A Moment Too Late (GL) - Chapter 11

On the way, Nan Xue became quiet, as if lost in thought. The scarf she had wrapped around her neck still carried a slight warmth, mixed with her body temperature. The hand gently holding her waist was proper but made Shu Yubai feel a bit uncomfortable.

On one hand, she felt nervous and wanted to push it away and take a breath.

On the other hand, she was reluctant to do so.

After a moment, Nan Xue suddenly turned her head and asked:

“Why are our keys with her?”

“Why did you give her the keys?”

Shu Yubai was slightly taken aback, hesitated for a moment, and then said, “I asked her to make a copy of the keys. Since we’re at the company during the day and don’t return home for lunch, she offered to come by and feed Xiao Hui for us.”

Xiao Hui was the name of their Teddy dog.

At the time, Shu Yubai had agreed readily but hadn’t considered how troublesome keeping a pet could be. According to her routine, she wouldn’t return home for lunch breaks, and Nan Xue was even less likely to. When they were at work, the house was empty and lacking in warmth.

Who would take care of the dog?

There had to be food for it, after all.

Nan Xue’s fingertips grew cold, and she didn’t speak for a while.

After a long pause, she asked, “Have the keys been copied?”

“Yes.” Shu Yubai looked down and took out the bunch of keys.

She checked and recalled—keys to the door, the community access card, everything was in order.

Nan Xue’s eyes grew colder, and she asked again, “You trust her that much?”

“I’m serious about her.”

Shu Yubai smiled and ruffled Nan Xue’s hair. “Haven’t you figured it out yet? I’m dating her.”

Nan Xue suddenly lowered her gaze.

Dating?

They walked down a long path and entered the stairwell.

Shu Yubai took a breath, and her cheeks gradually warmed up.

It seemed that Nan Xue found it difficult to accept the idea of their relationship and that Xiao Yi had a spare key to their home. It was understandable, though—it was just a matter of getting used to it.

Just not used to it.

Sometimes she fears she thinks too much, already thinking too much.

To the point where she often overthinks and misunderstands Nan Xue’s intentions.

In the evening, the temperature suddenly dropped. Shu Yubai went downstairs to close the small window, worried that snow would blow in and wet the floor.

Once Lin Lan left, the house was left with just her and Nan Xue.

As usual, Shu Yubai washed vegetables, rinsed rice, and cooked, busy in the kitchen. She wore a beige apron, had taken off her thick fleece pants, exposing her smooth, white legs. Her long hair hung down, and her back appeared gentle and charming.

Nan Xue leaned against the door frame and suddenly moved forward, hugging her from behind.

Shu Yubai paused and softly asked, “What’s wrong?”

Nan Xue didn’t speak. She noticed Shu Yubai’s slender, white neck, where fine, delicate hair near the hairline accentuated her fair skin.

Nan Xue gently lowered her head and kissed her.

Shu Yubai froze.

The kiss was soft and warm, and it made her feel weak in the knees for a moment. But she quickly composed herself.

“Don’t do this.”

Shu Yubai smiled, her eyes still tender. “From now on, we need to keep our distance. We can’t be like before.”

“Why?”

Nan Xue looked at her with longing.

“I’m dating someone now. You know what that means, right?”

“So you don’t want me anymore.”

Nan Xue lowered her head, asking in a quiet voice, “Does that mean everything from before doesn’t count?”

“What do you mean?” Shu Yubai’s heart skipped a beat.

Nan Xue said, “I remember.”

Nan Xue’s eyes were slightly red, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared, almost like an illusion. She looked down, curling her fingertips. “You clearly said before that you liked me.”

When she was younger, Shu Yubai couldn’t distinguish her feelings.

It was only in high school that she began to understand them.

Back then, the best high school for art wasn’t the local prestigious academic schools, but the affiliated high school of the Art Academy. But if Shu Yubai had gone to the affiliated high school, her relationship with Nan Xue would have gradually faded. Thinking this, she chose to attend a local key high school with a focus on science, but still took art classes.

High school required boarding.

They were briefly separated for a year.

A year later, Nan Xue did indeed enter that high school. At that time, Shu Yubai was in her second year, and Nan Xue was in her first year.

On the day of the new students’ orientation, the half-open hall was filled with incoming students. Shu Yubai happened to be helping out with the student council, wearing a work badge, and was there to observe.

“Did you see the new students this year? There’s one really pretty girl.”

“Yeah.”

“Such a beauty, a natural beauty.”

“She’s still young, but she’s even taller than you.”

••••

The murmurs suddenly stopped. Shu Yubai looked up and saw a tall girl standing at the door.

Against the light, she was half in shadow, and her face was unclear.

The girls at the door gasped in exaggerated surprise.

The girl walked calmly onto the stage. The hall fell silent immediately. Those eating, playing, all stopped, as if the movie had been paused.

Not for any other reason, but because everyone was mesmerized and had no time to speak.

Shu Yubai’s heart almost stopped for a moment—it was her.

Nan Xue?

The girl was wearing a turtleneck sweater and dark jeans that accentuated her long legs. The subtle texture between hardness and softness was just like her.

Shu Yubai watched her sharp chin and straight nose, somewhat mesmerized. The girl stood calmly on the podium and said, “I’m Nan Xue, the representative of this year’s new students.”

Her voice was pleasant, with a clear, translucent quality, like ice, which made her presence even more ethereal.

Below the podium were students in loose black-and-white uniforms, immersed in the urgency of “XXX days until the college entrance exam.” At this moment, Nan Xue seemed like a character from a comic book, beautiful and with a peculiar dreamlike quality.

There were still such wonderful people in the world.

It was hard to imagine.

It had only been a year apart.

Yet Shu Yubai missed her even more. Just seeing her from afar made her heart race. She even wanted to push through the crowd and gently hug her.

After the speech ended.

It was all read from a script, so many people didn’t pay close attention to what was said. Most of what was known came from gossip and rumors:

1. This girl is very beautiful.
2. She’s also smart, admitted directly with top scores in both written and interview tests.
3. Her family is wealthy.

Girls like this, who excel in all aspects, are rare and come around only once in several years.

“Nans Xue.”

Shu Yubai called her from backstage.

The girl in front stopped and turned around to see her, her eyes brightening slightly. “Sister.”

She smiled, “What a coincidence, you’re my junior again.”

After that day, Shu Yubai noticed that her encounters with Nan Xue became more frequent.

It seemed as if, suddenly, that quiet and aloof girl had naturally entered her life, her presence everywhere.

In the dining hall queue, during breaks in physical education class, or even before bed, Nan Xue would come looking for her.

Nan Xue, with her slender waist, long legs, and smooth, white skin, would sometimes suddenly hug her from behind, or even blow gently into her ear—too intimate. Too flirtatious.

It was hard for Shu Yubai not to overthink.

She was always slightly aloof with others, so why was she so close to her?

Without realizing it, every time Shu Yubai saw Nan Xue, she felt a bit dazed, only wanting to pamper her, be good to her, and cherish her.

In the past, she had said she liked someone.

Could it be that it was actually the kind of feeling she understood?

Shu Yubai felt a bit flushed, thinking that if it was really like that, perhaps she should take the initiative.

So, things happened.

One noon.

Nan Xue came to her dormitory to find her, and it happened to be empty, with no roommates around. Shu Yubai took her hand and they lay side by side on the small bed, saying, “Shall we watch a movie?”

“Sure,” Nan Xue asked, “What should we watch?”

“Forget it, let’s watch anime. There aren’t any new movies lately.”

Nan Xue snuggled close to her shoulder, gently rubbing against it. “Alright.”

Shu Yubai casually tapped on an anime—its cover featured two girls closely leaning against each other. Shu Yubai felt a bit nervous but maintained a calm demeanor, saying, “I haven’t seen this one before, but it looks okay and the art style is quite nice.”

Nan Xue leaned against her shoulder and said, “If you’re watching it, so am I.”

The first episode started off normally, but soon reached a scene in the bathroom where one girl pinned the other against the wall and kissed her passionately.

Shu Yubai glanced at Nan Xue out of the corner of her eye.

Nan Xue suddenly fell silent, her cheeks flushing slightly, seemingly unsure where to look.

Shu Yubai gently kissed her cheek—just a fleeting moment, but Nan Xue seemed startled and immediately stood up.

“Do you feel anything?” Shu Yubai held Nan Xue’s hand, her fingers gently stroking.

“…” Nan Xue didn’t speak, her eyes staring out the window, slowly calming down.

Shu Yubai asked, “Shall we stop watching?”

Nan Xue nodded, her cheeks still flushed, avoiding looking directly into Shu Yubai’s eyes, her breathing slightly rapid.

“You’re too cute.”

Shu Yubai pulled her back down to sit on the edge of the bed. She rested her chin on Nan Xue’s shoulder and said, “What should I do? It seems like I like you.”

Her tone was casual, but only she knew how much courage it took to say those few words.

After speaking, she looked at Nan Xue, her heart pounding, her palms sweaty.

How would she respond?

Would she feel the same way?

Maybe she would respond, give similar hints, and perhaps they could be together.

It felt like an eternity.

But Nan Xue just stood up stiffly, avoiding her gaze, and said, “No, we should still be friends.”

In an instant, it was like a bucket of cold water poured over her in the middle of a cold winter. Shu Yubai felt frozen and couldn’t say anything.

After a while, she forced a smile, hugging Nan Xue from behind and saying, “You’re too cute. I was just joking. Did you really believe me?”

Nan Xue seemed to finally relax, letting out a soft laugh.

She said, “Sister, you scared me.”

Looking back, those past events seemed distant and distorted, but the person in front of her seemed unchanged, still the same as before, with the occasional little tantrums.

“When did I say that?”

Shu Yubai thought for a moment, smiled lightly, and couldn’t help but touch Nan Xue’s cheek. “I can’t remember clearly. Was it when we were younger?”

“…”

Nan Xue didn’t say anything, remaining unusually quiet.

“Things from when we were young don’t matter much after all these years.”

“It was affection.”

Shu Yubai looked at her and smiled. “Between friends. Don’t you like me too?”

Standing right in front of her, Shu Yubai’s tone was gentle, but Nan Xue felt uncomfortable.

That statement from years ago was ambiguous, almost like a joke. Yet Nan Xue had kept it in her heart all these years. It was like a secret she’d occasionally take out and ponder late at night.

Just like wine, the longer it’s kept, the more it ferments.

Nan Xue hadn’t expected that this secret, hidden for so many years, would suddenly be revealed.

She had remembered that joke.

Her little thoughts were suddenly exposed—keeping such an ambiguous matter as a friend seemed unusual.

And suspicious.

At that moment, she felt half-embarrassed and half-uncomfortable, standing up with icy fingers.

She only wanted to return to her room.

The next moment, the sound of a door opening came.

A woman stood downstairs, carrying a chill—it was Xiao Yi.