41 | Do You Mind
I’m. Getting. Angry. Again!
Gu Mingxi’s IV drip was nearly finished. Pang Qian was about to call someone over, when a young nurse walked over. As she was changing Gu Mingxi’s medicine, she realized that Pang Qian was sitting right there. “Are you this student’s friend?”
“Yeah, I am.” Pang Qian nodded her head. The nurse said, “I say, how can this student come for his IV alone? And it’s so cold out, but he came wearing flip flops. Isn’t he afraid he’ll get more sick?”
She glanced down and smiled. “Oh, you’re awake. Yeah, I was talking about you.”
Pang Qian looked over. Gu Mingxi had already opened his eyes. Lying in the infusion chair, he turned his head to look at her.
After the nurse left, Pang Qian sat up and stared at Gu Mingxi’s bare feet. She kept staring, and then reached out her hand to grab his foot. Good thing that the infusion room had heating, so his foot wasn’t much colder than normal.
Gu Mingxi withdrew his feet from her hold. “Why did you come?”
“Why do you think? Pang Qian was angry again. “What do you mean by this, Gu Mingxi? Didn’t we agree that you’d wait until I came back, and I’d come to the hospital with you? I didn’t come back late either. I got home at 3:30! Why did you run off to the hospital on your own?”
As she spoke, she started tugging at Gu Mingxi’s shirt. He only had on one cotton sweater. Then she tried to pull his pants, but Gu Mingxi wouldn’t let her. “Don’t look, I’m not wearing the cotton pants underneath, okay! I’m not cold!”
“Not cold?!” Pang Qian huffed. “You’re only wearing one sweater. You have a fever and you’re coughing, don’t you know! If my dad finds out, he’ll definitely scold me! And you’re not wearing shoes! Why aren’t you wearing shoes?! You think it’s summer time right now! I know that you need your toes to do things, but couldn’t you have just waited for me to come home? You don’t have arms! How can you just go to the hospital by yourself! I was nearly scared to death, do you know!”
“I left you a note.” Gu Mingxi bit his lip. Looking at Pang Qian seriously, he said, “I left it on your desk. Didn’t you see it?”
Pang Qian stopped for a moment. She hadn’t even thought that Gu Mingxi would leave a note.
With lowered eyes, Gu Mingxi continued, “I don’t have arms, but I can still go to the hospital for an IV drip. I admit that not wearing more clothes wasn’t that good, and it’s a bit cold, but the shoes… I used to wear flip flops in the winter all the time, so I’m just used to it. At worst, they’ll just get a bit frostbitten. It’s not the first time.”
Pang Qian, “…”
Gu Mingxi slowly turned to look at her, being careful with the needle in his neck. He looked like he was suffering a bit, as if Pang Qian had bullied him again. He said, “I’ve already brought a lot of trouble to you guys, staying at your house. Auntie had to wash my clothes, Uncle had to cook congee for me. I even took your bed to sleep in. So I didn’t want to stop you from going to play.”
After a pause, he said, “Pang Pang, I always thought that you didn’t mind that I didn’t have arms.”
Pang Qian gaped at him.
Gu Mingxi smiled and continued, “But it seems like…you’re like everyone else, concerned about it.”
Before, Pang Qian had a lot of words to say. But after hearing Gu Mingxi’s words, she suddenly found herself without the strength, unsure of how to explain it.
She really wanted to tell him that she didn’t mind that he didn’t have arms, but he was sick right now. When you’re sick, isn’t it a matter of course that there’s someone there to help you? She was very willing to help, she didn’t mind at all. She was angry because he was acting under an “act now, deal with it later” att.i.tude, not because he didn’t have arms and needed someone to help him.
When Gu Mingxi’s IV drip was done, it was already 6 o’clock. Pang Qian helped him tidy his things and carried his backpack for him, and then they walked out together. When they pa.s.sed by the reception desk of the hospital, a young nurse waved at him. “You’re going? If you come back on your own tomorrow, feel free to call me. I’ll be here tomorrow.”
Gu Mingxi smiled and nodded to her, “Mm, thank you.”
When they got outside, Pang Qian asked, “You know that nurse?”
“Not really. When I came in, I explained my situation to her, and she helped me a bit in the transfusion room.” Gu Mingxi smiled at Pang Qian. “Actually, there are a lot of nice people outside [in the world]. When I need help, most people are willing to help, so I’m not at all scared of going out by myself.”
“Alright, that’s enough. I’ll come with you tomorrow.” Pang Qian’s expression soured. “Gu Mingxi, you definitely have some kind of problem. You’re rather have strangers help you than let me help you? What’s my relationship with you?! I! I! How many years have I spent with you?!”
She didn’t know where this burst of anger came from either. When she got to the end of her tirade, her eyes were red.
Pang Qian huffily went over to the bike racks and unlocked her bike. Gu Mingxi followed after her a bit helplessly. “Pang Pang…”
Pang Qian ignored him, standing up straight, walking her bike out the hospital gates. Gu Mingxi walked next to her, occasionally turning to look at her, “Pang Pang, don’t be angry.”
“Hmph!”
“I know that I wasn’t right, but I really left a note.”
“You’re mentioning the note again?!”
Gu Mingxi curled his lips, “I really left one. You’re the one who didn’t see it.”
“You’re so annoying!” Pang Qian was so angry that she tried to kick him, but Gu Mingxi jumped out of the way.
He laughed, “Alright, I apologize. Don’t be angry.”
Pang Qian stopped in her tracks, then turned to look at him. She spit out two words, “Get. On.”
Gu Mingxi looked at her doubtfully.
“I said, get on the bike. It’s a half hour walk from here back home.” Pang Qian pat the backseat on her bike. “Hurry up, I’ll take you home. My dad’s probably already home, making dinner.”
“No!” Gu Mingxi shook his head, refusing. “You can ride your bike back. I’ll just walk.”
Pang Qian glared at him fiercely, “I’m. Getting. Angry. Again!”
Gu Mingxi, “…”
“Hmph!” Pang Qian turned back around, tossing her braids. With a huff, “Hmph! Getting on my nerves! Hmph!”
She turned back to look at him once more. Her mouth turned down, she rolled her eyes slowly. “Hmph! No conscience! Hmph!”
Gu Mingxi, “…”
Five minutes later, Pang Qian brought Gu Mingxi home, riding her bike all the way into the Golden Compound.
It was dusk, and the sky was already dark. The wind was blowing, the street lights were on. Pang Qian rode her bike and was becoming soaked in her sweat. Cold wind blew at them from the front. Gu Mingxi was hidden behind Pang Qian, so he didn’t feel it was cold at all.
Pang Qian could take others around on a bike. All the grown-up kids at the compound could. But giving a ride to Gu Mingxi was a bit more trouble. Pang Qian pedaled on, and the bike swung back and forth a bit. Gu Mingxi sat on the low back seat of her bike, his long legs bent. The people they rode past were greeted with such a surprising sight, and Gu Mingxi’s face turned red as a tomato.
“Gu Mingxi,” the driver girl called. The pa.s.senger gave a sound of acknowledgment. The driver girl asked, “Have you ever given me a ride on a bike?”
Gu Mingxi thought for a moment, “Doesn’t seem like it.”
“Have you ever given someone else a ride?”
“No.”
“Do you still have your bike?”
“Yeah, it’s in the parking shed at the new house. I haven’t ridden it in a long time.”
“You should give me a ride.”
“…” Gu Mingxi smiled and answered a bit bashfully, “Okay.”
A while later…
“Pang Pang! Stop!” the pa.s.senger called out to the driver girl. The driver girl asked, “What is it?”
The pa.s.senger said, slightly vexed, “One of my flip flops fell off!”
—-
The third night that Gu Mingxi slept at Pang Qian’s house, he still slept on the bed, and Pang Qian slept on the floor. He felt much better that day, so lying in bed, he chatted with Pang Qian.
They talked about when they were younger. Kindergarten, primary school, junior high… Pang Qian talked about w.a.n.g Tingting, Zhang Wei, Sun Mingfang, which high schools they were at, how their first semester exams went. Gu Mingxi talked about Jian Zhe, Liu Hanlin, his friends of nine years. When he moved, he also invited the two of them over to visit.
“w.a.n.g Tingting is still at Origin of Flight (they had a connecting high school),” Pang Qian said. “She called me over winter break and said that Teacher Cao was pregnant. Aiya, Gu Mingxi, do you know, I really didn’t like Teacher Cao. When my test scores were bad, she didn’t even know who I was. When I did well, she accused me of cheating. When my scores started improving again, she treated me like a precious student. It makes me disgusted when I think about it. What a sn.o.b.”
On the bed, Gu Mingxi responded, “Mm.”
Pang Qian continued, “I still like Teacher Dai more. She’s the best teacher that I’ve ever had, and she’s pretty. When my scores were bad, she never talk to me with an att.i.tude. Hey, what do you think?”
There was no response from the bed.
Pang Qian slowly sat up and kneeled on the floor to look at Gu Mingxi. He was sleeping, his head turned to the side, his eyelashes covering the bottom of his eyes. It was a very serene scene.
Pang Qian looked at him with her chin in her hands. It was without a doubt that Gu Mingxi had a good looking face. In Cla.s.s 2, a lot of girls called him handsome.
Handsome to what extent?
“If Gu Mingxi had arms, he would definitely be more handsome than Xie Yi,” one girl said.
Pang Qian didn’t understand though, what having arms had to do with being handsome. If having arms made something handsome, then centipedes must be the most handsome things in the world.
So who did Pang Qian think was handsome?
Zheng Qiaoqiao asked her this question. “Crab, do you think Xie Yi or Gu Mingxi is more handsome?”
Pang Qian didn’t even need to think before responding, “Of course it’s Xie Yi.”
The hospital gave Gu Mingxi three days worth of medicine. Pang Qian accompanied him to go for his last IV drip. They two of them took the bus.
On walk from the bus stop back to the Golden Compound, Pang Qian saw a peddler selling candied fruit skewers. She bought one and ate at it slowly. She even graciously let Gu Mingxi eat two pieces.
When they got back to the compound gate, Pang Qian brought the skewer in front of Gu Mingxi and he took a bite of Chinese hawthorn fruit. As he was chewing, someone called out to him.
“Mingxi.”
Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian both lifted their heads. Gu Guoxiang stood at the compound gate, a smoke in one of his hands. Behind him was his black Santana car.
Gu Guoxiang wore a crisp black coat, his hair tidy and neat, a pair of gla.s.ses resting on his nose. Although he was middle-aged, he might be able to pa.s.s for a 30-something. Tall and towering, with a refined, elegant air.
Pang Qian always thought that Gu Guoxiang was very handsome, and was envious that Gu Mingxi had such a father. Her dad, Pang Shuisheng, was short with a round belly. His hair was course like a scrubbing brush, and because he smoked, his teeth were stained yellow.
But seeing Gu Guoxiang now, Pang Qian didn’t think he was handsome at all. She only felt disgust and scorn. She looked at him coldly. Gu Mingxi swallowed the piece of Chinese hawthorn and looked at Gu Guoxiang hesitatingly.
Gu Guoxiang put out his cigarette and said, “Go up and collect your things. I’ll take you home.”
Pang Qian boldly asked, “Uncle, you’re not coming upstairs?”
“No, Qian Qian. I just came down after talking with your dad already.” Gu Guoxiang smiled, “I got you a present. I left it with your dad. Thank you for taking care of Gu Mingxi these few days.”
Gu Mingxi and Pang Qian walked up the stairs together. As Pang Qian helped him pack up his things, the two of them were both quiet. Gu Mingxi didn’t have a lot of stuff. He came with the one backpack and he left with the one backpack. Pang Qian stuffed the medicine from the hospital into his bag and said, “You have to keep taking your medicine. Don’t forget it.”
Nod.
“And drink more water, even if it means you need to use the bathroom more often.”
“Mm, I know.”
“Don’t work on your homework too late. Sleep earlier.”
“Mm.”
Pang Qian helped Gu Mingxi put his backpack onto his shoulders, and then the two of them walked outside together. Gu Mingxi was sitting on the stool as he put on his shoes, while Pang Qian crouched down on the floor to help him tie his laces. Then she put his flip flops into his bag.
“Don’t wear your flip flops, really. Your feet will get frozen.”
Gu Mingxi turned to look at her, “I’m going. Thanks for these few days, Pang Pang.”
Pang Qian smiled, “Hmph! What is there between the two of us?”
Gu Mingxi also smiled. Pang Shuisheng walked over and told him a few words. Basically that he didn’t need to bother with his parents’ matters, that the adults would take care of it themselves.
Pang Shuisheng rubbed Gu Mingxi’s hair. He said, “Mingxi ah, just remember this one thing. If there are any problems with your parents, it’s not because of you. If they treat you unwell, you can just come here. I have an extra room here. We can clean it up, and you can stay there, no problem. I’ve always thought of you as my own son. A kid as good as you, there really aren’t many in this world. Look at Qian Qian…”
Pang Qian cried out unhappily, “Dad!”
Gu Mingxi smiled comfortably. He said, “Uncle, I’m going now. Thank you. Bye.”
He walked out the door and down the stairs. Pang Qian stood in front of their house door and looked down the stairs. When he left the building, she ran over to the balcony, grabbed onto the railing, and looked down. She saw Gu Guoxiang take Gu Mingxi’s backpack from his shoulders and pull open the door for him. Gu Mingxi bent down and got inside.
After the car left the Golden Compound, Pang Qian finally asked her dad, who was smoking at the side, “Dad, are Uncle Gu and Auntie Li going to get divorced?”
“I don’t know.” Pang Shuisheng shook her head.
Pang Qian asked, “If they get divorced, what will happen with Gu Mingxi?”
Pang Shuisheng heaved a sigh. “Yes… No matter what else, the one who’s done no wrong is Gu Mingxi.”