Peach-Orange! – Chapter 254 – The Distance Grows Closer

The small balloon was hit, and the grand prize, a Grey Wolf plush toy, was claimed, bringing mixed emotions to the crowd.

Su Tao cheered joyfully on the side. Despite spending a considerable amount of money, she still wanted to maintain her dignified image as the “older sister.” Suppressing the tears that would later accompany her boiled-egg diet, she immediately called for the stall owner to hand her the plush toy.

At this moment, she even felt the urge to hug Chi Xiaocheng.

But their relationship had only just begun to thaw, leaving her hesitant.

In the past, she might have leaned in without a second thought.

As for Chi Xiaocheng, needless to say, she clapped her hands excitedly, her little canine teeth peeking out in anticipation.

She couldn’t help but marvel inwardly: the female lead truly lived up to her role.

Luck was on her side.

Usually, stalls like this tweak the toy guns to maximize profits, but this owner seemed to be a step ahead. Whether he had a hidden remote or some other trick up his sleeve, he had practically eliminated the element of luck.

After pretending to be a yandere to scare him, causing him to drop the remote, Su Tao was so flustered she could barely aim. Yet, with one shot, she somehow managed to hit the smallest balloon.

To think that out of 50 previous shots, whether at medium or tiny balloons, none had hit the three center targets….

If not for the owner’s interference, Chi Xiaocheng suspected that Su Tao, as the female lead, could have won the grand prize with a single shot.

But still.…

Watching Su Tao proudly hand the Grey Wolf plush to her, Chi Xiaocheng curled her lips into a smile and hugged the one-meter-tall, big, and soft plush tightly.

In a sweet, syrupy voice, she said, “Thank you, Tao-Tao~”

Her tone was soft and adorable, brimming with affection.

There was no need to tell Tao-Tao the truth. Her efforts alone had won the Grey Wolf for Chi Xiaocheng.

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This outcome would bring her immense emotional satisfaction and happiness.

That was enough.

As for the stall owner, racking his brains, he couldn’t figure out how dropping the remote had led to the grand prize being claimed.

After handing the plush to Chi Xiaocheng, Su Tao couldn’t help but grumble with lingering pain, “We spent a full 520 yuan… we almost lost out.”

“Not a loss at all~” Chi Xiaocheng hugged the plush and leaned closer to Su Tao, letting one of the toy’s arms brush against her before playfully nuzzling her with it.

“I like the number 520.”

Besides, who said the money was truly spent?

Chi Xiaocheng approached the stall owner and whispered, “Uncle, we don’t need the small prizes for the popped balloons. Can you refund us 300 yuan instead?”

The owner’s expression, previously lost in thought, instantly turned stern. “Little girl, are you trying to kill me? At most, I can refund you 10 yuan per small prize if you don’t want them.”

Chi Xiaocheng pulled out her phone and shook it, feigning innocence. “I’ve been recording a video the whole time. Uncle, didn’t you drop… a piece of gum earlier?”

The owner’s face froze.

Instinctively, he stretched out a foot and stepped on the tiny remote.

Then, he looked at this seemingly sweet and innocent girl.

His earlier terrifying glimpse definitely wasn’t a hallucination.

This little one was clearly not as pure as she appeared!

A seasoned veteran, the owner immediately took out his phone. “Fine, since you’re so cute, I’ll refund you 300.”

This area was Jiuzhou City’s “wealthy district.” There was no telling if this beautiful girl was some family’s young princess.

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She had offered him a way out while ensuring he didn’t lose too much. He had no reason to refuse.

After scanning the code and processing the refund, only Su Tao stood there, baffled.

Giving up those small prizes actually got them 300 yuan back?

Maybe the uncle was truly won over by Xiaocheng’s cuteness?

She didn’t fully understand, but one sentence stuck in her mind:

‘I like the number 520.’

Xiaocheng had said it to her. Did that mean she was slowly reverting to her old self, starting to like her again?

Without reviving those painful memories, staying as innocent and adorable as she was now, bridging the gap between them, growing closer step by step, until she fell for her once more.

Then, returning to how she used to be.

The balloon game was just an interlude. The two continued toward the arcade.

With their striking looks, they already drew plenty of attention. Now, carrying this giant Grey Wolf plush, passersby couldn’t help but pull out their phones to capture the scene.

Though it was hard to say whether they were photographing the plush.…

Or the adorable little girl holding it.

Upon entering the arcade, Chi Xiaocheng veered into the children’s section.

Inside, she instantly became the star of the show.

A crowd of kids, amazed and delighted by the huge Grey Wolf, rushed over.

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Calling her “big sister” one after another, they begged to hug the plush and take photos with it.

‘Jealous? This is something Tao-Tao gave me.’

‘Want a photo? Not a chance!’

—That was how the yandere Xiaocheng would have acted.

But the current Xiaocheng was in her normal state. If everyone liked the Grey Wolf, of course they could join in!

‘Let’s take photos together!’

To Su Tao, however, this scene looked like Chi Xiaocheng was lending out the plush she had worked so hard to win.

Even if it was just to a bunch of kids….

‘That was my gift to you. I spent money and poured effort into it… a gift meant solely for you.’

‘Sharing it like this….’

‘Kinda annoying.’

But even with these thoughts, Su Tao wouldn’t voice them outright.

As she watched Chi Xiaocheng, someone tapped her shoulder.

“What are you two doing here?”

Turning, she saw Si Chen.

“Weren’t you handling things at the banquet?”

Su Tao was equally surprised to see him here. He shouldn’t have any interest in arcades, let alone the children’s section.

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Caught off guard by the question, Si Chen patted the chubby boy beside him. “Dongfang Yang took over the banquet. My younger brother here is still a kid at heart and wanted to come play.”

“Second Brother, I’m not! I hate kids!”

Si Lai immediately protested, but when Si Chen turned to him with a slightly threatening look, cold sweat broke out.

“Haha, just kidding. I’ve got a buddy playing here. Haven’t seen him in ages, so I dropped by since we were passing. Ahem, you two chat. I’ll go find my buddy.”

He scurried off, leaving Si Chen and Su Tao alone as Chi Xiaocheng was swarmed by little girls clamoring for the plush.

Their gazes naturally fell on the little lolita at the center of attention.

Hands in his pockets, Si Chen spoke softly, so only Su Tao could hear:

“Have you decided yet? Whether or not to awaken Chi Xiaocheng’s memories. Right now, after playing for half a day, she’s just a bit tired, but her physical condition is fine. If nothing goes wrong, she can be discharged this week.

“If you don’t make a decision soon, it’ll get complicated later.”

For now, they could still use her “illness” as an excuse to attempt to restore her memories openly.

Once she was discharged, finding a reason won’t be easy.

Forcing it would make Chi Xiaocheng suspicious.

Su Tao understood all this… and also Si Chen’s hidden meaning.

But this time, she didn’t hesitate. Her gaze was calm and confident.

“I’ve decided. I won’t awaken her memories. Let everything take its natural course.”