My Little Pink Crocodile - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: I’ve Been Waiting for You for So Long

Everyone nearby was momentarily stunned by the woman’s scream, especially Jiang Yu, who was sitting in the car with the window rolled down.

She knit her brows. She didn’t recognize the specific modern term for “thief,” but she understood the concept of “stealing.” Instantly, her silver-grey eyes lit up. Watching the man in the cap darting through the crowd at high speed, she remarked, “He is a bad person.”

She had been protected so well that seeing a villain actually made her feel a bit excited.

“Little sister, stay right here,” Tian Yan instructed before opening the car door and stepping out with her colleague.

They could not tolerate such a blatant theft happening right in front of them; to the police, it was nothing short of a provocation. Knowing these people could lead her to Qi Yan, Jiang Yu nodded very obediently.

“Understood. Come back quickly.”

Sitting in the car alone, Jiang Yu grew bored and poked her head out the window to look around. Passersby, struck by her appearance, couldn’t help but stop and pull out their phones to take pictures.

A few bolder girls nudged each other forward until one was pushed to the front. With a blushing face, she asked Jiang Yu, “Little sister, your hair is so pretty. Can you tell us which salon dyed it for you?”

Jiang Yu’s hair was a shade of “Barbie pink” that most people couldn’t pull off—a color often dubbed the “shade of death.” However, because of her fair skin and exquisite features, it looked exceptionally beautiful and possessed a lustrous sheen, unlike the frizzy texture typical of dyed hair.

The girls waited with sparkling eyes for her answer. “She looks even better up close! It’s like she’s not wearing any makeup at all. So beautiful!” a girl whispered in awe to her companion. They hadn’t just come to ask about her hair; they wanted a closer look at her face.

Jiang Yu looked at their excited expressions with a hint of suspicion, but she answered their question earnestly. “I was born this way.”

She twirled a strand of hair around her finger, frowning slightly. These few days of wandering had made her hair a bit dry.

Upon hearing her answer, the girls’ eyes grew even brighter. One gripped her friend’s arm excitedly and asked, “Are you a foreigner? We’ve never seen a foreigner with natural pink hair.”

Realizing they might be being too forward given Jiang Yu’s blank stare, the girl immediately apologized. “Sorry, little sister, it’s just that you’re so beautiful that we got a bit too excited and probably scared you.”

Jiang Yu was still pondering how to answer the “foreigner” part, but seeing their apology, she flashed a bright, radiant smile that seemed to dim the high sun itself. “It’s okay.”

The girls felt their hearts skip a beat at her smile. After hesitating for a moment, they asked cautiously, “Could we take a photo together? Ah… if it’s not okay, that’s fine too!” Fearing they were overstepping, they waved their hands dismissively.

Jiang Yu thought for a moment. Seeing the phones in their hands, her eyes lit up. She pointed at one of the phones and asked, “Can I have that?”

The girl followed Jiang Yu’s gaze. Seeing that she was alone in the car, she assumed the girl had been waiting for family for a long time and wanted to make a call. Although she wondered why such a mature-looking girl didn’t have her own phone, she was so swayed by Jiang Yu’s beauty that she generously handed it over. “Of course! You want to call your family, right?”

Thinking of Qi Yan, a joyful smile spread across Jiang Yu’s face. She nodded and replied solemnly, “Yes, my partner.”

The girl who handed over the phone froze, but Jiang Yu had already taken it. Because the girl had thoughtfully opened the dial pad, Jiang Yu relied on her memory to type in the string of digits she had seen Tian Yan use at the police station. She waited quietly for the call to connect.

The other girls overheard Jiang Yu’s remark and huddled together to whisper. “Did she just say ‘partner’?” one asked uncertainly, peeking at Jiang Yu in the car. Her companion hissed, “She looks like a rich heiress; maybe it’s an arranged childhood marriage?”

Having read too many web novels, that was the only conclusion they could reach.

Just then, the call was picked up. A familiar, cool voice came through. “Hello, who is this?”

Hearing Qi Yan’s voice, the little crocodile hugged the phone and spoke in a delighted tone. “Pretty sister, it’s me—your partner. I’ve come to find you.”

The earnest reply made Qi Yan, who was about to head out, pause in her tracks. She checked the screen, confirming it wasn’t the number from last night, but the voice was unmistakably Jiang Yu’s.

Qi Yan felt a headache coming on. However, treating the girl as a patient whose emotions needed care, she didn’t argue. Instead, she asked gently, “Where are you now?”

Last night, she had told the police to bring the rowdy Jiang Yu to her today. She hadn’t expected them to set out so early. Qi Yan couldn’t help but suspect that Jiang Yu had stayed awake all night. The thought of the girl tearfully waiting for dawn just to see her made Qi Yan’s heart soften.

Jiang Yu let out a small “Ah,” looking around in confusion. “There are so many people around. I don’t know where I am. Am I lost?”

Qi Yan could almost picture the girl’s adorable, confused expression and let out a soft chuckle. “Give the phone to the person from last night. I’ll speak to her.”

Jiang Yu looked around. Since she was alone in the car, she replied hesitantly, “She went to catch a bad person. She’s not here.”

Qi Yan frowned. Thinking of the “many people” Jiang Yu mentioned, she worried the girl was standing helplessly alone on a street corner. She calmly asked, “Then who lent you this phone?”

Jiang Yu glanced at the girls who were peeking at her. She waved them over and said to Qi Yan, “A person.”

Qi Yan: “…”

Leaning her head on her hand, she found communication with Jiang Yu difficult but remained patient. “Give the phone back to them. I’ll talk to them.”

Jiang Yu nodded and called the girls over, handing the phone back to the owner. The girl took it back in confusion, and upon placing it to her ear, heard a gentle female voice. “She’s lost. Could you please tell me where she is?”

The girl blinked for a moment before snapping to her senses. “Oh! Right, she’s on Xinzhong Road, right in front of a coffee shop.”

Qi Yan had just reached the parking garage. Hearing the location, her hand froze on the car door handle. Her brow furrowed. That location happened to be exactly where her family had arranged for her to meet the legendary eldest son of the Tao Group.

“I see. Could you please tell her to stay put and not wander off? I’ll be there to pick her up very soon.”

Hearing Qi Yan’s gentle voice, the girl naturally couldn’t refuse. After hanging up, she relayed the message to Jiang Yu. Thrilled by the prospect of seeing Qi Yan soon, Jiang Yu sat obediently in the car. The girls didn’t forget their request for a photo, and this time Jiang Yu agreed readily.

By the time they finished, Tian Yan and her colleague returned, dragging the man from the street. He was in handcuffs, which glinted silver under the hot sun, making him look utterly pathetic.

Tian Yan saw the girls around Jiang Yu and asked with a smile, “Do you know her?” The police were eager to find Jiang Yu’s family; any parent of a runaway would be worried sick.

Seeing the handcuffed man, the girls realized who the two were and waved their hands frantically. “No, no! We just wanted to ask where she got her hair dyed.”

Tian Yan nodded and said to Jiang Yu, “Come sit in the front. We’re going to take you to Miss Qi’s now.” With the criminal being pressed into the back seat by her colleague, it wouldn’t be right to have Jiang Yu sitting next to him.

Jiang Yu walked over but, remembering Qi Yan’s words, shook her head under Tian Yan’s confused gaze. “No. The pretty sister told me to wait here for her.”

Tian Yan was baffled, but Jiang Yu’s stubborn refusal made things difficult. Seeing the girl’s earnest face, Tian Yan couldn’t help but treat her like a younger sister. She said patiently, “Weren’t you clamoring to see Miss Qi? We’re going there now. We’ll be there in half an hour.”

No matter what she said, Jiang Yu shook her head firmly. Finally, the girl who had lent the phone couldn’t hold back and cautiously raised her hand. “Um, she just made a call. A sister on the phone told her to wait right here.”

Tian Yan immediately realized it was Qi Yan on the phone. Faced with Jiang Yu’s willfulness, she had no choice but to let her colleague take the thief back to the station while she stayed to wait with Jiang Yu.

Bored, Jiang Yu squatted on the ground in a patch of shade, happily sipping a milk tea Tian Yan had bought her. “When is the pretty sister coming?” she asked for the eleventh time that day.

Tian Yan could only keep answering, “Soon.”

Just as Jiang Yu was about to ask for the twelfth time, she saw a familiar car approaching. Her eyesight was excellent; a second later, she saw the person inside. She jumped to her feet, her face glowing with excitement. “The pretty sister is here!”

The driver had clearly noticed the conspicuous pink hair. She pulled over and stepped out of the car. Having left her trench coat with Jiang Yu previously, Qi Yan was now wearing a long, light-purple coat. Her long hair looked meticulously styled, waving beautifully in the breeze. Her features, accentuated by bean-paste-colored lipstick, exuded a warmth as refreshing as a spring breeze.

“Jiang Yu,” Qi Yan called out.

Jiang Yu immediately ran over and threw herself into the woman’s arms, complaining in a muffled voice, “I’ve been waiting for you for so long.”

Qi Yan didn’t push her away. Hearing the complaint, she instinctively reached out to pat Jiang Yu’s head. “You must be tired. I’ll take you back to rest.”

At that moment, a figure leaped out of the car and lunged at Jiang Yu. Jiang Yu looked with disdain at the Golden Retriever lolling its tongue at her and pushed it away heartlessly. “Goudan, you’re too heavy! You’re going to crush me.”

Tian Yan walked over. Seeing her, Qi Yan nodded. “Officer Tian.”