Obsessed with Cleanliness Chapter 5: Stomach Trouble (Part 1)

Xiao Tong had always had stomach problems, a long-standing condition she’d had since childhood. It wasn’t something that could be cured, only managed.

Usually, when it flared up, Xiao Tong would drink some warm water, curl up in bed holding her stomach for an hour or two, and the pain would slowly pass.

But this morning, she had just gotten home and Yu Qinghan was the type who hated anything messy and never touched housework.

There wasn’t even hot water at home. Actually, not even room-temperature boiled water.

Xiao Tong lay slumped on the vanity, limbs weak, fingers numb, her stomach feeling like someone had shoved a stick inside and stirred it into a tangled mess.

The pain made her shiver all over. She tried to get to the bed to lie down for a bit, but as soon as she used the vanity to push herself up, her legs gave out and she collapsed to the floor.

Curled up on the cold, damp bathroom tiles, Xiao Tong lay there for a while with her arms around her stomach.

The pain didn’t ease at all.

She took a deep breath, forced herself to sit up from the floor, and groped her way along the sink edge until she finally found her phone.

She wanted to call Yu Qinghan to tell her that her stomach condition had flared up again, that the pain was unbearable, and to ask her to take her to the hospital.

Xiao Tong hesitated for a moment before dialing, leaning against the wall as she listened to the endless "beep… beep…" on the other end.

The ringtone dragged on for a long time, so long that Xiao Tong was about to give up, when Yu Qinghan finally answered.

Yu Qinghan hadn’t wanted to pick up the call.

She had been drinking at the bar with Chang Linran and was just getting into the mood.

When Xiao Tong’s call came in, Yu Qinghan only glanced at the caller ID, and her good mood vanished.

She frowned, debating whether to answer or not.

Chang Linran noticed and chuckled, "Xiao Tong?"

Yu Qinghan said nothing.

Seeing Yu Qinghan’s constipated-looking expression, Chang Linran knew she had guessed right.

She laughed again and teased, "Then don’t pick up. Hang up! It’s not like Xiao Tong would dare throw a fit at you. You’ve got such a patient and understanding lover, what are you afraid of?"

Yu Qinghan had intended to hang up.

But hearing the mockery in Chang Linran’s voice, she changed her mind and picked up the call, her tone was sharp.

"What is it?"

Xiao Tong had been relieved that Yu Qinghan answered, but was immediately startled by her cold tone.

Her heart skipped a beat plus her stomach was still in spasms, and the words she had prepared disappeared from her mind.

"I… I…"

She stammered for a long time but still couldn’t get anything out.

Noticing the noisy background on Yu Qinghan’s end, she asked weakly,

"Are you at home?"

"Yes."

Yu Qinghan stared coldly at the band playing on the bar’s stage.

She lied without blinking.

Xiao Tong, sounding faint, asked again, "If you’re home… why is it so loud?"

"Can you not be so annoying? If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up."

Yu Qinghan, irritated, ended the call, tossed her phone aside, grabbed a bottle and took a big swig.

Her good mood for the night was completely ruined.

That was just something Xiao Tong was good at, ruining Yu Qinghan’s vibe, anytime, anywhere.

"Oh my, what happened? You only said two words and you’re this mad? Come on, no need for that. Let’s drink, let’s drink."

Chang Linran, sensing the mood shift, quickly poured her a drink to calm her down.

Yu Qinghan sulked in silence, downing several glasses in a row. Only then did her expression ease a little.

Zhang Xiaoxiao, who had fallen asleep leaning on her shoulder, let out a soft murmur.

Yu Qinghan looked down at her, set her glass aside, and after a moment, sighed deeply.

"Ah Ran," she said, "I’m really sick of her. If someone could just take her away from me, I’d give up everything I own—gladly."

"Sure, you would," Chang Linran replied, patting her on the shoulder, "but would your dad or your brother?"

"Don’t overthink it. I know a bit about Xiao Tong too. She just depends on you too much.

After all, you’re the only person she’s ever had. But now she’s starting to gain some attention in the fashion world, right?

She’s a designer in your company, so why not use the company to boost her a bit? Give her more exposure and more work.

With her talent in this field, she’ll eventually become more independent. Over time, she won’t rely on you as much.

Who knows by then, she might be the one crying and begging to get away from you."

Yu Qinghan considered this and thought it made sense. But for some reason, something about Chang Linran’s words rubbed her the wrong way.

Especially that last sentence. Yu Qinghan scoffed silently—

Crying and begging to get away from me?

Does she even have the right?

"Forget it. I don’t want to talk about her anymore, she’s irritating." Yu Qinghan flicked her hair, waved to call over a waiter, and said, "Two more pitchers of beer."

"What? Still drinking?" Chang Linran groaned. "Yu Qinghan, your dad might not care if you stumble home dead drunk, but if I go home like this, my dad will whip me with his belt!"

The moment she mentioned her dad, Yu Qinghan couldn’t help but laugh.

"Isn’t your dad in his sixties already? How does he still have such a fiery temper? He’s like a firecracker—one spark and he blows."

"Tell me about it. Last year he was diagnosed with high blood pressure. The doctor told him to stay calm and avoid stress, but he wouldn’t listen. He got sick again, nearly scared my mom to death. Now our whole family is walking on eggshells, terrified of upsetting the old man."

Yu Qinghan laughed heartily.

"Remember when we were kids, we snuck into his wine cellar to steal alcohol?"

With the mood lifted again, they drifted back into happier memories.

Before she realized it, Yu Qinghan had had quite a bit to drink. A rosy flush crept up her cheeks.

She was already good-looking to begin with, but now, slightly tipsy, her beauty was even more striking— soft as a peach blossom.

Under the dim lighting, even Chang Linran, who had grown up playing with her since childhood, felt her heart skip a beat at the sight.

What a troublemaker she is.

Chang Linran patted her chest to steady herself, thinking, no wonder Xiao Tong fell so deep.

With Yu Qinghan’s looks and the way she knows how to seduce— who wouldn’t fall for her?

Chang Linran realized she had also drunk a bit too much.

She put down her glass, leaned back on the sofa, and watched the band perform for a while to relax.

After a while, she suddenly said, "She’s back."

Yu Qinghan’s hand froze mid-motion just for a moment.

She quickly recovered and replied as if nothing had happened, "Who?"

"Who else? Mo Xiyuan, of course."

Yu Qinghan’s pupils contracted sharply.

……

Yu Qinghan hung up the phone with a hostile tone. Xiao Tong was in unbearable pain, but she didn’t dare call back.

She thought about dialing 120 (emergency services), but then remembered the clownish mess of red-and-white makeup on her face.

She was too embarrassed to be seen like that, afraid people would laugh at her. So she curled up in a corner, hugging her knees and clutching her stomach, enduring the pain.

Her head leaned against the cold tiles, and after a while, her stomach had gone numb from the pain.

Yu Qinghan was probably out having fun somewhere, Xiao Tong thought blankly.

She knew Yu Qinghan all too well, that woman would never allow her home to be that noisy.

Judging from her tone over the phone, Xiao Tong’s call had clearly killed her mood.

Xiao Tong didn’t know who Yu Qinghan was with, or where she was. But knowing her obsession with cleanliness, she probably wouldn’t be partying too hard.

Xiao Tong had been with Yu Qinghan for more than ten years, yet Yu Qinghan had never brought her into her social circle.

Xiao Tong never dared to dream that one day Yu Qinghan would openly introduce her to her friends.

Well…

There was a time when she had that hope but later, she came to understand: a delusion is a delusion. It could never come true. She wasn’t worthy.

So in all those years, apart from Chang Linran, whom Yu Qinghan had known since high school. Xiao Tong knew nothing about the rest of her world.

The bathroom floor was freezing. So cold that it felt like Xiao Tong’s stomach had frozen solid.

Even if the pain had turned numb, she still couldn’t straighten her back. Let alone stand up and walk back to the bedroom.

Xiao Tong was half-unconscious, leaning against the wall in a daze, when her phone suddenly vibrated loudly across the bathroom floor.

She thought it was Yu Qinghan calling back. Her whole face lit up.

She snatched the phone up in a flash, terrified the caller would hang up again in annoyance.

"Qinghan!"

"What Qinghan?! It’s Jing Xing!"

"You’re really something, Xiao Tong! It’s bad enough that you stood me up but you stood up the whole team! Models, stylists, reporters, videographers—dozens of people! And this was your solo debut! In Paris! PARIS!"

"Do you know how much effort it took to book that venue and coordinate with those major magazines from home and abroad? Do you even want to keep working in this industry? Do you know how many people you’ve offended with this stunt?!"

The voice on the other end went off like a machine gun, ripping into Xiao Tong without pause.

But Xiao Tong was in too much pain to even respond.

She just quietly listened to the scolding, and after a while— she actually started laughing.

"Jing Xing…" she called out softly.

"Xiao Tong?" Jing Xing had gone on and on, but finally noticed something was off in her voice. "What’s wrong? Are you sick? Tell me what happened! Where are you right now?"

Jing Xing’s shouting jolted her stomach back into pain again.

"I’m home," Xiao Tong answered weakly. "My… my stomach problem is acting up."

"Give me ten minutes. I’m coming right now."

Jing Xing hung up immediately after that.

But Xiao Tong felt the room spinning, she couldn’t wait even another minute.

She completely lost consciousness almost instantly.

Right before passing out, a fuzzy thought crossed Xiao Tong’s mind:

It seems like every time I need Yu Qinghan… she’s never there.

Even the first time we met, she only came over after she’d had her fill of watching the show.