Pang Qian had asked Wang Song to send out.

Gu Mingxi sounded very down and out on the phone. I knew that he must have hit some difficulties.

That was the time when I was thinking about studying abroad. Whatever field I continued with, there would be a large gap from other things. I wasn't studying these things lightly. Whatever path I took, I was planning on continuing down that path professionally and to continue researching it.

Because of Gu Mingxi and because of Simba, I set my path down in stone.

I changed the topic. "Speaking of, Gu Mingxi, I read your book."

He was taken aback. "They sell it in America too?"

"No, Xie Yi mailed me a copy," I said. "The artwork was good, but... Miss Antelope seemed to be missing some scenes."

Seeing Gu Mingxi's frozen expression, I knew that he didn't get my joke.

I could only change the topic again. "Did you guys keep that drum?"

Gu Mingxi froze again, and then he nodded. "Yeah, it's at Pang Qian's house. She's keeping it well."

I laughed and said, "That's good. Don't throw it away and don't gift it to anyone else."

He squinted at me. "That drum... Is there a story behind it?"

"When you and Pang Qian get married, I'll tell you," I said.

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