This year, New Year’s Eve was again spent at the house in the old alleyway house. It was only when they returned to the old house for the holiday that that Luo Qi learned from her mother that Jiang Shenghe had bought back their old villa.

Jiang Shenghe didn’t mention the twists and turns of buying the house to anyone, and Jiang Yifang naturally didn’t know either.

“The certificate has my name and your father’s name on it.

“The house has changed hands several times, but no one has ever lived there.

“After we got the keys, your dad and I drove to the villa that night to take a look. It felt like a dream.

“Before you got together with Shenghe, I often worried that after you got married and had children, when the children got older, you wouldn’t have a place to live when you came home.

“Now it’s all right.

“When you all come here, the children will have somewhere to play.

“Your dad and I were so excited that we couldn’t sleep for several nights in a row. We would only sleep for a few hours before waking up, and we weren’t sleepy at all during the day. We were in great spirits.”

Her mother kept talking.

The villa’s yard had been in disrepair for years. Once the temperature in spring warmed up, Lu Qi’s mother planned to renovate the villa inside and out, and especially add two more children’s rooms.

Luo Qi and her mother were making fruit yogurt in the kitchen. In the small living room just a door away, Jiang Shenghe was playing chess with her father. Neither of them were very good at chess, and they discussed the game as they played.

Jiang Yifang turned to look at her daughter. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Luo Qi smiled faintly, her eyes glistening with tears. Jiang Yi understood everything. When they first got the villa, her reaction was similar to her daughter’s now.

The emotion welled up in her heart, too profound to be expressed in words; no words of gratitude could adequately convey its weight.

“Where do you want to get married? Here or in the villa?” Jiang Yifang asked her daughter for her opinion.

Without hesitation, Luo Qi replied, “Here.” The villa held memories of her childhood, but it was here that she and Jiang Shenghe began.

Their dates, their wedding photos, were all here.

… …

Only after returning to her room before going to sleep did Luo Qi have a chance to hug Jiang Shenghe.

Without her saying a word, he knew why she was holding him so tightly. Jiang Shenghe gently rested his chin on the top of her head. “It’s what I should do.”

“Husband, give me a hug.”

Jiang Sheng gently touched her cheek and kissed it. “Okay.” He took off her loungewear coat and unbuttoned his own with one hand, pulling her close to him and letting her snuggle against him.

Surrounded by his presence and feeling his body temperature, Luo Qi suggested, “Let’s book the wedding banquet hotel while we have some free time these next few days.”

“It’s already booked.”

“…So fast?” Luo Qi looked at him with a smile. “You spent the whole afternoon discussing with my parents, just about booking a hotel?”

Jiang Shenghe agreed with her, saying, “Mm.”

She had spent the entire afternoon on a video conference with Shu Rui to discuss the post-New Year adjustments for the Ruipu work team. He had taken the opportunity to chat with his parents-in-law about the wedding process and details. There was still a lot they hadn’t had time to discuss, and they planned to continue after she went to sleep.

The two of them stayed snuggled together for fifteen minutes.

“You go to sleep first.” He carried Luo Qi to the bed. “I’ll play chess with Dad.”

“You’ve been playing all day, and you still want to play?”

“Mm.” Jiang Shenghe smiled. “A big addiction to bad food, never heard of that saying?”

Luo Qi smiled, pulled the blanket over herself, and said, “Go ahead.”

It wasn’t even ten o’clock yet. Luo Qi wasn’t sleepy. Jiang Shenghe closed the door and went out. She turned on the light, picked up her laptop from the bedside table, and opened it. Ruipu was recruiting at the beginning of the year; the sales teams in all regions were currently overworked.

She emailed Chang Chuxin, explaining that since Yuanwei Medical plan to cut its mid-to-low-end market share, and after team integration, it would inevitably have to lay off a large number of employees over the next two years. This was Chang Chuxin’s biggest headache.

[Mr. Chang, our Ruipu sales team is recruiting after the Spring Festival. We will give priority to hiring your laid-off team members, and their work areas will remain the same. Wishing you a Happy Chinese New Year in advance. We look forward to a successful collaboration.]

She attached a list of the team sizes that Ruipu was recruiting for in each region.

… …

Chang Chuxin was playing mahjong with his relatives at home. After reading the email and confirming that it was Luo Qi’s email address, he pushed the money he won that night onto the middle of the mahjong table and said, “Take this to buy some treats.”

He picked up his phone and went to the study.

The men were so fast that before Chang Chuxin could even retract his hand, the money was gone in the blink of an eye.

They were afraid he would change his mind and take the money back, because he often did this. So they stuffed the money into their pants pocket first, and only after they were sure he actually left the game that someone called out towards the study, “Brother, what’s going on?”

Chang Chuxin closed the door and immediately returned the call.

“What are your conditions for accepting our Yuanwei’s laid-off employees for Ruipu?” He was willing to consider any conditions as long as they weren’t unreasonable.

“There are no conditions.” She helped Chang Chuxin remember, “Last year, before deciding to adjust the market, I told Vice President Li that I would solve the layoff problem that Yuanwei Medical would face.”

This was a promise, not just empty words.

Chang Chuxin reminded her, “You still have a bet with me.”

“One thing at a time.”

… … translated by Maela @ whitemoonlighttranslations.com

After ending her call with Chang Chuxin, Luo Qi went out to get some water. The air conditioner has been turned on the whole time, making the room a bit dry.

In the living room, Jiang Shenghe jotted down some details on a piece of paper, worried that he might have missed something.

The door to the bedroom was opened from the inside.

“Still not asleep?” her mother asked her, glancing at Jiang Shenghe. Jiang Shenghe didn’t have time to hide the paper, so he simply turned it face down on the table and picked up a chess piece as if nothing had happened.

Luo Qi’s gaze swept back and forth between her parents and Jiang Shenghe, and she smiled, “What have you been doing behind my back?” She poked Jiang Shenghe’s shoulder, “Still trying to hide it? I saw everything.”

Jiang Shenghe smiled and said, “I’m not hiding anything. We’re discussing wedding arrangements.”

“I want to hear it too.”

“Once you hear it, there’s no surprise left.”

Luo Qi asked curiously, “Just tell me a little bit, otherwise I won’t be able to sleep.”

She bent down and brought her ear close to his lips. “Tell me something quietly.”

Jiang Shenghe said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, “I love Luo Qi.”

He asked her gently, “Can you fall asleep now? If you can’t, I’ll tell you again.”

Luo Qi smiled and nodded, then went to the kitchen to pour water, completely satisfied.

… …

During the Spring Festival, Luo Qi either stayed in her room working overtime or went out for a stroll alone. Jiang Shenghe and her parents treated the wedding as a major project, holding project discussion meetings from time to time. They could chat for an entire afternoon over a pot of tea.

On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, their neighbor, Grandma Qian, returned from her son’s house.

The weather was fine that day, sunny and breezy, everything was bathed in sunlight, tourists flocked to the riverbank, and the alley was exceptionally lively.

Grandma Qian set up a folding table in the courtyard, which was filled with various styles of cut-outs of the character for ‘double happiness’.

“Nannan, come here.”

Grandma Qian waved to her.

“Take a look and see which style you like.”

Luo Qi squatted down to admire it and couldn’t help but exclaim, “This is beautiful, the cutting method is very unique, where did you buy it?”

“I made the cuts myself.”

Grandma Qian said, “I’ll cut out the double happiness characters for your wedding, but I’ll cut each one differently.”

Besides herself, everyone close to her was busy preparing for her wedding.

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

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T/N: ‘Double happiness’ character is a traditional symbol placing two characters for ‘joy’ side by side. It means multiplied joy, unity, and wedded bliss.

Bridal rooms are traditionally festooned with ‘double happiness’ paper cut-outs. These are readily available in shops but Grandma Qian wanted to personally make the cut-outs herself to show her affection for her ‘Nannan’ (little girl).

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A list of all advance chapters is HERE.
Chapter 69.2 — (Extra) Before the Wedding
Chapter 70.1 — (Extra) The Wedding
Chapter 70.2 — (Extra) The Wedding
Chapter 70.3 — (Extra) The Wedding
Chapter 71.1 — (Extra) Baby
Chapter 71.2 — (Extra) Baby
Chapter 72.1 — (Extra) Daily Life of Raising Kids
Chapter 72.2 — (Extra) Daily Life of Raising Kids
Chapter 73.1 — (Extra) Luo Yu x He Xu, Chu Lin x Luo Yuli
Chapter 73.2 — (Extra) Luo Yu x He Xu, Chu Lin x Luo Yuli
Chapter 74.1 — (Extra) Luo Yu x He Xu, Chu Lin x Luo Yuli, Luo Qi x Jiang Shenghe
Chapter 74.2 — (Extra) Luo Yu x He Xu, Chu Lin x Luo Yuli, Luo Qi x Jiang Shenghe