A Moment Too Late [GL] by cat喵

Chapter 19

The hot spring water was warm, with soft ripples creating a misty veil. A small light hidden in the bushes cast an orange glow on the cold snow. People in the hot spring made gentle movements, creating delicate, shimmering waves.

Reflections of moonlight, remnants of snow, and the silhouettes of two people close together.

Shu Yubai closed her eyes, immersed in the warm spring water, her memories mingling with the sensation. The water's gentle ripples seemed to dissolve the boundaries of time and space. It felt as if she and Nan Xue had been together for many years, simply accompanying each other.

What was she hoping for?

Perhaps she should be content with this way of being together.

Nan Xue held her long hair as Shu Yubai tilted her neck slightly. The light illuminated her snow-white collarbone, which had a touch of warm red. Her soft, white chest rose and fell gently with her breath.

Water droplets trickled down her pale neck.

Her slightly protruding Adam's apple, collarbone, and delicate chest were all carefully tended to by Nan Xue.

After a while, Nan Xue set down Shu Yubai's wet hair and asked, “Is this okay?”

Nan Xue’s skill in tying ponytails was not very good. Shu Yubai felt some discomfort in her scalp and reached up to touch her hair, slightly frowning.

“Mm, it’s quite good.”

Shu Yubai smiled lightly in response.

Then she reached for her phone from the wooden partition by the edge of the hot spring and opened the front camera.

Her wet hair was tied in a high ponytail, slightly uneven. The hair at her temples was soaked, with droplets falling down. Surprisingly, it looked quite nice.

“Thank you,” she said casually.

Nan Xue leaned in to look, and both of them appeared in the frame.

Shu Yubai's heart stirred slightly as her fingertip pressed the shutter, capturing the image with a click.

In the photo, the two girls were clean and wet, standing shoulder to shoulder in a slightly misty ambiance, with smiles at the corners of their lips, looking very intimate.

Nan Xue: "…"

Shu Yubai turned her head, her eyes seeming to twinkle with starlight.

Nan Xue glanced at her and leaned in to see. Shu Yubai was about to tap into the photo album when she suddenly stopped.

There were photos of Nan Xue in the album.

A lot of them.

Although they were friends, they respected each other’s privacy. Shu Yubai would never snoop through someone’s phone, and Nan Xue was the same.

So, Shu Yubai had never considered there would be any trouble with those photos.

“I’ll send them to you when we get back.”

Shu Yubai looked at her and extended her hand to put the phone back into the far-off small partition.

Suddenly, a notification sound.

Shu Yubai glanced at the screen. The note from many years ago appeared on the display.

- "Senior Sister"

••••

In the hot spring, a half-open wooden pavilion had accumulated a layer of snow. Warm white mist rose, and snow water melted and fell, drop by drop.