Under Clear Skies Chapter 80: Dare to Leave

Chapter 80: Dare to Leave

Translated by Fefe of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

 

Morning of May sixth, it started to rain in Wuhan again.

This was how the weather in the south was like. It rained continuously when spring passed into summer, but the temperature didn’t decrease at all. Instead, the humid air stuck to their skin, irritating everyone. Li Yuechi was woken up early by the sound of rain. Dim light shone through the window and the electric fan hummed as it spun. His roommates were still deep asleep. Li Yuechi’s back was covered in sweat, dampening his clothes. It felt gross.

He pulled his phone out from under his pillow and texted Tang Heng. Can we meet today?

It was only 7:03. He knew Tang Heng was still sleeping.

Unexpectedly, Tang Heng’s text came a few minutes ago. Don’t know. My mom has a bad cold… I gotta stay home to take care of her.

Take good care of her.

Miss me?

Yes.

I’ll try to sneak out after she sleeps tonight.

Li Yuechi smiled at the screen. It’s okay. It’s only a few days.

 

That morning, Li Yuechi went to their apartment to get two books to return to the library. One of them had been borrowed by Tang Heng when he was writing his thesis and kept forgetting to return. It was due tomorrow. Tang Heng was a detailed reader and had the habit of using those narrow sticky notes as bookmarks, sticking them to the edge of the pages, one staggered from the other. Li Yuechi sat on their bed and patiently removed all of them, sticking them inside his own textbook. These sticky notes could be used multiple times.

During this, he answered a call from Tian Xiaoqin. She seemed to be even more anxious after the night. “Yuechi, are you at school? I need to tell you something.”

“I’m not at school right now.”

“When are you coming back?”

“Afternoon, probably.”

“Afternoon… that’s fine too.” Tian Xiaoqin said something, but Li Yuechi couldn’t hear clearly. Then Tian Xiaoqin hung up.

Actually, Li Yuechi didn’t know how to face her—should he tell her that the students were all spreading rumors about her and Professor Tang? Those words felt too cruel. Maybe it would be better if she didn’t know.

 

It was still raining by noon. Li Yuechi went to buy regan noodles and rice wine from the alley entrance and ate it slowly in his room. He didn’t turn on the lights and the world was gray. Fortunately, he could eat the noodles with his eyes closed. He actually didn’t develop the habit of turning on the lights when entering a room until he started dating Tang Heng. When he was at home in Guizhou, he rarely turned on the lights during the day—to save money. After he came to Wuhan for university, he didn’t have the habit of turning the lights on when he was alone in the dorm either. He would only turn on his desk lamp. When his roommates came back, they would sometimes jump in fright. Fuck, I thought there wasn’t anyone here.

However, Tang Heng was slightly near-sighted but didn’t like wearing glasses, so he loved turning on the lights in every room. Of course, their apartment only had two rooms—the bedroom and bathroom. Maybe this was what people meant when saying it was hard to go from luxury to poverty. After staying in a bright room for so long, he also got into the habit of turning the lights on. The ceiling light of their apartment was very bright and would illuminate Tang Heng’s face clearly. His frown, his secret smile, his wide eyes as he welcomed a kiss—these snapshots were clear in Li Yuechi’s mind, thanks to that ceiling light.

Li Yuechi stood up. He turned on the light with a click.

 

In the afternoon, Li Yuechi went to the library to return the books. His phone started ringing the moment he exited the library.

Tian Xiaoqin said, “Li Yuechi… Come to Teacher Tang’s office.”

“Right now?”

“Yes, right now… Hurry.”

Li Yuechi walked quickly. The rain was harder now and the droplets splattered greasily against his skin.   

Professor Tang’s office door was closed. Li Yuechi stood his umbrella against the door, brushed off the water from his arm, and knocked.

Tian Xiaoqin opened the door. She looked perturbed. When Li Yuechi entered the office, he saw Professor Tang holding a brush and slowly practicing calligraphy.

“Have a seat,” Professor Tang said kindly.

The two sat down. The air conditioning seemed to be even colder than yesterday and Li Yuechi shivered. By the time Professor Tang set down his brush, his damp collar had already dried.

“Take a look. How is my calligraphy?”

Two lines were written on the white paper with black ink.

“This is from the Analects of Confucius. It means that if a gentleman has no self-respect, then he will not have any authority. Even if he studies well, he will still be unable to truly grasp knowledge. A gentleman must uphold loyalty and honesty acting. Do not befriend those without loyalty or honesty; you must know to fix mistakes.”

After Professor Tang finished his speech, he didn’t wait for a reply before smiling and adding, “I’ll gift this piece to you two.”

Tian Xiaoqin blanched. “…Thank you.”

“Alright, let’s get to the point.” Professor Tang sat down and said nonchalantly, “We’re the only three here. You two are my students, you’re my people, so I’ll be straightforward.”

The air conditioning blew straight at Li Yuechi. It was freezing.

“Saint Corps contacted me at noon and said Wang Lili confessed.”

Li Yuechi lowered his eyes and saw goosebumps on his arms.

“Wang Lili said that she got into an agreement with you two to secretly ship away 12 pieces of equipment and sell them.”

Li Yuechi slowly looked up.

“Is that true?” Professor Tang’s expression was still very calm. “Saint Corps was going to report this to the police, but I stopped them. Think about it. If Wang Lili went to the police and recorded a testimony, there would be no saving this matter anymore. We’re the only three here now, so could someone tell me what happened?”

In the span of these few sentences, Tian Xiaoqin’s face had turned sheet white and her half-opened lips trembled. She looked like she wanted to say something but couldn’t produce any sound.

“Teacher Tang.” Li Yuechi’s mind was blank too. “We didn’t do anything.”

“Really?” Professor Tang sighed. “You all signed this list—oh, you didn’t sign it. But Wang Lili said that you two moved the equipment with her. Saint Corps sent 74 pieces of equipment here, but the inventory list says 62 and the hospital only received 62 as well.”

“Laoshi, I, I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Tian Xiaoqin took a step back and said in horror, “We didn’t do that…”

“I know you two have financial problems at home, but you’re both good kids,” Professor Tang said kindly and earnestly. “Life is long. It’s very normal to make a mistake because of a simple thought. Now, tell me the truth. There’s still a chance to make everything okay.”

“Laoshi,” Tian Xiaoqin cried, “we really—”

“How about this?” Professor Tang cut her off. “You two go back and have a good think, then come to me tomorrow. I told Saint Corps to not call the police today. After you all think it through and are willing to tell me the truth, we’ll think of a solution.”

 

Li Yuechi returned to his dorm. His roommate was gaming on his laptop.

When the round ended, he turned around. “Yuechi, I want to borrow your—” Before he finished, his face twisted in shock.

“Hey, Yuechi, what’s up?” He hurried up. “You’re so wet…”

Li Yuechi was drenched to the bone and water dripped down from his hair. He snapped out of his thoughts. “…I forgot my umbrella,” he mumbled. He’d left it outside Professor

“You should’ve called me. I could’ve ridden over to give it to you,” his roommate said. “Hurry up and change. You’ll catch a cold.”            

Li Yuechi stood up and trudged to the bathroom. He didn’t know if he caught a cold, but his nose was stuffed up and his brain felt like a block of wood.

His mind didn’t clear slightly until the hot water fell over his body. Tian Xiaoqin’s helpless cries still resounded in his ears. Professor Tang’s words were so clear too. Li Yuechi wiped his face. He was still lost. Why did Wang Lili slander them? They’d interacted well in Dawu and didn’t have any conflicts.

It felt like… Like that time his dad had been diagnosed with black lung. At first, his dad only had a cough and he took herbal medicine. But he still coughed, so he’d gone to see the village doctor. The doctor had felt his dad’s pulse and said, No big deal. You just have fire in your lungs. Don’t smoke so much for now.

That night, his dad had suddenly coughed up a pool of dark blood.

The next day, they’d gone to the hospital in the city and taken an X-ray. The doctor had asked, Where do you work?

Shanxi.

In the mines?

Ah, yes.

You have a typical black lung. It’s the occupational disease for miners. You need to be hospitalized.

Li Yuechi had this kind of feeling again now. 

 

Li Yuechi showered, put on his clothes, and sat in his dorm. He forced himself to calm down and think about how he could solve this issue. First, he thought, he and Tian Xiaoqin definitely got slandered. They could not admit to something they’d never done. Second, claims needed to be backed up with evidence. Saint Corps hadn’t reported this to the police yet, but they and Professor Tang already believed in Wang Lili’s one-sided words. Maybe it would actually be better if they went to the police. Wang Lili said the three of them had shipped away the 12 pieces of equipment. In that case, the police would have to collect evidence and the truth would be out. Third, Wang Lili had moved the equipment, but he and Tian Xiaoqin didn’t catch her. Maybe they were indeed responsible for the lost equipment. Did they have to pay? How much? Where could he get the money?

And fourth, he really wanted to see Tang Heng now. Just hug him and not say anything—that would be fine too.

Li Yuechi texted Tang Heng. Can you call?

He waited for half an hour, but Tang Heng still didn’t reply.

Li Yuechi called. Tang Heng’s phone was off.

“Yuechi, I’m buying dinner,” his roommate said. “Should I bring you some?”

“No thanks. I’m going out.”

“You’re going to the cafeteria? Then can you bring me dinner?”

“I’m… going to find a classmate.”

“Oh, let’s go together.”

Li Yuechi didn’t realize until they locked the door that he didn’t have umbrella. He really had to walk with his roommate. The rain was even harder now. It was only five p.m., but the sky was dark already. The lights hadn’t turned on yet and the rain blurred his vision.

The entire university campus seemed to have turned into his old dim, leaking home.

Li Yuechi didn’t have his roommate walk him to the building. Instead, he said goodbye some distance away from the faculty dorm building and he ran over by himself.

His newly changed clothes were drenched again. He rushed into the corridor and brushed the water from his hair.

Compared to the noisy student’s dorm, the faculty dorm was silent. Li Yuechi stood in the entrance and dialed Tang Heng’s number again. Still off.

He crept upstairs and stood in front of the Tang Heng’s door. Maybe Tang Heng and his mom went out, but he forgot to bring his phone and it had run out of battery. If they came back later… Fortunately, these older buildings all had a rooftop balcony. Tang Heng lived on the top floor, but the stairs still went up to another floor. If they came back, Li Yuechi could hide in the stairwell.

The stairwell was hot and humid. His sweat and rain mixed together. The sound-activated lights turned off and Li Yuechi thought back to that time he and Tang Heng had kissed in the dark hallway.

Around 7:30, Li Yuechi’s phone had 34% battery left.

Tang Heng’s phone was still off. Li Yuechi dialed Jiang Ya’s number.

“Huh?” Jiang Ya’s side had energetic music. “I don’t know where he is. I came back to Beijing yesterday!”

“You have… work?”

“Yeah, Lin-jie got us a new event, but Tang Heng refused to come back, ugh!”

“I see,” Li Yuechi said.

The second before his phone died, Li Yuechi saw that the time was 21:07. He even started thinking that maybe Tang Heng’s mom’s cold was too serious and they went to the hospital? The closest one would be the campus hospital. It was just a cold, so they probably didn’t need to go to a major hospital.

Maybe he should try the campus hospital.

Li Yuechi shook his numb legs. With his movement, the sound-activated lights turned on. He took two steps and looked back at Tang Heng’s door.

 

At that moment, in that instant, he heard the sharp crash of glass breaking.

“Tang Heng!” a woman screamed inside the door. “If you dare leave, I’ll kill myself today!”