My Little Pink Crocodile - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: You Help Me

After Jiang Yu volunteered to wash vegetables in the kitchen and accidentally twisted the entire faucet off, the kitchen was nearly submerged.

Qi Yan was sprayed from head to toe before she could frantically shut off the main water valve, barely averting a domestic disaster. Grace, now terrified of Jiang Yu’s destructive potential, quickly pushed the girl toward Qi Yan while she went to call a plumber.

Jiang Yu looked like the picture of guilt. She hung her head, still clutching the violently detached faucet in her hands, her beautiful eyes stealing cautious glances at Qi Yan.

Since she had been facing the faucet when it snapped, she was no less soaked than Qi Yan. Her long pink hair clung to her shoulders, and her wet dress dripped onto the floor. Her tiny movements, born of the fear of being scolded, made her look pitifully endearing.

Looking into those eyes, Qi Yan found her temper evaporating. She helplessly wrung the water from her own clothes and spoke in a calm, almost coaxing tone. “I’m not blaming you. It was old and needed replacing anyway.”

It was a reason no one would believe—just as no one would believe a sweet, cute girl could rip a faucet out of a sink.

But Jiang Yu didn’t realize Qi Yan was making excuses for her. Her tension vanished instantly. She lunged into Qi Yan’s arms, feigning terror, and whimpered, “That was so scary just now. It frightened me.”

The soft, slightly cool body pressing against her made Qi Yan’s frame stiffen. The thought of wanting to kiss Jiang Yu flickered through her mind again, making her feel uneasy. Yet, hearing Jiang Yu’s voice, she hesitated before placing her hands on the girl’s slender waist.

“It’s okay,” she whispered gently.

Knowing she wasn’t in trouble, Jiang Yu hugged her even tighter. “No, no it’s not. I need a kiss to feel better.”

Qi Yan choked on air and looked at Jiang Yu in disbelief. The girl was looking back at her with a piteous expression that didn’t seem at all like a joke.

Nearby, Grace had just finished her phone call and was taking a sip of water to quench her thirst. Hearing Jiang Yu’s request, she choked violently, coughing for a long time before staring at Jiang Yu with wide eyes.

Qi Yan looked over at Grace. Feeling guilty, Grace clutched her water glass and looked everywhere but at the two of them. Grace remembered only telling Jiang Yu to “climb into her bed”—she hadn’t taught her this. The girl seemed to be a natural at being “shameless.”

Feeling like she was being squeezed to death by Jiang Yu’s hug, Qi Yan faked a cough to change the subject. “You’re holding a bit too tight. Let go for a second.”

Jiang Yu had zero concept of her own strength, but she obediently loosened her grip. Once the feeling of suffocation passed, she buried her head against Qi Yan’s chest, listening to the irregular thumping of the heart beneath. She looked up with a smile.

“You want to kiss me. I know it.” I can feel it; you can’t lie to me.

The girl’s long eyelashes were beaded with crystalline droplets, and her eyes sparkled like finely carved gems reflecting a thousand stars—and only her image. Jiang Yu looked as if she were doing this on purpose, appearing both vulnerable and incredibly alluring. Qi Yan couldn’t deny her racing heart, so she forced herself to remain composed.

“Your clothes are soaked. You’ll catch a cold,” Qi Yan said, diverting the topic again. “Let me take you to change.”

Jiang Yu pursed her lips, looking unhappy. Then, she quickly pecked Qi Yan’s lips and beamed. “I told you, a kiss makes everything better.”

The sudden, soft touch on her lips and the sight of that flawless face so close made Qi Yan freeze. Her mind went completely blank. Grace, witnessing this, choked on her water for the second time.

Jiang Yu let go of Qi Yan. Seeing her still standing there dazed, she leaned in again. “Don’t you like it?”

Qi Yan was speechless. Looking at Jiang Yu, she didn’t have the heart to reject her. She forced herself to ignore the tingling sensation on her lips and managed a gentle smile, though she didn’t answer the question directly. “Let’s go change your clothes.”

She simply assumed Jiang Yu was a mentally troubled “child” speaking nonsense and didn’t take it to heart.

“Mhm.”

Jiang Yu, who usually trailed behind, walked right up to her side and grabbed her warm hand. Sensing Qi Yan’s stiffness, Jiang Yu instead interlaced their fingers. For a moment, Qi Yan felt as though the walk to the bedroom was exceptionally long.

Once in the room, Jiang Yu closed the door behind them. Grace, who was sitting outside ordering takeout, jumped at the sound and rushed over to knock. “Qi Yan! She didn’t mean it! Don’t hit her!”

Inside, Qi Yan was rummaging through her closet. She looked back at the closed door and the innocent-looking Jiang Yu, then sighed. “It’s fine. I don’t hit people.”

Relieved, Grace went back to her phone to finish ordering.

Qi Yan pulled out a set of pajamas. “You came here so abruptly, I didn’t have time to prepare clothes for you. Just wear these for now.” She handed the pajamas to Jiang Yu, who just stood there holding them, making no move to change.

“What’s wrong?” Qi Yan asked.

Jiang Yu blinked and whispered timidly, though a different emotion flashed in the depths of her eyes. “You help me.”

Qi Yan’s hand paused as she was reaching for her own change of clothes. She looked at Jiang Yu, but eventually surrendered to the girl’s gaze. She’s mentally unwell and can’t take care of herself, Qi Yan thought. It’s normal she wouldn’t know how to dress.

Not wanting Jiang Yu to catch a cold in wet clothes, Qi Yan resigned herself to the task. The sight of fair skin and the faint, natural fragrance made Qi Yan’s heart beat like a drum. Her jade-white ears turned a soft pink, though she maintained her gentle expression.

As she fastened the last button, Qi Yan expected to feel a sense of relief. Instead, Jiang Yu suddenly grabbed her arm, her eyes bright and expectant.

“Pretty sister, now I want to change your clothes.”

Only then did Qi Yan notice the cunning glint in Jiang Yu’s eyes. The girl knew perfectly well how to dress herself.

Qi Yan’s wet clothes were cold, but the places Jiang Yu touched felt hot through the fabric. Qi Yan looked down at her, her eyes deep and unreadable. Just as Jiang Yu thought Qi Yan would agree, she was ushered out of the room, and the door shut with a loud thud—as if Qi Yan were in a hurry to hide her own flustered state.

Jiang Yu stood in front of the closed door, right next to Grace, who had been eavesdropping. “What did you do?” Grace asked. Qi Yan didn’t look angry, but her face definitely wasn’t “normal.”

“Just changed clothes,” Jiang Yu replied, omitting the part about wanting to undress Qi Yan. In her mind, mates did everything together—sleeping, and little things like changing clothes.

Grace was puzzled. Surely Qi Yan wouldn’t get upset over just changing clothes. Before she could ask more, the front door buzzer sounded.

“I’ll get it!” Grace said. Inside the room, Qi Yan called out, “Be careful!”

Grace waved it off. “It’s just a door. It’s not like a terrorist is coming to blow the place up.”

But the moment she opened it, a massive creature lunged at her, knocking her off balance. She fell to the floor, stunned, until something wet began licking her face. When she finally saw it was a Golden Retriever, she screamed, “Qi Yan! When did you get such a huge dog?! Wait… why does he look so familiar?”

Jiang Yu’s gloom from being kicked out of the room vanished. “Goudan!”

Before Grace could figure out why the dog looked familiar, Jiang Yu ran over to “discipline” him. “You raised this?” Grace asked, struggling. “Get him off, he’s too heavy!”

“No, I found him.” Jiang Yu picked the dog up. Her petite frame in contrast with the massive Golden Retriever was a startling sight.

Grace and Qi Yan (who had just come out in fresh loungewear) were both horrified. “That dog is too heavy! Put him down!” Grace cried.

Qi Yan looked at Jiang Yu, her expression back to its usual calm, as if nothing had happened in the bedroom. “I had someone bring Goudan over. Go play with him.”

The dog barked happily. “Wait!” Grace stared at the dog. Now she was certain. She grabbed the dog’s ears, forcing it to look at her. “Isn’t this the dog that ran away from my house?! What did you eat? You’re huge!”

Goudan looked guilty and tried to turn his head away, but he was trapped in Jiang Yu’s arms. Qi Yan looked closely; she could indeed see traces of the old dog beneath the bulk.

Jiang Yu set the dog down, but Grace kept a firm hold on its ears. “Was my food not good enough? You actually wanted to run away from home?!”

Goudan let out a weak whimper and hung its head. Jiang Yu pointed at him. “When I found him, he said he wanted to travel the world (Chuang Dang Jiang Hu).”

A dog? Leaving a luxury home to ‘travel the world’?

Grace didn’t stop to wonder how Jiang Yu understood “dog-speak.” She just frowned. “Well, he certainly ate well on the road.”

Jiang Yu offered a few seconds of silence for Goudan, then tugged Qi Yan’s sleeve. “He told me he didn’t have an owner, so I took him.” She explained it earnestly, as if proving she wasn’t a dog thief.

Qi Yan looked at Jiang Yu, who had leaned a few inches closer. She chose not to bring up the bedroom incident and didn’t pull her sleeve away. She smiled. “I know. He’s always been a rebel.”