My Little Pink Crocodile - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Can’t Let My Wife Die

Jiang Yu had checked both of their phones; in this desolate, mountain wilderness, there was absolutely no signal. Furthermore, as the only one capable of walking, she was a total directional klutz—which was exactly why she had made sure to bring a dog along when she first went looking for Qi Yan.

Thinking of this, she let out a sigh. Using her phone’s remaining battery as a light source, she carefully tried to identify the medicinal herbs Qi Yan had described to her before losing consciousness.

Just then, a fierce-looking wolf appeared, carrying something in its mouth. Its ghostly eyes stared at the pink-haired girl. Sensing something, she turned back with a look of confusion.

A moment later, the wolf stepped forward cautiously, dropped the items at her feet, and looked up with eyes full of terror.

Jiang Yu shone her phone light on the pile and said happily, “Oh! You found them so quickly. It really is better to have helpers.”

She reached out in a great mood to pat the wolf’s head, but the wolf—having been beaten into submission earlier—reflexively shivered and dodged. The pack of wolves behind it immediately began to howl in unison.

The rising and falling howls were bone-chilling in the night air.

Jiang Yu grabbed the lead wolf’s snout, forcing the pack into silence. She frowned and said, “Alright, alright, stop shouting. If you wake my Qi Yan, don’t blame me for being impolite.”

Upon hearing this, the wolf’s body began to shake like a sieve.

Seeing them so terrified of her, Jiang Yu found it boring. She waved them off. “Since you found them, you can go. I’ll call you if I need anything else.”

The pack felt as if they had been granted a divine amnesty, but Jiang Yu’s final sentence instantly deflated their spirits again. They dropped the herbs they had gathered; perhaps because they were so afraid of her, by the time the last wolf dropped its contribution, the herbs had piled up into a small mountain.

Jiang Yu took off her jacket to bundle the herbs. At that moment, a sudden crack of thunder shook the dark sky, and a flash of pale light illuminated the area for a split second.

Jiang Yu merely glanced at the sky without a hint of fear, complaining instead: “It’s about to rain. It didn’t rain earlier and it won’t rain later, but it rains now? I’m starting to suspect you’re targeting me.”

As if to confirm her words, another bolt of lightning struck, snapping a nearby tree in half.

This actually startled Jiang Yu. She quickened her pace in gathering the herbs, muttering under her breath as she left. Her departure allowed all the ferocious beasts hiding in the dark to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Jiang Yu happily carried the herbs back. She pushed aside the hanging vines to reveal a faintly glowing cave entrance and Qi Yan’s ghastly pale face.

Qi Yan was bloodless and weak, leaning against the cave wall just to stay upright. Her consciousness was hazy. The wound on her leg seemed to have reopened; the seeping blood had completely dyed the hair ribbon red. She didn’t seem to see the person in front of her, only muttering “Jiang Yu” over and over.

Seeing her up, Jiang Yu frowned. She tore the obstructive vines away and went to support her, speaking with heartache: “Didn’t I tell you I was going out to find herbs? Why are you up again?”

They had been here for two days. During this time, Qi Yan had been running a fever on and off. Whenever she woke up and didn’t see Jiang Yu, she would try to get up to find her.

Qi Yan’s mind was scrambled by the fever, but she settled slightly as Jiang Yu drew near. Her burning hand gripped Jiang Yu’s, asking in a tense, worried voice, “I heard wolves howling. Were you in danger?”

Jiang Yu helped her sit down on a bed of straw. Hearing this, she couldn’t help but quietly scold the wolves for being indiscreet. When she didn’t answer immediately, Qi Yan grew more anxious, reaching out to check if she was hurt. Jiang Yu took the opportunity to hug her. Qi Yan’s body sought the coolness of the girl’s skin like a drowning person clinging to a piece of driftwood.

Jiang Yu patted her back gently, just as Qi Yan had once comforted her. “Alright, alright. I’m right here. No trouble, no injuries. Don’t worry.”

Outside, the rain began to patter down. A chilly breeze blew into the cave, causing the hard-won fire to flicker.

“Is it raining again?” Qi Yan asked, hearing the sound.

“Mhm,” Jiang Yu replied. To keep the fire from going out, she tossed in some dry branches she had collected.

Jiang Yu had wanted to leave over the last two days—she could have had the beasts lead her out—but the weather seemed to be conspiring against them. The frequent rain, combined with Qi Yan’s injuries, forced her to stay in this makeshift shelter.

“I found the herbs you mentioned. Take a look and see if they’re right.” She opened her jacket like a child showing off treasure.

“Mhm, they’re right,” Qi Yan replied without opening her eyes. She answered distractedly, only wanting to keep holding the girl to find some relief from the heat of her fever.

It was the first time Jiang Yu had been held so dependently. Knowing it was Qi Yan made her too stiff to move, so she simply let herself be held.

“Why do I… keep seeing black shadows? Are my… eyes playing tricks on me?” Qi Yan asked, her grip tightening.

“Your eyes are playing tricks, just playing tricks,” Jiang Yu comforted her quickly.

But she knew very well that the longer Qi Yan was away from that protective necklace, the more she would see. Due to her unique constitution, she would attract many unwanted entities coveting her spirit. This was bad for her recovery. Without the necklace, the only way to stop this was to let every living thing know that Qi Yan belonged to her.

A thought flashed through her mind. A cunning glint appeared in her eyes. She continued to pat Qi Yan’s back, her voice carrying a hint of seduction and a bit of a pout.

“Don’t sleep yet. Repeat two sentences after me, okay?”

Qi Yan’s mind was chaotic, but she answered instinctively: “Mhm.”

Jiang Yu spoke. Her naturally beautiful voice now carried an irresistible, pressurized authority. For a moment, even the cold wind seemed to turn gentle, leaving Qi Yan able to hear only her voice.

“I establish a vow of life and death; should it be broken, soul and spirit shall be extinguished, falling forever into the abyss.”

Qi Yan didn’t process the gravity of the oath. Guided by Jiang Yu, she repeated it word for word. As the final syllable fell, a strange shift occurred in the surrounding air.

Jiang Yu leaned in and kissed her. It was still the same unskilled nibbling as before, but she was trying hard to remember how Qi Yan had done it. Her movements were amateur, but in the rising heat of the moment, they carried an extreme sense of intimacy that made the heart race.

After a while, the feverish Qi Yan realized what was happening, but she couldn’t resist the craving for the other person coming from the depths of her soul. Her burning body pressed closer, like a traveler in a barren desert finally finding an oasis.

Jiang Yu didn’t care that Qi Yan was gripping her wrists hard enough to cause pain. When the roles reversed and she was being kissed breathless, her mind felt like it was exploding with joyful fireworks.

This was the final rite of her clan. Only by doing this would the spirits fear Qi Yan and vanish from her sight. Of course, Jiang Yu had her own selfish reasons; her clansmen wouldn’t recognize a human marriage certificate, but now, they would have no choice.

The thought filled her with joy, and she didn’t notice the slight darkening in the eyes of the person in front of her.

“Ow, don’t bite.” Jiang Yu tried to stop her. Being bitten on the shoulder didn’t hurt, but the itchiness was uncomfortable and felt strangely… different. She couldn’t describe exactly how it was strange, only that whenever Qi Yan got close, she felt both excited and shy. She had never felt this way before, not even when Qi Yan kissed her previously.

Is it because our souls are tied together now?

As Jiang Yu’s thoughts drifted, Qi Yan sensed her distraction. Before she could react, Qi Yan kissed her again. She seemed to crave the cool, soft sensation, kissing Jiang Yu until she was forced to snap back to reality due to lack of oxygen, causing her shy thoughts to vanish.

Their heavy breathing intertwined. The flickering firelight cast two silhouettes merged into one, dyed in a haze of ambiguity.

After an unknown amount of time, the scent of blood in the air made Jiang Yu snap to her senses. She pushed Qi Yan back, frowning with worry. “Your wound is bleeding again.”

The spirits and beasts were gone, but if Qi Yan’s leg wasn’t treated soon, it would leave a permanent injury. The thought terrified Jiang Yu.

However, Qi Yan seemed unable to feel the pain. Her misty eyes stared at the girl before she spoke dismissively: “Let it bleed. I just want to hold you.”

Hearing Qi Yan speak to her in such a pouting, spoiled tone for the first time, Jiang Yu blinked. She thought about how this was her first chance to take advantage of Qi Yan—though she had taken plenty before, this time felt different.

“Say that again.” Jiang Yu snuggled into her arms, looking at her expectantly.

But before Qi Yan could speak, Jiang Yu noticed the blood had already stained a large portion of the dry straw beneath them. Realizing the severity, she didn’t dare delay any longer. She helped the pale Qi Yan lie down and comforted her softly.

“Wait here. I’ll prep the herbs and apply the medicine.”

She grabbed the jacket full of herbs but realized she didn’t actually know how to process them. She found a relatively clean stone and began crushing some of the herbs to squeeze out the juice. She frowned. “I think it’s supposed to be like this.”

No matter how much she muttered, the only person who actually knew what to do had passed out again. Everything was up to her.

Jiang Yu looked at the sleeping Qi Yan and bit her lip. Her gaze grew determined as the force with which she crushed the herbs increased.

“No,” she said. “I can’t let my newly-acquired wife die.”