Jiang Shenghe was indeed envious of Qin Moling’s wedding photos. He even vented a little with his elder in Shanghai, saying that Qin Moling’s wedding photos were actually someone else’s and they only photoshopped his face in.

Now, there was no need to be envious anymore; soon, he too will have his wedding photos taken.

He has never before cared about when the company’s bonus would arrive, but today he couldn’t help but ask, “When will the third quarter bonus be paid?”

“This month. Usually it’s before the end of the month.”

Luo Qi put everything away. After these five rounds of displaying their cards, she smiled, “I won.” 

Of course, she only won on the surface; she knew in her heart that Jiang Shenghe had more things related to her than just that.

She understood he wouldn’t tell her everything at once, and there might be some things that he didn’t intend for her to know at all. But today, she finally learned where he saw her for the first time.

Jiang Shenghe was naturally willing to lose to her, “I’ll make breakfast for you for a month. And you can make one more request from me.”

“You are not considered a loser in this.” Luo Qi also wanted to do something for him. “To be fair, how about you make breakfast for me, and I will do your one request. I promise to do it as much as I am capable of doing it.”

Jiang Shenghe wanted her to sleep with him in the master bedroom, but he didn’t want to force her.

He stretched out his hand and said, “Come sit on my lap and hug me for two hours.”

“… Just hugging?”

“Yeah,” he answered. “Nothing else.”

It was just to let him hold her.

Luo Qi stood up slowly, wondering whether to sit sideways or what.

Jiang Shenghe looked at his watch, it would be four o’clock in two hours, and the terrace would no longer be warm by then.

“I’ll put the things back first.”

The umbrella wasn’t put back in the luggage but was left standing by the terrace. The forecast for tomorrow was more rain, so it should be useful then. He took the luggage back to the cloakroom and brought his suit jacket over.

Luo Qi saw the suit jacket in his hand and guessed it was for her to wear.

“I’ll put my bag back too.”

She didn’t just go back to the bedroom to put away her bag. She took out her nightgown with the longest skirt and it on. The nightgown was very thin, but it wouldn’t be too cold with his suit jacket.

Jiang Shenghe thought she had changed her dress because she wanted to wear his clothes, so he just gave her the suit jacket directly.

He sat down on the chair and asked her, “Well, how do you want to sit?”

She could even choose her sitting position; how magnanimous.

Luo Qi said solemnly, “I have thought about it.”

Jiang Shenghe offered her his hand and she took it.

No matter how she sat, he had expected it to be one of two ways—sitting sideways across his lap or straddling him—but he never expected that she would actually sit cross-legged facing him, with her long skirt covering her legs completely.

Her knees were almost touching his abdomen.

Jiang Shenghe laughed, “I shouldn’t have let you choose.”

He was worried that she would fall down if she leaned back too far, so he raised his arms to hold her in place, “Won’t you get tired from sitting like this?” He himself felt tired just looking at her.

Luo Qi shook her head, “I have had dance lessons since I was a child, and my foundation is solid. Later, I practiced yoga, and my flexibility is pretty good.”

Jiang Shenghe looked at her with a smile on his face, helpless and indulgent, “Then sit like this and see if you can last two hours.”

Luo Qi stipulated, “We can only hug. If someone wants to commit a foul, the hug will end.”

Who else could this ‘someone’ be but him?

Jiang Shenghe nodded and agreed to her condition.

The sleeves of his suit were long and covered the backs of Luo Qi’s hands. She simply retracted her hands into the sleeves and played with them, flapping it around. Jiang Shenghe looked at her, and she looked at the sleeves of his suit.

The two of them did nothing; he just watched her many, little movements. It was hard for Jiang Shenghe to imagine before that he could one day bear to fall in love like this. It turned out that not only could he bear it, but he could also enjoy it.

He has never been in a relationship before, and he never paid any attention to what people around him said when they talked about it. He wondered if all relationships were like this. Others on the outside would probably find it boring, but he himself was immersed and find great enjoyment in it.

“Chief Jiang, let me draw a picture of you. I will make it look better this time.” This time, she won’t blacken the eyeglass lenses.

Jiang Shenghe reminded her, “That’s one.”

“Chief Jiang, please find me some paper and pen.”

“Two.”

This was the first time she dared to joke with him, although it wasn’t really funny.

She got back to the subject, “Luo Yu will stay in my house for the time being, so I will stay in the villa for two more days.” It may even be three days, depending on the situation, and she will just give ‘Chief Jiang’ a compliment if necessary.

Jiang Shenghe stared at her. On the eleventh day after receiving the certificate, she finally talked to him half-jokingly. He couldn’t imagine what she would look like when she acted coquettishly.

“Stay a few more days. A week.”

Luo Qi did not comment—she would not refuse him anyway.

Speaking of Luo Yu, she remembered that Luo Yu had seen the oil painting and wanted one for herself too. She told Jiang Shenghe the whole story and said, feeling a little mournful, “Luo Yu asked me to ask you where that online shop is.”

Jiang Shenghe didn’t hesitate at all, “Ask her to give you the photo she wants copied.”

“You don’t know Luo Yu. If really liked this painting, she wouldn’t be able to stop with just one. She may have to collect a dozen.” How could Teacher Yu have the time to draw paintings of photos all the time?

Jiang Shenghe thought about it: Teacher Yu really couldn’t spare so much time.

“Ask her to give you the picture first. Pick a time and tell her what our relationship is.”

Luo Qi asked him how much an oil painting cost. She knew she couldn’t afford all the expenses, but she had to at least pay for the materials.

“That painting will be given to Luo Yu as a New Year’s gift, and I will pay part of the cost,” she said.

Jiang Shenghe smiled and said, “It’s the same as your painting. I’ll charge you three thousand and five hundred yuan.”

“That’s definitely not the cost.”

“It’s as I said.”

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

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A list of all advance chapters is HERE.
Chapter 45.2 — Missing Him
Chapter 45.3 — Missing Him
Chapter 45.4 — Missing Him