79 | Be There or Be Square (Won’t Leave ‘Til I See You)
Ey– Gu Mingxi, you stink!

When they exited the basketball venue, Sheng Feng turned to Yang Lu and winked. Immediately picking up on his signal, she pulled the other boy away and said that she wanted to go eat. Then the two of then walked off.

Four people had become two. Pang Qian concentrated on walking, and Sheng Feng caught up to her and said, “The basketball match was really exciting.”

“Ah? Really?” Pang Qian responded frankly, “Actually, I don’t really understand basketball. I just went to increase the fan count in the stands.”

“What about football/soccer?”

“I don’t really like it either. I don’t get it.” Pang Qian smiled. “I like ping pong.”

“I know, I’ve seen you play before. You’re pretty good.” Sheng Feng lifted his wrist and checked his watch. “There’s still some time. Do you want to go get a cup of milk tea? My treat.”

Pang Qian shook her head to Sheng Feng. “It’s okay. I still have to finish my homework for cla.s.s tomorrow.”

Sheng Feng smiled slightly. “Then I’ll send you back to your dorm.”

In two more days, it would be National Day. When they returned to Pang Qian’s dorm, Sheng Feng asked her, “Are you going home for the long holiday?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you buy your tickets yet?”

“Not yet. I’m going to the train station tomorrow to buy them. I don’t have to worry about tickets back to E City.”

Sheng Feng said, “I haven’t bought them yet either. Do you want to go together tomorrow?”

Pang Qian looked at him a bit and then said, “Sure. I’ll call you later.”

It was already late night, and there weren’t many girls left on the first floor of the girls’ dorm and the lights were dimmed. A few girls were coming back with their books from the study rooms or the library. And there were some couples holding each other affectionately, unwilling to separate.

Sheng Feng’s face reddened a bit when he saw those couples. Standing in front of Pang Qian, he asked, “Do you have any plans for National Day? If you don’t, then we can hang out together. There are a few new attractions in E City that are supposed to be pretty good.”

“…” Pang Qian scratched her head. “That’s okay. It’s just a few days. I want to spend more time with my parents, and I have to visit my grandparents too.”

“Didn’t you just spend two months with them over the summer?”

Pang Qian couldn’t reply. Sheng Feng had been pursuing her for a year. Yang Lu and w.a.n.g Song had already told him Sheng Feng that Pang Qian already had someone she liked. He was somewhere else. But Sheng Feng didn’t believe that such a person existed at all.

Especially in the most recent half year. Even Yang Lu said that Pang Qian hadn’t hidden in her blankets to receive a call in a long time already. Normally, she didn’t text anyone or chat on QQ with anyone. She definitely didn’t video chat with anyone. In any case, it didn’t seem like this boyfriend existed at all.

Yang Lu once asked Pang Qian if she hadn’t planned to visit her boyfriend over the summer. So why didn’t she go? Then Pang Qian’s face turned sour.

Sheng Feng felt that Pang Qian and that boy were either on the verge of breaking up or they had already broken up. Regardless, to him, now was the best chance.

 

The wind was a bit chilly outside the dorm. Sheng Feng suddenly pulled the hood on the back of Pang Qian’s clothes and jokingly covered her head with it. The brim covered her eyes so she shouted out, “What are you doing?!”

“Be careful not to catch a cold.” Sheng Feng giggled and even pat her head. “Crab, when are you going to stop carrying your sh.e.l.l around me?”

“Have you ever seen a crab without a sh.e.l.l?” Pang Qian pulled her hood off and glared at him. Then she took a step back. Just then, some girls were returning from studying. As they walked past Pang Qian, one of the girls said, “Hey, did that boy have no arms?”

It felt like a bolt of lightening cracked Pang Qian’s head, with thunder ringing in her ears. Her heart suddenly started beating crazily. She turned back and saw someone leaning against the wall.

The distant street lights s.h.i.+ned on him, causing a long shadow to extend on the ground in front of him.

From start to end, he didn’t try to hide. He just stood against the wall as he saw the girl and another boy walking in, talking and laughing. The boy also looked very gentle, and he even affectionately patted her head. His eyes were beaming, enough to reveal his thoughts.

Gu Mingxi didn’t know whether or not he should call out to her. So he didn’t say anything until Pang Qian turned and started towards him.

Gu Mingxi was surprised at the changes in Pang Qian. She’d died her hair and cut it fas.h.i.+onably with fringe. She also had on light makeup and she wore a loose purple sports hoodie and black pencil pants.

He originally thought that the photo he’d seen of Pang Qian in her room was prettier because it was edited, but seeing her in the flesh, Gu Mingxi realized that his Pang Pang had really become a slender and elegant young woman.

His back facing the wall, he took two steps forward. He tried very hard to smile towards her and said, “Hi, Pang Pang.”

Pang Qian’s eyes were already red. Hearing his voice, tears welled in her eyes. She ran over to him. In the surprised eyes of the boys and girls at the dorm, she spread her arms and rushed into Gu Mingxi’s body, hugging him tightly.

“Gu Mingxi–”

She exerted so much strength when she charged at him that Gu Mingxi nearly lost balance and he swayed a bit. She was already crying loudly into his chest. She cried with such hurt and pain, as if time and s.p.a.ce hadn’t put a great distance between them, that there was no distance between them. All that existed as a deep longing and missing.

Gu Mingxi stood still, his heart touched. He could feel how strongly Pang Qian felt. How could he not? He couldn’t help lowering his head to lay his cheek onto her hair. Pang Qian suddenly turned her head to look up at him, sniffling with her face covered in tears. Her makeup was all messed up too. She sniffed and then said, “Ey– Gu Mingxi, you stink!”

Gu Mingxi’s face suddenly turned red. He’d spent an entire night on the train and it had already been two nights since he’d showered. He hadn’t shaved, and he hadn’t even properly washed his face. His body must have been soaked with smelly sweat. He leaned back and said quietly, “Let go. I’m really dirty.”

“I don’t want to!” Pang Qian buried her head in his chest again and tightened her arms. “Gu Mingxi, I missed you to death! You’re so heartless! Do you know how many calls and texts I sent you? Why don’t you turn on your phone! You gave me a cell phone, but you don’t turn yours on. What’s that supposed to mean?! (crying sounds…)”

Sheng Feng stood at the side and watched Pang Qian, stupefied. Truth be told, Pang Qian was a pretty extroverted and open girl, but it was still the first time Sheng Feng had seen her lose control of herself this way. She held onto that boy like an octopus. Sheng Feng looked carefully and saw that it really was a boy without arms. He really had a hard time accepting this. He couldn’t help calling out to her, “Crab.”

Pang Qian suddenly came back to her senses and remembered that she was at the bottom of the girls’ dormitory. She looked around with her red eyes and realized that everyone was really watching them. She wiped away her tears as Sheng Feng walked over beside them. Pang Qian pointed to Gu Mingxi and said, “This is Gu Mingxi. He’s… He’s… He’s my best friend.”

Then she pointed to Sheng Feng and told Gu Mingxi, “This is Sheng Feng. We’re in the same cla.s.s.”

Her eyes were beaming, her face more vivid than ever. Sheng Feng could feel how excited Pang Qian was. He was someone who knew when to stop. He realized that there wasn’t anything appropriate for him to say at this point in time. This was a reunion of old friends for Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi. He smiled and gave a greeting, then he told Pang Qian, “See you tomorrow,” and left.

After he left, Pang Qian totally let go. She grabbed Gu Mingxi’s clothes and looked up at him. It had been a year since she’d seen him. She hadn’t even seen any photos. Seeing him now, just like with Pang Shuisheng and Gu Guoxiang, Pang Qian was startled by how dark, thin, and scruffy Gu Mingxi had become.

“Have you been digging up coal?!” Pang Qian even reached out to stroke his face. Her fingers brushed over the stubble on his chin. “Why have you gotten so thin?! Don’t you eat?! And you’re so tanned! Why did you cut your hair?! It doesn’t look good at all! Gu Mingxi, what are you doing here? Are you coming back for National Day? Are you coming back to E City?”

She asked a whole chain of questions, her eyes unable to leave his face. She started crying again. “I thought I wouldn’t be able to find you. I even told my dad that I would go to Z City over National Day to find you at school.”

Gu Mingxi smiled. “Don’t cry. I was just in E City to take care of some things. On the way back to Z City, I decided to pa.s.s by Shanghai. I wanted to come see you.”

“When are you going back to Z City?” Pang Qian immediately stopped crying and stared at him.

“Tomorrow…”

Without hesitation, she cried out, “Get a refund!”

“Ah?”

“Stay in Shanghai for a few days, Gu Mingxi. Please, don’t leave so fast.” Pang Qian tugged at his s.h.i.+rt and continued swaying side to side. “We’re on holiday the day after tomorrow. I have time, I won’t go home. I’ll stay in Shanghai so we can hang out. Our school has guest housing, and it’s very nice. If you think it’s not convenient to stay there on your own, I can stay with you…”

“Pang Pang,” he cut off her bold idea. “I’m sleeping over at Shark’s place tonight. I already contacted him.”

“Don’t go tomorrow…” Pang Qian’s voice choked. She grabbed onto his collar with hands. “Gu Mingxi, don’t go. Stay here for two more days, just two more days.”

Seeing her cry like this, he finally gave in. “Okay, okay, I won’t leave tomorrow. Don’t cry.”

A smile suddenly broke through Pang Qian’s tears, her eyes s.h.i.+ning as she looked at him.

She walked him out to hail down a taxi. On their way out, she kept holding onto the hem of his t-s.h.i.+rt.

“Why do you keep pulling on my s.h.i.+rt?” Gu Mingxi asked.

“I want to!” Pang Qian pouted and kept swaying beside him. “Who told you to keep disappearing. I don’t want to let go. I’m scared that once I let go, you’ll just bang, and disappear in a puff of smoke.”

Gu Mingxi laughed gently. Pang Qian asked, “Gu Mingxi, has your mom gotten better?”

Now that his mother had been brought up, his heart suddenly grew heavy. He didn’t want Pang Qian to worry though, so he just said simply, “She’s a lot better.”

Seeing that he didn’t want to say more, Pang Qian didn’t ask any further. They’d already made their way to the school gate. Pang Qian said, “Gu Mingxi, tomorrow at 8:30 AM, let’s meet back here, okay?”

“Where do you want to go?” Gu Mingxi asked. “You don’t have cla.s.s?”

“I don’t have cla.s.s tomorrow morning. I’ll take you out someplace,” Pang Qian said. “Just promise. I’ll be waiting at the gate tomorrow at 8:30. Be there or be square.”

She stared at him until Gu Mingxi finally nodded, “I promise.”

“If you don’t come, I’ll be hit by a car on my way out!” She called out.

“Pang Pang!” Gu Mingxi frowned at her. “Don’t say nonsense.”

“I just want you to know that you have to come.” Pang Qian clutched onto his s.h.i.+rt tightly. She lowered her head, “Gu Mingxi, you must come.”

He looked at her silently, finally nodding again. “I’ll definitely come.”

Gu Mingxi took a taxi back to Shark’s place. Shark opened a barbecue place in Pudong District, and the business was pretty good. He also had a girlfriend who was living with him.

Gu Mingxi had been in touch with Shark the whole time. That night, the two of them who were finally meeting up again in a long time drank some dozen bottles of beer, and finally ended up sleeping on the floor of his living room.

At 6 AM, Gu Mingxi opened his eyes, lying on the freezing cold floor. He sat up and felt that his head was kind of itchy. He lowered his head and sniffed the sour smell from his body. That’s when he realized that he hadn’t bathed in a long time.

His never before sloppiness made him laugh. He looked around and saw Shark sleeping on his back beside him. Gu Mingxi stood up and pulled out a change of clothes from his bag. He piled the clothes onto his shoulder, then pulled out his back scratcher and walked into the bathroom.

In the mirror, he saw a young man with puffy eyes, greasy hair, stubble all across his chin, and a white t-s.h.i.+rt that was wrinkled like a pickle, after being worn for several days and nights.

Gu Mingxi took a deep breath as he looked at the image in the mirror. He sat down on the toilet lid, bent over, and pulled his s.h.i.+rt off from the collar with his toes. He leaned over the sink and brushed his teeth, washed his face, shaved, and then stepped into the shower before carefully was.h.i.+ng. Then he changed into a clean pair of underpants, a sky-blue short sleeved s.h.i.+rt, and beige trousers. He stood in front of the mirror and looked at himself again. He finally felt very refreshed.

Shark’s girlfriend, Xiao Le, had already woken Shark up, and she was currently in the kitchen making breakfast for the two boys. Wearing just a pair of underpants, Shark ran over to the bathroom. When he saw Gu Mingxi, he quipped, “Ey, looking good.”

He put some gel into Gu Mingxi’s hair. “You going on a date with Little Crab today?”

“…” Gu Mingxi’s face reddened. Shark helped him pull up his hair and then neatened up his s.h.i.+rt. He said, “Kid, don’t think about your mom’s sickness for today. It’s been a long time since you’ve seen Little Crab, so just have fun. Be happy. Got me?”

He gave Gu Mingxi a strong pat on his back and then stuffed a few hundred bucks into Gu Mingxi’s pant’s pocket. “I should be acting as your host now that you’re here in Shanghai, but I can’t interrupt your date with Crab. So your activities today are on me. Don’t leave any money. Whatever Crab wants to eat or do, just go along with her.

Gu Mingxi just looked at him, but he didn’t refuse. He said, “Thanks, Shark.”

When he saw it was about time, Shark drove Gu Mingxi to the front gate of SHUFE.

It was 8:20 AM. The road in front of SHUFE was congested with cars and people were hurrying past. Pang Qian walked out from the school gates, feeling some ill at ease, when she suddenly heard a familiar voice.

“Pang Pang.”

She jerked her head back and saw his smiling face.