47 | Ridiculous
I want to eat stir-fried noodles. Will you go out to eat with me?
Pang Qian was very absent-minded at practice again. After a few rounds with Zheng Qiaoqiao, Xie Yi who was watching from the side said, “Crab, stop playing. If you have something you need to do, stop wasting your time here.”
Pang Qian stopped for a moment, then said, “I’m fine.”
“You’re fine but you’re playing like this?” Xie Yi furrowed his brows. “Take a break then. I’ll practice with Zheng Qiaoqiao.”
Pang Qian walked off to the side of the court with her head lowered, feeling not at all well. She put down her paddle and started running laps.
She ran along the outer lane of the gymnasium, running until she was covered with sweat and her face was flushed bright red. After several laps, she turned and walked over to the ping pong table. She picked up her water bottle and gulped down some water. Xie Yi suddenly s.n.a.t.c.hed her bottle and said seriously, “After strenuous exercise, don’t drink the water so quickly. Take it slowly.”
Pang Qian was panting as she turned to him.
Zheng Qiaoqiao walked over to Pang Qian and asked with concern, “Little Crab, what’s the matter with you today?”
Pang Qian didn’t answer, so Xie Yi asked, “Did you have a fight with Gu Mingxi?”
“No!” Pang Qian said quietly, “Just… Today, Gu Mingxi’s acting a bit strangely. He was zoning out all day. During out test, he didn’t even finish. I’m really worried about him.”
Xie Yi asked, “Is it because of the TV program yesterday?”
Pang Qian blinked at him. “You saw it too?”
“Yeah. All the teachers notified their cla.s.ses about it. The whole school probably saw it.” Xie Yi shrugged his shoulders. “To be honest, I can’t really say that ‘it’s not a big deal’ or something like that. Kind of like you don’t understand until you put yourself in someone else’s shoes. I suspect that Gu Mingxi would feel a bit unhappy. Crab, you should go be with him.”
Pang Qian responded anxiously, “I know. But right now, we live in different places. I can’t go home with him.”
“It’s fine, don’t worry too much. I’m sure that Gu Mingxi will be okay soon,” Xie Yi said, with a brilliant smile. He picked up Pang Qian’s paddle from the table and handed it to her. “Practice a little more. It’s almost time to go home.”
Pang Qian finished practice, and it was past 7 o’clock by the time she got home. When Pang Shuisheng saw her walk inside, he asked a bit urgently, “Qian Qian, were you together with Mingxi?”
Pang Qian looked at him with surprise. “No. Today is Thursday. I had practice.”
“Then do you know where Mingxi went?”
“Gu Mingxi? He left right after school ended. I saw him leave around 5:30.”
Pang Shuisheng spoke into the phone receiver, “I’ll tell his mom.”
Pang Qian ran over to her father and asked, “Dad, what’s wrong? Is Gu Mingxi missing?”
Pang Shuisheng dialed the number. “He’s usually home by 6:30, but he’s still not home yet, and he didn’t call or anything.”
Pang Qian was stupefied.
They weren’t in the mood for eating dinner, so they just ate quickly and started waiting for a call.
A bit past 8 o’clock, Pang Shuisheng couldn’t refrain himself from calling Li Han. She was waiting at home, not daring to go out, but Gu Mingxi still hadn’t returned.”
Pang Shuisheng decided right then, “Stay at home, I’ll go out to look for him.”
After a moment’s hesitation, he asked, “What about Guoxiang?”
“He…” Li Han told the truth, “He didn’t come back.”
“Did you try calling his phone?”
“I did, it’s off.”
“…” Pang Shiusheng didn’t ask anymore. “I’ll bring my cellphone with me. If you get any news, call me. I’ll go out to look for Mingxi. Ah Han, don’t worry. Mingxi is a smart kid, nothing will happen to him.”
Seeing her father about to leave, Pang Qian grabbed the bike(?) keys. “Dad, I’ll go with you!”
Pang Shuisheng looked at her, “Why would you go?”
“I know the path that Gu Mingxi usually takes.” Pang Qian said anxiously, “There are some places you guys don’t know about!”
Pang Shuisheng thought about it. Seeing his daughter so firm about it, he said, “Be careful then.”
“Mm!”
Pang Shuisheng and Pang Qian biked to First High together. The seniors were still at school self studying. Pang Qian went inside the school and took a walk around, but didn’t even see a glimpse of Gu Mingxi.
After that, she suggested going to the park nearby the school. In the past, she often went there with Gu Mingxi.
The father-daughter pair walked into the park. The sky was already dark, so the people who exercised there and the vendors had already dispersed. Pang Qian rode her bike and called out, “Gu Mingxi! Gu Mingxi!”
Ten minutes later, they were certain that Gu Mingxi wasn’t there.
Pang Shiusheng asked Pang Qian about the route Gu Mingxi took. Pang Qian gave herself a smack on the head, “He definitely didn’t take the bus. He would have walked and then taken the 236 bus. You have to walk for half an hour, and on the way is the machinery factory!”
“Machinery factory?” Pang Shiusheng pondered for a moment, then said, “Then let’s follow the path he usually takes. We can ask anyone we see about it. Gu Mingxi doesn’t have arms, so perhaps someone took note of him.”
Pang Qian followed her father as they walked along the road, searching. She started calling out his name, “Gu Mingxi! Gu Mingxi–”
They asked a few shop owners along the way. Some said that they hadn’t seen any such person, while others said that they had some impression of seeing him. This armless boy would often walk through the area with his backpack on his back, but today, no one had seen a trace of him.
The two of them pa.s.sed through the factory area, riding their bikes to the 263 bus stop. Pang Qian pushed her bike to the side of the road and looked around. It was already 9:30 at night. Gu Mingxi hadn’t gone home, so where did he go?
Pang Shiusheng lifted his hand to wipe at his daughter’s eyes. “What are you crying for.”
After her father said it, Pang Qian couldn’t hold back, and started crying out loudly.
She was deathly afraid. This was something that had never happened before. The factory area here was very disorderly. There were thieves and hooligans everywhere. Gang wars often happened there. The news even broadcasted that someone had been killed there before.
Her Gu Mingxi just disappeared like that, without saying anything. In the past, when it rained, the teacher kept him, or he was dragged out by Pang Qian, he could always find a public phone to call home and let them know he was safe. He was the most well-behaved, obedient student that everyone was rea.s.sured of. He was a good kid, never before disappearing without a word.
Pang Qian was wailing at the side of the road. Pang Shuisheng snapped at her loudly, telling her to bike around and check again. After five minutes his cellphone rang.
Li Han told him that Gu Mingxi had gone home.
Pang Shuisheng heaved a heavy sigh. He turned to see his tearful daughter and said, “Mingxi’s returned home safely. Let’s go home too.”
Pang Shuisheng told Pang Qian that the reason Gu Mingxi gave for getting home late was that he suddenly wanted to go to Xinhua Bookstore to read. He was reading and forgot the time, so he was late returning home. Li Han and Pang Shuisheng both believed Gu Mingxi, but Pang Qian didn’t believe it one bit.
That night, Pang Qian was working on her homework until 1:30 in the morning. She nearly fell asleep on her desk. When the sky lit up, she drowsily got out of bed and rode her bike to school.
Gu Mingxi was already in his seat. After Pang Qian saw him, she dropped her bag onto her desk and plopped down into her chair. She pulled out her notebooks and pens with a clamor.
Gu Mingxi turned to look at her, but didn’t say anything.
The entire morning long, neither of them spoke to the other. Even during English cla.s.s, when Teacher Dai wanted everyone to practice speaking with their partners, Pang Qian pretended not to hear. She just laid on her desk and poked at her notebook with a pen.
Poke, poke, poke. Poke, poke, poke. Her notebook was full of little holes. Gu Mingxi just watched on beside her. Then he lowered his head and started reciting English on his own.
Hearing his fluent p.r.o.nunciation, Pang Qian grew even more depressed.
After the morning cla.s.ses, as everyone was preparing to head to lunch, Gu Mingxi pulled out his lunch box/tray and put it onto his desk. Then he pulled out his meal card, raised his leg up, and bit onto the card. He got up and bent over to grab his meal box between his shoulder and cheek. Then he straightened up and walked out of the room on his own.
Pang Qian stared after him, thoroughly dumfounded.
What was this?! Was he really blaming someone else when he was the one at fault? Gu Mingxi was actually throwing a tantrum!
But what kind of tantrum was he throwing?! She, Pang Qian, hadn’t even looked for him to explain himself!
Pang Qian grabbed her meal box and chased after him to the cafeteria. Gu Mingxi was already in line. He stood up straight, his head bent to hold his tray between his cheek and shoulder. Pang Qian silently joined the line behind him, glaring at the back of his had.
When Gu Mingxi reached the front of the line, he bent over slightly and released his hold of the tray, placing it onto the counter. The he put down the meal card from his mouth on top of the tray, and started picking out his dishes.
Someone ran quickly past Pang Qian, her braids swinging about behind her.
The cook placed Gu Mingxi’s filled-up tray back on the counter and swiped his meal card. Gu Mingxi bent over and bit back onto the meal card. As he was thinking about how he would carry his meal box, Jiang Zhiya picked up the box from the window counter.
“Gu Mingxi, I’ll help you,” she said sweetly.
Gu Mingxi was biting onto his meal card, so he couldn’t say anything. Jiang Zhiya tenderly plucked the meal card from his mouth, and Gu Mingxi said quietly, “Thanks.”
They pa.s.sed by Pang Qian, and Gu Mingxi lowered his head. Pang Qian looked at him silently, then stepped out of line and blocked his path.
“Gu Mingxi,” Pang Qian called out. Gu Mingxi stopped in his tracks, and looked at her silently.
Pang Qian said, “I want to eat stir-fried noodles. Will you go out to eat with me?”
Gu Mingxi answered calmly, “I already got my lunch.”
“You can take it home later and warm it up, and eat it later.”
“Then it won’t be fresh.”
“Then just throw it away!”
“Wasting food is bad.”
Pang Qian’s eyes reddened. “What’s wrong with you?”
She looked at him with an upset expression. She asked again, “Gu Mingxi, what’s wrong with you?”
Gu Mingxi lowered his head again. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m going to eat.”
Jiang Zhiya was still holding Gu Mingxi’s lunch box, standing to the side. Gu Mingxi walked past Pang Qian. Because the lunch line area was narrow, his empty sleeves brushed over Pang Qian’s stiff arms.
Pang Qian only had one thought left in her mind: Oh no, Gu Mingxi had gone crazy.