Mistaken ‘O’ is a Crazy Gorgeous Boss - Chapter 2

The rain arrived at just the right moment, mirroring the turmoil in Qu Zhen’s heart.

In her daze, the butterfly pastries she was holding scattered to the ground, while the milk tea still radiated a lingering warmth. Meeting Su Qi’s gaze, Qu Zhen pressed her lips together, as if waiting for Su Qi to offer an explanation.

The rain grew heavier, the fine drizzle condensing into pea-sized droplets. Seeing Qu Zhen, whom she had already relegated to the status of an ex-girlfriend, Su Qi showed no trace of guilt, merely raising an eyebrow in surprise.

Initially, she hadn’t planned to say much, but after a moment’s thought, she leaned in and whispered a few words to her new girlfriend beside her.

The woman in the white trench coat glanced at the beta under the tree, then turned back to plant a kiss on Su Qi’s cheek before walking away first. As the silver-white car drove off, Su Qi walked toward the tree under her umbrella, stopping just a step away from Qu Zhen.

“What are you doing here?”

The milk tea in Qu Zhen’s hand and the scattered butterfly pastries on the ground were all her favorite treats. Su Qi was certain her ex-girlfriend had come looking for her.

Although Qu Zhen was a beta, her height was striking even among alphas. She stood a full head taller than Su Qi, and when she looked down at someone expressionlessly, she carried an added chill compared to her usual demeanor.

“Don’t you have anything to explain?” she asked.

Su Qi looked slightly surprised. “What do I need to explain?”

In that moment, Qu Zhen realized she might never have truly understood the person before her. She knew Su Qi came from a wealthy family, a world apart from her own, and their social circles were vastly different. So, when she saw the two photos in the post, she had firmly believed Su Qi’s explanation that it was just a meal with friends from her circle.

But that wasn’t the case.

If she couldn’t grasp the situation now, she might as well have wasted her four years as a law student.

Su Qi seemed to catch on as well. She let out a soft laugh, her gaze dropping to the diamond bracelet on her right wrist. “Qu Zhen, it seems you really are a block of wood. You heard what I said just now, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Then what’s left to explain?” Su Qi’s tone was almost innocent. “Or did you not understand what I said to you that night?”

Three nights ago was the last time they had seen each other. They had dinner at a restaurant by Xiangyuan Lake, and Qu Zhen still remembered Su Qi’s parting words: “I’ll be busy with my graduation project soon. Let’s leave it at this.”

This was Qu Zhen’s first relationship in her twenty-two years of life. Naive and inexperienced, she had failed to grasp the deeper meaning behind those words. At the time, she thought “leave it at this” meant she only needed to walk Su Qi to the vicinity of her dormitory. It never occurred to her that it meant the end of their relationship.

Once she understood, Qu Zhen asked no further questions. There was no need for any more explanations.

Perhaps out of pity for the beta before her, Su Qi felt a sudden urge to share a few words of romantic wisdom. After all, during their two months together, Qu Zhen, though exasperatingly naive, had treated her quite well.

But she didn’t want to give Qu Zhen the wrong idea that she still held any lingering affection for her.

How could she possibly miss someone like Qu Zhen? Dull, clumsy, hopelessly foolish, and with no financial prospects, she probably couldn’t even afford the hairpin Su Qi was wearing.

Qu Zhen should be grateful to her, because the two months she had mercifully maintained their relationship were already the brightest spot in Qu Zhen’s life.

Thinking this, Su Qi no longer hesitated and turned to leave decisively.

Left behind alone, Qu Zhen stood expressionless, holding the milk tea. Her hair was tousled by the wind, and her figure looked somewhat disheveled.

Noticing the vibration of her phone in her pocket, she pulled it out to check the message and found that the forum post she had reported earlier had been processed.

[Hello, the post with ID:5809338 that you reported has been deleted. Thank you for helping maintain a positive atmosphere in the forum community^-^]

When Qu Zhen clicked into the link again, the post had already been removed by the moderator. She stared at the screen until raindrops seeped through the leaves and splattered onto it, snapping her out of her daze.

The traffic around her continued to flow incessantly, and the sanitation worker ahead was slowly approaching. She bent down to pick up the fallen butterfly pastries, placing them one by one back into the transparent box. Once done, she took an umbrella from her backpack, opened it, and walked toward a nearby trash can.

She did not create any extra trouble for the approaching sanitation worker. Instead, she gave the warm milk tea to the worker, who was steadfastly carrying out their duties in the wind and rain.

After tossing the box into the trash can, Qu Zhen seemed to catch a faint, fleeting scent, so subtle it vanished almost instantly. As the wind and rain grew stronger, she paid it no mind, pulling her collar tighter against the wind and quickly heading toward the school gate.

From beginning to end, she never noticed the black luxury car that had been parked across the street for a long time.

The car window slowly lowered, allowing the daylight to generously brighten the dim interior. A woman sat at the boundary of light and shadow, her long black hair cascading down to her waist. From her sleeves emerged slender, delicate hands, one adorned with a string of smooth, lustrous sandalwood prayer beads.

A small red mole at the base of her thumb, accentuated by the prayer beads, looked like a single plum blossom petal resting on snow.

…

It was half an hour later by the time she returned to her dorm.

All dormitories at C University were standardized as four-person rooms with bunk beds and desks below, and it was explicitly stipulated that all four occupants must share the same secondary gender. Qu Zhen’s bed was on the right side near the door. The room was quiet, and she was alone.

Her thoughts were somewhat scattered. After opening her thermos and drinking half a cup of hot water, her body, chilled by the long exposure to the cold wind, gradually warmed up.

Her desk was neatly arranged. On the top shelf, aside from law textbooks, there were many books related to archaeology and cultural relics. Her gaze swept over the calendar trinket under the desk lamp, and when she noticed the white mug beside it, she abruptly stood up.

That was the first gift Su Qi had given her after they started dating, and it was also the only gift she had received during their relationship. Before they were together, Su Qi had given her many gifts, but to maintain distance, she had refused everyone.

She had taken good care of this couple’s mug. The surface was still brand new, adorned with a heart and the words “a lifetime” in the middle.

The fifth of next month was Su Qi’s birthday. Qu Zhen had already placed an order for a customized gift on her phone. Now, it seemed neither the mug nor the birthday gift was necessary anymore.

Qu Zhen briskly stuffed the mug into the bottom of her cabinet and canceled the order after apologizing to the seller. Just then, the dormitory door was pushed open from the outside.

Her three roommates had returned. Seeing Qu Zhen in the room, Yang Shumeng examined her expression with concern and gave her a hug.

“Zhen, don’t be sad over a rotten person,” she said.

Zhou Yun closed the door and patted Qu Zhen’s shoulder. “Yes, don’t be upset. Breaking up with someone like that is actually a good thing.”

The most furious was Jiang Cheng, the oldest in the dorm and the only one preparing for graduate school. After angrily tossing her backpack onto her seat, she pulled out her phone, her face flushed with rage.

“I’m going to contact my friend from the School of Information right now and have her hack Su Qi’s account to oblivion.” Her doll-like face scrunched up in anger, and she looked as if she wanted to stomp her feet. “This is beyond ridiculous! How dare she do this? Our Xiao Zhen is so wonderful!!”

Qu Zhen, surrounded by the three of them, looked bewildered. She gently distanced herself from Yang Shumeng and asked softly, “What’s going on?”

“We all know. Someone took pictures of Su Qi and her… her new partner, and you, at the north gate,” Yang Shumeng explained. “It was posted half an hour ago, and now the forum is buzzing about it.”

“Exactly. The post from this morning got reported and deleted by someone, but who knew new evidence would pop up so quickly.”

Qu Zhen clenched her hands slightly and pursed her lips. “I was the one who reported it to the moderators. At the time, I thought they were just friends. I only found out the truth when I went to confront her.”

The three fell silent for a moment. Having lived with Qu Zhen for four years, they knew her character well and weren’t surprised that she had been the one to report the post.

Their silence was out of indignation for their friend’s unfair treatment.

They felt it was unjust that such a kind person had been constantly criticized on the forum as “not good enough” for Su Qi during their relationship. And now, even though Qu Zhen was the victim of infidelity, many were gleefully mocking her, saying that as a beta, she was destined to be dumped, and that Su Qi wasn’t cheating but simply “choosing someone better.”

Qu Zhen was the youngest in the dorm. After she quietly recounted the whole story, the three erupted in anger again.

“Does Su Qi think she’s living in some bygone era? Who does she think she is?!” Yang Shumeng spat out in disgust. “Cheating and acting so self-righteous about it? it’s absolutely infuriating!”

“Exactly! I don’t get the forum’s culture either. So many people are still praising her.”

Jiang Cheng, who came from the wealthiest family among them and was a local of Haicheng, knew more about Su Qi’s background. She had always sensed that Su Qi had ulterior motives but never expected her to be this despicable.

While the three chattered on, Qu Zhen picked up her phone and opened the campus forum. The front page was flooded with trending posts about Su Qi. She clicked on the second-to-last post on the first page.

[Shocking! The Biggest Scandal of the Year at C University: The Love Triangle Drama!]

The post included three photos. The first showed Su Qi and a woman in a white trench coat getting out of a car and walking toward the campus gate. The second captured the woman kissing Su Qi’s cheek before leaving. The third depicted Su Qi and Qu Zhen facing off, with Qu Zhen looking particularly disheveled under the bleak, windy backdrop.

[Wow, did she get dumped? Qu Zhen looks way too desperate here.]

[She still went to find her ex after being dumped? Can she stop being such a simp? The new couple looks so compatible, probably an alpha, way better than Qu Zhen.]

[Oh, please, you’re the real simp here. They were still having meals together last Monday. It’s only been three days, and Su Qi moved on this fast? Are we sure this isn’t cheating?]

[No way, what if they break up within these three days? It’s not good to accuse someone of cheating without evidence.]

[Is the person above a hired supporter invited by Qu Zhen? Cheating is impossible. With the goddess’s excellent qualities, why would she resort to such tricks? Instead, think about Qu Zhen’s issues. She’s like a toad lusting after swan meat being dumped and still playing the victim.]

[What do you mean “toad lusting after swan meat”? Do you all remember that it was Su Qi who pursued Qu Zhen?]

Currently, the forum discussions have split into three main factions: the first consists of fervent loyal fans who insist Su Qi did nothing wrong and the breakup was entirely Qu Zhen’s fault; the second are neutral, friendly bystanders; and the third believe Qu Zhen was wronged, suspecting Su Qi of moving on too quickly or even possibly cheating.

However, since Su Qi’s loyal fans make up the majority, the first faction holds an overwhelming advantage.

Qu Zhen frowned, reported several popular posts distorting the truth, and finally put down her phone.

Meanwhile, her three roommates were loudly expressing their indignation on her behalf. Jiang Cheng muttered, “The government has been strengthening protections for Omegas in recent years, with many exclusive laws established over the past decade. Even though Su Qi’s behavior is disgusting, the forum’s atmosphere leaves us no choice but to swallow our grievances silently.”

All four were law students and understood that romantic relationships weren’t protected by current laws and regulations. Moreover, given the high level of protection for Omegas, even if Su Qi had cheated within a marriage, the matter would likely be brushed aside.

“This is so annoying,” Yang Shumeng said. “Su Qi is truly awful. I want to make a post exposing her true nature.”

“Xiao Meng, if we cause significant impact without solid evidence, Su Qi could sue us,” Zhou Yun analyzed.

Jiang Cheng was furiously typing a response under a popular post, but just as she was about to send it, the page froze and spun for several moments. When she checked again, the post had turned blank, with red text indicating it had been deleted.

Jiang Cheng made a surprised sound, exited, and looked again. The entire forum’s homepage had been wiped clean, all the recent popular posts had suddenly vanished. At the top was a new post with no text, only a question mark icon.

Curiosity drove her to click and browse. The further she scrolled, the wider her eyes grew.

“Everyone, check the forum!!!”

Qu Zhen had gone to the balcony to collect her laundry, so Yang Shumeng and Zhou Yun opened the forum. The question mark post was already marked with a “hot” label at the end.

The post contained very little text but displayed clear images exposing Su Qi’s affair with another alpha during her relationship with Qu Zhen. Additionally, it revealed that Su Qi had falsified her comprehensive assessment scores during her junior year to obtain a scholarship.

There were ten images in total: six showed Su Qi dating her affair partner off-campus, confirming the cheating beyond doubt. The other four provided evidence of Su Qi’s falsified scores, including transaction records, forming a complete chain of evidence.

[Holy crap, this is the biggest scandal of the year at C University, right? Thank you, righteous warrior, for letting us witness this dramatic soap opera.]

[I don’t get why she’d do this? Cheating is a private matter, but falsifying comprehensive assessment scores will lead to disciplinary action from the college, won’t it?]

[What era is this? What if the pictures are photoshopped? Even if there are photos, isn’t the timeline a bit off? You can’t just jump to conclusions based on these pictures alone.]

[Don’t be such a hypocrite. I’m from the School of Information Science, and it’s obvious the pictures are real.]

[Looks like the School of Arts will be releasing a statement soon. Qu Zhen is so unlucky, I actually feel a bit sorry for her.]

“Whoa, who posted this? Jiang Cheng, was it your friend from the School of Information Science?” Yang Shumeng looked up and asked.

“No, my friend hasn’t replied to me yet.” Jiang Cheng was equally surprised. “To think there are still righteous strangers out there, this is so intense!”

“Good people deserve a peaceful life!!!”

Qu Zhen, who had just returned from collecting her laundry, was completely out of the loop and had no idea what was going on. Her roommates chattered around her like three chirping birds, fluttering their wings and putting on a performance until Qu Zhen finally pieced together the sudden turn of events.

“Fabricating comprehensive assessment scores?” she murmured.

Yang Shumeng said, “Yeah. I find it a bit strange too. Isn’t her family really wealthy? Why would she fake it for just three thousand yuan?”

Jiang Cheng, however, had heard some rumors: “My childhood friend told me that Su Qi might be an illegitimate child. Even though she comes from a wealthy family, she’s never been acknowledged. Faking her scores to get a scholarship might be her way of maintaining her ‘outstanding’ image.”

“I don’t get it.”

The forum was still buzzing with conflicting opinions. The poster of the question mark thread had hidden their IP address, making it impossible to trace who it was. But as more fervent fans and “interested parties” joined the discussion, they pressured the poster to reveal the timestamps of the photos to prove they were taken before the breakup.

Qu Zhen carefully examined the photos. In the fourth picture, Su Qi was wearing the same outfit she had on two weekends ago. Back then, Su Qi had asked Qu Zhen to pick her up from a restaurant in Nanwan and even sent her a selfie afterward.

And as everyone knew, Su Qi never wore the same clothes twice in a month.

Qu Zhen had a gentle temperament, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t fight back. She dug through her chat history and found the selfie Su Qi had sent her, it was crystal clear. The earrings Su Qi wore in both pictures were identical.

After uploading this decisive evidence to the latest page of the question mark thread, Qu Zhen didn’t hesitate to delete all of Su Qi’s contact information.

…

The farce came to an end a day later with the School of Arts issuing an official disciplinary notice.

Perhaps due to the shift in public opinion, Qu Zhen recently noticed many curious, slightly pitying glances whenever she went to the library.

Now, sitting at her usual spot on the eleventh floor with a copy of Archaeology Journal beside her, Qu Zhen sighed inwardly as she caught an Omega in front of her staring.

Truth be told, the breakup hadn’t upset her all that much.

It might have been painful and confusing when she first found out, but after a couple of days to process it, hearing Su Qi’s name no longer stirred any emotions in her.

When she had agreed to date Su Qi, all three of her roommates had asked if she truly liked her. At the time, her answer was that she didn’t know maybe it wasn’t exactly love, but there was probably a faint, budding fondness.

Although she knew two people from completely different worlds wouldn’t last long, she never expected it to end in such an embarrassing way.

Closing the open book, Qu Zhen picked up her bag and carried the book to the borrowing machine on the right side of the floor. After waiting in line to check it out, she glanced at the time and prepared to head to the cafeteria.

When Qu Zhen reached the first-floor entrance of the library, she heard a familiar voice.

“Senior Qu.”

Turning around, Qu Zhen saw a junior from the College of Liberal Arts, one year below her, and greeted her softly, “Junior, are you here to borrow books too?”

Wen Shuya nodded, “Mm.”

The two walked out together, chatting as they went. Mid-conversation, Wen Shuya received a phone call, and her expression gradually turned troubled. She glanced at Qu Zhen beside her before responding and hanging up.

The lotus flowers beneath Mingyue Bridge looked withered, while the ginkgo trees lining the road shed leaves like fluttering butterflies in the wind.

Perhaps feeling a bit embarrassed, Wen Shuya lowered her voice, “Senior, are you busy this weekend?”

Qu Zhen had no plans for the weekend, though she had an interview the following week. “No, why do you ask?”

Wen Shuya’s eyes lit up, “It’s about the etiquette team. The university team has a collaboration with Yaste Hotel, and they’re hosting a business conference this weekend. They need seven people for the external event. I signed up a couple of days ago, but I just got a call from home, I have to go back for something.”

“Everyone’s busy this week, and the others already have plans. The pay is really good, and it’s not a long shift.” Wen Shuya clasped her hands together pleadingly, “Senior, could you cover for me for a day? I’ll transfer the payment to you, and I’ll treat you to a meal when I’m back. Please?”

Qu Zhen had excellent proportions, a model’s figure, in fact. Back in her freshman year, the leader of the university etiquette team had spotted her at first glance and practically begged until Qu Zhen agreed.

Since Yaste Hotel wasn’t far from the university, Qu Zhen replied, “Sure. Which day is it?”

“Sunday. Just arrive by 9 a.m. They’ll handle the outfits and makeup. I’ll let the team leader know, so you can go straight there.”

“Okay.”

Wen Shuya beamed, “Thank you, Senior!”

“You’re welcome.”

Faintly, Qu Zhen caught a whiff of a subtle fragrance, like a light floral scent, but it vanished as soon as the breeze passed.

…

Weekend.

Jiang Cheng had already left early for the library to study diligently. By the time Qu Zhen woke up, washed up, and got ready, her other two roommates were still asleep. She quietly closed the dorm room door and left, taking the subway to her destination.

Qu Zhen had been part of the etiquette team for three years, only officially stepping down in the second semester of her junior year. The other six members of the university etiquette team had already arrived. They greeted her with smiles when they met, then headed together to the hotel’s dressing room.

The outfits prepared by the hotel were business-style suits with pencil skirts, all clean and available in various sizes. After changing and applying makeup, Qu Zhen tied up her waist-length black hair, revealing her delicate and elegant face.

Her bone structure was exceptional, giving her a clean, ethereal aura. With makeup, she looked a bit sharper, resembling an alpha more than a beta.

The other team members had all interacted with Qu Zhen to some extent and unanimously agreed that she was gentle, approachable, and very beautiful. Whenever posts about her and Su Qi popped up on the forum, they’d always defend her in the comments.

The event started at 10:30 a.m. and lasted until 1:30 p.m. a total of three hours, which really wasn’t long. Qu Zhen remained responsible throughout, never dropping the ball.

After the event wrapped up and they had the lunch provided by the hotel, everyone headed back to the dressing room to change and leave.

The dressing room was on the sixth floor. Perhaps due to poor ventilation indoors, Qu Zhen suddenly felt stifled, her head growing somewhat dizzy. She sat in her seat for a while, and as everyone finished removing their makeup and changing clothes, they noticed she was still sitting and inquired with concern.

“Senior, are you okay?”

Qu Zhen nodded. “It’s nothing serious. I’ll be fine after sitting a bit longer. You all go ahead, no need to wait for me.”

Since everyone had other plans for the weekend, they asked a few more questions to make sure she was alright before leaving. In the brightly lit dressing room, Qu Zhen was the only one left. She sat for another ten minutes before finally going to remove her makeup.

The cool splash of water temporarily dispelled her dizziness. After removing her makeup and changing back into her own clothes, Qu Zhen headed toward the elevator with her backpack. Suddenly, the vertigo intensified, causing the surroundings to spin before her eyes. She stumbled and fell to the ground without warning.

At the same time, a torrential downpour began. Lightning tore through the clouds, and raindrops relentlessly battered the hotel’s glass windows.

A passing housekeeping staff member noticed the situation and hurried over to help her up, asking, “Ma’am, are you alright?”

A faint floral scent wafted through the air. Qu Zhen, who had lived 22 years as a beta, was still struggling to grasp what was happening, but the employee supporting her reacted swiftly.

The hotel was well-prepared for sudden emergencies involving alphas or omegas. Without waiting for Qu Zhen’s response, the staff member escorted her to an isolation room on the sixteenth floor, equipped with suppressants.

Her head felt heavy, and a burning pain seared the back of her neck. Qu Zhen couldn’t even form a complete sentence.

A soft ding sounded in the elevator as the silver steel doors slid open. On the verge of losing consciousness, Qu Zhen caught a glimpse of a black skirt hem outside and the delicate, jade-like fingers of a woman resting at her waist.

Her eyes closed. Just before she completely blacked out, all Qu Zhen could faintly recall was the woman’s creamy wrist, adorned with a string of sandalwood prayer beads.