Peach-Orange! – Chapter 255 – She Has Always Been the White Moonlight

For a week, she had been somewhat lost, unsure whether to awaken Chi Xiaocheng’s memories.

Cheng Cheng had mentioned it, Dr. Cheng had brought it up, Dongfang Yang and Si Chen each had their own opinions, and even Chi Song and Long Ge had offered some advice.

But the final decision rested entirely with her because Su Tao and Xiaocheng had the closest relationship, being sisters.

And yet, to those who knew the truth, they weren’t just sisters.

She feared that if Xiaocheng regained her memories, the pain would outweigh everything else.

But she also feared that if Xiaocheng never recovered her memories, she might stop liking her and turn to someone else.

Fang Ning wasn’t just an NPC in a game. She and Chi Xiaocheng had a very good relationship.

Dongfang Yang didn’t just see Xiaocheng as a younger sister. His bank card password was her birthday.

Si Chen prioritized benefits in everything he did… at least that was what many people said about him. But Su Tao couldn’t figure out what benefits Si Chen could possibly gain from Xiaocheng. And unlike Dongfang Yang, he wasn’t as straightforward.

If he didn’t see Xiaocheng as a sister, then what exactly was his attitude toward her?

There were even rumors that Si Chen had a tattoo on his back that read, “Never Love Tao.” Could that have been meant for Xiaocheng, a declaration that he would never like Su Tao, only her?

Just among the people she knew, it seemed like everyone had a relationship with Xiaocheng that went beyond ordinary friendship. So what about the strangers in places she didn’t know about? Would they try to pursue Xiaocheng?

Even Tang Tang, a completely normal girl, had said that if Xiaocheng weren’t her partner, she’d want to try chasing her too.

But the truth was, Xiaocheng wasn’t her partner.

At the very least, the version of her who had run away before, and the current version of her, had never truly “had” Xiaocheng.

She was starting to feel afraid. Anxious.

She wanted to awaken Xiaocheng’s memories. That way, Xiaocheng would go back to liking her the way she used to.

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And before tonight’s banquet, she had made up her mind. She would return to the hospital and do it!

Just as Si Chen had said, if she hesitated any longer, there’d be no time left.

But everything that happened at the banquet changed her mind.

Her relationship with Xiaocheng was getting better and better!

From initial dislike, to slight discomfort, to calling her “Sister Su Tao” again, and now even going shopping together.

Wasn’t that clear proof of things improving?

Would the next step be calling her “Tao-Tao” and saying she liked her?

Little by little, Xiaocheng’s image began overlapping with the Xiaocheng from before. With each “Sister Su tao,” the distance between them grew smaller.

Su Tao had long since figured it all out. She turned to Si Chen with complete seriousness and said, “I think the current trend is already good enough.

“Not forcing her to recall painful memories, completely eradicating her yandere tendencies, and then having her continue to like me… isn’t that the outcome that’s going to happen?”

A beautiful blueprint had already been drawn.

Si Chen raised an eyebrow beside her. This wasn’t the answer he wanted.

So he asked, “But wouldn’t that be somewhat selfish in a way? You’re embracing her goodness while rejecting her yandere side.”

Faced with his question, Su Tao smiled faintly. “I used to struggle with that too. I often wondered whether I was being too selfish.

“But now, I’m starting to see myself more clearly.”

Her gaze shifted to Chi Xiaocheng, and she sighed. “No one is perfect. I have plenty of flaws and shortcomings. I’m already pretty despicable, so what’s a little more selfishness? As long as Xiaocheng is happy, that’s enough.”

Even if it meant losing her memories.

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She had come back to life, forgotten the painful things, and now only happiness remained. Wasn’t that another form of rebirth?

She continued, “Selfishness doesn’t matter. Later, I’ll double, triple, quadruple my love for her to make up for it.”

So.

This was fine as it was.

From her words, Si Chen could sense her resolve. “So that slap you gave Lin Fangya at the banquet, was that your decision?”

Drawing everyone’s attention to herself, shielding Chi Xiaocheng behind her. That was her way of “making up” by protecting her.

Su Tao nodded firmly, though she also looked a little embarrassed. “I really was angry at the time. I even thought it’d be better if Lin Fangya just died. That way, she’d never be a threat to Xiaocheng. It must’ve caused you and Dongfang Yang a lot of trouble, right?”

“I’m fine,” Si Chen said, shifting the topic helplessly. “But next time, don’t be so impulsive. If you draw all the fire to yourself, have you considered what’ll happen if something goes wrong?”

“I don’t care. If something happens to me but Xiaocheng stays safe, I’m willing.”

There wasn’t a trace of fear in Su Tao’s eyes as she spoke with utter seriousness. “Even if you and Dongfang Yang weren’t backing me up, even if everyone was my enemy… in a situation like that, I’d still step forward.”

Si Chen was taken aback. “Why? Acting without thinking isn’t your style.”

“Because she’s Xiaocheng. My one and only.”

A short sentence, but the emotions behind it were boundless.

No amount of sweet words could compare to those two words: “One and only.”

That conviction, Si Chen could feel it clearly.

Wasn’t this exactly where Su Tao shone?

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She was straightforward, flawed in many ways.

Faced with Chi Xiaocheng’s intense, obsessive love, she had only run away, too afraid to respond, hurting her to the point of near-death. Even after realizing her mistakes, she had remained lost for a long time.

Si Chen had once asked Dr. Lin to analyze both their personalities and assess the likelihood of them ending up together.

His goal was to determine whether investing in Chi Xiaocheng would allow him to control Su Tao and gain the support of her War Hero father.

Back then, many of his advisors and confidants had been present during the discussion.

But as they talked, the topic somehow derailed.

Some advisors argued it wasn’t worth going all-in on the investment.

Chi Xiaocheng wasn’t good enough for Su Tao.

A relationship driven by pressure could never be true affection. Her methods were already so extreme they were hard to accept.

One of the advisors, a woman, tried putting herself in Su Tao’s shoes and felt nothing but overwhelming pressure. She wouldn’t dare get close to a yandere like that, let alone fall in love with her.

But others believed they should go all-in, holding the opposite view.

It was Su Tao who wasn’t good enough for Chi Xiaocheng.

Her family wasn’t well-off, yet they had taken in an extra mouth to feed, raising her from childhood. After entrusting Chi Xiaocheng to her, she had brought her to Jiuzhou City. Even setting aside the question of love, shouldn’t the debt of gratitude and the trust placed in her be repaid?

Chi Xiaocheng’s extreme lack of security was painfully obvious. The way she expressed love was unmistakable. If Su Tao didn’t like her, she should have refused outright. Why keep her hanging by running away after getting close?

What started as an analysis of whether the investment was worth it turned into a debate over who wasn’t good enough for whom.

In the end, both of them were picked apart for their actions and personalities.

Both were at fault. Both needed to change.

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Arguing over who wasn’t good enough was just hindsight; something people would only say if they ended up breaking apart.

If they truly came together, loved each other, and gave their all, how could such words even exist?

Besides, whether they could overcome the barriers between them and make it to the end wasn’t something outsiders could decide.

After that discussion, Si Chen ultimately chose loyalty to Xiaocheng.

Chose to “Never Love Tao.”

The discussion itself had been meaningless, because he had no other path to take.

Was Su Tao terrible?

Not at all.

She had flaws, but if she could become the “white moonlight” in so many people’s hearts, didn’t that mean she had her strengths?

Just like now, Si Chen could see the determination in Su Tao’s eyes.

After all the twists and turns, everything had forced her to confront her own heart.

Chi Xiaocheng had been willing to die for her.

And she, too, had thought countless times about dying for Chi Xiaocheng, standing firmly by her side whenever conflict arose.

She had always been the white moonlight.

Only now, she had become selfish.

Her moonlight only shone on one other person.