Peach-Orange! – Chapter 293 – The Secret That Cannot Be Told

Soon, Doctor Lin prepared a somewhat fabricated but seemingly serious psychological report for Chi Xiaocheng.

She repeatedly reminded Su Tao not to forcefully try to awaken Chi Xiaocheng’s memories. However, she encouraged Su Tao to frequently engage in activities they had done together in the past, ensuring they were happy memories.

At the same time, she prescribed some psychiatric medication and instructed Chi Xiaocheng to take it on time.

Additionally, Chi Xiaocheng was to visit the hospital every three days, where Doctor Lin would attempt various psychological methods to help restore her memories.

But ultimately, Doctor Lin wasn’t a true specialist in memory recovery. She could only try.

This was also a precaution for Su Tao: if there were no results later, it might just be due to Doctor Lin’s limitations. After Dongfang Yang and Si Chen returned on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, they could reconsider their approach.

All the examinations were completed, but Su Tao’s mood was far from good.

Doctor Lin had given her a very conservative treatment timeline.

Six months!

This was the safest, most reliable timeframe, one that wouldn’t cause any complications.

During this period, Xiaocheng wouldn’t experience pain, nor would her brain suffer any damage from the memory recovery process.

Doctor Lin even proposed another idea:

If they extended the memory recovery treatment to three years, they might even be able to completely cure Chi Xiaocheng’s yandere tendencies by taking advantage of this amnesia.

Yes, completely!

In the past, Su Tao would have been tempted.

But now, her first reaction was… ‘That’s too long.’

Three whole years! She didn’t dare imagine what might happen in that time, or whether Xiaocheng would still like her by then.

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Even six months felt like an eternity to Su Tao. In her mind, the longest it should take was one month for Xiaocheng to recover her memories.

Before school started, it was supposed to be just the two of them in their own little world.

Even Fang Ning, who had been staying at her house, would have to return to the cat café to work after the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.

The part of her heart that had been telling her not to rush now involuntarily began to race.

However, she didn’t show it outwardly. Instead, she took Chi Xiaocheng to Dongfang Yang’s café.

And there, she encountered someone unexpected.

Qian Qing, who had a good relationship with Dongfang Yang and had even grown up with him for a time.

The 173 cm elegant woman was sitting at the café counter. When she saw Su Tao, she yawned and answered her question, “Happy New Year. You’re wondering why I’m here?

“Oh, maybe Dongfang Yang forgot to mention it, but my Qian family sided with the Dongfang family during the New Year’s banquet. After some negotiations, this shop now belongs to the Qians.

“I’m now in charge of this café. As for you, Miss Su Tao… during the handover, the café’s only employee, Chu San, told me that Dongfang Yang assigned you to manage the suburban cat café.

“Or you could keep working here, but… it’d just be as a regular employee now. You get what I mean, right?”

Su Tao understood perfectly.

Before the New Year celebrations were even over, she had lost her job.

To be precise, after studying café operations for two whole weeks without ever officially starting, she had been reassigned.

The suburban cat café.

Wasn’t that Yangyang Cat Café?

They wanted her to work with Fang Ning?!

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No, no, no, absolutely not!

Su Tao could already picture working alongside Fang Ning.

Awkward silence all day, so unbearable she’d be clawing at the soles of her shoes.

After work, Fang Ning would walk beside her back to Chi Xiaocheng’s house, maybe even split a cab ride to save money.

Worse, Fang Ning might not have even planned to visit Xiaocheng’s house, but seeing Su Tao working there, she’d just tag along!

‘Did Dongfang Yang seriously think Fang Ning and I get along?!’

Grumbling internally, Su Tao ultimately declined the offer to work at Yangyang Cat Café.

She didn’t want to see Fang Ning.

As for work… Su Tao refused to believe making money could be that hard.

After shamelessly mooching a meal off Qian Qing, her afternoon plans were ruined.

The weather mirrored Su Tao’s heart: starting with hopeful anticipation for Doctor Lin’s treatment, then crashing into disappointment upon learning it would take six months.

As they walked down the street, light raindrops began to fall. Then, with a bone-chilling clap of thunder, the downpour intensified.

Within a minute, it became a torrential storm.

“Ugh, just my luck. Now we can’t even get home.”

Su Tao and Chi Xiaocheng took shelter in a small convenience store. Though they weren’t drenched, they were stuck there.

She sighed deeply and turned to Chi Xiaocheng. “Xiaocheng, rest for a bit. I’ll check if they sell umbrellas. This rain isn’t stopping anytime soon.”

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Watching Su Tao head deeper into the store, Chi Xiaocheng nodded obediently.

Gazing at the rain, she felt melancholy.

It wasn’t just Su Tao who was lost. Chi Xiaocheng herself wasn’t entirely sure if her decision was right.

Extending her amnesia to nurture Tao-Tao’s possessiveness, sticking to the plan until it hit 90 points before stopping….

But the warmth and affection she’d experienced with Su Tao these past two days had intoxicated her. She wanted to come clean immediately, confess everything, and embrace her Tao-Tao.

Yet… some things could never be confessed.

Like the System.

Or the fact that she was a transmigrator.

Even though Chi Xiaocheng had fully embraced her current self to the point where this life felt more real than her past one, making her neglect her previous existence….

The truth couldn’t be changed, could it?

‘The Tao-Tao of now, the one who loves me… does she truly love “me”?’

Every time she thought this way, her unease grew stronger, sometimes leaving her trembling under the covers in fear.

People like Si Chen only saw her as the aloof, calculating manipulator; the “yandere” who obsessively molded Su Tao into someone who would love and be loved by her.

But what Si Chen didn’t know was that when she was alone in her room at night, unable to sleep, she felt isolated, afraid, and utterly terrified.

This world rejected her at every turn.

And one day, she might be forced to leave Tao-Tao. Or worse, Tao-Tao might be taken from her.

The more she dwelled on it, the more tangled her thoughts became. Her crimson eyes glazed over as she stared at the rain, until Su Tao’s footsteps snapped her back to reality.

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The girl’s frustrated voice carried irritation. “This store doesn’t sell umbrellas or raincoats. If we try to hail a cab, we’ll be soaked by the time we reach the road. Guess we’ll have to wait it out.”

Their carefully planned date had been ruined by the heavens. Tao-Tao wasn’t happy either.

‘Well… some thoughts are better kept to myself.’

Suppressing her gloom, Chi Xiaocheng realized her Tao-Tao was waiting to be comforted.

A soft smile graced her lips as she clasped her hands behind her back and tilted her head. “Actually, I don’t think this rain is all bad.”

Su Tao groaned. “It’s terrible. I even bought movie tickets for the fireworks tonight.”

Chi Xiaocheng took a step closer, closing the distance between them.

“What I mean is… even in a storm like this, with loneliness sweeping through the streets, you’re still here with me.”

The relentless rain brought solitude to the empty roads, yet it couldn’t breach the windows where they stood.

Chi Xiaocheng loved being alone with the one she loved.

It made the whole world feel like it belonged to just the two of them.

She took Su Tao’s hand, meeting the girl’s startled gaze with a sweet smile.

“My hands are cold from the rain… Can I hide them in your pockets?”

Author Note

P.S. Today is December 25th. It’s Chrismast, and also Xiaocheng’s birthday. Though the timeline in the story doesn’t match reality, regardless, happy holidays to everyone~

Happy birthday, Xiaocheng! And Merry Christmas to all! (｡･ω･｡)