Peach-Orange! – Chapter 393 – The Adorably Fragile Little Xiaocheng

Perhaps it was due to anticipation, or perhaps the emotional rollercoaster of the previous day had truly exhausted her.

But the most important reason was likely the sweet, soft Xiaocheng in her arms, who was so fragrant and comforting that Su Tao, for once, fell asleep quickly after a simple “good night.”

Normally, she would have to say “sorry” after “good night” before she could sleep.

The result? She woke up feeling refreshed, her body light and her mind clear.

The anxieties and doubts of yesterday had all dissipated with today’s excitement.

When she opened her eyes, she saw chestnut-brown hair right before her, strands playfully brushing against her cheeks, accompanied by a faint, soothing fragrance, and the softness of the girl clinging to her.

The sound of faint, steady breathing by her ear made Su Tao move more carefully as she prepared to get up.

She turned her head with difficulty and saw that it was only 6:30 a.m.

Xiaocheng usually woke up between 9 and 10. There was still plenty of time.

Su Tao wanted to adjust to a more comfortable position but found, to her helplessness, that Chi Xiaocheng had wrapped around her like an octopus.

The girl’s head rested on the softest place, her mischievous little hands slightly restless, and her legs scissored around Su Tao, binding her tightly.

It left the girl both delighted and exasperated.

Such an ungraceful sleeping posture.

But…

“I don’t hate it when you cling to me like this, Xiaocheng.”

Su Tao whispered these words into Chi Xiaocheng’s ear, then brushed aside the hair on her forehead and planted a gentle kiss there.

She closed her eyes again, waiting for time to pass.

But falling back asleep wasn’t so easy.

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Especially when she was already well-rested. Even with her eyes shut, her mind wandered.

Like now.

Chi Xiaocheng’s sleeping posture was bolder and more intimate than usual.

Her unconscious movements in sleep only made Su Tao feel even warmer.

It was as if… she was beginning to understand what Jiang Nan had meant.

Ugh… now she was wide awake.

.

By 8 a.m., even though Chi Xiaocheng was holding on tightly, Su Tao managed to pry herself free.

She tossed the Grey Wolf plush into Chi Xiaocheng’s arms and forced herself out of bed.

Makeup, grooming, washing up, dressing.

Then a trip to buy groceries, preparing breakfast in advance, all so the little one still sleeping could have a warm meal when she woke up.

Nutritious porridge, hot milk, two steamed buns, a fried egg, and some crispy pickled radish on the side.

Looking at the spread she’d prepared, Su Tao felt immense satisfaction. Just imagining Chi Xiaocheng praising her cooking filled her with motivation.

She turned off the range hood, and as the kitchen fell silent, she glanced toward the door.

Listening carefully, she heard no movement from outside.

“Still not up yet….”

Su Tao sighed, untied her apron, and returned to the bedroom, only to find Chi Xiaocheng still asleep, though the Grey Wolf plush had been unceremoniously shoved aside.

Su Tao knocked lightly on the doorframe. “Xiaocheng, time to wake up. It’s already 9. Breakfast is getting cold.”

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Chi Xiaocheng burrowed out from under the covers, squinted at the clock, then kicked the blanket slightly. “Tao-Tao, just five more minutes~”

Ah, here it was.

The classic morning struggle.

If she wasn’t fully rested, those “five minutes” would stretch into half an hour of stubborn laziness.

Su Tao knew this routine all too well. The truth was, Chi Xiaocheng just found getting up, changing, grooming, and even washing up too much of a hassle.

She’d rather stay in bed until hunger forced her out.

Su Tao walked to the bedside helplessly. “Xiaocheng, what are you going to do if you’re this lazy all the time?”

“I’ve got you, Tao-Tao~”

Chi Xiaocheng mumbled, extending an arm from under the covers.

Her fair arm waved vaguely, searching for something to grab onto.

Hearing this, Su Tao suddenly felt Chi Xiaocheng had a point.

She could be lazy, because Su Tao would take care of everything.

What if she spoiled Xiaocheng to the point she couldn’t do anything without her?

Wasn’t that also a strategy?

The thought flickered in Su Tao’s mind, but Chi Xiaocheng’s hand was still flailing in the air.

She knew she was supposed to pull her up.

So she pushed those musings aside.

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She reached out, intending to help Chi Xiaocheng out of bed.

But she hadn’t expected Chi Xiaocheng to pull first—

Yanking her down onto the bed with surprising strength!

“X-Xiaocheng?”

Su Tao tumbled onto the mattress, landing awkwardly on the other side of the pillow.

Before she could react, Chi Xiaocheng tugged her wrist, dragging her under the covers.

Her forehead nuzzled into Su Tao’s neck, warm breath filtering through strands of hair to brush against her skin. Then came an even softer, sweeter whine: “Five more minutes~”

Su Tao stiffened.

She had no reason to refuse.

As she waited, her gaze drifted to the strands of Chi Xiaocheng’s hair tangled around her.

Her fingers unconsciously reached out, idly twirling the silky ends.

Being relied on like this….

It filled Su Tao’s heart with sweetness.

What she didn’t notice, however, were the slight curve of Chi Xiaocheng’s lips and the happy, contented look in her eyes.

‘Tao-Tao, the first stop of today’s date is right here, in this room.’

‘Going out is just part of the journey.’

‘The real destination is making each other happy.’

.

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Though she’d claimed “five minutes,” Chi Xiaocheng ended up lazing in bed for a full half-hour.

Though Su Tao was happy, the breakfast she’d painstakingly prepared had gone cold.

Her words were a mix of exasperation, doting, and resignation: “Really, Xiaocheng, you said five minutes but slept another half-hour. After eating, if we rest a bit more and dawdle, we won’t even leave until noon.”

“It was just half an hour! It’s not that serious,” Chi Xiaocheng protested as her face was scrubbed with a towel. After washing up, she added, “Besides, Tao-Tao almost fell asleep too! I was the one who had to wake you up!”

Su Tao’s cheeks flushed. “I— I just wanted to let you sleep a little longer because you looked so tired!”

It definitely wasn’t because being held like that had been too comfortable!

She waved a hand dismissively. “Whatever, let’s just eat breakfast. Xiaocheng, you’d better think hard about where we’re going for our date later.”

“Already decided~”

Chi Xiaocheng skipped to the dining table, plopping into a chair to wait for breakfast.

Su Tao sighed helplessly, though the corners of her lips curled up again.

She’d deliberately said “date.”

And Xiaocheng hadn’t corrected her.

As expected, her instincts hadn’t been wrong.

If she was bold enough, she might even confess to Xiaocheng.

Use that as a catalyst.

Whether it rekindled her emotions or not….

As long as Xiaocheng liked her back, couldn’t they be together?