A Moment Too Late (GL) - Chapter 7

The snow had stopped.

Since Shu Yubai entered, Nan Xue had kept a cold expression, her fingers clutching the porcelain spoon tightly, her face showing no extra emotion.

The dining place was in a Ming-Qing style. Looking out through the carved wooden windows, branches were covered in snow, and the rockeries, pavilions, and towers created a black-and-white contrast, like an ink painting.

“Is it cold?”

Xiao Yi asked softly, “You’re dressed too lightly, you might catch a cold.”

Shu Yubai shook her head and, guided by Xiao Yi, took the seat next to her.

The large round table made of redwood was surrounded by people, both familiar and unfamiliar, young and old. Shu Yubai looked around quietly and noticed an aunt she used to know, a neighbor from the old house whom both Nan Xue and she recognized.

Nan Xue sat beside her with a neutral expression, giving no hint of her mood.

“Yubai is here too.”

The aunt noticed her and immediately smiled gently, “Your dad is at that table. Should I call him over?”

Shu Yubai’s face turned pale for a moment, then she shook her head, “It’s okay, Auntie, he’s busy.”

Shu Yubai hadn’t spoken to her father for many years.

Even if they met, it would be awkward.

Outsiders didn’t know, thinking family bonds were always strong.

There were many people at the table, some familiar and others not.

Nan Xue sat quietly, her red lips glossy, a few strands of black hair falling on her pale chin. She looked beautiful but was quite aloof, responding to the aunt’s questions only occasionally and with polite nods.

She didn’t glance at Shu Yubai even once.

The atmosphere was distant.

As people chatted slowly, Shu Yubai lost track of what was being said. Her attention was fixed on Nan Xue, watching her occasionally adjust her thick wool scarf with her pale fingers, a cold and careless action.

Uncertain and nervous.

“Yubai?”

Her fingers were enveloped in warm palms, “Your hands are so cold. Have some hot tea.”

Xiao Yi looked at her, then stirred the turntable, lifted the teapot, and poured tea into a small cup resembling Ru porcelain.

“Pu’er tea, good for the stomach.”

“Thank you.” Shu Yubai picked up the cup, bowed her head to drink, but felt as if Nan Xue was watching her, though she couldn’t be sure.

Soon, the food was served.

Shu Yubai ate slowly, and Xiao Yi, as if worried she might not have enough, kept serving her dishes.

Busy as a hamster carrying goods to a warehouse.

Shu Yubai looked at her and, unable to hold back, finally smiled.

Her smile was rare and open, her red lips curving, her bright, moist eyes gazing at Xiao Yi. Her long, beautiful eyelashes fluttered gently, and her gaze seemed to brighten like spring light.

Xiao Yi stared in surprise, her heart skipping a beat, “What’s wrong?”

Shu Yubai waved her hand, “I’m not a child. Why keep serving me?”

She was used to taking care of others, but with Xiao Yi, she was being taken care of, which made her somewhat bemused.

“……”

Xiao Yi smiled and took the opportunity to say, “Then, serve me some food in return.”

Shu Yubai hesitated, instinctively looking at Nan Xue.

She kept her head down, seemingly not looking this way.

So Shu Yubai picked up a shrimp and dipped it in sauce.

Xiao Yi opened her mouth, “Feed me.”

Shu Yubai gently smiled and fed her the soft white shrimp.

At that moment, Xiao Yi felt a strong sense of gaze.

The girl over there had a cold, distant look, her pale fingers resting on her chin, her dark eyes deep and bottomless.

It made people instinctively want to avoid her.

Xiao Yi felt a slight shock inside.

Such strong hostility was something she hadn’t encountered in years.

But in the blink of an eye, the girl had already stopped looking at her and was instead gazing out at the snow with a indifferent expression.

The snow was thick and white, covering the eaves of the blue-gray roofs.

Reflected against the clean, cool jade-colored sky.

—

This old restaurant is close to the university town, surrounded by schools. Most of the guests at the table were middle-aged, with families and children, and naturally, the conversation drifted to issues about their children’s education.

“My child is in their senior year this year, so anxious. The pressure is also great.”

“Huh? That shouldn’t be the case. Your child’s grades are top 2, right?”

“Oh, you never know.”

The speaker was a middle-aged man, his tone somewhat smug, though he humbly waved his hand.

He then noticed Nan Xue.

She looked quite young, with a bland expression, her gestures carrying a sense of aloofness as if detached from the world. She seemed either still studying or just graduated.

“This young lady just graduated, right?” the man asked.

His tone was somewhat condescending, carrying an air of superiority.

Several people at the table felt a subtle tension.

Many people knew Nan Xue, partly due to her father’s reputation and connections, and partly because she had recently participated in a knowledge competition on a certain satellite TV channel and gained some online fame.

Of course, many did not know her.

This man was evidently one of them.

“Hmm.”

Nan Xue responded lightly, keeping her eyelids lowered, her eyelashes covering her dark eyes, maintaining her usual indifferent demeanor.

In fact, that was true.

Unfortunately, some people are more inclined to disturb you the less you want to engage.

“Oh—” the man continued, “Which university did you graduate from? Where do you work?”

He sounded like he was conducting an interrogation.

“Z University.”

Nan Xue replied, “Currently working at a securities company in Beijing.”

“Z University, huh.” He clicked his tongue, already dismissing his own child as part of the top 2 bracket, regarding other universities with disdain. “Z University is okay. It’s still far behind T University. But it’s fine, keep working hard. The future is still promising.”

Nan Xue finally lifted her eyelids to glance at him, her expression showing confusion.

An aunt beside her quickly took over the conversation and explained on her behalf:

“Whether the future is bright or not is not just about the university, it still depends on personal effort.”

The middle-aged man strongly disagreed and seemed ready to continue speaking, but someone nearby kept giving him subtle signals.

The two exchanged puzzled looks.

Someone immediately stood up to smooth things over: “Oh, I forgot to introduce earlier.”

Everyone turned their attention to him.

He scratched his head and introduced to the incessant middle-aged man, “This young lady is Nan Mingzhu’s daughter. Her father isn’t here, so she came in his place.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the man’s expression froze.

Nan Mingzhu’s name was quite prominent.

On one hand, it was due to his wealth; on the other, it was because of his remarkable turnaround.

A few years ago, he was a bankrupt boss, but in a few years, he transformed into a real estate tycoon.

Some people privately referred to him as a nouveau riche because of it.

But that was not important.

Because he himself didn’t care much.

The aunt next to Nan Xue continued explaining, “This girl has always been good at studying, very smart. She was offered early admission to T University, but she chose Z University instead.”

Shu Yubai’s heart skipped a beat and she instinctively looked at Nan Xue.

Nan Xue was silent, sipping her tea.

“Why?” someone asked in confusion.

The aunt smiled and shook her head, sighing, “Young people, they want to be with their friends. At that time, Xiao Shu was applying to an art academy, and Nan Xue said if Xiao Shu wasn’t going to T University, she wouldn’t go there either. She just wanted to study in the same place as her good friend.”

“It’s quite childish, haha.”

Shu Yubai looked up and happened to meet Nan Xue’s gaze.

The two felt an awkwardness, each turning their head away.

Shu Yubai lowered her head, coughed lightly, and seemed uncomfortable: “It’s not really that. Nan Xue said the major at Z University is better ranked.”

“……”

Nan Xue remained silent, even more subdued.

Shu Yubai looked at her, momentarily dazed, and felt deeply guilty.

Nan Xue only wanted to be friends with her.

There was always a hint of unfulfilled desire in her slight disappointment.

If only she too…

Warm breath brushed her neck.

Xiao Yi gently adjusted her collar, smiling: “The collar is crooked. Let me fix it for you.”

The two were close, and their gazes met, creating a warm and intimate atmosphere that was hard to categorize—whether it was flirtatious or just friendly. Adjusting the collar was a simple, ordinary gesture, and Shu Yubai was only momentarily nervous before relaxing. They continued chatting and laughing, behaving like very close friends.

“Is this Xiao Xiao’s girlfriend?” someone asked tentatively.

“Just a friend,” Xiao Yi smiled and explained. “Don’t make assumptions.”

Nan Xue watched from a distance, her gaze peculiar, like a dog eyeing a bone in someone else’s bowl.

The aunt beside her, who had watched Nan Xue grow up, understood her with just one look. Nan Xue was reserved and introverted, preferring to keep her distance from others. Only those who received her permission could truly get close; the rest she showed no interest in.

Shu Yubai had a special connection with her.

Back then, even during their first meeting, Nan Xue had been a small, cold girl standing in the yard, her gaze showing a somewhat awkward hope when looking at the slightly older girl across from her.

That desire to approach, to possess, yet awkwardly indifferent, was unchanged from those years ago.

She leaned closer to Nan Xue, unable to resist smiling: “What’s wrong?”

Nan Xue snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head.

“Shu Yubai has her own life.”

“We’re all adults now.”

Nan Xue responded with a soft “mm,” but stubbornly kept her eyes on the two who were happily chatting, as if ready to stand up at any moment.

Shu Yubai, however, didn’t think much of it.

The two continued their cheerful conversation, with Shu Yubai using her fingers to help Xiao Yi untangle her wind-blown hair. Xiao Yi must have said something funny because Shu Yubai laughed happily.

Nan Xue couldn’t hold back and pushed the table away, standing up.

Shu Yubai was momentarily startled, her attention completely on Nan Xue.

“What’s wrong?” Xiao Yi asked.

Shu Yubai could no longer hear Xiao Yi’s voice, her focus solely on Nan Xue as she silently left the dinner party, her white coat disappearing around the corner of the hallway.

“I’ll go check on her.”

Shu Yubai stood up and followed.

Outside, it was extremely cold. Without the warmth of the indoor heating, the cold air penetrated from all directions. The lake was frozen, and the Suzhou-style rockeries were covered with snow. A stone path led to a moon gate framed by white walls and dark tiles.

Nan Xue stood at the end of the stone path. Noticing Shu Yubai behind her, she gradually slowed her steps.

She stood by the gate, slightly turned, revealing half of her small face.

Her hair was dark as ebony, its ends gently brushing her jawline and resting on her checked scarf.

With her hands in the side pockets of her coat, her cherry-like lips made her otherwise indifferent face look particularly delicate, evoking sympathy rather than annoyance.

She seemed like a child.

After a moment of silence, Shu Yubai sighed inwardly, feeling at a loss.

“What’s wrong?” She walked over, leaving a trail of footprints in the snow. Gently embracing her from behind, she tilted her head and asked, “Is it stuffy inside?”

The tone was a mix of indulgence and affection.

Nan Xue turned around and looked at her. Seeing the tenderness in her eyes seemed to ease her frustration. She kicked at the snow with the tip of her boot and said, “Can you avoid spending so much time with her?”

Shu Yubai was momentarily puzzled. “Who?”

Nan Xue didn’t reply.

Shu Yubai, somewhat surprised, guessed she was referring to Xiao Yi and asked, “Why?”

Nan Xue raised her eyebrows, staring at her.

Shu Yubai, somewhat helplessly, said, “I think she’s quite nice.”

Nan Xue glanced at her. “Nice?”

“Her personality, temperament, even her profession… In short, we get along quite well.”

Nan Xue remained silent.

After a while, a cold breeze blew. Shu Yubai noticed that the tips of Nan Xue’s ears had turned red, though she wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or something else.

“What about me?”

Nan Xue, having struggled for a while, finally asked softly.

Shu Yubai was confused. “What about you?”

Nan Xue’s cheeks grew even redder. She turned away, avoiding Shu Yubai’s gaze. “It’s nothing.”

Shu Yubai, slowly realizing her meaning, trembled slightly and said softly, “You’re different from her.”

Nan Xue looked at her and asked, “How am I different?”

Different?

Shu Yubai thought to herself, ‘She’s a friend, and you’re someone I secretly like.’

But she remained silent for a long time, unable to utter a single word.

Nan Xue leaned closer, her thick eyelashes fluttering, with a hint of expectation. “How am I different?”

Shu Yubai’s heart felt an unfamiliar pain. She looked at the sky for a moment, trying to hold back her tears, and nonchalantly turned her face. “She is a lover; you are a friend.”

“…”

Nan Xue stared at her for a long while and finally asked, “So, who is more important, her or me?”

In an instant, Shu Yubai’s mind was filled with many memories, with Nan Xue’s image woven throughout—her childhood self, a slightly older girl, the deer-like gaze… from her innocent past to now.

Shu Yubai bent down.

Nan Xue leaned closer, asking, “Tell me.”

Shu Yubai said, “You are important.”

For some reason, her voice sounded strange, almost trembling.

She crouched in the snow, a tear falling from her chin, creating a small hole in the snow. (TN: 😢)

Shu Yubai was dressed lightly, her thin sweater clinging to her back, and her long hair was a bit disheveled by the wind.

Nan Xue looked at her slender waist and thin back, giving a fleeting impression of fragility. In that moment, she felt an urge to hug her.

But the next second, Shu Yubai stood up.

“It’s cold outside. Let’s go back. The party is almost over.”