The next morning, Jiang Shenghe drove to his family’s old house.

Liang Zhen practiced the piano for an hour every morning. While she was playing, someone knocked on the door and said, “Mom, it’s me.” She looked at the time, and it’s only half past six.

Jiang Shenghe pushed the door open and closed it behind him.

Liang Zhen glanced at her son. He didn’t look too good. She paused and said, “You didn’t sleep well?”

“Yeah.” Jiang Sheng sat down on the chair next to her.

Liang Zhen hesitated, and in the end still didn’t say anything. Yesterday, Jiang Yueru called her and asked her in a roundabout way whether she had contacted Luo Qi in private. Perhaps Luo Qi was unwilling to accept Jiang Shenghe’s suit because of his family’s resistance.

How could she possibly do something like that?

Jiang Yueru had sighed, saying that it’s been a year since Luo Qi broke off her engagement, but he still hasn’t said anything. How long will he let this drag this on?

She heard that yesterday was Luo Qi’s birthday. Judging from her son’s face, he either hadn’t expressed his feelings yet or was rejected.

Liang Zhen was afraid of poking his wound and didn’t dare to ask.

But it was clear her son was not in a good mood. He must have come here specifically to hear her play the piano. Liang Zhen collected her thoughts and picked a song that he liked to listen to when he was a child. Her fingertips fell on the keys.

Jiang Shenghe hasn’t listened to this piece of music in a few years, so his mother must be in a good mood.

He wanted to share the joy of receiving the marriage certificate with his mother, but he couldn’t tell her.

“Mom, thank you for bringing me into this world.”

Liang Zhen’s fingers slipped and pressed the wrong key. This kind of amateur mistake was not something she usually made. Besides, it was a piece of music that she knew quite well and couldn’t be more familiar with.

Her son probably only said the first half of that sentence and kept the second part in his heart, thanking her for bringing him into this world but blaming her for not giving birth to him in Suzhou. Otherwise, he could have met Luo Qi earlier, and his seven-year love would not have been left unrequited.

Jiang Shenghe listened carefully to his mother’s playing for half an hour. Under the soothing sound of the piano, the nerves from last night’s excitement slowly calmed down.

Liang Zhen stood up, “You haven’t had breakfast yet?”

“Not yet.” He hadn’t been hungry when he came over, but now he has an appetite.

Jiang Shenghe and his mother went to the dining room, and the auntie prepared breakfast. His mother’s diet was less oily and salty and was more Western-style.

Liang Zhen mentioned the Mid-Autumn Festival. This year’s Mid-Autumn Festival will be in early October, less than two weeks from now.

“Your father doesn’t have time to come home this year. Your eldest and second brothers are coming over. Do you want to eat at home?”

Jiang Shenghe said promptly, “No. Luo Qi will be alone, I will accompany her.”

“In the guise of a business trip?”

There was no need to make excuses this year. He can stay with her at the rental house, or she with him, wherever she prefers.

Her son was silent, and Liang Zhen took it as acquiescence.

“You can’t just let her treat you as her boss. If she keeps doing this, you won’t be able to catch her in ten years.”

Jiang Shenghe nodded, “I know.”

Bah, just knowing was of no use.

Last year, during that concert in Suzhou, he introduced Luo Qi to her. She thought he would confess soon, but a year later he was still where he was before.

“Will you still go to the company later?”

“Yeah.” Jiang Shenghe added, “Stop by Luo Qi’s on the way.”

Probably using the excuse of getting documents again.

Jiang Shenghe finished his breakfast and said, “Mom, I’m done.”

“Hold on.”

Liang Zhen asked the auntie to find some food boxes. She packed the breakfast herself. She put two shrimp toast rolls in one food box; then some blanched asparagus, broccoli, and mushrooms in another; and mixed a salad.

She didn’t know how to make oatmeal porridge, so she asked the auntie to prepare it and put it in a thermos.

Jiang Shenghe thought she was asking him to bring it to the company for lunch, so he said, “Mom, I’m full.”

“Don’t you plan to go to Luo Qi’s place? Bring her breakfast.” Liang Zhen packed all the food boxes into an insulated bag. “Mom respects the person you like.

“You said that Luo Qi and I are both important to you. Well, you and your father are equally important to me as well. From now on, you respect my husband more and don’t make him angry at every turn.”

Liang Zhen has never said so much to her son all at once. “Your father is not as bad as you think. From now on, I will try to understand Luo Qi, and you will also try to understand your dad. Try your best to meet him halfway. And when time comes and you want to get your dad’s blessing, I will help you. Luo Qi probably cares about your family’s blessing more than you think. Let’s both work hard.”

Jiang Shenghe took the insulated bag from his mother, leaned over and hugged her with one hand, “Thank you, Mom.”

The tip of Liang Zhen’s nose felt sour. Her son had hugged her like this when he was very young and still relied on her. She had given a performance that time, and Jiang Yueru took him to the theater to watch. After the performance, he held a bouquet of flowers and gave it to her on the stage.

He was still very young, and she felt that he could not walk safely holding such a big bunch of flowers in his arms.

She knelt down to catch the flowers, and he hugged her with his two little arms. He didn’t say a word but leaned happily in her embrace.

… … translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

After coming out of the villa, Jiang Shenghe took a moment to calm himself down, started the car, and went to Luo Qi’s place.

While waiting for the traffic light, he sent a message to Luo Qi: [I’m bringing you breakfast.]

Luo Qi had fallen asleep at around midnight last night and woke up at around 7:00 this morning. She was looking at the ceiling in a daze when the message from her boss came in.

A full night has passed, and she still felt like she was in the midst of clouds, all misty and unreal.

She didn’t sleep well, and her brain was even more sluggish this morning than last night.

[Chief Jiang, there’s no need to go to such trouble.]

With Chief Jiang before her, she could only pretend and chat as usual.

Jiang Shenghe: [No trouble. I’m the one troubling you. I’m bringing you breakfast because I want to see you.]

Luo Qi: “…”

Even the phone felt hot! So she put it down and got up to wash up.

Seventh Year of My Secret Love for You translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

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T/N: Newsflash! I’m starting a new translation work: Marriage First, Love Later. Yes, it’s Qin Moling and Jian Hang, by the same author and set in the same universe. What’s interesting is its first chapter is the same title as the 36th chapter in this story: Getting A Marriage Certificate—that just shows you their stories will go in completely divergent routes haha.

Arranged marriage, slow burn, domineering CEO (Jian Hang is arguably worse than Qin Moling 😂), workplace romance, boss-subordinate relationship, wealthy characters. There’s no real antagonist to speak of, just the story of two hard-headed people trying to get along in a marriage neither of them was keen on—until, of course, everything clicks together.

I’ll start posting it next weekend (a half-chapter is posted now only so i can create a Novel Updates page), but advance chapters are already up on my ko-fi available to supporters. I hope you also like it.

As for Jiang Shenghe and Luo Qi, their advance chapters are here:
Chapter 36.3 — Getting A Marriage Certificate
Chapter 36.4 — Getting A Marriage Certificate

Chapter 37.1 — The Boss In Front Of Her Is Her Husband
Chapter 37.2 — The Boss In Front Of Her Is Her Husband
Chapter 37.3 — The Boss In Front Of Her Is Her Husband
Chapter 37.4 — The Boss In Front Of Her Is Her Husband

Chapter 38.1 — The Gift He Wants