A Moment Too Late (GL) - Chapter 49

“I bought… a little something.”

Nan Xue spoke softly.

“Are you still busy?”

The girl approached, with her hands still behind her, seemingly holding a small bag. Nan Xue bent slightly and glanced at Shu Yubai’s drawing paper, which featured a delicate sketch of a naked sculpture.

“Mm.”

Shu Yubai looked at her and then lowered her head, gently erasing a small flaw on the paper.

Nan Xue wore a pure white, puffy coat. Her dark hair lightly brushed against the raised collar, her lips were very red, and her dark eyes sparkled with a star-like gleam.

Just as Shu Yubai was about to say something, her phone vibrated gently on the table.

At that moment, the screen lit up. Nan Xue leaned in and saw the message that popped up on the screen.

Senior Sister: [No, I will teach you.]

Senior Sister: [Animated emoji]

Shu Yubai glanced at the screen without avoiding it and replied to her message.

Nan Xue’s fingertips slightly contracted, tightening her grip on the small bag, making her fingertips turn pale and cold.

Nan Xue: “Are you still in touch with her?”

Shu Yubai’s gaze shifted to behind Nan Xue and noticed the faint sound coming from the small bag she was holding.

She came back to her senses: “Mm.”

She and You Fu…

Nan Xue remained frozen in place, watching as Shu Yubai opened the chat box. The last message was [Good night,] and before that, there was a five-minute voice call.

Nan Xue: “…”

Shu Yubai slowly said, “I’ll visit her tomorrow. Senior Sister is also great at figure paintings.”

Nan Xue felt a pang of sadness in her heart. The bag in her hand felt heavy. She couldn’t bring herself to give it away, feeling both embarrassed and disheartened. She turned and left silently, slamming the door shut behind her.

Shu Yubai finally noticed her unusual mood and turned to ask, “What’s wrong?”

No one answered her.

Lately, Shu Yubai had been struggling with figure paintings. Her basic skills weren’t strong. Ying Ran hadn’t said much, just advised her to practice more, and things would get better. By chance, You Fu reached out to chat, and Shu Yubai sent her the sketch of the stone sculpture.

They talked for a while.

When with You Fu, their conversations rarely strayed from their professional interests. Most were about painting skills, and discussions about relationships were usually vague and avoided.

This had been the case for a while, and even more so recently.

Shu Yubai sighed.

She and You Fu were in the same field. You Fu was also her senior. They couldn’t have no interaction at all, could they?

On the other side.

Nan Xue returned to her room, closed the door, and took a deep breath.

The curtains were tightly drawn, making the room dim, with only a small sensor light providing a faint illumination. She looked down, rustling as she took a white box from the small bag, opened it, revealing a pair of delicate women’s bracelets and a diamond ring in velvet.

This was her first time giving such gifts to someone.

And she hadn’t managed to give them away yet.

She and You Fu had been in touch continuously.

Did Shu Yubai still like her?

Nan Xue involuntarily recalled many details. Shu Yubai always seemed to soften around her, speaking in a gentle voice. You Fu’s appearance might indeed be the type she liked.

Nan Xue stood up, glanced at the glittering white diamonds, closed the box, and walked over to throw it in the trash can.

Three seconds later.

With a neutral expression, she walked back and picked it up.

Nan Xue took out the two bracelets, re-sealed the rest, and quietly hid the diamond ring and box in the drawer of her desk.

She opened the door and walked out.

Nan Xue looked at the woman’s back and mustered the courage to say, “Sister.”

Shu Yubai’s heart softened, and she turned back, “Hm?”

Nan Xue walked over, took a small stool, and sat next to her. “I bought this for you. Just now.”

Shu Yubai: “Ah?”

Nan Xue: “Here.”

She held out a small bracelet, a light gold color, shimmering gently with movement.

Shu Yubai shook her head. “Why are you giving me this?”

Nan Xue forcefully placed the bracelet in her hand.

The delicate bracelet, in rose gold, had a subtle sheen. It felt a bit cold and heavy. Under the faint light, Shu Yubai saw an inscription inside the bracelet – a single character, “Bai.”

Nan Xue held her hand, her cool fingertips lightly touching, then slipped the bracelet onto her wrist.

“I don’t need…”

Shu Yubai didn’t know how much it cost and instinctively tried to return it. “You should keep the bracelet.”

Nan Xue looked at her silently, with a hint of hurt in her eyes.

“……”

Shu Yubai’s refusal was caught in her throat.

“The bracelet is already engraved.”

Nan Xue spoke softly, “It can only be worn by you.”

Nan Xue’s fingertips lightly touched Shu Yubai’s wrist, causing a slight tickle. Her hands were delicate and beautiful, with slightly protruding joints and slender fingers tinged with a hint of pink. The bracelet felt very cold against her slender wrist.

She lowered her eyes, her thick lashes casting shadows on her cheeks, a few strands of hair tucked behind her ear. Her cheeks had a faint blush.

“Thank you.”

Shu Yubai lowered her head, the bracelet now on her delicate wrist. Her dark hair was scattered, a strand falling over her forehead, a faint smile on her lips. She whispered, “This is the first time someone has given me a gift.”

“Do you like it?”

Nan Xue looked at her, wearing a loose down jacket and her dark hair falling over her shoulders. Her red lips curved slightly, her previous gloom seemingly vanished.

“I like it.”

Shu Yubai smiled gently.

Nan Xue thought about the pair of diamond rings.

Maybe another day.

The timing wasn’t right yet. She thought cautiously. If Shu Yubai really liked You Fu, she needed to observe the situation further.

Giving it too early might lead to rejection.

Nan Xue took out another bracelet from her pocket, which was her own. She put it on and placed her slender left hand next to Shu Yubai’s right hand. The two bracelets matched perfectly.

••••

The next day, Shu Yubai brought the sketch to Ying Ran. She had stayed up late working on it. Although she put in a lot of effort, it was still unsatisfactory. The main issues were still in the details and proportions. Ying Ran said that Shu Yubai’s understanding of the human body wasn’t enough and advised her to continue practicing. Shu Yubai then went to You Fu’s studio.

“To You Fu’s studio.”

The security guard took out a booklet for her to register and let her in.

The snow on the ground had mostly melted, leaving it damp. Shu Yubai walked over a pile of withered leaves, which crackled underfoot. The studio was nestled against a mountain, and You Fu’s studio was in a slightly misty area with some reeds swaying gently nearby.

“Senior Sister.”

Shu Yubai stood at the door, and soon someone came to open it. A young girl stood at the door, looking at her shyly.

“Hello.”

Shu Yubai asked, “Is You Fu here?”

“Teacher is upstairs,” the girl replied.

She was shy and quickly ran away, returning to her wooden desk to practice.

You Fu had started to take on apprentices. Shu Yubai thought it was cute. The girl, unsure of her age, sat upright, her back straight, practicing calligraphy. Shu Yubai approached and saw that she wrote beautifully, clearly having practiced a lot.

After watching for a while, a woman slowly descended the stairs.

The weather had warmed up recently, and the room was damp. You Fu wore a long black dress with straps that highlighted her collarbones, looking very elegant. She had a thin outer jacket, and her slightly curled hair brushed her shoulders. Seeing Shu Yubai, her red lips curved into a smile.

“Junior Sister.”

You Fu came down the stairs, her high heels clicking on the wooden steps.

“I was just tidying up. Please, have a seat.”

You Fu smiled and then told the girl, “Go pour a glass of water for this lady.”

The little girl stood up and quickly ran over with a plastic cup, filling it with hot water from the dispenser and handing it to Shu Yubai.

“Thank you.”

Shu Yubai looked at her and softly asked, “How old is she?”

You Fu smiled, “She’s just a kid, in her first year of high school.”

“She is still quite young.”

Shu Yubai sighed lightly.

You Fu walked over and patted the girl’s head: “Kids these days have so much pressure. She’s only in her first year of high school, and her dad is constantly pushing her to learn this and that. It’s so tough. Look at how worn out she is; poor thing.”

You Fu led Shu Yubai upstairs. There were several rooms, filled with statues of human figures and a few messy paintings piled on the floor. You Fu glanced around, somewhat embarrassed: “I was about to clean up, but then you arrived.”

“I don’t like cleaning up either,” Shu Yubai said with a smile.

Disorder was the norm; things were never tidy every day. Chaos often sparked creativity, You Fu thought.

The studio was filled with the smell of ink. There were several half-finished paintings drying in the corner. You Fu showed Shu Yubai her portraits, one by one: young girls, old women, all painted very well. As Shu Yubai compared them to her own work, the difference was quite significant.

“I’ll explain it to you.”

You Fu brought over a small stool and sat down, taking her time.

“Thank you, Senior Sister.”

Shu Yubai sat beside her and listened attentively.

After an unknown amount of time, Shu Yubai felt a sudden clarity. You Fu explained things very well, making the issues at her current stage clear and addressing them precisely.

Footsteps were heard coming up the stairs from downstairs. The little girl from the first floor ran up and said at the door: “Someone’s here.”

Shu Yubai: “?”

You Fu glanced at Shu Yubai thoughtfully: “I guess they’re looking for you.”

Confused, Shu Yubai went downstairs and saw a tall girl standing at the door, quietly watching her.

The weather had warmed up, and she had changed into a thin white cotton shirt with a light blue scarf. Her dark hair gently brushed against the piled-up scarf, and her red lips looked smooth and cherry-like.