Mistaken ‘O’ is a Crazy Gorgeous Boss - Chapter 10

The receding warmth surged back once more.

This time, Qu Zhen not only buried her face in the pillow but also curled her entire body under the covers.

She pinched her earlobe, wondering if what Z had said was really… effective? Or was it just a tease?

Before this conversation, they hadn’t been in contact for nearly two months. In the past, Z was skilled at gaming and gentle in interactions. After all this time, it was the first time Qu Zhen had seen Z speak like this.

She felt it didn’t quite align with Z’s usual persona.

Muttering to herself, Qu Zhen typed and deleted her words in the input box three times before Z beat her to it and sent a message.

[Z: Asking this way, are you also an alpha?]

She had never revealed her secondary gender to Z before, as their conversations mostly revolved around gaming. But since she was seeking advice and they had known each other for a while, Qu Zhen didn’t hide it.

[Qiye Zhenzhen: Yes.]

At this point, Z seemed to return to her usual understanding self. She didn’t question why an alpha wouldn’t understand the calming process and instead offered reassurance.

[Z: Don’t feel embarrassed. This is a normal and serious matter. Soothing is very important for Omegas, and the process shouldn’t be taken lightly.]

Attached to the message was an image.

Qu Zhen opened it and found it was a flowchart resembling personal notes. It detailed every step of the calming process, even including meticulous notes on precautions for each stage.

The flowchart was intuitive and clear, more effective than the previous learning video.

After carefully reviewing it, Qu Zhen suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. Before receiving the flowchart, she had even suspected that Z’s method was a joke, but Z’s actions and attitude showed it was serious.

Thinking this, Qu Zhen sheepishly sent Z an apologetic sticker, followed by thanks for the flowchart notes.

[Z: It’s fine.]

[Z: Study it well; it’s very useful. By the way, to make the Omega feel more secure, alphas usually take the initiative a bit more during soothing.]

Qu Zhen’s attention focused on the first part… making the Omega feel more secure.

The incident tonight had shown her another side of the Omega she had temporarily marked. When the Omega hugged her around the waist, she could sense the barely suppressed trembling.

At that moment, Shen Zhikou lacked a sense of security.

She felt she had failed in her duty, not protecting Shen Zhikou properly. Now, reading Z’s words, she began to reflect on whether her shy silence during their interactions might have been interpreted as rejection by Shen Zhikou.

Could this have made the temporarily marked Shen Zhikou feel insecure?

Her mind struggling to process it all, Qu Zhen increasingly felt that Z made a valid point. She should be more proactive, especially since they were developing their relationship with marriage in mind.

Even if she couldn’t be a peacock spreading its feathers for Shen Zhikou, she could at least strive to be a little dog offering roses.

…

The first morning class at C University started at 8 a.m.

Qu Zhen woke up at 6:20, washed up, made two simple sandwiches, and set a timer to cook millet porridge for Shen Zhikou before leaving.

After squeezing onto the subway to reach the university, she rode a campus shared bike to the teaching building and happened to run into Yang Shumeng and Zhou Yun at the entrance.

“Zhenzhen!”

Qu Zhen locked her bicycle, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and walked toward the two of them. “Has Jiang Cheng gone to the library?”

“Yeah, she’s been under a lot of pressure lately with all the memorization, so she headed to the library early.”

Since the start of the semester, Jiang Cheng hadn’t attended any classes because she was busy preparing for her postgraduate entrance exams. Many other students in the class were in a similar situation. The instructor for this open-book exam was very understanding and considerately marked them as present on the attendance sheet.

“Is she doing okay?”

“Yeah, she got herself back on track yesterday.”

As the three of them walked and chatted, Yang Shumeng frowned and said, “Last night, the Physical Education Department released the investigation results. They gave that guy a disciplinary warning. It turns out he doesn’t have any mental health issues, it seems like he did it on purpose.”

Qu Zhen didn’t quite understand. “On purpose?”

“Yeah, the gossip threads on the forum say he got hurt in his last relationship and then kind of…” Zhou Yun said tactfully, “…indirectly wanted to take it out on society.”

Qu Zhen understood now. She had encountered many such cases during her internship in her sophomore year.

Humans are incredibly complex creatures. After four years of studying law, she knew all too well never to underestimate human nature.

At 7:53, the three of them took their seats in the fourth row of the classroom. They were all quite attentive during the break, but Qu Zhen was the most diligent of all. Whenever Yang Shumeng saw the notes in her textbook, she couldn’t help but feel a little ashamed.

Qu Zhen’s handwriting was sharp and elegant, each stroke revealing her meticulous nature.

She still maintained the study habits from high school, taking careful notes and organizing them systematically. During class, she kept her hands on the desk, her back straight as a pine tree, without a trace of laziness or slackness.

She was the epitome of a model student in the teachers’ eyes and a role model for her peers.

The class lasted forty minutes, and it wasn’t until the bell rang that Qu Zhen finally reached for her phone in her backpack.

Before leaving, she sent a message to Shen Zhikou. By now, Shen Zhikou should have almost arrived at the company.

[Shen Zhikou: Thank you, the porridge was delicious. I’ll pick you up after the interview this afternoon.]

Pleased by the praise, Qu Zhen smiled and quickly replied.

[Okay, see you this afternoon.]

As if struck by a thought, Qu Zhen lowered her head and sent Shen Zhikou an animated sticker of a puppy holding a bouquet of flowers.

…

After leaving school, Qu Zhen rode a shared bike to the nearest affiliated hospital for a full-body check-up.

With the general improvement in medical welfare in today’s society, the government offers a 50% discount on medical examinations for secondary genders. As a fourth-year university student, Qu Zhen also qualified for an additional fixed reduction.

After completing the entire check-up process, Qu Zhen only paid 99.8.

She waited half an hour for the test results. When she looked closely, she realized she had undergone secondary differentiation into an S-class alpha.

An S-class… alpha?

Qu Zhen repeated it silently in her mind, still feeling somewhat dazed.

Currently, research institutes classify the differentiation levels of alphas and Omegas into six tiers, from highest to lowest: S, A, B, C, D, and E. Among them, S-class alphas and Omegas are the highest-level minority.

Compared to the other five tiers, S-class alphas and Omegas are more deeply influenced by their pheromones. They possess a stronger sense of possessiveness and dependency toward their partners. Moreover, once they enter their sensitive period or heat, the pain and torment they endure are twice that of other tiers.

In return, their physical appearance and innate abilities far surpass those of ordinary people. Beyond that, they also differ in many other aspects.

Before parting, the doctor conducting her pheromone check asked, “Have you experienced any temporary marks recently?”

Qu Zhen nodded sheepishly, “Yes.”

The alpha undergoing secondary differentiation appeared quite young, so the doctor kindly reminded her, “Then you need to be extra careful. Temporary marks between S-class alphas can influence each other for a longer duration, and there’s even a possibility of a second pseudo-estrus.”

“Alright, thank you, doctor.”

Now aware of her differentiation level, Qu Zhen felt grateful she had extended the development period to ten days. For alphas of the other five levels, temporary marks lasted at most around five days, but S-class alphas were different, they could extend it by another two or three days beyond that.

After having lunch at a chain franchise near the hospital, Qu Zhen returned to the university library to study for a while and took a nap at the desk.

By three in the afternoon, she took the subway to Guangda Financial for her interview.

This company was slightly less competitive than SCV and was Qu Zhen’s last option in her screening process. The entire interview went smoothly, with both HR representatives looking at her with appreciative smiles.

Guangda Financial and Shengcan Venture Capital were located in the same area. After finishing this interview, Qu Zhen immediately headed to the next one.

As soon as she entered the lobby on the first floor, Qu Zhen couldn’t help but marvel at how lavish Shengcan was, its displays and decor were far superior to Guangda Financial. Taking the elevator to the interview room on the 9th floor, she noticed the line wasn’t very long, which indirectly highlighted Shengcan’s strict screening criteria.

Having gone through two interviews, Qu Zhen felt more at ease. Facing three HR representatives and department heads who repeatedly set traps in their questions, she remained composed and flawless throughout.

The interview results would be sent to the candidates’ emails within a day.

The ever-serious Qu Zhen, the moment she stepped out of Shengcan’s doors, rubbed her cheeks, which were sore from maintaining a smile. Just as she was about to message Shen Zhikou, she spotted the familiar car parked by a street lamp two meters away.

Hai F00917, Shen Zhikou ‘s license plate number.

Qu Zhen strode forward, her gaze sweeping over the plate before it dawned on her that this string of numbers also matched her Gregorian calendar birthday.

She didn’t dwell on it, merely thinking it a coincidence. Shen Zhikou’s tastes and preferences aligned closely with hers, their personalities meshed well, and even the license plate number seemed to symbolize a kind of fate.

Though it was an unexpected twist of fate, she was willing to take responsibility for it and step into marriage with Shen Zhikou. Qu Zhen thought to herself.

Spotting Shen Zhikou through the half-open car window, Qu Zhen opened the passenger door and got in. She felt both happy and a little frustrated because she had ordered a bouquet of flowers for Shen Zhikou, intending to give it to her in person when they met.

“How did the interview go?”

Qu Zhen didn’t dare to be overly confident. “It was alright.”

“Mm. I just got off work and thought I’d come wait for you.” Shen Zhikou turned her face slightly, her lips like pale cherry blossoms. “Do you have anything else to do?”

Qu Zhen met her gaze and confessed, “I need to pick up a bouquet from the flower shop.”

In the confined space of the car, Shen Zhikou ‘s eyes darkened slightly, and her fingers on the steering wheel paused briefly before returning to normal.

“Alright, let’s go now.” She asked, “Who are the flowers for?”

Having repeatedly reviewed and studied Z’s advice, Qu Zhen had committed those words to memory. She answered effortlessly, as if it were second nature, “Sister, the flowers are for you.”

The faint, delicate fragrance of flowers lingered in the air, and Shen Zhikou’s lips curved slightly. “Thank you.”

This was the first time Qu Zhen had seen Shen Zhikou smile. Though it was a faint, almost imperceptible curve, it was enough to captivate and enchant, like the breathtaking bloom of a snow lotus atop a mountain peak.

Her heartbeat quickened, thumping wildly in her chest. Suddenly, Qu Zhen felt the effects of the temporary mark spreading rapidly through her limbs, the sensation at her gland particularly intense. In that moment, she understood why Shen Zhikou needed comfort.

“What’s wrong?”

Qu Zhen could take the initiative for Shen Zhikou, but she couldn’t bring herself to voice her own needs. Clutching the hem of her coat tightly, she shook her head, suppressing her emotions as she insisted she was fine, yet a burning heat ignited in her eyes.

The subtle floral scent grew stronger as Shen Zhikou leaned closer.

The distance between them narrowed to mere inches, and Qu Zhen caught the scent of lily of the valley on Shen Zhikou.

The half-open car window had long been closed tightly, sealing them in a dimly lit compartment where their breaths intertwined. The Omega’s slender, jade-like fingers gently lifted the Alpha’s chin, her captivating eyes swirling with hidden intensity, as if appraising prey caught in a trap.

“Good girl.”

Her fingertips brushed softly, pausing at the Alpha’s softly bitten lips. Shen Zhikou repeated, “What’s wrong with you?”