Peach-Orange! – Chapter 280 – The Overlooked One

Just because Dongfang Yang had been dealt with didn’t mean Su Tao could let her guard down.

She knew that Dongfang Yang was just one of the people trying to take Xiaocheng away from her. After all, he was far away in the capital, just like Si Chen. Neither would return for another week.

The real threat, the one who might steal Xiaocheng away, was coming back to this house today.

Returning to her room, Su Tao rubbed her temples, trying to ease the fatigue in her mind. But even though Dongfang Yang had said he would back off, the unease in her heart remained intense.

She pulled out her phone again. None of the people she usually relied on had replied yet.

Si Chen was definitely out of the question.

As for Dr. Cheng and Chengcheng, Su Tao still hadn’t decided whether to reach out to them.

She trusted the former deeply, but today was the first day of the Lunar New Year. Su Tao already knew what she needed to do. She just lacked the confidence to do it. If she went to Dr. Cheng….

She was sure he’d help her as he always had.

But bringing up that topic again and dumping her emotions on him wasn’t a good thing. When she remembered he was a respected elder, Su Tao couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.

“Forget it. I’ll just go to Chengcheng and take a scolding.”

With that thought, Su Tao sent Chengcheng a message:

“Chengcheng, I want to restore Xiaocheng’s memories.”

She knew she’d get yelled at, but the advice Chengcheng gave afterward was always practical.

Su Tao didn’t believe there was no chance left to bring back Chi Xiaocheng’s memories.

Since it was the New Year, Chengcheng wasn’t holed up doing research with her advisor, so she was glued to her phone. The reply came quickly.

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But all she got back was a question mark, followed by a sweating-emoji face.

Chengcheng: “Don’t tell me you’re doing this because you realized Xiaocheng might fall for someone else, or because you two fought again. You’re more impatient than a speedrunner. So even if she’ll suffer afterward, you still want to force her memories back?”

The blunt words made Su Tao bow her head in shame.

She knew Chengcheng had always wanted her to restore Xiaocheng’s memories sooner.

But she’d stubbornly insisted that a happy ending was possible without doing so.

Looking back now, Su Tao really wanted to slap her past self.

‘If I’d just chosen to restore Xiaocheng’s memories right after she woke up, none of this would’ve happened.’

Even though she was ashamed, she couldn’t avoid replying to her friend. So she went straight to the point:

“I already tried triggering Xiaocheng’s memories by recreating familiar scenes. But I failed.

“Not only did her memories not return, but it seems like things got worse. Now our relationship is even more strained.”

Chengcheng: “You deserve it.”

Chengcheng: “You do whatever you want, using ‘Xiaocheng’s pain and yandere tendencies’ as an excuse. Whether before or now, everything you’ve done is just self-gratification.”

Chengcheng: “If I were Xiaocheng, I’d want to slap you awake.”

Tao-Tao: “I… I know I was wrong now. And even though I’m still selfish, I’m different from before!”

Chengcheng: “How?”

Tao-Tao: “Like you said, before I only thought about myself. But now, I’m choosing to restore her memories for her sake, because she absolutely cannot leave me!”

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It was baseless self-deception, just another way for Su Tao to comfort herself.

But from Chi Xiaocheng’s perspective?

She didn’t hate it at all.

In fact, she loved that Su Tao was making this choice.

‘That’s right, Tao-Tao. Be more selfish. That way, you’ll always keep your eyes on me, never letting anyone take me away, never letting me leave your sight to find someone else.’

‘If it’s just the two of us, with no one else in our eyes… doesn’t that mean our future will be nothing but happiness?’

‘Love and affection… it didn’t matter if they were twisted or obsessive~’

‘As long as we could be happy together~’

Time would dilute everything.

Just as Su Tao expected, Chengcheng tore into her.

She called her blunt, emotionally inept, dragged up every past mistake, and even mocked her rigid views on gender.

Su Tao had no rebuttal. In fact, she started to feel like….

Even though it was Chengcheng on the other end of the phone….

It almost seemed like Xiaocheng was the one venting at her.

Once the scolding was over, the advice came as promised.

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Chengcheng: “I get your situation. My advice? Don’t rush. Spend the next few days repairing your relationship with Xiaocheng, then wait for the doctors.

“That really skilled one you mentioned last time… Dr. Lin, right? Just leave the memory restoration to him.

“You panic at the slightest hiccup. No wonder Xiaocheng’s getting worse.”

Su Tao nodded slightly as she read the messages.

As expected of her best friend. This was exactly what she’d been thinking. But it wasn’t enough.

“But that’ll take days. At best, two. At worst, four or five. And Fang Ning is in my house!

“You know, the one I just said might steal Xiaocheng away? Her name’s Fang Ning.

“If I don’t do anything, won’t I just be watching as Xiaocheng gets taken from me?”

Chengcheng: “Then kick her out. You said she’s timid, right? Just do it behind Xiaocheng’s back.”

Tao-Tao: “But… isn’t that too extreme? If Xiaocheng finds out, she’ll think even less of me.”

Chengcheng: “So what? You’re already plenty selfish. What’s a little more extremeness? But remember, there’s a line you can’t cross.”

Chengcheng: “This is between you and Xiaocheng. Don’t drag a third party into it. After all, Fang Ning ‘stealing’ Xiaocheng is just your imagination.”

Reading her words, Su Tao had to admit that this was the safest approach.

Drive Fang Ning away, then make up an excuse to fool Xiaocheng.

If she could get some leverage on Fang Ning to keep her from tattling, the next few days could go back to being just the two of them!

Eliminate the threat at its root!

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Su Tao was tempted by Chengcheng’s suggestion.

The old her would never have done this. But now….

Subconsciously, she already believed Chi Xiaocheng was being stolen from her.

Naturally, her first instinct was to take her back.

But she had to be careful not to hurt Fang Ning in the process.

After a long silence, Su Tao finally lifted her head.

“Maybe… I can use my acting skills to play the part of someone jealous over Xiaocheng’s attention… Wait.

“Fang Ning knows about my relationship with Xiaocheng!”

Su Tao abruptly stood up, the realization ringing in her mind like an alarm.

How could she have forgotten that night in the snow?

In her recent panic, she’d assumed Fang Ning was just here to hang out with Chi Xiaocheng, subconsciously treating her like any other clueless outsider who didn’t know about Xiaocheng’s amnesia.

But now she remembered the most crucial detail.

Fang Ning wasn’t some random background character.

She was in the know about everything. She even knew Xiaocheng had come back from the dead!

So was her visit really just about playing with Xiaocheng?