A Moment Too Late (GL) - Chapter 77

“Sister, you said you would give me this painting,” she said.

Shu Yubai’s mind slowly caught up. She took a deep breath, looking at the painting Nan Xue had hung above her bed. For some reason, her eyes stung, and her vision blurred for a moment.

Shu Yubai’s chest felt tight. She lowered her head, blinking back the moisture in her eyes.

That painting, which had been gathering dust for years under the stairs of her small attic, had been long forgotten by her. Shu Yubai never thought that Nan Xue would remember her offhand remark from years ago. She even assumed that Nan Xue didn’t want it.

The unremarkable gift she never managed to give was now boldly displayed before her.

Seeing her silence, Nan Xue thought Shu Yubai was angry because of her deceit. Feeling a bit lost, she gently moved closer, wrapping her arms around Shu Yubai’s waist, snuggling up to her like a small animal seeking favor.

In that moment, Shu Yubai’s senses returned.

She hugged Nan Xue, gently stroking her back. The girl’s back was so thin it invoked a sense of pity.

She lifted her head, looked into Nan Xue’s beautiful eyes, and brushed her lips softly against Nan Xue’s. Not caring if anyone saw them, she kissed her gently.

Outside the window were distant mountains. This place was unique; the scenic area and the city center blended together. Even in the bustling city, one could still see the beautiful views of lakes and forests. In the cold night, the distant bright orange lights shone like stars, twinkling silently in the quiet.

Nan Xue widened her eyes.

Shu Yubai’s reddened tongue slipped between Nan Xue’s lips, slowly tasting her. Her eyes, filled with a watery sheen, were silent yet seemed to hold an enchanting allure.

“Sister…”

Nan Xue, stirred by her gaze, whispered softly in her ear, “Do you want to…”

“Want to what?”

Shu Yubai, hooking her neck, touched her lips lightly and said, “Finish your sentence.”

Nan Xue’s ears turned red.

Shu Yubai smiled, regaining her composure. She pushed Nan Xue away, walked into her room, and instructed as she turned, “Lock the door so no one comes in later.”

Nan Xue: “!!!”

Did she mean that they might try… what was interrupted last time?

A click sounded from behind.

The door was locked.

It was very dark outside, not yet time for bed.

The room was dimly lit by a corner lamp with a fabric shade, casting a warm glow. In the middle was a dark gray-blue sofa with a cloak draped over it, a dark blue carpet on the floor, and several bookmarked books left unfinished.

The walls were covered with many photo frames of various sizes and shapes, from Nan Xue’s childhood to adulthood. The middle-aged man beside her was her father, always wearing a gray jacket, neither new nor old.

By the window was a desk against the wall. Shu Yubai walked over, seeing the messy desk and neatly arranged bookshelf filled with a mix of books on literature, art, and economics.

Shu Yubai entered the bedroom, looking around the room she hadn’t seen for many years.

So many memories surfaced.

Nan Xue used to love collecting small, delicate handicrafts, placing them in the bookshelf’s cubbies: ceramic dolls, bamboo woven figures, or famous buildings pieced together from small wooden blocks.

Shu Yubai looked at the display case on the bookshelf.

Everything was still there.

A small Eiffel Tower, just the size of a palm, a birthday gift she had given Nan Xue many years ago, now covered with a thin layer of dust, standing there for who knows how many years.

Shu Yubai’s eyes grew warm again.

“Sister.”

The person behind her hugged her from behind, her porcelain-white chin resting on her shoulder, small red lips close to her ear, whispering softly, “Shall we start here?”

“Start what?”

Shu Yubai turned around, eyes filled with confusion.

Nan Xue stared into her eyes for a long time, realizing she truly didn’t understand.

Nan Xue: “Just now, when you told me to lock the door, didn’t you mean we could…”

Shu Yubai: “What?”

Nan Xue coughed lightly, “Make love.”

Shu Yubai choked, coughing violently, her cheeks starting to heat up, a sudden flush spreading instantly. Shu Yubai’s eyes averted as she softly said, “Just now… I was teasing you.”

Nan Xue: “…”

When Shu Yubai said this, she seemed guilty. She lowered her head, her cheeks warm with a blush, her voice so soft it seemed to tickle the heart.

Was her personality this “playful”?

Gentle and unwilling to refuse, yet so provocative.

This was like pushing herself into the fire pit without realizing it.

Nan Xue pulled her closer.

Shu Yubai was suddenly hugged by Nan Xue, facing each other with their foreheads touching.

Nan Xue, being a bit taller, slightly lowered her head as she embraced her. From this angle, she could see Shu Yubai’s long, soft eyelashes, elegantly and beautifully curled.

She lowered her head, and amid the dark hair, Shu Yubai’s snow-white nape was covered in a thin layer of sweat.

Her small red lips lightly brushed the woman’s forehead, then her brow, the tip of her nose, her soft cheeks, and finally landed on her lips.

A gentle kiss.

She turned her head, deepening the kiss slowly.

The kiss grew warm, and hugging through the thick coat always felt like there was a barrier, unable to touch the heart. Nan Xue lifted her eyes, her lips glistening, her gaze misty. She kissed Shu Yubai’s forehead, tugged at the collar of her down jacket, and asked, “Shall we take this off?”

The room temperature was high.

A bit stuffy.

Nan Xue was lightly dressed, her body temperature high, hugging her felt like being baked.

Shu Yubai was also feeling hot, a thin layer of sweat on her back. She lowered her head, unzipped the thick down jacket, revealing a beige dress underneath, made of soft, body-hugging material.

Nan Xue took the down jacket and tossed it onto the sofa.

The dress was buttoned up, fitting tightly, with buttons running from her thigh up her waist, and all the way to her collarbone, revealing the woman’s soft, white curves.

“Don’t…”

Shu Yubai tried to move away.

Nan Xue’s warm lips brushed behind her ear, gently nibbling, her tongue licking, and her delicate fingers unbuttoned one button at her chest.

“Sister…”

Nan Xue hugged her tightly, kissing her more passionately.

Shu Yubai gradually softened. She leaned closer to Nan Xue, finding the closeness comfortable, letting out a soft murmur, her eyes with a faint blush. She grabbed Nan Xue’s hand placed on her waist, saying, “Don’t touch there.”

“Touch here.”

Shu Yubai unbuttoned the buttons one by one, leaned close to her ear, and chuckled softly, her voice lazily seductive, “Haven’t you always wanted to touch? Why hold back?”

She was like a warm, soft, and full pool of water, so inviting that just a glance made one extremely thirsty.

Her long hair cascaded over her chest, the dark, cool strands contrasting with her snow-white, warm skin, creating a vividly colorful painting, with only her warm, moist breaths revealing an enticing sense of reality.

“Let’s begin.”

Shu Yubai hooked her neck and whispered softly in her ear.

••••

Outside, a rain shower began, the early spring rain drizzling down, winding through the grass, with droplets hanging on the grass tips, making everything muddy and slippery. The rain fell for a long time, like the rhythmic breathing of nature.

The tide rose and fell again.

The bedding was slightly damp, feeling a bit sticky. Shu Yubai panted lightly, her temples damp with sweat, and her cheeks flushed.

Her long hair was exceptionally thick, yet soft and smooth, like the soft texture of a young girl’s hair. Her oval face, hidden in her long hair, had a natural docility. Nan Xue’s fingertips gently combed through her soft hair, her cool fingertips touching the warm scalp, a warm sensation seemingly flowing straight to the heart.

The room was quiet and warm. The door was locked, so there was no need to worry about anything, yet there were always slight sounds downstairs, probably Aunt Zhang cleaning. Shu Yubai, like a little bird that had accidentally flown into someone’s house, had dark, soft eyes filled with a watery gleam, held in someone’s palm, leisurely played with.

The room was still. On the wicker cabinet beside the bed was an incense humidifier, with a white mist rising, the cool mist carrying a faint, long-lasting scent of roses.

••••

The blanket moved slightly.

As Nan Xue got up, Shu Yubai grabbed her hand and gently asked, “Where are you going?”

She regretted asking right after. Did this make her seem clingy? She wasn’t like this.

Shu Yubai propped herself up lightly on the pillow, her shoulders still damp with sweat, her skin appearing freshly bathed, giving a stunning impression.

Nan Xue’s small red lips curved slightly. She waved her fair, slender hand, with a hint of a smile in her eyes, “What do you think?”

Shu Yubai’s cheeks flushed. She quickly lowered her eyes, feeling an inescapable shyness, unable to meet Nan Xue’s gaze.

Nan Xue opened the door.

Her fair, beautiful hand was wet, the fingertips a bit sticky. Nan Xue glanced down, her ears burning, turning bright red.

Shu Yubai was truly beautiful.

So sweet, like the honey of peach blossoms blooming on a spring branch.

There was a piano outside, with the study on the left and the bedroom on the right of the third floor, and the bathroom in the middle. This area was rarely visited by Aunt Zhang and others, making it a private space for her. Her father’s room was downstairs, on the second floor.

She turned on the faucet to wash her hands and suddenly paused.

There were footsteps.