My Little Pink Crocodile - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: I Am Not Going

The early morning sunlight spilled through the window onto the two people sleeping soundly on the bed. The harsh light caused Jiang Yu to let out a small, dissatisfied “Ugh.” Her arms finally loosened their grip around someone, and she reached out to rub her eyes, murmuring a few incoherent words with a hint of morning grumpiness.

Jiang Yu blinked her eyes open blearily. After adjusting to the glare, she stretched languidly. As the blurriness faded and she took in her surroundings, the unfamiliar room and furniture caused her to freeze for a moment, her arms stiffening mid-stretch.

Her first thought was that she had been kidnapped. Her eyes snapped wide open, and she bolted upright.

“Qi Yan!”

She called out frantically, but receiving no response—and not being fully awake—she became even more convinced of the kidnapping. A thousand possibilities flashed through her mind, mostly involving the terrifying prospect of having her rare, expensive skin cruelly flayed off. The mere thought made her shudder, and she curled into a ball.

She tried to pull the blanket over herself to hide, but when it wouldn’t budge, she turned and came face-to-face with the person she had been looking for.

Qi Yan hadn’t woken up yet. Having been held uncomfortably by Jiang Yu the night before, she hadn’t managed to fall asleep until midnight, so Jiang Yu’s commotion hadn’t roused her.

Jiang Yu stared dazed for a few seconds before reaching out to touch Qi Yan’s face. The warmth of her skin confirmed it wasn’t a dream. At this, she finally woke up completely.

“Eh? When did you get here?” Jiang Yu frowned, whispering to herself.

But Qi Yan was still asleep and couldn’t answer. Jiang Yu searched her memory for the previous night, but she only remembered that Qi Yan hadn’t entered the room by the time she fell asleep. She tugged at her long hair in frustration, unable to recall the details.

Then, she caught the faint scent of alcohol in the air. Jiang Yu leaned in close to Qi Yan’s face to sniff, then pursed her lips and whispered, “Why did you drink again? Who bullied you this time?”

Back when she was in her crocodile form, Qi Yan had no guard up. After drinking, she would ramble and tell her many things, including her troubles. In Jiang Yu’s mind, “troubles” were synonymous with “being bullied.” Angered by this, she began planning how to beat up whoever had upset Qi Yan.

Just then, Qi Yan’s phone vibrated on the nightstand. Before Jiang Yu could look at the notification, the doorbell rang. It was pressed several times in quick succession. When the door wasn’t opened immediately, the person outside began pounding on it irritably.

“Qi Yan, I know you’re in there!” a gruff male voice shouted, sounding furious.

“Why are you shouting so loud? You’ll scare our daughter!” a female voice followed, more rational than the man, attempting to stop him.

“Can I not be loud? How long has she been out here acting out on her own?” the man retorted, though his tone softened slightly.

Jiang Yu’s brow furrowed again. The sleeping Qi Yan stirred restlessly at the noise, and the silver chain around her neck slipped out from under her shirt, glinting coldly. Seeing Qi Yan’s brows knit in her sleep, Jiang Yu felt a surge of displeasure.

“Who is it?!” she muttered. She reached out and gently smoothed the wrinkles on Qi Yan’s forehead, whispering coaxingly, “It’s okay, it’s okay. I’ll go see.”

She climbed out of bed, her bare feet shrinking back slightly as they touched the cold floor. Being thoughtful, she first drew the curtains to block the harsh sunlight before stepping out of the room.

Ollie the dog, who was lying outside, stood up immediately upon seeing Jiang Yu. He ran over wagging his tail, but before he could bark, Jiang Yu grabbed his muzzle to keep him silent.

Meeting the dog’s confused gaze, Jiang Yu pressed a finger to her lips and said sternly, “Don’t bark. If you wake up the pretty sister, I’ll have a bone to pick with you.”

Ollie seemed to understand. He looked at her resentfully but stayed quiet.

Outside, the people grew impatient. The pounding became more forceful. The woman continued to plead, “It’s so early, she’s probably still sleeping…”

Before she could finish, the door swung open. The man, seeing the door move, didn’t even look at who had opened it before launching into his lecture. “Qi Yan, do you have any idea what you’re—”

“Who are you? What are you doing at my house?” Jiang Yu gripped the door handle tightly, glaring warily at the two strangers.

The couple froze, realizing it wasn’t Qi Yan but a strange girl. Then the second part of her sentence registered.

“Your house?” Mother Qi frowned, stepping back to double-check the apartment number. Confirmed, she looked back at the stranger.

Jiang Yu was still wearing Qi Yan’s pajamas. The loose clothing and her slightly messy hair caused Father Qi to explode. He pointed a trembling finger at her. “You… you two… you… slept together?”

“Huh?” Jiang Yu blinked, thinking of how to answer. Since they were asking about her and Qi Yan, she nodded seriously. “We slept.”

Father Qi felt his vision go dark. Even in an era where same-sex relationships were legal, they hadn’t expected Qi Yan to be into girls—let alone bring one home.

Jiang Yu’s delicate face and wide, dazed eyes usually inspired pity. Mother Qi, being calmer, scanned the girl. She checked Jiang Yu’s neck and collarbone and, seeing no hickeys, let out a sigh of relief. She glared at Father Qi. “What are you saying?”

She then turned to Jiang Yu with a gentle smile. “Is Qi Yan home? We are her parents.”

Jiang Yu studied them. Noticing that Mother Qi’s eyes and brows did indeed resemble Qi Yan’s, she believed her. “Oh, it’s you two.”

Mother Qi nodded, only to see Jiang Yu become even more defensive, gripping the door handle as if to shut it. “You are the people who always make her unhappy.”

Instinctively, Jiang Yu did not like them. The couple’s faces stiffened. Before Mother Qi could respond, Qi Yan’s cold voice drifted from behind.

“Let them in.”

Qi Yan had been woken by the noise. Finding Jiang Yu gone, she had come to look for her. Seeing her parents, she stepped in immediately to protect the girl. Standing there, tall and lean, Qi Yan’s eyes were filled with an indifference that was a sharp departure from her usual approachable self.

Hearing her voice, Jiang Yu immediately ran into Qi Yan’s arms. The scent of her—fresh mixed with a hint of wine—calmed her. She pouted and complained, “Some people are here to give you trouble.”

Qi Yan reflexively put an arm around Jiang Yu’s waist and patted her head. Her voice softened unconsciously. “It’s fine.”

The parents watched this intimate display, concluding that what Tao Yan had told them was true. Father Qi’s face turned ashen with rage.

Grace, having also been woken up, stepped out to break the tension. “Uncle, Auntie, what brings you here?”

The presence of an outsider forced Father Qi to suppress his temper, but he still glared at Qi Yan. “I’m here because of this rebellious daughter!”

A heavy silence filled the living room. Following Qi Yan’s instructions, Jiang Yu sat obediently with Ollie, though she stayed as far away from the parents as possible.

Mother Qi, noting Jiang Yu’s “sweet” appearance and deceptive looks, felt her maternal instincts stir. Regardless of whether this was Qi Yan’s coming-out partner, she smiled kindly at the girl. “Little sister, what is your name?”

Jiang Yu paused her petting and looked at Qi Yan, who was pouring water. Qi Yan met her gaze and nodded slightly. Jiang Yu wasn’t happy about answering, but for Qi Yan’s sake, she tilted her chin up. “Jiang Yu.” She was trying to maintain a “noble and cold” persona.

Mother Qi smiled gently. “Jiang Yu, right? You look quite young. Feelings at your age can be immature, so I don’t recommend you two be together.”

She knew Qi Yan was stubborn, so she decided to start with Jiang Yu, who looked like a simple student. Father Qi added gruffly, “Exactly. You’re too young to be emotional.”

Jiang Yu hugged the dog and looked up at them, pursing her lips. Before Grace could change the subject, Jiang Yu spoke up.

“What you say doesn’t count. I’m an adult; I understand these things. Qi Yan picked me up from the mountains. I am a person who repays kindness. I studied humans and learned about ‘repaying a drop of kindness with one’s body.’ I chose her as my partner, so Qi Yan must take responsibility for me.”

The parents stared at her, utterly bewildered by her nonsensical logic.

Qi Yan’s heart skipped a beat at those words. She sat down next to Jiang Yu, whispered a soft “I’m sorry” in her ear, and then looked coldly at her parents.

“As you can see, I have someone I like. There’s no need to arrange any more blind dates.”

“Nonsense!” Father Qi barked.

Mother Qi shook her head. “You don’t have to find someone just to spite us.”

Qi Yan remained cold. “If you don’t believe me, I can go out and get a marriage certificate (Ling Zheng) with her right now.”

Jiang Yu, sipping her juice, whispered to Grace, “What certificate?”

“A marriage certificate,” Grace whispered back, still shocked by Qi Yan’s boldness.

Jiang Yu nodded thoughtfully. She knew humans got these for their partners. Since Qi Yan had brought it up herself, she was excited. She raised her hand to join the conversation. “We are going to get the certificate!”

Qi Yan looked at her, seeing the joy in her eyes. The coldness in her own gaze melted, and she let out a soft “Mhm.”

Seeing them “flirting” in front of him, Father Qi turned black with rage. “You wouldn’t dare! I won’t give you the household register (Hu Kou Ben)!”

Qi Yan kept her arm around Jiang Yu. She sneered, “Don’t you know? You haven’t needed a household register to get married for a long time.”

Father Qi was left speechless, glaring at them. Grace stepped in to play peacemaker. “Uncle, Auntie, calm down. Qi Yan really doesn’t like Tao Yan. He’s a notorious playboy. Do you really want her tied to a man like that for the rest of her life?”

“The Tao Group is a massive company! I’m doing this for her own good!” Father Qi didn’t care about Tao Yan’s character; he only cared about the benefit to himself. His family were “nouveau riche” and desperate to climb the social ladder through their children.

“You’re doing it for your own reputation,” Qi Yan said flatly, piercing through his lies.

Father Qi’s chest heaved. Finally, he spoke with the tone of a command. “Tonight is Old Man Tao’s birthday banquet. You must go and apologize.”

“I am not going,” Qi Yan said coldly.

Father Qi stood up abruptly, veins popping on his forehead. “You’re going whether you like it or not! Otherwise, don’t expect your pet hospital to stay open!”