Peach-Orange! – Chapter 332 – Facing Oneself

With just one glance at Su Tao’s micro-expressions, Dongfang Wen could tell that this girl’s heart was in turmoil.

The subtle habitual movements and the tone of her speech revealed her inner anxiety and unease.

She was trying hard to conceal it, unaware that her attempts were rather clumsy, at least to someone like Dongfang Wen.

While still observing Su Tao, Dongfang Wen heard his grandnephew introduce him to the girl. “This is my Seventh Uncle. Su Tao, you can call him Professor Dongfang or Grandpa Dongfang. He doesn’t mind either way.”

Then, turning to Dongfang Wen, he introduced Su Tao. “This is Su Tao, the older sister of Chi Xiaocheng, the one I told you about. She’s not the one being treated.”

“Hello, Professor Dongfang. My name is Su Tao. You can call me Xiaotao or Taozi.” Su Tao immediately bowed politely. “I’m sorry to trouble you. Should we go inside while I explain my sister’s situation to you?”

“No problem.”

Dongfang Wen nodded amiably.

He noticed Su Tao glancing at Dongfang Yang again, then instinctively slipping her hand into her pocket to feel around before her face showed a flicker of frustration.

He turned to Dongfang Yang. “Ah, kid, I just remembered I left a hypnosis tool at the hotel. It’s on the desk with the lamp. Can you go back and get it for me?”

Dongfang Yang froze, staring at Dongfang Wen in disbelief. “Wait… I just brought you here. Are you sure you don’t have dementia?”

“Go, go. I don’t trust anyone else with it. Hurry up and fetch it for me.”

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Dongfang Yang slumped his shoulders and turned away helplessly. “You’re unbelievable. Just make sure you wait for me before starting the hypnosis, got it?”

“What’s the point of waiting for you? You can’t assist me anyway. Get going!”

Shoving his grandnephew away, Dongfang Wen clasped his hands behind his back and smiled at Su Tao. “Xiaotao, now you can speak freely. This will stay between us.”

Su Tao snapped out of her daze, realizing that the hypnosis master had intentionally sent Dongfang Yang away.

Just because she had glanced at him?

His small display of insight put Su Tao somewhat at ease. She nodded and led Dongfang Wen into the hospital.

As they walked, she said, “Before the treatment begins, there are some things you should know… both about what happened between me and Xiaocheng and about her personality.”

Su Tao walked ahead, her profile showing a contemplative expression as she organized her thoughts, deciding where to start.

However, professional psychologists preferred to take the initiative, and Dongfang Wen was no exception.

He spoke first. “I already know the general circumstances of Xiaocheng’s amnesia. Dongfang Yang mentioned that you were the main cause. Why don’t you start by telling me about your relationship with her?”

Su Tao exhaled and nodded. “My relationship with Xiaocheng is… complicated. She’s liked me since childhood… romantically. But I’ve always seen her only as a sister. I never realized her feelings, and in the past, I even said things like ‘I’ll never leave you’ or ‘we’ll be together forever.’

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“This led her to misunderstand and fall for me even harder. In August, we had a fight, and that’s when I found out she liked me ‘that way.’

“At first, I didn’t understand my own feelings and tried to avoid it. But then she nearly died twice because of me.

“And when I finally realized that I actually liked her too, she lost her memories.”

Su Tao scratched her cheek sheepishly. “Professor Dongfang, doesn’t this sound strange? We were like sisters, yet we ended up liking each other this way.”

Guilt, conflict, and self-doubt… Dongfang Wen could easily pick up on these emotions from Su Tao’s tone.

She was seeking validation, something to ease her sense of culpability.

Dongfang Wen’s voice was gentle, even carrying a hint of confusion. “It’s not strange at all. She pursued you, and you only realized your feelings for her after an accident made it impossible to be together. I might be old, but I understand what you’re saying. Don’t worry.”

“No, no,” Su Tao shook her head. “That’s not what I meant by ‘strange.’”

“Then what did you mean?”

He guided her to elaborate.

Su Tao said, “I meant… that Xiaocheng and I are both girls. We were like sisters, yet our feelings twisted into this kind of relationship. Doesn’t that seem strange to you?”

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Dongfang Wen tilted his head. “Not at all. My granddaughter is also into girls. She’s brought several home already.”

“Eh… what?”

The sudden shift in topic caught Su Tao off guard.

Dongfang Wen shrugged. “As long as you like each other, what’s the problem? I’m an indulgent old man. My granddaughter can do whatever she wants. If you genuinely like Xiaocheng and aren’t just playing around, then there’s nothing wrong with it.”

“Really? It’s not strange? I thought someone your age would be against this kind of thing.”

“Do you want other to think it’s strange, so you that you can have an excuse to not like her anymore?”

“Of course not! I really like Xiaocheng!”

Su Tao’s voice was urgent and firm, but inwardly, she felt another wave of relief.

The chains binding her were slowly being loosened.

And the one loosening them was herself.

Dongfang Wen understood Su Tao’s thoughts perfectly.

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For her to ask such a question, she must have hurt the other girl over gender issues before, hence her need for reassurance to ease her guilt.

But this kind of conversation was also part of the therapy.

A professional psychologist should become friends with their patient, helping them lower their guard.

Wait, no, that wasn’t quite right.

Dongfang Wen stroked his chin. He had slipped into his usual role, but Su Tao wasn’t the actual patient here.

He steered the conversation forward. “So, the memories you want Xiaocheng to recover through hypnosis are the ones she lost?”

Su Tao nodded vigorously, then shook her head. “Xiaocheng’s case is more complicated. She lost her memories because of the pain from my rejection. Her dislike of me remained in her subconscious, while the happier memories sank deeper.

“I do want her to recover all her memories… all of them… the ones where she liked me, the painful ones. That’s why I asked Dongfang Yang to bring you here to hypnotize her.”

Dongfang Wen nodded slightly, but this wasn’t what he wanted to know. “I understand, but what I’m asking is, which part of her lost memories do you want her to recall?”

“Professor Dongfang… we can choose?”