I Have Decided to Go Look for My Father

Upon hearing Dong Mingming’s words, Gu Xi’s hands that were tidying the stationaries paused in midair. Her smile looking a little unnatural, she said, “Is that so?”

“I’m just a little nervous is all,” added Gu Xi, her voice lowered a little.

This was her very first parent-teacher conference.

The first parent-teacher conference with a parent attending, to be precise.

Nobody had ever gone to a parent-teacher conference for Gu Xi back when she was at the Lin’s.

Lin Yize and Song Kexin, whoever that was free that day, would go for Lin Anxin. Sometimes, to put up the front, they would both go at the same time.

The two, however, had never gone for Gu Xi.

All this time, no matter how well Gu Xi did ion her test; or however many awards that she had earned; or how much she was praised by her teachers, her spot had always been empty during the parent-teacher conference.

She was the only one there for her parent-teacher conference.

There was this one time when Gu Xi was a freshman and Lin Anxin was still in grade school, their parent-teacher conferences did not land on the same day. That was Gu Xi’s very first parent-teacher conference in junior high school and Song Kexin promised her that she would be there.

That day, Gu Xi, much like she did today, cleaned up all of her textbooks and examination papers neatly and wiped her desk down nicely.

Nevertheless, Gu Xi did not see Song Kexin there even after all of the other parents had arrived.

It was until her class teacher placed a call to Song Kexin and was hung up on before Gu Xi received a message from Song Kexin a little while later: “I’m stuck with some work. Have your teacher call me afterward if there is anything that we need to talk about.”

***

Over on this side, Gu Xi had finished cleaning up her desk and, with Dong Mingming’s help, brought everything that wouldn’t fit to the cabinets behind the classroom.

On the other side, the three parents of the Gu’s had also arrived at the entrance to “meet the teacher”.

The display boards with the grades on them was located in front of the teaching building that was just a few steps from the entrance of the school. Where they were located was very eye-catching and anyone who stepped foot in the school would be able to see them. And now, there were already quite some parents surrounding the board.

“What’s over there? Where are there so many people there?” asked Gu Xian, coming to his son’s parent-teacher conference for the very first time ever since his son had started junior high school.

His question was intended for Gu Feng but, lo and behold, it was Gu Shao who answered him first.

“The leaderboard for the month end examinations,” said Gu Shao nonchalantly.

“And just how do you know?” Gu Xian gave Gu Shao a peculiar look. Compared to himself, this really was Gu Shao’s very first parent-teacher conference.

Gu Shao glanced over at him and ignored his “stupid question”. The look on his face, however, suggested complacency.

***

When the three of them got closer, they almost saw the largest board with Gu Xi’s name on the very top right away.

“Oh! Xiao Xi got the first place this time!” said Gu Feng, his voice raised, pleasantly surprised.

He seemed to have figured out what the picture that Gu Yanxiao had posted in their group chat in the morning was all about now.

This morning, Gu Yanxiao suddenly posted a photo toe their group chat but only to recall it before anyone could see what it was.

When Old Mr. Gu asked what that was all about, Gu Yanxiao only said secretively that it was a big, pleasant surprise.

Seeing what was in front of him right now, the photo that Gu Yanxiao had posted earlier was Gu Xi’s name being displayed on the display board.

“Haha, that little head of hers is smart!” said Gu Feng with a smile.

Gu Xian, too, nodded next to him. “She got the ol’ Gu’s genes.”

Luckily, she didn’t get her birth mother’s wacky genes.

Gu Xian added another part to himself. And not just that Song Kexin. There was that Zhang Cui too. She’s no blessing either.