Under Clear Skies Chapter 103: Punishment

Chapter 103: Punishment

Translated by KarateChopMonkey of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

 

The summer in Macau was long and unbearable, but the only advantage was that no matter how hot it was during the day, once the sea breeze blew in the evening, the whole city would cool down.

As Li Yuechi said, after they finished kissing, it was indeed dark outside the window. Initially, they were deeply engaged in their kiss, and Li Yuechi’s fingertips traced Tang Heng’s back, causing a slight shiver. Tang Heng suddenly felt something amiss and quickly pushed him away, his face flushed, saying, “Not today… we still have plans to go out tonight.”

Li Yuechi nodded and got up to take a cold shower.

By the time they left, it was completely dark outside, with a small crescent moon hanging overhead, seemingly within reach. Li Yuechi wore Tang Heng’s gray shirt and jeans. He rolled up his sleeves and lazily put his hands in his pockets, then turned to ask Tang Heng, “Where are we going?”

“To Taipa for Portuguese food,” Tang Heng replied, looking at him, then averting his gaze after a few seconds without leaving a trace.

In fact, Tang Heng himself hadn’t explored much of Macau. The young mainland teachers at the school had formed a WeChat group, as they were all newcomers to the workforce in Macau without family or friends, so from time to time, someone would suggest going out together in the group. However, Tang Heng had never participated, always citing work as an excuse, when in reality, he simply wasn’t interested.

This city was pathetically small, crowded everywhere. Going out was nothing more than visiting historical sites and tasting food. As for historical sites, they would always be there, and there would be opportunities to visit them in the future. As for food—perhaps because he had spent a few years in the UK, Tang Heng felt that his taste buds had become somewhat bland, finding that food from different places all tasted more or less the same to him.

He would rather stay in the quiet office, enjoy the air conditioning, write his thesis, and read books.

Li Yuechi leaned closer to Tang Heng and whispered, “Which bus should we take?”

“Let me check,” Tang Heng stood up to look at the route map, “26a, I think.” He wasn’t entirely sure, so he took out his phone and opened the Macau travel guide he had saved just twenty minutes ago to confirm again.

It was indeed 26a, to the Quanliang Garden station. The guide mentioned that there were many authentic Portuguese restaurants hidden in the vicinity.

In no time, the bus arrived, and they got on, surrounded by a group of chattering students. It was dinner time, so they were either going out to eat or heading to the Venetian for some post-dinner shopping—Tang Heng learned from the students’ conversation that they considered shopping as a leisurely stroll.

It was becoming clear to Tang Heng that Macau was indeed quite boring.

“Teacher Tang,” Li Yuechi shifted his hand to grab the railing above Tang Heng’s hand, giving the impression that their hands were held together, “Where do you usually go to have fun?”

His hand was just above Tang Heng’s, creating a sense of connection between them.

“I usually…” Tang Heng didn’t want him to find out how dull his life was, but what could he say? Shopping? That would be too fake. Gambling? University teachers weren’t allowed in the casinos. He couldn’t just say he went for walks.

“Just swimming or something,” Tang Heng said.

“At school?”

“Yeah.”

“So you don’t go out much.”

“Not really…,” Tang Heng coughed, “I go out less, mainly because I’m too busy.”

Fortunately, Li Yuechi didn’t pursue further. He tilted his head to look at the LED screen in front, which was scrolling through the names of each stop in Chinese and Portuguese. This city, which had been ruled by Portugal for over four hundred years, bore traces of foreign influence everywhere.

When they reached their stop, they got off the bus, and Tang Heng glanced at his phone’s map before leading Li Yuechi into a small alley across the street. Luckily, the sign of the restaurant was bright and conspicuous, making it easy to find.

“I don’t know if you can handle the taste,” Tang Heng said somewhat meaningfully, “I find the flavor a bit mild, but it’s indeed authentic.”

Li Yuechi nodded.

As Tang Heng pushed open the glass door of the restaurant, he was still recalling the dishes recommended in the guide: red curry lamb, masala butter chicken, red wine braised oxtail… and what else was there? Oh, right, seafood rice.

A tall Portuguese waiter asked in English, “Sir, do you have a reservation?”

Tang Heng hesitated for a moment. “No. Are there any available seats?”

“Sorry, all the tables are reserved for tonight.”

Tang Heng grimaced and said to Li Yuechi, “No seats available. Let’s try the next place.”

Li Yuechi nodded, and they headed to another Portuguese restaurant five hundred meters away, only to find it fully booked as well.

Although the night was cool, it was still summer, and Tang Heng was already sweating, partly due to embarrassment. He had no idea these small Portuguese restaurants would be so popular, considering that he mostly relied on the school cafeteria and takeout for his meals.

“There’s another one ahead…”

“Teacher Tang,” Li Yuechi interrupted him with a smile, “Actually, it’s not a must to eat this stuff. I’m not picky.”

Tang Heng remained silent for two seconds. “Do you have something in mind?”

Li Yuechi casually pointed, “Let’s go there.”

Harbin Dumpling House.

So Li Yuechi’s first meal in a Macau restaurant was a big bowl of steaming hot cabbage and pork dumplings.

Although the dumplings were indeed much tastier than Portuguese cuisine, Tang Heng couldn’t shake off a sense of frustration.

It wasn’t because his attempt to impress had failed, but rather… he didn’t want Li Yuechi to realize how reclusively he was living in Macau.

His reluctance stemmed from the fact that when he started this new chapter of his life, he couldn’t muster any enthusiasm or interest.

After leaving Wuhan, all those cities felt almost the same to him. London’s bitter cold was akin to the damp chill of Shanghai. Macau’s rainless and snowless December felt like Beijing’s dry autumn. In his perception, the three-dimensional world seemed to have been flattened with a smack, cities becoming homogeneous, life becoming repetitive.

He didn’t want Li Yuechi to know these details.

After filling their stomachs, the two walked side by side on the streets of Taipa. This area was filled with apartments, with small eateries lining the streets, exuding lively noise. Couples walked hand in hand with their dogs, and young boys zoomed past on skateboards. This scene felt somewhat unfamiliar to Tang Heng.

Suddenly, Li Yuechi stopped and asked Tang Heng, “Is the bubble tea from this shop good?”

Tang Heng sighed, “I’ve never tried it.”

Li Yuechi said, “Let me buy you one.”

Two girls were placing their orders, and he walked over, waiting behind them. Soon, it was his turn. Tang Heng heard him say, “I’ll have a Black Sugar Boba with Fresh Milk.”

The shop owner asked in somewhat broken Mandarin, “Do you want it with aicu?”

Li Yuechi paused for a second. “What?”

“With or without aicu?”

Li Yuechi still didn’t understand.

The shop owner clarified, “Do you want to add aicu cubes?”

“Oh,” Li Yuechi glanced at Tang Heng, “Do you want ice?”

Tang Heng nodded.

Li Yuechi said, “With ice.”

The shop owner chattered as he made the bubble tea, “When we say ‘no ice,’ it means removing the ice cubes! Oh, that’s how we speak in Cantonese. When you order noodles and they ask if you want ‘no spring onions,’ it means they’ll remove the onions!”

Li Yuechi laughed, “Got it.”

A few minutes later, the shop owner handed him the bubble tea, saying, “This is our signature drink. Next time, you can order it hot; hot drinks are better for girls.”

Li Yuechi handed the bubble tea to Tang Heng, trying to suppress his laughter as he said, “Let’s go for hot next time.”

Tang Heng felt a bit embarrassed and whispered, “Are you trying to placate a child?”

“Are you not one?” Li Yuechi slipped his hand back into his pocket, took a few steps, then suddenly spoke softly, “Are you trying to outdo me? If I’m not doing well, do you feel like you have to do worse?”

Tang Heng stayed quiet for a moment, then said earnestly, “I didn’t mean to.”

Clearly, Li Yuechi didn’t believe him. “You should have hated me back then. If you hated me, why punish yourself?”

“I really didn’t mean to—I just had this feeling,” their hands brushed against each other as they walked, and at that moment, they happened to pass by a dimly lit street corner. Tang Heng grasped Li Yuechi’s hand, “It might sound a bit melodramatic, but I truly felt that since I wouldn’t be by your side in this lifetime, what difference did it make wherever I was?”