A Moment Too Late [GL] by cat喵

Chapter 17

"Xiao Yi and I..."

The words paused subtly.

Broken up or not, how should I answer?

In the distance, the sound of the wind could be heard.

Under the light, the girl turned over in the quilt, revealing a small face. Her snow-white cheeks were soft and warm, and her lips were a deep red. The small wall lamp illuminated her eyes, which looked at Shu Yubai quietly, filled with a thousand unspoken words.

Shu Yubai couldn't fathom her thoughts. Why was she asking this? What did she want to know?

If she told her directly that she and Xiao Yi were never actually together, that they were pretending to be a couple to test her feelings, or because Shu Yubai liked her but didn't dare to say it directly, what would Nan Xue think?

Shu Yubai's eyelashes fluttered down, hiding a moment of embarrassment, and she countered, "Why are you asking this?"

Nan Xue: "..."

She lowered her thick eyelashes, and her cold little feet under the quilt moved slightly, just happening to touch Shu Yubai's ankle.

Hiss.

So cold.

"Come closer."

Shu Yubai rolled up the edge of the quilt, bringing her closer, and then rolled up the end of the quilt. When she lifted her eyes again, Nan Xue was already nestled against her neck, her light breath falling on her collarbone.

The two of them lay under the same warm quilt.

The proximity was overly ambiguous.

The quilt was somewhat hot, causing fine sweat to form on their lower backs, spines, and chests, creating a faint, moist humidity that made one want to lift the quilt for a deep breath. The hotel bed felt like a cocoon, thickly padded and covered, creaking slightly with any movement, making things more awkward.

They were so close.

It was enough to make anyone lose their composure.

Shu Yubai was wearing a bathrobe, the collar slightly open. She lay on her side, her collarbone was slender, her long hair disheveled, faintly covering the deep, soft crevice of her chest. She lowered her gaze, her eyes tinged with a faint blush, quietly calm.

The atmosphere became fragile and sensitive.

"Hot..."

Nan Xue shifted restlessly.

Her chest brushed against something soft, warm, and with a heartbeat.

In an instant, Nan Xue seemed unable to bear the closeness, retreating a bit in surprise.

Her body was somewhat stiff.

She lowered her cold, thin eyelids.

She no longer looked at Shu Yubai.

"......"

Shu Yubai looked up at her, seeing her avoidance, her retreat.

So obvious, even a bit hurtful.

Shu Yubai lowered her eyes, smiling lightly:

—"I'm still with her."

—"If you break up, I'll introduce you."

It was Nan Xue's voice. Shu Yubai suddenly looked up.

The two sentences came out simultaneously.

The two of them exchanged a glance, Nan Xue then looked away, her thick eyelashes fluttering.

So they were still together.

She said her heart was beating fast, but it turned out she was overthinking.  (TN: 🤦🏻‍♀️)

"You'll introduce me?"

Shu Yubai laughed, a bit despondently, she asked, "You'll introduce me to a girlfriend?"

Nan Xue explained softly, "Aren't you still together?"

Her tone was faint.

At that moment, Shu Yubai once again sensed that she was drawing a line.

Ding.

The phone rang.

Shu Yubai reached out for the phone on the bedside table. It was a bit far, just out of reach. From under the quilt, another pale, slender hand reached out—Nan Xue's.

She picked up the phone and glanced at it.

The screen lit up, displaying a contact with a single character: Xiao.

Her gaze paused, her expression unreadable. After a moment, she silently handed it to Shu Yubai.

Nan Xue curled back under the quilt, closed her eyes, and after a while, opened them again, glancing at her.

Shu Yubai swiped across the screen, and said softly, "Hello?"

"Asleep? Your voice is so quiet." The person on the other end sounded amused, their tone gentle.

It wasn’t on speakerphone, but because of the quietness of the snowy room, even a slight sound was clearly audible.

"Mm... I just woke up."

Shu Yubai slipped out of the quilt, wearing only a thin layer, holding the phone with one hand, her voice soft and gentle due to its quietness.

The other person continued, "Let's go together tomorrow..."

The rest was unclear, a faint buzz. Shu Yubai seemed to smile, the corners of her mouth curving up. After a moment, she lifted the quilt and got out of bed, her pale feet searching for her slippers.

"Sure."

She tidied her hair, the back of her neck white, with a bit of downy hair, her bathrobe revealing a hint of her slender back.

Listening to the call with her head down, she seemed afraid Nan Xue would overhear, quickly walking to the cloakroom and closing the door with a snap.

Only then did Nan Xue look away, turning over.

But her scent remained in the quilt, a soft, light fragrance, whether it was white gardenia or something else.

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Translator's note: Nan Xue, bakit ka manhid?!! O sadyang nagpe-pretend ka lang? You know she likes you, but why did you say you would introduce her to someone else? 🙄 How funny! You deserve to be left behind!!!

To Be Continued...