My Little Pink Crocodile - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Take Me Away

The biting winter wind blew through the remaining leaves, making the branches look even more desolate. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the heavy clouds, carrying a chill that seeped into the bones.

A tall figure stood by the window. Her hair was gathered in a high bun, styled with such precision that every strand looked deliberate. The light makeup she wore to hide her weariness lent her a refined and gentle elegance. She seemed lost in thought, her eyes fixed on something far away.

After a long silence, she let out a soft sigh, tightened her camel-colored trench coat, and reached out to close the window, sealing out the piercing cold.

Once she confirmed all doors and windows were locked, Qi Yan placed the invitation on the table into her pocket and donned a black mask. Opening her front door, she was startled to see someone standing outside.

“Why are you here today?” Qi Yan asked, puzzled.

Grace looked Qi Yan up and down, pouting. “I’m going with you.” Fearing Qi Yan might misunderstand, she quickly added, “It’s not for her. It’s for my stupid dog.”

Goudan was the dog Grace had personally brought along when she helped Jiang Yu open the door, letting it go with the girl. Now it was clear Grace had done it on purpose. Such a deliberate explanation only made the motive more suspect.

Qi Yan saw right through Grace’s discomfort but didn’t expose her. Seeing her persistence, she had no choice but to agree. “Alright then.”

Grace pulled something out of her handbag and shoved it at Qi Yan. “Just give her my gift directly.” Qi Yan frowned as she took it, but couldn’t spot anything immediately wrong, so she tucked it away.

Grace had no idea where Jiang Yu lived until Qi Yan drove into the middle of the night and woke her from a nap. Looking at the desolate, mountainous wilderness, Grace fell silent for a moment before frowning. “Are you going to sell me off?”

She was joking, of course, but she didn’t expect Qi Yan’s sudden confession.

“Actually, your guess from before was right. Jiang Yu is indeed that pink crocodile we encountered.”

Grace’s eyes flashed with astonishment. “I was only joking back then. How could I have imagined she…”

Qi Yan didn’t wait for her to finish. She interrupted gently, “We might encounter many crocodiles. If you regret it now, you can stay in the car.”

Grace shook her head, looking out into the distance illuminated by the headlights. “I’m a bit surprised, but not that surprised.” She wrapped her coat tighter and pulled Qi Yan forward, muttering, “Species-crossing weddings are something else. Why is it at night?”

Qi Yan, who had just grabbed a flashlight, was dragged along. To bolster her own courage, Grace chatted incessantly. Qi Yan, distracted, only offered occasional “Mhms.”

The forest was pitch black. Even with flashlights, they had gotten lost here during the day, let alone at night. Qi Yan frowned, worried that having Grace with her might trap them both in the woods.

Under the night sky, fireflies—which had vanished from the polluted cities—appeared in the dark forest. Their tiny lights gathered like stars fallen to earth. It didn’t seem like a coincidence; the fireflies seemed sentient, slowly forming a path before them as if guiding them forward.

Qi Yan thought of Jiang Yao. Since the invitation had been sent, there had to be a way to get there. Taking a gamble, Qi Yan grabbed Grace’s hand and followed the guidance. “Let’s follow them,” Qi Yan said.

Grace looked around, incredulous. “What? Those glowing bugs?”

“Yes,” Qi Yan answered simply.

Knowing nothing of the way, Grace had to treat Qi Yan’s lead as her only hope. Surprisingly, following the glowing insects made the next ten minutes exceptionally smooth. Soon, they heard the sound of rushing water. Qi Yan shone her light on the ground; after some time, the place where Jiang Yu had once been injured had returned to its original state.

“Let’s keep going,” she said.

With the correct path found, the entrance wasn’t far. Following the stream, they finally found the waterfall Jiang Yao had described. The flashlight’s beam couldn’t reveal its height, nor what lay behind the curtain of water.

“What did Jiang Yao say to do again?” Grace asked.

“She said we have to pass through the waterfall.” Qi Yan looked at the falling water. The powerful impact sent spray flying, dampening their pant legs.

Grace frowned again, kicking a pebble into the water and critiquing mercilessly, “Do they really think they’re the Monkey King? Living in a Water Curtain Cave?”

Qi Yan opened her mouth to speak but realized Grace wasn’t entirely wrong. She sighed. “President Jiang has no reason to lie to me.”

“Whatever. This is your big event. Let’s just figure out how to get across. Even if we fall in, we can swim. It’s just a hassle getting clothes wet in this weather.” Grace moved to take off her coat to swim across, but stopped when she saw something strange. “What are they doing?”

The fireflies had gathered again, but this time they were forming a glowing bridge across the water. They clearly wanted the women to cross.

“This… are we supposed to step on them?” Qi Yan asked, her voice full of doubt. The fireflies seemed to hear her, and their neat formation shivered.

“Are you dreaming? This isn’t the Magpie Bridge. Even if it were, we’d be lucky not to fall through,” Grace said.

Just as she spoke, the silence was shattered by a series of splashes, as if heavy objects were entering the water. Huge plumes of spray nearly soaked their clothes.

“Be careful.” Qi Yan grew alert. She pulled Grace back a step and shone her light toward the sound. The water sparkled under the beam, revealing a path that had suddenly appeared where there was nothing before.

In the darkness, pairs of eyes seemed to be watching them, looking quite guilty.

“What do we do? We made too much noise. We got their clothes a little wet. Will Miss Jiang be angry?”

“If we don’t tell and they don’t tell, who will know?”

“Wait, didn’t anyone notice there are two of them?”

“Eh, I’ve seen the other one before. She’s Miss Jiang’s sweetheart.”

As they spoke, their guilty expressions turned into excitement. They looked at the two humans with the curiosity of monkeys at a zoo. Hearing the voices from nowhere, Qi Yan was certain: the path to the waterfall was made of a dozen crocodiles.

The “Miss Jiang” they mentioned was likely Jiang Yao. It seemed this was the arrangement to get them across. Qi Yan turned to the confused Grace. “Let’s go across. It’s President Jiang’s arrangement.”

Grace followed Qi Yan, stomping down hard out of curiosity. She pouted. “She’s quite thorough. This path feels pretty solid.” She hadn’t realized what she was stepping on. Qi Yan hesitated, but decided not to tell her. “Let’s hurry.”

The crocodile that Grace had stomped on wore a mask of agony beneath the water, but it gritted its teeth and held firm.

They reached the waterfall, but the real problem began. They couldn’t literally walk through falling water. Qi Yan reached out; when her fingertips touched the cascade, she didn’t feel the cold or the pressure. Even standing this close, they weren’t getting soaked. It was as if she were touching another dimension.

Qi Yan sensed a push from the crocodiles beneath her feet and said to Grace, “Close your eyes. We’re going straight through.” Her gaze was gentle but too firm to doubt.

Grace figured that since they’d come this far, Jiang Yao wouldn’t be wicked enough to give them a dead-end. The moment they touched the waterfall, the world spun. A blinding white light enveloped them. When they opened their eyes, they were no longer at the waterfall.

The place was entirely unfamiliar. It didn’t look like the world they knew; the surrounding ancient architecture made them feel as if they had traveled back in time. However, nestled among the traditional buildings were a few Western-style villas. The people on the street wore a mix of traditional and modern clothing, making it impossible to pin down the era.

Perhaps because Jiang Yu, the Young Clan Leader, was getting married, red lanterns were hung everywhere, and red silk was draped so thickly it looked like a spider’s lair. The whole world was a sea of red.

“This is eerie,” Grace noted.

Suddenly, a figure bolted out from nowhere and slammed directly into Qi Yan, who was still trying to navigate. Qi Yan saw only a blur of red before hearing a frantic “clink-clank” of ornaments. A figure filled her arms before she could even see who it was.

Before Qi Yan could ask a question, a familiar voice whispered with a hint of a threat: “Take me away.”

Before she could react, something cold was pressed against Qi Yan’s neck. It was a blade, held as if it could take her life at any second. Because of the mask, the girl hadn’t recognized her. Her exquisite, doll-like face was contorted in a forced look of ferocity, but to Qi Yan, it felt like a tug on her heartstrings.

Qi Yan didn’t answer. She just looked at her. Noticing the girl was wearing a grand red wedding dress, Qi Yan ignored the blade at her throat and said softly, “You’re getting married today.” She wanted to refuse, but she couldn’t find the harsh words.

Jiang Yu glanced behind her and spoke with her usual willful impatience. “I saw that ‘whoever’ they picked. Too ugly. I’m not marrying him!”

Qi Yan looked past her. Not far away, several “people” with crocodile heads and human bodies were running toward them in a panic. The leader, a crocodile-headed man, was also dressed in a red wedding robe.

She didn’t know how to judge the beauty of a crocodile, but looking at Jiang Yu in that dress, her heart finally softened. Before Grace—also masked—could say a word, Qi Yan took Jiang Yu’s hand and said, as if possessed, “Okay.”