A Moment Too Late (GL) - Chapter 66

In the evening, after the competition had ended and her senior brother and You Fu had finished their paintings, they all returned to the hotel.

The 13th floor buffet restaurant slowly rotated. Under the night sky, there were few people, and in the center of the restaurant stood a black grand piano. The pianist sat on the bench, lightly touching the keys, and the music flowed like a stream.

The night was silent, and the piano’s sound was ethereal and soft.

As the sky darkened, Shu Yubai went downstairs to eat alone.

Her relationship with Nan Xue had become somewhat distant again. She didn’t know how to face it; it was tangled and confusing.

Nan Xue stayed in the bedroom alone, where the soft bedding still carried Shu Yubai’s scent. She touched her face with her cool fingers; it felt hot, especially her ears. She went to the washbasin and turned on the cold water to rinse.

She looked up at the mirror.

Water droplets rolled down her skin.

Under the stimulation of the cold water, the redness on her cheeks became more pronounced.

Shu Yubai had already left.

Nan Xue could even sense a slight coldness from her.

The sudden estrangement between them caught her off guard.

Nan Xue picked up a small towel and wiped her face.

On her wrist was a silver bracelet with a single character engraved on it: “Xue.”

Another bracelet had been taken off by Shu Yubai and placed in a small wooden compartment on the washbasin.

Nan Xue reached for it; the character inside was “Bai.”

She gently stroked the character repeatedly, with a look of lingering affection in her eyes.

Glancing at her watch, it was time for dinner.

Nan Xue put on her coat and went downstairs.

The moment she entered, her eyes searched for Shu Yubai. There was a woman sitting near the floor-to-ceiling window, eating with her head down. When Nan Xue arrived, the woman seemed not to notice her, completely ignoring her.

Nan Xue’s face turned pale.

In the next second, the woman raised her gaze.

Nan Xue’s heart tightened.

However, Shu Yubai was looking in the direction behind her, her eyes brightened, but she wasn’t looking at Nan Xue.

A woman brushed past her. She wore a fitted black dress, a loosely draped shawl, and carried a light gold purse. Her slightly curled hair rested on her shoulder as she looked at Shu Yubai and smiled faintly.

Nan Xue was stunned.

She felt a pang of sourness and an indescribable sense of loss.

She watched You Fu walk over and sit next to Shu Yubai, speaking with her. Shu Yubai smiled but still did not look in Nan Xue’s direction.

Nan Xue clenched her fingers.

She walked over and sat across from Shu Yubai.

The woman was drinking lemon juice and didn’t look up, but her movement paused.

Nan Xue’s thin eyelids drooped. Usually somewhat aloof, she now seemed pitiful and lonely, making one want to comfort her.

But Shu Yubai remained unmoved.

This awkward tension caught You Fu’s attention. After a moment of thought, she leaned closer to Shu Yubai and asked softly, “Are you feeling down?”

Shu Yubai looked surprised, shook her head, and looked into You Fu’s eyes. “No.”

Her voice was very soft.

“Feeling down? How about a drink?”

You Fu looked at her. “The competition is over. There’s nothing to worry about. Wait here, I’ll get you something.”

She stood up.

As she did, she glanced at Nan Xue, who sat motionless across from Shu Yubai, emitting an aura of coldness and seeming stiff.

You Fu had sat next to Shu Yubai, while Nan Xue sat opposite her.

The way the two exchanged glances and whispered to each other was clearly visible.

“Hey?”

A voice came from the entrance.

Bei Zhen saw Shu Yubai and smiled, “What a coincidence, you’re here too? I didn’t see you earlier.”

She carried a bag and sat down next to Nan Xue without hesitation.

Nan Xue finally seemed startled and glanced at her.

Who was this person?

She didn’t recognize her.

Nan Xue turned her gaze away again.

She tentatively looked at Shu Yubai, but Shu Yubai completely avoided her, not even casting a glance her way.

After a moment, You Fu returned with a bottle of wine. A waiter helped open the cork and poured the clear red liquid into the wine glasses in front of them. The wine had a faintly intoxicating aroma.

You Fu didn’t have many other preferences but loved red wine, of various types, and had a lot at home. She liked to savor it when she had the chance. Sometimes, she couldn’t help but want others to experience the things she enjoyed.

“Drink?”

You Fu clinked her glass with the wine glass in front of Shu Yubai.

The crisp sound of the clink.

“I won’t drink,” Shu Yubai shook her head apologetically. “I don’t handle alcohol well.”

“Come on, drink up.”

Bei Zhen, who was dissatisfied with her, urged, “Senior Sister has offered you a drink, and you’re still putting on airs?”

You Fu: “……”

Is she putting on airs?

Shu Yubai was slightly surprised. Although she and You Fu didn’t have many formalities between them, she realized that it was a bit inappropriate. As a senior, You Fu had offered a toast, and it was customary to accept it.

Shu Yubai, with a hint of apology, raised her glass and took a sip.

The faintly intoxicating aroma of the wine spread, with a touch of bitterness.

Shu Yubai closed her eyes.

After taking a sip, she realized that using alcohol to soothe one’s troubles wasn’t a myth after all.

She couldn’t help but continue drinking.

One glass, then another.

••••

“Not bad.”

You Fu looked at her with surprise, her slender white hand resting on Shu Yubai’s shoulder. “You’re quite the hidden talent.”

Shu Yubai, with her black hair cascading down and her pale skin flushed red, looked at You Fu with a watery gaze and smiled slightly.

You Fu playfully flicked a strand of her hair.

Nan Xue frowned, unable to hold back her anger, and stood up abruptly.

“She has a sensitive stomach and shouldn’t drink so much.”

With that, she snatched Shu Yubai’s wine glass and poured its contents into her leftover food plate.

Shu Yubai frowned and looked at her:

“What are you doing?”

Nan Xue raised an eyebrow, turned around, and went to the bar to fetch a porcelain cup of hot milk for her.

Milk is good for the stomach.

Shu Yubai was just like that—sometimes, she couldn’t take care of herself, but she always liked to take care of others.

Nan Xue didn’t understand why she was so angry. Her slender fingers held the milk, her mind filled with the image of Shu Yubai smiling at You Fu. Her heart raced and was in turmoil. When she returned, however, the seat was empty.

Only Bei Zhen remained.

“Where’s Shu Yubai?”

Nan Xue carefully placed the hot milk on the table, afraid of spilling it.

“She…”

Bei Zhen gave a meaningful smile. “She went to the room with Senior Sister.”