My Mister Ostrich

69 (Part 2) | Vast and Endless Sea
He already left.

He was in a very jovial mood, and he leapt down the stairs. He waved down a taxi and headed to the small park near First High. It was the start of summer, and not yet 8 o’clock, so there were quite a few people at the park. Elderly folks exercising, kids playing around, couples out for a walk… Gu Mingxi walked over to the long bench that he and Pang Qian always sat at, and he sat down. He felt a bit nervous, and then he he stood up again.

He thought, Pang Qian would need some more time since she was biking over. Maybe she’d be there in ten minutes.

But after ten minutes, she still hadn’t shown up.

Twenty minutes later, thirty minutes later, and she still hadn’t come.

As the people in the park dispersed, Gu Mingxi started to worry. He walked out of the park and found a convenient store with a phone and called Pang Qian’s house. When the shopkeeper saw his empty, swaying sleeves, he offered to help dial the number. Then he put the receiver between Gu Mingxi’s face and shoulder.

Jin Ai’hua picked up the phone. She said that Pang Qian had gone out, to play with some classmates.

Gu Mingxi was stunned and then asked, “Auntie, did she open the picture frame?”

“Yeah. When you called her, she went to open it.”

Gu Mingxi, “…”

He returned to the small park, and continued waiting on the park bench.

The minutes ticked by, and the sky grew darker. There were no other people in the park. Gu Mingxi realized that no one would show up that night. But he wasn’t willing to let go. So he just stubbornly sat there.

That small park held a lot of memories for him and Pang Qian. Countless sunsets, sitting side by side on that bench. Licking the fingers on her left hand as she lifted the cone in her right hand up to his mouth.

He’d even tutored her there before. At the time, they weren’t in the same class, and they weren’t neighbors. Gu Mingxi could only spend some time after school, in this park, to explain things to her.

He waited for a long time, and his legs had been bitten by mosquitoes several times. But he didn’t care. He sat there like a statue, looking up at the night sky.

The sky was covered with clouds, and not a single star nor the moon could be seen. It was really hot that night, without even the slightest breeze. The air was thick and damp. Sometime past 10 o’clock, the clouds couldn’t hold the water vapor any longer, and beads of water started to fall from the sky. They dropped onto the trees and also onto Gu Mingxi’s head, soaking through his clothes.

Suddenly, rain started pouring across the entire city.

All the cars on the street turned on their lights. Bike riders and pedestrians all straddled their heads with their hands to block the rain. The long awaited rain dissipated the heat of the summer, and the temperature dropped. The sound of the falling rain blocked out many other sounds.

No one knew that in a small park inside this city, there was a 19 year old boy standing alone under the heavy rain. He was soaked to the skin and shivering. The rain blurred his vision and streamed down his face, mixing with another clear liquid.

For the first time in his life, Gu Mingxi didn’t hold back his emotions. On this empty night, he stood under the falling rain and let himself cry until he was content.

At 11 o’clock, Gu Mingxi returned to the Golden Compound soaking wet. He went to the bike storage and saw Pang Qian’s bike. He stood in front of her bike, a small briefly appearing on his face, before he turned around and walked up the stairs.

Students chose their university and major from June 26th to 28th. Gu Mingxi and Li Han waited for news from SHUFE, but in the end, the recruiter called Teacher Dai and said there was no way to guarantee admission for Gu Mingxi. He could fill in the school as his choice, but it was possible he would be rejected.

Hearing this news, Gu Mingxi thought it over for an hour, and then said to Li Han, “Mom, I decided to choose B University.”
– – – –

Pang Qian had tossed that frame into a drawer because she’d pricked her hand on it. But it was also because she didn’t usually put up photos. In any case, Pang Qian entirely forgot about this matter.

After she handed in her university choice form to Teacher Zhong, she ran up to the fourth floor to find Gu Mingxi. Gu Mingxi and Zhou Nanzhong had stepped out to the bathroom. When Xie Yi saw Pang Qian, he slipped out to talk to her.

“Hey, did you tell him which school you picked?” Xie Yi folded his arms in front of him and leaned against the door frame. He smiled happily. “If he finds out you picked SHUFE, he’ll be happy to death.”

Pang Qian blushes. “I might not be able to get in though. I looked up the admittance scores from previous years, and they’re always something like 50 points above the minimum for tier-1 schools. If I can’t get in, I guess I’ll have to change my major. I picked a pretty popular one.”

Xie Yi asked, “What did you fill out?”

“Financial engineering.”

“You’ll probably have to switch.”

“I know!” Pang Qian grabbed her cheeks and said a bit vexed, “I just filled it like that because my brain was momentarily in a fever. Later on, if I get dropped into a really unpopular major, I’m going to be doomed.”

“It’s not for sure. See how your luck goes.” Xie Yi smiled to comfort her.

That’s when Gu Mingxi and Zhou Nanzhong returned. When he saw Pang Qian and Xie Yi chatting and smiling happily, his eyes immediately dimmed. Pang Qian turned around and saw him, “Gu Mingxi, did you fill out your school?”

“Yeah,” he responded.

“Where did you pick?”

“B University.”

Xie Yi and Pang Qian were both stunned.

Pang Qian asked, incredulous, “B University?”

“Wait, wait, wait, where’s B University?” She turned back to Xie Yi. Her voice hopeful, she asked, “Is B University in Shanghai?”

Xie Yi shook his head. “No, it’s in Z City.”

“Z City? Up north?” Pang Qian turned back to Gu Mingxi, eyes wide. “Gu Mingxi, did you already turn in your form? What kind of joke are you playing? Are you tricking me? You…”

“I don’t have arms, so SHUFE wouldn’t want me.” He said this sentence very lightly. Pang Qian’s face paled. He said, “I’m not tricking you, Pang Pang. No matter who I trick, I wouldn’t trick you.”

Although he said that, Pang Qian was angry. She was so angry that she ignored him and sat in her room for several nights crying. She was angry that Gu Mingxi hadn’t even mentioned anything about choosing B University to her. B University was so far away, so she’d never even considered choosing it. When she told her parents that she wanted to change her application, she was directly rejected.

Jin Ai’hua said, “Z City’s so cold. A tender girl like you from the south wouldn’t eat well there or live well there. And work will be so hard to find in the future!”

Pang Qian was depressed for several days, and then she gradually thought things through. She located Z City on the map. The distance between Z City and E City and Shanghai was really great. She thought, she’ll have to start saving money so that she could visit Gu Mingxi. She also thought that he’d return home during winter and summer breaks as well. It was just four years, or three and a half if you leave out the internship. After three and a half years, she’d be able to see Gu Mingxi again. Thinking of this, she felt much better.

Pang Qian was an optimist. She wouldn’t be afraid of cower because of this separation. She wrapped her arms around her knees and sat in bed. There were still two more months. It was still enough time. There were some things that she had to tell Gu Mingxi before school started.

Choose a suitable time. What about his 19th birthday? It would be Qixi as well. How romantic would that be. Or maybe her 18th birthday. She’d become an adult, so that was also a meaningful day.

But that day didn’t come for her. After filling out their applications, Pang Qian had ignored Gu Mingxi. But when she made a move to find him, Gu Mingxi hid from her.

After getting the cold shoulder from him, Pang Qian couldn’t help but get angry. That time happened to coincide with Jin Ai’hua’s annual vacation time, so mother and daughter joined a tour group to Qingdao, Penghai, and Jinan to play for a few days.

Pang Qian even brought back a present for Gu Mingxi. A large conch. When you put it next to your ear, you could hear the sound of the sea.

When she and Jin Ai’hua returned, it was already the middle of the night. Nothing seemed strange about Apt. 502, so Pang Qian washed up and then slipped into dreamland.
– – – –

When Xiao Yujing went to school to find Teacher Dai, they had a chat. Xiao Yujing got into Peking University. She sat down next to Teacher Dai, swinging her legs and eating grapes. Teacher Dai said, “It’s really a shame about Gu Mingxi. Such a good score, but he can only get into B University. And he had to choose computer science as his major.”

Xiao Yujing had already heard about this. She asked, “He can’t choose a different major?”

“No. The teacher at B University said that because he doesn’t have arms, computer science would be the most suitable. Gu Mingxi didn’t really seem to like it, but there was no other choice. When it comes to choosing a school, he’s at the disadvantage.”

“He always wanted to go to Shanghai,” Xiao Yujing said. “He told me a long time ago. He wanted to go to Shanghai, to study at SHUFE.”

“Mm. Who would have thought that in the end, it was Pang Qian who ended up at SHUFE.” Teacher Dai let out a sigh. “Pang Qian really worked hard last year. Her scores were better than a lot of students in our class.”

“Gu Mingxi had a lot to do with that,” Xiao Yujing said with a smile. “But it really is a shame that the two of them won’t be able to go to the same school.”

Teacher Dai nodded. “Yes. Oh yeah, did you know that Gu Mingxi’s train to Z City leaves today?”

Xiao Yujing asked surprised, “Today?” It’s only the start of July. Why’s he going there?”

“They said they already packed up and sent everything over a few days ago. Since his parents got divorced, he’s following his mom back to her hometown. School starts in September, and they want some time to settle down. Everything’s already dealt with on this side, so once they have their tickets, they can go.”

Xiao Yujing asked, “He’s not coming back?”

“Probably not.”

“What about their house here?”

“They seemed to be renting it.”

“Teacher Dai, do you know what time his train leaves at?”

“He told me, but I don’t really remember. 10 or 11 in the morning?” Teacher Dai let out another sigh. “He told me not to tell anyone in advance, that he didn’t want anyone to send him off. It… didn’t even seem like he told Pang Qian.”

Xiao Yujing looked to the wall clock. It was already 9:10. There was no time to delay. She reached over the table and made a phone call.

“Xie Yi, do you have Pang Qian’s home phone? Hurry and call her and tell her that Gu Mingxi’s heading to Z City today, on the 10 or 11 o’clock train this morning. He’s not just going there to study, he’s moving there! After he leaves, he’s not coming back! Hurry and tell Pang Qian to get to the train station!”

After she hung up, Xiao Yujing ignored Teacher Dai’s surprised gaze and grabbed her bike keys before charging out the door.

She’d never ridden her bike that fast before. She didn’t even pay attention to the red lights, riding all the way to the train station. She parked her bike and then ran to the train station waiting area.

She was a very methodical person. First, she checked with the information desk about when the next train to Z City would be. Then she checked the notice board to confirm the waiting area.

On the other side of things, Xie Yi, who’d been sleeping in, was woken up by Xiao Yujing’s call. He immediately called Pang Qian’s house, but the line was busy.

Xie Yi didn’t even bother washing his face or brushing his teeth. He just pulled on some clothes and ran out the house. The driver had already gone out, so he grabbed his hair and then ran to his bike to head over to Pang Qian’s.

His house wasn’t that far from Pang Qian’s. Xie Yi pretty much “flew” all the way to the Golden Compound. He didn’t know which building or floor Pang Qian lived in, so he could only stand outside and call out, “Pang Qian! Pang Qian! Pang Qian–”

An unkempt head popped out onto Pang Qian’s balcony. “Xie Yi? What are you doing? I’m trying to sleep.”

Xie Yi shouted up to her, “Hurry and get down here! I’ll give you one minute!”

Xie Yi’s bike was a sports bike so he couldn’t carry anyone on it. He dragged Pang Qian’s arm until they reached the street. After waving his hand for a long time, they finally got a taxi.

To the train station.

Xiao Yujing arrived breathless at the waiting room. She trotted around the room until she spotted that unusual figure. Xiao Yujing was covered in sweat. She ran over in front of Gu Mingxi and saw a very exhausted Li Han beside him. Panting for breath, there was a lot of things she wanted to say to him. But seeing him there now, she suddenly couldn’t say any of it.

Gu Mingxi stood up and slightly smiled at her. “I hadn’t expected that there would be someone to send me off.”

Xiao Yujing asked a question that she already knew the answer to. “Will you come back?”

Gu Mingxi thought for a bit, and then said, “I don’t know, but probably not.”

“There’s still twenty minutes. Pang Qian will be here soon.”

Gu Mingxi’s gaze turned cold. “You told her?”

Xiao Yujing nodded. “It’s not right of you to not tell her. Really, Gu Mingx, it’s not right.”

“I had my own considerations,” he said lightly. “If I told her, she’d come to send me off. And she’d definitely cry.”

“Then let her cry!”

“I’ll feel terrible seeing her cry,” he said, once again lightly. “There’s no future between her and me, so I don’t want to make her cry.

“Who said you two don’t have a future?” Xiao Yujing said. “Pang Qian chose SHUFE, don’t you know?”

“I know, but that doesn’t really mean anything,” Gu Mingxi said. He shrugged his shoulders. “I can’t give up the rest of my life for her. I might get rejected from SHUFE.”

Xiao Yujing clenched her teeth. “You’re lying.”

He looked at her, and then suddenly smiled. “Xiao Yujing, you don’t understand me.”

Xiao Yujing’s expression slowly returned to normal. She also smiled for a moment. “You’re right, I don’t understand you.”

When she finished speaking, she suddenly spread open her arms and hugged Gu Mingxi. She closed her eyes, hands clasped tightly behind his back, her face up against his chest, hearing his heart beat. She said, “Maybe we’ll never meet again, Gu Mingxi. I wish you good fortune.”

She released her hold and looked up at him, tears beading around her eyes. “Make sure you remember the words you said during our military training. Mister Ostrich, I’m sure that you’ll become an amazing person.”

An announcement sounded for train boarding. Li Han stood up and said, “Mingxi, we have to go.”

Gu Mingxi lowered his head to look at Xiao Yujing. “I have to go.”

Xiao Yujing reached out a fist and knocked on his chest. “Mm. Jiayou, and have a good journey.”

By the time Xie Yi dragged Pang Qian into the train station, the train had already left.

Xiao Yujing was sitting on the steps in front of the train station, her chin in her hands. Xie Yi walked up to her, out of breath. And Pang Qian charged straight into the train station.

Xiao Yujing stood up and called to her, “He already left.”

Pang Qian turned around to look at her, hair disheveled. Just like Xie Yi, she hadn’t washed her face or brushed her teeth. She was even wearing slippers on her feet.

“Left?” Pang Qian stared at her, and then turned to grab Xie Yi. “Get up. You promised me that we’d make it in time.”

Xie Yi slumped down on the ground. “What am I supposed to do about there being traffic?! And your mom was the one who was on the phone all morning.”

Pang Qian turned back to look at the train station. She limped over and muttered to herself, “What is he doing? Why didn’t he say anything to me? What’s this supposed to mean?”

Her voice was choke with sobs. Xie Yi finally stood up, about to grab her, when Xiao Yujing stopped him. She shook her head. “Forget it. Let her cry for awhile.”

Pang Qian couldn’t stop herself. Standing in front of the train station entrance, with people walking in and out, she started to wail out loud.

That summer, several things happened.

First, Pang Qian received an acceptance letter to SHUFE. She didn’t get into financial engineering, but rather was put into the financial investments major.

Second, Pang Qian had her 18th birthday, and she was an adult now.

Third, Shark sold his barbecue shop and decided to go to Shanghai to start a business.

Fourth, Xie Yi gave up on studying in China. Instead, with his impressive exam scores, he applied to schools in America.

Fifth, Gu Guoxiang got married. He had a wedding banquet and invited Pang Shuisheng’s family and Pang Qian’s grandparents. But none of them attended.

Sixth, in the vast and endless sea of people, Pang Qian lost her Gu Mingxi.

[End of Part 2]