Seventh Year of My Secret Love for You

SYOMSLFY Chapter 6.1 — Can’t Let Her Go

“Thank you, Mr. Jiang.” Luo Qi’s gaze stayed on Jiang Shenghe’s face for less than a second.

Jiang Shenghe didn’t respond, took a soda can for himself, pinched the body of the can with one hand, clasped the tab with his fingers, pulled hard, and the drink opened. The pull ring was on his index finger, but he didn’t throw it away. He picked up the drink and took a sip.

Suddenly he remembered something and looked around.

There were straws on the side table, especially prepared by the owner of the barbecue stall for customers to drink bottled soda. Jiang Shenghe leaned over, stretched out his long arm, took a few straws and put them on their table.

He doesn’t need it himself; just let them take it for themselves.

Secretary Ju took one. Drinking from the can directly to her mouth, it’s very easy to leak and be messy. She always just raised her head and drank directly when in front of her family—she was not that particular. But she was not familiar with Teacher Lu, and besides, there was the big boss next to her. That would be too inelegant.

Luo Qi also peeled off a straw and poked it into her can.

The folding table at the barbecue booth was half narrower than the desk in Jiang Shenghe’s office, and the straight-line distance between Luo Qi and the boss was at most fifty or sixty centimeters. They have never sat so close before.

She drank her drink with her head down, and reminded herself not to look up if she wanted things to be okay. If she looked up, her eyes might collide with the boss’s gaze, and that would be too embarrassing.

The two next to her chatted very well. They were talking about a special interest class their children were in. She couldn’t get in the conversation, so she could only suck on the straw to pass the time.

Jiang Shenghe had a panoramic view of all her little moves.

The humid air was mixed with a faint scent of perfume, lingering around.

He never paid attention to perfumes, and he didn’t know what brand Luo Qi used.

“Mr. Lu, wait for another two minutes, and it will be grilled right away!” Lu Baisheng’s student shouted from the side.

“No rush.”

​​For Luo Qi, two or three minutes now was equivalent to two or three years.

Every second was a torment.

Jiang Shenghe felt her restraint. She was nervous and cramped when she sat across from him six years ago—she was still the same now.

“You live nearby?” As the boss, he took the initiative to find something to talk about.

Luo Qi paused, and finally realized that the question was posed to her.

It was impolite to answer with her head down; she let go of the straw she was biting on, and looked up at Jiang Shenghe, “Well, it’s not far from here.” She told him the approximate location of her home.

When their eyes met, Jiang Shenghe saw the light in her eyes flowing like water, as if the prosperity and excitement of the whole night market street were reflected in her eyes, vibrant and full of life.

Same as the people of her city.

He pretended that he just learned where she lived, and tried to make the chat as easy as possible, “I’ve been there before, they’re all old houses with Suzhou’s distinct characteristics.”

Luo Qi was thinking about how to respond to this conversation.

She racked her brains to no avail, Jiang Shenghe asked again: “What’s it like living on the water?”

“I’m used to it and there’s no special feeling, “Luo Qi smiled and said,” There’s a lot of moisture.”

Question and answer, just as the atmosphere was beginning to show signs of harmony, Lu Baisheng’s student brought a plate of grilled wings.

“Half of it is spicy, and the other half is not. You eat it first, and then I grill more for you,” he said. 

The chat between Jiang Shenghe and Luo Qi was interrupted, and he did not pick it up afterwards.

Lu Baisheng kept Jiang Shenghe’s request in mind: to get acquainted with Luo Qi, so that it would be convenient for him to take care of her in the future.

“Assistant Luo’s house is not far from my wife’s.” He said, “My wife’s home is in the alley at the east gate of No. 1 Middle School.”

Luo Qi knew that area very well, “I studied in No. 1 Middle School! I often went to that alley for lunch.”

She and Lu Baisheng met for the first time, but they didn’t feel any sense of alienation when they chatted, unlike her and Jiang Shenghe, who had known each other for so many years and still had to look forward and backward when speaking.

“There is a car repair shop in the alley, do you remember?” Lu Baisheng asked. 

“Of course, I remember! Everyone in our school, who doesn’t know the car repair shop? At that time, everyone in our class had a bicycle that broke down at one time or another, and went there to have it repaired.”

The owner of the store was tall, slender, and handsome, but unfortunately he was deaf and mute. It was said that it was caused by a childhood illness.

The boss has a daughter who was a few years younger than her. She and her classmates often saw her in the car repair shop. She was a beautiful little girl, but she couldn’t speak. Her vocal cords were damaged in a car accident. Her mom also died in the same car accident.

She didn’t know how the little girl was doing now.

“I haven’t been to the school since I graduated from high school. The car repair shop should still be there, right?”

Lu Baisheng nodded, “Yes. The boss is my wife’s brother.”

Luo Qi was so shocked that she couldn’t speak.

Secretary Ju didn’t know the past of the owner of the auto repair shop, so it wasn’t good to ask them face to face, and she only listened to them quietly.

It took Luo Qi a few seconds to digest the news, “You became a teacher in No. 1 Middle School just to take care of them?” 

“Hmm. After my niece became mute, she closed herself up, and there was a psychological problem. My wife only has her brother and niece, just those two relatives. My niece is my wife’s heart disease, so I came here to be a teacher, and later became her homeroom teacher.” He pointed to the student who was grilling, “Same class with my niece—the first class of students I ever taught.”

Luo Qi asked, concerned, “What about the little girl now?”

Lu Baisheng laughed. “She’s not a little girl anymore! She’s already working.” 

“That’s right.” Luo Qi sighed, “It’s already been almost ten years since I graduated from high school.”

Lu Baisheng took out his phone and opened a QR code, “Leave a contact information. My wife also works in Suzhou City. My niece and nephew-in-law come back for the New Year’s holiday. Let’s get together then sometime.” 

“Okay. I still remember the little girl.” Luo Qi scanned the QR code and exchanged contact information.

Lu Baisheng waited for Luo Qi to finish scanning, and then handed the mobile phone to Secretary Ju, “If you encounter any problems in your child’s education in the future, you can ask me online at any time.” 

Secretary Ju was very excited. “Thank you, Teacher Lu.” Lu Baisheng was an Ivy League graduate and can be considered quite accomplished. She put down the grilled wings and got her phone from the bag.

Lu Baisheng glanced at Jiang Shenghe next to him, his look meaning: I have completed the task you gave me.

Jiang Shenghe clinked his drink with his beer, acknowledging his efforts, and drank half a can of soda in one go.

Luo Qi and Secretary Ju only ate a little, and nursed their drinks waiting for the others to finish. The boss didn’t say anything, so it’s not good for them to leave directly.

Jiang Shenghe confirmed that they didn’t want to eat anymore, “Go finish your shopping.”

Now that they’ve been granted pardon, Luo Qi and Secretary Ju said a few polite words and left quickly.

When they got farther away, the two walked arm in arm again.

Without them, Jiang Shenghe chatted with Lu Baisheng much more casually.

Lu Baisheng asked the person next to him, “Be honest, have you ever regretted it?”

“Regret what?”

“You have done so much, yet Luo Qi doesn’t know anything.”

“Why would I want her to know what I do? It’s my own business.”

Jiang Sheng He got up and sat opposite Lu Baisheng, the space was now much less crowded.

“There is one thing that I shouldn’t have done,” he finally said.

Lu Baisheng opened another can of beer and looked at him, “What?”

“I shouldn’t have introduced you to her now that she’s about to get married.”

“Don’t worry, in the future, whether Luo Qi is doing well or not, I won’t reveal a word to you.” Lu Baisheng clinked drinks with him, “I don’t need to go to the dinner tomorrow night anymore—I already met Luo Qi tonight and we added each other’s contact information.”

Jiang Sheng He was silent for a while, “Go. So she can be familiar with you.”

What Lu Baisheng wanted to say was finally swallowed with beer. 

“Okay, send me the hotel address.”