My Little Pink Crocodile - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Before the Humans Find Her

By the time Qi Yan led Jiang Yu to the Tao residence, most of the guests had already arrived.

It was Old Master Tao’s grand birthday celebration, after all. Even though the two incompetent sons of the Tao family had caused significant losses to the family business recently, prominent figures from all over still sought this opportunity to cling to the Tao family’s influence or network with other high-level business partners.

Grace arrived before Qi Yan and immediately hurried over to greet them.

“Is it ready?” Qi Yan asked.

Grace gave her a playful eye-roll while rummaging through her handbag, grumbling under her breath. “You two were in such a rush. I had to find someone to rush-order this just a few hours ago. You’d better thank me properly.”

With that, she handed a small, official-looking red booklet to Qi Yan. Qi Yan opened it, scanned the contents, and satisfied that it looked convincing enough, said, “Thank you.”

Qi Yan’s sincere gratitude made Grace feel a bit flustered. She turned to the curious Jiang Yu and smiled. “You really brought her along, huh?”

Qi Yan tucked the booklet away and nodded. A flicker of something sharp crossed her usually gentle eyes as she spoke with a hint of steel. “Mhm. If I don’t show them something real, they’ll never give up.”

Jiang Yu stared at the little red book in Qi Yan’s hand with wonder. “Qi Yan, what is that?”

Qi Yan fell silent for a moment. Realizing the girl wouldn’t be able to tell it was a forgery, she handed it to Jiang Yu. “Our marriage certificate.”

Jiang Yu’s eyes lit up instantly. She snatched it up and stared intently at the photo inside, sighing with admiration. The two women in the photo were top-tier in both looks and temperament; even a rush-ordered photo couldn’t hide their beauty. Their styles—one sweet, one gentle—complemented each other perfectly.

“Qi Yan and I look so good. It’s just a shame that dress didn’t make it into the photo,” she remarked with a trace of regret.

Qi Yan took the booklet back and tucked it into the small, delicate handbag Jiang Yu was carrying. She took the bag from her to carry it and comforted her, “Next time.”

At that moment, Tao Yan—Old Master Tao’s grandson—spotted Qi Yan and Jiang Yu while greeting guests. His expression shifted slightly. After smoothing out his suit to ensure he looked flawless, he walked toward them.

Seeing him approach, Qi Yan pulled Jiang Yu behind her, a polite but guarded smile on her lips. “Second Young Master Tao, what brings you over?”

Given Tao Yan’s previous predatory interest in Jiang Yu, Qi Yan had to remain vigilant.

Tao Yan glanced at Jiang Yu hiding behind her and sneered, “Miss Qi certainly seems to adore her girlfriend.”

Qi Yan didn’t miss the sarcasm. He was clearly trying to embarrass her in front of the other guests. Everyone knew they had been set up on a blind date recently; for Qi Yan to come out publicly so soon after was bound to raise eyebrows. Nearby guests began to whisper.

Qi Yan didn’t care. She took Jiang Yu’s wrist and gave a smile as warm as a spring breeze. “Well, of course. She gets quite fussy if I’m out of her sight.” She gently squeezed Jiang Yu’s palm as she spoke.

Because Qi Yan had previously shown her dislike for Tao Yan, Jiang Yu “understood” the assignment immediately. She clung to Qi Yan’s arm, acting terrified. “Is this ugly uncle going to bully me again?”

Realizing Jiang Yu had misinterpreted the situation slightly but was running with it, Qi Yan decided to play along. Jiang Yu began to fake-sob, looking like a delicate, tear-streaked flower. “I don’t want to see him,” she whimpered.

Faced with Jiang Yu’s angry accusations and her pitiful face—combined with Tao Yan’s well-known reputation for being a philanderer—the surrounding guests’ gazes toward Tao Yan shifted to judgment.

Tao Yan’s face turned a shade of livid purple. “What are you talking about? We’ve only met once!”

But his history of debauchery made his defense sound hollow. In the eyes of the guests, Tao Yan was bullying a young girl. Jiang Yu’s youthful appearance only made them feel more protective of her.

Jiang Yu stole a glance at the red-faced Tao Yan, buried her face in Qi Yan’s neck to hide her muffled giggles, and then looked up at Qi Yan with sparkling eyes, clearly seeking praise for her performance.

Qi Yan stroked Jiang Yu’s head. Though she knew she shouldn’t, she couldn’t help but let a smirk tug at her lips. “Don’t be afraid. He’s… a ‘good person’ now.”

Tao Yan: …Why does that sound like an insult?

“Oh, okay,” Jiang Yu chirped “obediently,” her act effectively slapping Tao Yan in the face without a single word.

Tao Yan was speechless for a long time. Finally, under the scrutiny of the crowd, he forced a strained smile and nodded. “If Miss Qi says so.” He turned and walked away, his departure looking very much like a retreat.

Grace nearly burst out laughing. She whispered to Qi Yan, “Well, no one is going to say you’re social climbing now. Even if the Old Master is unhappy, there’s nothing he can do. Everyone knows you can’t stand Tao Yan now.”

Indeed, the Tao family had originally looked down on Qi Yan. If it weren’t for the fact that the Tao sons were incompetent and had lost nearly half the family fortune—and happened to have business ties with the Qi family—this blind date would never have happened.

Jiang Yu hugged Qi Yan’s arm tighter, a flash of possessiveness in her eyes. “Qi Yan doesn’t like him anyway. He’s…” She curled her lip in utter disgust. “So ugly.”

Grace couldn’t hold it in anymore and laughed into her hand. “Good job, little sister. With acting like that, should I invest in a movie for you?”

“I was telling the truth,” Jiang Yu insisted.

Then, she caught sight of something that made her freeze. She immediately ducked behind Qi Yan, whispering in terror, “What is she doing here?”

Did they find me already? Am I exposed?

Jiang Yu grabbed the spectating Grace and pulled her over to help hide her body, shrinking down to lower her visibility.

“Hey, hey, what are you doing?” Grace laughed. “Weren’t you brave a second ago? Why are you acting like a thief now?”

Jiang Yu shook her head solemnly. “You don’t understand. If I’m caught, I can’t be with Qi Yan anymore.”

Qi Yan noticed her distress and asked worriedly, “Are you feeling unwell?”

Jiang Yu struggled with how to answer and eventually just shook her head in silence. How do I say it? That the runaway has finally been found?

Qi Yan followed the direction of Jiang Yu’s furtive glances and saw a beautiful woman dressed in a striking red evening gown. The woman had been talking to others, but noticing Qi Yan’s gaze, a sharp glint flashed in her eyes. When she turned to look over, she recognized Qi Yan. She hid her emotions and nodded politely.

“Boss Qi, what a coincidence to see you here.”

Qi Yan returned the nod with her usual gentle smile. “President Jiang, I didn’t expect to see you. Why aren’t you inside yet?”

This was Jiang Yao, a rising star in the business world known for her ruthless and efficient style. Although she didn’t have pets, she seemed to take a keen interest in pet hospitals and even owned one herself. She had once tried to headhunt Qi Yan, which was how they met.

Jiang Yao smiled, but her eyes drifted toward the figure hidden behind Qi Yan. A familiar scent—faint but distinct—made her brows knit slightly. She joked, “Boss Qi, why are you hiding someone back there?”

The sharpness in the woman’s eyes made Qi Yan instinctively shield Jiang Yu even more, though her expression remained unchanged. “You’re joking, President Jiang. She’s just a bit shy around strangers.”

However, no matter how they blocked her, Jiang Yao caught a glimpse of that long pink hair. She paused, a thought crossing her mind. “I have matters to attend to. I’ll head in first.”

Jiang Yu let out a sigh of relief. “Go, go! Hurry up and go!” She didn’t realize she had spoken her thoughts aloud in her eagerness for the woman to leave.

Jiang Yao gave her a meaningful look but said nothing more. Grace, sensing something was off, stepped forward with a smile. “Since President Jiang is heading in, and I’m tired of watching these two be affectionate, why don’t we go in together?”

Jiang Yao retracted her gaze, studied Grace for a moment, and maintained her polite smile. “Let’s go then.”

Grace shot a wink at Qi Yan and Jiang Yu, her mouth forming the words: You owe me one.

Once the footsteps faded, Jiang Yu finally exhaled. But Qi Yan’s next question made her tense up again. “Do you know President Jiang?”

If this little crocodile was a runaway, Qi Yan suspected she might know other “crocodiles.” After everything with Jiang Yu, Qi Yan couldn’t help but wonder if Jiang Yao was also one. But if Jiang Yu did know her, why was she so afraid of being recognized?

Jiang Yu shook her head frantically. “I don’t know her.”

Qi Yan felt a strange sense of relief. “Can we go in now?”

Jiang Yu peeked around cautiously, hesitated, and then spoke with a look of heroic sacrifice. “Yes.”

It’s just Jiang Yao. She might not recognize me after all these years. And… and Jiang Yao ran away from the tribe too! She’ll definitely understand me. With that thought, her confidence returned.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yao had subtly pumped Grace for information before making an excuse to leave her. She found her assistant and asked, “Has that spoiled brat from the tribe run away?”

The assistant’s face crumpled. “Yes, Miss. The Young Master is missing.”

Jiang Yao wasn’t exactly a “runaway” in the same sense as Jiang Yu; she had been sent by the tribe to do business with humans and develop medical facilities. Since leaving, she rarely contacted the tribe, claiming she was “too busy”—though in reality, she just found them annoying after a massive fight with the Clan Chief.

Because she had made her assistant terrified to mention tribal matters, the news of the Young Master’s disappearance had been delivered late. Jiang Yao had glanced at the drawing sent by the tribe—a pink stick figure—and had been too speechless to look closer at who had actually gone missing. She had simply told the assistant to print missing person flyers, though she didn’t have high hopes for a stick figure drawing.

But sensing that familiar aura and seeing that unique pink hair today… she finally put the pieces together. It wasn’t that the tribal artist lacked skill; it was that they couldn’t exactly draw a pink crocodile and expect people to believe it. A pink stick figure was the only logical alternative.

Jiang Yao rubbed her temples. That abstract drawing gave her a headache just thinking about it.

“Miss, did you find the Young Master?” the assistant asked hopefully.

Jiang Yao looked back toward Qi Yan, her face unreadable. “No.”

The assistant’s face fell. “The Young Master has been gone for nearly a month. Her skin is unique; what if humans caught her for experiments?” The more he spoke, the more terrified he became for their “poor” Young Master.

Jiang Yao had no intention of turning Jiang Yu in just yet. She rolled her eyes at the assistant’s wild imagination. “The priority is to find the Young Master. Go back and print more flyers. Distribute them as widely as possible.”

The assistant, touched by her sudden concern for tribal matters, nodded vigorously. “Yes, Miss! I’ll go prepare immediately.”

Jiang Yao gave a cold, regal nod. “Go. Find her before the humans do.”

Hearing her urgency, the assistant broke into a run.