Peach-Orange! – Chapter 296 – Amplified Unease

Previously, Chi Xiaocheng’s concern about “character weight” was solely about whether she could peacefully stay with Tao-Tao in this world.

Being targeted by the will of the world meant her future was uncertain and prone to danger.

She had assumed it was simply because she was an “outsider,” hence the concept of character weight existed.

That was why Chi Xiaocheng had never deeply questioned the system about it.

It wasn’t until today, when the system uncharacteristically became more talkative than usual, that she accidentally learned about the character weights of other roles.

In other words, the higher the weight, the more susceptible a character was to being influenced and controlled by the will of the world.

Before she transmigrated here, even if Su Tao had 100% character weight, she couldn’t resist the influence of the world’s will.

Take the pre-university argument as the starting point. The first arc of the original novel was the Ye Liang Arc.

Setting aside the mindset after the argument, just looking at actions alone….

Su Tao acted as if she had lost her mind, completely neglecting her younger sister, whom she had lived with for over a decade, and instead clung to Ye Liang. It wasn’t until after her sister’s death that she gradually regained clarity.

And she relied on the original Xiaocheng as emotional support to endure hardship after hardship.

To outsiders, this might just seem like a novel, a plot arranged by the original author.

But after transmigrating into this world, the will of the world still existed. As an outsider, she was constantly rejected, and the plot continued to correct itself toward the original direction.

So, was there a possibility….

That she, Su Tao, Dongfang Yang, Si Chen, and others were still just characters in a “novel”?

That the world she now inhabited was one dimension, while the will of the world belonged to a higher dimension?

That those in the higher dimension could control those below with a mere flick of their fingers?

That characters in a 2D world were created by those in the 3D world?

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The more she thought about it, the more terrifying it became!

Chi Xiaocheng didn’t want to entertain such a horror story, but once the thought took root, she couldn’t stop herself from dwelling on it.

After all, the influence of the world’s will on her life was undeniably real.

[Host, you actually don’t need to worry about this yourself.]

Sensing Chi Xiaocheng’s unease and having received her questions, the system responded.

[If you were the original Xiaocheng from the novel, unable to exist outside this fictional world, then yes, you would indeed be influenced, controlled, and gradually changed by the will of the world.]

[But you are an outsider, inherently beyond the control of the world’s will.]

[And it’s precisely because of your influence as an outsider that characters like Chen Qian have been able to regain their sense of self, completely breaking free from the world’s will.]

[That’s why the world’s will seeks to exclude you. It wants to restore stability by removing the disruptive factor and prevent you from influencing protagonists like Su Tao and Dongfang Yang even further.]

[Moreover, the world’s will cannot directly erase you. It can only attempt to eliminate you through logically plausible accidents, like the collapse of the Binjiang Bridge last time. The bridge was old and poorly maintained, possibly even a result of shoddy construction. If it couldn’t erase you, it would try to kill you via an “accident.”]

[Of course, that was when your character weight was excessively high. Right now, at 15%, it’s not a significant threat.]

She was an outsider, a transmigrator. Her memories were different from the original Xiaocheng’s.

And that was her greatest advantage in maintaining free will in this world!

At first, she had only wanted to cling to Su Tao’s coattails, relying on the protagonist’s halo to survive.

Looking back now, her actions back then had accidentally led her to the optimal solution.

Otherwise, as “Chi Xiaocheng,” if she hadn’t died at the predetermined time, the world’s will would have noticed the discrepancy and immediately moved to eliminate her.

And she, by relying on Su Tao’s halo, had survived time and time again.

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Of course, the system’s contributions couldn’t be overlooked.

But Chi Xiaocheng’s unease didn’t lessen with this deeper understanding.

Instead, it grew heavier.

On the surface, higher character weight seemed to bring better luck and the world’s favor.

But what people didn’t realize was….

All gifts of fate come with a hidden price.

“Boom!”

A sudden clap of thunder outside the window startled Chi Xiaocheng, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She let out a long exhale and patted her cheeks.

“These are just conjectures. I can’t let myself spiral. Up until now, despite occasional accidents, Tao-Tao and I have lived peacefully, haven’t we?

“A controlled future.

“A distorted outcome.

“A predetermined plotline of exclusion and separation.

“These things definitely won’t happen. Tao-Tao and I will have a bright and beautiful future!”

Every abnormal occurrence had its cause and effect.

The suspicious BYD from earlier was likely sent by Chu Lingfeng, Xiao Ming, or even that Second Young Master Ye.

If she could eliminate these dangerous factors, wouldn’t everything be resolved?

Chi Xiaocheng hopped off her computer chair and walked to the window, pulling open the curtains. She wanted to calm her restless heart by looking at the scenery outside.

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But though it was still afternoon, the sky was as dark as night, thick with ink-like clouds. Raindrops pelted the window, and as thunder roared, the downpour escalated into a storm.

Chi Xiaocheng pulled out her phone, only to realize her hand was trembling slightly.

The unease in her heart was amplifying.

It was the instinctive fear of the unknown.

She forced a weak smile and muttered, “System, you’ve really screwed me over with these theories. Now I can’t stop overthinking.”

[Apologies, Host.]

“Never mind, I’m not blaming you. If anything, ignorance is the scariest thing. It’s just this nagging sense of dread messing with me.”

Chi Xiaocheng tightened her grip on her phone and sent a message to Chi Song:

“Bro, when you picked me and Tao-Tao up today, I felt like someone was secretly watching us.”

She described the events of the afternoon.

Chi Song replied almost instantly: “Don’t worry. I’m here. I won’t go far from home.”

Though she received a reply, the unease in her heart remained hard to dispel.

The wind howled against the window like a vengeful spirit trying to break in and tear her apart.

The dimly lit room suddenly felt suffocating.

“King?”

Chi Xiaocheng called out softly.

“Xiao Ran?”

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She called louder the second time.

But the two cats were nowhere to be found, not even in the room.

Su Tao was still in the shower.

At this moment, Chi Xiaocheng desperately wanted something tangible to rely on.

[Host, I’m here.]

The system’s voice echoed in her mind, but Chi Xiaocheng ignored it.

“Thanks for the comfort and company, System, but… you’re not something I can physically lean on.”

The system was a tool. What she wanted to rely on wasn’t this.

Still, it was a response, a voice in the silence.

Chi Xiaocheng walked to the mirror and looked at her slightly damp, disheveled hair and her pale cheeks, lacking color due to her poor state.

Suddenly, she laughed at herself.

“It’s fine to hide under the covers and shiver sometimes, but getting scared just from overthinking? Xiaocheng, you’re really pathetic, huh.”

Words spoken to oneself were impossible to refute.

Chi Xiaocheng took a deep breath, then thought of something else.

She turned and slowly walked to the storage cabinet.

Opening the door, the Black Peach & White Orange figurines came into view.

“If I dream again… will you still be there, my stronger self?”