A Moment Too Late (GL) - Chapter 54

“Get a pack of gauze.”

Tang Ruoyan stood at the counter, looking down as she paid. The pharmacy clerk placed the pack of gauze on the glass counter: “Ten yuan.”

“Alright.”

The pharmacy was located in a small alley. After paying, Tang Ruoyan and Shu Yubai walked outside into the biting, dry cold wind.

In the winter alley, the cold wind whipped through, and Shu Yubai huddled into her coat, her long hair getting disheveled, standing there shivering slightly.

Tang Ruoyan took her sleeve: “Hurry up, it won’t be cold once we’re inside.”

Shu Yubai followed her, and they crossed the street, re-entering the Traditional Chinese medicine clinic.

Before entering, Tang Ruoyan paused.

She looked back at the winter street, where people hurried along, and saw nothing out of the ordinary.

“I keep feeling like someone is following me.”

Shu Yubai tilted her head: “Really?”

Tang Ruoyan thought it over and dismissed it. There was nothing for anyone to follow, shaking her head: “It must be an illusion.”

Inside, it was warm. Tang Ruoyan’s glasses fogged up, and she took them off to clean them before putting them back on. In the lobby, a few people sat on benches waiting for their turn. Shu Yubai entered the treatment room and, not wanting to waste time, said: “Let’s just do a basic treatment today.”

“Alright.”

Tang Ruoyan nodded: “I’m afraid if I use too many needles, it might be too much for you.”

A young girl at the door pushed a small cart with bottles and jars, placing the gauze and silver needles together.

Shu Yubai glanced at the needles, long and sharp, and her face turned pale.

“Come on, roll up your sleeve.”

Tang Ruoyan looked at her.

Shu Yubai complied, removing her coat to reveal a thin sweater underneath. She wore little, and the sweater’s sleeves were elastic, rolling up easily.

Her arm was pale and slender. Tang Ruoyan held her wrist, examining it carefully, and said: “The sleeve needs to be rolled up further, to the upper arm.”

Shu Yubai nodded, trying to roll it up more.

The sleeve was a bit tight, and Shu Yubai struggled, asking Tang Ruoyan: “Is this okay?”

“Not quite.”

The acupuncture points were closer to the shoulder.

The young girl earnestly suggested: “Why not just take off your clothes? It’s not cold in here.”

After all, what’s there to be shy about when seeing a doctor?

She smiled and continued: “I’ll guard the door so no one comes in. It’ll be easier for Dr. Tang to find the points if you’re not wearing so many layers.”

Take off her clothes?

Shu Yubai looked down, her cheeks slightly flushed and feeling embarrassed. Although such things are normal when seeing a doctor, still…

“It’s alright.”

Tang Ruoyan smiled lightly: “If it’s inconvenient, we can do it another time.”

Shu Yubai sat on the hospital bed, hesitating for a moment, then took off her sweater, leaving only a base shirt. She fumbled with the first button of the shirt, gently unfastening it.

Then the second one.

She tried to lift the collar to the side.

Knock, knock, knock.

Suddenly, there was a light knock on the door.

The three inside froze, looking at the door.

The door wasn’t locked, it was loosely closed with a small gap, and the person outside pushed it open.

“Come in.”

Tang Ruoyan said.

The door opened, and a tall girl stood there, silhouetted against the light, radiating a cold air.

Shu Yubai was sitting on the bed, her clothes half undressed, her sleeve still caught on her arm, being gently held by Tang Ruoyan.

They exchanged glances, and Shu Yubai felt a bit embarrassed.

And somewhat vaguely nervous.

She instinctively pulled her arm back slightly, as if trying to distance herself— but she was just seeing a doctor, not on a date. Realizing this, she made no further move, letting Tang Ruoyan hold her wrist.

“Nan Xue?”

She asked softly: “Why are you here? Are you not feeling well?”

Nan Xue shook her head, then nodded after a moment.

She lied without blinking: “I have a bit of a headache and came to get some medicine.”

Headaches are common in winter, but Shu Yubai still sensed a subtle unease— it seemed she kept running into Nan Xue these days.

The last time was at You Fu’s place.

This time…

She closed her eyes briefly, pushing away the overly absurd thought. Nan Xue intentionally followed her? How could that be? This thought was too… narcissistic.

The incandescent light fell on Shu Yubai’s arm. Her arm was white and soft, very slender. Tang Ruoyan was gently holding her wrist, not sure what she was planning to do. Shu Yubai slightly lowered her head, her long black hair spread out, her shirt open. The room was hot, and her cheeks had a slight flush, her eyes gentle, as if she were shy.

Nan Xue’s gaze calmly shifted from Shu Yubai to Tang Ruoyan.

It was very cold.

Cold and chilling.

Tang Ruoyan felt a chill down her spine. Looking up, she saw the girl at the door.

The girl had a slim figure, hugging a white thick coat to her chest, wearing a thin inner layer, a base shirt, and wide-leg pants, which accentuated her slim waist and long legs. Her body proportions were beautiful.

The girl had moist red lips, cold white skin, and black eyes, looking at her with a hint of cold hostility.

In that instant, she suddenly remembered the words Shu Yubai had said by the roadside earlier.

– The person she liked was very good-looking but seemed very indifferent.

There was another sentence, something like complimenting her as cute… Cute? Tang Ruoyan looked at Nan Xue again. It was true that she was beautiful, but she shook her head; cute was not quite right.

She felt a chill down her spine.

Shu Yubai’s liking might not be…

She sensed the fleeting hostility in the girl’s eyes and suddenly understood—perhaps their relationship wasn’t just one-sided.

There was no need for this. She only wanted to treat Shu Yubai’s illness and had no other intentions!

Tang Ruoyan thought in frustration, wishing she could write “Shu Yubai is yours, it has nothing to do with me” on her forehead, but she couldn’t do that. Instead, she maintained a calm expression and smiled lightly: “Headache? Come, sit down first.”

Tang Ruoyan’s assistant brought a small stool, and Nan Xue sat down accordingly, next to Shu Yubai’s bed.

“I’m here for acupuncture.”

Shu Yubai looked down and explained softly.

Although she wasn’t sure what there was to explain.

Nan Xue sat there, slightly stunned, as if she just realized something, and asked: “Were you also here for treatment before?”

“Mm.”

Shu Yubai explained: “I came last week, and this time it’s a follow-up.”

Now she understood—the two messages meant: It had been a week, time for a follow-up.

Nan Xue’s heart calmed slightly.

She glanced at Shu Yubai’s open shirt collar, leaned closer, and buttoned it up one by one, then glanced at Tang Ruoyan and coldly asked: “She’s here for a sore hand, why is she undressing?”

Tang Ruoyan: “…”

Who said acupuncture is done where it hurts?

The acupoints are on the shoulders. How can you needle them without undressing?

“Fine, then no undressing,” Tang Ruoyan had to say.

Surrounded by three people, one of whom considered her a potential rival, Tang Ruoyan remained unusually calm. She picked up the silver needle and inserted it into a spot on Shu Yubai’s forearm.

Nan Xue watched intently, feeling a pain herself.

She extended her hand for Shu Yubai to hold. The girl’s hand was very soft and warm. Shu Yubai held her hand and looked up in confusion: “?”

“Sister, does it hurt?”

Nan Xue frowned.

“Not really.”

“Not really” was indeed true.

It wasn’t as scary as she had imagined.

But the next moment, the long needle pierced through the other side of her arm.

Tang Ruoyan, unfazed, held the needle by both ends and gently moved it back and forth, inserting and re-inserting.

It felt like cutting flesh.

This was different from ordinary acupuncture.

The technique of using the needle was not widely mastered, so it wasn’t very popular.

Nan Xue was alarmed: “Does it really not hurt?”

The needle was already through.

“Uh, not really.”

It did hurt a little, but Shu Yubai endured and didn’t say anything.

After a while, it was done.

Tang Ruoyan abandoned the idea of making Shu Yubai undress to needle her shoulder—there was someone watching, and she was afraid that even a glance in the wrong direction might be met with hostility.

“It’s done.”

She set the needle down.

Tang Ruoyan stood up to take a break.

As they said their goodbyes at the door, Tang Ruoyan leaned against the door frame, watching Shu Yubai’s departing figure.

When the two reached the crosswalk on the asphalt road, a car drove by. Nan Xue gently wrapped her arm around Shu Yubai’s waist, leaning very close, as if lightly kissing her forehead.

It was a very light touch.

Or perhaps not.

The next second, she turned around.

The warmth in her eyes dissipated, and she glanced at the distant Tang Ruoyan, her black eyes cold as ice.

Tang Ruoyan shivered.

… Was she declaring her sovereignty?