My Little Pink Crocodile - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Sent Back

Qi Yan’s estate at Mount Bumian was vast, with a garden large enough for the newly moved-in little crocodile to frolic as it pleased. Most of the time, the little crocodile would roll around in the garden, lazily soaking up the sun while getting covered in flower nectar.

As the owner of the house, Qi Yan was usually gone from dawn till dusk. However, she never neglected the little crocodile’s care, personally changing its bandages on time.

Today, Qi Yan found the little crocodile in the small garden. After rinsing the flower juice off its body, she carefully unwrapped the gauze. She was surprised to find that the previously mangled wound had almost completely healed. As for the silk scarf used back at Mount Bumian, it had disappeared somewhere, but Qi Yan assumed it had simply fallen off during play and didn’t give it much thought.

At that moment, her phone rang. After a quick wash and dry of her hands, she glanced at the caller ID. Following a brief moment of silence, she answered.

Whatever was said on the other end caused the warm smile on Qi Yan’s face to vanish, replaced by a look of reluctance. “Fine, I understand,” she said curtly.

After a few brief words, the call ended. Qi Yan’s expression did not improve; it was as if dark clouds had settled over her, her deep eyes masking unreadable emotions.

“Is the pretty sister unhappy?”

The little crocodile was sensitive to the change in her mood. It crawled over to look at her, even lifting its short front limb as if trying to offer comfort.

“I’m fine.” Qi Yan looked at its movements with a faint, amused smile. She patted its head and whispered, “I’m going out. Be good.”

“Mhm, mhm!” The little crocodile nodded vigorously, not even realizing that Qi Yan had heard its words and answered every single one. Although its actions were a bit comical, they succeeded in lightening the gloom on Qi Yan’s face.

After Qi Yan left, the little crocodile found itself with nothing to do. It lay back down on the freshly replanted flowers, pondering the meaning of its crocodile life.

Grace’s injuries from Mount Bumian were mostly healed. She had intended to visit Qi Yan today, but upon hearing her friend had been summoned back to the ancestral home, Grace decided she didn’t want to deal with that family’s flattery. Instead, she volunteered to take care of the little crocodile.

As the little crocodile was sunbathing, a shadow suddenly fell over it, followed by a perfume scent much stronger than the flowers. It tickled its nose, making it want to sneeze. It opened its eyes to find a meticulously made-up face smiling down at it with questionable intent.

“Hi,” Grace greeted it, her eyes fixed on its skin. No matter how many times she saw it, she found it stunning.

The little crocodile clearly felt her “hidden agenda” and shivered. It turned its head arrogantly, gave her a slow, side-eyed glance, and crawled a few steps away to resume its sunbathing. Grace felt as if she had just been looked down upon by a reptile.

She brushed it off as a trick of the light and walked over again, reaching out to pat its head with a grin. “Xiao Yan-yan told me you don’t hurt people, so let me give you a pat today.”

In the little crocodile’s eyes, this woman’s smile was a bit lecherous. Facing this rude human, the crocodile gave a huff and tried to walk away, but it was suddenly distracted by the bag Grace had placed on the ground.

Grace was wearing an off-the-shoulder light blue mini-dress that accentuated her curves, paired with a small, elegant pearl-chain bag shaped like a folding fan. The little crocodile’s eyes lit up; it thought it didn’t have a bag like that in its collection yet.

It dodged Grace’s hand, dashed forward, snatched the bag in its mouth, and bolted. A pink crocodile carved like crystal was supposed to be elegant, but running with a bag in its mouth made for a rather comical sight.

Grace froze for a moment but didn’t give chase. The bag was tiny—it only held lipstick and some touch-up makeup anyway.

There was a fountain in the garden, the little crocodile’s second favorite spot after the flower beds. After Qi Yan noticed its affinity for the area, she had the fountain basin enlarged so the crocodile could fit inside and play. The little crocodile headed straight for the fountain, climbed in, and peeked at Grace with only its eyes above the water. The bag was hidden somewhere beneath it.

Grace was busy typing furiously on her phone, sending messages to Qi Yan. She didn’t seem interested in getting the bag back; she just wanted to tattle.

Grace: “Your crocodile stole my bag.”

Qi Yan, still dealing with her family elders, didn’t hear the notification. Grace wasn’t in a hurry for a reply and looked at the sneaky crocodile in the fountain. The clear water did nothing to hide its bright skin; it was the epitome of “burying one’s head in the sand.” Grace laughed, leaning against the edge of the fountain. “You like the bag, huh?”

Seeing her approach, the crocodile fully submerged its head, sending up a few bubbles. Grace saw a corner of the bag tucked under its belly and smirked. “You can have the bag, but you have to come out and let me take a few photos.”

She waved her phone. The little crocodile grumbled and climbed out, thinking: Bad person. But as the young master of its tribe, it realized it shouldn’t just “take what others love,” so it reluctantly accepted the “trade.”

Grace was thrilled. Despite the crocodile’s obvious disdain, she snapped several beautiful photos and immediately forwarded them to Qi Yan to brag.

The little crocodile felt listless, missing Qi Yan, and didn’t even bother to shrug off Grace’s hand on its head.

Grace sighed suddenly. “Xiao Yan-yan is probably stuck in an arranged blind date right now. Who knows if she can even come back tonight.”

Hearing this, the little crocodile perked up. Don’t humans oppose arranged marriages? It realized it and the pretty sister were kindred spirits in suffering. It grew sad. Why did everyone like to manipulate other people’s love lives? It hoped Qi Yan would run away from home just like it did.

By the time Qi Yan returned, it was dark. A cool breeze blew, and the estate was quiet except for the chirping of cicadas.

The tall woman stepped out of her car. Her black velvet pencil skirt made her look like a noble queen under the cold moonlight. Her makeup emphasized her cold beauty, and her red lips were striking. However, her face was grim. As she walked in, she instinctively glanced at the garden where the little crocodile usually lay, but she saw only a mess of ruined flowers—the familiar figure was gone.

She frowned. As she looked around, she met the waiting eyes of the little crocodile. Its silver-grey eyes looked like they were covered in a thin mist, waiting for her to clear it and see the emotions within. It still had the pearl bag in its mouth, looking as if it were waiting for praise.

Qi Yan remembered Grace’s messages. She hadn’t believed them then, but she did now. The gloom in her eyes lifted slightly, and she offered a genuine compliment. “It looks very beautiful.”

She didn’t care if a crocodile carrying a bag was ridiculous. The little crocodile was satisfied and did a few victory laps. Then, it started ranting about Grace’s “cruel” behavior.

“You have no idea! That woman came and ruined my nap… she kept touching me… I know I’m pretty, but she was so rude! I only forgave her for the sake of the bag…” It prattled on, unaware Qi Yan could understand.

Qi Yan gave a soft laugh and bent down to pat its head. “You’ve had a hard time.”

The little crocodile, thinking she meant dealing with Grace, felt aggrieved all over again. “You have no idea how difficult my life was with that woman once you left!”

Back at her own home, Grace sneezed.

Qi Yan smiled, let the crocodile go play, and entered the villa. The little crocodile, tired from waiting, went to its special nest to sleep.

Qi Yan stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the sleeping creature. The forced smile vanished, replaced by exhaustion. She opened a bottle of red wine, the aroma filling the room. Sitting with one hand supporting her chin, she swirled the wine. Her amber eyes were cold and numb, tinged with a hint of intoxication.

She used the wine to numb herself, but her parents’ words from the ancestral home echoed in her mind. They wanted her to marry the eldest son of the Tao family to save the family business, which was failing because of her older brother’s mistakes.

She opened the window, letting the cold wind hit her face. She sighed and looked toward the sleeping crocodile, murmuring to herself: “I’m leaving here tomorrow. Your injury is healed; it’s time to let you go.”

Despite the mysteries surrounding the creature, Qi Yan had no way to investigate further. She pulled out the silver chain from her collar, but her vision was doubled from the wine, and she couldn’t focus on the white object hanging from it.

The little crocodile had no idea that while it slept, it and its nest were being transported back to the riverbank where it first appeared.

When it woke up to this familiar yet strange place, the little crocodile fell silent. After rolling around in its nest for a bit, it accepted the fact that it had been “abandoned.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” it comforted itself, feeling sad for only a moment. “We’ve already formed a soul-bond. I can find her again.”