My Little Pink Crocodile - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Are You Going to Tattle?

Jiang Yu was teasing the Golden Retriever, but in the eyes of outsiders, she looked like a sweet, cute girl lifting the dog’s tail and giving it some “affectionate” education.

“Goudan, I told you, don’t get in the way of me hugging and kissing the pretty sister, okay? You’re a dog; you need to know your place, understand?”

Hearing her words and realizing there were others around, Qi Yan immediately turned her head away. She pressed her fingertips lightly against her lips and coughed uncomfortably, a faint pink flush creeping over her jade-white earlobes.

“Jiang Yu.”

She interrupted her, causing Jiang Yu to look over in confusion. Jiang Yu immediately flashed a smile. “What’s wrong, pretty sister?”

Qi Yan shook her head. She stared at the Golden Retriever in Jiang Yu’s hands for a moment before she couldn’t take it anymore. She stepped forward, rescued the dog from Jiang Yu’s grasp, and said, “Stop bullying him.”

Jiang Yu, feeling “wronged,” widened her eyes. Her gaze, brilliant as a galaxy, filled with grievance. “I wasn’t bullying him. I was reasoning with him.”

Reasoning with a dog…

Looking into those eyes, Qi Yan’s heart softened again. She followed the girl’s logic. “Alright, I was wrong.”

Jiang Yu nodded, her grievance vanishing instantly, replaced by a smile as bright as the sun. To prove she truly wasn’t bullying the dog, she scooped up the Golden Retriever—which was nearly as tall as she was—into her arms as if she were holding a giant plushie.

Though Jiang Yu was only half a head shorter than Qi Yan, her style made her look quite petite. Seeing her lift the heavy dog, Qi Yan gasped and stepped forward to stop her. “He’s too heavy! Put him down quickly.”

Jiang Yu looked at her curiously, gave the dog a little bounce in her arms to find a comfortable angle, and appeared completely unfazed. “He’s very light.”

Seeing Qi Yan coming over to take the dog—and thinking Qi Yan still didn’t trust her—Jiang Yu shook her head and took a step back, saying seriously, “Don’t worry, I can hold him. I won’t bully him anymore.”

She smiled, revealing two cute little canine teeth. However, the dog in her arms wasn’t having a good time; Jiang Yu had given its thick fur a threatening pinch, so it let out a yelp and immediately started wagging its tail, pretending to be happy.

Seeing them like this, Qi Yan couldn’t insist further. After a few brief instructions, she told Jiang Yu to wait in the car.

Tian Yan watched their interaction with a frown. Once Jiang Yu was settled, she pulled Qi Yan aside and asked, “Miss Qi, do you really not know this girl?”

Qi Yan rubbed her temples and nodded firmly. “She walked into my shop with that dog; that was the first time I ever saw her. I checked with my relatives, and there is definitely no such person in my family.”

“I see. Then I’ll have to trouble you, Miss Qi. She seems extremely dependent on you. If we find any clues about her family, we’ll contact you immediately,” Tian Yan replied, though she remained puzzled.

“She’ll stay with me for a few days. Please find her family as soon as possible. I imagine she must be quite scared having left home on her own,” Qi Yan said.

As Tian Yan left, the car window rolled down, and Jiang Yu poked her head out. She pouted, looking unhappy. “I heard you. You don’t want me.”

Qi Yan found it a bit funny, but seeing that Jiang Yu was genuinely upset, she suppressed her laughter and said patiently, “Jiang Yu, don’t you want to go home?”

To her surprise, Jiang Yu shook her head without hesitation, her expression turning willful. “I’m not going back. They want to force me to marry an ugly man.”

Qi Yan was startled. She hadn’t expected this to be the reason Jiang Yu ran away. Remembering Jiang Yu said her home was “in the mountains,” Qi Yan immediately thought of a possibility: Jiang Yu was being forced into an arranged marriage with an older man.

Feeling a pang of sympathy, Qi Yan didn’t push the subject and changed the topic instead. “Are you hungry?”

As soon as she asked, Jiang Yu rubbed her stomach and pouted. “I’m hungry.” Back at the police station, she had been too anxious counting the minutes until she could see Qi Yan to have any appetite.

Qi Yan patted her head gently. “I’ll take you to eat in a moment.”

Jiang Yu’s eyes lit up. She tried to scramble out of the car window but got stuck halfway. Since there was still some distance between them, she thought for a second and then called out, “Pretty sister, come here for a second.”

Unsure of what she wanted, Qi Yan smiled and leaned down. “You should call me by my name from now on. Call me Qi Yan…”

Before she could finish, she felt something soft and cool press against her cheek for a few seconds.

That brief moment made Qi Yan’s heart skip a beat; the world seemed to stand still. Jiang Yu, satisfied with the kiss, looked at the stunned Qi Yan and tilted her head. “What did you just say?”

They were still on the roadside, and the noise of the crowd had prevented Jiang Yu from hearing clearly. Qi Yan snapped out of it, noticed the gazes of passersby, and turned her head to cough, hiding her embarrassment. “Nothing. Just call me Qi Yan.”

Jiang Yu repeated the name in her mind, thinking it suited the pretty sister perfectly. She beamed. “Qi Yan!”

Her voice was sweet and pleasant. Just then, the Golden Retriever pushed its way up, trying to squeeze through the window. Jiang Yu immediately pulled the dog back and began her “lesson” with a stern face.

“The window is so small, how can you compete with me? I am Qi Yan’s official partner.”

As she continued to assert her dominance over a dog, Qi Yan felt awkward again but couldn’t stop her. She gave a helpless smile, had Jiang Yu close the window, and was about to go around to the driver’s side when she heard a voice.

“Qi Yan?”

Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Qi Yan turned and recognized him from his appearance—it was the man her family had arranged for her to meet today.

Tao Yan looked at Qi Yan with a frown, speaking with a touch of impatience. “Since you’re here, why haven’t you come inside?”

Tao Yan was handsome enough, but he had a rakish air about him. Not being the heir to the family business, he was essentially just a playboy. His family had arranged this blind date specifically to make him settle down. He was also there against his will, so he wasn’t in a good mood and just wanted to get it over with.

Qi Yan observed him for a moment before speaking politely. “Apologies, but I have something to take care of.”

Tao Yan was stunned by the rejection, and his tone turned sharp. “My time is valuable. Please don’t waste it. Even if you are somewhat good-looking, you’re still a bit lacking to be my wife. If it weren’t for my family’s insistence, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Faced with his condescension, Qi Yan’s expression didn’t change, but her gaze grew cold. “First of all, I didn’t want to come today either. If you didn’t want to come, you shouldn’t have. Secondly, I never agreed to marry you.”

The calm, blunt statement was ruthless. Tao Yan had expected her to feel ashamed, but instead, his face turned pale, then red. He opened his mouth but found himself speechless. He could only glare at her, finally trying to save face. “Let’s just go inside now.”

Qi Yan remained unmoved, a polite, distant smile on her face. “I believe I just said I have things to do and am leaving. You are in my way.”

Tao Yan’s face darkened, but he was forced to step aside. Just then, Jiang Yu rolled the window down again, her beautiful eyes glaring at Tao Yan, while the Golden Retriever she was holding glared as well.

Tao Yan: “…”

However, Jiang Yu’s appearance successfully caught his attention. He immediately put on a smile and was about to speak to her when she addressed him in an unhappy tone. “Did you just glare at my Qi Yan?”

Tao Yan didn’t answer. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and said meaningfully to Qi Yan, “Qi Yan, where did you kidnap this kid from? She’s quite cute and interesting.”

Seeing his predatory gaze, Qi Yan frowned and said coldly, “She is not someone you can covet.”

Tao Yan ignored her and turned to Jiang Yu with what he thought was a friendly smile. “Hello, are you Qi Yan’s friend?”

Qi Yan’s gaze was icy. She was about to open the car door when she saw Jiang Yu hugging the dog, looking “frightened.” Jiang Yu pointed at Tao Yan and said to Qi Yan, “Why is this ugly thing talking to me?”

The dog in her arms bared its teeth and barked at him, as if trying to comfort the “scared” Jiang Yu.

Tao Yan’s face went through a kaleidoscope of colors. He gritted his teeth and hissed, “Qi Yan, your friend has absolutely no taste.”

Before Qi Yan could respond, Jiang Yu countered, “You’re the one with no taste. Can’t you see she’s my partner?”

Jiang Yu continued to mock him, oblivious to Tao Yan’s darkening expression. His fists clenched, and the veins on his forehead bulged. He wanted to scream but remembered he was on the street. He lowered his voice, though it couldn’t hide his fury. “Fine, Qi Yan. To avoid a blind date, you found a girl to bluff both our families. You really think I won’t tell them?”

Qi Yan’s expression shifted for a second, but she quickly regained her composure. She smiled politely, neither confirming nor denying Jiang Yu’s claim. “Suit yourself.”

Jiang Yu cupped her own face, looking innocent and adorable, yet her next words made Tao Yan completely lose it. “Is the ugly uncle going to tattle now?”

“I am NOT an uncle! I’m only twenty-five! And I’m NOT ugly!” Tao Yan suddenly screamed in rage, causing people to stare and whisper.

Realizing he had humiliated himself, Tao Yan immediately turned and ran to his car. He drove off in a hurry, not wanting to stay another second.

“Did I do well?” Jiang Yu looked at Qi Yan excitedly, her eyes sparkling for praise.

Looking at her, the annoyance in Qi Yan’s heart vanished. Even knowing that her parents would likely come after her because of Jiang Yu’s scene, she still gently patted the girl’s head and smiled. “You did very well.”

Triumphant, Jiang Yu put the dog back in the rear seat. “You’re a big boy now. You have to learn to sit by yourself.”

Qi Yan couldn’t help but laugh. “Hungry? I’ll take you to get something to eat first.”