Under Clear Skies Chapter 23: Better Than All of Them

Chapter 23: Better Than All of Them

Translated by Fefe of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Addis

“Alright, Tang Heng, lead your shixiong to the research office,” Professor Tang said while smiling at Li Yuechi. “It’s too hot. Bring some drinks with you.”

Li Yuechi kept his eyes lowered. He looked like he didn’t know what to do. Tang Heng still had that fake smile as he pulled open Professor Tang’s desk drawer and grabbed the keys to the office, and he pulled two bottles of soda out of the small fridge. Then he walked out without a word. Li Yuechi had no choice but to follow silently.   

Entering the office, Tang Heng placed the sodas on the table and sat onto the sole leather sofa in the room. Stretching his long legs, he said, “Go turn on the AC.”

Li Yuechi walked to the air conditioning by the front door. He pressed the button twice—no effect. He went behind the air conditioning, squatted down, unplugged and plugged it back, but there was still no reaction. Finally, he lowered his arms and stood before the appliance, studying the control panel a bit clumsily, as if he was out of ideas. Tang Heng thought, This guy must be dragging things out, right? Did he not want to talk to Tang Heng this badly?

“Can’t you tell? This one is broken. Go turn on the one in the back. Twenty-four degrees.”

Without a word, Li Yuechi got up to turn on the air conditioning. Then he sat down beside the conference table. They were the only two in the room, with four chairs between them, seeming both distant and vast. Tang Heng switched to a more casual pose—he’d sat on this sofa for four years. He and An Yun often came here to do their homework in high school.

The two sat there, neither speaking. A pause later, Li Yuechi finally looked up. His face was still expressionless. “Shidi.” His voice was very calm. “I’m sorry.”   

—Why was even his apology so annoying?

“Nothing to be sorry about,” Tang Heng said lightly. “You’re right. I’m just here for the credit. I guess—stealing the fruits of your labor? Freeloading?”

Li Yuechi was silent for two seconds. Then, “Okay.”

Okay my ass. Tang Heng twisted open the soda and tossed the other bottle at him. “Start lecturing,” he said coldly.

Li Yuechi pulled a folder out of his backpack. It looked thick. He opened the folder and actually started explaining, “We’re researching Hongshan and Qingshan District, using a combination of interviews and surveys, with interviews as the main focus and surveys as supplementary…” He spoke evenly as if reciting a memorized textbook. Tang Heng crossed his arms, crossed his long legs, and sank into the sofa. The table before him was empty. It didn’t look at all like he was asking Li Yuechi to teach him about the project. Instead, it was like Li Yuechi was reporting his work to him. Tang Heng closed his eyes lazily, suddenly feeling a bit hot.

“Stop,” Tang Heng said. “Lower the AC.”

Li Yuechi got up quickly, not seeming upset at being interrupted. He soon returned to his seat and continued his robotic explanation.

Tang Heng found this interesting. It turned out that Li Yuechi had this submissive side too. But it made sense. He was a student, completely alone and without support in Wuhan, who had finally gotten into this school, test-exempt—but before school had started, he’d first offended his teacher’s nephew.

Did he think that everything was over for him? But Tang Heng thought, it couldn’t be that bad.

Tang Heng didn’t interrupt him again, but he didn’t listen either. He didn’t actually Li Yuechi to tell him this stuff. He could see it all by reading the research plan. Plus, he’d already done a similar project in sophomore year. But this time, Li Yuechi finally stopped avoiding him. He couldn’t politely kick him out like last night either.

 

His phone vibrated and Tang Heng quickly declined the call. A few minutes later, Jiang Ya sent a text: Where are you? Don’t we have practice this afternoon?

Tang Heng: I’ll be late

Jiang Ya: ????? What happened??

Tang Heng: Tell you later

Jiang Ya: Fuck, don’t scare me! What happened?? Do you need my help??

Tang Heng put his phone on silent and placed it face-down on the table. They’d rented a practice room near Hanyang Music School. Usually, Tang Heng or An Yun would arrive at practice first, while Jiang Ya was last. That guy always had an excuse—either traffic or he fought with his girlfriend—while Tang Heng was always on time.

But today, Tang Heng felt that being a bit late didn’t matter. He wanted to waste more time here.

“Shidi, here’s the survey.” Li Yuechi walked before Tang Heng and handed over a thin piece of paper. “You can take a look.”

He was done talking?     

Tang Heng accepted the paper. “Don’t call me shidi,” he said in a low voice.

“…Why not?”

“Because I’m not under your teacher. I’m not Teacher Tang’s student.” Tang Heng paused. “We’re not familiar with each other.”

Li Yuechi didn’t speak. He still didn’t have an expression. It was like he wouldn’t refute anything Tang Heng said, just agreeing by default. Did he have to? Be so scared of him? So scared he’d take revenge? Tang Heng suddenly found it boring. Why was he getting worked up over Li Yuechi? Was there anything about Li Yuechi that he couldn’t compare with? Didn’t seem to be.

Tang Heng scanned the survey and said, “You’re currently working on Hongshan District?”

“Mn, we’re almost done.”

“Poverty survey.” Tang Heng laughed. “Do you have to fill this out too?”

The room was silent as the wilderness. All sound disappeared.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds—

When he counted to four in his head, he heard Li Yuechi’s calm voice, “No, I’m not a Wuhan citizen.”   

Tang Heng folded the survey a few times and stuffed it into his pocket.

“Let’s stop today,” he said. “I have plans. Gotta go.” He quickly pocketed his phone and strode to the door. For some reason, he suddenly regretted it. Maybe that question had seriously crossed the line. Even though Li Yuechi hadn’t lost his temper as expected, he still regretted it. He decided not to piss off Li Yuechi anymore. He’d called him a noob; he’d call him poor. They were even now, right? He wouldn’t piss off Li Yuechi anymore.   

 

“Tang Heng!”

He paused but didn’t look back. “…What?”

Li Yuechi’s voice came from behind him. “I didn’t know it was you.”

“Oh.” But what difference did it make?

“You’re not a noob. Sorry.”

“Whatever,” Tang Heng said. “It’s fact that I can’t be top of the math department.” 

The person behind him didn’t speak.

There was the sound of the soda bottle being opened. Tang Heng turned and saw the countless bubbles surge toward the opening. It was like he could hear the bubbles cracking and exploding.

Li Yuechi clutched the bottle of soda and said earnestly, “Testing first, second or third doesn’t have any real difference. I was just lucky.” 

“…” Was this guy getting modest now? Tang Heng considered it seriously. If he was in the math department, he probably couldn’t get third place.

“But you…” The surface of the bottle was dewy, making Li Yuechi’s palm moist.

Tang Heng asked, “What?”

Li Yuechi murmured, “Your singing is better than all of them.”