Chapter 127 Chapter 127: Su Tao'S Lucid Dream
Chapter 127: Su Tao'S Lucid Dream
The figurine was just like the one Chi Xiao Cheng had seen before, causing a moment of disorientation, yet one couldn't help but be drawn to its exquisite quality and the striking visual contrast it presented. It depicted herself in a black gown, staring at Xiao Cheng with a sinister, terrifying smile, as if about to drain the orange juice from her. The transformation from black to white was like a reversal of their roles in real life. She was the perpetrator. And Chi Xiao Cheng, in her pure white princess dress, was the victim.
Su Tao stared at the figurine, her lips trembling. "Could it be… Xiao Cheng also thinks I harmed her?" She rubbed her eyes, not daring to look at the figurine again, curling up and hiding under the covers, clutching the large brown bear to her chest. It was as if the large brown bear was Chi Xiao Cheng herself; she buried her head in its furry fabric, somewhat greedily savoring the scent Xiao Cheng had left behind.
If only Xiao Cheng were by her side. This thought lingered in her mind as she gradually drifted off to sleep.
However, when she opened her eyes, she was met with a scene that tugged at her heart's pain.
"Why? Why are you willing to go with Ye Liang but not take me? Am I really that repulsive to you!"
The person she cared for so deeply stood before her, tears streaming down her face, pointing at Ye Liang, her eyes filled with resentment and grievance. Su Tao was incredibly familiar with this scene; wasn't it the day she and Xiao Cheng had an argument during that high school summer vacation?
At that time, she had a good relationship with Ye Liang and had received his help. His requested repayment was for her to accompany him to a blind date gathering, to fend off a potential partner from another branch of his family. She agreed, wanting to repay Ye Liang for his kindness. This way, she wouldn't have any further dealings or trouble with the young master.
But Chi Xiao Cheng wasn't willing to listen to her explanation, and the result was an argument between the two of them. Chi Xiao Cheng was already an adult, and Su Tao wanted her to be more independent. She wasn't particularly angry initially, but when facing Chi Xiao Cheng while Ye Liang was present, she inexplicably said some truly harsh things. It was this very argument that served as the fuse, triggering a series of subsequent events.
But why was she back here? Was this a dream? Su Tao looked down at her transparent hand and realized she was merely an observer, watching this scene from her memory unfold once more.
At this moment, the Su Tao in the dream loudly retorted to Chi Xiao Cheng, "Can you stop being so unreasonable? After all this time, you're still so immature. Xiao Cheng, why don't you find something you like to do yourself!"
People often don't pay much attention to their words when they are irritable or angry. Su Tao knew this, but what astonished her was... had she really spoken so harshly? She had no memory of it at all.
Following that was an even more intense argument, and Chi Xiao Cheng left in tears. Later, she belatedly wanted to chase after her, but Ye Liang held her back. As for apologizing, she'd find some time later to talk properly with Xiao Cheng. The same thought arose in Su Tao's mind as in the dream-version of herself. Because at that time, she genuinely had that same thought.
But was such a dream merely showing her what had happened in the past? Was it because of her regret that she was dreaming this? Was reliving the process of losing her and the heartbreak a punishment for herself this time?
In her transparent state, it seemed no one could see her. Su Tao pondered for a moment, then began to walk in the direction Chi Xiao Cheng had left. There was no need to follow the original trajectory and experience it all again. She was more concerned about what Chi Xiao Cheng did after their argument. Why had she become so strange, so yandere-like, so obsessive? And why, in such a short time, had she fallen for Ye Liang and the others, and consistently opposed her?
Following Chi Xiao Cheng's footsteps back to her house, the little one buried herself in the covers and burst into tears, a sound that wrung Su Tao's heart. What Su Tao hadn't expected was that Chi Xiao Cheng kept looking for her over the next few days. But Su Tao had always been busy and couldn't meet her.
The appearance of Ye Liang, Dongfang Yang, and Si Chen gradually disrupted her life. Their various trivial matters made her busy and fulfilled, but from Chi Xiao Cheng's perspective, if one were to think about it in a slightly extreme way, it meant: she no longer wanted her. Until the start of the school year, the two barely exchanged a few words.
Chi Xiao Cheng seemed to have become abnormal; when she woke from sleep, she would occasionally murmur things like "Ye Liang is dangerous." She seemed to be having one nightmare after another, believing that the Ye Liang in her dreams would harm Su Tao, and she took everything in her dreams as real. But she had no other friends to confide in. Eventually, after university began, she met Zeng Xiu Hua and her roommate.
Facing the friendly smiles of her roommates, Chi Xiao Cheng, who had no one to confide in, naively trusted them and revealed all sorts of things about herself. Her most beloved Sister Su Tao. But it seemed Sister Su Tao no longer wanted her. The terrifying Ye Liang in her dreams. If he wasn't stopped, Su Tao would definitely get hurt. Such words, in Su Tao's view, were already a precursor to a dissociative identity disorder.
But Zeng Xiu Hua was no good person; while deceiving Chi Xiao Cheng's trust, she cunningly coaxed her, saying, "Since you can't persuade your Su Tao, why don't you just steal Ye Liang away?"
"Steal him away?" Chi Xiao Cheng asked, bewildered.
Zeng Xiu Hua nodded. "Exactly! You're so cute. If I put some makeup on you, I guarantee Ye Liang will be completely smitten. If you take him away from Su Tao, won't that protect Su Tao?"
The deceptive words took root in Chi Xiao Cheng's heart. The white swan, deceived by the toad, willingly plunged into the dark pond water, transforming into an ugly duckling despised by all. But under the toad's praise, the ugly duckling believed that she, in this state, was the most beautiful and adorable.
"Xiu Hua, this Chi Xiao Cheng is truly foolish. Going to Ye Liang with such a garish face, it would be a miracle if she could actually impress him."
"Isn't it fun? I just want to see her expression after Ye Liang rejects her, hahahaha. What's the point of being pretty if you have no brains? Just a few coaxing words and she's obedient. We should thank that Su Tao, too, for training Chi Xiao Cheng to be so docile."
Behind Chi Xiao Cheng, Zeng Xiu Hua and her other roommate mocked her aloud, which once again filled Su Tao with rage. But as merely a memory, she could do nothing. She even knew what would happen next.
Chi Xiao Cheng went on to pursue Ye Liang, Dongfang Yang, and even Si Chen. And was rejected time and again. And she constantly caused trouble for Su Tao, ultimately making Ye Liang and Dongfang Yang's impression of her worse and worse. And her distance from Su Tao grew ever wider.
—Yes, this was what should have happened in reality.
Su Tao continued to follow Chi Xiao Cheng, wondering when this dream would end. However, the outcome that followed was beyond Su Tao's expectations.
At dusk, Chi Xiao Cheng confessed her feelings to Ye Liang for the first time. Holding a bouquet of wildflowers picked from who knew where, she confessed, "Ye Liang, I like you. Can you leave Su Tao and be with me?"
Su Tao didn't even need to guess; she knew Ye Liang would definitely refuse. Because in her memory, Ye Liang had also told her about Chi Xiao Cheng's confession. But what caught her completely off guard was Ye Liang raising a strange, even terrifying, sinister smile. "Alright, I accept!"
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