Under Clear Skies Chapter 55: Six Hundred-kuai

Chapter 55: Six Hundred-kuai

Translated by Fefe of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

The next morning, Tang Heng and Tian Xiaoqin arrived at the economic department for the project defense. The team originally had five members. Other than them, there was also Zhang Baiyuan, Pan Peng and a girl. However, Pan Peng didn’t show up even after the defense started.

Before going up, Tian Xiaoqin asked in confusion, “Where’s Pan Peng?”

Tang Heng did not speak. The other girl didn’t speak either. Holding the script, Zhang Baiyuan said nonchalantly, “He doesn’t feel well, so he won’t be coming today.”

The defense started. Zhang Baiyuan was the main speaker. When he got to the distribution of work, there was a new slide in the PowerPoint that the others had reviewed before—it was Li Yuechi. “For the surveys in the early stage,” Zhang Baiyuan said steadily, “it was mainly Li Yuechi who led Tang Heng and Tian Xiaoqin to complete it.”

The four teachers sitting below had already listened to their mid-term defense. No one had mentioned Li Yuechi’s name at that time. However, the four teachers didn’t ask or say anything, as if everything was normal.

The defense ended successfully. Smiling, Zhang Baiyuan said, “My treat! How about we go to the Creative City for a meal?”

“I have a class in the afternoon,” Tang Heng said. “You guys can go.”

“…I can’t go either.” Tian Xiaoqin looked at Tang Heng. “I have class too.”

“Sure, then I’ll go with Lili,” Zhang Baiyuan said without complaints. “See you guys some other time!”

“Okay,” Tang Heng said.

“Make sure to call Li Yuechi next time,” Zhang Baiyuan said meaningfully while still smiling. “It’s all thanks to him this time.”

Tang Heng didn’t reply. He just nodded and turned to leave.

 

Tian Xiaoqin followed Tang Heng. When they exited the economic department and nobody was around, she finally whispered, “Shidi, were you the one that added Li Yuechi in?”   

Tang Heng was in a good mood. “Yeah.”

“Li Yuechi agreed?”

“Why wouldn’t he?”

“But…”       

Tang Heng pulled out his phone, planning on texting Li Yuechi. Glancing at the screen, he said distractedly, “But what?”

“But Li Yuechi already promised Teacher Tang…”

Tang Heng looked up. “What do you mean?”

Tian Xiaoqin looked at Tang Heng, seeming hesitant to speak. Perhaps because she was nervous, there were a few drops of sweat on the tip of her nose.

“Shijie,” Tang Heng said, “you can tell me. It’s okay.”

“It’s just… Both of us are being TAs this semester.” Tian Xiaoqin avoided Tang Heng’s eyes. Her fingers dug into the straps of her backpack. “Technically, first-year grad students can’t be TAs, but Teacher Tang made an exception for us two. It’s 600-kuai per month.”

Tang Heng blanched for a moment before he said, “Li Yuechi got this job in exchange for quitting the project team?”

“It’s not an exchange.” Tian Xiaoqin shook her head. “Maybe Teacher Tang wanted to comfort him… I don’t know why he included me too.”

Tang Heng knitted his brows. Just as he was about to speak, Tian Xiaoqin continued, “Teacher Tang must have good intentions. Shidi, don’t overthink it.”

“You make 600-kuai per month as a TA?”

“Yeah.”

Six hundred-kuai, Tang Heng thought.

“Actually, compared to the research credit, I think Yuechi indeed needs the money more.” Tian Xiaoqin laughed, resigned. “He mentioned it to me before. He said that it’s just a credit. This is pretty good.”

“When did this happen?” 

“Around two weeks ago.”

“His exact words were, this is pretty good?” 

“Hey… 600-kuai.” Tian Xiaoqin paused and then said, “It’s quite a lot for him.”

Tang Heng said goodbye to Tian Xiaoqin and went home alone. He’d wanted to text Li Yuechi and ask if he wanted to eat lunch together. There was a new red oil chaoshou restaurant on Guangba Road. An Yun said it tasted pretty good. But right now, he suddenly couldn’t bring himself to ask such a simple question.

He didn’t know how much a bowl of red oil chaoshou cost and had never considered questions like this before. Just like he’d never thought that Li Yuechi would willingly give up being credited for a TA job—no, more accurately, for 600­-kuai a month. No wonder Li Yuechi told him not to do this next time—it turned out that he’d already made a deal with his uncle.

How many bowls of red oil chaoshou could he buy with 600-kuai?

He felt frazzled, like a piece of paper that had just been smoothed down before getting crumpled up again. 

 

Tang Heng suddenly thought of how, at Baotong Temple that day, Li Yuechi had said, Text me however much you’d like. After that, Tang Heng never saw him smoke again. He must have really spent his cigarette money on his phone bill, right? But even so, he still ran out of money for his phone last night. Tang Heng wondered, was it because they called and texted too much?

As if it was the speak of the devil, his phone vibrated. Li Yuechi asked, Done with the defense?

Tang Heng picked up his phone. He typed just finished, but then he thought about it and typed, Where are you eating lunch? Biting his lip, he fell into deep thought and then added, Are you free tonight?

Five minutes later, his texts filled up the entire screen.

Just finished.

Where are you eating lunch? Can I come find you?

Oh right, are you free tonight? Do you want to listen to music at Long Love? There’s an event today. You get in for free if you’re wearing a white collared shirt. But it’s okay if you’re not free. I don’t have anything. Up to you.

Xuezhang, can I pay for your phone bill?

Tang Heng sent those texts. A short while later, Li Yuechi called.

It was noisy on his side, like he was in a school building between classes. “You’re out of class?” Tang Heng asked him.

Li Yuechi laughed and said, “Yeah, I have a thesis writing class later. How was your defense?”

“It was okay… pretty smooth.”

“That’s good.” 

“Your name got added.”

“Oh—” Li Yuechi’s voice was relaxed, like the soft sunlight of an early autumn day. “Thanks, xuedi.“

“Where are you eating for lunch?”

“Doesn’t matter. What do you wanna eat?” Li Yuechi laughed again and continued, “I have tutoring tonight. It ends at 9:30 and I’m free after that. I can go to Long Love for the music, but it’s okay if I can’t make it in time. As long as you’re there. Also—I already paid my phone bill.”

“Uh, okay,” Tang Heng said blankly.

“Any other questions?”

“…None at the moment.”

“Then, I’m going into the classroom.”   

“Wait!”

“Yes?”

Tang Heng was silent for a few seconds. Then he asked cautiously, “Can you still TA?”

The other end of the call fell silent.

Tang Heng felt that his palm was full of sweat—he didn’t know if it was because his phone was too hot or because of his nerves. Six hundred-kuai. He really wanted to say, It’s just 600-kuai, I’ll pay you, I’ll give you as much money as you want, I just don’t want to see you get mistreated. But he knew that he couldn’t say it. Li Yuechi wouldn’t even let him pay the phone bill.

A beat later, Li Yuechi said breezily, “I went to the secretary’s office this morning. I quit.”

Tang Heng really wanted to punch himself. Why was he so impulsive, so matter-of-fact, and did things without thinking?

The next second, Li Yuechi lowered his voice, “It’s my own problem.”

“No, it’s my—”

“You know,” Li Yuechi laughed with an exhale, sounding sly.” Tas can’t date students in their class.” 

“…”

“But I can’t help it.”