A Moment Too Late (GL) - Chapter 82

The fountain stopped, and in the ensuing silence, the moon emerged.

The densely packed cherry blossom trees had yet to bloom, their layered branches and leaves making the early spring night both quiet and bright.

Their lips were warm and moist.

Nan Xue’s pale fingertips gently curled. She paused, then wrapped her arms around Shu Yubai’s shoulders and kissed her deeply in return.

Their lips and teeth intertwined, Shu Yubai breathed lightly, her legs growing weak.

In the midst of their dreamy kiss, Nan Xue suddenly remembered something.

She stopped, pushed away, and looked down at Shu Yubai, asking casually, “Do you really think she’s pretty?”

Shu Yubai: “…”

Why was this important now?

Nan Xue persisted like a broken record, “You stared at her for so long without blinking.”

Shu Yubai couldn’t help but laugh, her cheeks flushing slightly. “No. When she walked over, my first impression was that she looked a bit like you.”

“But then I looked more closely and realized she doesn’t actually look like you.”

Shu Yubai recalled, “I think you’re prettier than her.”

Nan Xue was taken aback.

She looked down, lightly lifting her red lips, feeling entirely at ease.

“Not really…”

She cleared her throat.

Shu Yubai’s straightforward compliment made her embarrassed.

They held hands and walked through the small park.

The wind was gentle and soft.

In the noisy part of the park, there was a musical fountain. People of all ages gathered around it, playing and enjoying the night. The mist from the fountain rose high, and when the wind blew, it sent a cool, damp sensation onto their faces. Shu Yubai laughed and stepped back, her black hair catching the mist and glistening with tiny water droplets.

Her eyelashes also had water droplets, making her eyes look especially captivating.

Nan Xue leaned in again and kissed her cheek.

Since they got together, it seemed she particularly liked kissing. For two girls, a quick kiss on the cheek in public wasn’t unusual; friends could do it too, and it didn’t necessarily attract much attention.

Shu Yubai let her do it.

“Shall we take a picture?”

She hooked her arm around Nan Xue’s, pulling her close. The moonlight behind them was beautiful.

*Click*

The moment was captured.

•••

On the other side, a figure hid in the woods, looking down at the screen.

*Ding*

Message sent.

Bei Zhen sat in her bedroom, holding her phone. There was a new message, and she opened it, bored, glancing at the chat. The person she hired sent a few photos and a video.

In the photos, two girls were sitting and drinking juice.

They held hands, smiling.

It looked normal, nothing special.

Then there was the video.

It was clear the video was shot at night, the lighting was very dim.

Under the pale and weak street lamp, two faces could barely be seen—Shu Yubai and Nan Xue.

She raised an eyebrow and, with a trembling finger, opened the video.

The two girls were hugging and kissing passionately. Bei Zhen’s hand trembled, and she closed it, thinking indifferently: So, it’s true.

——[Sister Bei, what do you plan to do with this video?]

——[That Nan Xue, her father isn’t someone to mess with. I don’t want to end up in court.]

The person who filmed the video asked her.

Bei Zhen chuckled and replied:

“Nothing, just for fun. Don’t worry, I won’t post it.”

The person who filmed the video was reassured and didn’t ask further questions.

••••

The next day.

Nan Xue went to the company, while Shu Yubai took her completed draft to show to Ying Ran.

The first step in completing this painting was to sketch the outline on the drawing paper, similar to a pencil sketch; the second step was to transfer the outline from the sketch paper onto the silk, then ink and color it.

Now, she had completed the first step.

She wasn’t sure what her teacher would say.

Shu Yubai was a bit nervous. She gently knocked on the door, which wasn’t completely closed. Inside, her teacher coughed and said, “Come in.”

“Teacher, I’ve finished the sketch.”

Shu Yubai walked in, gently spreading the drawing on the table.

The background of the drawing was a dark gray, misty and delicate, depicting a girl standing in a field, holding a basket of cherries, her face slightly turned, looking back.

She excelled at using light and shadow to portray scenes, with dark gray clouds and leaves swirling in the wind, evoking a sense of desolation and melancholy.

The girl’s demeanor was subtle and cool.

“The overall design is good.”

Ying Ran tapped on the table and commented, “But it lacks realism.”

“Realism?”

Shu Yubai was momentarily confused.

“Realism isn’t about making it look like a photo, but capturing a moment’s liveliness through details.”

“Your character lacks some texture.”

“Take a look at my painting…”

He stood up, pacing around the studio, explaining to her.

Shu Yubai listened quietly, occasionally taking notes, nodding earnestly.

“You can go on field trips to sketch real landscapes; it’s definitely better than drawing from photos.”

Ying Ran handed the painting back to her, “Go back and revise it.”

“Okay, thank you, teacher.”

Shu Yubai thanked him, left the room, and quietly closed the door, letting out a long sigh.

Looks like… I’ll have to go on a field trip.

••••

In the southern spring weather, a stream flowed gently through the village. A monk walked down the mountain path, wearing gray robes and a string of prayer beads, hurrying away.

On the ridge was a famous temple, always bustling with worshippers. As the evening set in, the sound of a bell echoed, startling the birds in the forest.

“Sister, are we there yet?”

Shu Yubai was on a field trip, and Nan Xue decided to join her for a relaxing weekend. They walked hand in hand down the path.

“We’re almost there.”

Shu Yubai chose the nearest spot for her field trip.

It was close to the scenic area but not crowded.

Perhaps due to its secluded location, there were very few tourists, and it was quite peaceful.

The weather was a bit warm, with the sun shining brightly. The village was bathed in warm sunlight, with chickens and ducks wandering around, pecking in the grass.

“Wait a moment, let me check the map.”

Shu Yubai had booked a place to stay in advance, planning to rest overnight and continue her field trip the next morning.

Just as she was speaking, her phone rang. Shu Yubai answered, and a woman’s voice asked, “Are you the guests for the stay?”

The hotel was considerate and even sent someone to meet the visitors at the entrance.

Shu Yubai and Nan Xue waited for a while, and a woman emerged from the densely packed small buildings.

“Over here.”

She recognized the two of them and patiently and kindly gave directions.

The hotel was nestled among a cluster of white-walled, black-tiled buildings, a privately run establishment quite different from the uniform star-rated hotels.

Walking up from the asphalt road lined with tall sycamore trees, there was a small fork in the road. The path was covered with gravel, and stone steps paved with bluestone gradually led upward. A clear, shallow stream flowed down from the mountain temple, producing a sweet, melodic sound.

The weather was hot and easy to sweat in. Nan Xue, wearing a rather thick outfit, took off her coat as soon as she got inside and went to take a shower. After a while, she changed into her own pajamas and walked out.

“Sister, still painting?”

Nan Xue leaned over to look.

Shu Yubai was sitting by the window, taking out the painting from her backpack and spreading it on the small table by the window to make adjustments.

“Yeah, shall we go down to eat later?”

She erased some parts with a rubber, blew away the eraser crumbs, and glanced up at Nan Xue.

Her gaze suddenly froze.

Nan Xue’s figure was slim and graceful. In the soft light, her skin seemed to have a delicate, fine fuzz. The tips of her black hair were wet, glistening with a cool sheen. There was a faint, transparent wet mark on her collarbone.

“What is it?”

Nan Xue asked.

Shu Yubai came back to her senses, shook her head, and felt her cheeks heat up.

“Nothing. You go on.”

Nan Xue was wearing a loose navy blue yukata with white floral patterns. Her chest showed a slight, soft cleavage with water droplets trickling down. Below, she wore cropped, ankle-revealing linen pants. Water droplets rolled down her slim ankles, forming a small puddle on the floor.

Nan Xue sat on the bed, wiping the water from her hair with a white towel, then casually draped the towel over a chair.

“Sister, what’s wrong?”

Nan Xue paused, noticing Shu Yubai watching her.

Shu Yubai looked down at her painting, then up at Nan Xue. Her cheeks flushed, she found it hard to speak. Remembering Ying Ran’s critique of her painting, she closed her eyes and, with some difficulty, said the rather embarrassing request: “Nan Xue, I want to see… your body.”