A Moment Too Late (GL) - Chapter 6

The winter street scene was particularly bleak.

Nan Xue leaned against the window, clutching the card from the roses, her fingertips cold.

The person glanced at Nan Xue, turned in their swivel chair, tapping their fingers rhythmically with a curious look in their eyes. “In a relationship? You should know better than me if she’s dating someone. Aren’t you her friend?”

Nan Xue lowered her gaze, her pale and thin jaw buried in her turtleneck sweater. She exhaled softly.

The air was still cold, her expression blurred in the white mist.

The person in front of her was quite striking.

She wore a long white fluffy cardigan that reached her ankles, paired with a pure white sweater underneath and light blue jeans. Her legs were incredibly long. Her pale and thin eyelids drooped indifferently, and standing there without any expression, she seemed somewhat cold.

Very beautiful, but with a strong sense of detachment.

No warmth.

And somewhat unpredictable.

Nan Xue didn’t respond, only softly asked, “Have you seen the person who sent the flowers?”

The person lowered their head to think but couldn’t recall. Shu Yubai never acted ambiguously with men, and her close friends were all girls. Who sent the flowers?

She said, “I haven’t seen anyone, but recently there’s been a pretty woman who’s close to her.”

“……”

“Looks like a celebrity.”

“……”

“Every time I see her waiting at the entrance after work, they must be very good friends.”

Nan Xue’s fingertips slightly curled.

A snowflake landed on the window, quickly melting.

Nan Xue sat in Shu Yubai’s seat, slightly relaxing her tense back.

The auction house had been around for years, and the office was somewhat old.

It had a water dispenser and a coffee machine, but they seemed to be many years old and had never been replaced. Despite its old-fashioned appearance, Shu Yubai’s auction house was quite famous. While it might not be a top-tier job for those in non-art fields, it was a good position. But for artists, it was different.

For them, being a painter was better than being in business.

In the art world, there was no ceiling—some paintings could fetch billions, while others couldn’t make enough to live on.

Shu Yubai was somewhere in the middle.

But given her past experiences, she had aimed to be among the top echelon.

Fate had other plans.

Shu Yubai’s desk was very tidy, with a mug of jasmine tea still warm.

In the cold weather, it cooled quickly. Nan Xue picked up the white porcelain lid and covered the mug.

Not knowing how long it would take for Shu Yubai to come out, Nan Xue waited quietly.

Shu Yubai loved cleanliness, and her desk had small potted plants—cacti, and small aloe vera. To the left was a neat stack of books, all auction catalogs from 2020 and 2021, with black covers featuring antiques and artworks, slightly reflective.

Further to the side.

Next to the heavy stack of books was a small white velvet box.

Inside was a pair of bracelets.

Nan Xue’s gaze fell on them.

A pair of silver bracelets, both women’s, silver and delicate.

Who were they for?

“The best isn’t Sotheby’s? We’re ranked third.”

The meeting room was next door, separated by frosted glass. It wasn’t soundproof; when voices inside grew louder, they could be heard outside.

Then came applause.

Among the world’s top auction houses, the first and second were Sotheby’s and Christie’s. What was the third? Outsiders wouldn’t know. This company was called Nagel, claiming the third spot. Nagel’s main business was in Europe, with only a branch in Beijing.

The meeting ended.

The Contemporary Art Department, General Manager’s Office.

“Xiao Shu is resigning?”

“Yes.”

Shu Yubai handed over her resignation letter, looking a bit uneasy.

The man across from her held the resignation letter for a while, then said, “A distinguished graduate from the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Yes, you have big ambitions.”

As he spoke, he opened his computer and pulled up Shu Yubai’s resume from his laptop: undergraduate in Chinese painting at the China Academy of Art, then switched to oil painting for her master’s at the Central Academy of Fine Arts.

In January 2021, at the Z Province Art Museum, her work “Courtyard” won a silver medal at the 4th Bird-and-Flower Painting Exhibition; in July 2021, at the Contemporary Art Museum “New Ink – Six Artists Exhibition”; in August 2022, at the National Art Museum, “The Road of Masters – Contemporary Most Influential Painters Invitational Exhibition”; in September 2022, at the S City Art Museum, “Contemporary Chinese Painting Young Elite Nomination Exhibition”…

All her awards stopped at 2022.

In 2022, she joined the auction house.

Why?

He looked up, frowning, seemingly puzzled. “Why not pursue a doctorate and focus on academic research in art? Why come to an auction house?”

“……”

Shu Yubai lowered her head slightly.

The winter light fell on her hands.

They were very beautiful hands, with slender fingers, long and boneless, white with a hint of pink, the back of her hand showing faint blue veins like veins buried in snow, the sunlight making them appear delicate and transparent.

She tried to grasp something slowly.

Her movements were still weak and stiff.

“I can’t paint right now; it’s very strenuous.”

“Hmm?”

The person looked up. “Why?”

Shu Yubai softly explained:

“There have been some changes. I can’t hold a brush properly with my right hand anymore.”

A brief silence followed.

“According to regulations, you need to give one month’s notice before resigning.”

Shu Yubai smiled and shook her head. “One month is fine.”

Outside, a few snowflakes drifted down, lightly and silently.

Shu Yubai noticed the person sitting in the seat, with dark, smooth hair and a long, slender swan-like neck, looking down obediently.

“Nan Xue?”

Shu Yubai put down the document in her hand. “Why are you here?”

The other person sat in her place, flipping through an auction catalog, with a calm expression that was almost too calm, a bit distant and unfamiliar. When she saw Shu Yubai, she first glanced at the bouquet of roses and the small card beneath, her clear eyes then turned back to Shu Yubai with a hint of coldness.

“You’re in a relationship.”

Nan Xue asked.

“Hmm.”

Shu Yubai lowered her gaze. “But it’s just started. I want to see how it goes with someone else…”

“Did she send the flowers?”

Shu Yubai stood right across from her. Nan Xue’s voice was very soft, but her eyes were fixed directly on Shu Yubai. She was quiet, but there was something oddly resistant about her.

She hadn’t been this insistent before.

Shu Yubai looked at her, her heart skipping a beat, unsure of how to respond.

“Yes.”

“We’ve been together, and I have some feelings. I want to try with her.”

Nan Xue was silent for a moment. Shu Yubai watched her expression and tentatively said, “I can introduce you to her sometime. She’s a good person.”

“Hmm.”

Nan Xue lowered her gaze, and for a long time, neither of them spoke.

After a while, she asked, “Did you resign?”

“Yes.” Shu Yubai opened the resignation letter in her hand to show her. “The paperwork is done.”

Nan Xue sat in Shu Yubai’s place, looked at the words under the bouquet of flowers, and after a moment, she pulled off the card and silently threw it into the nearby trash can.

Then she got up and left.

Her figure disappeared down the long corridor, soon vanishing from sight.

During the peak hours after work, the office building was crowded with people waiting for the elevator. With a ding, the elevator doors opened, and people streamed in.

Shu Yubai followed the crowd in. As she turned, she caught sight of Nan Xue.

With her long legs, slender waist, and upright posture, Nan Xue’s sweater collar was pulled up slightly, partially covering her lips. Her pale chin was lowered, and though she seemed to want to look at Shu Yubai, her gaze hesitated and eventually turned away, distant and cold.

“Sorry, wait!”

As the elevator doors were about to close, another person squeezed in.

Nan Xue was jostled and involuntarily took a step forward.

She and Shu Yubai were already very close, and the bump nearly pressed them together.

In that instant, they were very close, just an inch apart, their breaths mingling.

The person who came in reached out to press the elevator button but was too far away and couldn’t reach it, so they said, “Third floor, please press the button, thank you.”

Nan Xue raised her hand.

For a moment, her little finger lightly brushed against Shu Yubai’s hand.

The sensation of her fingertip was gentle, slightly warmer than her body temperature, and the unexpected touch sent a tingling sensation up her arm.

Shu Yubai’s heart skipped a beat, and she pretended to be calm as she looked away.

The air seemed to grow even warmer.

Shu Yubai was wearing an off-the-shoulder sweater, in apricot color, revealing her collarbone. The sweater was loose and had a casual, relaxed look. It was pretty, but it allowed light to pass through easily.

Her diet was light, and her skin was delicate and fair, smooth like a peeled egg. Nan Xue was taller than her, and from above, her slender and deep curves contrasted with her delicate, affectionate features, revealing a natural and unaware allure.

The elevator numbers flickered one by one.

When the elevator reached a certain floor, someone pushed through the crowd recklessly from behind, bumping into Shu Yubai.

She was abruptly thrown forward into the arms of the person in front.

In that moment, they were very close, with Nan Xue almost touching Shu Yubai’s body through a thin layer of clothing.

Nan Xue’s expression was momentarily blank.

At her neck, Shu Yubai’s warm and enticing breath lightly fell.

In the evening, Nan Xue was forced to attend a dinner party.

It was someone’s birthday, and the banquet was rather mixed, with everyone who had some connection receiving an invitation.

“This is Mr. Nan’s daughter?”

Someone patted her on the shoulder. “Not bad, your father couldn’t make it, so he sent you to show his support.”

“Old Mr. Nan’s 80th birthday, everyone’s really giving face.”

“Old Nan’s daughter is here too.”

“Nan Xue, right? You’re quite a beautiful young lady.”

••••

Among a crowd of unfamiliar relatives, Nan Xue remained polite but distanced herself with a calm demeanor.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, people quickly realized she was reserved, aloof, and cold, so they stopped trying to engage her in conversation.

The focus shifted.

“Xiao Yi?”

“What a coincidence, you’re here too.”

The person named Xiao Yi was the most adept conversationalist at the gathering.

She was very beautiful, with long curly hair, red lips, deep and mysterious eyes, and sharp brows. Her demeanor was gentle and courteous, with occasional hints of assertiveness.

Someone said, “With Sister Xiao here, we won’t have to worry about any awkward silences.”

Then the conversation turned to flattery.

“Young and promising,” “talented,” “a well-known artist” … and so on.

Nan Xue sat aside and glanced at her briefly.

Then she lost interest.

Although Xiao Yi was chatting, she occasionally glanced at her phone.

“Sister Xiao seems to be in a situation.”

A teasing voice.

“I’m waiting for a friend,” she replied, shaking her head and explaining patiently.

“Friend?”

“It must be a girlfriend.”

“She’s checking her messages so frequently.”

“When did they start dating? Xiao Xiao has been single for several years now.”

“When she arrives, make sure to introduce her to us.”

“Yeah, yeah, what kind of beauty caught your eye?”

The woman didn’t seem annoyed and smiled:

“Don’t, she’s shy.”

The door opened.

Gently pushed open from the outside, a very young woman stood at the door with an apologetic expression: “Sorry I’m late.”

She was wearing a light camel-colored sweater with a V-neck, her white, prominent collarbone brightly illuminated by the light. Her long skirt highlighted her slim waist and rounded hips. The slightly mature style suited her well.

“There was some traffic on the way.”

She brushed back a strand of long hair, revealing her white, well-defined nose. Speaking slowly and softly, her voice accentuated her elegance, making her seem like a willow by the lake.

Gentle and delicate.

Nan Xue didn’t expect it to be Shu Yubai, her cheeks flushed, and her back broke into a light sweat.

“Yubai?”

The woman called her softly, standing up first and, as if seeing a lover, naturally and affectionately wrapped her arms around Shu Yubai’s waist.

“Sit here.”

She held Shu Yubai’s waist and walked slowly, passing by Nan Xue.