Peach-Orange! – Chapter 136 – Orange Juice, Again

“Ding ling~”

The convenience store door chimed as two girls in casual wear stepped out, stretching in unison.

“Peach, taking more days off? That bitch Long Mian’s gonna make trouble for you,” said the part-time coworker.

Su Tao sighed. “No choice. Urgent matters. I might quit this job.”

Li Ran exhaled in the cold breeze. “Just quit. You’re a freshman, and there’s no internship requirements anyway. This dump pays peanuts for backbreaking work.”

Student rush hours, especially evenings, meant endless queues.

Just manning the register left limbs numb.

Miscount by a few yuan? That’s a day’s wages gone.

With self-funded tuition, finding another job near campus and Chi Xiaocheng’s home would be tough.

Decent gigs got snatched instantly.

Su Tao sighed. “I’ll think about it.”

“Just work at Dongfang Yang’s café. That Xiaocheng girl’s there, right? You’re close, and he’s into you.”

Li Ran nudged her. “Honestly, he’s way better than that dumb rich kid Ye Liang. Why not go for it?”

Su Tao rolled her eyes. “Senior, enough. My advisor wants two published papers… why though? I’m a freshman! Why me?!”

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A “ding” interrupted her. It was Su Tao’s special notification tone.

Li Ran raised an eyebrow. “Who’s so special?”

“Xiaocheng.”

Fearful of missing critical messages, Su Tao had set all Chi Xiaocheng alerts to priority.

Peeking at the screen, Li Ran drawled, “Ooh~ Playing games~”

Su Tao flushed. “She was hospitalized. I’m just… caring for her.”

“Ahhh~ Hence skipping classes and shifts.”

Li Ran “understood.”

No wonder Su Tao rejected Ye Liang, Dongfang Yang, and Si Chen.

Better keep distance. She wouldn’t want to anger that possessive girl.

With exaggerated nods, Li Ran made excuses to leave.

Watching her go, Su Tao sighed.

Such misunderstandings were multiplying on campus.

But explaining Chi Xiaocheng’s yandere nature wasn’t an option. Only close friends knew.

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Yet these life-entangling pressures kept mounting.

Alone in an empty plaza, Su Tao grabbed her hair. “Why papers?! No time or ideas! Maybe I can write during these three days at Xiaocheng’s?”

Seeing Chi Xiaocheng’s “excited cutie” sticker, she deflated.

“Never mind. She’d be upset. I promised her undivided attention.”

After all, just three cozy homebound days.

Nothing extreme like last time.

The thought relaxed her. Amid life’s chaos, Chi Xiaocheng’s space became her sanctuary. Even lying on that Xiaocheng-scented bed unwound her tensions.

The door opened.

Warm air greeted her.

As expected, the tea-haired girl had adjusted the AC perfectly. More surprisingly, the tiled floors were now carpeted wall-to-wall.

Chi Xiaocheng sat barefoot, teasing King with a feather wand.

The aloof cat swiped vainly, his frustrated pout adorable.

The heartwarming scene made Su Tao smile instinctively.

Kicking off boots, she savored the plush carpet. “Afternoon, Xiaocheng.”

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Chi Xiaocheng turned, her pupils slightly slitted, faintly eerie.

Su Tao’s smile froze.

No triggers present… why was she shifting?

“Tao-Tao,” Chi Xiaocheng sang, “you left the door open~”

Su Tao turned. She’d been so distracted that she’d forgotten to close it.

As she moved to shut it, a sudden gust blew her hair—

SLAM.

The door sealed shut with finality.

In the dimmed living room, Chi Xiaocheng kept smiling from the carpet as if nothing happened.

Yet something fundamental had changed, making Su Tao’s heart race.

Flipping lights brighter, Su Tao forced cheer. “Hungry? Should I cook?”

“Not yet~” Chi Xiaocheng stood, extending a hand.

“Hmm?”

Su Tao eyed the small palm.

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Holding hands?

She placed hers atop.

Chi Xiaocheng shook her head. “Your phone. Starting today, I’ll manage it. You get 30 minutes at 10 AM and 10 PM.”

“Why?”

“You promised three days just for me~ No contacting others.”

Su Tao glanced back at the sealed door.

So the “game” had begun upon entry.

Nervousness spiked, but recalling this wasn’t like last time’s total isolation, she relaxed.

Just insecurity. Fear of abandonment.

Handing over the phone left her oddly weightless.

But Chi Xiaocheng’s satisfied smile made indulgence easy. “All yours. What next?”

“First~” Chi Xiaocheng beamed. “A drink for thirsty Tao-Tao?

“How about… orange juice?”