A Moment Too Late [GL] by cat喵

Chapter 49

"I bought... a little something."

Nan Xue spoke softly.

"Are you still busy?"

The girl approached, with her hands still behind her, seemingly holding a small bag. Nan Xue bent slightly and glanced at Shu Yubai's drawing paper, which featured a delicate sketch of a naked sculpture.

"Mm."

Shu Yubai looked at her and then lowered her head, gently erasing a small flaw on the paper.

Nan Xue wore a pure white, puffy coat. Her dark hair lightly brushed against the raised collar, her lips were very red, and her dark eyes sparkled with a star-like gleam.

Just as Shu Yubai was about to say something, her phone vibrated gently on the table.

At that moment, the screen lit up. Nan Xue leaned in and saw the message that popped up on the screen.

Senior Sister: [No, I will teach you.]

Senior Sister: [Animated emoji]

Shu Yubai glanced at the screen without avoiding it and replied to her message.

Nan Xue's fingertips slightly contracted, tightening her grip on the small bag, making her fingertips turn pale and cold.

Nan Xue: "Are you still in touch with her?"

Shu Yubai's gaze shifted to behind Nan Xue and noticed the faint sound coming from the small bag she was holding.

She came back to her senses: "Mm."

She and You Fu...

Nan Xue remained frozen in place, watching as Shu Yubai opened the chat box. The last message was [Good night,] and before that, there was a five-minute voice call.

Nan Xue: "..."

Shu Yubai slowly said, "I'll visit her tomorrow. Senior Sister is also great at figure paintings."

Nan Xue felt a pang of sadness in her heart. The bag in her hand felt heavy. She couldn't bring herself to give it away, feeling both embarrassed and disheartened. She turned and left silently, slamming the door shut behind her.

Shu Yubai finally noticed her unusual mood and turned to ask, "What's wrong?"

No one answered her.

Lately, Shu Yubai had been struggling with figure paintings. Her basic skills weren't strong. Ying Ran hadn't said much, just advised her to practice more, and things would get better. By chance, You Fu reached out to chat, and Shu Yubai sent her the sketch of the stone sculpture.

They talked for a while.

When with You Fu, their conversations rarely strayed from their professional interests. Most were about painting skills, and discussions about relationships were usually vague and avoided.

This had been the case for a while, and even more so recently.

Shu Yubai sighed.

She and You Fu were in the same field. You Fu was also her senior. They couldn’t have no interaction at all, could they?

On the other side.

Nan Xue returned to her room, closed the door, and took a deep breath.

The curtains were tightly drawn, making the room dim, with only a small sensor light providing a faint illumination. She looked down, rustling as she took a white box from the small bag, opened it, revealing a pair of delicate women's bracelets and a diamond ring in velvet.