Peach-Orange! – Chapter 272 – Actually, I Also Like Chi Xiaocheng

However, these were just Si Chen’s heated words in the moment.

He was part of the “Orange Faction” and fiercely loyal to Chi Xiaocheng. Whether he could leverage Su Tao’s War Hero father in the future still depended on Chi Xiaocheng’s mood.

Though he complained, he wouldn’t let a momentary outburst ruin the bigger plan. Seeing Su Tao remain silent for so long, he couldn’t help but say, “Dr. Lin won’t be back until at least the seventh day of the New Year. If you’re in such a hurry to awaken Chi Xiaocheng’s memories, figure it out yourself first.”

His words snapped the guilt-ridden Su Tao back to reality. “I’m sorry,” she said.

Apart from apologizing, she didn’t know what else to say.

Avoiding the truth, deceiving herself… no matter how tangled her thoughts were, to outsiders, she just looked like a selfish, petty person.

Even Chengcheng had warned her.

Yet she had stubbornly gone her own way.

Now that she sensed danger, she was scrambling to start over.

But reality wasn’t a game.

There were no save files.

She really was pathetic.

If it were Dongfang Yang hearing Su Tao’s apology, he might have softened. But to Si Chen, it was just another sign of her wavering resolve.

He decided to be blunt. “In short, I only have two things to tell you.”

Su Tao nodded earnestly. “Si Chen, go ahead. This time, I’ll definitely listen to you!”

“First,” Si Chen said, “I don’t care what you think about Chi Xiaocheng right now. If you like her, then accept all of her. Love all of her. Stop with the nonsense and face yourself. If she gets taken away, you’ve got no one to blame but yourself!”

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Su Tao murmured in agreement, her gaze gradually firming.

“Second!” Si Chen’s voice grew heavier. “You keep ignoring advice and repeating mistakes. Even as a friend, my patience with you is wearing thin. You say Chi Xiaocheng is a yandere, but when she’s satisfied, her sweetness is undeniable.

“Even Dongfang Yang has fallen for Chi Xiaocheng.

“If you don’t want her, plenty of others do.

“Keep hesitating if you want. But if you don’t hold onto Chi Xiaocheng, then… then Dongfang Yang and I will step in.”

With that, Su Tao’s resolute expression instantly turned bewildered.

As she processed his words, panic set in. “Wait, Si Chen, what do you mean by ‘step in’?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. Chi Xiaocheng is a beautiful girl. We’re both men. Why can’t we like Chi Xiaocheng?”

Without giving her a chance to respond, Si Chen hung up.

Anticipating she’d call back, he turned off his phone and tossed it aside.

His right-hand man, who had been standing nearby, cautiously asked, “Young Master, was it wise to outright say you like Miss Chi?”

Si Chen replied coolly, “The original plan was to pretend anyway. Give Su Tao some urgency, or she’ll really think no one but her could ever like Chi Xiaocheng.”

The subordinate fell silent, then slowly asked, “Then why drag Young Master Dongfang into it? And what about that necklace….”

Si Chen flopped onto the sofa, crossing his long legs on the table. “The necklace? No idea what it is, but it’s probably just something Dongfang Yang grabbed because it looked nice. Su Tao wouldn’t know the difference anyway. She’ll believe whatever I say.

“As for why involve Dongfang Yang? To share the heat, obviously. What else?

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“Besides, we’re good brothers. He won’t mind. I’m just talking big, but he’s the one who actually gave a ‘love token.’ If Su Tao wants to blame anyone, it won’t be me.”

He lit a cigarette, trying to soothe his irritation, but his furrowed brow remained tense.

—

Meanwhile, Su Tao, unable to reach Si Chen no matter how many times she called, grew frantic.

Her mind was stuck on Si Chen’s final words before hanging up.

Dongfang Yang was an enemy.

She went to Si Chen for advice, only to find out he also had feelings for Xiaocheng!

Though his last remark had been delivered jokingly, Su Tao, now as skittish as a startled bird, couldn’t calmly assess the truth behind his words.

All she knew was that people who had once been on her side had “betrayed” her.

They all wanted to steal her Xiaocheng!

Who could she turn to now? Dr. Cheng?

Or Chengcheng?

Dr. Cheng was celebrating the New Year with family. It wouldn’t be right to keep bothering him.

Chengcheng?

No, Chengcheng would just scold her harshly.

Torn and anxious, she paced around her room.

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While she fretted, inside Chi Xiaocheng’s room, the two girls also wore troubled expressions.

The game on the Ice-Fire duo’s screen had long been closed. Chi Xiaocheng leaned against the headboard, while Fang Ning doodled absently on a notebook.

But Fang Ning’s mind clearly wasn’t on her drawings.

After hesitating, she finally said, “Sister Xiaocheng, isn’t this too much? We’re putting way too much pressure on Sister Su Tao.…”

Chi Xiaocheng set down her phone and looked at Fang Ning. “Ningning, if you were in Tao-Tao’s shoes, what would you do?”

“Me? I’d… probably give up.”

Fang Ning paused, as if thinking it over, then tilted her head. “If I were Sister Su Tao, considering the amnesia and how you’re pretending to be happy now… I’d withdraw.

“If life after losing your memories is better, maybe I wouldn’t even need the pressure. I’d just leave. Forcing things further would only corner you, Sister Xiaocheng. Even if I got your affection that way, if you weren’t happy… it’d be meaningless.”

Chi Xiaocheng sighed. “I hesitated for a long time before asking you to spend New Year’s with me, you know. I’ve been dropping hints left and right, but Tao-Tao’s still running away.

“Saying things like ‘it’s good that your memories are scrambled now’ and ‘we can slowly rebuild our relationship to cure the yandere tendencies’

“Doesn’t that just mean she only likes the ‘normal’ me?”

Chi Xiaocheng gripped the blanket, her voice tinged with frustration. “But even I can tell… the current me isn’t entirely right. She only wants the ‘normal’ me but won’t accept me as I am now….

“Doesn’t that mean she’ll leave me one day?”

Forget possessiveness. What if, someday, a rich girl appeared out of nowhere? What if the whims of fate tore Tao-Tao away from her?

But she was also afraid Su Tao would do exactly as Fang Ning said.

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Back down.

Claim she was “doing it for Xiaocheng’s sake” and walk away.

She lowered her head again, glancing at her phone.

She switched to Dr. Cheng’s alternate account, then to others, then back.

No messages from Su Tao.

In the past, Tao-Tao would’ve immediately asked her alter ego for advice.

And she could’ve kept “guiding” her.

Su Tao was agitated, but so was she.

Fang Ning’s gaze shifted from the conflicted Chi Xiaocheng back to her notebook sketch. Softly, she said, “I still think using my ‘liking you’ to provoke Sister Su Tao is too much.”

Chi Xiaocheng looked at her in surprise. “It’s just pretending. You only need to visit occasionally. Why does it feel like too much?”

Fang Ning smoothed her long hair and smiled faintly. “Because it’s unfair to Sister Su Tao. Even though I dislike her, I’d still like to see the two of you as they are in this drawing.”

She shifted aside, revealing the simple sketch she’d been working on.

Translator Note

I’ll add the illustration later when I can get my hands on it. I’ll notify you guys once it’s added.