Peach-Orange! – Chapter 298 – The Bizarre Cycle

When Chi Xiaocheng opened her eyes again, she found herself standing on a street.

The half-melted snow she remembered was gone, replaced by scorching heat. The blazing sun was so intense that she could barely keep her eyes open.

When she finally managed to focus on the person in front of her, her pupils contracted slightly.

Her Tao-Tao was looking at her with clear impatience. Beside Su Tao stood a tall man, his expression equally irritated.

The man had his hands in his pockets and kept urging Su Tao, “Come on, Su Tao, why are you still bothering with her? She’s old enough to know better. Doesn’t she realize today is important for you too? And yet she’s causing trouble like this.”

Su Tao bit her lip, anger rising as she spoke sharply to Chi Xiaocheng, “Can’t you stop being so unreasonable? After all this time, you’re still so immature. Go find something you like to do!”

Those words struck deep, awakening memories Chi Xiaocheng had long avoided. They were memories belonging to the original Xiaocheng. As a transmigrator, she had merely inherited them.

Yet, even though she wasn’t the original Xiaocheng, hearing those words again made her chest tighten.

And now, in this summer vacation, the person she cared about most had just said them to her again.

‘Did I travel back to that summer when we fought?’

‘No… that’s not it.’

Chi Xiaocheng looked up at Ye Liang, her gaze darkening with hatred.

‘Ye Liang is already dead. I didn’t travel back. I should be asleep right now, which means….’

‘I’m dreaming!’

By definition, a lucid dream meant the dreamer was aware they were dreaming.

But this time was different from the last. Last time, Chi Xiaocheng had been an observer. Now, she was the protagonist of the dream.

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Before she could react, her body moved on its own, shouting at Su Tao, “You think I’m immature? That I’m clinging to you? I cling to you because I care about you! You’re all I have!

“Sister Tao-Tao, we’ve lived together for so long. You always said I was the most important person to you. And now, because of this man you’ve known for less than two months, you’re calling me annoying? Calling me unreasonable?”

Chi Xiaocheng couldn’t control herself. “She” continued to vent hysterically, “You promised we’d always be together! Now that someone’s taking what’s mine, why can’t I be upset?

“Sister Tao-Tao… does Ye Liang mean more to you than I do?”

The sensation of tears sliding down her cheeks threw Chi Xiaocheng’s thoughts into chaos.

She hadn’t wanted to say any of this, but her body seemed to have a will of its own.

Last time, she had been a pure observer.

Now, she was experiencing everything from the protagonist’s perspective.

Yet the dissonance was overwhelming.

The plot wasn’t developing right.

If there was one thing Chi Xiaocheng knew, it was the early details of the original novel’s plot.

And she had the original Xiaocheng’s memories!

In the original argument, after Su Tao said, “Can’t you stop being so unreasonable?” the original Xiaocheng should have left in silent heartbreak. As if unable to face reality, she had fled.

Su Tao, meanwhile, would have gone off with Ye Liang.

This argument was supposed to be their final parting.

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So why was she now explaining herself so much during the fight?

Chi Xiaocheng couldn’t understand, but her body had already raised its head, staring intently at Su Tao’s changing expression.

For a brief moment, the girl looked conflicted.

But just as quickly, that hesitation vanished.

Ye Liang cut off Su Tao’s thoughts, coldly snapping at Chi Xiaocheng, “If you really cared about Su Tao, you wouldn’t suffocate her like this. Is this what you call caring?

“Su Tao has her own life. No one can devote themselves entirely to you. You’re an adult now. Start acting like one and learn some boundaries.

“You refuse to grow up. That’s the very definition of being unreasonable!”

His sharp reprimand seemed to sway Su Tao. Biting her lip, she said firmly, “Xiaocheng… I think Ye Liang’s right. You need to grow up too. I can’t always be by your side.”

Without waiting for a response, or even looking at Chi Xiaocheng’s expression, Su Tao let Ye Liang pull her away.

Emotions surged. Chi Xiaocheng felt like a puppet, unable to control her body’s actions yet fully experiencing its anguish.

What followed was all too familiar.

Just like the original novel, a series of accidents and misunderstandings kept her and Su Tao apart. Ye Liang’s schemes further poisoned Su Tao against her.

In the end, she met the same fate: tortured, then drowned in the sea.

Perhaps because it was a dream, extreme pain would wake her in reality.

Though she inhabited this body, Chi Xiaocheng felt no physical agony during the torture.

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But the emotions radiating from it were unbearable.

It was as if someone was hoarsely whispering in her ear: “It hurts… it hurts so much… hurts hurts hurts hurts hurts—”

A blink, and she “woke up” again.

Back at the argument.

This time, after the fight, she acted like the original plot, pressing her lips together and leaving without a word.

But afterward, unlike the original, she didn’t try desperately to get Su Tao’s attention, only to be met with escalating misunderstandings.

Chi Xiaocheng was like a player watching a cutscene. Her body was the protagonist, “progressing the story.” She could see everything but do nothing.

All she could do was watch events unfold.

Her body, with its own will, quickly recovered after the fight and began engineering “chance encounters” at every place Su Tao might appear:

Their home, school dorms, Su Tao’s part-time workplace, even her classroom.

In the original, after the argument, the two never met again. Never had a chance to reconcile.

This time, they crossed paths often.

But Su Tao was always surrounded by people hostile to Chi Xiaocheng, turning every meeting into another misunderstanding.

Dongfang Yang looked down on her. His first impression had been poor, and he drove her away each time they met.

Si Chen was as cold and stern as ever. After being intimidated twice, her “body” no longer dared to face him directly.

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Chen Qian, as Su Tao’s close friend, constantly fanned the flames in her ear.

Liu Guijia, Huang Limei, and others also obstructed her at every turn.

And then there was Ye Liang, who made no secret of his disgust.

A series of “accidents” bred more misunderstandings.

Su Tao began ignoring her. But since she didn’t do anything extreme, Ye Liang had no excuse to torture and kill her this time.

Yet the word “accident” seemed to define this dream version of Xiaocheng’s life.

On December 25th, the date she was supposed to drown in the original—

While descending a mall staircase, she suddenly spaced out.

Then she felt a push from behind.

She tumbled down the steps, her head slamming hard against the wall.

When she opened her eyes, she was back on that sun-scorched street.

Like a game reloading a save.

And once again, the girl’s impatient voice rang in her ears:

“Can’t you stop being so unreasonable? After all this time, you’re still so immature. Go find something you like to do!”