A Moment Too Late [GL] by cat喵

Chapter 63

The sliding door was pushed open again.

"Not going to join me?"

Nan Xue stood by the door, her dark eyes glinting slightly as she seemed to invite Shu Yubai to join her.

"Can't bathe together."

Shu Yubai sat on the edge of the bed, turning her head away.

Her cheeks were flushed with warmth. She looked down, her cool, dark hair hiding the unusual redness, and said softly, "We’re grown-ups now. Bathing together?"

Nan Xue was drunk.

It’s said that people’s memories become confused when they’re drunk. Perhaps she was vaguely recalling childhood times.

Back then, Shu Yubai was young too but loved to take care of others. She especially enjoyed wiping Nan Xue's face with a cloth and helping her with her hair.

Occasionally, when they were in high spirits, they would bathe together in each other’s bathtubs.

So, now that she was drunk, Nan Xue asked her to help wash her face.

She even expected to bathe together, as if it were natural.

But could childhood be the same as now?

Shu Yubai convinced herself to stay calm, thinking she shouldn’t argue with a drunk person. Acting on impulse might lead to complications the next day. She said, "You do it yourself. I’ve already finished my bath."

Her hair was still damp, and she wore a white bathrobe, sitting by the bed. There were still water marks on her delicate ankles, and a faint scent lingered—indeed, she had already bathed.

Nan Xue looked at her for a moment and said, "Alright."

She closed the door, and the sound of running water came from the shower. The faint scent of body wash mixed with the warm air, drifting in the air.

At night, the window reflected a deep night scene. Through the transparent glass, her own image leaned against the bed, floating in the night sky, semi-transparent. Shu Yubai sat there, listening to the water flow, as if a beautiful, youthful outline was sketched out by the dim, blurred currents.

••••

"Ah!"

A startled cry came from the bathroom.

The sound of something bumping into something, followed by the clatter of items falling and hitting the floor.

The water stopped.

A voice from the bathroom said, "Sister, I fell."

Inside the bathroom, Nan Xue had knocked over a small tray on the glass shelf. Bottles of body wash and shampoo were scattered everywhere, and she sat on the floor, rubbing her knee.

There was a pile of foam on the floor, very slippery. She struggled to stand up, clutching the handle on the glass door.

Shu Yubai stood outside, anxious and wanting to push the door open, but imagining the scene inside made her face flush. She decided not to go in and asked with concern, "Where did you fall?"

"On my leg. My knee hurts."

The voice from inside was still gentle.

"Wait a moment."

Shu Yubai quickly changed her clothes and grabbed her bag. She heard the door close from inside, followed by silence.

Only the sound of the wind, blowing through the window cracks.