The roasted lamb chops were ready. The waiter brought the roasted lamb chops from the restaurant next door, came in through the back door, and brought them to Luo Qi’s table.

Luo Qi was not in a hurry to eat and took out two keys from her bag, one was for the rental house and one for the car. This held all her sincerity despite the shabbiness.

She handed the house rental key to Jiang Shenghe. “When I go to Ruipu, business trips would be common. Sometimes, I will need you to help water the green plants on my balcony.”

There were no cucumbers planted right now, but when they were planted in spring, he would really need to go there often to take care of them.

Jiang Shenghe took the key. He was already satisfied that she could treat him to the tavern, but he never thought that she would give him her house key.

“When is the rent due?”

“It’s already paid, I renewed it for another year.”

Jiang Shenghe nodded and did not make any decision for her.

“The place is nice and life is convenient.”

Luo Qi went on to talk about her gift, “You gave me an oil painting. I originally planned to give you a small gift the other day, but I couldn’t think about what to give you. I will make up for it when I think of something particularly suitable.”

She didn’t know whether this was a big deal or not. She had been in such a daze ever since his confession and the hasty certificate that she couldn’t calm herself down. When the shock finally passed and her emotions have settled down, she would think about what to give him.

She was telling him this now because she wanted him to know that this marriage was important to her and that she wanted to begin it well.

Before November, she would definitely find a suitable gift for him.

November 2 was his birthday. How could his birthday come and go, and she still owe him a present?

Jiang Shenghe was not interested in gifts, but he wanted a gift from her, so he didn’t refuse.

“Have you been thinking about it for a long time?” he asked.

Luo Qi nodded, “You already have everything I can think of.” There was nothing new he needed that she could give him, and the things he used when he was working were expensive—most of them were even custom-made. There was no need for her to give him something like that and pretend she can afford it.

Jiang Shenghe said, “I will help you think about it.”

Luo Qi didn’t refuse. This way she didn’t need to rack her brains anymore. In any case, it would be more meaningful if she gave him what he actually wanted.

They had to go to work tomorrow, so Jiang Shenghe was not greedy for her time. After she finished eating, he got up, intending to pay for their dinner.

“We’ve agreed this is my treat.” Luo Qi stood up, reached across the wooden table, and grabbed his arm in a hurry, “Chief Jiang, please sit down first, and I’ll go and pay the bill.”

The girl at the counter refused to accept her money. Chu Lin had told them that as long as Luo Qi came, no matter how much she spent, everything would be free of charge.

Luo Qi handed over her phone, “Today is different. It’s not like I invited friends to eat with me.”

“You were entertaining clients?”

“… No, this is a treat for my former boss.” Now, he’s my husband.

Luo Qi insisted on paying, but the cashier was stubborn and gave her a discount.

She asked for the cashier receipt: it had the date they received their marriage certificate.

Putting the receipt in her wallet, she went to find Jiang Shenghe.

At the table farthest from the door, Xiao Jiang’s wife sent a message to Xiao Jiang: [Your boss and Luo Qi have left. You can come back in in two minutes.]

She was heartbroken: [They really are BE.]

Xiao Jiang asked: [Did you hear Chief Jiang’s confession get rejected?]

[No. They were a little far from me, how could I hear them talking in low voices? But it seems that Luo Qi invited your boss tonight. She even told the cashier that she was not with friends but her former boss.]

The first dinner Luo Qi had with the boss after she came to the president’s office was at this tavern. It seemed like their last dinner was also here. They have made everything clear between them, and so now they again chose this place.

Fate came and fate dissipated.

Xiao Jiang came in from the back door. Just now, he saw the boss and Sister Luo on the roadside. They drove their own cars. The boss sent Sister Luo to her car without saying anything.

Sister Luo had her head lowered, and the boss was looking at Sister Luo who wasn’t responding.

How desolate that scene was.

Xiao Jiang said, “Forget it, let’s not talk about them.” Their mood also became depressed.

He picked up the wine glass and clinked it with his wife’s, “Don’t feel bad. Don’t pick CPs anymore. People who seem to be a good match may not end up together.”

“I know.”

She just felt sorry for them.

The aura between business partners should be compatible, and the aura between lovers should also be compatible.

The two of them might just be good work partners.

She comforted herself like this.

… … translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

Outside the tavern, in front of the parking space a few dozen meters away, the two looked at each other in silence for a moment.

Luo Qi grabbed the car handle, but she had no intention yet of opening the door and getting in. She stood with him for a while.

Jiang Shenghe said, “I thought of a small gift.”

Luo Qi looked up, “What kind of gift? Tell me.”

Jiang Shenghe whispered, “Call me ‘husband’.”

He added three more words, “Is that okay?”

Luo Qi: “…”

“I… Chief Jiang…”

She stood incoherent for a moment.

She hadn’t even adapted to their relationship as newlyweds, and she was unprepared to suddenly call him ‘husband’ in front of him.

Jiang Shenghe could fully feel the complicated, entangled, and embarrassing feeling of calling out ‘husband’ when she was facing her boss.

For him, he had been looking forward to being with her for seven years and seven months. For her, it had only been three days, a mere seventy-two hours, since she accepted his confession. She was still unfamiliar with this relationship.

“This gift doesn’t have to be given today.”

Jiang Shenghe originally wanted to hug her but thought about it and gave up. He opened the car door for her and said, “Drive slowly.”

Luo Qi got into the car and suddenly remembered, “Do you have your eyeglasses in the car?”

“Yes. I have spare glasses.”

“You drive slower too.”

Jiang Shenghe responded to her every word, “Okay.”

Luo Qi raised the window, the car slowed down for a while, and then started the engine.

The street lights along the way seem to be brighter than before.

Luo Qi turned on the car radio. The day was very unusual: short yet somehow also very long.

“Chief Jiang.”

“Jiang Shenghe.”

“Boss.”

She could call out any of his titles without any problem, but the title ‘husband’ was the one thing that couldn’t seem to come out of her mouth.

On the day they received their marriage certificate, he just wanted to hear her call him her husband. It couldn’t be any simpler as a request, and it couldn’t even be considered a gift at all.

Yet she still failed to satisfy him.

There was probably no couple who was more unfamiliar to each other than them.

There was also Jian Hang and Qin Moling. She didn’t know how Jian Hang gets along with Qin Moling.

In the future, Luo Qi  wanted to ask Jian Hang for advice on how to get along as husband and wife after marriage.

After thinking about it the entire time she was driving, the car finally reached the building of her rental house.

Luo Qi got out of the car holding her bouquet of flowers, passed the place where Jiang Shenghe proposed on the night of her birthday night, passed through the cramped corridors with the sound-activated lights, and when she took out her key to open the door, she remembered how she forgot to take out the key from the door that night, and she left it still inserted into the keyhole.

She put away the marriage certificate and the brown paper envelope he gave her, and calculated the time: he should be home soon.

After clicking on the boss’s chat box, Luo Qi subconsciously took a deep breath.

… …

On the other side, Jiang Shenghe’s mobile phone that was placed on the center console vibrated several times.

When he got inside the yard, he parked the car and reached for his cell phone.

It was Luo Qi who sent him voice messages. There were three voice messages in total, each of which only lasted two seconds.

Jiang Shenghe clicked on the first voice message, and he could hear a little awkwardness in her voice. She asked him: [“Are you home yet?”]

She didn’t address him as Chief Jiang, nor did she use the polite ‘you’.

Immediately afterwards, the next voice message was played automatically.

Second message: [“Husband.”]

Third message: [“No need to reply to me.”]

It was quiet in the yard and even quieter in the car.

He heard it right.

Jiang Shenghe listened to the second message alone six times, maybe seven or eight times.

Trembling, feeling very moved, he couldn’t recover for a long time.

He still replied to her, also using his voice: [“Luo Qi, I’m home now.”]

He sent her another: [“I love you.”]

This was something he had been holding in his heart for many years, something he wanted to say to her so many times but never had the chance to say.

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

---

If you’re enjoying my translations, do consider buying me ko-fi. Thanks for your support! ❤️

A list of all advance chapters is HERE.

Chapter 39.1 — Capture Her Fingertips (2/10)
Chapter 39.2 — Capture Her Fingertips (2/11)
Chapter 39.3 — Capture Her Fingertips (2/16)

Chapter 40.1 — Hugged Her For A Long Time (2/17)
Chapter 40.2 — Hugged Her For A Long Time (2/18)