Her first impression of Luo Qi was that she was gentle, yet tough.

Chen Yu and Jiang Shenghe were busy cooking in the kitchen; Jiang Shenghe was helping by washing the vegetables.

Jian Hang put down the flowers, washed her hands, and sat on the sofa. She pushed the fruit plate toward Luo Qi and ate some fruit herself. “Are you from Jiangnan?”

Luo Qi nodded and smiled, “Is the accent obvious?”

“It’s not an accent, it’s that soft, sticky Jiangnan flavor.” Jian Hang chatted with her, “I went to Suzhou on a business trip and I liked listening to the locals speak. Even if I don’t understand, I still think it’s nice to listen to them.”

Luo Qi knew about Jian Hang’s recent situation. Jiang Shenghe had talked about it a lot on the way here. “Is it tiring to be in the Fourth Division?”

“I’m not tired yet.” Jian Hang asked, “Have you ever tried Sibu soda?”

Luo Qi nodded, “I drank it once.”

“Isn’t it not good?”

“…” Luo Qi laughed.

Jian Hang said, “The bottle is ugly too.”

Luo Qi didn’t expect Jian Hang to be so straightforward, so she said truthfully, “The bottle isn’t pleasing to the eye, and it has a bit too many bubbles. Maybe it’s because I like refreshing drinks more.”

“It’s not you; it’s the product itself.”

Jian Hang took out her phone and said, “I finally found a friend who understands. Let me add you on WeChat.”

The two exchanged contact information.

“Let’s go to the kitchen.” Jian Hang went there with Luo Qi.

Jiang Shenghe turned his head and glanced at Luo Qi. She was talking to Jian Hang, so he looked away.

It was almost seven o’clock when Jian Zhongjun came back from school; Qin Moling went upstairs with him.

Jian Hang saw Qin Moling and asked in a low voice, “Why didn’t you call me? I was going to pick you up.”

Qin Moling whispered back, “I called, but you didn’t answer.”

Jian Hang: “…”

She explained, “I was just helping in the kitchen.”

Qin Moling waited in the car for more than ten minutes. He first sent her a message, but she didn’t reply. He thought she was on her way downstairs, but she never appeared. He called, but no one answered. Then he happened to meet his father-in-law who was coming home from work, and they went upstairs together.

His father-in-law thought he had come specially to wait for him and was touched.

“Mr. Qin,” Luo Qi greeted with a smile.

Qin Moling said, “There’s no need to be so formal today.”

Luo Qi really couldn’t call him anything else except ‘Mr. Qin’. She couldn’t just call him by his name.

Chen Yu cooked a large table of dishes tonight, and Jiang Shenghe was responsible for washing all the ingredients. Chen Yu didn’t mention that Jiang Shenghe helped so no one else knew about it, and Luo Qi didn’t know either.

Luo Qi thought that Jiang Shenghe was in the kitchen chatting with Chen Yu. She never imagined that the third son of the Jiang family would roll up his sleeves, and pick and wash vegetables himself.

During the meal, Luo Qi subconsciously sat next to Jian Hang, trying to stay as far away from Jiang Shenghe as possible. Eating with the boss would easily cause indigestion.

They chatted quietly, and Jian Hang said, “I’m planning to redesign the bottle. I’ll show it to you when I’m done.”

“Okay, send it to me then.”

The two of them were whispering to each other, and neither Jiang Shenghe nor Qin Moling could hear what they were talking about.

… … translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

It was only nine o’clock when Jian Hang and Qin Moling left the house. Jiang Shenghe had to go back to the company to work overtime. After dinner, he only sat for a while and then left in a hurry.

Qin Moling asked the driver to drive Jian Hang’s car back and he drove with her.

On the way, he turned a corner; it was not the way back to the villa.

“Where are you going?” Jian Hang asked.

“We’re out of milk at home,” Qin Moling said. “Let’s buy you some milk.” Not every supermarket has that brand of milk that Jian Hang liked.

Jian Hang leaned back in her chair, looking at him from the side, watching him all the way.

Qin Moling knew she was looking at him; he focused on driving and didn’t say anything.

After getting out of the car, Qin Moling stood at the front, waiting for her to come over. He reached out and took her hand, leading her to the noisy supermarket entrance.

There was a stream of people pouring out of the entrance, and Qin Moling pulled her back to his side, preventing the crowd from separating them. After the crowd passed, he held her hand again and walked side by side with her.

On the escalator, he let Jian Hang to stand in front of him.

Qin Moling rarely went to the supermarket. This was his first time in recent years. “Would you like to buy anything else?”

Jian Hang shook her head, “I’m not in need of anything.”

There were dedicated people to purchase daily necessities for the household, so they didn’t have to worry about it.

“Then let’s go and pay the bill.” Qin Moling held the milk in his right hand and held her hand with his left hand.

The two of them spent only eight minutes shopping in the supermarket. They picked up the milk and went straight to the checkout line.

Coming out of the supermarket, Jian Hang looked at the time. It took them a total of sixteen minutes from entering the doors to leaving.

During these sixteen minutes, he held her hand for at least ten minutes.

… ..

Later, they went to the playground and ran four laps. Jian Hang’s level was still just at four laps, but she planned to add one more lap after a while.

After getting back in the car, Jian Hang wiped the sweat from her forehead with a towel and said, “I have nothing to do at home tomorrow, so I’ll go to the company for half a day.”

Qin Moling refused, “You have two days off.”

Jian Hang simply re-arranged her plan to work overtime at home.

Qin Moling asked, “The Fourth Division has decided to close the accounts of four hundred dealers?”

Jian Hang looked at him, “You heard about it so soon?”

“Hmm. The problem is more complicated than you think.”

“I know.”

“Jian Hang, if you feel stressed, tell me. You can also find me during working hours. I am strict with the Fourth Division, but not with you.” He glanced at her and turned back to look at the road.

“Thank you, Mr. Qin.”

Halfway through the journey, Jian Hang rubbed her lower abdomen.

Qin Moling thought she had a stomachache, “Do you have any medicine at home?”

“It’s not my stomach. Maybe my period is coming two days early.” Her lower abdomen felt slightly bloated.

When they got home and she was taking a shower, her period really came.

Jian Hang slept on his own pillow these days, leaning in his arms. But now, he couldn’t do anything—it would be torturous.

Qin Moling also took a shower and turned off the lights.

“Does your stomach still hurt?” he asked.

Jian Hang replied, “It doesn’t hurt. It never hurts.”

Qin Moling originally wanted to rub her there, but there was no need for that now.

“You don’t have stomach pain during your period, you’re not afraid of the dark, and you’re not afraid of thunder, so what are you afraid of?”

Jian Hang lay on her side, looking at his outline, and said, “I’m not afraid.”

Qin Moling: “…”

He probably hoped that she would act like a spoiled brat occasionally. Jian Hang sat up, picked up her pillow and put it aside. She lay in Qin Moling’s arms, “Actually, I get scared too.”

“What are you scared of?”

“3D sickness.”

“…”

Jian Hang hugged him tightly and got back to the point, “Isn’t it uncomfortable for you if I sleep next to you like this?”

Qin Moling took her into his arms and said, “Just don’t move around.”

Jian Hang managed not to move, but Qin Moling still got up in the middle of the night to take a shower.

… …

The next day.

Qin Moling went to the company as usual.

Secretary Gao has already taken care of the watch issue. She originally hadn’t expected to be able to buy it directly, as any watch that would met the boss’s requirements would likely need to be custom-made.

With a just-try-it-out attitude, she called the managers of various flagship stores, and unexpectedly came across a matching couple’s watch.

This pair of couples watches has not been sold due to its high price.

Qin Moling took off his watch and put on the new one.

He put the women’s watch back into the box and handed it to Secretary Gao.

Secretary Gao asked, “Should I give it to Ms. Jian on Monday?”

“Please put it in the safe first. I’ll give it to her myself.” Qin Moling stared at the watch for a moment and asked Secretary Gao, “When Jian Hang and I wear this watch, can others tell that it’s a couple’s watch?”

Secretary Gao said, “… it’s hard to see them together.” The dials were designed to match for couples, but who would stare at his and Jian Hang’s watch dials? She hadn’t expected her boss to care so much about what others thought.

But it really didn’t matter if no one could tell that it was a couple’s watch. Secretary Gao has a solution, “I’ll let them know that you and Ms. Jian are wearing couple’s watches.” This kind of gossip was very easy to spread.

“No need.” Qin Moling said, “I’ll find a suitable occasion to give it to her.”

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

---

If you’re enjoying my translations, do consider buying me ko-fi and get access to advance chapters as reward. Thank you for your support! ☺️
Chapter 56.1 — Courage
Chapter 56.2 — Courage
Chapter 56.3 — Courage