Peach-Orange! – Chapter 237 – Hidden Attachment

Even being this humble, Su Tao was willing.

As long as… as long as she could restore her relationship with Xiaocheng to how it used to be, she was willing to do anything!

She looked at Chi Xiaocheng expectantly, hoping for even the slightest nod of approval from the girl. No verbal response was needed, just the tiniest gesture would suffice.

Yet Chi Xiaocheng didn’t answer her. Instead, she handed over the last half-eaten piece of candied hawthorn from the skewer.

“Don’t want to eat it anymore.”

Su Tao took the candied hawthorn, staring at the half-piece with faint tooth marks, and sighed inwardly.

Of course, candied hawthorn was too plain as a gift. And this street vendor’s version didn’t seem very tasty. Not sweet enough, so Xiaocheng didn’t like it at all.

Holding the remaining half-piece, Su Tao asked softly, “If you don’t want it, should I throw it away?”

The moment she said this, both Chi Xiaocheng and the system in her mind fell silent.

[Host, she’s so dense.]

‘You think that’s why she’s so hard to romance?’

Chi Xiaocheng even suspected that, without the influence of the world’s will and the original author’s heavy-handed control, someone as emotionally dense as Su Tao wouldn’t have been manipulated by those male leads in the original story.

A dark line of exasperation flashed across her forehead. Chi Xiaocheng cranked up her acting skills, adding a hint of displeasure. “It’s for you to eat.”

Su Tao froze again, then smiled. “Right, throwing it away would be wasteful.”

She took a bite of the half-piece. The sweetness was overwhelming.

Didn’t Xiaocheng say it wasn’t sweet at all?

While she was still processing this, the same question she had asked earlier echoed in her ears:

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“Sweet?”

The tone was exactly like how she used to act when she was being coquettish.

The only difference was the lack of “Tao-Tao” at the beginning.

But even so, the soft, sticky question brought back fond memories.

Su Tao wiped the corner of her eye, her lips curling into a blissful smile. “Sweet….”

It wasn’t the candied hawthorn that was sweet. It was her.

The one right in front of her, the one she loved.

After savoring the half-piece slowly, Su Tao took out her phone and asked gently, “Xiaocheng, since we have time now, should we… call your parents for a video chat? When you were sick before, they said they missed you.”

“It’s so late. Mom and Dad must already be asleep, right?”

“You’re right. I’ll send a message to ask.”

Su Tao quickly lowered her head to type a message to Chi Xiaocheng’s father.

A few days ago, she had promised the elderly couple that she’d arrange a video call with Xiaocheng. Now that the misunderstanding between them was barely resolved, she didn’t want to delay any further and risk worrying them.

A reply came almost immediately.

“They said to wait a few minutes.”

“Okay.”

Of course, Chi Xiaocheng’s parents weren’t asleep. At this hour, they were still busy preparing for work the next day.

But the moment they received Su Tao’s message, the elderly couple glanced at their grubby clothes and immediately dashed into their room.

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“Old man, wear the one I bought you last year. Stop keeping it hidden. Look presentable, got it?”

“Yeah, yeah. And you, stop wearing that patched-up coat. Tao-Tao bought you a new one the year before last. Time to take it out.”

“I wear it every year, okay? Also, A’Cai, come meet Xiaocheng!”

“Woof!”

Parents always want to show their best side to their children. By the time the elderly couple finished fussing over their appearance, nearly ten minutes had passed.

They moved from the kitchen to the bed, turning the lights as bright as possible, posing like an affectionate old couple about to snuggle up for the night.

Meanwhile, Chi Xiaocheng did the same.

She scooted closer to the edge of the bed and patted the space beside her. “Stop standing there. Take off your shoes and coat, then come sit here.”

Su Tao didn’t quite understand. “Isn’t it inappropriate for me to get on the hospital bed?”

“Are you stupid? Do you want Mom and Dad to know we fought? Even if you have to fake it, pretend you like me. Get over here!”

Her voice turned commanding, like a superior issuing orders.

“But didn’t you say being close to me makes you uncomfortable right now?”

“This is an exception. If you keep dawdling, I’ll really start hating you.”

“Okay, okay.”

Su Tao nodded quickly, though her heart betrayed her by pounding erratically.

Even if… even if this closeness was just an act for her parents’ sake….

It had been so, so long since she last held Xiaocheng!

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Nervousness made her movements stiff.

Chi Xiaocheng could only sigh and direct her.

“Get under the blanket. Lean against the pillow a little, like you do at home.”

“O-Okay.”

“And move a bit more boldly. How are you going to hug me like this?”

“Hug you?”

“We’re sisters doing a video call. Do you want Mom and Dad to think we’re not close?”

“Right, right.”

“Tighter!!!”

Both sides were deliberately creating a warm atmosphere. Chi Xiaocheng’s parents didn’t want their daughters studying far away to worry about home.

Chi Xiaocheng shared the same intention, but… she had her own selfish motives.

In her plan, she was supposed to distance herself from Tao-Tao first, stoke her possessiveness, and then get together with her.

But… she really just wanted to be held.

She missed the warmth, the comfort, the faint fragrance on Tao-Tao, the soothing stories whispered in her ear, the sensation of being petted, and the meticulous care when Tao-Tao smoothed her hair.

‘Sorry, Tao-Tao. I can only resort to these little tricks to keep you close for a little while longer.’

Before the video call even connected, Chi Xiaocheng’s face betrayed contentment.

Her ultimate acting skills had failed.

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Longing and affection couldn’t be faked.

Luckily, she had taken emotion-numbing pills earlier, preventing herself from immediately throwing herself into Tao-Tao’s arms.

With only intermediate acting skills left, Chi Xiaocheng maintained her expression.

A ding sounded. Chi Xiaocheng’s father had initiated the video call. She reached out to answer it but turned to Su Tao with a warning tone.

“Act normal when showing affection, got it? Do whatever you need to pretend, but stop staring at my face. Look at the camera!”

“O-Okay!”

Su Tao nodded lightly, her nose twitching as she greedily inhaled Xiaocheng’s scent.

Her gaze was infatuated.

Over the past two months, even at home, in Chi Xiaocheng’s room, under her blankets, her scent had long faded.

The sachet Su Tao carried with her everywhere had originally carried Xiaocheng’s fragrance too.

But as time passed since Xiaocheng’s “death,” even the sachet had lost its scent.

It had become a cold memento of memories.

But now….

That familiar scent, touch, voice, softness, all of it was right here, held in her arms.

Xiaocheng Xiaocheng Xiaocheng Xiaocheng Xiaocheng Xiaocheng Xiaocheng Xiaocheng Xiaocheng…!

—I love you.