Obsessed with Cleanliness Chapter 3: Chang Linran

Xiao Tong was catching up on sleep. Yu Qinghan played on her phone for a while, then got bored. She put it down, yawned, and gently lifted Xiao Tong out of her arms. She rolled out of bed and stretched her shoulder, which had gone numb from being pressed.

She glanced at Xiao Tong. The woman was fast asleep, completely unaware that Yu Qinghan had left her side.

Yu Qinghan let out a cold laugh. Look at that, claiming she couldn’t sleep without her?

Well, she seemed to be sleeping just fine now. Over the years, Xiao Tong hadn’t grown much in any other way, but she sure had perfected the art of playing the victim, getting better at it every year.

Maybe thinking this way helped Yu Qinghan shake off some of the guilt. She felt like a heavy weight had finally lifted, and even her breathing felt freer and lighter.

Before leaving, she thoughtfully pulled the blanket up over Xiao Tong’s shoulder.

Then she walked out without the slightest bit of hesitation not even glancing back once. She left Xiao Tong sleeping alone in the bedroom. Maybe haunted by nightmares, Xiao Tong’s brows were tightly furrowed, her whole body curled up like a ball.

She murmured in her sleep, "Qinghan… save me."

Each word sounded more desperate than the last, and in the end, even carried the edge of a sob. But by then, Yu Qinghan was long gone and couldn’t hear any of it.

Even if she had, Yu Qinghan had heard those same words for so many years, they no longer stirred any sympathy in her heart.

……

Yu Qinghan’s mother had died early. Her father used to be a mid-level manager at a state-owned enterprise. He got rich during the reform era at the end of the last century. Though he hit a few bumps along the way, he managed to pull through.

After that, everything went smoothly. He started a venture capital firm, investing in everything from internet startups to real estate, wherever there was money to be made. He became a regular figure in finance magazines.

Yu Qinghan had an older brother. According to her father, he was the one destined to inherit the Yu family business. With such an outstanding heir already in place, no one cared whether Yu Qinghan was diligent or idle.

She was happy to enjoy the freedom.

She held a token position at her father’s company, working Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, resting Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, spending her time playing with cats and dogs.

As long as she didn’t cause any major trouble, her father and brother turned a blind eye and let her be.

Today was a Tuesday.

By the time Yu Qinghan left Xiao Tong’s place, she had already missed her usual gym time. With nothing to do, she drove around aimlessly all afternoon. Toward evening, she met up with Chang Linran for drinks.

She also brought along the fresh-faced eighteen-year-old girl she’d taken a liking to yesterday.

The girl’s name was Zhang Xiaoxiao, a freshman in the acting program at the film academy.

Yu Qinghan had taken Zhang Xiaoxiao out to eat first, and they arrived at the bar later.

By then, Chang Linran was already sitting alone, drinking. She hadn’t even changed out of her work suit.

Her short hair just covered the top of her ears, and there was a cuff earring on her earlobe.

Under the dim, dreamy lighting of the bar, the earring gave off a little glint, mirroring the shimmer of the cocktail in her hand.

Her head was tilted slightly, revealing a smooth, slender jawline. She was strikingly beautiful. Several eyes around the bar were fixed on her.

Just as Yu Qinghan arrived, a good-looking, refined man was trying to buy Chang Linran a drink.

"This gentleman, I'm sorry, but I already bought her that drink."

Yu Qinghan smoothly raised her arm to block the man's hand just as he tried to pass a drink to Chang Linran.

The man met her eyes for a moment, glanced at Chang Linran's short hair, and seemed to get the message.

With a regretful shrug, he walked away.

Chang Linran watched the drink leave with the man and looked a little disappointed.

"Of all times to show up, you had to pick now. Do you know how few men these days still have the guts to buy a woman a drink?"

"However many are left has nothing to do with you."

Yu Qinghan pulled Zhang Xiaoxiao down to sit beside her, waved over the waiter, and ordered two cocktails and a bottle of liquor.

After signaling for the waiter to leave, she leaned back on the couch and looked at Chang Linran.

"Wow, look at you, sitting there like a proper CEO now."

"CEO, my ass. Even you’re mocking me now?"

Chang Linran frowned and undid the top two buttons of her shirt.

She took a big swig of her drink, then finally noticed Zhang Xiaoxiao sitting beside Yu Qinghan.

"And this is?"

"Xiaoxiao, first year at the Film Academy." Yu Qinghan pulled Zhang Xiaoxiao closer and said teasingly, "Xiaoxiao, this is the General Manager of Changlin Films. You should get to know her well. When you graduate someday, who knows— you might end up working under her and being exploited."

"G-General Manager… nice to meet you."

Zhang Xiaoxiao was inexperienced. Hearing that, she nervously raised her glass to toast Chang Linran.

Chang Linran gave her a brief look, subtly furrowed her brow, but said nothing. Out of respect for Yu Qinghan, she clinked glasses with her and went back to chatting.

The conversation drifted into topics Zhang Xiaoxiao couldn’t keep up with, but she was sensible enough to stay quiet— sitting there obediently, sipping her drink, not interrupting.

It was her first time at a bar, and everything felt new and exciting. The drinks Yu Qinghan ordered were sweet and easy to drink, so Zhang Xiaoxiao had a few too many without realizing it.

A little tipsy, she leaned back against the couch, closed her eyes, and dozed off.

That’s when Chang Linran said, "You and Xiao Tong broke up?"

"Why bring her up?"

The liquor wasn’t hitting right, so Yu Qinghan ordered some beer. She clinked bottles with Chang Linran.

"I heard she came back from Paris." Chang Linran took a long swig. "Qinghan, back when Xiao Tong was around, you still held yourself back a little. Now you're getting bolder by the day."

She nodded toward the now drunk Zhang Xiaoxiao.

"She's barely eighteen and you’re already playing around? Aren’t you afraid Xiao Tong will come for you?"

Yu Qinghan let out a dismissive snort.

"If she actually had the guts to confront me, I’d respect that. Right now, I get annoyed just looking at her."

"So you two are still together?" Chang Linran raised a brow, chuckling. "You two really are one of a kind, still stuck in this mess after more than a decade?"

"What choice do I have? I’ve been waiting for her to bring up a breakup. You know what happened back then, I owe her. If she doesn’t bring it up, how could I? If I did, people would call me heartless, accuse me of being a monster. That’s not a label I’m willing to carry." Yu Qinghan sneered. "Besides, she can’t live without me."

"And you’re not heartless?"

Chang Linran had already finished one beer. She grabbed another, laughing as she cursed.

"I honestly don’t know how someone like you ended up with such ridiculous luck— a complete mess, yet someone still throws themselves at you."

Yu Qinghan scoffed, "You like her so much? I’ll give her to you."

Chang Linran had grown up with her and could tell she was starting to get irritated.

So she exaggerated, "Me? No thanks. Only a fellow nutcase could put up with someone like you. I’m not cut out for it, you two deserve each other."

Yu Qinghan didn’t argue. She just shook her head and smiled, gently swirling her bottle of beer.

By then, Zhang Xiaoxiao was snoring softly, uncomfortably slumped against Yu Qinghan’s arm. Her head kept bobbing forward.

Yu Qinghan, worried she might strain her neck, carefully adjusted her posture, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and tucked the girl’s hair behind her ear.

Chang Linran watched Yu Qinghan fawn over the girl like nothing she did was enough.

She clicked her tongue twice.

"Say what you will but when you’re good to someone, you’re good to the bone." Then she smiled faintly. "Too bad Xiao Tong wasn’t lucky enough, you never looked at her this way."

"Shh."

Zhang Xiaoxiao stirred uneasily, shifting against Yu Qinghan’s shoulder. Yu Qinghan raised her finger to her lips, motioning for silence.

After soothing the girl, she finally turned to Chang Linran and said softly, without emotion, "You and I grew up together, you know what I’m like."

Chang Linran nodded without a word.

She knew. Of course she knew. Yu Qinghan had obsessive cleanliness issues. She couldn’t stand using things others had touched. Anything that passed through her hands had to be spotless.

After what happened in Xiao Tong’s past even if she was perfect, even if Yu Qinghan still felt guilty, there was no way she’d want to touch her again.

Chang Linran often thought Yu Qinghan’s heart was too cold, too hard. Back then, she had doted on Xiao Tong to the point it made Chang’s teeth ache. She remembered every moment of it.

But Yu Qinghan?

She acted like none of it ever happened. Now she treated Xiao Tong with an almost cruel indifference. And yet, despite that cruelty, they’d stayed together for over ten years.

Chang Linran thought, Xiao Tong really could endure. But even the most patient person has a breaking point.

She wondered where Xiao Tong’s limit was, and when Yu Qinghan would finally cross it.

Then she curled her lip. But even if she did— so what? Worst case, they’d split for good.

And clearly, at this point, Yu Qinghan didn’t care much for Xiao Tong anymore.

……

Xiao Tong hadn’t slept well in days.

Now that she could finally rest, she slept deeply. By the time she woke up, it was already evening. Yu Qinghan, who had been holding her as they slept, was long gone.

Xiao Tong sat up, scratched her hair, and stared blankly at the side of the bed where Yu Qinghan had lain. She reached out to touch it but it was already cold.

Suddenly, she remembered how, just last night, Yu Qinghan had slept with a stranger in that very bed. She yanked her hand back as if bitten by a snake, sprang up, and jumped out of bed.

She shook her hand hard, leaned against the wall, and scrunched her face in disgust.

A wave of nausea churned in her stomach.

She clutched her mouth, trying to hold it back but she couldn’t. Doubling over, she stumbled to the bathroom and vomited violently into the toilet.

There wasn’t much to throw up, she hadn’t eaten in over a day. All that came up was clear stomach acid.

Her tears and snot ran down her face, and the acid left her throat raw and burning.

Eventually, completely drained, she slumped beside the toilet, panting heavily for several minutes.

Then she forced herself to stand by leaning on the wall, splashed cold water on her face, and looked up, soaking wet.

The person in the mirror had dark circles under her eyes and a pale face, nothing about her looked attractive anymore.

Xiao Tong struggled to smile at her reflection, but it looked worse than crying.

She thought, No wonder Yu Qinghan finds me repulsive.

Looking like this like a ghost more than a person, not just Yu Qinghan, even she couldn’t stand herself anymore.

If she stayed like this, how much longer until Yu Qinghan left her?

Five years?

Three?

No—

She couldn’t let Yu Qinghan leave. She had nothing left. Yu Qinghan was all she had. She couldn’t lose her too.

Panic gripped Xiao Tong.

She began frantically rummaging through the expensive skincare products on the sink, smearing them wildly on her face as if they could bring some color back to her lifeless skin.

But nothing worked. No matter what she used, it was useless.

So she turned to makeup. She caked on layer after layer of foundation, then piled on blush— so much red and white that her face looked chaotic and theatrical.

When she looked in the mirror, her base makeup was as pale as a plaster wall, and the red blush on her cheeks looked like a monkey’s behind.

She looked just like the clown in a play.

Xiao Tong stared straight at the clown in the mirror.

The delicate blush compact slipped from her hand, hit the vanity table, and exploded into a mess of bright red powder.

Maybe the reflection was too absurd, she couldn’t help but clutch her stomach and burst into laughter.

But she hadn’t eaten or drunk anything in a long time, and the vomiting had triggered her chronic stomach issues. A fiery pain spread in her gut, so sharp she couldn’t bear it.

Still laughing, she leaned over the table, hugging her stomach in agony.

Eventually, she couldn’t even laugh anymore.

Only the pain remained.

She lay slumped over the vanity table, mouth open in a frozen grimace, motionless like a dead thing.