Seven Years of You

Chapter 14

Luo Qi's fingers trembled over the keyboard as seven unread emails materialized - each timestamped September 22nd, 00:00. Jiang Shenghe's digital ghost haunted her screen:"Happy birthday. I love you. May life grant all you desire hereafter."

Earlier boardroom maneuvers unfolded:Jiang Shenghe's midnight call to He Wancheng secured Dongbo Medical's acquisition through Madame Pei's boardroom coup. The price: future favors for nephew He Xiu.

The civil registry marriage certificate lay heavy in Luo Qi's desk drawer. Jiang's forged signature - uncharacteristically precise strokes - mirrored his seven years of calculated restraint.

Flashbacks revealed:

2016: Jiang's first reply to her 3D printing proposal, attachments containing embryonic concepts for Weiyuan Medical

2020: Security footage of him deleting draft confessions at dawn

2023: Botanical logs documenting 2,557 cucumber growth measurements

Luo Qi's mouse hovered over the final email's timestamp - September 22nd, 2022. Jiang's surveillance records showed her dining with Pei Shixiao that night, unaware of the security team's discreet presence.

In Jiang's encrypted cloud:79,302 minutes of CCTV footage412 intercepted flower delivery records1 crumpled draft: "This ends tonight. Let her go."

Liang Zhen's manicured nails tapped the café table as she inspected Luo Qi's reaction. "The Suzhou villa's humidity issues require local expertise. Your mother's design firm comes highly recommended by Chu Lin."

Earlier in Jiang Shenghe's office:Luo Qi's fingers trembled while accepting the manila envelope containing:

Master keys to his lakeside mansion

Biometric access codes

Safe combination etched on platinum alloy

The crumpled coffee receipt revealed Liang Zhen's true motive - timestamped 2:17 PM, coinciding with Jiang's intercepted text:"Mother's meeting her now. Keep security detail discreet."

Luo Qi's proposal hung between them: "Let's celebrate at the tavern tonight." Jiang's pen froze mid-signature on the forged project approval, ink bleeding through three layers of bond paper.

Flashback to property records:Jiang Shenghe's 2016 Suzhou acquisition aligned with Luo Qi's internship termination. Blueprints showed specially designed viewing angles toward her childhood neighborhood.

Security logs documented:18:03: Luo Qi exits elevator, floral scent lingering 37% above baseline18:07: Jiang's pulse spikes to 112 bpm during budget review18:22: Encrypted email drafted: "Terminate all surveillance. She's mine now."

Luo Qi's trembling finger hovered over the voice message button. Three recordings escaped into digital ether:

"Have you reached home?"

"Husband."

"No need to reply."

Jiang Shenghe replayed the second message seventeen times in his Mercedes-Maybach. The leather seat retained residual warmth from their tavern encounter, dashboard clock frozen at 20:47 when her first transmission arrived.

The villa's security feed captured Jiang pacing through moonlit gardens, cucumber trellises casting prison-bar shadows across his path. His whispered "I love you" dissolved into September humidity at 21:03.

Luo Qi's smartphone analytics revealed:

47-minute deliberation before recording

6 failed attempts erased by voice-to-text algorithms

Final message pitch variance: 3.7 octaves

Earlier at the tavern:Jiang's left sleeve cufflink bore microscopic traces of Luo Qi's lipstick - Pantone 18-1664 TPX "Tigerlily", identical to their wedding registry selection.

The glove compartment yielded:

Notarized will updated 09/25

3-carat diamond ring insurance appraisal

Handwritten note: "If she chooses freedom, let the villa be hers."

Jiang Shenghe's fingers lingered on Luo Qi's collar as he adjusted her access pass. The Mercedes' climate control couldn't dissipate the tension thickening between them.

Luo Qi's voice steadied through the car speakers: "We should head in. The opening remarks start in twenty."Jiang's thumb brushed her nape while straightening the lanyard. "Your third button's loose."

Earlier in the executive elevator:Jiang had memorized her breakfast order - steamed vegetable buns and soy milk. His cufflinks matched her pearl earrings, a detail only visible under conference hall lighting.

The access pass trembled against Luo Qi's chest. Jiang's reflection in the tinted window betrayed his restraint as he murmured: "The Q&A session after my speech - stay backstage."

Security feeds later showed:09:07:32 - Jiang's left hand flexes thrice after releasing Luo Qi's hair09:07:45 - Luo Qi's earlobe coloration increases 18%

Jiang's summit notes contained margin sketches:

Lotus petals matching Luo Qi's blouse pattern

Cryptographic timecodes correlating to her breathing intervals

The leather seat retained thermal traces of their proximity until 09:14 when Luo Qi exited first, access pass perfectly aligned over her racing heartbeat.

Luo Qi's bare feet slapped against cold concrete stairs as she descended twelve flights, Jiang Shenghe's Mercedes taillights bleeding crimson through autumn mist. His Burberry trench coat enveloped her trembling shoulders.

Earlier confrontation:Pei Shixiao's ashen face mirrored in Luo Qi's wedding certificate. "This ends tonight," she declared, official seal still gleaming under fluorescent lights.

Financial summit records showed:09:14:32 - Jiang's gaze lingered 8.7 seconds longer than protocol during Luo Qi's documentation check15:22:15 - Security intercepted Pei's attempt to approach Luo Qi during coffee break

Luo Yu's impromptu visit disrupted Jiang's plans. "I'll take the sofa!" The younger cousin's voice carried through thin walls as Jiang retreated downstairs, car keys digging crescent moons into his palm.

Neighborhood surveillance captured:21:07: Luo Qi's silk pajama hem fluttered at knee-level during hurried descent21:09: Jiang's knuckles whitened on steering wheel during 47-second embrace

The borrowed coat retained Jiang's sandalwood scent until 23:18 when Luo Qi finally slept, wedding certificate hidden beneath college textbooks in her bottom drawer.