Mistaken ‘O’ is a Crazy Gorgeous Boss - Chapter 28

As Qu Zhen’s demands grew increasingly unbridled and her clear almond eyes grew increasingly dazed, the familiar WeChat call ringtone abruptly pierced the air.

The ambiguous atmosphere instantly dissipated.

Seeing that it was a group call initiated by her academic advisor, Qu Zhen quickly released Shen Zhikou, whispered something in her ear, and got out of bed to answer the call.

The moment the group call connected, the rich scent of hyacinths lingering in the air also quietly faded. Qu Zhen sat on the woven rattan chair, answering her advisor’s routine questions with utmost seriousness, her ears hidden beneath her hair flushed bright red.

When selecting advisors in the second semester of her junior year, she and Yang Shumeng had chosen the same professor.

This professor was usually amiable, humorous, and kind, with the only drawback being her penchant for surprise check-ins on weekends without any prior notice. Even a diligent student like Qu Zhen occasionally found it hard to keep up.

Once fully awake, Qu Zhen didn’t dare look back at Shen Zhikou on the bed.

She tried to focus on listening to her classmates’ responses, but she couldn’t shake off the memory of her own recent pleas. Just thinking about the words she had spoken made her feel so hot with embarrassment that she wished she could dig a hole and crawl into it.

How… how could she have said such things?

Even if she attributed it to the influence of the temporary marker’s pheromones, the more Qu Zhen thought about it, the more her face burned with embarrassment. When her advisor called on her to ask if she had read a certain literature, she almost answered irrelevantly.

Fortunately, Yang Shumeng noticed something was off and sent her a private message to remind her, allowing her to quickly recover.

After sitting nervously for forty minutes, the routine meeting ended just at 9:30. Her phone kept vibrating with incoming messages, and Qu Zhen lowered her gaze to open her chat with Yang Shumeng.

[Yang Shumeng: Zhen? What’s up with you tonight? You seemed a bit distracted and out of it!]

[Yang Shumeng: Huh? Did you go home this week? Or are you at a friend’s place?]

[Yang Shumeng: I have to tell you, I discovered a huge secret. I really want to share it with you, but I can’t, wuwuwuwu. Only heaven, earth, me, and the person involved know about this secret, wuwuwu. I must firmly protect the privacy of the person involved (>v<)! The word “secret” made Qu Zhen somewhat sensitive because she, too, was carrying a secret. Aside from her family, Z, and her master, she hadn’t revealed her married status to anyone else.

At this moment, she felt somewhat conflicted and turned to look back at Shen Zhikou.

The Omega on the bed asked softly, “Is it over?”

“Yes.”

“Did I affect you? You seemed a bit distracted.” Shen Zhikou’s eyes held a hidden smile as she feigned ignorance.

As expected, the moment she finished speaking, the silly little dog first twitched her fluffy ears, and then her peach-blossom-pink face flushed a deep rouge.

Qu Zhen suddenly stood up, rarely lying, and said, “No, it’s just that I wasn’t prepared for the meeting.””

“When are these meetings usually held?”

“Professor Qin doesn’t have a fixed schedule, but generally, it doesn’t exceed once every two weeks.” Qu Zhen slowly approached her. “Professor Qin balances strictness with kindness and is a very good advisor.”

Shen Zhikou abruptly changed the subject. “What about your master then?”

“My master is especially good, but she…” Qu Zhen paused and said seriously, “My master is a bit stricter than Professor Qin. Since I didn’t come from a professional background, there’s a lot of knowledge I need to catch up on. It’s only right that she’s strict with me.”

“My previous mentor was also extremely strict, and after graduation, I was very grateful for her severity back then.”

“Where did you go to university, sis?”

“For the first two years of undergrad, I was at A University, and for the last two, I went as an exchange student to Ivy University in Country Q.” Shen Zhikou met her gaze. “My grades were pretty good at the time, so the exchange fees were fully waived. I covered my daily expenses by working part-time, so overall, it was quite cost-effective.”

Qu Zhen blinked.

This wasn’t just “pretty good”, it was practically top-of-the-top.

A University was one of the top three in the country, far surpassing C University in rankings. Students who could get a full waiver for an exchange were usually among the top 3% in both GPA and comprehensive evaluations. Moreover, Ivy University in Country Q had long been renowned, with notoriously stringent exchange conditions where academic performance was just one crucial factor.

After hearing Shen Zhikou’s account, Qu Zhen’s gaze held a touch more admiration.

She felt that Shen Zhikou was like the “good kid next door” in everyone’s upbringing, their life paths had suddenly converged due to various twists of fate, creating an oddly fitting and peculiar harmony.

“You’re amazing, sis. My homeroom teacher once went to Ivy University in Country Q for a research visit. She always told us to seize any opportunity to see more of the world, saying her most cherished memories were from her time there.”

“If you’d like to visit, you could go during the January holiday.”

Qu Zhen had her own goals and convictions: “No need, sis. I have a dream school I aspire to attend, and I hope I’ll have the chance to study there someday.”

Shen Zhikou gently touched the puppy ears on her headband. “Keep striving.”

“Mhmm!”

Just as they were about to lapse into silence, Qu Zhen remembered something she had been quietly wrestling with.

She asked again, “Sis, would you be willing to have a meal with my roommates?”

“They’re all good friends of mine, they’ve helped me a lot over these four years of university, and they have great personalities, very easy to get along with. I don’t want to hide anything from them; I’d like to introduce you to them.”

Shen Zhikou nodded. “Sure. You decide the time.”

Qu Zhen responded cheerfully, “Then I’ll ask them when I get back to campus.”

“Okay.”

At 10:10 PM, the living room lights were turned off, leaving only the hallway and bedroom lights on in the suite.

They shared the same blanket to sleep, neither bringing up the request that had been interrupted by the meeting. Since it was already late, they decided to discuss their specific relationship plans after returning home.

The second night was much more intimate than the first, at the very least, there was no longer a clear boundary between them like the Chu-Han divide. Before falling asleep, Qu Zhen even hugged Shen Zhikou.

It was a pure embrace, entirely free of any desire.

…

The next day, they drove to the surreal Boleu Garden and the famed Qiyu Mountain.

They didn’t return to the hotel to pack and leave Star Island until 4:00 PM.

The scenery on the return journey was breathtaking. Their seating arrangement was exactly the same as on the day they arrived: Qu Zhen drove from the driver’s seat while Shen Zhikou, covered with a light blanket, dozed in the passenger seat.

Outside the window, the sunset dipped low, with evening clouds and orange light intertwining like a richly colored oil painting.

After passing through Canglang District, when they were just ten kilometers from Xinyu Garden, Shen Zhikou, who had been asleep the entire way, finally stirred awake.

The temperature inside the car was comfortable. Freshly awakened, Shen Zhikou’s fair cheeks were tinged with a rosy flush, lending her a touch of allure compared to her usual cool demeanor. Like a serene valley warmed by the sun or dew-kissed flowers reflecting light, she resembled a wild rose blooming in early summer.

“Where are we?”

“We just passed Canglang District.” Qu Zhen asked, “Are you hungry, Sister?”

“Not really.” Shen Zhikou picked up her phone. “I’ll order something. What would you like to eat?”

Qu Zhen had intended to say she was fine with anything, and since their tastes were similar, she would enjoy whatever Shen Zhikou chose. But just as the words were about to leave her lips, she suddenly remembered a key point she had highlighted in her relationship guidebook.

Romance requires novelty, and this should always be kept in mind. Not only that, but your taste buds need it too! Be sure to try new, unexplored, and challenging experiences, it’s undoubtedly more beneficial than harmful for deepening your relationship.

According to Qu Zhen’s understanding, “taste buds” referred to culinary delights, though she wasn’t entirely sure why the text used “experiences” instead of “food.” Still, it didn’t stop her from putting it into practice.

Avoiding Shen Zhikou’s allergens, Qu Zhen ordered two dishes they had never tried before.

Twenty minutes later, the car arrived at Xinyu Garden, and the two took the elevator up from the underground garage. Returning to the apartment after nearly three days away, Qu Zhen first put away their suitcases and tidied up a bit. She washed her hands and sat down to eat only after the food delivery arrived.

On the dining table were three dishes and a soup. The new attempts, lychee-flavored conch slices and “immortal sour pepper beef”, were both disappointments. The strange, unforgettable flavors certainly provided a novel stimulation for the taste buds, just as the book had described.

But,

Shen Zhikou’s reaction made Qu Zhen wonder if she had misunderstood the highlighted advice.

This suspicion was confirmed after the meal. When Qu Zhen explained her reasoning for ordering the new dishes, Shen Zhikou calmly asked to see the original passage. After Qu Zhen sent a photo of the text, Shen Zhikou, sitting on the sofa, glanced at it briefly and then patted the empty spot beside her.

Qu Zhen obediently sat down next to her.

“Your interpretation does seem a bit off.”

Qu Zhen humbly asked, “Sister, where did I go wrong?”

Shen Zhikou’s fair fingertip tapped the center of the tablet screen, resting on the word “taste buds.” With meaningful emphasis, she said, “This term… you can’t interpret it in the conventional way.”

If not in the conventional sense, how else could “taste buds” be understood?

Innocent as a newborn fawn, Qu Zhen admitted honestly, “Sister, I still don’t really get it.”

“Zhenzhen.”

“Hmm?”

Shen Zhikou mused, “How far have you gotten with the studying you mentioned before?”

“Most of it… I’ve pretty much covered it all.” Qu Zhen still felt a bit shy, her cheeks faintly warm.

“Oh? Then why don’t you understand?”

Qu Zhen grew even more bewildered, like a trapped animal lost in a thicket, stuck in a mental loop she couldn’t break free from. Moreover, Shen Zhikou’s tone reminded her strangely of her mentor.

She lowered her gaze and carefully reread the passage, murmuring softly, “Sister, could you tell me what the correct answer is?”

The next moment, Shen Zhikou leaned in and kissed her.

It was exactly the kind of kiss Qu Zhen had wished for the previous night, executed thoroughly and completely.

When the kiss ended, Shen Zhikou lowered her eyes and asked, “On your taste buds, how did that kiss taste?”

Qu Zhen, like a lamb caught by the scruff of its neck, gradually surrendered under the overwhelming sensation.

She pursed her lips, blushing, and said, “Minty.”

After finishing their meal and rinsing her mouth, Qu Zhen had handed Shen Zhikou a mint candy from the jar, leaving her lips and tongue not only warm and sweet but also imbued with a refreshing minty flavor.

“Correct.”

On the coffee table sat a box of cream strawberries, the last one they had stored in the refrigerator before their vacation. Shen Zhikou picked one up and brought it to Qu Zhen’s lips.

“This is your reward.”

The room was quiet. Qu Zhen blinked slowly, as if bewitched by the exquisitely captivating Omega before her, and parted her lips to accept the treat.

The strawberry was sweet and juicy. After finishing it entirely, at Shen Zhikou’s initiative, they shared a second kiss.

It was still in the way Qu Zhen preferred.

What differed this time was that both responded to each other, and it lasted longer than the first kiss.

Their tongues intertwined, a pleasure so profound it felt bone-deep.

The “true meaning” of “taste buds” mentioned earlier was now self-evident.

“Strawberry flavor.”

Shen Zhikou’s voice whispered by her ear: “Do you understand now?”