A Moment Too Late (GL) - Chapter 8

“Are you alright?”

Nan Xue asked.

On the way home, the sky was overcast again, and it began to snow.

An old saying goes that snow isn’t cold, but melting snow is. It was indeed cold.

Shu Yubai was a bit tired and had been silent throughout the journey. She had never been this distant before; even if she ruined a painting, she used to patiently start over with a good temper.

Nan Xue couldn’t help but move closer and gently take her hand.

Their fingers intertwined.

Nan Xue’s hand was very warm and surprisingly soft. As her palm pressed against Shu Yubai’s, her fingertips gently rubbed Shu Yubai’s hand, but she remained silent.

Shu Yubai let her hold her hand, and they walked slowly along a small path until they reached the apartment building’s entrance.

Her palm was slightly sweaty.

“I’ve made up my mind,” Nan Xue said. “Quit your job. Support yourself. Focus on painting. Your hand is injured, so take your time to heal. Don’t rush.”

“Do what you love, and forget about everything else, alright?”

Nan Xue looked at her earnestly.

Shu Yubai’s heart fluttered slightly.

Her eyes were beautiful, clear and clean, like a picturesque scene of black mountains and white waters, untainted by dust, as pure as the snow on a cold mountain.

“Okay.”

Shu Yubai replied softly.

Nan Xue assumed her melancholy was due to her hand.

And not for any other reason.

So, it would be like this.

Shu Yubai lowered her gaze, thinking that it was enough, that it was sufficient.

One shouldn’t be too greedy in life.

After her bath, Shu Yubai turned off the lights, leaving only a dim wall lamp on. She held a book in her hands, flipping through it slowly, feeling somewhat drowsy and preparing to sleep.

Suddenly, the bedroom door was gently knocked.

Nan Xue stood at the door, holding a pillow.

“What’s wrong?”

Shu Yubai asked, “Can’t you sleep?”

Nan Xue was wearing a long-sleeved, doll-collar pajama and winter plush slippers, looking like a large stuffed toy, standing there as if wanting to come in.

She tugged at the pillow, her eyes showing a certain hope. “The blanket is wet. Can you…”

“Mm?”

“Can we sleep together?”

Shu Yubai put down the book and asked, “How did it get wet?”

She tried to get up. “I’ll get a hairdryer and see if it can dry it.”

Nan Xue’s expression dimmed for a moment, but she still led her to see. There was a large wet patch on the blanket, caused by hot water spilled from a narrow bedside cabinet. The spilled area was quite bothersome, and it had soaked through to the sheet. It was cold in winter, and sleeping in a damp blanket would be uncomfortable.

They had moved quickly, and with only two blankets available, there was no spare. They had to make do for one night, so Nan Xue wanted to sleep with her.

Before Shu Yubai could say anything, Nan Xue took her hand again and said naturally, “Let’s sleep.”

She led Shu Yubai into the bedroom.

Shu Yubai knew Nan Xue might be anxious.

They had quarreled when they were younger, and whenever Shu Yubai was cold or indifferent, Nan Xue would snuggle up to her at bedtime, wanting to sleep together.

That method indeed worked wonders. After sleeping together, Shu Yubai would no longer be angry or distant the next day.

But that was in the past.

Maybe Nan Xue’s blanket was truly accidentally wet?

Shu Yubai, feeling dazed and exhausted from the day’s events, couldn’t think much.

She climbed into bed and turned off the light.

Then, a corner of the blanket was lifted, and Nan Xue quietly slipped in, like a little rabbit finding its nest, awkward yet quiet.

She placed the pillow next to Shu Yubai.

Then, seemingly satisfied, she lay down gently, curling up carefully, moving quietly.

Shu Yubai, too exhausted, couldn’t muster the energy. Her eyelids gently closed, and she fell asleep quickly.

Nan Xue, however, couldn’t sleep. Shu Yubai’s silhouette from the day seemed etched into her heart, too lonely and too tired, leaving her feeling unsure.

The night was very quiet.

The snow fell silently.

The indoor heating was uniform, but tonight, the temperature was higher, and the blanket was thick. It felt stifling and hot, making it hard to breathe.

Shu Yubai seemed sensitive to heat, even in her sleep. She had unknowingly kicked off the blanket, leaving only a corner over her waist, with her arms and legs exposed.

Even so, a thin layer of sweat formed on her forehead.

When she slept alone, she chose comfortable, loose clothes. With Nan Xue around, she wore a loose, white cotton t-shirt.

Round neck, hem longer than her thighs.

She hugged half of the blanket and slept soundly.

The moonlight cast a faint shadow, like an old black-and-white film, filling the dark space with mystery.

The sleeping woman had a slender waist, long legs, and the loose hem of her clothes slid up in her restless sleep, bunching around her delicate waist. Her round, firm hips were only covered by underwear, clearly visible.

Nan Xue’s cheeks flushed slightly.

She remembered that night, Shu Yubai’s body in the moonlight, with water droplets slowly sliding down her back, waist, and legs.

Her heartbeat suddenly became irregular.

Chaotic.

In the nightmarish dreams, Shu Yubai dreamt of running everywhere, unable to escape, but then, she seemed to encounter a soft object, snuggling into it. The chaotic and anxious feelings gradually eased, like ripples calming, her breathing becoming steady.

Moonlight streamed in, casting the shadow of the window pane on Nan Xue’s shoulder.

A delicate, pale hand hugged her as if drowning.

Breath fell lightly on her neck, slow, warm, carrying a faint body scent.

A white, smooth arm wrapped around her, pressing closely into her embrace. She could see Shu Yubai’s eyelashes, the delicate curve, elegant and beautiful.

Nan Xue looked at the person clinging tightly to her, her eyelashes fluttering.

For a moment, many thoughts surged like a rising tide, wildly and recklessly flooding in.