Even after being married for a while, Luo Qi couldn’t control her heartbeat when he looked at her so intently and said words that indulged her without any rules.

She stood up and sat on the sofa next to him.

There was a wide armrest between them; he rested his arms on it, and she sat upright.

Jiang Shenghe changed his sitting position, propped up his chin and looked at her, motioning her to lean back on the sofa. “Aren’t you tired sitting like this?”

“It’s not appropriate to be lazy in front of the boss.” She looked at his cufflinks. “Since you’re my boss, I have to make you a little more confident in me.”

“Then don’t eat green strawberries anymore. Wait until they’re ripe, okay?”

Luo Qi wanted to be serious, but she burst out laughing.

She raised her hand and tapped his diamond cufflinks. “This is the reception room. You are not allowed to mention my private affairs.”

She was clearly warning him seriously, but in Jiang Shenghe’s ears she sounded like she was just acting coquettishly.

He promised her, “Okay, I won’t mention it.”

The guest had been driven away by the two of them, and they stayed inside calmly.

The coffee had long gone cold, and the door to the reception room was open. Xiao Jiang didn’t feel comfortable entering to disturb them. Sometimes he wondered why the boss seemed to have endless things to say to Sister Luo, even though they saw each other every day.

“Are you sure you want to gamble with Chang Chuxin?”

In the reception room, they continued chatting.

Luo Qi nodded. “I’m not making any irresponsible remarks, nor am I trying to trick him into leaving as a temporary solution.”

It wasn’t that Jiang Shenghe didn’t believe she could win, but if she wanted to win against Yuanwei Medical, Ruipu would have to put a dozen time more hard work and effort, which was no easy task.

“I have to try anyway. Even if I can’t win in the end, it’s still an honor to lose.”

It was almost time to get off work. Jiang Shenghe stood up and held out his hand to her. “You’re going to have to work hard for the next two years.”

“It’s not hard, I’m willing to do it.” She stretched out her hand and shook his briefly.

The business handshake finally turned into a soft grip. He held on tightly and pulled her towards him with a firm tug.

By the time Luo Qi stood firm, she was already in his arms.

He rarely kissed her deeply in the company because he was worried about ruining her makeup.

Jiang Shenghe held the back of her head and kissed her behind the ear.

He kissed her, and Luo Qi gently grabbed his sleeve and fiddled with his cufflinks with her fingers, just an unconscious action.

“You used to like staring at my cufflinks,” he asked. This was when she was still his Assistant. “Is there a special reason?”

Luo Qi shook her head, “No special reason, I just didn’t dare to look you in the eye. If I don’t stare at your cufflinks, I have nowhere else to look.” Another reason was, “Your cufflinks look nice.”

“Do you like it?” he asked. “I’ll give it to you.”

“I don’t…” it was no use; she changed her mind midway through the sentence. “There are some that I like, several pairs actually.” At that time, it seemed that his cufflinks were more expensive than his shirts.

“What about today’s?”

“Mm.”

Jiang Shenghe let her go and immediately took off his cufflinks and gave them to her.

“Don’t worry, just give them to me next time. If you take it off now, the cuffs will fall open, which won’t look good.”

“No.”

He handed her the cufflinks and rolled up his shirt sleeves.

They went out of the reception room. Luo Qi was headed back down to Ruipu.

Jiang Shenghe said to her back, “I have a video conference at six o’clock. Would you like to wait until I get off work?”

Luo Qi turned around and said, “Wait. I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

… …

When she got to the 16th floor, she called Shu Rui and told him about the verbal wager she made with Chang Chuxin.

The phone fell silent.

The other end was so quiet that Luo Qi thought that he had hung up the call.

Shu Rui only said one sentence:

“You’re crazy.”

No wonder Chang Chuxin asked him to have dinner that evening.

… …

He and Chang Chuxin have known each other for a long time. Although they were competitors, they could get along well with each other and could sit down and have a meal together calmly when they meet.

The two met at a restaurant near Yuanwei Building.

They didn’t talk about their careers. The first thing Chang Chuxin said when they met was, “Your life has been really difficult lately.” He smiled bitterly, sympathizing with him, “It hasn’t been easy for me either.”

Luo Qi made it miserable.

Shu Rui laughed and said, “I’ve suffered much more than you.”

When Luo Qi first arrived at Ruipu, he was often so angry that he couldn’t sleep. He didn’t know when it started, but he became accustomed to it and now couldn’t even get angry anymore.

… …

Jiang Sheng’s video chat lasted until seven o’clock. Luo Qi drove the car to the main entrance to wait for him; this was to make him happy. It was a little regrettable that it was already past the rush hour, and only a few people were leaving the building.

When she looked up again, Jiang Shenghe, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, walked out of the building. His cufflinks were given to her, and since it was inconvenient to wear a suit with a rolled-up shirt sleeves, he just draped it on his arm.

Luo Qi waved at him from the car window and said, “I’ll be the driver today.”

Jiang Shenghe opened the driver’s door and said, “I’ll drive, you play with your phone for a while.”

“I have nothing to check.”

“Then you should lean back in the seat and rest. You’ve had a tiring day.”

Jiang Shenghe insisted, so Luo Qi had to get out of the car. Just as she was about to walk around him, he held her shoulders with both hands and said, “Wait.”

He caught a glimpse of his cufflinks on her shirt.

The top buttons of Luo Qi’s shirt was undone, and she wore one of his cufflinks in her buttonholes. The fit was just right, making her look particularly chic.

Luo Qi asked, “Does it look good?”

“They look nice.” He said, “I have a lot of cufflinks. You can change a pair every day and I’ll wear them the next day.” It should be considered a couple’s item.

He escorted her to the passenger seat and opened the door for her.

The third quarter bonus was paid today, and Luo Qi’s income was now double what it was when she was working in the President’s Office.

“Husband, I’ll treat you to dinner tonight.”

“Has the bonus arrived?”

“Yeah.” After a year, she has managed to save a lot but didn’t mention the issue of whether she should pay him back. When she saved enough money, she would give him a car.

“I’ll invite you to the most expensive restaurant.”

Jiang Shenghe turned left, heading towards a restaurant he often went to.

“We should be able to meet someone I know,” he said.

“…”

This was naturally because he hoped others would congratulate him in person on getting the marriage certificate.

But things somehow went against his plans.

There wasn’t a single familiar car in the restaurant’s parking lot. Usually, there were always a few cars with eye-catching license plates, but today they all seem to have disappeared.

While waiting for their meal, Jiang Shenghe unfolded a wet towel and said, “Give me your hand.”

Luo Qi extended her right hand. He wrapped the warm towel around her fingertips, rubbed them, and then he placed her fingers on his lips and kissed them.

It felt like an electric current had passed through her, making her feel numb and tingling, so she quickly pulled it back.

Then Jiang Shenghe wiped her left hand. He was on guard time and held it tightly. He held her fingertips against his lips and kissed her several times; she couldn’t even twitch.

Luo Qi just let him kiss her fingers and turned her eyes away to look at the night view outside the window. His gaze and his kisses were always bewitching.

After one year of marriage, every day felt like they had just fallen in love.

“Have you thought about when to have the wedding?”

He added, “Let’s hold two; one in Suzhou.”

Luo Qi said, “Mom asked me a few days ago when we’d like to have it. I haven’t thought about it yet. How about you? Do you have a favorite date?”

“How about July?”

“I’m fine with that.”

The wedding in Suzhou will be in July, and the one in Beijing in August.

He wanted to celebrate his wedding anniversary a month earlier than Qin Moling. Qin Moling got his marriage certificate a month earlier than him, so he couldn’t possibly hold his wedding later than Qin Moling.

… … translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

After returning home, Jiang Shenghe poured half a glass of red wine and told Luo Qi he was going to the yard to make a phone call. He dialed He Wancheng’s number and asked him for help in contacting Mr. Zhao, who owned several hotels in Suzhou.

He Wancheng joked, “You still remember him.”

“Mr. He’s friends are naturally worth taking seriously.”

He Wancheng had once hosted a banquet for him; Lu Baisheng also went. Everyone at the table was talking about Luo Qi’s upcoming wedding. At that time, who would have thought that the wedding would be cancelled just a few months later.

“If you want to book a hotel, I’ll help you make the reservation. No need to look for Old Zhao.”

“I have many requests, and I’m afraid you can’t make the decision.”

He Wancheng joked, “There’s nothing I can’t decide. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll invest money and become a shareholder in the hotel. I don’t believe I can’t handle your wedding banquet requirements.”

“It’s hard to say.” Jiang Shenghe said, “I’m going to choose the largest hall in Mr. Zhao’s best hotel and create a 5D scene.”

He wanted to give Luo Qi the most grand wedding.

… …

Jiang Shenghe was on the phone for more than half an hour. Luo Qi had already taken a shower and was leaning on the bed reading a magazine. It was last year’s issue of a financial magazine, which she read when she had nothing to do. For someone like Jiang Shenghe who remembered everything he read once, he really didn’t understand why she would read a magazine over and over again.

“Is there a secret on how to get rich there?”

“…” Luo Qi smiled, “Yes.”

“Show me.”

“It’s not suitable for big bosses like you. You’d only look down on this little money.” She stuffed the magazine under another pillow.

Since she moved to the master bedroom, her pillows have become mere decorations.

Jiang Shenghe was just speaking casually. He was not interested in the articles and interviews in the magazine. He himself had been interviewed before, and eight out of ten of the things he said were pure nonsense.

During the interview, just choose to say whatever they want to hear.

He took her lips, taking advantage of when she was least prepared. The world was spinning, the lights went out, and she was held under Jiang Shenghe.

“Where do you want to go this weekend?”

Luo Qi was so overwhelmed that she had no spare energy to think.

When she finally had some energy to talk, Jiang Shenghe sealed her lips again. She clung to his waist, putting his previous words behind her, and didn’t even think about replying before going to sleep.

… …

The next day, she slept until she woke up naturally. It was their first rest day after their relationship was made public. Luo Qi thought about what she could do to satisfy his desire to show off.

She asked Jian Hang if they wanted to go fishing and have a picnic.

Jian Hang: [Okay, you arrange the itinerary. I’ll have Qin Moling bring a few friends along. It’ll be more fun with more people. By the way, I heard He Xu is a fishing expert. Why don’t you invite him?]

Luo Qi: [He and Luo Yu are on a business trip. Anyway, it doesn’t matter whether he’s here or not, he’s known for a long time that we got our marriage certificate.]

Jian Hang understood immediately. [Then we’ll find a few that Jiang Shenghe can show off to. Jiang Shenghe’s nickname is ‘Little Crab’ now.]

Luo Qi: [?]

Jian Hang: [He can walk sideways now.]

Luo Qi laughed and gave her several thumbs up in response.

“Husband, let’s go fishing this afternoon. Let’s go to the resort we didn’t get to go to last time.”

“With whom?”

What this man was most concerned about was who these people would be.

“Jian Hang and some others. I don’t know who Jian Hang has asked.”

Jiang Shenghe was particularly generous to Qin Moling today. “I’ll pick all the strawberries at home and bring them to him.

“Talk to Jian Hang again. We’ll bring the food for the picnic, also ask how many bottles of red wine we need.”

Luo Qi was brushing her teeth and made a ‘hmm’ sound.

Jiang Shenghe came over to wash his hands. There were two basins on the sink, but he didn’t use the other one and chose the one in front of her. He stood behind her and took advantage of his height and arm length to hold her in his arms. He put his hands around her side, turned on the faucet, and put his hands under the water to rinse.

Luo Qi brushed her teeth while in his arms and looked at him in the mirror, a smile in her eyes.

There was a little foam on her chin, and he wiped it off for her with his wet fingertips.

After washing up, Luo Qi called Jian Hang to discuss what to bring for the picnic. They talked about fishing and asked, “I wonder if there are many fish in the lake.”

Jian Hang said, “There should be quite a lot. The one from my family wants to eat grilled fish.”

As they were chatting, Jiang Shenghe came out of the cloakroom to get dressed, and heard Luo Qi say, “Our family’s Jiang Shenghe likes to eat fish fillets. When I catch the right fish, I’ll take some home make some fish fillet for him.

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! ❤️