The morning light came in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the time slipped to past nine-thirty.

It took Luo Qi a long time to find her nightgown. Her toiletries were still in the second bedroom. When she went back to her room, her hair was soaked in sweat, and she had to wash her hair all over again.

This morning—her feelings, her physical and mental state—they were all different from last night.

She didn’t eat breakfast and only drank a glass of juice after taking a shower.

Before noon, the chef came over to make lunch for them.

The phone vibrated: it was her younger cousin calling.

Luo Qi took her mobile phone and went to the terrace.

Luo Yu had already escaped to her older cousin’s rental house and was finally safe. He Xu didn’t know about this place, and even if he wanted to come and settle accounts with her, there was no way to find her. Ha!

“Older sister, I’m here at your place.”

The refrigerator was full of ingredients, enough for her to eat for a few days.

“Older sister, why did you buy so many things? Were you so sure I could use them all?”

Luo Qi had actually bought so much to prepare meals for Jiang Shenghe. She didn’t expect that she would to move into a villa with him on the spur of the moment.

“I didn’t expect you to stay there, but I knew that would definitely come over.”

Luo Yu sat on the piano bench. She couldn’t play the piano. She had attended lessons for several months when she was a child but found it too difficult. So she cried and shrieked that she didn’t want to attend her piano lessons anymore until her parents gave up.

She was looking at the painting propped on top of the piano; she really liked it.

“Older sister, who did you get to transform your photo into an oil painting? Please recommend the online store to me. I also want to ask the store to make me one.”

Luo Qi: “…”

That oil painting was done by Teacher Yu—there was no online store.

“The artist is someone my boss helped me find. I don’t know who it is.”

“Ah, your boss is so kind? He also helps employees solve their emotional problems.”

Yes.

He personally solved this matter.

“Then, when its convenient, please ask your boss where that store is. It could be considered as bringing some income to the artist and not as bothering your boss.”

“… I’ll try to ask.”

“Okay. There’s no hurry. You can ask your boss when he is in a good mood.” Luo Yu said some more affectionate words and hung up the call.

Luo Qi sighed. Hiding it like this was really not an option. It seemed that she needed to slowly let Luo Yu find out about them.

… … translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

Luo Qi put down her phone and leaned on the terrace overlooking the garden. She wanted to keep two dogs in the yard, but she didn’t know if Jiang Shenghe liked them. If he didn’t, then she won’t keep them.

In a corner of the yard, the planting equipment used to grow cucumbers lay idle. The cucumber vines she planted before have already been dealt with a long time ago and could only be replanted when the weather warms up again next spring.

She had planted many varieties of greens on the planting equipment on the balcony of her rental house, and they all grew well.

Luo Qi thought about what would be appropriate to plant in the idle equipment that would still be good in this weather.

“Luo Qi?”

Jiang Shenghe didn’t see her when he came out of the study, nor was she in the second bedroom.

“Chief Jiang…” Realizing her slip of the tongue, her next words were said a little louder to cover up her mistake, “I’m on the terrace.” Then she added another layer of extra words, “Are you looking for me?”

She kept trying to muddle through.

Jiang Shenghe walked over with a smile, “I heard you call ‘Chief Jiang’.”

Luo Qi: “…” 

“Then, do you still remember when I first joined the President’s Office and had welcome dinner with you and the team at the tavern?”

“What is it you want to say?”

“You gave everyone three chances to make mistakes back then, so now you need to give me three chances too, okay?”

Jiang Shenghe leaned on the terrace. He never had a bottom line when dealing  with her, “Okay. The one just now doesn’t count. I’ll give you three more chances.”

Luo Qi was very satisfied. She held her chin and looked at the planting equipment in the yard, going back to thinking about what to plant.

“Chief…” She stopped in time.

Jiang Shenghe looked at her with half a smile, waiting for her to make some excuse.

“Director Jiang… how is she doing lately?”¹

Jiang Shenghe smiled, “Alright, you pass.”

“Where do you want to go in the afternoon?” he asked, letting her off the hook. “I will drive you there.”

Luo Qi’s mind was still on what to plant, “I’m not going out today, I’m going to plant strawberries at home.”

Jiang Shenghe still knew what it meant to plant strawberries. He reached up to unbuttoned the top of his shirt and held out his left hand to her, “Come here. You are not allowed to call ‘Chief Jiang’, so you start thinking of ways to vent your anger.”

Luo Qi was confused. How was she angry that she needed to vent her anger?

Seeing him undo two buttons, “Aren’t you cold?”

“Aren’t you going to plant strawberries to vent your anger?”

“…”

Luo Qi suppressed a smile, guessing that never before has he committed such a faux pas in his life.

She moved in front of him. After their intimacy this morning, she was not as awkward as before. She raised herself on tiptoes and kissed him on his neck twice, lingering, planting two beautiful strawberries.

Jiang Shenghe’s Adam’s apple rolled, “Is this going to relieve your anger?”

“Yes.” Luo Qi stood up straight from embrace and looked out the garden as if nothing had happened.

Jiang Shenghe didn’t expect her to vent her anger like this, “I’ll allow you to make a few more mistakes.”

“…” This was really a misunderstanding and was not what she intended at all. 

As for the real strawberries, she’d just have to choose another time to plant them.

… …

Lunch was ready, and the two of them went downstairs.

The chef left once he finished cooking, leaving them alone in the dining room.

Luo Qi was thinking about what to do in the afternoon. Working overtime with him would be no different than getting along as his assistant. She wanted to know more about his past but she didn’t want to directly mention it.

“How about we play a game this afternoon. The winner can set any condition. In addition to meeting the winner’s one condition, the loser will have to make breakfast for the other for month.”

Jiang Shenghe asked, “What kind of game? Competitive games? I rarely play.”

“No, not that kind. We exchange items related to each other.”

It was a good way to get to know him.

Jiang Shenghe said, “Then you will definitely lose.”

Luo Qi pouted, “That’s not decided yet!”

Jiang Shenghe knew what she was trying to do, so he still agreed to play this game with her.

It was their first meal after moving in together. The conversation was not at all awkward at the dinner table as they discussed the rules of this game.

After the meal, they each went separately to sort out their items there were related to the other person.

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

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T/N: It’s already Chapter 44; since you’re still here, I’ll presume you like the story, right? 😂 Please go to Novel Updates and rate the story 🙏❤️

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 44.3 — A Gift For Him
Chapter 45.1 — Missing Him
Chapter 45.2 — Missing Him
Chapter 45.3 — Missing Him
Chapter 45.4 — Missing Him

FOOTNOTE: 

1. The segueway from ‘Chief Jiang’ to ‘Director Jiang’ works  because in Chinese the surname comes before the title. She said ‘Jiang…” and instead of saying ‘zong’ said ‘dong’.   ↩︎