Under Clear Skies Chapter 95: Rupture

Chapter 95: Rupture

Translated by KarateChopMonkey of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

 

When the three of them arrived at the teahouse, Ang Yi was already waiting there. She hadn’t even gone home, a large suitcase stood beside her, accentuating her slender figure. Tang Heng stood at the entrance to the private room, stunned for a few seconds before realizing that the woman in the black dress was indeed Ang Yi.

Six years had passed, Ang Yi had slimmed down while Jiang Ya had gained weight, both no longer resembling their former selves.

“You’re here…” Ang Yi saw them, her face expressionless, “come in and sit down…”

“Ang… Ang Yi…” Jiang Ya raised hid hand as if to pat her shoulder, then withdrew it, “You just got here, huh?”

Ang Yi responded with a grunt, her gaze paused on Tang Heng’s face for a few seconds before slowly moving away to meet Li Yuechi beside him.

Ang Yi asked calmly, “How long have you been out?”

Li Yuechi replied, “Two years…”

She chuckled, “Just two years and you’re already looking for him? I really thought you could endure a lifetime.”

This was not a gentle or friendly chuckle but carried a visible hint of sarcasm.

Tang Heng frowned.

“Alright, you two wait outside…” Ang Yi looked at Tang Heng, “I need to talk to you about something”

Tang Heng sat across from Ang Yi, watching as she took out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket, skillfully lit one, then asked, “Do you want one?”

“No…”

“Are you feeling better?”

“I feel fine…”

“Did he tell you everything?”

“Almost…” Tang Heng paused, “There are some details he didn’t mention.”

“Ah…” Ang Yi flicked off some ash.

The atmosphere felt suffocating to Tang Heng. They were obviously the closest of old friends, but now, they seemed like two— he didn’t know how to describe it— long-lost enemies?

“To be honest, I’ve hated you, both of you…” Ang Yi lowered her eyes, speaking slowly, “of course, that includes myself.”

Tang Heng remained silent, just staring at the white porcelain cup on the table.

“The night Xiaoqin was raped, I took some photos and sent them to Li Yuechi… Later, he took the photos to the dean, but it was useless. I don’t blame him, I know. That night, I climbed up to the rooftop of the sociology building and told my dad that if he didn’t report Tang Guomu, I would jump. I thought, with two students dead in the sociology building, it would surely attract media attention?”

Ang Yi took a drag from her cigarette, continuing nonchalantly, “My dad was scared half to death, he actually gave me the evidence. Tang Guomu had done more than just rape female students over the years, especially, he laundered money through your mom.”

“Even if those pieces of evidence weren’t enough for Xiaoqin’s revenge, at least it would prevent him from being a teacher again. Of course, my dad would also be implicated— but at that time, I didn’t care about that.”

“But I didn’t expect…” Ang Yi shook her head, “Li Yuechi stopped me, he begged me not to publish those pieces of evidence, he said he would seek revenge for Xiaoqin in other ways. I asked him why, and he said two words. He made a deal with me, he would seek revenge, and I would keep the secret.”

There was a feeling of constriction in Tang Heng’s throat as he lifted the cup and gulped down some cold tea.

“He said just two words— do you know what they were?”

“…”

“He said, ‘Tang Heng’.”

Tang Heng and Ang Yi left the teahouse side by side. Ang Yi hailed a taxi to go home, while Tang Heng stayed with Li Yuechi and Jiang Ya.

Jiang Ya watched the taxi gradually disappear, asking in confusion, “What did she say?”

Tang Heng whispered softly, “Everything…”

“What?”

“All of it, she told me everything.”

Li Yuechi stood by silently.

Tang Heng exhaled silently, “I’m going to find my mom.”

“Now?” Jiang Ya asked anxiously, “Shall we accompany you?”

Tang Heng shook his head, “I’ll go alone…”

“Alone… Are you sure it’s safe?”

“Don’t worry…”

Only then did Li Yuechi finally speak, he looked straight into Tang Heng’s eyes and said softly, “I’ll wait for you to come back…”

Tang Heng replied, “Okay…”

On the subway, Tang Heng dialed Fu Liling’s number. She had already returned to Wuhan. Tang Heng said, “Mom, let’s meet alone, or don’t meet at all.” So, half an hour later, Tang Heng met Fu Liling at the old residence in Wuhan University. The last time they met was six months ago when Tang Heng went to Shanghai for an academic conference and had dinner with Fu Liling, accompanying her shopping. At that time, Fu Liling was carefree, nothing like the current distressed state.

“He went to find you, didn’t he?! Tang Heng, how could you—have you forgotten how he tortured you?!” Fu Liling screamed.

Tang Heng unexpectedly remained calm, “Mom, let me tell you something first. These six years, there hasn’t been a day when I didn’t think about him.”

“Shut up!” Fu Liling screamed.

“How is Wang Lili doing at the company?” Tang Heng said. In an instant, Fu Liling quieted down.

Like boiling water poured onto ice, there was a whoosh, and nothing was left.

A few seconds later, Fu Liling murmured, “Who is Wang Lili?”

Tang Heng didn’t answer, continuing, “I suddenly remembered that afternoon when Li Yuechi disguised himself as a delivery man and knocked on the door. Before that, you asked me if I knew a girl surnamed Tian, you didn’t finish your sentence… You already knew then, didn’t you? She jumped off the building…”

“During those days, you confiscated my phone, preventing me from contacting the outside world, so I didn’t know about Tian Xiaoqin. Mom, was this something you and Tang Guomu planned together?”

“No!” Fu Liling’s legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground, “I didn’t know beforehand… I didn’t know that girl would die… I confiscated your phone just because I didn’t want you to contact him…”

“Then you succeeded halfway…” Tang Heng showed a bitter smile, “We haven’t been in contact for six years.”

“Tang Heng, listen to mom…” Fu Liling stumbled to her feet, clutching Tang Heng’s arm, “I just wanted you to break up with him, I didn’t want to harm that girl. Wang Lili was the person Tang Guomu borrowed from me, that’s true, but at that time, I didn’t know what he wanted Wang Lili for!”

“But Tian Xiaoqin did die.”

“Tang Heng…”

“This is what Ang Yi said…” Tang Heng, feeling somewhat numb, recounted Ang Yi’s words from a few tens of minutes ago, “We, the living, can still hate, regret, seek revenge—but what’s the point of seeking revenge? Tian Xiaoqin is already dead. That person no longer exists in this world.”

Tang Heng continued, “Mom, just consider me dead from now on, I don’t exist anymore.”

“What are you saying, Tang Heng—” Fu Liling trembled all over, almost kneeling on the ground, “Don’t scare me, okay? Everything I do is for you, I only have you as my child, Tang Heng—”

“Between me and Tang Guomu, choose.”

Tang Heng shook off her hand, “I’m leaving…”

He rushed down the stairs as if fleeing, almost knocking down someone at the entrance.

Li Yuechi caught him steadily, asking nervously, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine…” Tang Heng paused, “Why are you here?”

“Worried about you…”

“…”

Suddenly, Tang Heng felt like all his strength had drained away, his whole body felt limp, wanting only to collapse into Li Yuechi’s arms. He wasn’t heartless; after saying harsh words to his mother and seeing her in such a state, he naturally felt torn apart.

It was like tearing paper, tearing apart the first twenty-seven years of his life with his own hands.

Li Yuechi held a heavy bag against Tang Heng’s thigh.

Tang Heng hoarsely asked, “What’s this?”

“A hammer, just bought it.”

“Hmm?”

“If you were locked up again, I’d come to smash the lock.”

“…”

“What I mean is…” Li Yuechi brushed Tang Heng’s sweaty forehead, “This time, I won’t leave you behind again.”