A Moment Too Late (GL) - Chapter 28

It’s been a whole month without any contact between the two.

Nan Xue wanted to call Shu Yubai.

But she hesitated.

Outside the balcony was a cold scene.

A layer of snow had fallen on the eaves, the gray tiles covered in a glistening white, with the dawn gradually bringing some light.

The weather was very cold, and Nan Xue’s fingers were so frozen that they almost lost feeling. She didn’t notice it, though. She just looked down at the phone number she knew by heart, her fingertips trembling as she thought about dialing. Her eyelashes quivered incessantly, but she hesitated.

The unknown is terrifying, and no one knew what had happened in this short month of separation.

After a long while, she gently touched the screen.

As the call went through, many thoughts flashed through her mind:

Why was she calling her? There had to be a reason.

So early in the morning, Shu Yubai might not be up yet. Would anyone answer?

If there was no answer, she would call again later.

Nan Xue steadied herself.

But what she anticipated did not happen.

“The number you have dialed is currently on another call.”

The steady, mechanical female voice answered, coldly.

Nan Xue frowned, looking at the screen:

Who was she talking to so early in the morning?

Was she busy with her artwork or talking to some other girl?

Nan Xue didn’t believe it and called again.

She called repeatedly, but it was always the same message.

Why?

She searched on her browser: Reasons for a call being constantly on another call.

Frowning, her pale fingertips slid down the screen. The screen was a bit glaring in the night, and she squinted slightly. A few lines of text came into view.

“If you repeatedly dial and immediately get the message that the number is on another call, it may be because your number has been blocked by the recipient.”

Nan Xue slowly realized: she had been blocked.

She was blocked?!

Why!

Shu Yubai had actually blocked her. (TN: Deserve 🙄)

Nan Xue turned off the screen, closed her eyes, endured for a moment, and then suddenly threw the phone onto the table beside her.

In the early morning, the air had a bit of the night’s chill. The sky seemed like cold jade, quiet and chilly. A gust of wind blew, and the dampness from the bathroom on Nan Xue’s body hadn’t dried. She lightly hugged her thin, white arms, feeling alternately cold and hot.

In the first few days after they separated, Nan Xue still received frequent calls from her.

Every day.

But she couldn’t answer them, she wasn’t able to.

If she gave Shu Yubai a glimmer of hope, she would continue to prolong this relationship. Nan Xue wanted her to give up completely. (TN: She will give up and move on as long as you don’t show your face to her 😤)

They had no future.

She wanted Shu Yubai to start a new relationship and gradually let her go.

But now, those calls had really stopped, and there hadn’t been any more.

Had she really let go?

Or… had she really met someone new?

Nan Xue didn’t understand why. She had wanted her to start a new relationship, but now she was worried she had fallen for someone else.

Would she fall for someone else?

Where was she now?

What was she doing?

Nan Xue sighed softly, holding the two cold silver bracelets. She turned, went back to her room, and crawled back under the covers.

Half-awake, she still remembered Shu Yubai’s tear-filled eyes in the dream, with their red corners, so obedient and pitiful.

The warmth spread over her body again.

She closed her eyes, her mind replaying the scene from the car that day, seeing Shu Yubai standing in the cold snow, slowly bending down. That back seemed to linger, and in her half-dream state, she wanted to go and give her a hug. But suddenly, that person became very far away, too far to reach.

She woke up again.

Beside her were cold sheets, and no one was there.

••••

For an entire month, Nan Xue’s mind was filled with Shu Yubai.

In the morning, the driver parked the car in front of her company’s building. The door opened, and Nan Xue got out.

At the top of the building was the “Zhongmao Group” logo, in red, very striking. At first glance, it looked like a state-owned enterprise, but in fact, it was a slowly growing private company.

There weren’t many well-known private real estate companies.

It didn’t snow this morning, but yesterday’s snow hadn’t melted yet. The thin sunlight shone down, and the snow began to melt, feeling even colder than when it was snowing. Nan Xue’s short boots stepped over a patch of half-melted snow. She entered the building, pressed the elevator button, and went up to the top floor.

She walked past the light beige desks and many interns outside.

Separated by a glass door was her office.

“Is that Mr. Nan’s daughter?” there were whispers behind her.

“Yes.”

Many people glanced over surreptitiously.

At the desk separated by the glass door, a young girl sat there, looking composed and calm.

She had a slim waist and a tall figure. Her simple short hair draped over her shoulders, with clean skin and eyes, and lips like the tip of a brush dipped in cinnabar, red like plum blossoms in the snow. Her white fingers, as delicate as bamboo joints, gently flipped through a stack of documents on the desk, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings.

How could there be such a pretty and clean person?

Like a fairy.

Nan Xue didn’t notice all of this. Even while working, Shu Yubai lingered in her mind.

Unable to resist, she called Lin Lan.

“Hello?”

The woman’s voice on the other end had a hint of surprise. “Nan Xue? It’s rare for you to call me first.”

“How have you been?” A very ordinary opening line.

Nan Xue’s voice was soft and calm, very pleasant, with little emotion, as if she was just calling to say hello.

But Lin Lan knew her personality.

Nan Xue was independent. In the past, when the three of them hung out together, it was mostly because of Shu Yubai. In fact, Nan Xue and Lin Lan weren’t that close.

So if she was calling now, it was likely about something important.

Most likely related to Shu Yubai.

“The same as usual, still studying here. Won’t be back home anytime soon. How about you?”

“I’m alright.”

“My little dog is still alive, right? You two didn’t let it starve, did you?”

Lin Lan’s voice had a teasing tone.

Nan Xue paused for a moment and stayed quiet for a while.

Lin Lan could hear sounds from the other end, like wind or soft breathing.

“What’s wrong? Say something.”

Lin Lan asked in surprise, “Did the dog die?”

Nan Xue replied softly, “No. I’m not with Shu Yubai right now. I went back home, and the dog is with her.”

“Hmm? You went home? What about Xiao Shu?”

“I don’t know.”

It was strange; Nan Xue wasn’t with Shu Yubai? Weren’t they always together? Maybe something happened at Nan Xue’s home? Lin Lan didn’t press further and said, “Alright, I’ll ask Xiao Shu.”

It seemed Shu Yubai hadn’t contacted Lin Lan either. Where could she be? Why was she out of touch? Could something have happened to her? Nan Xue was worried and frightened, fearing something might have happened to her.

Nan Xue’s fingertips turned white as she clenched them, unable to ask the question.

She picked up the thin porcelain cup from the table, her red lips pressing against the rim.

But in the next second, Lin Lan seemed to remember something and said, “Oh right, Xiao Shu has found someone.”

The cup slipped from Nan Xue’s hand, shattering on the ground.

Crash.

The water was hot.

She didn’t seem to care, calmly grabbing a tissue to wipe her fingers, then asked, “Oh?”

“Yeah.”

“Shu Yubai has a new girlfriend. She’s been pampering her every day.”

“Her social media is full of sweet photos.”

“Very sweet.”

“Really.” Nan Xue’s pale fingers tapped the table lightly. She asked, “Who is it?”

“I don’t know, I don’t recognize her.”

Lin Lan said:

“I saw the photos. She’s very beautiful.”

Lin Lan was about to say more, but the next second, beep, beep, beep, the call was cut off.

Nan Xue tossed her phone on the table.

Breathing deeply.

She propped her head, her hair falling slightly, covering her eyes.

So, she blocked me on social media because she found a new girlfriend.

••••

Lunch was eaten at the company.

Nan Xue, who preferred light flavors, carried her tray and fetched a bowl of plain porridge, a plate of steamed perch, and a dish of greens. That was it.

She sat at a four-person table, and after a while, Nan Mingzhu also sat down.

The two sat opposite each other.

A few passing employees curiously looked at the father and daughter duo.

Nan Mingzhu and his little princess, Nan Xue.

Looking closely, they did resemble each other quite a bit. Nan Mingzhu was tall, and so was Nan Xue, likely inherited.

“How’s the internship going over there?”

Nan Mingzhu lowered his head, using his chopsticks to pick up a pan-fried bun.

Nan Xue responded with a hum, “It’s alright. Their company is managed pretty well.”

“That’s good.” Nan Mingzhu took another bite of the bun, smiling, “This filling is nice, quite fragrant.” He picked one up for Nan Xue as well, then looked at her, his tone shifting ambiguously, “I heard you and Xiao Shu had a falling out?”

In the large hall, a retro bright yellow chandelier hung above the dining table, and a painting of Jin Nong’s ink plum blossoms hung on the opposite wall, exuding a cold and clear aura.

Employees were dining all around.

“Heard?” Nan Xue looked up, “Heard from whom? Xiao He?”

Nan Mingzhu replied, “Yes, from him.”

He picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth, leaned back against the redwood chair, and looked at Nan Xue, “Yubai is a good kid. What’s going on with you two?”

Nan Xue lowered her eyes, speaking softly, “It’s nothing much, it’ll be fine in a few days.”

Nan Mingzhu gave a hum, thinking it was just a childish spat and didn’t take it to heart.

Isn’t it always like this? Best friends occasionally have some misunderstandings. Nan Xue and Shu Yubai had been playing together since they were little; their bond wasn’t something ordinary people could compare to. How sharp could a conflict be that it couldn’t be resolved?

He picked up a piece of lettuce and suddenly seemed to remember something, sighing:

“It’s a pity, she’s such a good girl. Why does she like women?”

“What’s wrong with liking women?”

Nan Xue’s chopsticks paused, frowning.

“It’s not normal. Homosexuality doesn’t follow the natural order.”

Nan Mingzhu frowned, genuinely worrying for Shu Yubai, wanting to educate her, but knowing he didn’t have that authority, he just wiped his lips with a napkin.

“People can like whoever they want.”

Nan Xue glanced at him.

“That’s true, but in reality, homosexuality is an illness.”

After saying this, Nan Mingzhu realized his mistake. Knowing Nan Xue’s temperament, she didn’t like anyone speaking ill of Shu Yubai. He quickly added, “Of course, Xiao Shu is an exception.”

Nan Xue’s slightly cold expression softened a bit.

She looked at her father, sighing lightly.

Nan Mingzhu was quite tall, but he had aged and was slightly hunched. In his youth, he was handsome and well-matched with her mother, but years of hard work had left his hair a bit sparse. He was a very conservative and old-fashioned type. When he first became wealthy, he still practiced frugality, going to work every day with a Nokia, only later switching to a smartphone following the younger generation.

Just like his attitude towards “homosexuality.”

Initially, he didn’t accept it, but following the younger generation, he accepted it on the surface. Upon deeper questioning, he still didn’t accept it.

He had a superficial sense of calm and tolerance, which was towards others; his “strict self-discipline” was reserved for himself and Nan Xue.

Others could be unconventional, rebellious, unique, and that was carefree and unrestrained. But for himself, that was irresponsible.

“Well, Yubai has a girlfriend now. What about you?”

Nan Mingzhu glanced at Nan Xue, worried:

“You should find someone to settle down with too.”

Nan Xue’s red chopsticks poked at the greens, “We’ll see.”

••••

The snow on the roof had melted, dripping down through the cracks in the tiles, falling into the soil.

By the white wall, there were two plum trees planted on either side of the moon gate. On the neatly trimmed green lawn were small pines, with snow still lingering on their branches. A white path crossed through, leading to the moon gate.

Passing servants were cleaning the courtyard.

Nan Xue thought her father was just casually mentioning it, but she didn’t expect that by that evening, he had already arranged for someone to meet her.

Her father sent her a photo of the person, saying:

“Here, it’s him. Do you like what you see?”

Nan Xue glanced at it, feeling no interest at all.

Men, they all look the same, what’s so good about them?

After a while, she looked at the photo again, finding it increasingly familiar. Had she seen him somewhere before?

“His name is You Luan. Arrange to meet him some other day.”

His surname is You?

Nan Xue felt a subtle connection but couldn’t pinpoint it.

They arranged to meet at a Thai restaurant.

The semi-open restaurant had a row of scattered green plants along the railing, with little orange lights hidden among them. As dusk fell, they lit up like small stars.

A bamboo lamp hung not far above.

The person she was meeting for a blind date was a young man, quite tall, talkative, cheerful, and somewhat childish.

Nan Xue flipped through the menu with little appetite, ordered a kiwi juice, and handed the menu to You Luan to order. He casually picked a few dishes.

After a while, he smiled a bit sheepishly:

“Later, my cousin might also come. Do you mind?”

Nan Xue raised an eyebrow, looking at him:

“Cousin? Why is she coming?”

You Luan smiled, “Oh, she wants to meet her partner for a meal and asked me to book a table. I just booked it here.”

“No problem, I don’t mind.” Nan Xue lowered her head, eating a piece of vegetable from the salad.

You Luan then suggested, “Why don’t the four of us share a table?”

Probably feeling awkward sitting alone with her, Nan Xue’s expression remained indifferent, “Sure.”

It was dinnertime, a little past six in the evening. Couples were seated at the small wooden tables around them, holding hands, hugging, looking into each other’s eyes, smiling sweetly.

Only at their table was there nothing but awkwardness, with no chemistry at all.

Nan Xue casually forked at a salad.

“Uh, also,” You Luan scratched his head, continuing, “my cousin, she’s bisexual.” He pressed his fork to his lips, feeling he hadn’t explained clearly, and added, “She likes both men and women.”

“You’ll see when she gets here.”

“The person with her now is a girl.”

Nan Xue nodded, sipping her juice, and asked softly, “Your cousin is?”

“Oh, her name is You Fu.”

The sour juice choked her throat, and Nan Xue’s pale fingers pressed against her neck as she coughed continuously.

A waiter quickly handed her a napkin.

Nan Xue glanced up, her gaze fixed on something behind the waiter.

Shu Yubai walked into view at that moment.

The soft light from the bamboo lantern lit up her eyes.

She wore a thin shirt, with a long cloak draped over her shoulders, the top button undone, revealing a patch of white skin and her collarbone. Her long hair, usually loose, was tied back, the ends resting on her slender neck, lightly brushing it.

She looked young, with a mix of gentleness and playfulness.

Her fitted black chiffon skirt outlined her curvaceous hips, a slim white ankle peeking out, her calves hidden in the semi-transparent chiffon, giving a mysterious allure.

Her waist was slender, swaying like a willow.

A faint fragrance, like osmanthus or magnolia, sweet and gentle, filled the air.

Nan Xue was stunned, not knowing how to react.

The next second, You Fu walked past her and took a seat at the table opposite.

Shu Yubai noticed her too.

For a moment, they locked eyes from a distance.

In that instant, Nan Xue’s mind went blank, emotions surged like a flood, leaving her lost and disoriented.