A Moment Too Late (GL) - Chapter 92

The cold light reflected on the smooth marble surface.

A strand of Nan Xue’s hair was blown upwards, her chin pale and delicate.

An unspoken silence.

She held her bag over her shoulder with one fair hand, her gaze idle and lowered. She saw the watch, said nothing, and after a moment, her slender white fingers lifted it from Shu Yubai’s palm. The cold silver chain absorbed her body heat.

“Thank you,” she said.

Nan Xue stood there, slowly wrapping the watch around her wrist. Her wrist was pale, showing faint blue veins. As she moved, fine tendons stood out.

After putting on the watch, she glanced at Shu Yubai once more before turning away.

Shu Yubai hadn’t seen her in three years. The sense of distance around her had grown stronger. Since their meeting, they had spoken precisely three sentences to each other.

Not one more, not one less.

Once, Shu Yubai had worn a red string around her neck with a ring attached.

The string was gone.

In the dim corridor, lined with white marble tiles, shadows of lights flickered on the walls. Shu Yubai stood there, staring blankly at Nan Xue’s retreating figure, amidst a tide of noise.

She didn’t look back, just kept walking forward.

Brilliant white light was at the end of the path.

It seemed as though she would disappear in the next second.

“Nan Xue!”

Shu Yubai called out to her from behind.

Nan Xue stopped, turned around, and her clear eyes fixed on Shu Yubai, dark and deep.

It felt like they stared at each other for a long time, though it was brief. Shu Yubai heard herself say, “Are you free?”

Nan Xue glanced at the time. The silver hands of her watch pointed to nine o’clock. She shook her head. “No.”

Then asked, “Why?”

Shu Yubai’s fingertips felt cold, and a flash of sorrow and self-mockery crossed her eyes. She could only say, “Uh, no reason, you can go ahead.”

She watched Nan Xue’s silhouette as she walked out of the venue, for a long time, unable to recover her composure.

What did she want to do?

Shu Yubai clasped her palm. The warmth from Nan Xue’s touch lingered, not yet faded.

••••

By the roadside, a car was parked against the marble barriers. People were swarming like a tide, those who had come to see the exhibition. Nan Xue crossed the square and saw the driver waiting for her.

The driver opened the car door and said quietly, “We’re heading to the airport soon. The ride might be fast.”

“Okay.”

Nan Xue bent down and got into the car.

A woman, slightly older than Nan Xue, with a mature and graceful demeanor, was sitting in the back seat. When Nan Xue got in, she couldn’t help but smile and say, “I told you there was no time, but you still went to see the exhibition. If we delay any longer, we won’t make it back.”

The driver got into the car and said softly, “We have half an hour left. You’re almost late.”

The woman took Nan Xue’s slender, fair arm.

Nan Xue said nothing, just looked quietly out the window again.

Shadows of people at the street corner.

It felt like an old movie, flickering past the gray car window.

••••

Opening night ended.

The brief excitement subsided, leaving only the sound of the wind and the passing traffic in the quiet night streets.

Shu Yubai returned with Shi Chu. Their flight was the next day. After opening night, it was time to go back home. The number of paintings sold would be communicated by the organizers after the exhibition.

“Let’s go.”

Shi Chu said, “Back to teaching.”

They dragged their suitcases down the corridor, planning to check out. After checking out, they stood by the roadside and hailed a taxi. Seeing they were both women, the driver got out to help load the luggage into the trunk.

“Thank you.”

They both thanked him and got into the back seat.

The driver got into the driver’s seat and stepped on the gas.

“So we’re going back to work now.”

Shi Chu looked at Shu Yubai and couldn’t help but laugh. “Hey, I never imagined you teaching. When’s your first class? I’ll come sit in and observe, okay?”

Shu Yubai lowered her long eyelashes, recalled a bit, and said, “I forgot. Let me check the academic system.”

She connected to a nearby restaurant’s WiFi, checked her saved bookmarks, and said, “Monday, first and second periods, teaching Art History to freshmen.”

“First and second periods?”

Shi Chu immediately shook her head. “Forget it, I could never wake up that early. I used to dread the first two periods—always arriving just in time and bumping into the teacher.”

“Getting up that late?”

Shu Yubai gently flicked her long hair with her little finger, smiled, and said, “Back then, I used to get up at 6:30 every morning.”

“…And took the front row?”

Shi Chu couldn’t help but say, “You’re such a perfectionist. Why would you need to save a seat for a large lecture?”

Leaning against the car window, Shu Yubai’s eyes curved in a smile. She shook her head and explained with some embarrassment, “No, I saved a seat in the back row.”

“Why?”

Shu Yubai coughed lightly. “I like reading miscellaneous books during that class. The front row isn’t convenient.”

Shi Chu: “…”

Alright then.

As they chatted about the past, something suddenly came to Shi Chu’s mind. She asked Shu Yubai, “By the way, I saw your ex at the art exhibition.”

“Oh?”

Shu Yubai looked at her, her fingers curling slightly.

Among the crowd, Shi Chu had seen her from a distance. She was wearing a black dress, with a light-colored jacket draped over her arm. She was very fair, tall, slender, and had a certain grace. It was definitely her.

Shi Chu recalled, “I might be hitting a sore spot, but… I suspect…”

Shu Yubai’s movements froze. She subconsciously straightened up and turned to look at Shi Chu, her fingers tightening. “Hmm?”

“I suspect she has a new girlfriend.”

Shi Chu ventured, watching Shu Yubai’s expression.

“Really.”

Shu Yubai’s eyes darkened for a moment, and she fell silent.

She seemed preoccupied.

The car moved silently, and she didn’t say another word.

••••

In the spring city, cherry blossoms bloomed along the roadside. The soft petals carried a sweet fragrance, and the densely packed branches bent under their weight. From a distance, it looked like a misty illusion floating in the clear sky.

People had donned lighter clothes and were riding bicycles.

The sound of tram horns faded away.

Shu Yubai returned to her mother’s place.

“Mom.”

She pushed open the door and walked to the kitchen, hugging her mother from behind as she was busy washing vegetables. In the kitchen basket were water spinach, lettuce, and a plate of cleaned black-boned chicken, likely prepared for soup.

Her mother, wearing an apron, had graying hair. As she aged, she seemed to have shrunk and become thinner.

“Ah.”

Li Nian said, “You’re finally back.”

She turned to look closely at Shu Yubai. “You’ve lost weight. I’ll cook some meat for you. Eat more.”

“I haven’t lost weight.”

Shu Yubai shook her head. “I’ve actually gained a pound.”

“Really?”

Li Nian turned to look at her.

Shu Yubai was wearing a plain cardigan and still had her long black hair. Her jawline seemed thinner, but when she smiled, her cheeks were white and smooth, still giving off a soft and gentle impression.

“You look thinner.”

Li Nian gave her a gentle push. “Go rest. You’re in the way here.”

Shu Yubai put her bag on the sofa, ignoring the “in the way” comment, and continued to help her mother wash vegetables and rinse rice. They chatted in the kitchen.

“Now that you’re back, are you staying?”

“I’m not leaving again.”

Shu Yubai sighed softly. “I’ll be settled here for the rest of my life, I suppose.”

“That’s good. With a stable job and the chance to paint.”

Li Nian didn’t expect much from Shu Yubai. To her, as long as her daughter was happy and could support herself, that was enough. Remembering the past, she suddenly asked, “Are you still with Xiao Nan?”

She had come out to her mother years ago.

Her mother didn’t say much, just froze for a moment, recalling the moments between the two girls. She suddenly realized: so that’s how it was.

Now it all made sense.

She wasn’t too surprised; instead, she felt it was both unexpected and yet reasonable.

“Oh.”

Shu Yubai mumbled, “We’re not together anymore.”

“Separated?”

Li Nian looked at her in surprise. “How could you separate?”

Shu Yubai: “…”

Some things are hard to explain.

“Sigh, what a pity.”

Li Nian said worriedly, “Honestly, I liked that little girl Nan Xue a lot. How could you separate… Sweetie, keep trying. If you two ever get back together, let me know.”

Talking about something painful, Shu Yubai felt a pang in her stomach at the thought of Nan Xue. She recalled Shi Chu’s words in the car, “she has a new girlfriend again,” and felt even worse.

She busied herself in the kitchen for a while, knocking over a bowl, and was eventually chased out by her mother.

In the evening, Shu Yubai prepared her lessons under the lamp, making PPT slides one by one. By the time she finished, it was already 10 PM. Absentmindedly, she typed “Nan Xue” into the keyboard and clicked into a Weibo profile.

Again, she clicked in.

Only then did she realize she had been thinking about her all along.

An unrecognizable profile picture, with a small gold verification mark, followed by a string of titles she couldn’t fully understand, including director of xx company.

Familiar with the routine, Shu Yubai scrolled through and saw some of Nan Xue’s posts, but she had seen them many times before and knew them by heart.

Back then, to force herself to move on, she impulsively blacklisted and deleted Nan Xue from all her social media contacts.

As a result… for years, this was the only way she could keep track of her.

Seeing her name brought an indescribable feeling, like it hurt her eyes, but she couldn’t help but want to know more: she had moved on to other fields.

Investing in luxury brands, even trying to build a new e-commerce platform. Her father’s real estate business was still going, but she clearly wasn’t interested, maintaining the same stance as before.

Three years… she must have moved on by now.

How many girlfriends had she dated?

Shu Yubai thought self-mockingly, probably quite a few.

Turning off the light, the night chill seeped in with the wind. In her dreams, there was a faint presence of a girl.

A snow-white face, black hair, and a pair of black and white eyes looking at her quietly, without blinking.

“Sister…”

She kissed her and said, “Do you miss me?”

Her lips were very soft, seeming to carry the scent of cherry blossoms from the day. A warm, enticing desire arose, and lost in the moment, she leaned in, wrapping her arms around her neck, and kissed her, saying, “I miss you…”

Shu Yubai trembled all over and woke up.

It had been three years since their breakup.

She still dreamt of her from time to time.

Why?

••••

Monday morning.

There were few people in the cafeteria; not many were up at this hour.

For the first time in her more than twenty years, Shu Yubai was about to teach a class. Like many young teachers at the Fine Arts Academy, she was skilled at painting, but when it came to teaching, it was somewhat challenging for her.

There are two kinds of university teachers: those who follow the textbook, essentially reading from the PPT, and those who teach with passion, going off on tangents and lecturing enthusiastically.

Shu Yubai belonged to neither.

She was a third type, the kind that students attend class just to “see a beauty.”

Art history, a large course, included students from various majors. Attendance was sometimes taken, sometimes not, and university professors typically didn’t care if students showed up. Such courses could be considered “easy” courses, particularly for those preparing for exams.

Yet, Shu Yubai took her teaching very seriously.

She had prepared all night, after all.

The young female teacher was beautiful, with long black hair, dressed in a long skirt. Her skin was white and smooth, and she spoke softly, exuding a refined and gentle demeanor. Her resume, however, was impressive: a true expert.

A graduate of the school, now teaching at her alma mater, she had participated in and won various exhibitions over the years. Her mentors were master painters, placing her well above many of her peers.

There was quiet murmuring among the students:

“The teacher is so elegant.”

“Did she just get shy? She stammered for a moment, haha.”

“Teacher, your voice is too soft.”

A student in the first row raised their hand and told her.

“Oh, I’ll speak louder… Is this better?”

She adjusted the microphone.

She looked serious.

But her ears turned slightly red.

—The new teacher is so cute!

This news inexplicably spread around.

Shu Yubai didn’t know about any of this.

She continued as before, going to work, leaving work, preparing lessons, teaching, and painting in her spare time. Shi Chu helped her auction off her work, and a week quickly passed.

In the second week, the school leaders suddenly approached her.

Shu Yubai was sitting in her office, drinking water, when a leader leaned against her desk and began to speak: “Here’s the thing, Xiao Shu, I have a friend who started an art company, but she doesn’t know anything about this field.”

“In a while, she needs to attend a very important dinner, where everyone will be knowledgeable about art. She can’t go without understanding anything, so she asked me to find a teacher of art history.”

“Oh.”

Shu Yubai understood; they wanted her to tutor someone.

“So, does she come here to audit the class? Or—”

“No, the idea is for you to go over and tutor her one-on-one.”

The leader coughed and said:

“The tuition will be substantial. You decide whether to go or not.”

Shu Yubai had a mischievous thought.

She considered how similar this person’s situation was to Nan Xue’s. She, too, knew nothing about art and yet started an art auction house. Who knew what she was thinking?

“Teacher Shu?”

The leader looked at her. “Are you going or not? Give me an answer. If you don’t go, I’ll ask other teachers if they’re available.”

Shu Yubai snapped back to reality, glanced at her schedule, saw she wasn’t very busy, and agreed, driven by that subtle sense of familiarity: “I’ll go. You don’t need to ask anyone else.”

“Alright.”

The leader turned around and said, “I’ll let her know.”

••••

“This way, please.”

A girl met her at the parking lot.

Shu Yubai followed her.

The agreed meeting place was a teahouse by the lake.

According to the girl leading the way, this teahouse was owned by her boss. The food was light but delicate, and the scenery was beautiful. The third floor offered an unobstructed view of the shimmering lake.

“Is your surname Shu?”

“Yes.”

The girl said, “What a coincidence, my boss’s ex had the same surname.”

She shook her head, complaining, “She has a painting hanging on her office wall. When people ask, she says her ex gave it to her.”

“The signature on the painting is… Shu something Bai.”

Shu Yubai: “…”

Seeing her suddenly stop, the girl turned around curiously, “Teacher Shu, did you sprain your ankle?”

Shu Yubai stood still, the wind lifting her skirt. She shook her head in confusion. The girl looked at her, puzzled, and asked, “Are you feeling hot? Your face is very red.”

“Wait.”

Shu Yubai stopped at the entrance of the teahouse and said, “Can we reschedule? I… have something urgent.”

“Teacher?”

A voice called her gently.

It was soft, neither too loud nor too quiet, like crushed ice.

Shu Yubai felt like she was in a dream, her long eyelashes trembling.

There was a light, gentle breeze.

Shu Yubai turned around and looked, freezing in place. She tightened her sweat-drenched fingers, her heartbeat racing uncontrollably.

By the lake, leaning against a budding willow tree, she stood. Her fair hand rested casually on the trunk, wearing a light knitted camisole with a jacket draped over her shoulders. Her short skirt revealed two straight, long legs, blindingly white.

Nan Xue’s eyes were clear, looking at her deeply with an ambiguous expression, softly calling her.

Shu Yubai: “…”

It had been eight days since they last met.

Shu Yubai wasn’t sure of her own thoughts, feeling a mix of emotions as she faced the girl who had been haunting her dreams. Her physiological reaction preceded her psychological one; her cheeks flushed as if on fire, and she held her breath slightly, afraid of disturbing anything.

She took a step forward, or perhaps more than a step. As she drew closer, she felt a moment of struggle, caught between anticipation and the fear of that anticipation being unmet.

When they finally met face to face, neither of them spoke first.

Nan Xue glanced at her, gently pressing a fingertip to her shoulder and then lightly tugging at her sleeve. Her expression was calm and indifferent as she said, “This way.”