A Moment Too Late (GL) - Chapter 84

Outside the window, a late cherry blossom from someone’s garden extended a small cluster of branches, densely packed with soft, pale pink petals. Sunlight suddenly shone through, warm and serene.

Her light green clothing was hanging nearby.

Nan Xue curled her fingers, drawing them into her palms, making the air feel slightly sticky for a moment.

Shu Yubai was watching her.

They were so close, with a patch of sunlight falling on the edge of the bed, brightly illuminating Nan Xue’s snow-white collarbone and her exposed skin, pure and delicate like ice jade.

The room was warm and hot.

The window was closed, with no sound except for the moist breaths.

Her body was clean and white, like magnolia petals washed by clear water, exuding a cool fragrance that made one reluctant to defile.

Her waist was slender and thin, with smooth skin on her back, and slightly protruding butterfly bones giving her a fragile and delicate air, almost cold and reserved. Because her skin was so transparent, the sunlight shone through, revealing the network of her veins.

For some reason, Shu Yubai suddenly felt that at this moment, touching her, no matter where, felt like… being overly intimate.

Nan Xue loosely wore the soft bathrobe, her black hair draped over her snow-white shoulders. She looked down and tugged the edge of her robe lower. From the dark blue and white patterned pants, her two slender, smooth legs were astonishingly beautiful.

Shu Yubai looked at her, her face instantly heating up.

She had indeed imagined certain scenes, but seeing it with her own eyes was another matter—the impact was too overwhelming, a burning heat rushing to her cheeks.

Shu Yubai didn’t even know where to rest her gaze.

“Sister, am I beautiful?” Nan Xue asked tentatively, her ears turning crimson.

Shu Yubai’s gaze felt as if it were burning her. In an instant, the heat spread like wildfire, scorching everything in its path.

She turned her head away. “Very… beautiful.”

Nan Xue could see the burning, evasive infatuation in her eyes.

Slowly, she began to relax.

The room was warm. Shu Yubai took off her outer coat and hung it to the side. Underneath, she was simply dressed in a thin, round-neck cotton T-shirt and black pants. Her long black hair fell to her waist, giving her a gentle and soft appearance.

Nan Xue shivered slightly at the cool touch on her neck and looked up to see Shu Yubai gently stroking her neck, as if she were touching a precious piece of silk, afraid of snagging it.

She wore a thin undershirt that was soft and delicate, with a white, soft cleavage that rose and fell with her breath.

“Sister,” Nan Xue said, trembling a little as she looked at her.

Shu Yubai leaned in, wrapped her arm around her slender waist, and kissed her full, delicate lips, deeply, her actions gentle yet unrestrained.

“Sister…”

Nan Xue’s slender fingers curled on her shoulder and gently pushed.

“Yes?”

Shu Yubai whispered, slightly breathless, her eyes moist, wanting to continue.

“Do you remember, you promised to reward me for being your model once the painting was finished?”

“Yes.”

Shu Yubai didn’t quite understand why she brought this up suddenly.

Nan Xue’s eyes were moist, and she smiled faintly, hooking her arms around Shu Yubai’s neck and breathing into her ear, “I’ve thought of the reward.”

“Why not paint me?”

Nan Xue looked into her eyes.

Shu Yubai’s heart tightened instantly, her face heating up. She glanced at the girl who was only wearing a loosely draped bathrobe and asked, “Like this?”

“Yes.”

“No…”

Shu Yubai shook her head—not because she didn’t want to, but because it was too… tempting. How could she concentrate on painting?

“You promised me.”

Nan Xue clung to her neck, leaning closer, her nose touching Shu Yubai’s cheek. She kissed her earlobe, lightly sucking, and whispered, “Finish the painting and keep it safe. Look at it whenever you miss me.”

Shu Yubai’s cheeks were already flushed red, but she couldn’t resist the repeated pleas. She finally agreed, “Alright… I’ll paint.”

Nan Xue watched her back, smiling lightly.

She was really overdoing it.

Shu Yubai’s face was warm. Making such a request, this person… wasn’t she deliberately teasing her?

Against the wall was a soft white sofa. Nan Xue half-reclined on it, a black cushion beside her, with bright spots of light dancing on the wooden floor.

The paper lampshade and rattan chair hinted at an old-fashioned charm. Although the place was old, it was very clean. A small bottle of incense sat on the bedside wooden cabinet, its paper flowers slightly damp, emitting a cool, faint fragrance.

Shu Yubai picked up her drawing board, paints, a white porcelain dish, and paintbrushes.

Setting up the easel, she started without a preliminary sketch. Holding the brush, she lightly applied the base color, glanced at Nan Xue, and then used a fine pen to outline the lines.

Black hair, collarbone.

Neck, slender shoulder.

The brush tip dipped in paint, gradually spreading on the paper. Nan Xue half-reclined there, clean, flawless, quietly still.

The warm spring weather on the mountain provided excellent light. Looking out the window, the sparse branches bathed warmly in sunlight. On the wooden table by the window were an unfinished sketch, a kettle, and a coffee cup.

The air in the rain-washed mountain was cool and moist. Small birds fluttered nimbly on the branches, but through the closed window, no sound could be heard, as if it were another world.

“Is it done?”

Nan Xue asked.

Shu Yubai was halfway through the painting. Her brush dipped in pink paint, dotting the white softness. The brush spread and retracted, the cherry-red paint saturating the paper, blooming like cherry blossoms.

In an instant, she couldn’t resist any longer. She put down the brush, stood up, walked over, and leaned down to kiss her.

She hooked her arm around the girl’s neck, pressing her red lips to hers.

A deep kiss, spreading like wildfire.

“Is it finished?”

Nan Xue asked breathlessly in her ear.

“No.”

Shu Yubai kissed her, breathing heavily. “I couldn’t wait.”

••••

“No, you didn’t cut your nails.”

Nan Xue grabbed her wrist and took a sharp breath. “It hurts.”

“I’m sorry.”

Shu Yubai instantly let go of her, asking worriedly, “How about now, is it better?”

“A little better.”

Shu Yubai glanced at her hand—it was true, she hadn’t cut her nails. She had forgotten.

“We don’t have to use hands.” (TN: Use mouth instead 🥵)

Shu Yubai hooked a strand of soft, fallen hair with her little finger, saying seriously. Then she grabbed her ankle and leaned down.

“What are you doing?”

Nan Xue kept retreating on the bed, feeling a bit panicked. She even started to regret it, thinking she should have restrained herself a bit more.

“I’ve heard about it… but never tried…”

Shu Yubai gently touched her, lifting her soft gaze, her cheeks slightly flushed. “You’re very wet.”

Nan Xue: “…”

In that instant, a very unfamiliar feeling struck Nan Xue without warning. She shuddered, immediately flustered and wanting to escape. She curled up in an instant, quickly lifting the blanket to cover herself tightly.

“Do you really not want to?”

Shu Yubai asked again, softly, “It’s very comfortable. Why don’t you try it?”

Nan Xue shook her head, her earlobes flushed. “No. It’s dirty. Sister, let me do it.”

Shu Yubai looked at her pleadingly, licking her red lips. “But, I want it.”

“How about next time?”

Nan Xue hooked her arms around Shu Yubai’s neck and kissed her. “Let’s be more prepared.”

••••

Stepping on the old wooden stairs, they creaked and buzzed. Looking down, they saw the small lobby that received guests. Outside, a curtain hung on the door, while inside, a few small tables stood with sparse guests. A tall foreigner held a guitar, slowly strumming the strings, creating enchanting music.

“What would you like to eat?” the hostess asked them with a kind smile.

“Hmm… let me see.” Shu Yubai randomly ordered a few small dishes: lotus leaf shrimp, carrot and corn, and stir-fried lettuce. She felt that was enough and then turned to ask Nan Xue what she wanted to eat.

“I’m a bit hungry.” Nan Xue, having spent quite a bit of energy earlier, was so hungry her fingertips were trembling. Weakly, she looked at the menu, flipped a few pages, and ordered a dish of braised green beans with pork.

“That’s enough.”

After ordering, Nan Xue didn’t care about the onlookers and turned to hug Shu Yubai’s waist, burying her head in her shoulder.

“Sister.”

“Hmm?”

Nan Xue looked into her eyes and whispered in her ear, “You’ve seen me naked. You have to take responsibility.”

Shu Yubai couldn’t help but laugh and said, “Alright. Is a lifetime enough?”

“Not enough.”

Nan Xue’s jet-black hair fell over her face, and her clear eyes blinked as she said seriously, “Not even adding the next life and the one after that is enough.”

“You will always be mine.”

Nan Xue kissed her on the cheek, her gaze clear but deep. “Forever.”

“Okay.”

Shu Yubai laughed.

Whispering sweet nothings in a voice that others couldn’t hear had a very sweet feeling.

The hostess, holding the menu, left without noticing their excessive intimacy.

The two of them sat there, leaning on each other and resting for a while.

The dishes were served soon after.

The food was served on white porcelain plates, and the shop also provided a bowl of mung bean soup. They ate simply and felt more comfortable, then took their painting materials and went out to paint from life.

In the mountains, there was a babbling brook. Behind them, the trees were lush and towering, with a cool slate under the tree for people to rest. Sunlight danced on the treetops, a few peach blossoms had bloomed, but most were still buds, in the early spring warmth.

Shu Yubai set up the easel, modifying the background of the previous painting. Nan Xue sat beside her watching. Shu Yubai glanced at her and suddenly had a burst of inspiration.

The painting was large, with a background of a blue-gray sky, clouds rolling with the wind, serene and deep, with elegant brushstrokes. In the grass stood a girl holding a basket of cherries. The interplay of light and shadow gave the illusion of time passing, with the changing shadows of the gray clouds giving a dynamic effect.

Yet amidst this change, certain things seemed eternal.

Time and scenery were dynamic.

But the girl holding the cherries remained unchanged.

As if she didn’t belong to this world, only existing outside of time and space, eternally frozen.

••••

The painting was finally completed.

The two returned, and at this point, there were only four days left until the submission deadline.

Under the lamp, Shu Yubai carefully adjusted her painting—the first two were done, leaving only this one of the figure.

Day turned to night.

On the third day, it was finally finished.

When Shu Yubai showed the painting to Ying Ran, her teacher’s eyes revealed a rare hint of amazement. He frowned and scrutinized Shu Yubai, asking, “Did you come up with this idea yourself?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Shu Yubai nodded, her palms sweating from nervousness. She hesitated, unsure, “I don’t know if this is okay, but I just suddenly had a feeling and went with it.”

Ying Ran looked at the painting, feeling the restrained yet abundant emotions flowing out like a torrent.

What kind of emotion was it?

Was he overthinking it?

The detailed observation of the model by the painter could easily evoke such feelings in the painting. He frowned and looked at the painting again, his intuition telling him something was off.

But he couldn’t pinpoint what.

The painting itself was incredibly unique and stunning.

It was nearly perfect.

“It’s fine.”

Ying Ran said, “Submit it today. It’s quite excellent.”

The painting lay quietly on the table.

The gray-blue sky, the constantly moving and changing clouds, the flickering shadows of the trees—all captured with fluid, distinctive brushstrokes. The soft tones evoked a sense of fleeting time.

There was a hint of melancholy and gloom.

But the girl and the cherries in the basket broke the changing tones, as if capturing an illusion in the void, with incredibly precise brushstrokes.