Peach-Orange! – Chapter 121 – She’s Waiting for You to Come Home

Xiao Ming stared blankly at Dongfang Yang’s actions as the engagement letter was torn into pieces and scattered in the air.

For a moment, he couldn’t react. “It’s… torn?”

Even ignoring the pain in his abdomen from the kick, he hurriedly picked up a fragment from the ground. The red fingerprint that served as a seal was now less than half intact.

He never expected Dongfang Yang, a scion of a prominent family, to outright destroy the agreement like this!

Fury surged in his chest: “Dongfang Yang! Do you even know what you’ve done?!”

“All I did was tear up a worthless piece of paper you were using to intimidate others,” Dongfang Yang flexed his fingers, the joints cracking. His expression remained calm. “Or do you want to settle this with force?”

Though many in high society saw him as a spoiled, unmotivated heir living off his family’s wealth, Dongfang Yang was no pushover when it came to physical confrontations.

“If you dare lay a hand on me now, risking conflict with the Dongfang family for Su Tao’s sake, I might actually respect you a little.

“Otherwise, shut the hell up!”

With a cold huff, he turned to Su Tao, who stood frozen in shock. “Now that this engagement letter is gone, can you see clearly who truly matters to you? I know you’ve longed for family as an orphan, yearned for this father you’ve never met. But you need to understand—

“Real family isn’t about blood ties. It’s about those who like you, accept you, stand by you no matter what, and are willing to give everything for you.

“If this so-called father of yours came back drowning in debt, an alcoholic, or even hurt Chi Xiaocheng, who cares so much about you, would you still call him ‘father’ just because of blood?”

Dongfang Yang clicked his tongue in irritation. “The people who cherish you are right beside you, yet you’re chasing after some distant fantasy. If your father truly cared, would he send this trash to find you instead of coming himself?”

He pointed at Xiao Ming, who was seething with anger but clenching his fists in restraint, then spoke to Su Tao in a near-commanding tone: “If you’re worried about Chi Xiaocheng, call her right now!”

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Su Tao snapped out of her daze and nodded firmly. She first tried a WeChat video call… no answer after thirty seconds.

A bad feeling rose in her chest. She immediately dialed Chi Xiaocheng’s number. The call connected, but no one picked up!

Su Tao bit her lip. “She’s not answering.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, a set of keys was tossed to her. Dongfang Yang, still facing Xiao Ming without turning around, his red coat making his silhouette seem towering, said, “The car’s at the hotel entrance. Call me if anything happens.”

Her unease and anxiety growing stronger, Su Tao knew this wasn’t the time for hesitation. Clutching the keys, she said, “Thank you!”

Dongfang Yang smirked and waved lightly. “Drive safe. Chi Xiaocheng still owes me twenty grand. I can’t let her skip out on that.”

Once Su Tao rushed off, he turned back to Xiao Ming. Even with the latter’s two bodyguards flanking him, Dongfang Yang showed no trace of fear.

“Now, let’s settle things between us!”

—

Meanwhile, Su Tao, now speeding in Dongfang Yang’s latest sports car, kept calling Chi Xiaocheng’s phone, her expression growing more frantic by the minute.

Whenever she messaged Chi Xiaocheng, if her phone was nearby, she’d reply instantly.

If something delayed her, she’d always follow up with, “Sorry Tao-Tao, I didn’t see your message right away,” to keep Su Tao from worrying.

And calls? Video chats? As long as Chi Xiaocheng was free, she’d never miss one!

But now? The police had surely taken her home safely.

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So why wasn’t she answering?

Was she asleep?

Phone on silent?

Or… something worse?

Su Tao refused to dwell on the worst-case scenario, pressing the accelerator harder. She honked countless times along the way, even speeding without realizing it.

All she wanted was to get back quickly, praying Chi Xiaocheng had just slept through the calls.

Finally arriving at the apartment complex, Su Tao anxiously asked Old Zhang, the security guard: “Uncle Zhang, have you seen Xiaocheng?”

Old Zhang rubbed his mostly bald head. “She came back ‘bout an hour ago and hasn’t left since. She looked tired, though.”

Su Tao exhaled in relief.

“Thanks, Uncle Zhang.”

As long as she hadn’t left, everything would be fine. She must’ve just fallen asleep, right?

Waiting for the elevator, Su Tao’s tension eased slightly as Dongfang Yang’s frustrated roar echoed in her mind:

Who do you actually care about?

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What are you running from?

She knew the answer. Of course it was Chi Xiaocheng. That was never in doubt. But what she was avoiding was that obsessive, distorted love.

Precisely because giving in would lead to irreversible consequences, Su Tao had kept hesitating.

She understood: if she truly agreed to be Chi Xiaocheng’s girlfriend, any real chance of “curing” her yandere tendencies would vanish.

These past two weeks, Chi Xiaocheng’s docile behavior had shown Su Tao a glimmer of hope for recovery. She didn’t want to lose that opportunity.

And… she feared falling too deep herself.

Right now, she was only pretending to love Chi Xiaocheng.

But what if one day, she genuinely fell for her?

How would they move forward then?

And Chi Xiaocheng… seemed to have sensed the pretense.

Stepping out of the elevator, Su Tao’s brief relief soured into guilt. Standing at Chi Xiaocheng’s door, that guilt solidified into resolve.

She slapped her own cheeks lightly, psyching herself up.

“Su Tao, Dongfang Yang said you’ve lost yourself. What’s there to hesitate about? Didn’t you already decide to face Chi Xiaocheng’s feelings? Comfort her, protect her, that’s the only way to help her heal!

“Xiaocheng’s so easy to placate. Even if it’s just playing along with the ‘girlfriend’ thing for now, it’ll be fine.”

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Exhaling, perhaps finally at peace with her thoughts, she pressed her finger to the biometric lock, a relieved smile tugging at her lips.

At the very least, after such a dangerous night, they were both safe, right?

There were still a few minutes until midnight, enough time to celebrate Chi Xiaocheng’s birthday, even if simply.

Then, she’d untangle her emotional knots, play with King together, and sleep side by side. Holding that warm, comforting body, welcoming another beautiful day.

Creak—

The door opened.

The entryway was bathed in warm light.

“See? Xiaocheng isn’t angry. She always leaves a light on for me, a thermos of hot water ready.”

Stepping inside, Su Tao closed the door behind her and bent down to change shoes. But when she straightened up and looked into the living room—

She froze as if struck by lightning. Her relaxed expression dissolved into blank shock.

The living room looked ransacked, as if burglarized.

Chi Xiaocheng wasn’t there.

Where was she?