Chapter 42 A Proper Person

Chapter 42 A Proper Person

Translated by Twelve_Months_of_May

Gu Mingxi, is there a girl that you like?

In the last days of winter break, Pang Qian didn’t see Gu Mingxi again. While their parents were both at work, she called him. Gu Mingxi told her that the night he returned home, Li Han had also returned from her parents’ home. They’d already made up and gone to work. They would take Gu Guoxiang’s car every day.

Pang Qian didn’t dare to ask what his parents’ final decision was, but Gu Mingxi just said it on his own.

“They made up. My dad promised that he wouldn’t repeat his offense, and my mom forgave him.”

He didn’t explain any more, and only said those two things.

Pang Qian was already prejudiced towards Gu Guoxiang, so she didn’t really believe his words. But hearing Gu Mingxi’s even tone, she didn’t speak any more about it.

After all, she always hoped that he could have a stable, harmonious, happy family life.

School started up again in the middle of February. Pang Qian happily rode her bike to school. Before she passed the school gates, she saw that particular figure in the line of people. She shouted across the way, “Gu Mingxi!”

Gu Mingxi turned back, and when he saw her, she smiled. Pang Qian rode up next to him and got off her bike. First, she looked at his shoes– closed shoes, and he was wearing socks. She was very happy. She looked around and then asked, “Hey, how did you end up coming from this way? Isn’t the bus stop that way?”

She pointed in the other direction. The bus card hung from Gu Mingxi’s neck. “I didn’t transfer buses. I walked the last part of the way.”

Pang Qian walked her bike as the two of them headed inside the school gates. “How long do you have to walk?”

“Half an hour. If you walk fast, 20 minutes might be enough.”

Pang Qian thought for a moment, “Does the path pass by the machinery plant?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s really hectic there,” Pang Qian said. “I think you should just take the bus for your safety.”

The machinery plant area was like a small village. There were a lot of migrant workers there. The area wasn’t very good. There were a lot of small factories and the place wasn’t safe.

Gu Mingxi smiled. “I usually can’t even squeeze into the second bus. Once, I even waited for three buses and still couldn’t get on. The money in my pocket was even stolen, so I just walked.”

“There are a lot of thieves there!” Pang Qian cried out. “You should still be careful of your safety. If someone could go to school with you, that would be good.”

Just at that moment, someone ran up to pat Gu Mingxi on the back.

“Gu Mingxi!”

Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi turned back and saw Jiang Zhiya. She smiled beautifully like a flower. Her long hair reached down to her bottom. She wore a pink jacket and bell-bottom jeans. There was some embroidery on the pants as well. From top to bottom, she wore new clothes.

“Happy new year,” Jiang Zhiya greeted Gu Mingxi with a wave. With a slight complaining tone, she said, “Gu Mingxi, why are you so busy over the holidays? Always going to your relative’s place… I tried to invite you out, but couldn’t.”

Pang Qian stuck out her lips and glanced at Gu Mingxi. He wasn’t busy at all over New Year’s. He stayed home by himself every day. What relatives did he have to visit?

Gu Mingxi said, “I have a lot of relatives. And my house is far away, so going out isn’t that convenient.”

Jiang Zhiya said, “Then I could come pick you up. I still haven’t been over to your house!”

As they were walking and talking, Jiang Zhiya finally noticed Pang Qian. “Crab, are you going to park your bike inside the school building?”

Pang Qian stared blankly, and then realized that she was pushing her bike towards the school building, and they’d passed the bike racks already.

Gu Mingxi laughed, and then Pang Qian glared at him. She pushed the bike and turned around. After just two steps, she suddenly called out, “Gu Mingxi, wait for me. I’ll go up with you!”

Gu Mingxi nodded, “Okay.”

Jiang Zhiya muttered quietly, “Being deskmates for the whole day isn’t enough, she still needs to walk up the stairs together.”

Gu Mingxi asked, “What did you say?”

She immediately smiled, “Oh, nothing.”

Gu Mingxi and Jiang Zhiya waited at the front of the school building for Gu Mingxi. The two of them chatted a bit. Jiang Zhiya asked Gu Mingxi, “Hey, is Crab really not your girlfriend?”

Gu Mingxi shook his head, “She’s not.”

“Then… Do you have a girlfriend?”

“No.” Gu Mingxi cut the topic off there by saying very properly, “I don’t think high school students should date. They should study.”

Jiang Zhiya stared at him, when small laughter sounded. Gu Mingxi turned around to see Xiao Yujing. She carried her backpack into the school building. Seeing Gu Mingxi looking at her with a red face, she said, “ie,loveisabeatifulthing,whidictiithydy.” (The weird English dialogue is copied directly from the text.)

Her pronunciation was great. Her voice was also very crisp and appealing. Jiang Zhiya understood about half of what she said, Gu Mingxi understood it all. Just then, Pang Qian ran up to them with her backpack, her ponytail swinging behind her head. She cheerfully called out, “I’m here!”

Xiao Yujing looked at her, then gave Gu Mingxi a meaningful glance, before walking into the building with a smile.

Then Gu Mingxi’s face grew even more red.

When they got to the classroom, Pang Qian and Gu Mingxi sat down at their desks. Pang Qian asked him, “Jiang Zhiya invited you out over the break?”

Gu Mingxi nodded. “She said that we should walk around the temple fair. She even called two days in a row.”

“Why didn’t you go?”

Gu Mingxi gave her a strange look, “Why should I go?”

“Isn’t it boring to stay at home all day? If someone invites you out, you should go out a bit.” Pang Qian wrinkled her nose and laid on her desk, looking at him.”

Gu Mingxi was flipping through a book with his foot. He was wearing his open-toed socks. Taking advantage of when Pang Qian wasn’t watching, he started to pull his socks off. But he’d only rolled the edge down a bit when Pang Qian grabbed onto his ankle.

“You can’t take them off.” She glared at him. “You just got better. Do you want to go back for the IV drip?!”

Gu Mingxi looked at her and then gave in. “Okay. Let go, I won’t take them off.”=

Pang Qian loosened her grip, then said, “If someone invites you out, but you don’t think it’ll be very convenient, you can always call me to go along.”

Gu Mingxi’s feet were both rummaging in his backpack. His head was down. “Do you dislike Jiang Zhiya?”

“Why would I dislike her,” Pang Qian said awkwardly. “I’m just not very close with her.”

Gu Mingxi smiled, “You were even resenting her the other day, for having long hair.”

“I-I…” Pang Qian quibbled. “My dad said that girls with long hair have less experience (and knowledge). Haven’t you heard that before? Jiang Zhiya’s hair nearly reaches her legs when it’s down. How can she even wash her hair.”

Gu Mingxi just smiled.

Pang Qian sat still for awhile, then poked Gu Mingxi’s leg with her pen. “Hey, Gu Mingxi, do you like girls with long hair or short hair?”

“…” He didn’t answer.

“I’m asking you a question!”

“Long hair.” He turned to look at her, his gaze gentle.

Pang Qian’s eyes brightened with a gossip’s glow as she asked quietly, “Then… Gu Mingxi, is there a girl that you like?”

This time, Gu Mingxi blinked twice and nodded. Very clearly, he said, “Yes.”