Peach-Orange! – Chapter 207 – Is She Human or Ghost?

[Host, you have 7 days left until resurrection. Basic physical repair is 80% complete. Starting tomorrow noon, your heart will resume beating.]

[At that time, you may freely transfer your consciousness back to your original body. However, in a vegetative state, you will be unable to move or wake, only able to hear and perceive your surroundings.]

[Current body state: Suspended animation.]

[Next state approaching: Moderate debilitation.]

[Time remaining until awakening: 7 days and 12 hours.]

Time flew by, and February arrived.

The depths of winter were coming to an end, with new sprouts stubbornly pushing through the snow, heralding the approach of spring.

Chi Xiaocheng knew she was about to be resurrected and looked forward to seeing her Tao-Tao again after waking.

She longed to feel her breath, her warmth, her care and concern.

But what she hadn’t anticipated was that the method of resurrection relied on her orange cells to heal her body, even restarting her stopped heart.

This outcome had both advantages and drawbacks.

The drawback, naturally, was the look of extreme shock, even disbelief, on Su Tao’s face when she “came back to life.”

Chi Xiaocheng had imagined this scene more than once: Su Tao growing increasingly lonely and despondent in her absence, becoming numb to life, occasionally visiting the hospital to glance at her corpse and reminisce about the past.

Then, she would regret not doing things differently, not making the right choices.

Crushed by pain and torment, one day she would drag her exhausted body back to the hospital—

Only to find her sitting quietly on the hospital bed.

A white sheet draped over her, a small hospital gown covering her frame, her chestnut hair framing a sweet, expectant smile.

And then she would say:

—”Tao-Tao, welcome home.”

Even if it was a hospital.

Reaⅾ οո KatRеaⅾіnɡCаfе

Wherever I am, that’s your home.

…

However, this was merely a future scenario Chi Xiaocheng had envisioned before her suspended animation.

Perhaps it was even a possibility in a different timeline.

But in this timeline, she had softened, and Su Tao’s resilience had proven remarkably strong.

Chi Xiaocheng couldn’t bear to watch from afar as Su Tao buckled under pressure, sinking into suffering before finally growing numb, breaking down, or even contemplating suicide.

She had experienced this kind of abandonment herself. It was unbearable.

So she gave her dreams. Gave her hope. Guided her forward.

And Su Tao’s resilience held firm. In the days without her, she stepped forward with strength, head held high, refusing to let her tears fall to the ground.

Now, Chi Xiaocheng was different from before.

Letting Tao-Tao know she would eventually revive might actually be a good thing.

She would keep hoping, perhaps even praying to distant gods, devoting more time to the revitalized version of herself.

And what would happen when that hope peaked, only to be dashed in an instant?

‘You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.’

She understood now, but not enough.

‘If her possessiveness toward me isn’t overflowing, wouldn’t she still go off and interact with others?’

She was even more eager to wake up now.

Chi Xiaocheng said to the system, “Once my heart starts beating tomorrow noon, transfer my consciousness back.”

[Understood.]

Rеаⅾ oո KαtRеaⅾiոɡСafe

The night passed quickly.

On the bright side, King had become much more obedient since gaining the ability to communicate simply.

Though she still occasionally carried her around in her mouth.

But by noon the next day, before her heart had even restarted, a small mishap caused her consciousness to return to her body prematurely.

Her awareness expanded outward, her ears picking up the faint beeping of the machines around her.

But more noticeable than those sounds was the conversation gradually approaching from outside the door.

“Miss Su Tao, don’t worry. There’s no situation I, Chu Lingfeng, haven’t seen before! My Thirteen Taiyi Needles technique has been praised by countless people!

“No matter the illness or injury, as long as the person isn’t dead, I can bring them back!”

Alongside that obnoxiously arrogant voice, Chi Xiaocheng heard another; clear, sweet, and moving.

“What about suspended animation? Can you fix that?”

“Suspended animation is just a symptom, not actual death. Of course, it’s no problem.”

“That’s wonderful! If you can wake Xiaocheng up, I’ll make sure Dongfang Yang properly thanks you. He could even recommend you to higher authorities. Wouldn’t that mean we could finally find cures for long-standing diseases like cancer and AIDS?”

“Uh… Maybe we should take a look at your friend’s condition first.”

He deftly sidestepped the topic.

Then, Su Tao pushed open the half-ajar door.

And who walked in but Su Tao and Chu Lingfeng?

Chi Xiaocheng was currently “hiding” inside her body, listening to their exchange, and she wasn’t happy.

She’d only been gone for one night and one morning.

And Su Tao had already sought out Chu Lingfeng again!

Rеаd оn КаtReаdinɡСαfe

Whether in the original story or reality, this guy was rotten inside and out. Why was she still getting close to him?

Tao-Tao isn’t behaving. Cheng-Cheng isn’t happy.

But there was nothing she could do now except listen to Chu Lingfeng’s boasting.

Then, under Su Tao’s hopeful gaze and Professor Su’s thoughtful observation, Chu Lingfeng approached the bedside.

His eyes landed on Chi Xiaocheng’s face.

He froze for two seconds.

“Holy—!”

Chu Lingfeng stumbled back, his flailing arm nearly yanking out one of the machine’s wires.

Su Tao and Professor Su both turned to him. “What’s wrong?”

Swallowing hard, Chu Lingfeng stared in terror. “Miss Su Tao… this person… is really your friend?”

“Yes?”

“But didn’t you say she’s been in suspended animation for a month?”

This girl was unmistakably the assassin he’d seen at the birthday banquet!

Even with her hood up, he’d caught a glimpse of her face when she sliced off half his ear.

Those cat-like crimson vertical pupils, that delicate yet chillingly beautiful face… he could never forget it.

‘And now you’re telling me she’s been dead for a month?’

‘Then what did I see that night?’

A ghost?!

Chu Lingfeng whipped toward Professor Su. “Doctor, can I see her medical reports?”

Rеad оn KаtReαⅾiոɡCаfe

His complete lack of composure made Professor Su frown.

But remembering Dongfang Yang’s instructions, she nodded.

Pulling out a few files from a drawer, she said, “You can only see the basic reports.”

The deeper ones, about her cells and physical condition, weren’t going anywhere.

But it was enough for Chu Lingfeng to get a rough idea.

He urgently scanned the dates.

“From a month ago… gunshot wound… cardiac arrest but body in stable condition… preliminary diagnosis as shock-induced suspended animation… still unconscious….”

Then he checked the ECG. A flatline.

If this girl had really been lying here for a month, then what the hell had he seen at the banquet?

His lips went dry. Stiffly, he turned back. “Miss Su Tao… does this girl have a twin sister?”

Su Tao found his reaction odd. “Miracle Doctor Chu, Xiaocheng grew up with me. What does that have to do with her condition?”

Now, Chu Lingfeng didn’t dare step forward at all.

He no longer knew whether what he’d encountered was a ghost or something else.

Were those hallucinations really just hallucinations?

And just then—

Beep.

The ECG emitted a single, crisp sound.

The once-flat line began to show faint, erratic waves.