Mistaken ‘O’ is a Crazy Gorgeous Boss - Chapter 30

The weather was unpredictable today. The sun, still high in the sky at ten o’clock, had vanished without a trace by half past twelve.

The day Zhou Yun was taken to Xinan Restaurant was just as gloomy as today.

Back then, she had just turned nineteen and had recently arrived in Haicheng, the most prosperous super-first-tier city in the country, from the third-tier city of Ningwan. Faced with tall and imposing betas, she felt nervous and wanted to flee.

But she had no choice.

When she met that enigmatic woman at the restaurant, she felt like a trapped beast with its throat clamped shut, every move she made was easily seen through by the woman.

“Miss Zhou, if you are willing to proceed with the transaction, please sign this agreement.”

At that time, it was only a month before the new semester began, and she had gotten along very well with her three roommates. Yang Shumeng was lively and cheerful, Jiang Cheng was sweet and bright, and Qu Zhen was gentle and virtuous, all very easy-to-get-along-with betas.

The woman sitting across from her was extending an olive branch on behalf of a mysterious figure who had never shown themselves.

The contents of the agreement were utterly bewildering.

The mysterious Party A demanded that she report on her roommate Qu Zhen’s recent situation every five days to a designated number. She only needed to share important updates to let Party A know whether Qu Zhen was happy and well, rather than detailing every trivial matter. However, she was required to report immediately in case of emergencies. At the same time, she needed to maintain a harmonious and friendly relationship with Qu Zhen, offering extra care and help in daily life.

Beyond that, she didn’t need to do anything else.

The agreement was valid for four years. As long as she fulfilled the requirements effectively and confidentially during this period, she would receive a considerable sum of remuneration at the end of each year. After four years, she would also be offered the job opportunity she had always dreamed of.

Zhou Yun couldn’t deny that, while shocked, she was tempted for a moment.

But she still refused to sign the agreement.

The sophisticated woman raised a slender eyebrow and adjusted her thin gold-rimmed glasses. “Miss Zhou, there’s no need to rush to refuse. My boss has prepared another contract for you.”

Compared to all the rewards outlined in the agreement, the contract the woman presented made Zhou Yun unable to resist wavering.

The contract was clear: if she signed the agreement, her mother, who had been ill for a long time, would receive the best treatment environment in the country, along with the most effective and expensive treatment plan until full recovery.

Her mother had been sick for eight years. Due to the family’s financial burden early on, she had missed the best window for treatment, and had endured the torment of illness every day since. Relying on expensive imported medication was merely buying time from the clutches of death.

Money could move even ghosts, her mother’s condition could indeed take a turn for the better, but the cost of treatment was an amount ordinary families wouldn’t dare to imagine.

She couldn’t help but be tempted.

She couldn’t help but waver.

Her mind a battlefield of conflicting thoughts, she slowly clenched her slender fingers, a thin sheen of sweat even appearing at her temples.

After repeated deliberation and internal struggle, she asked in a hoarse voice, “Will your boss harm Qu Zhen?”

The woman pursed her lips into a smile and said with certainty, “No. You can rest assured about that, Miss Zhou. Our boss is a businessperson who only engages in sure-win transactions.”

“Perhaps you find this agreement ridiculous, but from the moment it was drafted and signed, it has already brought our boss the greatest value.”

The still somewhat naive Zhou Yun couldn’t understand why shrewd businesspeople would make such an unbalanced deal. After repeatedly reading the agreement and confirming it wouldn’t cause any substantial harm to Qu Zhen, she picked up the silver pen for signing.

“If you break the agreement, I…”

The woman responded unhurriedly, “Miss Zhou, do you know who funded your university’s new library building?”

Zhou Yun knew a little about it, she’d heard it was funded by two outstanding C University alumni years ago with thirty million.

The new library building was rich in cultural atmosphere yet leaned towards a postmodern architectural style. Its biggest difference from the old library was that the university had designated the entire eleventh floor for archaeology books and had acquired many archaeological collections.

This move puzzled even alumni on forums. In the old library, archaeology books had been shelved alongside history and ethnic studies materials. Moreover, C University’s archaeology program was quite niche, rated only a B without even a doctoral program.

Zhou Yun only knew this much: “Outstanding alumni from our university’s economics and business schools.”

The woman smiled without speaking.

“What does your question have to do with my confusion?”

The rich, bitter aroma of coffee filled the air as the woman said cryptically, “Sometimes what we see and hear may not be the whole truth. Your university life has just begun. I believe over the next four years, you’ll figure out the true funder and their intentions.”

“Please also trust us… we mean no harm, only sincere goodwill.”

Zhou Yun couldn’t remember how she responded. Slowly, she accepted the agreement, and her mother was transferred as promised to Haicheng’s top private hospital for treatment.

The first time she made the call, she reported on Qu Zhen’s activities over the past five days as requested.

For example: whether Qu Zhen had rested well and eaten on time, what practical activities she’d participated in, how many times she’d been to the library that week, and if anything unexpected had happened during her evening runs at the sports field.

What surprised Zhou Yun most was that the report also included whether Qu Zhen had received any love letters or romantic hints that week.

She found it utterly bizarre. If she didn’t know the other party was someone in a position of power, she might have thought she was speaking to Qu Zhen’s secret admirer.

But as time passed and she interacted more with Qu Zhen and their other roommates, she began to understand what the woman had meant about the true funder and their intentions.

…

“Sister Yun, are you okay?”

The voice pulled Zhou Yun back to reality. She looked up at the person before her, her gaze complex and unreadable.

“Nothing’s wrong. There’s no hot water on this floor temporarily, so I’m going downstairs to get some,” Zhou Yun said calmly. “Xiao Zhen, are you two living together now?”

“Yes, in Xinyu Garden. It’s quite close to both our companies.”

“That’s good.”

As they walked downstairs together and turned the corner, Zhou Yun asked again, “Xiao Zhen, Mengmeng, Cheng, and I are all worried about you. So, I want to ask once more, are you really willing to have this flash marriage?”

Qu Zhen understood her roommate’s concern and patiently explained, “Yes, I am. Sister Yun, it’s not exactly a flash marriage, we spent nearly two weeks together before deciding to register.”

“Alright. As long as you’ve figured out what kind of person they are.”

“Sister is very kind.” Qu Zhen zipped up her jacket. “Don’t worry about me, I definitely won’t be fooled. Besides, Sister is in a much better position than I am. If she really wanted to deceive me, what could she possibly want from me?”

Zhou Yun halted her steps, hesitating as if wanting to say something.

The phone in her pocket vibrated. Qu Zhen didn’t notice Zhou Yun’s unease and instinctively reached for her phone, wondering if it was a message from Shen Zhikou.

But it wasn’t what she had expected though it was still good news.

[The little girl who went missing last Monday has been found by her family.]

The message came from a group chat she had joined to help spread the word. She didn’t often browse the internet, but many of her social media accounts were used to share information about missing children, hoping to help them return home sooner.

She smiled softly, genuinely happy for the girl.

“Xiao Zhen.”

“Hmm?”

Zhou Yun said quietly, “If there’s anything you need help with, you must tell us right away. Even though we don’t live together anymore, if you need us, we’ll do our best to get to you as soon as possible.”

“I know.” Qu Zhen replied slowly. “Sister Yun, you seem a bit off today.”

“Not at all. It’s just that your good news came so suddenly.” Zhou Yun patted her shoulder. “Alright, let’s not say anymore. Congratulations on your marriage, may you have a long and happy life together. Next time we meet, we’ll bring you a wedding gift.”

“Mm-hmm!”

They parted ways on the third floor. Qu Zhen continued downstairs at a leisurely pace. By the time she reached the first floor, the sky was overcast, dark clouds spreading like spilled ink. She took an umbrella from her bag, opened it, and strode briskly out of the dormitory building.

As she approached the library, the rain began to pour heavily, the wind nearly flipping her umbrella inside out.

Amid the storm, she entered the first floor of the library, put on her headphones, and browsed through the books she had borrowed. When the rain eased slightly, just as she was about to head to the subway, she received a message from Shen Zhikou.

[It’s raining outside. Did you bring an umbrella, Zhenzhen?]

[The wind is strong. If you’re not in a hurry, I can finish work early and pick you up?]

Qu Zhen didn’t want to trouble Shen Zhikou to make an extra trip. Besides, the autumn rain in Haicheng came and went quickly, such sudden storms never lasted long, and the rain had already begun to let up.

Her almond-shaped eyes curved into crescents as she quickly replied to Shen Zhikou.

[Sister, no need]

[The library is quite close to the subway. I’ll head home soon.]

[[Cute puppy holding an umbrella in the rain.jpg]]

Shen Zhikou sent a voice message.

[Then remember to make ginger tea when you get back. There are ingredients in the fridge.]

Listening to it twice, Qu Zhen felt warmer than if she had actually drunk the ginger tea. She touched her face to make sure it wasn’t flushed this time, then leaned back in her seat to reply.

[Okay, I’ll remember.]

[The roads are slippery from the rain. Drive carefully, Sister. Stay safe, and see you tonight.]

…

Braving the wind and rain, Qu Zhen made it home safely and obediently brewed a half-pot of ginger tea.

After dozing off on the sofa for a while, her alarm went off at five. She stretched and got ready to make dinner. But by 6:30, she still hadn’t received any message from Shen Zhikou about coming home.

The clock’s hour hand pointed to seven. Qu Zhen held her phone and decided to send Shen Zhikou a message to check in.

[Sister, are you almost here?]

The chat screen remained unchanged.

A faint unease began to gnaw at her, slowly turning into anxiety. She sent another message.

[Sister, where are you? It’s almost eight. Are you working overtime?]

Time seemed to crawl by. Just as the hour hand on the wall clock pointed to eight and Qu Zhen was about to call Shen Zhikou, a pleasant ringtone rang out first.

“Sister.”

“Zhenzhen.” Shen Zhikou’s voice on the other end was faint, as if she was restraining something. “I’m in the underground garage.”

Anxiety swelled in that instant.

Qu Zhen stood up urgently. “Sister, is it the underground garage at Xinyu Garden?”

The car was quiet, and Qu Zhen could hear Shen Zhikou’s increasingly heavy breathing, clearly in a very abnormal state. She hurriedly put on her coat, ready to rush to the underground garage, calling out softly to the Omega on the other end to confirm if she was safe.

“Sister, are you okay? Where are you?”

“Sister, please answer me.”

“Sister…”

“The underground garage at Qiandong Mall. Zhenzhen, I’m sick-”

A heavy thud echoed from inside the car, and Shen Zhikou’s voice cut off abruptly as the call disconnected.