Today, Jian Hang received surprises from Qin Moling one after another. It made her feel a bit like things were unreal.

The relationship between them was different now. She wouldn’t refuse anything he took the initiative and was willing to do.

Jian Hang touched his wine glass with her glass of water and said nothing.

Qin Moling understood what she meant: she was thanking him for cooking for her.

He picked up the wine glass, raised his chin slightly, and took a sip.

While drinking, he kept looking at her, his eyes never leaving her.

Jian Hang propped up her chin with one hand and looked out at the dark blue sea. The tablecloth was white, there were roses in the vase in center of the table, and the violin played in the distance.

She just didn’t make eye contact with him.

She knew Qin Moling was looking at her.

When they were in bed, he liked to look at her silently.

The waiter removed the plates, brought tea, and placed two vases filled with flowers on the table.

Jian Hang had sat upright all night; now she stretched her legs gently to relax.

Suddenly she looked towards Qin Moling, and Qin Moling also looked over.

When she stretched her legs just now, he had done the same as her, and now their calves were touching.

Qin Moling didn’t shrink back, she didn’t move either.

The two of them had held each other for so long last night without even wearing a single stitch of clothing, if they now deliberately kept a distance from each other, it would both be pretentious and unnecessary.

Through the fabric of the skirt and trousers, he couldn’t actually feel Jian Hang’s body temperature at all, but Qin Moling still felt the impact of their limbs touching each other, and he still felt uncomfortable.

But if he took his legs back at this time, she would think too much, thinking that he rejected doing this with her.

“Would you like to visit the souvenir shop?” He thought of a way to leave the restaurant.

Jian Hang didn’t plan to go shopping, “I won’t go. This is my second time here.” She had bought everything she needed to buy last time, so there was no need to buy souvenirs again.

The scenery was beautiful, but she hadn’t stayed enough yet, “Let’s just listen to a few more songs.”

Qin Moling put down his wine glass and said, “I’m going to the bathroom and I’ll be back soon.”

Jian Hang turned her head and watched him enter the restaurant.

The seat across suddenly became empty. The Aegean Sea, flowers, and violin playing were no longer as interesting as before.

He said he would be back soon, and he came back quickly enough without keeping her waiting too long.

Qin Moling did not sit down again but leaned against the low partition wall to look at the sea.

Jian Hang raised her head and said, “Go back?”

“Don’t you want to listen to some more violin music?” Qin Moling wasn’t sure if it was because he left just now. She was a little unhappy and motioned for her to stand next to him, “Come here, stand here and watch the sea, the view is better.”

Jian Hang said, “It shouldn’t be as good as the view of the sea from our hotel terrace.”

“Then let’s go back to the hotel.” Qin Moling asked her to wait while he went to thank the restaurant owner.

The waiter came over and told Jian Hang, “Madam, our restaurant gives away free flowers. You can take a few back.”

“Thank you,” Jian Hang took two flowers from the vase.

Qin Moling said goodbye to the boss and saw the roses in Jian Hang’s hand as they were going out of the restaurant, “Why don’t you get a few more?”

Jian Hang was embarrassed to take more, “Two are enough.”

“I know the boss, it’s okay to take a few more flowers.” He walked back to the dining table in a few steps and took two flowers of each color.

The silk scarf tied on Jian Hang’s bag had been laid out on the coffee table yesterday for his watch.

Qin Moling took off his silk handkerchief, and together with the two roses in Jian Hang’s hand, he simply tied a bouquet with the silk and gave it to her. 

He had actually asked his boss to help him buy the flowers on the table tonight. He owed Jian Hang a bouquet of flowers for the day when they received the marriage certificate, so he wanted to make up for it today.

After more than three months, if he directly said it was to make up for her, even if she accepted it, she would be less interested. It would be better to give her a few flowers in the name of the restaurant.

After coming out of the restaurant, the two of them went back to the hotel side by side.

There were many people on the road, so it wasn’t awkward even if they didn’t speak.

But when they returned to the room, it was just the two of them: the silence was awkward, ambiguous and charming, all entangled together.

When they went out to eat, their room was made up and the bed was now covered again with rose petals.

Jian Hang took off her long dress and changed into a nightgown.

Qin Moling poured a glass of warm water, took two sips, and asked her, “Do you want to drink water?”

Jian Hang wasn’t thirsty, but he took the initiative to break the silence. She had to continue the topic and couldn’t stay silent. “I will drink something, I happen to be thirsty, too.” She thought he would pour her a drink.

Qin Moling gave her the water glass in his hand and turned the rim of the glass from which he drank towards her mouth.

Jian Hang didn’t let him feed her water. She took the water cup from him and drank it herself.

The lip marks left by Qin Moling when he drank water could be faintly seen on the glass. Jian Hang opened her lips slightly, covering his lip marks. She wasn’t actually thirsty, so she only pretended to take a few sips.

Drinking water can prolong the time when she doesn’t have to talk, so she tried her best to drink slowly.

After swallowing the water, Jian Hang was about to take another sip when her vision was blocked. Qin Moling pressed down with a kiss and sealed her lips before she could put up the glass in her mouth again.

He took the water glass from her hand.

There was a cabinet next to then, and Qin Moling conveniently placed it there.

Jian Hang raised her hands, passed under his armpits, wrapped her arms around his back, and hugged him tightly.

He kissed her even deeper than last night.

Jian Hang’s fingers couldn’t help but tighten, and her fingertips dug into his back.

Qin Moling’s shirt was wrinkled.

The glass was knocked over and rolled down the sideboard. The haze blue nightgown was slippery and slid from the sideboard to the floor. The warm water in the cup dripped out and fell on the nightgown.

Jian Hang was lifted into Qin Moling’s arms. He kissed her and walked to the bed.

Marriage First, Love Later translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

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T/N: I’m not sure what’s going on with Qin Moling when their calves touched but he doesn’t like PDA (this is mentioned elsewhere) and they are also new to their physical relationship so he was probably getting aroused. The discomfort probably came from both.

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Chapter 34.2 — Unable to Control Oneself
Chapter 34.3 — Unable to Control Oneself
Chapter 35.1 — Apology
Chapter 35.2 — Apology
Chapter 35.3 — Apology
Chapter 36.1 — Ask for More
Chapter 36.2 — Ask for More
Chapter 36.3 — Ask for More