Peach-Orange! – Chapter 328 – Xiaocheng… Cute

“W-Wait… wait a second!!!”

Su Tao’s hands were already on the hem of Chi Xiaocheng’s hospital gown, even lifting it slightly to reveal half of her fair, tender belly when Chi Xiaocheng finally shouted for her to stop.

Su Tao crouched in front of her, tilting her head with a puzzled expression.

Chi Xiaocheng squeezed her eyes shut tightly, as if trying to calm her nervousness, before opening them again.

But then she instinctively lowered her head.

Another deep view made her dizzy.

Chi Xiaocheng waved her little hands, pushing Su Tao’s hands away, “Wait, Tao-Tao, don’t rush. Don’t you think this… isn’t quite normal?”

“There’s nothing abnormal about it.”

Su Tao looked at Chi Xiaocheng’s face, blinked, and couldn’t help but chuckle softly when she saw her flushed cheeks, “Xiaocheng, you’re actually shy? What’s there to be shy about? We’re both girls. I used to bathe you all the time before.”

At first, she thought Chi Xiaocheng’s blush was just from the stuffy heat of the bathroom.

But those words seemed to flip a switch.

Chi Xiaocheng’s shy expression froze instantly, as if someone had hit pause on a video, leaving her completely stuck.

She seemed to realize something.

Immediately, she pointed at Su Tao, then at herself, “So… Tao-Tao, you’re just worried about my injuries and simply giving me a bath?”

“Otherwise?”

Su Tao wore a completely clueless expression, practically spelling out “Xiaocheng is overreacting” on her face.

It also meant the only thought in her mind really was just giving her a bath.

If this were a case of “one heart yearning, the other willing,” Chi Xiaocheng’s blush would’ve been perfectly fitting.

And she wasn’t faking it.

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Facing someone she liked, excessive intimacy would make her shy, timid, and flustered.

Her love for Su Tao wasn’t just superficial attraction. It was genuine, soul-deep affection.

She’d imagined plenty of nosebleed-inducing scenarios, but when it came down to it, Chi Xiaocheng was absolutely the one to chicken out.

But now….

One heart yearned.

The other was N*ruto himself, using a jutsu to turn into a block of wood.

Encountering an ambiguous situation, the unshakable Su Tao was as tough as a monster. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t be bent!

As if refusing to believe it, Chi Xiaocheng scrutinized Su Tao again, but there wasn’t a trace of blush on her face, nor were her movements the slightest bit shy or hesitant.

Finally, Chi Xiaocheng accepted it.

She’d overthought things.

Her throbbing, bashful heart instantly calmed down.

Chi Xiaocheng raised both hands, as if entering a state of sage-like detachment, “Fine, go ahead and undress me.”

“???”

Su Tao was even more confused by Chi Xiaocheng’s reaction.

But her hands didn’t slow down, swiftly stripping Chi Xiaocheng and plopping her into the bathtub.

Still, she couldn’t figure out why Xiaocheng had suddenly gotten angry.

When her gaze landed on that soft, fragrant skin, she just pondered.

When her eyes drifted to those slightly pouted lips, Su Tao really wanted to kiss them.

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Soon, warm water submerged her body, and Chi Xiaocheng emptied her mind, comfortably closing her eyes.

Su Tao held the showerhead, letting warm water cascade over Chi Xiaocheng’s hair, “Is this temperature okay?”

“Mhm.”

Chi Xiaocheng responded and shut her eyes.

The moment she realized Su Tao was a block of wood, all her shame vanished. This straight girl could still say things like “we’re both girls.”

For a moment, Chi Xiaocheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

The good thing was, Su Tao’s over-80 favorability toward her wasn’t because of her identity as a “girl.” In other words, what she loved was Chi Xiaocheng herself, a resonance of souls.

Not just this petite, adorable body.

The frustrating part was, if she liked this body too, the progress of conquering her would’ve been much faster.

People are greedy.

Chi Xiaocheng was no exception.

But for now, since she couldn’t rush it, she might as well enjoy this bath.

At the very least, she could feel how gentle Su Tao’s movements were.

However, being slow and lacking emotion are two different things.

Su Tao was a bit slow, and she really had only intended to give Chi Xiaocheng a bath at first.

But when Chi Xiaocheng got angry, Su Tao, who already had temporary mild delusional disorder, couldn’t stop thinking about why Xiaocheng was upset.

She’d been so shy earlier.

With a calm mind and plenty of time to think, Su Tao quickly realized something.

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Why was Xiaocheng shy?

‘Because, subconsciously, she’d recovered a bit of her memories and impulses of liking me.’

‘Facing someone she liked, bathing together… so she got shy.’

‘Right.’

“Someone she likes… together….”

Su Tao murmured under her breath, barely making a sound. When her gaze shifted from Chi Xiaocheng’s hair to her shoulders, her breathing grew unsteadily heavy.

The Xiaocheng she longed for, the Xiaocheng she liked, the Xiaocheng she loved but couldn’t have was right in front of her now.

It wasn’t like Su Tao had never fantasized at all.

She was just a little slow, a little late to realize.

‘Why didn’t I notice earlier how… cute Xiaocheng is?’

Su Tao added one thought after another in her mind, as if Pandora’s box had been opened.

A different kind of affection welled up in her heart.

It clouded her vision and froze her thoughts.

Her movements stiffened, and unconsciously, she wanted to lean closer.

Her mindset had changed.

……

Amid the swirling steam, the bathroom was quiet, with only the sound of running water masking the soft, barely audible noises.

Chi Xiaocheng had fallen asleep.

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She’d completely let her guard down around this block of wood, Su Tao.

But she didn’t expect this block of wood to belatedly “wake up.”

As if stepping through a door to a new world.

Whispering “sorry, Xiaocheng” in self-consolation, making small, timid yet tantalizing moves.

Half an hour later, Su Tao finally patted Chi Xiaocheng awake, “Xiaocheng, wake up. Staying in the water too long isn’t good.”

As she spoke, her gaze flickered, avoiding looking at Chi Xiaocheng, “If you’re sleepy, you can rest in the hospital bed later.”

“Okay~”

Chi Xiaocheng was indeed drowsy and raised her arms lazily, “I’m all soft now. Carry me.”

“O-Okay.”

……

Soon, Su Tao dried Chi Xiaocheng off, dressed her, and practically pushed her out of the bathroom before saying, “Xiaocheng, sit on my bed for a bit first. I’ll clean up in here.”

With that, Su Tao abruptly closed the door again.

Her heart was pounding wildly.

This was a feeling she’d never experienced before.

And she’d never realized just how… cute her Xiaocheng could be.

Su Tao tightened the towel around herself and rubbed her knees together.

“A strange feeling….”