A Moment Too Late (GL) - Chapter 107

On the porch, a delicate chandelier hung, sparkling like stars. The soft, bright yellow glow illuminated the boundless darkness, creating a dreamy, starry feeling.

Qian Qian, carrying a bag, looked at Nan Xue with a sense of confusion in her eyes.

She had no idea that Nan Xue had been teasing Shu Yubai for so long using her name.

Qian Qian asked, “Xiao Nan, what are you doing?”

Nan Xue replied, “It’s a bit hot.”

She then fanned herself with her hand, implying that Qian Qian should stop clinging so closely.

“Xiao Nan?”

Qian Qian called her that?

You Fu observed the two of them and noted that their interaction seemed very familiar and close. The fact that Qian Qian called Nan Xue so affectionately made her uneasy.

So their relationship is quite good?

She glanced at Shu Yubai, who stared at the two of them with a dazed expression, looking pale as if drained of bl00d.

“There’s a reservation.”

Qian Qian didn’t understand what was going on in their minds but found the atmosphere a bit strange. She looked at the only normal waiter on the scene and said, “It’s on the second floor.”

The entire second floor had been booked for a small cocktail party.

“This way, please.”

The waiter understood and led the four of them slowly upstairs.

The second floor was neither large nor small, with dim lighting. There were a few tables set up by the windows, and the dark brown ceiling was illuminated by lights.

Opposite the windows was a large wine cabinet, with several lights shining on top, highlighting the bright bottles and various shapes of glasses. The dim light reflected off the sparkling glass.

Qian Qian and Nan Xue sat down at a window-side seat.

Nan Xue occasionally turned her head to glance at Shu Yubai, looking somewhat panicked, but Qian Qian couldn’t understand why.

Isn’t she her girlfriend?

Why does she look like… she’s been caught in the act? (TN: 🤣)

Qian Qian found a seat and then looked back at You Fu. After hesitating for a moment, she considered inviting Shu Yubai to join their table but was conflicted when she saw the woman beside her.

You Fu happened to turn and look at her: “?”

Qian Qian felt a bit embarrassed and, after a pause, asked, “Would you like to join us?”

You Fu raised an eyebrow, puzzled by her question.

What does she mean?

She has a romantic interest but is so familiar with her.

You Fu wasn’t afraid.

She pulled Shu Yubai over and whispered in her ear, “Why are you nervous? It’s Nan Xue who should be nervous. Stay calm.”

Shu Yubai lowered her gaze.

Nan Xue watched the two whispering, her fingers lightly curled.

She gave You Fu a cold glance, her eyes showing a hint of chill.

You Fu, sitting next to Shu Yubai, said:

“Quite the coincidence.”

She said naturally, “It’s surprising to run into you here.”

Qian Qian thought she was referring to her and smiled lightly.

There was a small bar counter in the middle with many desserts. Qian Qian went over, took a piece of cake, and sat down. She shared a piece with Nan Xue, placing it on a small porcelain plate. She then looked up and asked, “Do you want any?”

Shu Yubai said, “No.”

She glanced at Qian Qian indifferently, stood up, and said, “Nan Xue doesn’t like sweets. They’re too greasy.”

She then took the cream cake from Nan Xue’s plate and placed it on her own.

Nan Xue: “……”

Qian Qian: “……”

Shu Yubai didn’t look at them. She turned and walked towards the inner bar counter, where a bartender was working.

The bartender, dressed in a white shirt and black vest, was busy at the counter, skillfully manipulating various utensils, mixing and pouring drinks. From a distance, it was evident he was quite skilled. Soon, Shu Yubai got a cocktail for Nan Xue.

*Click.*

The wine glass was set down on the table.

With her slender white finger, she pushed it an inch toward Nan Xue.

The conical wine glass held a small amount of bright yellow liquid, with a slightly intoxicating aroma, a few ice cubes floating inside, and a slice of lime with its pale green rind still intact.

“Don’t you like sour things?” Shu Yubai asked.

She glanced at Qian Qian.

Qian Qian: “?”

Is it just me, or does this beautiful young lady seem a bit… hostile towards me?

On the other side, Shu Yubai and her senior sister were chatting quickly.

They were typing away on the screen.

Senior Sister: [Don’t panic.]

Senior Sister: [I’ll take care of this third party.]

Senior Sister: [What’s up with Nan Xue? Is she playing both sides?]

Shu Yubai: […]

Shu Yubai: [She’s not like that.]

Senior Sister: [Starting to defend her, huh?]

Senior Sister: [Defending has to be justified. This is clearly her fault.]

“Hi, what a coincidence.”

Someone from the neighboring table, who knew Qian Qian, stood up and walked over, seemingly wanting to chat. It was an acquaintance from work, a distributor that Nan Xue also recognized. They ended up chatting and drinking together.

They leaned against the central bar counter, chatting slowly.

“By Picasso? I haven’t seen one… not familiar with it.”

“I have one hidden away.”

The distributor smiled and said, “Xiao Nan is always interested. We can enjoy it together another day.”

Nan Xue lightly pressed her lips together, “Okay, thank you.”

Thinking to herself: Who’s interested? It’s better to have Shu Yubai go see it.

Nan Xue glanced back occasionally at You Fu and Shu Yubai.

She seemed very alert.

When Nan Xue gave her third cold glance, You Fu finally couldn’t stand it. Taking decisive action, she suddenly wrapped her arm around Shu Yubai’s slim waist and leaned in close to her ear, as if stealing a kiss or whispering something secret.

You Fu said, “Let’s join in and annoy Nan Xue a bit.”

Shu Yubai: “…”

She didn’t resist.

At that moment, Qian Qian also glanced over.

The senior sister immediately released Shu Yubai and sat up straight, as if to avoid suspicion.

Nan Xue: “……”

She lowered her lashes and withdrew her gaze.

Shu Yubai looked at her from afar.

What exactly are they to each other?

So many questions were stuck in her throat. She pushed open the window and could hear the distant sound of the tide. The lake surface, blown by the wind, lapped against the embankment.

The blue-black sky was deep, and the star-like lights were reflected on the glass window, seemingly suspended in mid-air, giving her side profile a touch of melancholy.

“Have some wine.”

You Fu held up her glass and clinked it with Shu Yubai’s.

The clear clinking sound.

By the faint light, Shu Yubai noticed a small red mark on You Fu’s fingertip, like a tiny scar on her pale skin.

Shu Yubai couldn’t help but ask, “Senior Sister, what happened to your finger?”

You Fu glanced at Qian Qian, “She bit me.”

Shu Yubai: “…?”

Bitten?

How does that happen?

Are they… in that kind of relationship?

Shu Yubai looked at Qian Qian in surprise.

Such a complex relationship.

So she… is playing both sides?

Qian Qian was unaware that her image had been distorted due to a minor misunderstanding. At this moment, she was gracefully holding up her wine glass, her lips smiling, looking very approachable.

You Fu looked into the distance.

At the cocktail party, the light cast down, illuminating the soft profile of a woman.

Standing alone made her seem a bit out of place.

She glanced at her and, for some reason, felt like laughing. So she stood up and walked over to clink glasses.

“Isn’t it boring?”

You Fu asked softly, her voice slightly hoarse from the rum.

“A little.”

Qian Qian looked back at her.

You Fu wore a form-fitting black dress made of fine, slightly shimmering fabric that gave her skin a unique pallor. A glint of diamonds flashed near her ear, and her hair was gathered over one shoulder.

Her eyes were deep and expressive, always seeming to hold a hint of a smile, but upon closer inspection, they conveyed a cold, aloof demeanor.

She gave off a unique, almost elusive presence.

On the other side, Shu Yubai saw that Nan Xue was no longer with Qian Qian and got up to follow her. Seeing Shu Yubai stand, Nan Xue tensed up.

Shu Yubai looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

“Sister.”

Nan Xue called her softly.

Shu Yubai lowered her gaze and asked gently, “How many sisters do you have, hmm?”

Her eyes were calm and distant.

It was rare for Shu Yubai to be like this.

Nan Xue knew she was upset.

Panicking, Nan Xue reached out to hold her hand, but as soon as she touched the warm fingertips, they were quickly withdrawn.

Shu Yubai looked at her quietly and said, “You owe me an explanation.”

Nan Xue’s heart raced wildly.

She was very afraid of Shu Yubai’s anger and almost revealed everything about their relationship, but at that moment, a familiar figure appeared in the distance—the distributor who had come over to chat earlier.

He saw Shu Yubai and his eyes lit up, “Isn’t this Teacher Shu? I really admire your paintings. It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

Hearing the familiar voice, Qian Qian happened to turn around to look at them.

The distributor warmly introduced them, “This is Nan Xue from Zhongmao Group.”

He then pointed to Qian Qian, who was standing with You Fu nearby.

“And this is… Xiao Nan’s aunt, Qian Qian.”

His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, and Shu Yubai and You Fu both happened to overhear.

Aunt?!

Nan Xue, Shu Yubai, and You Fu: “……”

The expressions of the three people froze.

“Aunt?”

You Fu and Shu Yubai snapped out of their stupor and asked in unison.

Shu Yubai suddenly recalled that Nan Xue had once described their relationship as: closer than friends, but further than lovers.

What kind of relationship could be described like that? Shu Yubai had been misled by Nan Xue’s vague descriptions and ambiguous attitude, always thinking their relationship was quite significant.

If it’s an aunt, then it all makes sense.

So they are family.

Nan Xue: “……”

Why do these people seem so shocked?

Qian Qian: “???”

The distributor: “???”

They looked at Shu Yubai and You Fu, whose expressions kept changing, unable to understand what was going on.

Shu Yubai and Qian Qian exchanged a glance.

Qian Qian resembled Nan Xue with her fair skin and small red lips. The only differences were that Qian Qian had long hair, wasn’t as tall as Nan Xue, and had a slightly softer demeanor. The more Shu Yubai looked, the more similar they appeared.

A warm feeling spread from her feet to her cheeks, her ears tingling with warmth and a flush of red.

She had actually… considered her a rival!

She even hung up on her last time!

She looked down, her fingertips curling slightly.

It was so awkward.

Then, she looked at Nan Xue, her face flushed with embarrassment and a hint of annoyance.

Nan Xue said softly, “Sister.”

Shu Yubai leaned closer to Nan Xue, lowering her head and said helplessly in her ear, “Nan Xue.”

She gently pinched her fingers and said with irritation:

“You little troublemaker.”

“Sister.”

Nan Xue’s ears turned red as well.

Shu Yubai lightly scraped her fingertip across Nan Xue’s nose and whispered, “I’ll deal with you later.”

In a corner, there was a small round wooden platform with a drum illuminated by light from above. The metal edges glinted coldly. After a while, a drummer went up and started playing rhythms.

Soon, other music and guitarists joined in.

The party was nearing its end.

People on the second floor gradually dispersed.

You Fu leaned by the window, lighting a cigarette and letting it burn quietly in her slender white fingers. Her gaze fell on the woman reflected in the glass, and she flicked the cigarette out into the ashtray.

The reflection was of Qian Qian.

The night cast a cool blue hue on You Fu’s face, making her look white and mysterious, hard to decipher. Her fingertips were soft, holding a small glass, swaying it while she seemed lost in thought, then she took a sip of her drink.

Qian Qian kept an eye on her from the side, feeling that she might get drunk and stayed vigilant.

“Shall we go, Aunt?”

Nan Xue asked.

“You go ahead.”

Qian Qian waved her hand.

By the lake, there were water cypress trees, and the evening breeze seemed to carry a faint hint of lake water, though it was very light. The sound of wind rustling through fallen leaves could be heard, and a tree full of blooming flowers had petals fluttering down as the wind blew.

As Shu Yubai stepped outside, she saw Nan Xue waiting quietly by the car door not far away.

She was wearing a simple white t-shirt and water-washed blue jeans, leaning against a white GranCabrio, her slender figure outlined by the wind.

Nan Xue shivered slightly from the cold and looked at Shu Yubai with a hint of timidity.

“Shall we head back?”

Shu Yubai asked calmly.

“Mm.”

Nan Xue opened the back door for her and waited for her to get in.

The inside of the car was quiet.

The driver sat in the front, having come to pick them up.

There was a partition between the back seat and the front, gray and rising, so the front seats could not see the back.

Perhaps due to the drinks they had, the dim car interior had a small light on, and the driver drove steadily in front. Through the partition, the back seat felt stuffy and slightly dizzy, with a faint sweat on her neck.

The two sat close together in the car.

“Sister.”

Nan Xue tentatively asked, “Are you still angry?”

Shu Yubai looked at her and suddenly leaned in, wrapping her arm around Nan Xue’s neck and gently breathing in her ear, softly saying, “Not angry anymore. But you need to… make it up to me.”

“Go home and lie down properly.”

Shu Yubai kissed her small, delicate earlobe and tapped her nose.

Nan Xue’s heart skipped a beat.