Mistaken ‘O’ is a Crazy Gorgeous Boss - Chapter 26

Since the round trip would take considerable time and their schedule for this outing was tight, after leaving the Sacred Tree in Tiankeng, the two drove straight to their next destination, the Futu Forest.

They had lunch at a local farmhouse restaurant along the way and arrived at Futu Forest around 2 p.m.

Star Island was a place of breathtaking diversity, and Futu Forest, located at the northern most tip of the island, was a wondrous expanse that encompassed grasslands, canyons, glaciers, and more. Visitors had to leave their vehicles behind and proceed on foot. After parking the car, the two began walking deeper into the forest while admiring the scenery.

Qu Zhen had been taking photos nonstop. She had long heard of Star Island’s fame, and seeing it in person today, she felt it truly lived up to its reputation.

“Sister, look,” she said.

Shen Zhikou followed her gaze. “It’s a squirrel.”

“I got a picture of it! So cute.” Qu Zhen adored all fluffy animals. “Its tail must be really soft.”

“Mm.”

The squirrel, hiding among the branches, had already scurried away. Qu Zhen, even more chirpy than the squirrel, chattered excitedly, “I once rescued a little squirrel with my grandma. It was so clever, it even brought us pinecones as gifts.”

“When was that?”

“When I was seven, I think.” Qu Zhen smiled happily.

Shen Zhikou nodded. “Mm, adorable.”

Qu Zhen thought she was referring to the squirrel and grinned, her eyes curving into crescent moons. The two continued along the path, and when they reached the station, they took a cable car to admire the majestic snow-capped mountains.

There were countless legends about these mountains, and Qu Zhen had intended to share one to spark a conversation. But when she turned, she noticed her companion gazing absently out the window, as if seeing something beyond the Lovers’ Lake in the distance.

Qu Zhen didn’t disturb her and instead watched Shen Zhikou quietly.

Thus, the pristine snowscape and the cable car gliding through the mountains formed a natural ink-wash painting, as if the entire world had condensed into this single, ethereal corner.

…

They left Futu Forest at 4:30 p.m. and on their way back, stopped by the island’s center for a stroll.

The dazzling array of goods was overwhelming. After browsing for a while, they paused at a trinket shop on a street corner. They had already left the store when Shen Zhikou suddenly turned back to buy something, telling Qu Zhen to wait outside and not follow her in.

As a result, Qu Zhen had no idea what was inside the shopping bag.

She didn’t ask out of curiosity. Later, when they returned to the hotel to order dinner, Shen Zhikou mentioned she wanted to shower first. So, after setting the delivery time, Qu Zhen followed her into the bathroom.

This bathing session was no different from the previous day’s.

Qu Zhen had grown more adept, though the tips of her ears were still flushed red. Thankfully, the blush on her cheeks wasn’t as intense as the night before. She focused intently on assisting Shen Zhikou with everything that needed to be done. When she stepped out, her nose felt unusually warm, as if a wave of heat was about to rush out.

Embarrassed, she walked to the sofa table and waited for a minute. When nothing unusual happened, she finally relaxed.

The pre-ordered hotel meal arrived at 7:30 p.m. Qu Zhen unpacked the containers and utensils, placing them meticulously in front of Shen Zhikou, leaving no room for error.

Dinner was unusually quiet. Having held back all day, Qu Zhen felt this was the perfect opportunity. After mentally rehearsing her words, she took a large sip of water, the cup clinking softly against the table.

In a hushed voice, she asked, “Sister, last time you mentioned wanting to give your heart to someone in a relationship. What are your thoughts on that?”

Shen Zhikou set down her chopsticks and met her gaze.

“I’ve thought about it for a long time, consulted some friends on this matter, and read a lot of relationship e-books,” Qu Zhen’s voice grew softer. “The kind of relationship I imagine is one where we can provide each other with emotional support, grow and progress together, and be mutually devoted.”

Qu Zhen was still a bit shy. When her eyes met Shen Zhikou’s, her carefully prepared words immediately became jumbled. “I admit, I’m a bit clumsy in this area, but I’m willing to learn and improve. If there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, Sister, please tell me. I’ll work hard to learn and correct it.”

“There’s nothing I’m dissatisfied with,” Shen Zhikou said calmly. “Your ideas are very good too.”

Qu Zhen’s eyes lit up, almost as if she were perking up her ears and wagging her tail.

“However, we’re not in a relationship yet, we’re still in the pre-relationship stage,” Shen Zhikou analyzed logically. “You said your ideal relationship involves mutual devotion, but you don’t like me yet. If it takes 100 points of affection to enter a relationship, your current affection level for me is probably close to zero. So, the biggest challenge in building sincerity is figuring out how to advance the progress bar.”

Qu Zhen instinctively wanted to refute this. She could feel that she had at least a vague fondness for Shen Zhikou, her affection level definitely wasn’t zero. But if she had to quantify exactly how much, she couldn’t articulate it clearly.

So, she could only murmur in agreement, “Mm.”

“Quantifying affection is just a metaphor. We can discuss the details once we’ve decided on the next step. The pace of building a relationship, whether fast or slow, is entirely up to the people involved.” Shen Zhikou asked calmly, “Do you want us to take it fast or slow?”

Qu Zhen didn’t understand why, every time she engaged in a back-and-forth with Shen Zhikou, she ended up shifting from taking the initiative to being passive even though she always gladly accepted it.

“I’d like it to be fast,” she stated. “Entering a relationship quickly would be more beneficial for comforting you and helping with your recovery.”

“Then let’s set a deadline. We must achieve this goal by that time.” Shen Zhikou added, “We should also set intervals, like regularly discussing any issues that arise during each phase.”

“Okay. You decide, Sister.”

Shen Zhikou shook her head. “Zhenzhen, you decide. I’ve said I hope you can achieve what you wish for, so I’ll follow your pace to realize your ideal relationship.”

At this moment, Qu Zhen’s cheeks were flushed pink. Instead of thinking about the timeline, she was marveling at how wonderful Sister could be so tolerant, so accommodating, so indulgent.

So much so that her affection level seemed to have risen just a little bit more.

After a whirlwind of thoughts, Qu Zhen gave her answer: “Sister, can we set it for December 1st? And then every week, on the weekend, we can update each other on our progress and discuss any issues.”

It was currently late September, with two months left until December. In today’s fast-paced world, taking two months to develop a relationship was indeed a bit slow.

But for those who are sincere, it wasn’t slow at all.

Shen Zhikou agreed, “Okay. Then let’s set December and the weekends as our timeline.”

“Mm-hmm!” Qu Zhen was very happy and picked up a tender piece of fish for Shen Zhikou. “Sister, shall we work on our relationship plan together later? I read in books that detailed and targeted plans can greatly improve efficiency.”

“Sure. What books have you been reading?”

Qu Zhen listed a few titles, deliberately omitting the compressed files Z had sent her: “Love Is Such a Small Thing,” “Our Love: A 10-Year Mutual Pursuit,” “The Exclusive Art of War for Building a Relationship…”

“Can you send them to me?”

Qu Zhen nodded. “Of course, I’ll send them to you after dinner.”

“Mm.”

After finishing dinner and cleaning up, Qu Zhen followed Shen Zhikou’s suggestion and took a shower first. Once she was done, the two of them tacitly headed into the bedroom, ready to draft a detailed strategy plan for each other.

As Qu Zhen put the hairdryer back in its place after drying her hair, she inadvertently caught a glimpse of something inside a jewelry packaging bag, it seemed to be a hairband.

“Zhenzhen, could you please bring me the packaging bag and the tablet?”

“Sure.”

Qu Zhen picked up the bag without a second thought, unplugged the charging tablet, and in that brief moment, the screen’s content flashed before her eyes.

It was a WeChat profile page.

Qu Zhen deeply respected others’ privacy and had no intention of prying, even when it came to her own spouse. She quickly averted her gaze, handed both items to Shen Zhikou, and smiled, the dimple on her right cheek faintly visible.

A very subtle smile flickered in Shen Zhikou’s eyes. “Guess what’s inside?”

“Sister, I accidentally saw it earlier while drying my hair,” Qu Zhen admitted honestly. “It should be a hairband, right?”

She thought Shen Zhikou had bought it for herself and was even looking forward to seeing her wear it.

When Shen Zhikou took it out of the bag and placed it on the tablet, the first thing Qu Zhen noticed was the fluffy white puppy ears on top of the hairband, followed by the profile picture on the tablet screen.

After her gaze swept over it again, it slowly dawned on her, that seemed to be… Z’s profile picture?

Qu Zhen blinked slowly, her thoughts too chaotic to grasp. She clenched her hands slightly and asked in a soft voice.

“Sister, can I take a look at your tablet?”