Return of the Antagonistic Lady Boss

Chapter 274 - 262: Between Women (550 Monthly Tickets + Update)

"Xuan and I have been close since we were kids. She even fell trying to help me once. We climbed the only two-story building’s exterior iron ladder in the county town, and when I was about to get down, I fell. She was right below me and broke my fall, spraining her ankle in the process."

Qian nodded, thinking that this kind of brainless ladder-climbing sounded just like something Shi Touyu would do.

While the two were chatting, they arrived at Room 13. Qian glanced up at the number: 13, the devil’s number. The karaoke bar hadn’t been open for long, probably trying to play up to the theme; the door even had a devil’s relief carved on it, quite a unique touch.

"Xuan!"

"Xiaoyu!"

Shi Touyu hugged her friend whom she hadn’t seen for a long time, giving Qian a chance to observe her friend carefully.

She was quite short, a head shorter than Shi Touyu, looked average overall, and her clothes seemed to be made of ordinary material but were stylish. Her face was made up with long false eyelashes that made her eyes look large. From a glance, Qian concluded that Xiaoyu’s childhood friend’s family might be of average standing, but she was quite vain. The ring on her hand was a high-end replica diamond, and the boots on her feet were mimicking some brand’s winter collection.

In those days, girls weren’t yet obsessively crazy about material wealth and brands like they’d be a dozen years later. A girl who held onto such notions must be somewhat vain, but it wasn’t uncommon for girls to have a little vanity.

Shi Yu was very excited to see her friend and pulled her over to introduce her to Qian. Upon seeing Xiaoxuan upfront, Qian immediately sensed something.

This person, in some ways, was very much like Yu Minglang, yet different; with Qian, though, there was an unspoken kinship.

Just as she’d decided to let go, he’d inadvertently creep back into her thoughts; even upon seeing a stranger, she’d associate them with him.

"Chen Xiaoqian." Qian extended her hand.

"Zeng Xiaoxuan." Xiaoxuan hesitated for a moment but extended her hand to brush against Qian’s before pulling away.

The movement was subtle enough that Shi Touyu didn’t notice, but Qian’s lips curled up into a smile.

Just as she’d thought.

This Xiaoxuan had a cleanliness obsession. Her clothes, although high-end replicas, were excessively neat; her fingers had peeling skin similar to Qian’s, indicating she meticulously washed her hands.

The reason Xiaoxuan reminded her of both herself and Yu Minglang was because Qian’s compulsion to wash her hands and a cleanliness obsession both fell under compulsive disorders, albeit with different root causes—likely due to some trauma or strict upbringing during childhood.

Similarly, Yu Minglang also shared some traits since his cleanliness obsession was mental, scarier than physical. When in love, he loved fiercely, but when hating, he despised completely; if he loved, he’d give his heart entirely, if he hated, he couldn’t stand to look anymore.

Thus, he could cling to a belief in love for years without finding a girlfriend before meeting Qian, not due to lack of time, but from feeling no other women measured up to him—a perfectionist.

But now, after what she did, that perfectionist man likely wouldn’t love her anymore; perhaps, he already hated her.

The stabbing pain in her chest connected to the cramping in her belly as her period approached, and her whole body felt like it was in turmoil.

"Oh, I need to use the restroom; I’ve been holding it in all the way here. Xiaoxuan, wait for me!" Shi Touyu interrupted Qian’s thoughts. Qian didn’t want to stay with someone obsessed with cleanliness and followed Shi Touyu.

At that time, the place had just opened, and most private rooms were still empty. Shi Touyu opened the restroom door, voicing her disapproval.

"Who didn’t flush the toilet? So gross!"

Qian was outside washing her hands, "Your friend."

"Hey, don’t badmouth my childhood friend! She’s really clean, her room is unnervingly tidy, spotless, no way she’d leave the toilet unflushed!"

"When you’re out with a group and someone doesn’t flush, it’s always the cleanest person; don’t argue with a psychologist on this."

Shi Touyu flushed the toilet and joined Qian to wash her hands, "Why?"

"Because she thinks the toilet handle is dirty, so dirty she won’t touch it. Although I, as a doctor, should remain objective, my personal opinion is that most with a cleanliness obsession are quite selfish. If you lived with her, you’d find she’d only tidy her own area, leaving shared trash cans to overflow because they’re ’dirty.’

As long as she feels clean, it doesn’t matter to her how messy others are—this type of person is actually not uncommon. Some people even use their feet to press elevator buttons because everyone but themselves is filthy.

There’s a difference between liking cleanliness and having an obsession. Someone who likes cleanliness will clean their surroundings, like washing bed sheets when dirty, while those with extreme cleanliness obsessions are more self-centered.

Qian guessed that after shaking hands with her, Xiaoyu’s childhood friend would surely use a wet wipe to clean her hands.

"Shi Touyu."

"Hmm?"

"You really like this friend of yours?"

"Of course, we’ve grown up together. She’s my best friend."

Qian swallowed the words she was about to say, wanting to tell her that her friend didn’t reciprocate her feelings, but seeing Shi Touyu so happy, she kept quiet.

"Actually, what you have is a maladaptive personality disorder. You had a deep friendship in childhood, and after changing environments, you couldn’t find anyone to replace her, hence you’re constantly searching for new friends. Simply put, the child in your heart hasn’t grown up yet. If I had met you a few years earlier, I could have helped you change this—but even now, it’s not too late."

Qian finished speaking and patted Shi Touyu, urging her back into the private room.

Just as Qian expected, Xiaoyu’s friend was noticeably more calculating than Xiaoyu, spoke less, and most of the time, it was the naive girl next door enthusiastically reminiscing about childhood. This friend meant too much to her.

Holding a microphone, Qian, thinking of Yu Minglang, sang a song.

Hold me tight, the lyrics and melody were beautiful, but Qian’s singing was broken. Behind her, the two friends continued recalling childhood memories, and as the melody played, Qian thought of her and Yu Minglang’s past and present.

Don’t dare to look back

It’s an illusion

Can’t speak up

Afraid it’ll quietly slip away

Why does the sweetest dream hide in the heart

Why does the deepest feeling float among clouds

Please hold me tight, my lover

Don’t come and go in haste

Hold me tight even if you don’t understand my sorrow...

By the end, she was almost reciting the lyrics. When Shi Yu nudged her, Qian’s face was already streaming with tears.

"What’s this now, let’s pick something lively, how about our dorm song? Let’s do it!"

"You two are really close, huh," Xiaoxuan said to Xiaoyu. Xiaoyu hugged Qian, "She’s the leader of our dorm, we all listen to her."

Xiaoxuan forced a smile, "You guys sing first, I’ll just step out for a bit."