Peach-Orange! – Chapter 267 – The Dark Side

‘I should have guessed it… I should have guessed it… I should have guessed it….’

‘I should have known Fang Ning would definitely come!’

‘What “new member is just a cat”? How could Chi Xiaocheng have known King would bring another cat back?’

‘And yet, I happily comforted myself, thinking Fang Ning wouldn’t come.’

‘I fantasized about a New Year’s Eve with just the two of us.’

‘I imagined our relationship deepening under the fireworks.’

‘I even set up a camera on the cabinet, hoping to secretly record this warm New Year’s moment as a keepsake.’

But now….

‘Heh.’

‘What a clown I am.’

Standing far away on the balcony, Su Tao watched as Chi Xiaocheng opened the door and a petite figure bundled in a coat slipped inside.

“Sorry for intruding.”

The polite greeting reached Su Tao’s ears, but in her eyes, Fang Ning’s cheerful smile showed no trace of guilt for disturbing others.

‘If you know you’re intruding, why come at all?’

‘This was supposed to be my and Xiaocheng’s time alone!’

‘It’s New Year’s Eve!’

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‘Why do you have to barge into someone else’s home and disrupt their lives?!’

In that instant, a flood of dark thoughts surged through Su Tao’s mind. For the first time, she felt something close to dislike for Fang Ning.

That fake, irritating smile seemed to mock her outright, as if Fang Ning were standing right in front of her, declaring her intent to steal Xiaocheng away.

After changing her shoes, Chi Xiaocheng pulled Fang Ning over, smiling brightly at Su Tao. “Tao-Tao, we’ll need an extra pair of chopsticks for dinner tonight. Ningning is an orphan, so she usually stays at Dongfang Yang’s cat café. I didn’t want her to spend New Year’s alone.

“So, can she celebrate with us?”

Hearing this, Su Tao immediately put on her gentle big-sister smile. “Of course! The more, the merrier.”

Fang Ning bowed politely. “Thank you, Tao-Tao. I’m really sorry for intruding.”

“It’s fine. It’s just Xiaocheng and me at home anyway. No need to apologize.” Su Tao clenched her fists behind her back, keeping her smile steady. “Ningning, is there anything special you’d like for dinner? I can go buy more ingredients.”

Before Fang Ning could answer, Chi Xiaocheng cut in, already pulling her toward the bedroom. “We’ve already prepared plenty of food! Ningning doesn’t eat much, just like me. No need to go to any extra trouble.”

“Let’s put her luggage away first.”

Aside from herself, Fang Ning had brought along a small backpack with a lemon print. No telling what was inside.

But the word “luggage” echoed in Su Tao’s ears.

As the two girls disappeared into the room, her smile finally faded.

Slumping against the balcony railing, she stared blankly at the fireworks blooming in the sky.

“Our time alone… gone.”

Her mood soured, and the intensity of her emotions unsettled her.

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Everyone has a dark side.

The stronger and more upright a person appears, the deeper that darkness hides.

Su Tao tried desperately not to dwell on it, but the thoughts kept creeping back.

“Maybe Xiaocheng and Fang Ning are just friends.”

—Would she even believe that if she said it out loud?

“She’s just here for New Year’s. Maybe she’ll leave after dinner.”

—But didn’t they just bring in her luggage?

“The spare room is already used for storage. There’s no bed for Fang Ning.”

—She could just share Xiaocheng’s bed, couldn’t she? The truth is right there. Why can’t I accept it?

The words felt like hollow self-comfort, but another voice in her heart kept pushing her to face reality.

Su Tao exhaled, shaking her head at the sky. “I can’t think like this. If I become that kind of petty person, Xiaocheng would definitely dislike me, right?

“Fang Ning….”

If she was as considerate as she seemed, maybe a hint would make her leave after dinner?

‘In the end, Xiaocheng will still be with me….’

Su Tao stepped into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Tonight’s meal was hotpot.

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She had bought all of Xiaocheng’s favorite ingredients, prepared her preferred dipping sauce, and even picked out her favorite drink. Money was tight, but Su Tao wanted to give Chi Xiaocheng a perfect New Year’s Eve dinner.

Yet the whole time, her mind wandered.

She kept fighting the urge to leave the kitchen and peek into Xiaocheng’s room, to confirm whether Fang Ning and Xiaocheng were really just friends.

A voice in her ear nagged at her: If you stay passive, if you don’t take action, Xiaocheng will be taken away.

Restore her memories, even if it hurts her. Winning her affection is what matters!

Su Tao was strong-willed and resolute.

Even as these thoughts swirled, she found ways to reassure herself.

Fang Ning, Dongfang Yang, Si Chen… none of them had ever shown romantic interest in Xiaocheng before. Maybe this was all a misunderstanding.

Just her imagination.

—This line of thinking kept the thread of “reason” intact.

But who could stay rational forever?

The world moved faster than plans ever could.

Chi Xiaocheng and Fang Ning came out to eat.

Xiaocheng sat on the left, Su Tao on the right, and Fang Ning… in the middle.

Once the hotpot was ready, Su Tao cooked beef slices for Chi Xiaocheng first, placing them all in her bowl before turning to Fang Ning.

But then she saw Chi Xiaocheng transferring half of her beef to Fang Ning’s bowl.

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“Ningning, have some too.”

She smiled happily, as if sharing Su Tao’s affection with someone else.

No, this wasn’t sharing. It was rejection.

She hadn’t even accepted it in the first place.

Su Tao’s smile stiffened slightly as she spoke up. “Xiaocheng, you don’t need to give Ningning your share. Your dipping sauces are different, right? I’ll cook some fresh beef for her.”

‘Stop giving your things to Fang Ning!’

‘She’s just an outsider here for a meal. Let her help herself!’

Chi Xiaocheng, seemingly oblivious, kept smiling. “It’s fine! We’re all eating together anyway. This way, I can try different flavors too.”

She picked up a slice of beef, dipped it into Fang Ning’s sauce, and took a bite, only to immediately grimace.

“Wow! Why’s it so sour? What’s in your sauce?”

Fang Ning smiled sheepishly. “I guess it’s not for you, Sister Xiaocheng. I like sour flavors, so Tao-Tao added some lemon juice to mine.”

Chi Xiaocheng licked her teeth and pushed her own sauce toward Fang Ning. “Then try mine?”

Fang Ning dipped a piece of beef into the carefully prepared sauce.

She took a small bite.

“It’s delicious, but… isn’t the vinegar a bit strong?”