Under Clear Skies Chapter 16: Run!!!

Chapter 16: Run!!!

Translated by Fefe of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Addis

Wuhan’s summers were torturous. More accurately, every season in this city—with short springs and autumns, and long summers and winters—were very torturous. It was the 10th day where the highest temperature was above 35 degrees and yet, it was only mid-July. No one knew how much longer it’d be hot for.

The air conditioning in Long Love seemed to be nonexistent, though the owner was shameless enough to say, “Mine is the classiest bar in Hongshan District.” After singing the last song, Dancing in the Street, Tang Heng’s t-shirt was completely drenched. Comme des Garçons’ crumpled heart stuck to his chest. When they got off stage, An Yun stopped them two and reminded, “Watch your behavior later!”

Jiang Ya was all breathless from drumming, but he still had to be a smart mouth. “I’m definitely alright. I’ll definitely make meimei feel the spring breeze, as if sitting in the spring breeze, the spring breeze blowing for miles… Ah, I’m sorry! It’s xuejie!”

An Yun pulled her foot back and turned to look at Tang Heng. “You be nice too, got it? Stop having a long face like other people owe you money!”

Tang Heng hadn’t eaten dinner before going onstage and was past the point of being hungry. His entire being was exhausted. Dragging his tone, he drawled, “You’re dating her now?”

An Yun: “Nope.”

“There aren’t so many lesbians,” Jiang Ya piped up.

Tang Heng: “Then you’re gonna confess today?”

An Yun: “Nope.”

Jiang Ya cackled. “Our An-ge acts all brusque, but she’s actually, ‘In me, the tiger sniffs the—'”

“Shut the fuck up!” An Yun couldn’t stand it anymore. She grabbed a water bottle and smashed it down on Jiang Ya’s head. Jiang Ya clutched his head and ran with practiced ease. The two chased and tugged in the cramped resting room like two hamsters fighting on the wheel.

Tang Heng didn’t have the energy to care. He sat on the side alone, retying his loose ponytail. He pulled his phone out of his guitar bag and turned it on. No missed calls or texts. He’d argued with Fu-jie this afternoon—Fu-jie was his mother, Fu Liling—and left the house, slamming the door, without even eating dinner. The argument was the same stuff, repeated, recycled and stale.

Jiang Ya and An Yun fought their fill and sat on the left and right of him. An Yun casually propped her leg up and asked him, “Did Auntie come over?”

Tang Heng grunted.

“You two fought again?” Jiang Ya asked.

Tang Heng answered with silence.

“Hey, cheer up.” Jiang Ya patted Tang Heng’s shoulder. “It’s so hot and she must be tired flying over from Shanghai, right?”

“She’s not an academician. There’s no way she knows the difference between what’s abroad and in China, so she obviously thinks you’re better off in China,” An Yun said too. “Just think. From her perspective—you stay for your master’s, Teacher Tang can take care of you, while she can make money. Your life would be so fucking nice!”

Tang Heng had heard similar words come out of Fu-jie’s mouth no less than 50 times already. Why was it coming again?!

He changed the topic with irritation. “What time is it? How come your friend isn’t here yet?”

“Should be soon. I’ll call—” Before An Yun could finish, her phone rang. “Hello? Xiaoqin… Mn… Okay, we’ll be there ASAP…”

Jiang Ya furrowed his brows and wrinkled his nose. He mouthed at Tang Heng, She’s—so—girly—!

An Yun hung up cheerily. “They’re at the door! Let’s go!”

“Them?” Jiang Ya asked. “There’s someone else?”

“A guy, also Teacher Tang’s student. He tested in from Normal Uni next door,” An Yun said as she packed up her bass. “I forgot his name. Tang Heng, do you know? Top student of Normal Uni’s math department. He changed his major and came here.”

Tang Heng was in a bad mood. “I dunno,” he said coldly. “Never heard of him.”

“Fine.” An Yun shrugged. She reminded them again, “Don’t say weird things later!”

Jiang Ya threw an arm over Tang Heng’s shoulder. “You don’t trust your bros?

The three packed up their things and went toward the bar’s back door. They used the front door when they first formed their band and, when they passed by the guests’ booths, they could often get a bunch of notes with phone numbers written on them. Jiang Ya and An Yun would divide up the notes happily—even though most of them were for Tang Heng.

Until one time, some random girl stopped them halfway. She latched onto Tang Heng’s arm tearily, refusing to let go, and wailed, “Why do you ignore me?” “Didn’t you promise to be with me?” “But you asked for my number!” Tang Heng had no choice but to announce that they’d leave through the back door after performing from then on. Jiang Ya had lamented, “A pity that the beauty is blind! I’m the only straight person in this band!”

“Unfortunately, you’re a dumbass,” An Yun had added.

Long Love was on 81 Road. The back door led straight to the student’s dorm of Hanyang Uni and also had many old, worn-down residential buildings. There were quite a lot of passersby at nine at night. The three exited from the back door and stood under the streetlamp.

“They’re still not here?” Jiang Ya was plump and couldn’t stand the heat. “Can they find it? This place’s full of twists and turns.”

An Yun clutched her phone. “Soon, soon. I’ll treat you to Qiaolezi ice cream later.”

“Fuck off. You think I’m a kid?”

“You want it or not?”

“I want Cornetto.”

An Yun gagged.

Tang Heng looked up with extreme boredom. He could see countless tiny moths flying toward the yellow streetlamp. Listening close, there were low buzzes. The pole was filled with ads like One bed, one room for rent in Donghu Village and Professional hot water repair. Layer over layer, they were like aged paper paste on the pole.

Not far away, some sewer reeked faintly.

This was Wuhan’s summer. He’d been here for seven years now, from the third year of middle school to the third year of uni. He was so deeply tired of this city. Why didn’t Fu-jie let him study abroad? He didn’t know.

“Hey, they’re here!” An Yun yelled excitedly. “Xiaoqin!”

Tang Heng looked over. All he saw were two figures walking out of the dark alleyway, one tall, one short. Closer, he saw the girl’s face. She wasn’t beautiful, but her eyes were big and round. Quite cute. More eye-catching were the two braids hanging down her chest. They swayed with her movement.

“Xiaoqin, you guys finished the survey?” An Yun asked warmly, walking over. “Did you eat dinner?”

“There are five left,” the other said softly. “We’ll do it tomorrow. We’re too tired and didn’t eat yet.”

“That’s perfect. We didn’t eat either. Let’s go, my treat.”

“Why?”

“Today’s my birthday!”

“Huh? Why didn’t you tell me? I didn’t prepare a gift—”

“Your presence is a gift,” An Yun said, giggling.

Jiang Ya whispered in Tang Heng’s ear, “That’s Tian Xiaoqin? She’s just so-so.”

Tang Heng ignored him.

Jiang Ya was used to this. “The guy on the side doesn’t look bad,” he continued muttering to himself. “Fuck, is that her boyfriend? An-ge has no hope.”

An Yun was still talking to Tian Xiaoqin, while Jiang Ya continued, “An-ge is being too nice. Can’t she put on her tomboy style? Acting like this, she’ll just get treated as a good friend…”

It was already horribly hot that night and Jiang Ya’s hot breath, full of sweat, slapped Tang Heng’s face. Disgusted, Tang Heng frowned. He turned and whispered, “Can you shut up.”

Jiang Ya: “Hey, can’t us two singles comfort each other…”

Tang Heng’s expression changed. “Is that A-Zhu?”

Jiang Ya froze and looked back. 

A few figures were speeding towards them from the other end of the alley, all holding sticks and beer bottles in their hands. There were many schools here, from the famous 985-level Hanyang Uni, to some random technical college. There were many young people, and much fighting. This kind of scene wasn’t rare.

But one of the figures were too eye-catching. He was a fatty. More specifically, a big fatty—at least twice as broad as Jiang Ya. Wasn’t he the vocal of the band, A-Zhu? What’s his name? Tang Heng couldn’t remember. All he remembered was that this guy had threatened not long ago, Just you wait—and disappeared for a while. Tang Heng had already moved on from this in his mind.

“They fucking have five people! They found reinforcement!” Jiang Ya spread his feet and clenched his jaw, saying, “C’mon, I didn’t learn taekwondo for nothing!”

“Learned your ass!” Tang Heng yelled, “An Yun! Run!!!”