A Moment Too Late (GL) - Chapter 47

Shu Yubai spoke in a very soft voice. In that moment of slightly tilting her head, she noticed the subtle shift in Nan Xue’s emotions.

Nan Xue was feeling very down.

The cinema was dimly lit, and almost all seats were filled. Even the couple’s seats in the last row were occupied, and the couple next to them had quieted down and began watching the movie.

On the screen, the female lead was on the phone, tears streaming down her face: “There are many things I will never understand. I can’t understand why, when I open my eyes, you’re no longer mine.”

There was a chorus of sobbing around them.

Nan Xue wasn’t focused on the movie and had lost track of the plot. At that moment, she looked at the screen and found herself momentarily stunned, her mind flashing through many moments she had shared with Shu Yubai.

“Sister”

Nan Xue leaned over and whispered, “Can I lean on your shoulder?”

“What’s wrong?”

Shu Yubai lowered her voice and looked at her.

Nan Xue looked at her silently, took her hand, and leaned in. Her shoulder was covered by a thin fabric, warm and soft.

There was a faint warm fragrance on her, a scent she couldn’t quite place, perhaps from years of handling painting materials or something else. Nan Xue’s long lashes fluttered as she stole a glance at her.

The white light from the screen illuminated Shu Yubai’s face, her fair skin, red lips, and slightly moist eyes—were those tear stains?

But when she blinked again, they were gone.

“Did you cry?”

“No.”

Shu Yubai looked at her. “What about you?”

Nan Xue shook her head. “I didn’t either.”

People in front were wiping their tears, and it seemed that there weren’t many people watching the movie in this row. The couple next to them, who had asked about the plot, were no longer watching and seemed to be… kissing. Nan Xue glanced at them awkwardly and turned away, and Shu Yubai noticed too.

“……”

The two of them were silent, and the atmosphere in the back row felt a bit ambiguous.

Shu Yubai was wearing a thick top. In the cinema, the warm environment caused her to sweat slightly, so she unzipped her jacket to let in some air. Her pure white knitted dress clung to her collarbone, a strand of black hair falling across her chest and down to her waist.

“Is it uncomfortable leaning on me?”

Shu Yubai asked Nan Xue, “Is my shoulder too low?”

Her shoulder was very soft. Leaning there, Nan Xue could smell a faint fragrance from her hair. She didn’t want to move away and tightened her arm around Shu Yubai’s. Shu Yubai looked down at her, and Nan Xue met her gaze, feeling nervous for a moment.

“Move away,” Shu Yubai said.

Two seconds later.

Nan Xue lifted her head and sat up straight.

A minute later, Nan Xue pointed to her own shoulder. “Try leaning on me.”

Her shoulder was slender and thin.

What would it feel like to lean on it?

The girl had a faint cool fragrance, very light, like the snow pines by the lake, with a slightly cool scent. The light from the screen illuminated her eyes and nose, giving her skin a slightly translucent quality, like jade.

Her lips looked like ripe cherries.

Smooth and sweet.

Shu Yubai’s gaze lingered on her full, red lips for a moment.

Click.

The lights came on.

The movie had ended, and Shu Yubai didn’t have time to ponder. People around them started to get up, some with tear-streaked faces.

Nan Xue held Shu Yubai’s hand, and they stood up among a crowd of tearful viewers and walked out expressionlessly.

“So moving.”

As they exited, someone nearby exclaimed.

Nan Xue didn’t understand anything and was left in confusion.

••••

These days, on workdays, Nan Xue goes to the company during the day, and either during lunch or in the evening, she goes to her uncle’s place to rest and see Shu Yubai.

Being with her always feels warm and reassuring. In the past, Nan Xue would have been satisfied with their relationship reaching this stage, but now, a certain yearning in her heart keeps rising.

She wants to get closer.

She wants her.

Morning.

Nan Xue walked through the rows of desks and into the office. The assistant stopped her, saying, “Your father… was just here looking for you.”

“Hmm?” Nan Xue paused slightly. “What did he come for?”

“It seems he had something to discuss.”

“Okay.”

The assistant glanced at her.

Nan Xue was dressed in simple work attire: a white shirt fitted to her body’s curves, a pure black short skirt, and dark hair falling over her shoulders. Tall and slender, with a slim, upright waist, she carried a small silver bag on her shoulder.

Her face was calm and unruffled.

Nan Xue continued walking, pushed open the office door, placed her long down jacket on the back of her chair, and sat down to begin her work.

After a while, a man pushed open the door.

“Dad.”

Nan Xue looked up at him.

The office door closed, isolating them from the outside. A few employees peered in through the glass with curious eyes.

Her father sat on the sofa opposite her desk, propping his chin on his hand, and asked straightforwardly, “What do you think of the boy I introduced to you last time?”

He was referring to You Luan?

Nan Xue frowned slightly and wanted to refute.

Her father said, “If you think he’s okay, you can try dating him.”

Nan Xue replied, “I don’t think he’s suitable.”

She picked up her cup, took a sip of hot water, and then put it down. Twirling a black pen between her fingers, Nan Xue looked down and explained slowly, “I’m not interested in considering these matters right now.”

Her father’s gaze fixed on her, showing a bit of seriousness, and the previous relaxed attitude vanished: “At your age, you should be thinking about these things.”

“Not in a hurry.” Nan Xue looked down.

“You’re not young anymore.” Nan Mingzhu said with frustration, “At your age, other girls have been through several relationships and are thinking about marriage.”

“Oh.”

Nan Xue sat there, tapping on the keyboard.

“You can’t just not get married.”

Her father said with a sense of deep grievance.

Nan Xue asked, puzzled, “Why not? What’s so good about getting married?”

Nan Mingzhu replied, “Without marriage, where would a family come from? Where would happiness come from?”

Nan Xue thought about it and found it amusing. She asked, “Dad, you’re married, but what happened?”

You’re divorced.

Nan Mingzhu suddenly stood up, visibly irritated. He wanted to argue but couldn’t come up with any strong arguments, so he turned and left.

At the end of the workday, Nan Xue glanced at her phone, intending to go find Shu Yubai. She noticed a missed call from Aunt Zhang, with a timestamp from yesterday.

She redialed the number, standing in front of her desk and looking out at the bustling crowd through the glass window.

“Hello?”

The call connected.

“Xiao Nan, your painting is still at my place,” Aunt Zhang said, sounding a bit helpless. “Shall I bring it over today?”

The painting, which had been sent to Aunt Zhang’s address, had been delivered there by mistake. Aunt Zhang was puzzled and had only learned of the situation from Nan Xue.

“Okay, thank you.”

Nan Xue said, then hung up the phone.

Nan Xue picked up her coat, went downstairs, and got into the car that was parked by the roadside. After turning a few corners, they soon arrived home.

Snowflakes covered the black tiles, and a clump of bamboo swayed gently in front of the door. Nan Xue got out of the car, closed the door, and stepped over a thin layer of snow. As she was about to enter, she caught sight of Aunt Zhang coming over, holding the painting.

The painting was quite large, framed in glass, and Aunt Zhang was struggling a bit with the weight. Nan Xue made eye contact with her and went over, saying, “I’ll take it.”

Nan Xue took the painting, entered the house, and walked through the slightly cold courtyard. The painting was wrapped in cardboard for shipping, so at first glance, its contents were not apparent.

“Is it heavy?”

Aunt Zhang followed her, trying to help.

“It’s fine.”

Nan Xue held it close, almost protectively, not wanting to let go.

Her father was already home, standing by the door and watching her through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. He saw her carrying the large package, still unopened.

What could it be?

As Nan Xue entered the house, her father turned to watch her. Nan Xue climbed the stairs with the large package, and her father looked worried she might trip.

“What are you carrying?”

“A painting.”

“What kind of painting?”

“Someone sent it to me.”

“Who sent it?”

Nan Xue turned her head, smiling slightly, “Shu Yubai.”

Her father glanced at it and said, “Not bad.”

In her room, Nan Xue unwrapped the painting and saw Shu Yubai’s name in the signature. The delicate calligraphy made her imagine how Shu Yubai had carefully written it.

She then looked around her room and noticed a painting behind her bed. She removed the abstract decorative painting and hung Shu Yubai’s painting in its place.

After finishing, Nan Xue left.

“Leaving again?”

Her father watched her from the living room.

“Mm.”

Nan Xue, carrying her bag, had a strand of dark hair lifted by the breeze.

••••

When Nan Xue arrived at Ying Ran’s small courtyard, the sky was already dark. A small cat, which had appeared out of nowhere, stood on the wall, its eyes glowing. Seeing Nan Xue look at it, it jumped onto the sycamore tree.

The room was lit, with the curtains drawn, and a faint yellow light seeped through the gaps in the door.

Is anyone inside?

Nan Xue stood at the door, twisting the handle, but it was locked from the inside.

It was probably Shu Yubai who was inside.

She thought she might be taking a shower, so Nan Xue decided to wait outside.

After a while, it got a bit cold.

The temperature difference between day and night was significant, and at night, the wind carried a damp chill that cut through to the bone. Nan Xue shivered slightly and eventually took a key from her bag to unlock the door.

“Sister, I’m coming in.”

She said.

The sound of water stopped, and Shu Yubai emerged wrapped in a towel.