A Moment Too Late (GL) - Chapter 43

That afternoon.

Nan Xue, dragging her suitcase, stood at the door.

The house was close to the road, and a few steps away, she could see the broad lake, the snow-covered long bridge, and the Su and Bai Dykes. There weren’t many tourists along the lakeside; most gathered at the famous scenic spots. This area was relatively quiet, a peaceful retreat amid the bustling.

She had only mentioned to her uncle that she wanted to stay for a few days, without saying she wanted to learn painting. He had agreed without hesitation.

Nan Xue looked down at her phone and texted:

[Have you arrived?]

[I’m at the door, Uncle.]

Nan Xue sent the message, and the door opened to reveal a slightly plump girl looking at her.

“Are you Mr. Ying’s niece?”

“Yes.”

The girl gave her a brief look-over.

Nan Xue was slender and tall, dressed warmly in a suede coat and dark blue jeans, exposing her ankles in the winter. She looked delicate and pretty, standing there like a model.

“You resemble Mr. Ying a bit.”

The girl smiled and led Nan Xue inside.

“I’m his assistant.”

The girl was cheerful and not at all shy. She began to introduce herself: “I usually help him with various tasks, like organizing his study or assigning tasks to students.”

“Where is the room?”

“Mr. Ying is out for a lecture. Follow me, this way.”

She guided Nan Xue past a few small courtyards, stopping at a quieter, more interior room.

The room was long and narrow, with gray wall tiles below and transparent glass above, wooden beams, gray tiles on the roof, and slightly curled eaves. In the square courtyard was a withered sycamore tree, its sparse branches pointing towards the blue sky.

“There are three rooms here,” she pointed: “The one on the left is mine, the middle one is yours, and the one on the right is where the new girl stays.”

“Mr. Ying said it’s better for you to stay here as it’s quiet.”

“New girl?”

Nan Xue asked, walking over to take a look, her mind speculating. There was a large floor-to-ceiling window, half-drawn curtains, and a table right in front of it.

On the table were many sheets of drawing paper, some sketches, and some colored works.

“What’s her name?”

Nan Xue asked.

“Her name is Shu Yubai,” Mr. Ying’s assistant recalled slowly, “She’s a very beautiful and gentle girl.”

Shu Yubai lived next to her.

Was this arranged by her uncle?

Nan Xue lowered her eyes, her long black eyelashes fluttering. She opened her chat with Ying Ran: [Thank you, Uncle. I’ve settled in.] Then she liked the first post in his Moments quietly.

[Good, get some rest early.]

The curtains in that room were half-drawn, so the interior could be clearly seen.

Shu Yubai’s room was originally a study to facilitate her painting. Inside was a large desk and a bed. She hadn’t brought many clothes, so the quilt was neatly folded on one side. The only thing visible were her unfinished paintings.

“Where is she?”

Nan Xue asked the slightly plump assistant.

“She’s out in the courtyard sketching,” the assistant replied. “The teacher will return later to check her sketches.”

“Can you take me to see her?”

Nan Xue looked at her, a glimmer of anticipation in her dark eyes.

“Sure,” the assistant said. “This way.”

The courtyard was built in a traditional Chinese style, with a slightly larger central courtyard planted with a few plum trees against the white walls, and some bamboo clumps, sparse and tall.

The ground was paved with blue bricks, and the snow had been cleaned away, leaving only some untouched patches covered with orchids.

A woman with long hair, carrying a small stool and holding a drawing board, was quietly sketching there.

“This is the girl.”

Mr. Ying’s assistant leaned in and spoke softly, afraid of disturbing her work.

Her hair was smooth and light in color, appearing a light brown under the white daylight. Her waist was slim, and her head was slightly bowed, revealing a patch of fair skin on her neck, very charming.

Nan Xue hesitated slightly, not wanting to disturb her, so she just took a distant glance before following Mr. Ying’s assistant back to her room.

In the bedroom, as she was organizing her personal items, she suddenly noticed the design of the bathroom.

“This bathroom…”

Nan Xue looked at it and turned to ask Mr. Ying’s assistant, “Are all the bathrooms like this?”

The girl smiled awkwardly. “The designer designed it for Mr. Ying, so all these rooms are like this.”

“Oh.”

The shower was made of glass; the lower half was frosted glass for privacy, but the upper half was transparent—clearly a design intended for men.

Nan Xue stepped inside to try it out. The frosted part covered her waist, but the upper part provided no cover.

Fortunately, she was the only one staying in the room, and with the curtain drawn, it didn’t matter much while bathing.

As Nan Xue continued to tidy up, Mr. Ying’s assistant said, “If you need anything, just call.” She provided a string of numbers, and Nan Xue quickly noted them down. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

The girl left.

••••

In the evening, Shu Yubai brought her drawings from the day for Ying Ran to review. He looked at the pile of sketches with a blank expression, scolding her for a while and pointing out various shortcomings in the drawings, which he criticized with precision.

“This tree… You call this a tree? The leaves are all wrong.”

Ying Ran held a pencil and gently drew lines on the sparse and dense parts of the drawing. “Align this area, um, now it’s about right.”

“And there are issues with the details.”

“Maintain your basics well. Don’t take it lightly.”

••••

Shu Yubai stood next to him, nodding repeatedly with each criticism. “You’re right, teacher. I’ll definitely correct it next time.”

After being scolded for an hour, Shu Yubai, holding her sketches, was about to leave. As she reached the door, Ying Ran, with his hand on her shoulder, said, “Take a rest tonight. No need to rush.”

Shu Yubai didn’t quite understand what he meant, but she walked out, returned to her room, and paused slightly at the courtyard entrance.

Was someone new arriving?

The sky had darkened, with a dark blue night and the silhouette of a withered sycamore tree stretching its branches against the white walls and dark tiles. The air was slightly cold. Her room was on the far left, with the light off; but when had someone moved into the middle room?

Shu Yubai’s room was a study, designed for her practice, containing only a large drawing table, a wardrobe, a bookshelf, and a bed, with no bathing or washing facilities.

Usually, she would use the middle room’s bathroom before bed, but now that someone else was living there, what should she do?

She needed to ask the new occupant about it.

Shu Yubai turned the handle of her room’s door, turned on the light, placed her drawings on the table, and then stepped out.

She stood at the door and gently knocked. “Hello, is anyone here?”

A buzzing voice from inside said, “Come in.”

Shu Yubai opened the door. The room was lit with soft lighting. She couldn’t see anyone, but the clean bed was covered with a few pieces of clothing and a snow-white towel, with some steam still lingering.

It was quite warm inside, probably because of the heating.

“Is anyone here?”

Shu Yubai walked further in.

There was a walk-in closet and a bathroom around the corner.

The bathroom was glass-enclosed and partially enclosed by walls. It wasn’t visible from the entrance, but it became visible once inside the room.

A clear voice spoke softly, “Sister, don’t come over.”

There was a sense of urgency in the voice.

Shu Yubai paused in surprise, “Nan Xue?”

She instinctively looked over and saw a figure quickly crouching down in the bathroom. Through the frosted glass, she could faintly see a pale outline. The person hid behind the lower half of the glass and said in a softened voice, “I… I’m taking a shower.”

Shu Yubai: “…”

She took a few steps back, feeling somewhat helpless. “Then why did you let me in?” She added, “Don’t you lock the bedroom door when you shower? Your safety awareness is too poor.”

Nan Xue’s voice buzzed from the bedroom, “I knew it was you. I recognized your voice.”

Shu Yubai took a few more steps back. Nan Xue then stood up, turned on the faucet, and continued her shower, rinsing off the foam. The shower gel had a subtle fragrance, filling the air with a jasmine-like scent.

It was sweet and clean.

Shu Yubai sat on her bed, thinking about how to discuss the bathroom issue with her later—she needed to use the bathroom in this room.

The sound of water stopped.

There was a hint of awkwardness in the bathroom’s voice: “Sister, my towel is on the bed.”

When they used to live together, they were quite casual about many things. Passing a towel was a trivial matter, but things were different now.

Different how?

She couldn’t quite say.

Shu Yubai stood up, saw the towel on the bed, picked it up with one hand, and hesitated for a moment, fearing she might see something she shouldn’t. She looked down and said softly, “I’m coming over.”

“Okay.”

Nan Xue responded.

Shu Yubai walked over. Nan Xue quietly hid behind the frosted glass, curled up, and pushed her white hand forward, creating a small gap in the glass door of the shower. The mist from the warm water spread out.

A clean, beautiful hand, pinkened by the steam, reached out.

Shu Yubai handed the towel to her and turned to leave.

After Shu Yubai left, Nan Xue stood up, wiping herself off, and thought: Shu Yubai left so cleanly, not even glancing.

Nan Xue dried herself, wrapped in the towel, and came out.

The room door was already closed, and the curtains were tightly drawn. Shu Yubai sat on the bed with her back turned and asked, “Are you done?”

Nan Xue replied softly, “Yes.”

Shu Yubai turned around and noticed Nan Xue was unwrapping the towel, her snow-white shoulders exposed, with glistening water droplets rolling down her soft skin. In that instant, Shu Yubai felt as though she had been electrocuted and quickly turned away, saying, “Let me know when you’re changed.”

Nan Xue responded with a hum.

She thought to herself: Why doesn’t she take a longer look?

As she stood there changing clothes, many thoughts flashed through her mind, like if she had completely undone the towel just now… She changed into her pajamas in the slightly warm room and softly said, “Sister, I’m done.”

Nan Xue sat down beside her.

The bed sank slightly.

Shu Yubai, with her long hair draped down, turned to look at her. Nan Xue’s earlobes were red, like jade.

“What’s up with your ears?”

Shu Yubai looked at her and touched her with her fingertips. “Are you allergic?”

Her fingertips were cool, sending an electric-like sensation, slightly tingling. Nan Xue suddenly lowered her eyes, feeling a bit uneasy, and asked, “Are my ears very red?”

“Yes.”

Shu Yubai pinched lightly, and Nan Xue, startled, stood up.

“No, I just got too hot while bathing.”

She replied, then sat back down and asked Shu Yubai, “Is something wrong?”

“My room doesn’t have a bathroom.” Shu Yubai felt a bit awkward. “Before you came, I used to shower in this room.”

Nan Xue acknowledged with a sound, her pale face slightly flushed, and said, “You can still shower here now.”

What was she thinking?

Shu Yubai glanced at her, didn’t probe further, and continued, “Why did you come here?”

Nan Xue: “I’m here to see my uncle.”

Is that so?

Shu Yubai left the room, went to her own room to gather her toiletries and pajamas, and returned to the middle bedroom.

The bedroom light was on, casting a soft orange glow.

Nan Xue sat there, wearing a snow-white bathrobe, her black hair damp and dripping water onto her collarbone, leaving a wet mark that slid into her neckline.

Shu Yubai felt slightly uneasy as she looked at her.

Nan Xue’s pale fingers gently held the bathrobe collar. She looked down, her gaze on the floor, and said, “Sister, go shower. I won’t peek.”

Shu Yubai: “…”

She put her clothes on the bed, turned, and went to shower. The sound of running water filled the bathroom.

Outside, Nan Xue propped her chin, listening to the water, her heartbeat quickening slightly, her cheeks feeling warm. In the silence, she suddenly thought of the doctor she saw having lunch with Shu Yubai that day. The doctor was holding Shu Yubai’s hand, seeming quite intimate.

Maybe… or maybe she was just seeing the doctor because her hand wasn’t healed yet, and it was normal to need the doctor’s help.

But why bring Xiao Yi?

Xiao Yi has a girlfriend… It shouldn’t be related to Shu Yubai, so it only leaves the doctor.

The restaurant was a bit noisy that day, and Nan Xue sat far away, unable to hear their conversation, but she felt that Shu Yubai’s expression towards the doctor was different, seemingly admiring.

The doctor was quite pretty too.

White skin, red lips, light-colored hair.

Is that what Shu Yubai likes?

Nan Xue couldn’t help but ask, “What were you doing at the restaurant that day?”

Standing under the hot water, Shu Yubai mumbled:

“Blind date.”