Peach-Orange! – Chapter 346 – The Beginning of Yandere

For the first time in a long while, the sensation of physical contact made the girl’s tense body tremble slightly.

Tears she had been holding back in her heart finally began to flow.

Dark Xiaocheng, born from the countless painful memories within her, continued to whisper softly in her ear, “Cry if you need to. No matter when, as long as you need me, I’ll be here with you.”

The words were plain, even indifferent, devoid of much emotion.

Yet, this voice, so similar to her own yet carrying a hint of coolness, still gave the girl a sliver of warmth.

The endless loneliness in this pure white space seemed to dissipate in this moment.

Her sobs gradually grew quieter, fading into sniffles before finally stopping.

Exhausted from crying, the girl fell asleep in Dark Xiaocheng’s arms.

Dark Xiaocheng adjusted her posture, letting the girl rest her head on her lap as she sat upright, gazing quietly into the distance at the expanse of white and the floating fragments of memories in the air.

A trace of curiosity flickered in her eyes, a longing for new life.

The little orb of light watched this somewhat heartwarming scene in silence.

Every time the girl was revived or reborn, her body would return to its optimal state.

She would never grow physically tired.

But the exhaustion of her spirit made her increasingly numb.

After so long, this was the first time she had slept in this pure white space.

Reаԁ οո КatRеаdingCаfе

Perhaps she had found a bit of motivation to keep going, but without a real solution, what about the future?

If things continued like this, there would be no progress.

She couldn’t save Su Tao, and she herself would be torn apart bit by bit in this endless cycle, breaking down more and more completely.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when she woke up, but the moment she opened her eyes and saw an exact copy of herself, she was startled.

Only after the little orb of light explained did she curiously reach out to touch Dark Xiaocheng’s face, amazed.

Her interest in this new existence brought a hint of color to her eyes. “You really look exactly like me! But since you’re dressed all in black, I’ll call you Xiao Hei from now on. Thank you for keeping me company.”

The bright smile made Xiao Hei’s eyes flicker with a trace of confusion, but she nodded and accepted the name.

In the days that followed, the girl seemed to figure out Xiao Hei’s patterns.

She would answer any question, could talk about anything, and understood only what the memory fragments contained. She was rigid, almost lifeless, like a cute yet delicate doll.

The little orb of light explained, “She exists to accompany you… or rather, she’s an illusion formed from your negative emotions. She has no vitality, and her emotions are infinitely close to zero. I considered that if she were just a simple doll, she wouldn’t be able to help relieve your stress.

“So, I gave her a tiny bit of self-awareness, centered entirely around you.”

After hearing the explanation, the girl understood what Xiao Hei was: a mirror image of herself, an illusion meant to keep her company.

But even so, having someone by her side made her feel much better.

One of humanity’s greatest fears is loneliness.

Reαd оn KαtRеaⅾiոgСafе

This illusion, obedient in every way, became the perfect listener, patiently hearing her out and offering gentle responses.

The girl took a deep breath and waved at Xiao Hei behind her. “I’m going to save Tao-Tao. Xiao Hei, wait for me to come back, okay?”

Talking to herself, as if looking into a mirror, still felt a little strange.

Perhaps because she had cried and vented, her mindset had improved. In this cycle, she didn’t rush to pull Su Tao away from Ye Liang. She knew the world’s will would influence the girl, so she set a small goal:

First, make Su Tao feel something other than annoyance toward her.

Because her goal had changed—

An accident happened.

Another December 25th arrived. The girl knew this was the day she would die. After learning where Su Tao was, she went to find her, hoping to see her one last time before death.

Following Su Tao’s movements, the girl waited in advance.

She got her wish and saw the girl.

Then, her time came.

A steel bar wobbled precariously from the building above.

With a thud, it pierced through the girl from top to bottom.

But strangely, in the face of such sudden death, the girl’s lips curled into a smile.

Reаd оո KαtRеαⅾіոgСαfе

The frozen smile carried a hint of something morbid: excitement.

And in her gradually dimming pupils was reflected the panicked, desperate expression of another girl.

Back in the familiar pure white space, the moment she woke up, the girl exclaimed excitedly, “There’s a way! There’s a way! Tao-Tao does care about me! Hahahaha!”

She wasn’t insane. She turned to Xiao Hei, eyes alight with excitement. “Xiao Hei, do you know? This was the first time I died in front of Tao-Tao. The first time she saw me die!

“She looked panicked, shouting for me to dodge, even desperately trying to run over and push me away.

“She does care about me. Deep down, she does!

“It’s just because of Ye Liang, because of the world’s will, that her feelings for me faded! Hahahaha!”

Like a player stuck on a level for too long finally finding a solution, the girl jumped and danced in excitement.

In the past fifty-plus cycles, no matter how hard she tried, no matter how much she made Su Tao look at her, the girl had remained indifferent.

But now, wasn’t this the key to breaking through?

Excited, the girl stepped through the gate, beginning the next cycle.

Then, the moment it started, just as Su Tao was saying, “Can’t you be more sensible?” the girl immediately pulled out the small fruit knife she carried for self-defense.

Her smile took on a hint of excitement and something eerie.

She pointed the blade at her own arm.

Reαd οո KаtReαԁіոgСafe

Slish—

As blood splattered, she clearly saw the annoyance on Su Tao’s face shift to confusion, then to instinctive concern and panic.

Su Tao grabbed the girl’s hand, demanding to know why she had done this. Pressing hard on the wound, she tore off a strip of her own clothes without another word, trying to bind it tightly to stop the bleeding.

Su Tao’s voice was stern, but to the girl’s ears, it was filled with more care and concern than anything else.

Even though, not long after, Su Tao’s attitude shifted again due to Ye Liang’s interference—

The concern in her eyes remained.

For the first time, Su Tao defied Ye Liang, snatched the knife from Chi Xiaocheng’s hand, and without hesitation, carried her to the nearest hospital.

In that moment, the girl’s expression was one of pure satisfaction.

How long had it been since Tao-Tao last held her?

Four months.

So, so many four months.

This feeling… it was wonderful.

Yes. As long as she could keep this going, as long as she could make this moment last forever, no matter how many times she had to die, no matter how much it hurt, she was willing!

The girl’s strange, slit pupils gradually took on a sinister crimson glow.