Peach-Orange! – Chapter 148 – The Original Story’s Ending

Washing herself, tidying her appearance.

Chi Xiaocheng covered her scarred face, carrying a mix of nervousness, anticipation, and hatred for Ye Liang as she arrived outside Su Tao’s hospital room.

Ye Liang stood beside her, hunched over as he threatened, “You know what you can and can’t say. Because of what you did to her, her recovery isn’t looking good.

“If she gets angry, if she gets upset, it could lead to the worst outcome!

“And me? I can always choose not to save her. But if you cooperate this time, I might just let you go.”

In the dream, Chi Xiaocheng pressed her lips together and nodded firmly at Ye Liang.

To Su Tao, the observer, the sight was heartbreaking.

“No, Xiaocheng! Don’t! Ye Liang is lying! Don’t agree to this!”

But no matter how loudly she screamed, the dream remained just a dream.

And she was merely an observer.

The Chi Xiaocheng inside couldn’t hear her.

No matter how desperately she reached out, Chi Xiaocheng had already stepped into the hospital room.

After so long apart, she finally faced the dream version of Su Tao again.

Seeing the gaunt, exhausted expression on the girl in the hospital bed, Chi Xiaocheng froze, her mind in chaos. All the words she had prepared vanished, leaving her stammering like a child who had done something wrong.

Just as she tried to speak, Su Tao turned away in panic, as if ashamed of her ruined face and unwilling to let anyone see it.

A cold, detached voice slowly spoke:

“Why did you even come here?”

A thousand things she wanted to say turned into a suffocating lump in her throat.

Chi Xiaocheng lifted her head slightly. Under the shadow of her hood, the light in her eyes seemed to dim.

She took a step forward, her words stumbling.

“Tao-Tao, no— I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just… I just wanted to protect you. I—”

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Su Tao remained turned away, her voice still flat.

“Just leave.”

It sounded like a rejection.

Not even giving her a chance to explain.

Chi Xiaocheng reached out, trying desperately to grasp the shadow of the girl who wouldn’t face her.

‘But… Tao-Tao doesn’t even want to see me anymore.’

Would holding onto her even matter?

It would only make her sadder. Only hurt her more.

‘Maybe… my leaving is what’s best for her?’

The outstretched hand finally dropped limply to her side.

Chi Xiaocheng lowered her head, tugging her hood further down with her thumb and forefinger.

The brim completely hid her ruined face… and buried her heart along with it.

“…I’m sorry.”

A thousand emotions condensed into those two words.

She turned around, her footsteps heavy as she dragged herself toward the door.

Among those present:

Chi Xiaocheng left in despair.

Ye Liang smirked in triumph.

And the dream Su Tao, though her back was turned, kept her gaze fixed on the small mirror by the bedside table, reflecting Chi Xiaocheng’s lonely, retreating figure.

Only Su Tao, the real Su Tao, the observer, understood this was all a terrible misunderstanding.

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She rushed in front of Chi Xiaocheng, trying to grab the girl’s shoulders, but her transparent hands passed right through.

Tears streamed down her face as she whispered hoarsely:

“It’s not like this… It’s not like this!

“Xiaocheng, turn around! Look at me! I don’t hate you! How could I ever hate you?!

“Just say a few more words… Please!

“I just— I just didn’t want you to see my ruined face. I didn’t want you to feel guilty. I didn’t want you to hurt even more after seeing I was okay. That’s why I told you to leave!

“The ‘me’ in this dream… I was just afraid that if I looked at you any longer, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from hugging you. I was afraid you’d see how weak I really am!”

But no matter how loudly she screamed, Chi Xiaocheng couldn’t hear her.

She had already reached the door.

One last time, she glanced back at the figure by the bed.

“The ‘me’ in the dream, the ‘me’ lying there! Turn around! Turn around!!

“Xiaocheng is looking at us! She needs us!

Tears blurred her vision.

Chi Xiaocheng’s last hope had turned to true despair.

That final glance… became their farewell.

Su Tao couldn’t interfere with the dream’s course.

Chi Xiaocheng followed Ye Liang out.

Then—

A scream echoed from the hallway.

Su Tao rushed out just in time to see Chi Xiaocheng, with a face twisted in fury, plunging a small knife into Ye Liang’s side, as if determined to die with him.

But Ye Liang was a grown man, strong and healthy.

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She was just a frail, malnourished girl who hadn’t rested properly in who knew how long.

Like an enraged lion, Ye Liang clutched his waist and swept his leg out, kicking Chi Xiaocheng aside.

By the time the dream Su Tao made it to the door, drawn by the noise, Ye Liang was groaning in pain.

And Chi Xiaocheng, like a criminal who had accomplished her mission, fled in panic.

“I knew she wouldn’t change! All that obedience was an act! She just tried to kill me!”

Ye Liang milked his injury, poisoning the dream Su Tao’s thoughts.

“Su Tao, is this what you call a ‘good sister’? After everything I’ve done for you and her! After forgiving her, giving her food, clothes, a place to stay… and she tries to murder me?!”

Every word was a nail hammered into the dream Su Tao’s heart.

Each vibration whispered:

The Xiaocheng you knew is gone.

Months of misunderstandings and hostility flooded her mind, culminating in that dark little room—

The knife slicing her cheek.

Stabbing her chest.

The pain carving into her soul.

A look of disappointment, carefully cultivated by Ye Liang, slowly crept onto the dream Su Tao’s face.

No matter how desperately the real Su Tao screamed beside her, she couldn’t wake this blinded version of herself.

All she could do was stare hatefully at Ye Liang.

At this hypocrite she had once thought… wasn’t so bad.

The dream continued.

Orange and peach had become two parallel lines that would never meet again.

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The injured Ye Liang no longer bothered hiding.

He launched a full-scale manhunt for Chi Xiaocheng.

In this dream world, the story unfolded in the opposite direction of reality.

Dongfang Yang, who got along well with Chi Xiaocheng in reality, was one of her many detractors here.

Si Chen, who occasionally spoke up for her, wouldn’t interfere in this “farce.”

Chen Qian and Xiao Wei, who might have sided with her, were ordinary people who knew nothing.

Xiaocheng never had many friends to begin with.

Without Su Tao….

She was abandoned by the entire world.

Barely clinging to life, she was eventually caught by Ye Liang.

Beaten. Tortured.

Ye Liang forced her to write a suicide note to Su Tao, but Chi Xiaocheng knew he just wanted to use her.

No matter how much it hurt, she never begged for mercy.

In the end, she was left broken, barely recognizable as human.

By the time the dream Su Tao realized something was wrong and started searching for the missing Chi Xiaocheng….

The trail led to Ye Liang’s lackeys.

With no way to hide Chi Xiaocheng anymore, they simply threw her into the sea, drowning her alive.

After all….

She was just a stray cat hiding in the trash.

No one would miss her.