Mistaken ‘O’ is a Crazy Gorgeous Boss - Chapter 29

The surroundings were quiet; apart from Shen Zhikou’s voice, Qu Zhen could only hear the frantic pounding of her own heartbeat.

The lingering sweetness of strawberries on her tongue was refreshing with a pleasant aftertaste. Her cheeks were flushed as if deeply intoxicated.

With such direct and personal guidance from the person beside her, no matter how clumsy Qu Zhen was, she finally understood at that moment.

She responded abruptly, “I understand.”

“Mm.”

Shen Zhikou created some distance between them, returning to her seat and putting on her silver-rimmed glasses. Calm and composed, she began browsing the quarterly report on her tablet.

“If there’s anything you don’t understand in the future, you can always ask me directly.”

Qu Zhen, her face flushed red, nodded repeatedly. “Mm, mhm.”

She hastily made up an excuse and fled in embarrassment to the bathroom.

Cold water splashed on her face slowly cooled the heat on both sides. Five minutes later, the stray hairs at her temples were damp, and her bright almond eyes shimmered like autumn waters.

Sister is really playing unfair, she thought.

They hadn’t even agreed on a dating plan yet, but her heart was already starting to beat faster because of Shen Zhikou’s every word and action.

“So unfair,” she murmured softly, without any hint of blame, more like a gentle complaint.

After composing herself, Qu Zhen busied herself taking care of Shen Zhikou again, helping her bathe and wash her hair, and even cleaning her undergarments.

There weren’t enough bath petals at home this time, and even though Qu Zhen tried her best to avoid looking, she still couldn’t help catching glimpses of fleeting moments of intimacy.

The heat she had just managed to suppress surged back, remaining high even after the bath ended. When her fingertips touched the delicate, sheer garment, Qu Zhen felt as if she were about to combust from the heat.

…

The next day, Qu Zhen surprisingly slept in.

When Shen Zhikou got up, Qu Zhen had initially planned to follow suit and make breakfast for her. But Shen Zhikou quickly pressed her back into the blankets and even placed her bandaged hand over Qu Zhen’s eyes.

“Close your eyes. You were exhausted from traveling yesterday, sleep a little longer.”

Perhaps it was the gentle atmosphere at that moment, but Qu Zhen obediently closed her eyes and soon fell into a deep sleep. By the time she woke up again, the sun was high in the sky, well past nine o’clock.

She quickly washed up, ate the breakfast Shen Zhikou had prepared for her, and then grabbed her backpack and left the apartment.

After yesterday’s mentor meeting, Professor Qin had assigned them reading and presentation tasks. She had already read a few of the books, and the university library had the two remaining ones she hadn’t.

Transferring lengthy electronic resources was rather troublesome, so Qu Zhen decided to make a trip to the school. It was also a good opportunity to confide her secret to her roommates.

The subway in Haicheng wasn’t too crowded at this hour. She had just taken a seat on the right side when her phone vibrated with a message.

[Shen Zhikou: Are you awake?]
[Shen Zhikou: Remember to eat breakfast. There’s pumpkin and red date porridge, the kind you like.]

Her limbs, chilled by the cold wind, instantly warmed.

Qu Zhen immediately typed a reply.

[I’m up, and I’ve eaten breakfast too. I’m on the subway heading to school now. ]
[The porridge you made was super delicious! I finished every last bit of it! [puppy fainting.jpg]]
[[puppy peeking and waving its paw.jpg]]

After sending the messages, her gaze fell on the contact name at the top. The note she had for Shen Zhikou was simply her real name, unchanged since the day they added each other on WeChat.

Now that their relationship had shifted from strangers to married, the note at the top felt particularly glaring and out of place.

Qu Zhen thought for a moment, then navigated to Shen Zhikou’s profile to edit the nickname, changing it from her name to “Sister.” After making the change, she paused and stared at it, still feeling something wasn’t quite right.

After some more consideration, she added a star emoji 🌟 next to “Sister.”

She was fully applying the tips and tricks from The Laws of Love and the Treasures of Marriage on using affectionate nicknames.

As the subway passed Liuxiang Station, Qu Zhen finally received a reply from Shen Zhikou.

[Mm.]

[Zhenzhen, I have a business trip to Yuncheng tomorrow and won’t be back in Haicheng until Friday.]

The faint smile that had just begun to form at the corners of her eyes slowly faded. Even though the separation hadn’t yet begun, Qu Zhen was already feeling reluctant.

They had just returned from their honeymoon and hadn’t even spent a full day together before facing another parting. Qu Zhen bit her lip, suppressing the reluctance in her heart, and typed and deleted several times before finally sending a message.

[[Eager puppy nodding.jpg]]

[I understand, Sister. I really do.]

The reply came almost instantly.

[How long will you be staying at school?]

Qu Zhen hadn’t decided on an exact time yet, but she knew she would definitely be home before Shen Zhikou finished work to prepare dinner.

[I’ll stay until four at the latest. You’ll definitely see me when you get home from work, Sister.]

[Mm. It’s fine if it’s a bit later. I can come pick you up from school.]

Qu Zhen’s lips curved into a smile.

She was easily content, whether it was over a small matter or just a few words.

For instance, one moment she had been sad about the sudden separation, and the next, seeing Shen Zhikou’s reply instantly lifted her spirits.

[No need, I’ll wait at home and read while waiting for you, Sister.]

[[Puppy wagging its tail.jpg]]

[Alright, see you in the evening then.]

[See you in the evening, Sister.]

…

The subway’s Exit E led directly to the south gate of C University. Qu Zhen first went to the library to borrow some books before heading back to her dorm along the campus path.

Passing by a bubble tea shop, she ran into Jiang Cheng and Zhou Yun. The two had just arrived and were about to place their order. Spotting Qu Zhen, they greeted her, and Jiang Cheng kindly bought two cups of the new autumn-winter hot drink for her and Yang Shumeng.

The three stood under a ginkgo tree. Jiang Cheng, who was particularly sensitive to the cold, was bundled up tightly, looking from a distance like a little brown bear gathering leaves by the tree.

“Xiao Zhen, Mengmeng was talking about you just yesterday.”

“What was she saying?”

Jiang Cheng teased, “She said you’ve been so captivated by the outside world that you even spaced out during the advisor’s meeting.”

Qu Zhen softly retorted, “That’s not true.”

“Alright, alright, I know it’s not.” Jiang Cheng patted her shoulder. “I’d believe it if it were anyone else, but you? Definitely not.”

Qu Zhen felt her cheeks warm. “Why not?”

Jiang Cheng and Zhou Yun exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion in each other’s eyes.

Among the four in their dorm, Qu Zhen was the youngest and also the most well-behaved and easygoing. In all the time they’d known her, they had never seen her do anything out of line.

Perhaps the most “rebellious” thing Qu Zhen had done in her four years of university was going to karaoke with them and ordering late-night barbecue delivery after curfew.

But they had only gone to karaoke that one time and ordered delivery just once.

“No particular reason, I just believe in you.” Jiang Cheng said thoughtfully, “But your reaction just now was a bit strange. Zhenzhen, are you… did something happen?”

Zhou Yun went to pick up the bubble tea.

Facing Jiang Cheng, who was nearly a head shorter than her, Qu Zhen lowered her gaze and said, “Yes, there is something. I’ll tell you all back at the dorm later.”

Jiang Cheng was anxious, worried that Qu Zhen had encountered an insurmountable problem.

“Can’t you tell us now?”

“No.” Qu Zhen shook her head. “I need to wait until everyone is here.”

Jiang Cheng felt this must be something major. She quickly paused the English vocabulary playing in her right Bluetooth earpiece, grabbed Qu Zhen and Zhou Yun, who had just retrieved the milk tea and hurriedly boarded the campus shuttle back to their dorm.

Yang Shumeng, who opened the door for them, spotted the milk tea in Zhou Yun’s hand and beamed brighter than the flowers downstairs.

“Sister Yun, you’re my softest-hearted goddess!” she exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. “I was just about to message you all. Who knew we sisters are so in sync we even have telepathy?”

Zhou Yun placed a cup of milk tea on each of their desks, then helped Jiang Cheng pull out chairs to form a square.

“What’s going on?” Yang Shumeng asked, bewildered. “Zhen, why are we having a meeting as soon as you get back?”

Whenever the four of them needed to discuss something important, study together, or work on a group assignment, they would arrange their chairs in a square to facilitate more efficient and smooth communication.

Qu Zhen sat solemnly in the right corner, cradling her milk tea as she silently rehearsed what she was about to say in her mind.

“Zhenzhen, you said you’d tell us once everyone was here. Can you tell us now?” Jiang Cheng prompted.

Yang Shumeng grew even more puzzled. “Tell us what?”

Zhou Yun remained silent, fiddling with the plaster doll she had painted the night before.

After turning it over in her mind many times, Qu Zhen decided to start with the biggest secret. Feeling a mix of shyness, happiness, and nervousness, she cleared her throat and declared firmly:

“I got married last week.”

Zhou Yun: ?
Jiang Cheng: ??!
Yang Shumeng: ???!!!

The noisy dorm fell into an eerie silence. The three of them exchanged stunned glances, their eyes reflecting varying degrees of shock. Yang Shumeng, whose jaw had nearly dropped, broke the silence. She took a deep breath, paused for five seconds to process, and asked incredulously:

“Did I hear that right, Zhenzhen?” She set her milk tea aside. “Weren’t you studying with us all last week? How did you get married? Who did you register with?”

Her thoughts took a darker turn. “Zhen, you weren’t tricked, were you? Damn it, I’ll help you sue that scammer and send them to prison. Do they even know that tricking an S-class alpha into marriage these days can land them six years in prison and the seizure of all their assets?”

Qu Zhen quickly shook her head and explained the whole story: “No, it’s not like that. Here’s what happened…”

After hearing her explanation, the other two were even more shocked. Yang Shumeng’s eyes widened like copper bells, and she hurriedly grabbed her milk tea and took two big gulps.

“As the old saying goes, ‘A scholar who’s been away three days must be looked at with new eyes,'” Jiang Cheng murmured in awe.

“Zhenzhen, I never expected you to pull off something this big without a word,” Yang Shumeng said, leaning in curiously. “I really admire your ‘marriage first, love later’ story. So, can you show us a picture of your wife?”

“Right,” Jiang Cheng chimed in. “At least let us see what kind of Omega managed to sweep our innocent, adorable Xiao Zhen off her feet!”

Qu Zhen unlocked her phone directly. Her home screen was a photo of her and Shen Zhikou taken under a sacred tree.

“Wow!!” Yang Shumeng gasped. “So pretty. No, no… she’s gorgeous!”

Even Jiang Cheng, who was the most face-blind in the dorm, nodded in agreement. “She really is very beautiful, and she matches Xiao Zhen perfectly!”

“Sister doesn’t photograph well; she’s even more stunning in person.” When it came to Shen Zhikou, Qu Zhen’s eyes sparkled. “She’s especially wonderful. When are you all free? Let’s have a meal together.”

“Zhenzhen, the way you talk sounds like you’ve just listened to a sweet, honeyed melody.”

“What?”

Yang Shumeng left it at that. “What I mean is, I wish you a hundred years of harmony and an everlasting union.”

The three of them chattered incessantly, but only Zhou Yun, on the far left, remained unmoved, her expression unreadable.

In the end, they unanimously decided that Shen Zhikou, who had a busy schedule, would arrange the time for the meal, and they would fully accommodate her without any conditions.

Once they confirmed that Qu Zhen’s marriage was entirely voluntary and learned some basic details about her partner, Jiang Cheng and Yang Shumeng fully recovered from their shock and excitement. With the bombshell secret now settled, Jiang Cheng, who still had to study at the library in the afternoon, prepared to wash up and take a nap. Yang Shumeng, still buzzing with curiosity, asked a few more detailed questions before returning to her desk to look up research materials.

Not wanting to disturb them further, Qu Zhen bid farewell to the three.

As she walked out and made her way down the long, dimly lit corridor, just about to descend the stairs, Qu Zhen was called back by Zhou Yun.

“Xiao Zhen.”

“Yes.” Qu Zhen turned around.

Zhou Yun, always the calmest and most mature of the four, had been unusually quiet ever since learning about her roommate’s marriage.

This unusual silence concealed a whirlwind of complex emotions, buried deep within her memories of the past.

It was back at the beginning of their freshman year, late September, just after C University’s twenty-day military training for new students had ended. Delighted, she had taken advantage of the three-day break to return home. As she exited the subway station on her way back to campus, she ran into two well-trained, tall beta women.

They were polite and respectful, leading her to Xinan Restaurant near the school.

Inside the restaurant, decorated in a retro style, the lighting and scenery felt like something straight out of an old-fashioned film.

She didn’t have to wait long. The moment the clock chimed, she saw a noble yet distant woman.

The corridor was bitterly cold, and the person beside her remained silent for a long time. Qu Zhen couldn’t help but ask, “Sister Yun, what’s wrong?”