Obsessed with Cleanliness Chapter 15: Imitation

Yu Qinghan had a cleanliness obsession but she was the type to make a mess and never clean it up.

On a whim, she decided to be nice to Xiao Tong for once.

She actually remembered Xiao Tong’s birthday and wanted to bake her a cake to make her happy. But halfway through, she got distracted by Mo Xiyuan returning to the country and ran off, leaving behind a disaster in the empty living room.

Xiao Tong couldn’t stand messes, nor could she tolerate waste. Using the clean flour on top, she made herself a small cake.

She closed her eyes for a taste, and with a touch of longing imagined. It actually did taste a little like Yu Qinghan’s baking.

Satisfied, she finished the cake. Then she scrubbed the living room and kitchen until they were spotless.

By the time she noticed the clock, it was already past midnight. And just like that, Xiao Tong’s twenty-eighth birthday was over.

Xiao Tong had been kneeling and scrubbing the floor for nearly an hour. She wiped it twice with a wet cloth and twice again with a dry one.

By the time she realized how long she’d been at it, her back was aching so badly she couldn’t stand up straight. But at least the house looked the way it used to again.

She grabbed the edge of the sofa to steady herself and slowly sat down, gritting her teeth as she rubbed her back, a painful hiss escaping her lips, her brow furrowing into tight lines.

Then she let out a slow breath and gradually relaxed, finally feeling a little better.

Without the noise of cleaning, the house felt eerily quiet.

Xiao Tong’s living room was large because Yu Qinghan liked big, open, bright spaces.

When they bought the place, Xiao Tong had just won an international award for her graduation project and received a modest cash prize.

It was nowhere near enough for a house in this location, but the moment she saw this place, she knew Yu Qinghan would love it.

So she gritted her teeth, sold the rights and original draft of that project at a low price, and just managed to scrape together the down payment.

That original project has since become a rare, one-of-a-kind artwork.

As Xiao Tong’s career skyrocketed, its value increased a hundredfold, far more than the value of this house.

The few peers who knew the story were heartbroken for her, scolding her for being young and naive, tricked by heartless businessmen without realizing it.

But Xiao Tong felt it was worth it. Nothing mattered more than making Yu Qinghan happy.

This living room connected to a balcony over twenty square meters wide. The view was wide open and stunning, just as Yu Qinghan liked it.

She truly loved the space, and Xiao Tong was thrilled to see her happy. But in truth, Xiao Tong didn’t like it much herself.

The room was too big, too empty. Looking out from the balcony, everything was just a dark, vast void. There was no end to the darkness.

Sitting alone in the living room, Xiao Tong only felt fear.

When Yu Qinghan wasn’t around, Xiao Tong would rather curl up alone in her tiny little room, not the master bedroom they shared, but a room that belonged only to Xiao Tong.

It was very small, less than three square meters. Just enough for a one-meter-wide bed.

No windows. Only a door, an iron door. No lock, no peephole. Once she went in and bolted it from the inside, no one could get in unless she opened it.

This room was as sterile as a hospital isolation ward, white walls, white bed, white tiles. Even the iron door had been painted snow white.

When the light was on, it was blindingly bright. The entrance was hidden behind a coat closet in the walk-in wardrobe.

No one knew it existed, not even Yu Qinghan.Whenever Yu Qinghan didn’t spend the night at home, Xiao Tong would hide in this room to sleep.

She kept the light on. The bright whiteness left no shadows, as if the light shone right into her heart. Even nightmares didn’t dare disturb her there.

In this world, Xiao Tong needed at least one place where she could sleep peacefully without Yu Qinghan. Because for so many nights without her, all she had were nightmares every time she closed her eyes, not a minute of peace.

And life… life was already hard enough.

Xiao Tong couldn’t fall apart. She had promised her grandma, she would live well.

Yu Qinghan usually came home before 3:00 a.m. If it was past 3:00, she wouldn’t show.

Xiao Tong sat on the couch rubbing her sore back, waiting until 3:15. The house was still silent, inside and out.

She lived on a high floor, not even the sound of insects could be heard.

Once she was sure Yu Qinghan wasn’t coming home tonight, Xiao Tong’s face didn’t show a trace of emotion.

She quietly grabbed her pajamas, went to the bathroom for a shower, then went straight to her little room, bolted the door from the inside, and entered a world of pure white, completely cut off from the outside.

Even the silence couldn’t reach her.

Xiao Tong curled up on the small bed, arms wrapped around her knees, and slept peacefully. So quiet, her breathing was almost undetectable.

While she slept soundly, on the other side of the city, Yu Qinghan’s night of partying had only just ended.

Mo Xiyuan had finally returned from abroad, and dragged Yu Qinghan and Chang Linran out to experience the nightlife she hadn’t had in ten years.

They went to the KTV the three of them used to visit back in the day, singing and drinking until past 3 a.m.

Top-shelf liquor flowed like water. Once the buzz hit, and the yelling died down,

Mo Xiyuan dropped her usual elegance and sophistication, her cheeks flushed as she lounged on the couch, clutching a wine bottle and watching Yu Qinghan singing at the bar.

Yu Qinghan sat on a tall barstool, head tilted, eyes half-closed, watching the screen.

She had picked a soft love song originally sung by a male vocalist with a low voice. Yu Qinghan sang with her own low, husky tone, tinged with drunkenness.

Her voice was perfect for love songs— gentle, slow, like whispered sweet nothings.

In the dim light, her profile looked tender and emotional.

As she sang the words "I love you," she glanced toward Mo Xiyuan.

Their eyes met. Mo Xiyuan’s eyes instantly grew wet.

Yu Qinghan gently ended the song and gave Chang Linran a look, signaling her to take over.

Then she walked over to Mo Xiyuan, half-squatting down and taking the empty wine bottle from her hands.

"Xiyuan, you’re drunk."

"I’m not. Xiaohan… I’ve been drunk for ten years. Tonight’s the first time I’ve felt sober." Mo Xiyuan laughed as she wiped her eyes. "Xiaohan, I really regret it, leaving for ten years."

"Well, you’re back now." Yu Qinghan cupped her face and smiled. "Xiyuan, welcome home."

"Yeah… I’m back… Thank goodness, it’s not too late yet…"

Mo Xiyuan couldn’t hold her liquor as well as Yu Qinghan or Chang Linran.

She was completely drunk, clinging to Yu Qinghan’s neck and rambling.

One moment she was saying how hard life had been overseas, the next she was talking about how much she missed home.

Eventually, she said she was tired, leaned on Yu Qinghan’s shoulder, and mumbled, "Yu… Yu…"

Hearing her say "Yu" over and over, Yu Qinghan’s heart melted.

She replied again and again without a hint of impatience: "I’m here. I’m here…"

Her voice was so soft, it made Chang Linran get goosebumps.

When Chang Linran finished singing the last song, she went over to help carry the drunken Mo Xiyuan back— but before her hand even got close,

Yu Qinghan slapped it away.

"No need. I’ll take her back myself."

"…Seriously?" Chang Linran rolled her eyes. "Yu Qinghan, are you insane? Even I’m a threat now?"

"Better safe than sorry. You never know." Yu Qinghan protectively half-embraced Mo Xiyuan and backed a few steps away.

"Ah Ran, it’s taken so much to get her back… I can’t let her slip through my fingers a second time."

"Yu Qinghan, what the hell is wrong with you?!"

Chang Linran dropped what she was doing. She had spent the whole day hanging out and entertaining, exhausted to death.

And just before leaving, she got hit with Yu Qinghan’s nonsense again.

She gave up on playing the good friend, grabbed a rideshare driver from the KTV to take her home, and left the two drunk idiots behind.

Let them drink themselves to death for all she cared!

After the car had gone a few meters, Chang Linran looked through the rear window at Yu Qinghan and Mo Xiyuan. That’s when another name popped into her mind.

Now that the real deal was back, what about the knockoff, Xiao Tong? What was Yu Qinghan planning to do with her?

But judging from how focused Yu Qinghan was on Mo Xiyuan right now, she had probably already forgotten that the "fake" was still waiting, hoping desperately for a single glance.

Less than a minute after Chang Linran left, a car from the Yu family came to pick them up.

Yu Qinghan helped Mo Xiyuan into the car and was surprised to find that the driver was the butler himself.

"Uncle Zhang? Why are you here? Where’s Xiao Li?" Yu Qinghan asked.

"It’s Miss Mo’s first day back in the country. Sir was worried you might take her somewhere improper to fool around, so he asked me to keep an eye on you two, make sure you don’t go too wild."

"My big brother? I haven’t even reported anything yet, and he already knows Xiyuan’s back? Wow, he really has his sources," Yu Qinghan sneered, clearly hinting that her brother Yu Qingming had her followed.

Just then, Mo Xiyuan stirred uncomfortably in her sleep. Yu Qinghan quickly calmed her and motioned for the butler to lower his voice.

The butler stayed quiet for a moment.

Once Mo Xiyuan was sound asleep, he finally said, "Sir is just concerned about you and Miss Mo. You’re not a kid anymore, and he’s already busy managing the family’s affairs. You shouldn’t keep making him worry."

"Alright, alright, I get it. Uncle Zhang, you’re getting naggier by the day."

The butler sighed and said nothing more.

They drove back to the main Yu family residence.

Yu Qinghan helped Mo Xiyuan inside, only to find her brother sitting on the couch, unclear how long he’d been waiting.

Yu Qinghan thought Yu Qingming was about to lecture her again, so she braced herself.

But instead, Yu Qingming glanced at the half-asleep Mo Xiyuan in her arms, then simply waved her upstairs.

"Yu… Yu…"

Mo Xiyuan started mumbling in her sleep again.

"Hey hey hey, I’m right here. We’re home now, okay?"

Yu Qinghan was practically glowing with joy from Mo Xiyuan’s sleep-talking.

Supporting her, she wobbled up the stairs with her. They didn’t sleep for long.

After settling Mo Xiyuan down and taking a quick shower, Yu Qinghan remembered that Mo Xiyuan had mentioned wanting to eat her homemade tiramisu in the morning.

So she barely dozed off after her head hit the pillow before getting up again to make it.

"Oh my goodness, Miss Yu… Miss Mo probably won’t wake up until the sun’s high in the sky. Why don’t you go sleep a little longer? What are you doing baking cake right now?"

The cook yawned as she came over to help.

Yu Qinghan smiled, "Now is perfect. If I wait too long, Xiyuan won’t get to eat it when she wakes up."

Once the tiramisu was finished and placed in the fridge to chill, it wasn’t even 8 a.m. yet.

Yu Qinghan, who rarely got up early, ate breakfast with Yu Qingming for once.

Then she went back upstairs to Mo Xiyuan’s room for a quick look. Seeing she was still asleep,

Yu Qinghan went back downstairs, bored, and flipped on the TV.

There weren’t any good shows in the morning, either political news or entertainment news.

She figured entertainment news was at least more watchable, so she randomly picked a gossip program, watching while yawning.

"Yesterday, the birthday celebration for renowned domestic fashion designer Xiao Tong was held at the sports center, drawing nearly a thousand fans. Prominent figures from the international fashion world also attended in person to celebrate. Unfortunately, Miss Xiao herself could not attend due to business obligations in Paris…"

Yu Qinghan froze mid-yawn.

There was a loud crack—her jaw nearly dropped.

She winced as she pushed her jaw back into place, and finally remembered what important thing she had forgotten.

Yesterday was Xiao Tong’s birthday.

Yu Qinghan had promised her, personally promised that she would celebrate it with her.

Yu Qinghan didn’t like Xiao Tong, but she thought she understood her.

Given Xiao Tong’s personality, she had probably stayed up all night staring at the door, waiting for her.

Besides, without her, how could Xiao Tong possibly sleep?

Yu Qinghan rushed into the kitchen, cut a small triangular piece of tiramisu from the cake in the fridge, placed it in a food container, and dashed out the door.

"Auntie Huang! I’m not coming back for lunch today! If Xiyuan wakes up, tell her the cake’s in the fridge, make sure she remembers to eat it!"