Obsessed with Cleanliness Chapter 28: Pretending

The next day, Jing Xing remembered that Xiao Tong was going back to work, so she got up extra early. She was in the office before 8 a.m., but to her surprise, Xiao Tong was already there, sitting in front of her computer screen handling a month’s worth of piled-up emails.

"Nice haircut," Jing Xing leaned against the edge of Xiao Tong’s desk with her arms crossed and let out a cheeky whistle.

Xiao Tong used to wear her hair long and loose, always just brushing past her shoulders no matter the season. This was the first time Jing Xing had seen her with it tied up. She had a long neck, and this high ponytail really suited her, giving her a sharp and capable vibe.

Xiao Tong looked up at Jing Xing and smiled faintly. "You’re here early."

"Aren’t you even earlier than me? What, couldn’t wait to get back to work?"

"There’s so much to catch up on. If I waited any longer, I figured you might come hunt me down." Xiao Tong typed away as she spoke, finishing another email. She was wearing a long-sleeved knit top, the sleeves so long they covered her hands, showing only her ten slender, elegant fingers.

Xiao Tong’s overly upbeat mood made Jing Xing suspicious. She gave her a once-over and asked, "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Best sleep ever. Not a single dream. A-Xing, I don’t think I’ve ever slept so soundly in my life."

"Really?"

Xiao Tong chuckled. "Do I look sleep-deprived to you?"

Jing Xing looked her over, her eyes were bright, full of energy. She really didn’t look like someone who’d been up all night. But something still felt off. Is this really how someone acts after a breakup? Since when did Xiao Tong become so chill?

"Xiao Tong, did you—" She wanted to ask if Xiao Tong had relapsed, but someone knocked on the door right then, cutting her off.

"All right, A-Xing, stop overthinking. Go handle your stuff. I’ve still got a mountain of work over here." Xiao Tong grinned and shooed her out of the office.

"Xiao Tong! Let’s eat lunch together!" Jing Xing shouted just as Xiao Tong was closing the door.

"Sure!" Xiao Tong replied with a smile, gently shutting the door behind her.

When she was finally alone in the office, she instinctively pressed on her left arm.

It was still wrapped in bandages. The wound hadn’t healed yet and was throbbing with pain.

But Xiao Tong seemed genuinely happy, a smile tugging at her lips.

Jing Xing spent the whole morning in meetings. Luckily, it ended just before lunch. She didn’t even wait for the elevator, pushed through the crowd and ran down the stairs straight to Xiao Tong’s office, afraid she’d left without her.

Fortunately, Xiao Tong had also been so busy that she’d lost track of time. When she heard the knock, she scooted over to open the door and saw Jing Xing leaning over, hands on her knees, panting like a dog.

Surprised and amused, she asked, "What happened to you? Got chased by a stray dog?"

"Food… food… food…" Jing Xing could barely catch her breath, which made Xiao Tong anxious just watching her.

"All right, all right. Lunch, got it. Come in and sit down for a bit first, will you? You’ll choke eating like this." She handed Jing Xing a cup of water as she spoke.

Jing Xing took a big gulp, then finally caught her breath. "I just didn’t want you to run off."

"It’s just lunch. Where would I even go?" Xiao Tong said helplessly, handing her a lunchbox. "I figured you wouldn’t make it on time, so I ordered takeout. This one’s yours."

"Takeout? You’re okay with that? Isn’t it dirty?"

"What’s there to be fussy about?"

"Aren’t you a neat freak?"

"When you’re out in the world, you can’t be that picky. Come on, eat up," Xiao Tong said, smiling as she opened her own lunchbox. She hesitated for a second with the disposable chopsticks, then dug in with big bites.

She was alone now, there was no room left for being delicate.