Peach-Orange! – Chapter 173 – The Irreplaceable Her

Chengcheng was about the same height as Chi Xiaocheng; just over 150 cm but not quite 160. The difference was that Chengcheng had long brown hair and wore glasses, with ordinary black eyes.

But when she took off her glasses, that delicate face made Su Tao momentarily hallucinate that it was Chi Xiaocheng.

There was a slight resemblance, but only… a slight one.

Had her longing for Xiaocheng reached this level?

Su Tao felt dazed and shook her head.

When she looked up, she saw the girl in front of her pouting unhappily. “Hey, Tao-Tao, the name you just called wasn’t mine, was it? It was Xiaocheng? The ‘cheng’ for ‘orange’?

“Substituting someone else the moment we meet… seems like your love for Xiaocheng isn’t all that strong.” Chengcheng crossed her arms and snorted. “How rude.”

Su Tao had initially felt a little embarrassed, but now she grew anxious. “Chengcheng, that’s not what I meant! My feelings for Xiaocheng are real!”

“Oh?”

Chengcheng turned her head, adjusting the oversized, old-fashioned black-framed glasses. “Truth?”

“Truth!”

Su Tao nodded earnestly.

Yet, Chengcheng kept staring into her eyes and asked again, “Is it really the truth? The kind of truth you’d say to your Xiaocheng?”

The moment those words were spoken, Su Tao’s open mouth froze.

If she had truly understood her own feelings, the “affection” meter on Chi Xiaocheng’s status glasses wouldn’t have stayed below the passing line.

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Under Chengcheng’s skeptical gaze, Su Tao ultimately faltered. “Alright, maybe not entirely the truth. I just feel… I should love Xiaocheng.”

She glanced at Chengcheng again, then looked away.

Somehow, those eyes behind the glasses felt like they could see right through her.

Su Tao sighed. “Xiaocheng is gone. When she was alive, she wanted me to love her. All this time, I’ve been… giving myself psychological hints to love her. And now—

“It doesn’t even matter if it’s real or fake anymore. I love her, and no one can change that.”

Only after losing her did she want to cherish those feelings.

All this time, she had told herself it was pretend.

She hadn’t wanted to acknowledge those emotions.

But now, she wanted to discard the word “pretend.”

No longer choosing to deceive Chi Xiaocheng, but to deceive herself.

Chengcheng sighed. “Seriously, I came here to chat, and right after meeting, we’re already on such a heavy topic? Go get me a coffee.”

“Why don’t you get it yourself? I already paid.”

“How rude. From now on, you have to call me ‘senior,’ got it? Do you think I came all this way for nothing? Hurry up!”

“Fine, fine. What do you want?”

“Orange C Americano. With a ton of sugar.”

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Su Tao froze slightly upon hearing that.

That was Xiaocheng’s favorite drink. And she, too, liked it with a ton of sugar.

She pressed her lips together, not saying anything, but as she stood up, King, who had been bossing around her underlings, seemed to sense something.

With a “meow,” she excitedly ran over.

Su Tao thought King was coming to her.

She spread her arms, only for King to bypass her entirely and try to leap into Chengcheng’s lap.

But Chengcheng immediately pinched King’s face. “Oh, you, get lost, you stupid cat! I hate tabbies!”

“Um… Senior, my King has a bit of a temper. If you say that….”

She had barely finished speaking when, contrary to expectations, King remained happily clinging to Chengcheng.

Watching the two play-fight, Su Tao opened her mouth but ultimately turned away in silence to order the coffee.

By the time she returned, King had curled up into a ball on Chengcheng’s lap.

The girl was fiddling with her phone, seemingly chatting with someone.

Su Tao said slowly, “Honestly, Senior, you’re not what I expected.”

Taking the coffee from Su Tao, Chengcheng rolled her eyes. “Are you seriously about to talk about height right now? Rude.”

“No, no.” Su Tao chuckled softly and shook her head. “I imagined Senior would be more energetic and around my height… more of a ‘young girl’ type.”

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Who would’ve thought that the online friend she’d chatted with for so long would turn out to be a petite girl?

She looked about 156 cm?

Somewhere between a “loli” and a “young girl,” just a bit taller than Xiaocheng.

Chengcheng didn’t mind the topic and replied flatly, “Didn’t have enough to eat as a kid so I couldn’t grow taller. But you’re the one who surprised me, Tao-Tao.”

Su Tao joked lightly, a rare occurrence, “Surprised I’m this good-looking?”

“Surprised your energy isn’t worse.” Chengcheng ruffled King’s fur. “I thought your mental state would be more fragile. I even prepared a bunch of comforting words.”

“I’m… actually okay now.” Su Tao took out her phone and turned on the screen. The wallpaper was a picture of Xiaocheng sleeping adorably in bed.

A reminiscent smile touched her lips. “I’ve just gotten used to being alone. Gotten used to that hollow feeling in my heart.”

The two had always gotten along well as online friends, and now, meeting in person, Su Tao truly felt the weight of the word “kindred spirit.”

Many of Chengcheng’s topics aligned perfectly with her tastes, and they shared a lot of favorite things.

Their compatibility was almost uncanny, as if such a miraculous connection really existed in the world.

But as their conversation neared its end, Su Tao still felt melancholy. “Senior, you’re really comforting as a friend, but… I still can’t fully accept it.”

Chengcheng tilted her head curiously. “Can’t accept what?”

“To be honest, Chengcheng, you and Xiaocheng are a little too similar.” Su Tao looked at her. “Same height, about 30% resemblance in looks, overlapping preferences, and even King likes you just as much. I know this might upset you,

“But I really feel like you were arranged by fate.

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“Xiaocheng left me, and then you appeared by my side.

“With 30% of her likeness, as if you’re here to replace her… to push her out of my memories.”

Su Tao pressed her lips together. “That’s why it’s hard to accept.”

Chengcheng raised an eyebrow, asking casually, “Then what do you really think? About me, and about your Xiaocheng who’s already gone?”

Su Tao shook her head faintly. “Like I said, I can’t accept that fate made me meet you at this time.

“It already took Xiaocheng away, now it wants to take her existence, my memories of her.

“Even if you’re 30% like her, no one can replace Xiaocheng in my heart.”

In the end, it was only a slight resemblance.

But that resemblance couldn’t soothe the pain in her heart. It only made her miss that girl even more.

After listening, Chengcheng turned her face slightly when Su Tao wasn’t looking and smiled faintly. “Don’t worry. Maybe one day your Xiaocheng will come back. Hearing this would make her really happy.”

Su Tao smiled bitterly and shook her head. “There’s no way she’s coming back.”

She was dead.

Yet this online friend, meeting her for the first time, looked at her with absolute seriousness and said with conviction, “Tao-Tao, you have to believe in miracles. If life has no hope left, what’s there to look forward to?”

‘If I say she’ll come back, then she will.’