A Moment Too Late [GL] by cat喵

Chapter 10

"Xiao Shu?"

The tense silence was broken by Lin Lan.

"Weren’t you going to work? Why are you back?"

She turned around in confusion, sensing something was off, but unable to pinpoint exactly what.

Shu Yubai quietly looked at Nan Xue.

Her gaze was frighteningly still, like a gloomy, oppressive sky, making it hard to breathe. Nan Xue's chest heaved slightly, her fingertips clenched and then relaxed. For a while, she couldn't meet Shu Yubai’s eyes.

What had she just said?

Marriage.

Shu Yubai was unhappy about her getting married.

Is that it? Because she didn't tell her about the marriage right away? But that marriage was a fabrication; it wasn't true. Her father had been urging her to return and had suggested many times to find someone for her, but Nan Xue ignored him.

Shu Yubai let out a small "ah," and said, "Sorry, I just got scared."

She bent down, took a tissue from her bag, and slowly wiped the scattered soil on the steps, one step at a time. When she reached the last step, she straightened up, tucked her long hair behind her ear, picked up a dustpan, and cleaned the remaining soil. She then placed the cactus pot on the windowsill.

"I haven't officially quit yet, so I’m bringing some things back from my desk."

Shu Yubai avoided Nan Xue's gaze, looking only at Lin Lan, and explained, "The company is quiet right now, so I have some free time. You guys carry on; I'll go get some more things."

Nan Xue sensed something was particularly wrong with her, but she couldn't pinpoint what. She felt it was wrong not to tell her best friend about her wedding.

But the problem was, she wasn't getting married.

How to explain? The more she thought about it, the more confused she became.

Watching her back, Nan Xue softly said, "I didn't have the chance to tell you before—"

Before she could finish, Shu Yubai turned around, pursed her lips, and smiled slightly, saying, "It's okay, congratulations."

That smile was very faint, but there was an emotion in her eyes that Nan Xue couldn't understand. With a gentle click, the door closed, and Shu Yubai's figure disappeared from the entrance.

Lin Lan, still excited, kept asking, "Who's the person you're marrying? Are they handsome? Can you introduce them?"

"I never expected this, I never expected you to get married. It’s like a miracle."

"Hey, why aren't you saying anything?"

••••

Nan Xue ran to the window and looked down, only to see Shu Yubai wrapped in her coat against the north wind, her long hair blown into disarray, making it hard for her to move.

Nan Xue reached out and gently touched the window, encircling Shu Yubai's figure in her palm.

But then, Shu Yubai got into her car and quickly drove away.

By the time Shu Yubai returned, it was already evening.

The sky was very dark. She brought back the remaining small potted plants in bags. The snow on the road was heavy, and as she walked, Shu Yubai felt colder and colder. After a while, she ducked under an eave and took out her phone.

Beep, beep.

After a moment, a woman's voice came through.

"Hello?"