Peach-Orange! – Chapter 294 – New Crisis

The rain was heavy, showing no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Yet the warmth in her hand was undeniably real.

Amidst the soothing, faint fragrance, Su Tao tightened her grip on the small hand in her pocket. The frustration of their ruined date due to the heavy rain dissipated the moment the other girl took the initiative to hold her hand.

The wind carried the rain, attempting to drench the two inside the store, but the thick glass door stood as an insurmountable barrier.

The cozy atmosphere remained unbroken despite the intensifying rain.

A girl’s voice reached her ears: “Sister Su Tao, what’s your relationship with that big brother Wei?”

Su Tao turned her head and saw the curiosity in Chi Xiaocheng’s eyes.

She was purely asking out of boredom, a spur-of-the-moment question.

Naturally, this was also part of Chi Xiaocheng’s intermediate acting skills.

Right now, she was “Amnesiac Xiaocheng.” She couldn’t openly display possessiveness, but framing the question as curiosity made it seem perfectly normal.

Moreover, she truly couldn’t ignore that guy.

Even if she wanted to bury it in her heart, the unease of the unknown compelled her to ask.

Her eyes locked onto Su Tao, hoping for an honest answer.

Yet the girl merely pursed her lips into a faint smile and replied matter-of-factly, “We’ve only met twice. We’re not even close enough to be called friends. But since he helped me out, we’re at least acquaintances.”

Hearing this answer, the light in Chi Xiaocheng’s eyes dimmed slightly.

She seemed to lose interest, but in reality, she turned her head away in displeasure.

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She had been brushed off.

“Met twice,” and “not even friends”?

That guy surnamed Wei had claimed they shared a “life-and-death bond”!

Clearly, Tao-Tao’s possessiveness wasn’t strong enough yet. She still cared about others.

The person she liked was hiding secrets from her.

The rain that had trapped them in the store now felt irritating as her mood soured.

But she didn’t let it show on her face.

Her unease remained buried in her heart.

She presented her obedient and adorable side, ensuring Su Tao felt affection and reassurance.

They stayed in the store for two hours before the rain finally began to let up. However, thunder still occasionally rumbled across the sky. Even if they’d get a little wet, it was time to call a cab and head back.

The reason?

While waiting for the car, Chi Xiaocheng had started subtly squeezing her thighs together.

This self-service store had no restroom.

Those who knew, knew.

When the taxi arrived, the two dashed out into the rain.

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“Xiaocheng, over there. The white BYD, that’s the one.”

Su Tao had already taken off her coat and draped it over Chi Xiaocheng to shield her from the rain. Holding her hand, she hurried toward the white car.

Yet after just two steps, Chi Xiaocheng yanked her back forcefully.

“Wait!”

Chi Xiaocheng’s gaze sharpened.

Su Tao nearly stumbled from the sudden pull.

As raindrops continued to fall on them, Su Tao turned back in confusion. “Xiaocheng, what’s wrong?”

Chi Xiaocheng quickly softened her expression into a faint smile. “Sister Su Tao, let’s check the license plate first. Wouldn’t want to get in the wrong car.”

Su Tao paused, then released Chi Xiaocheng’s hand and walked around to check.

“It’s really not this one. Weird, the app said it had already arrived.”

Su Tao didn’t understand, but Chi Xiaocheng knew exactly why.

Her long-dormant Alert skill, which hadn’t triggered during the New Year, was now screaming danger.

The source? This seemingly ordinary white car.

Perhaps the unease she’d been feeling wasn’t just about Su Tao.

“Let’s go. We’re not taking this car. A walk in the rain sounds nice too.”

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Chi Xiaocheng called out to Su Tao and turned toward the busier streets.

More shops, more people. It was safer.

Su Tao scanned the area but couldn’t find the car she’d booked on the ride-hailing app. Reluctantly, she canceled the order and pulled Chi Xiaocheng under another awning.

Her hair was soaked, and her clothes were half-drenched.

Thanks to Su Tao’s coat acting as an umbrella, Chi Xiaocheng was mostly dry.

Su Tao said, “I’ll call another car.”

“No need.” Chi Xiaocheng pulled out her Redmi phone and noticed an unexpected message. She turned to Su Tao. “My brother’s back from Lizhi City. I’ll ask him to pick us up.”

The message had been sent 20 minutes ago.

Having returned home to find Chi Xiaocheng absent and seeing the rain, he’d sent a concerned text.

After a quick call, Chi Xiaocheng explained their location. Chi Song’s response was steady.

Just two words: “Wait for me.”

In under 15 minutes, a black Panamera sped into view. As the tall, one-armed man stepped out with two umbrellas, the white BYD that had been parked nearby slowly drove away.

The overwhelming sense of safety caused her Alert skill’s warning to fade to a minimum.

Chi Song approached the two, glanced at Su Tao’s drenched hair, and immediately draped his own coat over her shoulders.

Handing her an umbrella, he said, “How did you get this wet? Get in the car quickly. Go home, take a shower, and don’t catch a cold.”

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His genuine concern eased Chi Xiaocheng’s tension. “Bro, didn’t you just go to Lizhi City before New Year’s? Why are you back so soon?”

Chi Song replied, “Brother Long saw the news about the murder case near our place. You probably saw it too. On Xiangyang North Road, a girl was killed and dumped in the river.

“He was worried about you two, so he kicked me back here. I’ll be staying in Jiuzhou City for a long while.”

Chi Song didn’t follow the news.

If not for Brother Long, he wouldn’t have known about the incident.

What he didn’t tell Chi Xiaocheng and Su Tao was that after returning with his crew, he’d noticed an unusual number of homeless people and so-called “cycling groups” lingering around Xiangyang North Road.

The area was now teeming with strangers.

Sitting in the car, Su Tao took a sip of the warm water Chi Song handed her and asked, “So, Brother Chi Song, are you moving back home?”

There was anticipation in her voice.

If Chi Song returned home, she’d have an excuse to share a room… and a bed with Xiaocheng!

But her hopes were quickly dashed.

Chi Song chuckled. “I’ve already found a place. It’s not right for me to live with two girls. Even if you don’t mind, I do. Wouldn’t want people getting the wrong idea.”

Besides….

His little sister clearly adored Xiao Tao. They deserved their privacy.

As Chi Song watched Chi Xiaocheng lean against Su Tao’s shoulder while playing with her phone, his eyes softened with affection.