Peach-Orange! – Chapter 160 – Alive, But Not Quite Alive

Late at night, the hospital was quiet with only a few night-shift nurses on duty.

A 1.9-meter-tall man walked in through the entrance and headed straight for the fifth floor.

“Young Master Si Chen, you’re here so late?”

“Yeah, I’m here to see Chi Xiaocheng. Where is she?”

“Miss Chi… I’ll take you there. Such a beautiful and lovely girl, yet something like this happened to her… sigh….”

Following the nurse, Si Chen soon stood before Chi Xiaocheng.

Three days had passed. Apart from when the incident first occurred, this was his first time coming to see this troubled girl.

Si Chen entered the room, turned on a small lamp, and closed the door behind him. Looking at her serene, sleeping face, he sighed. “Chi Xiaocheng, Chi Xiaocheng… why did it have to be like this? First the suicide attempt, and now this accident.

“For your sake, I even got ‘Never Love Tao’ tattooed on my back. I even guided Su Tao to be your wingwoman, all for your plan.

“I was already imagining your wedding with Su Tao after her father returned, me standing as your best man, then riding on her dad’s coattails to reclaim my place in the Si family….

“Ugh!”

Si Chen pulled up a chair and sat down, clenching his fists and punching his own thigh.

Because of Ye Liang’s actions, his easy path to revenge had become difficult again.

After a long silence, Si Chen suddenly noticed something odd.

Apart from the ECG monitor, Chi Xiaocheng’s body was hooked up to various other devices.

She was even on an IV drip, as if being supplied with nutrients.

In an instant, Si Chen stood up, realizing something was off.

Rеaԁ оո ΚatRеaⅾіոɡCafе

“If she’s really dead, shouldn’t they be preserving the body? Why are they still trying to save her?”

Though he wasn’t medically knowledgeable, he had seen enough of the world to recognize that the equipment and medications being used were undoubtedly top-tier.

“This is way too suspicious!”

Without exaggeration, Si Chen was the person who understood Chi Xiaocheng best, especially her yandere tendencies.

There was only one likely explanation for this situation.

“Chi Xiaocheng is faking her death!”

The moment this thought surfaced, everything clicked into place.

Just like her previous suicide attempt, this was all part of a plan to manipulate Su Tao!

If this was premeditated, it would also explain why they were still using such expensive life-support equipment despite her being “dead.” Maybe….

“Maybe even the ECG is fake.”

Si Chen stared at the flatline on the monitor, his gaze sharpening with realization.

Taking a deep breath, he confirmed there were no cameras, locked the door and windows, then spoke solemnly to Chi Xiaocheng. “Chi Xiaocheng, drop the act. I know you’re faking. It’s just us here. We can discuss what comes next.”

No response.

Si Chen frowned. “There’s no need for this. Do you really not trust me anymore?”

Strange.

Had he guessed wrong?

After ten seconds of silence, Si Chen’s expression hardened. Lowering his voice, he said, “Chi Xiaocheng, if you’re really gone, it’d be such a waste. I’ll be honest, I’ve actually always had feelings for Su Tao.

Rеаd οn KatRеаⅾіոgСαfe

“With you gone, she won’t have anyone else to love.

“So I’ll reluctantly take care of her for you.”

Si Chen sighed dramatically. “When we get married someday, I’ll burn some incense at your grave and— holy shit?!”

Before he could finish, he stumbled back in shock.

The ECG, which had been a flatline, suddenly flickered, showing a tiny, erratic spike!

At the same time, Chi Xiaocheng’s hand, resting outside the blanket, twitched slightly, just her index finger curling for a split second.

Her face remained peaceful, as if nothing had happened.

But Si Chen wasn’t fooled. He had clearly seen her move!

Password correct. Boot sequence initiated.

Even without full consciousness, a voice echoed in Chi Xiaocheng’s mind.

[Host confirmed deceased….]

[Substitute Straw Doll activation successful….]

[Current status: Suspended death]

[“Orange Cells” derived from straw doll currently repairing body…]

[Remaining repair time: 46 days]

[Detected strong will to awaken]

Reаⅾ оn ΚαtRеαⅾingCαfе

[Consciousness forcibly rousing….]

[Welcome back, Host.]

The figure on the bed remained motionless. Unbeknownst to Si Chen, who had already stripped off his shirt (despite the cold) to show off his “Never Love Tao” tattoo, Chi Xiaocheng was indeed in a state of “death.”

She wouldn’t wake until her body finished repairing itself.

Meanwhile, in Chi Xiaocheng’s room, inside a small drawer, a straw doll’s eyes suddenly glowed red.

“System, where is Si Chen?”

The doll’s mouth moved, producing a voice that was both sweet and eerie.

This doll, adorable except for the gaping hole in its chest, now had crimson eyes that gleamed ominously in the dark drawer.

The system hurriedly responded.

[Host, calm down! You’re technically dead right now!]

Chi Xiaocheng took two steps before realizing something was off. She had become a straw doll!

“System, what’s going on? Explain.”

Her memories stopped at the moment the sniper’s bullet hit her.

The pain had been overwhelming. She had truly believed she was dying.

In those blank, final moments, she had even forgotten about the Substitute Straw Doll. With her last strength, she had confessed everything to Su Tao, her feelings, her hopes.

And then….

She woke up like this.

Rеаⅾ οո КαtReαⅾіոɡСαfе

[Host, you were confirmed dead and entered suspended death. After the Substitute Straw Doll activated, the “Orange Cells” implanted in your body began slowly repairing it. Normally, you’d only vaguely sense the outside world in this state.]

[You weren’t supposed to wake until repairs finished, but Si Chen triggered your overwhelming will to awaken.]

[Your original body is too damaged to sustain consciousness yet.]

[So I transferred your consciousness to this Substitute Straw Doll.]

Alive, but not quite alive.

Chi Xiaocheng roughly understood, she was only “alive” thanks to the system, while the strange cells in her body were some kind of medical miracle.

But in this supernatural doll form, wouldn’t she scare people to death if they saw her?

More importantly, what could a tiny doll even do?

“Wait….”

Chi Xiaocheng suddenly remembered—she wasn’t completely powerless.

She slowly checked her skill panel.

[Disguise (Intermediate)] [Can transform to mimic another’s appearance, including height, bone structure, etc. Limited to female forms. Cannot violate basic human biology. Usable once per week. Duration: 3 hours.]

……

Author Note

PS: No doppelgänger drama here. The author finds NTR way too toxic. Tao-Tao would never fall for some “replacement” of Xiaocheng. Orange-Apple is 1V1 pure love, locked in forever. The author won’t poison you, rest assured.

As for what comes next… don’t rush, dear readers. The story unfolds through gradual buildup. All the knives, sugar, psychological twists, and yandere goodness you want? They’re coming.