Peach-Orange! – Chapter 270 – Taking the First Step: Su Tao’s Decision

The gift was accepted, but Su Tao didn’t have the courage to hand it over to Chi Xiaocheng.

A gift delivered on New Year’s Eve, right before the countdown, specifically for Xiaocheng?

‘Dongfang Yang, do you really think I, Su Tao, can’t guess your intentions?!’

She stole a glance at Chi Xiaocheng’s tightly shut door, then quickly slipped into her own room, locking it behind her, even guiltily double-checking the lock.

Only then did she carefully open the package Dongfang Yang had sent.

Inside was a small, palm-sized orange-yellow gift box with a ribbon. Whatever was inside must be something small and delicate.

What do small gift boxes usually contain?

If it’s a gift from a boy to a girl he admires, then….

An engagement ring!

Those two words suddenly flashed through Su Tao’s mind, making her tense up instantly.

She didn’t even want to think about it further and hurriedly tore open the gift box.

Fortunately, what was inside wasn’t a ring.

Instead, it was an exquisite necklace adorned with a sky-blue gemstone.

She didn’t know its exact value, but at first glance, the word “dreamlike” sank into her mind. The necklace seemed to carry a strange allure, drawing her in, making her want to lose herself in its beauty.

But within half a second, Su Tao snapped out of her daze and turned her attention to the other item in the box.

A handwritten note.

“Chi Xiaocheng, Happy New Year!

“Bet you didn’t expect this young master to go out of his way to prepare a New Year’s gift just for you.

“I missed your birthday last time, and I couldn’t figure out what to give you. Luckily, New Year’s came around, so I’m making up for it with this. Consider it a New Year’s red envelope.

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“But I agonized over what to get you. After returning to Beijing, I rummaged through my things and found this necklace. It looks pretty nice, and I figure girls would like this kind of thing.

“Though, I do have my doubts. You’re such an airhead, would you even appreciate this necklace? I think it was something I spent a fortune on at an auction a few years back. Anyway, my one condition is: you can’t sell this gift for money!

“That’s all. Happy New Yearrrrr.”

At the very end of the note was a cute doodle of a red-haired young man in a chibi style, giving a thumbs-up to himself with a bright, confident grin.

The handwriting was elegant and delicate, clearly written by someone else on his behalf.

But the tone of the message carried one unmistakable feeling: care.

Reading it left Su Tao feeling a little uncomfortable, but at the very least, it allowed her to relax slightly.

This wasn’t a love confession from Dongfang Yang.

This New Year’s gift could be seen as his way of making up for missing Chi Xiaocheng’s birthday.

Didn’t the note say so? It was an apology and a substitute for the birthday gift.

‘Su Tao, Su Tao, don’t scare yourself like this. Dongfang Yang is such a good guy. He obviously sees Xiaocheng as a little sister. How could he possibly like her?’

She knew she shouldn’t assume the worst of others, especially someone like Dongfang Yang, who was practically a friend and older brother figure to her. Thinking so negatively wasn’t right.

But no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t stop her thoughts from spiraling in that direction.

She couldn’t calm down.

The scene from earlier in the room kept replaying in her mind.

Su Tao pulled out her phone and, almost unconsciously, took a photo of the necklace before sending it to Si Chen.

“Si Chen, have you seen this necklace before?”

Si Chen didn’t reply immediately. He seemed to be busy with something.

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After an agonizing wait of about ten minutes, he finally responded.

“It’s a nice necklace. What’s the issue?”

Su Tao: “It’s a New Year’s gift from Dongfang Yang to Xiaocheng… He even wrote her a letter. So I wanted to ask, does giving a necklace as a gift carry any special meaning in the higher circle?”

Si Chen: “Oh, so that’s what you’re asking. Let me check for you.”

Another pause.

Then Si Chen replied:

“Well, the symbolism of a necklace is pretty obvious. Necklace… ‘xianglian’ sounds like ‘being in love.’ The chain itself implies wanting to ‘chain’ the other person’s heart to yours. But really, whether it has special meaning depends entirely on how you interpret it.

“But this necklace is different.

“It was auctioned off in Beijing two years ago to a mysterious buyer. Its name is… uh, I don’t remember. But it’s a phonetic translation from some ancient language, meaning ‘azure love.’

“The final bid was 52 million.”

Si Chen’s message paused briefly, as if giving Su Tao time to process the information, before continuing.

“Dongfang Yang, huh? Never expected him to pull something like this. Seems like he’s got a thing for Chi Xiaocheng.

“Tsk.

“Su Tao, it’s up to you now.”

After reading the messages, Su Tao remained frozen, her pupils reflecting the green glow of the screen.

The necklace symbolized love.

It was worth 52 million.

The note was filled with hints of care and affection.

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But… but Dongfang Yang said he just randomly found it at home, didn’t he? He couldn’t have meant it as a confession to Xiaocheng.…

No.

No, no, no, no, no, no!

Su Tao suddenly realized something crucial.

Dongfang Yang was a tsundere.

A full-blown tsundere!

Everything he did was wrapped in layers of awkward denial. If he liked Xiaocheng, of course he wouldn’t say it outright! Reading the note again, combined with the necklace, wasn’t this the classic tsundere way of confessing?

She had always thought Dongfang Yang was just overly concerned about Xiaocheng because he saw her as a little sister.

But in reality, she had misunderstood him all along.

First Fang Ning.

Now Dongfang Yang.

The overwhelming sense of crisis made it hard for Su Tao to breathe.

…

If this continued, Xiaocheng would be taken away from her.

No… no, Fang Ning was already taking Xiaocheng away. She had claimed to just be a friend, but now they were even sharing a room.

What should she do? What should she do, what should she do, what should she do?!

How could she make Xiaocheng like her again?

She had wanted to wait, to slowly rebuild their relationship. But now, she felt more and more that time was running out.

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Even now, Xiaocheng still only called her “Sister Su Tao.” There was a clear distance between them. She wasn’t like before where no matter what, Xiaocheng had loved her unconditionally, at every moment.

It was all because of that damned memory disorder!

“Memory…!”

Su Tao murmured the word, then suddenly had an epiphany.

“That’s right! I can restore Xiaocheng’s memories! Then she’ll only like me again and won’t get close to anyone else!”

She stopped texting and instead called Si Chen directly.

On the other end, the man’s voice carried a trace of weary rationality, along with clear exhaustion.

“What now?”

His tone was impatient, as if returning to Beijing had drained him.

But Su Tao, in her current state, didn’t notice Si Chen’s mood. She rushed into her question.

“Si Chen, when will Dr. Lin be available? I… I want to restore Xiaocheng’s memories!”

She couldn’t afford to wait anymore.

She couldn’t take things slow.

She had to take this step, to make Xiaocheng love her again!

Obsessive, twisted, painful, even if it tore her apart.

‘That yandere version of her… still loved me!’

She couldn’t let Xiaocheng drift further away.