Peach-Orange! – Chapter 232 – Out with the Old, In with the New

In reality, this wasn’t absurd. Su Tao knew she was overthinking things. Not everyone was like Xiaocheng, after all, liking girls.

Fang Ning seemed like just an ordinary girl with a somewhat tragic background, a little bit stubborn and lonely.

It was just that, being in a position where Xiaocheng was cold toward her, seeing someone else treated well made her instinctively imagine the worst.

Su Tao took a quiet breath and silently withdrew her gaze.

She didn’t disturb the two of them. Her appearance now would only bring harm, not good.

Before the misunderstanding was resolved, Xiaocheng would still dislike her.

Su Tao quietly took the elevator and left. Walking down the somewhat desolate street, she noticed many people were doing a thorough cleaning.

“If there’s nothing else to do, maybe I should go home and do a big clean today?”

Having shut herself away for a while, she hadn’t cleaned the house in a long time.

To avoid thinking about Fang Ning and Xiaocheng, Su Tao shook her head and decided to go home to feed King first.

But in the two days she hadn’t been home, King had already found the cat food she’d hidden away.

The lightly closed cabinet had been pried open, cat food scattered all over the floor, and the once-tidy room was now a mess.

Su Tao’s lips twitched. When she looked up at the window, she met King’s eyes.

The cat was holding a ball of yarn it had picked up from who-knows-where, its entire body covered in dirt.

After a brief stare-off between human and cat—

King leaped from the windowsill onto the bed, leaving muddy paw prints all over the blanket, making Su Tao’s smile grow increasingly “pleasant.”

“King, come here~”

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Su Tao crouched down with a smile and beckoned to the cat.

King meowed happily and trotted over to her.

And then—

A chokehold. Su Tao grabbed King by the neck, twisting its ears hard with her other hand. “You damn cat! Two days without supervision and you’re trying to tear the house apart, huh?!

“This is my and Xiaocheng’s house! That blanket is for Xiaocheng to use when she comes back!

“How am I supposed to dry it in this weather?!

“You’ve got some nerve!”

After a thorough scolding, the slightly enlightened cat was sent to bathe itself.

But she had planned to clean anyway.

If Xiaocheng came back to a spotless home, wouldn’t she be happy?

“Out with the old, in with the new” —wasn’t that exactly what this was?

Rolling up her sleeves and tying her hair up high, she thought the focus and exhaustion of cleaning would let her briefly forget about Chi Xiaocheng.

But as she tidied, every little thing she found made her reminisce.

About the good old days.

About the painful memories.

The fruit knife stored in the drawer was still as shiny as ever.

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At night, she didn’t sleep at home.

Instead, she went to the hospital. It had been three days since Chi Xiaocheng woke up, and with the help of a nurse, she could barely stand now.

Her body was recovering remarkably fast.

Professor Su approached Su Tao. “Miss Su, given Miss Chi’s current condition, I think we can start trying to revive her past memories. I’d like to hear your thoughts.”

“Me?” Su Tao was taken aback.

She hadn’t actually decided whether she wanted Xiaocheng’s memories restored.

Even putting her own feelings aside, she wasn’t sure she wanted Chi Xiaocheng to recall all that pain.

Like the story the old man had told.

She was afraid something might happen to Chi Xiaocheng.

She asked Professor Su, “Does it have to be so urgent?”

“Well…” Professor Su hesitated. “Not exactly. But given how quickly her body is recovering, she might be able to leave the hospital briefly before New Year’s Eve. If things go well, she could even go home for a day or two.

“If that happens, restoring her memories will become harder to control. After all, your home with her must be where most of her memories are, right?”

Su Tao pressed her lips together, thinking for a long time. “Can I have a couple more days to decide? Maybe we could start by telling her about Ye Liang’s death?”

“That’s possible too. I’ll have Dongfang Yang tell her tomorrow. As for you… I still think it’s best if you don’t see Miss Chi for now.”

Professor Su sighed softly. “Naturally, this might be hard for you, but I’m advising this as a doctor, considering Miss Chi’s condition.”

‘If you really want to see her, I can’t stop you.’

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That was the unspoken message Professor Su was conveying.

Hearing this, Su Tao forced a smile. “Don’t worry, Professor Su. I understand. Xiaocheng’s treatment comes first. Just being able to see her occasionally like this is enough for me now.”

Then she lowered her head and murmured quietly,

“Yeah… I should be satisfied.”

“Also, Mr. Chi Song is here. You could talk to him too.”

With that, Professor Su left Su Tao’s room.

The good news was that Chi Xiaocheng’s impressions of Chi Song and Brother Long hadn’t soured. Without memories of Su Tao, in her mind, Chi Song and Brother Long were the ones who had saved her many times.

Hiding outside the window, Su Tao saw them chatting happily.

Chi Xiaocheng was well-behaved, effortlessly making Brother Long laugh as he rubbed his bald head.

Two rough-looking men covered in scars and tattoos, and one frail little girl… it was a scene that could easily be misunderstood.

But their warm, joyful smiles made the moment feel genuinely heartwarming.

Regarding Chi Xiaocheng’s memories, the two men had different opinions.

Brother Long: “If remembering means reliving pain, I think it’s better to let Little Xiaocheng stay happy like this.”

His thoughts aligned somewhat with Su Tao’s. As he spoke in the hallway, he occasionally glanced back at Chi Xiaocheng’s room.

Chi Song, however, looked Su Tao in the eye when he spoke. “As much as I’m glad Xiaocheng is happy now… I’d still like to see you and Xiaocheng smiling together again. Whatever you choose, I won’t blame you.”

With that, Chi Song said goodbye. “Brother Long and I are heading back to Lizhi City soon. This New Year’s… I won’t be coming home. If you go back, tell Mom I’m sorry for me.

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“That’s all.”

Quick to come, quick to leave.

For Chi Song, he didn’t need to see his little sister every day.

As long as he knew she was safe, that was enough motivation to keep moving forward.

The next day, Dongfang Yang told Chi Xiaocheng about Ye Liang’s death, trying to subtly clear Su Tao’s name in her memory.

Peeking through the window, Su Tao saw them talking happily.

In the afternoon, Si Chen visited the hospital and also had a cheerful conversation with Chi Xiaocheng.

Fang Ning, Dongfang Yang, Si Chen….

And then Xiaocheng.

Su Tao felt like these people were slipping away from her, one by one.

Another night passed. Five days until New Year’s Eve.

Su Tao was still on the rooftop, letting the wind brush past her as she gazed at the starry sky. “Maybe tomorrow I’ll finally be able to apologize to Xiaocheng properly. But after that… what do I do?”

Her phone buzzed lightly in her pocket.

She pulled it out absentmindedly, and a glimmer of surprise flickered in her dazed eyes.

Dr. Cheng: “I’ve been too busy lately to check my phone. Miss Peach, what’s happened recently?”