A Moment Too Late [GL] by cat喵

Chapter 6

The winter street scene was particularly bleak.

Nan Xue leaned against the window, clutching the card from the roses, her fingertips cold.

The person glanced at Nan Xue, turned in their swivel chair, tapping their fingers rhythmically with a curious look in their eyes. "In a relationship? You should know better than me if she's dating someone. Aren't you her friend?"

Nan Xue lowered her gaze, her pale and thin jaw buried in her turtleneck sweater. She exhaled softly.

The air was still cold, her expression blurred in the white mist.

The person in front of her was quite striking.

She wore a long white fluffy cardigan that reached her ankles, paired with a pure white sweater underneath and light blue jeans. Her legs were incredibly long. Her pale and thin eyelids drooped indifferently, and standing there without any expression, she seemed somewhat cold.

Very beautiful, but with a strong sense of detachment.

No warmth.

And somewhat unpredictable.

Nan Xue didn't respond, only softly asked, "Have you seen the person who sent the flowers?"

The person lowered their head to think but couldn't recall. Shu Yubai never acted ambiguously with men, and her close friends were all girls. Who sent the flowers?

She said, "I haven't seen anyone, but recently there's been a pretty woman who’s close to her."

"......"

"Looks like a celebrity."

"......"

"Every time I see her waiting at the entrance after work, they must be very good friends."

Nan Xue's fingertips slightly curled.

A snowflake landed on the window, quickly melting.

Nan Xue sat in Shu Yubai's seat, slightly relaxing her tense back.

The auction house had been around for years, and the office was somewhat old.

It had a water dispenser and a coffee machine, but they seemed to be many years old and had never been replaced. Despite its old-fashioned appearance, Shu Yubai's auction house was quite famous. While it might not be a top-tier job for those in non-art fields, it was a good position. But for artists, it was different.

For them, being a painter was better than being in business.

In the art world, there was no ceiling—some paintings could fetch billions, while others couldn’t make enough to live on.

Shu Yubai was somewhere in the middle.

But given her past experiences, she had aimed to be among the top echelon.

Fate had other plans.

Shu Yubai's desk was very tidy, with a mug of jasmine tea still warm.

In the cold weather, it cooled quickly. Nan Xue picked up the white porcelain lid and covered the mug.

Not knowing how long it would take for Shu Yubai to come out, Nan Xue waited quietly.

Shu Yubai loved cleanliness, and her desk had small potted plants—cacti, and small aloe vera. To the left was a neat stack of books, all auction catalogs from 2020 and 2021, with black covers featuring antiques and artworks, slightly reflective.

Further to the side.

Next to the heavy stack of books was a small white velvet box.

Inside was a pair of bracelets.