A Moment Too Late (GL) - Chapter 27

With a click, Nan Xue turned on the light.

The painting at the bottom of the stairs was still there, but it was now only a small, low stack of paintings. Nan Xue crouched down, picking up and examining them in the dim light. There was a faint scent of rice paper and paint, similar to the one she carried. Some paintings were only half-finished, like a beautiful woman’s half-done makeup; others, though complete, had been marked with a huge cross.

It was all because of the issue with her hand, which ruined the paintings.

Shu Yubai might have already taken what she liked.

The potted plant on the small window was also gone.

She glanced around, noticing a ring of grayish-brown soil that seemed to have fallen from the potted plant.

She went upstairs again, feeling a slight vibration in the steps.

Passing through a small hall, she reached the two rooms on the second floor. Shu Yubai’s room was now completely empty, while Nan Xue’s room had been left untouched, as if waiting for her to clean it out.

In that moment, carrying her small bag, Nan Xue didn’t know how to react.

It was as if a huge hole had suddenly been blown into her world, taking away the last bit of warmth she had, and throwing her back into a desolate, icy wasteland.

In the living room and bedroom, traces of their shared life had been erased bit by bit. With one less person’s presence, the space suddenly felt excessively empty.

Nan Xue sat on the sofa, her gaze fixed on a certain spot.

On the coffee table was a small white velvet box.

The box was pure white and square. Nan Xue held it in her hand for a while, recalling it was the same small box she had seen in her office before. She gently opened it to find red velvet inside, holding two delicate silver bracelets.

The lines were simple and smooth, with diamonds set at the ends, sparkling like starbursts.

When she saw it in her office, she thought it was a gift for Xiao Yi, but it turned out to be for her.

Now, it didn’t matter if she didn’t want it.

Outside the window, a light snow began to fall again.

It was only now that she began to understand the meaning of the word “miss.”

••••

Nan Xue stayed in that room alone for a few more days, as if waiting for something.

Waiting for Shu Yubai to appear.

But she didn’t come; she had left with that little dog.

Nan Xue looked at her contact information on the phone screen for a long time, dialed the number, but hung up hurriedly the next second.

On the third day, her father’s assistant, Xiao He, came to pick her up, and she boarded a flight home.

Xiao He stayed behind to continue his work.

Her father’s villa was by West Lake.

In winter, Hangzhou had a lot of rain, always cloudy, with a persistent dampness and haze.

Nan Xue got off the plane, exited the airport, and without calling anyone, she got into a taxi on her own. The driver, a talkative middle-aged man, was overly cheerful. She gave him the address, and he looked surprised, then started chatting aimlessly.

“Property prices have been rising so sharply these years. That piece of land your family has must be worth over a hundred thousand per square meter, right?”

“Not that expensive,” she said, though it was more.

“Oh?”

The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror.

The girl was very beautiful, with fair skin and red lips, sitting quietly in the backseat like a porcelain doll. Her black hair fell over her shoulders. She wore a hoodie and short denim jeans, with long, slender legs that were strikingly white. She had a kind of sheathed sword aura about her, as if one glance could sense her cold, sharp edge.

Only one thing stood out.

She seemed excessively quiet or indifferent.

It appeared she had no interest in anything.

The driver glanced at her and smiled, “Young lady, you look like you’re heartbroken.”

Nan Xue: “……”

Driver: “?”

Her face seemed even paler.

The car drove through a familiar neighborhood, lined with tall French plane trees on both sides.

Snow covered the branches, and the black asphalt road was slightly damp.

They arrived home.

In the morning, everything around was still very quiet.

Faint light fell on the row houses, and downstairs in the apartment building, early risers were walking their dogs, and gradually, the noise increased. In the distance was a somewhat older residential area, with rows of low buildings immersed in the winter snow, seemingly still not awake.

The villa was in a quiet part of the bustling city.

Surrounded by several key business districts and a university town, the villa complex was said to be designed by a renowned architect. It featured a blend of traditional Chinese elements with a minimalist modern style, making it both elegant and sophisticated.

Upon entering, it was a traditional courtyard-style Chinese building complex, with black Japanese-style tiles, white walls, and a few plum trees and bamboo groves in the corners, sparse and scattered.

Nan Xue approached the door, the camera turned to face her, and then the door opened.

She walked slowly along the gravel path.

“Dad.”

Nan Xue was changing her shoes while scanning the area with her eyes.

A woman came out of a room, speaking softly: “Mr. Nan is out. Breakfast is on the table and still warm.”

The woman was the household servant, Aunt Zhang. She was around fifty years old, with a kind face, always cautious in demeanor. Since she had been employed for a long time and had almost watched Nan Xue grow up, Nan Xue was familiar with her and had no reservations, unlike with others.

She nodded and sat at the table, eating slowly.

Breakfast was simple: white porridge, poached lettuce, and a sunny-side-up egg. The fresh green vegetables were drizzled with sauce, and taking a bite, the taste was very fresh.

But Nan Xue couldn’t taste anything.

After a while, she stirred the porridge and suddenly asked slowly:

“If someone who used to pursue you suddenly stops contacting you, what could be the reason?”

Aunt Zhang looked at her and couldn’t help but smile:

“If that person doesn’t contact you, it means they’re no longer interested.”

“Does liking someone mean they’ll be proactive?”

“Of course.”

Nan Xue nodded.

Her expression remained unchanged, but she felt a sudden pang of discomfort inside. She couldn’t quite describe the feeling, only thinking, is that so? She didn’t believe it.

She started to feel some stomach pain.

It was the first time Nan Xue talked about love-related matters at home, which was quite unusual.

Aunt Zhang gently asked, “Do you like her?”

“No.”

Nan Xue lowered her head, her expression growing colder, and she hastily ate a few more bites of food.

She stood up, went back to her room, and lay down on the bed.

The space beside her was empty, as if something was missing.

Nan Xue picked up her phone, hesitated for a long time, and eventually opened Shu Yubai’s WeChat profile, then her Moments.

It was blank.

A glaring horizontal line.

She had been blocked.

What was Shu Yubai doing?

Why hadn’t she called her?

Had she started liking someone else?

Nan Xue sat up abruptly.

••••

The sky was overcast and still a bit cold.

With time, it was hard to distinguish the years.

There had been a few more snowfalls, the end of winter carrying a hint of chilly air, with the snow slowly melting, as if the seasons were about to change.

These past few days felt a bit surreal, with Shu Yubai’s name and image constantly looping in her mind, lingering and persistent.

Where was she?

Should she take the initiative to reach out?

Had she said something harsh that hurt her?

At night, before going to bed, Nan Xue took out a white square box from her bag.

Under the moonlight, the pair of silver bracelets glowed with a faint cold white light.

She placed the bracelets under her pillow.

Her sleep was still poor.

In a half-dream, half-awake state, she had many illogical dreams.

The dreams seemed like fragmented pieces of memory, disconnected from each other, with large leaps between them.

It was as if she had returned to the old house: white walls, gray tiles, stone paths, and narrow lanes.

A girl was holding her hand, moving through the house, turning back to look at her with dark, moist eyes, very gentle, like a kind of herbivorous animal. Then the girl was a bit older, in a classroom with red mosaic tiles. She was leaning on a balcony, holding an English book with soft, white arms. Later, the girl was even more mature, and they were curled up on the sofa. Nan Xue leaned on her soft shoulder, watching her long lashes flutter.

She was truly beautiful.

It was a sudden thought, but even in the dream, it felt like a very real embarrassment.

She could even feel her ears growing slightly warm, her cheeks burning.

In the next moment, the scene changed to her own home.

The house was seized for debt, her mother’s divorce papers, crying, the sound of the wind…

There was wind in the distance, and in an instant, it seemed to have passed through countless times and spaces. In the blink of an eye, the scene changed again.

Outside, it was windy and snowy. A woman stood in front of her, half-immersed in a hot spring, with wet black hair and soft white arms lightly draped around her neck. Her eyes sparkled with a gentle, sweet smile.

The woman leaned closer and whispered in her ear, “Do you like me?”

She looked into Nan Xue’s eyes, moving slowly closer. Her red lips kissed her cheek and then gently tasted her lips.

Nan Xue’s fingers touched the smooth, white skin of her back, trembling slightly.

She closed her eyes, trying hard to suppress something.

“No…”

With a slight frown, she gently pushed her shoulder away, her body trembling.

“Come closer.”

The woman said, “Come closer, don’t be afraid.”

Sensing her resistance, the woman leaned closer and whispered in her ear, “I love you. I will love you for a lifetime.”

The woman had an alluring scent.

Water droplets trickled down her thin clothing, her full, soft body brushing against her, slightly trembling, as if with a vivid, intense heartbeat.

After a moment, in the dream, her will finally gave in, and resigned, she cupped the woman’s face and gently returned the kiss.

••••

In the final moment, she saw the blushing face beneath her, with tender eyes filled with tears and a watery sheen.

It was Shu Yubai.

With a jolt, Nan Xue opened her eyes.

She sat up from the bed, patted her face, and looked down, breathing lightly.

At dawn, with the sky dimly lit, the snow-covered mountain peaks outside the window left faint outlines against the gray-blue sky, and the cold was biting.

Nan Xue threw off the thick gray blanket, got out of bed, turned on the light, and walked to the bathroom.

She turned the cold water to the maximum and washed her face.

In the mirror, her reflection, with the cold snow outside, showed her flushed cheeks more clearly. She touched her cheeks with her fingertips; they were very hot.

She still felt uncomfortable.

Sweaty all over, she removed her clothes, turned on the shower, and prepared to bathe.

She placed her clothes aside, glanced at them, paused for a moment, and then turned off the shower.

Next, she pinched one corner of her underwear hanging on the hook, turned on the water valve, and started washing it with a cold, indifferent gaze.

The wet stains were too noticeable.

It was very cold outside. After her shower, Nan Xue opened the sliding door to hang up her clothes. She leaned against the balcony, gathered her thick gray bathrobe around her, with the ends of her hair damp and a cold drop of water landing on her collarbone.

In the distance was the still-sleeping city, very peaceful.

She held the pair of silver bracelets in her hand; in the night, they felt cold and heavy.

She checked her phone again, finding a missed call from the familiar number with the digits ending in (98).

For a whole month, Shu Yubai had not contacted her, not even once.

Nan Xue, however, still lingered on that kiss.

Its aftereffects were significant.