My Little Pink Crocodile - Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Stealing Her Back

The wind made the campfire flicker and sway. The firewood crackled and popped incessantly on the ground, occasionally sending sparks into the air. Several fish, skewered on sticks, were propped over the flames; the smell of charred meat began to waft out.

Standing to the side, Qi Yan watched the person who had volunteered to grill the fish. From the very first step—forgetting to scale the fish—it had gone wrong. She had to hold back for a long time to keep from laughing in front of Jiang Yu.

Although Jiang Yu had volunteered, she had zero practical experience. After starting the fire, she became so frantically busy that she didn’t know what she was doing. Once she finally managed to skewer and grill the fish, she turned to Qi Yan with full confidence.

“I knew I was smart.”

Looking at the girl’s bright smile, Qi Yan temporarily forgot about the unscaled fish and offered her affirmation. “Mhm, very smart.”

The more she was praised, the more Jiang Yu floated with pride. She continued to grill with supreme confidence until a burnt smell filled the air, making her realize something was amiss.

“It can still be eaten if it’s burnt, right?” Jiang Yu asked, looking at the fish whose skin had turned to charcoal, her expression conflicted.

“How is it?” Qi Yan walked over and asked with a smile.

“Doesn’t seem great.” Jiang Yu frowned and leaned down to sniff it, wondering if the thing might be poisonous.

Seeing her conflicted little look, Qi Yan chuckled. She took the grilled fish from the girl’s hand and said, “This is the first thing you’ve ever made. How could I not try it?”

As she spoke, she gently stroked Jiang Yu’s head. Her gaze was soft, filled with a touch of doting love. Qi Yan took a small bite and chewed slowly, her expression unchanged as if it truly were edible.

“It’s okay,” Qi Yan said, swallowing without a change in her expression.

Seeing this, Jiang Yu was delighted. “I knew I was amazing.” She reached out to take the charred fish back, but Qi Yan dodged slightly. In the end, Qi Yan personally held it to Jiang Yu’s lips with a smile.

The moment Jiang Yu took a bite, her brows knitted together. Before she could even chew, she pulled a face and spat it out, saying aggrievedly, “You lied to me! It’s bitter and tastes terrible. It might even be toxic.”

She personally critiqued her first attempt at grilling, snatched it back from Qi Yan, and mercilessly threw her dark history far away. “What if I poisoned you to death?”

Qi Yan laughed. She looked at the discarded fish and comforted her warmly. “We don’t have tools here. It’s not your fault.”

Jiang Yu listened while nestled in Qi Yan’s arms, then nodded immediately. After serious thought, she said, “It’s definitely not my problem.”

Qi Yan held her and whispered into her ear, “I’ll teach you how to grill fish next time.” Conditions were poor here; even scaling a fish was difficult.

Jiang Yu was about to say she wouldn’t do it again, but since Qi Yan offered to teach her, her eyes lit up. She gave Qi Yan a quick kiss on the cheek and curled into her arms like a lazy cat, her soft “paws” scratching at Qi Yan’s heart.

“Teach me as soon as we get home.”

After Qi Yan agreed, Jiang Yu suddenly remembered something. She sat up and began rummaging through her pockets, looking confused. “Where’s my leaf?”

Even if she couldn’t understand the map on that leaf, having it was better than nothing. But she searched her person and couldn’t find it anywhere.

Qi Yan pulled the leaf from her own pocket. “I saw it fall off you earlier, so I kept it safe for you. See if this is what you’re looking for.”

The palm-sized leaf was held out before her. Jiang Yu took it and looked it over. Confirming it was hers, she smiled. “Yes, this is it.”

But before she could celebrate, Qi Yan’s next question caught her off guard.

“I saw something drawn on it. Looking closely, it looks like a map. Where did you get it?”

Qi Yan’s smile was still gentle, but it made Jiang Yu feel even more guilty. She blurted out an answer before her brain could filter it: “It… it grew on the tree naturally.”

The moment the words left her mouth, even she felt it was absurd. The thought of a tree growing maps made her want to laugh.

Qi Yan reached out to wipe a smudge of dirt from the corner of the girl’s mouth. Her eyes were as soft as water, and her voice was as pleasant as a spring breeze. “If you don’t want to say, then we’ll just say it grew on the tree.”

Jiang Yu was conquered by her gaze. She lowered her head and confessed, “Actually, the animals here are all afraid of me. I made them find the herbs, and they drew the map. Do you think I’m useless now?” Her voice grew smaller, and she stole glances at Qi Yan.

Qi Yan sighed and thought for a moment. “How could I think you’re useless? Aren’t you great at catching fish?”

As she spoke, her thoughts drifted. She remembered Jiang Yu carrying her to the cave while she was injured, the girl’s anxiety over her fever, and how a girl who usually knew how to do nothing was willing to catch fish for her. Even if the grilling was a mess, Jiang Yu had learned to change for her. Qi Yan had to admit she couldn’t let go of this person.

“Then I’ll catch more fish for you,” Jiang Yu said with a happy, excited smile. She lunged into Qi Yan’s arms again, accidentally knocking her back onto the grass.

“Did I press on your injury?” Jiang Yu asked anxiously, immediately trying to check the wound. But Qi Yan caught her hand.

“I’m fine,” Qi Yan said.

The blood-red glow of the sunset looked like a fire burning at the edge of the sky. The light washed over them, plating the grass and the stream in a warm hue—a scene so cozy it was intoxicating.

Jiang Yu lay beside Qi Yan, holding the leaf up. The map traced on the translucent leaf was clear before her eyes. “Can we get out now?”

Qi Yan gazed at the darkening sky. “This is the map to get out of the forest. Once we’re out, it will take a few more days to reach the city—unless Grace and the others find us first.”

Jiang Yu put the leaf down and turned to face Qi Yan. Her eyes lowered slightly. “Does your injury need treatment soon?”

They had been here for days; the wound couldn’t be healed by herbs alone. A flicker of something passed through Jiang Yu’s eyes.

“Yes,” Qi Yan said. Seeing Jiang Yu looking dejected and self-reproachful, she comforted her again. “You’ve done so well. Even if I have to have an amputation later, it won’t be your fault.” It was because of her own choices that Jiang Yu had to suffer here with her.

Jiang Yu’s eyes widened in alarm. “Is it that serious?” She wasn’t human, and she had logically forgotten that Qi Yan was a fragile human, unlike her own tough-skinned self. Only then did she realize that Qi Yan was a delicate being who could easily die.

Qi Yan didn’t answer directly; she just pulled Jiang Yu into her arms. “It will be fine.”

She didn’t know that as Jiang Yu looked at the leg wound, the girl’s worry only deepened. “I’ll get you out as soon as possible,” Jiang Yu promised solemnly.

The words felt like a warm vow in Qi Yan’s heart. Jiang Yu gazed into the distance. Listening to Qi Yan’s steady breathing, she wasn’t sure if the other woman had fallen asleep. Finally, as if making a decision, she whispered, “What if someone tries to steal me away?”

Gazing at the few stars in the night sky, Qi Yan was drifting off, but she heard every word. Not sensing the gravity in Jiang Yu’s voice, she joked, “I’ll steal you back.”

Steal her back…

The answer echoed in Jiang Yu’s heart. A strange sensation spread through her body, leaving her filled with joy.

The cool evening breeze made the leaves rustle, like a lullaby, allowing the two sleeping on the ground to rest peacefully. Suddenly, a powerful pressure swept through. The force caused leaves to fall and swirl in the air.

Sensing something, Qi Yan opened her eyes to find Jiang Yu was no longer beside her. “Jiang Yu!” she called out, terrified the girl had run off.

Jiang Yu hadn’t gone far. She was looking at something nearby. Seeing Qi Yan was awake, she went over to help her up.

“What’s happening?” Qi Yan looked into the distance, but it was too dark to see.

“Someone is here to get us,” Jiang Yu said. She looked toward a certain direction and explained, “This morning, my clansmen found me, but I knocked them unconscious. Once they woke up, I had them notify Jiang Yao.”

As soon as Jiang Yu finished, Qi Yan heard a familiar voice. “Qi Yan! Jiang Yu! Are you okay?”

Then, they saw Grace on a helicopter, looking down at them with a frantic, worried expression. As soon as the helicopter landed, Grace ran out. Seeing them alive, the weight of the past few days finally lifted.

“You have no idea, I’ve been going crazy searching for you,” Grace said, looking them up and down. Then she noticed Qi Yan’s leg. “You’re injured?”

“It’s a minor injury,” Qi Yan downplayed.

“What minor injury? You’re going to have an amputation!” Jiang Yu said while hugging Qi Yan, her voice carrying a suppressed sob.

Grace hadn’t realized it was that serious. Hearing Jiang Yu’s crying, she genuinely feared her friend would lose a leg. “Get on, now! We’re going to the hospital immediately.”

At that moment, Jiang Yao stepped off the helicopter with a cold, elegant expression. She nodded to Qi Yan. “I’ve already made arrangements at a hospital. We’ll head there now.”

“Thank you,” Qi Yan said.

Jiang Yao’s gaze landed on Jiang Yu, who was trying to hide behind Qi Yan. Feeling a headache coming on, she knit her brows. “You. Come here.”

Her tone left no room for refusal. Jiang Yu was forced to shuffle toward Jiang Yao. Before Jiang Yao could speak, Jiang Yu stole a look at her face and asked, “The clan knows, don’t they?”

“Mhm. Letting humans search was too slow,” Jiang Yao said calmly.

Hearing this, Jiang Yu bit her lip and looked back at Qi Yan. Qi Yan caught her gaze and saw the conflict in her eyes; for some reason, her heart twinged with pain. Her face was pale from blood loss, and she spoke weakly to them.

“Let’s go back first.”

She looked as if she might collapse at any second. Grace, horrified by her state, immediately called out to the other two. “She’s at her limit! Get her back now!”

Because of Qi Yan’s condition, Jiang Yao had no choice but to let Jiang Yu off the hook for the time being.