Mistaken ‘O’ is a Crazy Gorgeous Boss - Chapter 5

Qu Zhen hadn’t expected Shen Zhikou to contact her so soon.

As the message came through, the fleeting glimpse from that morning before she left began replaying slowly in her mind.

She had never seen an Omega as unique and beautiful as Shen Zhikou like a white rose adorned with morning dew, or a blue lotus blooming atop a snow-capped mountain. Even with her mild prosopagnosia, the memory was vivid.

Setting aside her shyness, she quickly replied.

[I’m here, it’s convenient. I’ll come right away.]

The response was swift.

[Black car, license plate Hai F00917]

The South Gate wasn’t too remote. Taking a shortcut from the dormitory, it only took about ten minutes on foot. Qu Zhen hurriedly put on her coat and ran downstairs without explaining to her roommate.

Her physical fitness was quite good. Back in her freshman and sophomore years, she was often drafted for university sports meets and could run 800 meters without breaking a sweat.

So, she managed to cut the ten-minute journey down by three-fifths. The South Gate was much wider than the North Gate. She walked past rows of fragrant food stalls until she reached the end of the road, where she found the car.

Qu Zhen bent down and knocked on the window. The glass slid halfway down.

Shen Zhikou said, “Get in.”

Without hesitation, Qu Zhen opened the passenger door and sat down.

Though her face remained pale after the run, it gradually flushed pink in the slightly cramped interior of the car.

This created a stark contrast with Shen Zhikou, who sat cool and composed in the driver’s seat.

“Sorry, sis,” Qu Zhen explained why she had taken ten minutes to reply. “I was packing when you messaged me and didn’t see it right away.”

“No need to use ‘you’ so formally.”

Qu Zhen: “Huh?”

Shen Zhikou turned her head. A pair of gold-rimmed glasses rested on her delicate nose, enhancing her cool, restrained aura. She wore no makeup, yet her lips were as pink as flower petals. As she spoke, Qu Zhen felt her own face grow even warmer.

“I’m only six years older than you,” she repeated. “No need to use ‘you’ so formally.”

“O-okay,” Qu Zhen stammered. “I’ll remember.”

After that, the earnest Qu Zhen averted her gaze, not daring to look further. She thought it was probably the lingering effects of the temporary mark, every move Shen Zhikou made seemed to stir her emotions with surprising ease.

She stayed silent, and Shen Zhikou didn’t initiate conversation either. When a couple strolled past the car window, Qu Zhen pursed her lips and softly asked the questions she hadn’t had time to bring up that morning.

“Sis, can I ask you a few things?”

Shen Zhikou murmured her consent. “Mm.”

Their conversation at the Yaste Hotel had ended with Qu Zhen taking responsibility. Then Shen Zhikou received a phone call and said she had matters to attend to, promising to contact her next time.

Qu Zhen had assumed “next time” would be far off, perhaps not until tomorrow at the earliest. Yet, just ten hours after they parted, that “next time” had arrived.

She hadn’t prepared any talking points beforehand, so she carefully considered each question before asking.

“Wh-where are you from?”

“I’m from Haicheng,” Shen Zhikou added, “My parents are no longer here. It’s just me in my family.”

Qu Zhen looked apologetic. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Shen Zhikou removed her glasses, revealing her beautifully shaped peach-blossom eyes. “What about you?”

“My mom and the rest of my family are in Mingqiu County, Ning City. I’m the only child.”

When Qu Zhen introduced her own situation, she was very sincere, as if sitting in a coffee shop answering a blind date’s questions, or like negotiating with open stakes at a gambling table.

“My family’s financial situation is quite ordinary. My alpha mother used to be a teacher, and my Omega mother was an opera performer. But due to some unforeseen circumstances, neither of them is currently working in their professions. Instead, they run a flower shop together in our hometown county.”

The year Qin Huan had the accident, because they refused to settle, the perpetrator intensified their refusal to pay compensation. A teacher’s and an opera performer’s salaries simply couldn’t cover such enormous medical expenses. Qu Han borrowed a lot of money from relatives, and they lived very frugally.

By the second half of the year, when Qin Huan was gradually getting better, the perpetrator’s family suddenly encountered their own troubles.

Due to involving many confidential details, the specific reasons for the seizure were not made public. After learning the news, they finally received the long-overdue compensation payment. The school where Qu Han had taught for twenty years also called to ask if she would be willing to return to her position.

Qu Han declined the school’s offer.

After outlining her family’s basic information, Qu Zhen earnestly elaborated on her plans as if giving a report: “Last week, I received legal internship interviews from Shengcan Venture Capital Co., Ltd., SCV, and Guangda Financial. The interviews are scheduled for Wednesday. Even if I don’t pass any of them, I still plan to stay and develop my career in Haicheng.”

“As a legal intern?”

“Yes.”

Shen Zhikou didn’t ask further: “I see.”

Qu Zhen then spoke haltingly again: “That’s basically my situation. Sister, is there anything else you’d like to ask?”

Initially, it had been her asking Shen Zhikou questions, but somehow the roles had reversed without Qu Zhen even noticing. She even seemed to be wagging an invisible tail, her gaze clear and fixed on Shen Zhikou, eagerly waiting for her to ask more.

Shen Zhikou’s slender, delicate fingers rested on the steering wheel. She curled her index finger and tapped it intermittently.

“Where do you plan to stay tonight?”

Qu Zhen was slightly surprised by the question but answered honestly: “A hotel near the school. I’ve already booked it.”

“Have you forgotten something?”

“What?”

Qu Zhen’s gaze fell on the jade-like fingers of the person beside her. Around a wrist as fair as mutton-fat jade, she wore a string of small-leaf sandalwood beads, and the cinnabar mole at the base of her thumb burned like a red plum blossom.

“The temporary mark.”

Qu Zhen turned as red as a steamed lobster again: “I-I haven’t forgotten.”

“Then you should also know that the effects of a temporary mark last for a week,” Shen Zhikou said calmly. “During this week, I’ll develop a strong dependence on you or rather, on your pheromones. If we don’t see each other for a long time, I’ll uncontrollably feel down, depressed, or even sad. It will greatly affect my life. The same goes for you toward me.”

The warm, dim lighting inside the car made Qu Zhen’s throat itch just from hearing those words. The fangs that had once sunk into the Omega’s gland stirred restlessly.

She hadn’t yet fully learned how to control her pheromones, and a faint trace of hyacinth scent escaped from her gland.

“But… but…” Qu Zhen’s eyes held an indescribable grievance, her fingers clutching the hem of her gray sweatshirt. “But if I comfort you, Sister, the effects of the temporary mark won’t just last a week.”

“Qu Zhen, do you remember what you said at the Yaste Hotel?”

“I remember.”

The “crime” she had committed first made Qu Zhen overly cautious whenever she faced Shen Zhikou, who was six years her senior.

In truth, when she had promised to take responsibility at the hotel, she had already decided what to do. Su Qi used to say she was old-fashioned, so traditional she didn’t seem like a modern person.

Qu Zhen had never denied this. Influenced by her family, her views on relationships were indeed quite conservative. Although a temporary mark couldn’t be equated with a full mark, in Qu Zhen’s heart, both carried significant weight.

She never believed that one could casually give a temporary mark to an Omega. Such an intimate act, in her view, should only occur between lifelong partners.

Having opened up a crack, Shen Zhikou didn’t let her evade the issue: “Then how do you plan to take responsibility?”

The two were very close, and Qu Zhen could clearly hear her own suddenly rapid breathing and the pounding of her heart, loud as a drum. Meeting Shen Zhikou’s gaze, she gradually found her voice amidst the chaos of sounds.

“I told you about my situation and my future work plans because I wanted to… to…” She was too shy, her thick lashes trembling incessantly, and her fingers, clutching the hem of her clothes, flushed pink.

Shen Zhikou leisurely helped her complete the sentence: “To date with honesty as the premise?”

“N-No!” Qu Zhen shook her head. “I want to develop… with honesty and trust as the foundation…” She blushed deeply and forced out two words: “Marriage.”

After saying it aloud, the heat in Qu Zhen’s face subsided a little. She even looked directly at Shen Zhikou, her heart filled with sincerity.

As a child, the stories Qu Zhen often heard were not about castle queens saving forest princesses or magical spirits saving the world, but the story of Qin Huan and Qu Han.

When she was six or seven, little Qu Zhen often played with her mother by the pear tree in the yard. Her Omega mother was extremely gentle, always patient enough to play with her until the stars came out before resting.

At that time, Qu Han was a homeroom teacher for a graduating high school class, leaving early and returning late every day. Before she came home exhausted, Qin Huan would use a storytelling style reminiscent of cartoons to tell the curious little Qu Zhen amusing tales of how they met and how they ended up together.

From a young age, she knew that her mothers’ relationship was exceptionally strong. Her personality inherited both Qin Huan’s gentle shyness and Qu Han’s stubbornness and traditionalism.

During lunch and the afternoon break, she had carefully read all the research reports on pheromone dysregulation syndrome on the official website. The latest research materials indicated that finding a compatible alpha or Omega was an extremely low-probability event, as it wasn’t solely about pheromone compatibility.

If one was fortunate enough to find a compatible partner, then to achieve a complete cure, both parties needed to engage in regular soothing behaviors.

These soothing behaviors differed from those during an Omega’s heat or an alpha’s rut; they encompassed a broader range. In addition to temporary and full marks, they also included a certain amount of hand-holding, hugging, kissing, and more.

Beyond this, alphas or Omegas suffering from pheromone dysregulation experience a nesting period that is shorter than their heat or sensitivity cycles. The manifestations of this nesting period vary from patient to patient, but one highly consistent trait is an intense need for comfort from their partner.

The more Qu Zhen read, the more convinced she became of her own perspective. Regular reassurance to this extent could only be achieved by a partner who accompanied and supported each other in marriage.

“I’m a bit younger than you, and there might be some disparity in our financial situations, but I won’t take advantage of you,” she mustered her courage, gazing steadily at the Omega in the driver’s seat. “If you’re willing to give us a chance, and after a week of trying things out, you still choose to marry me, I’ll arrange for a prenuptial property agreement.”

“Your assets should rightfully remain yours, while mine will belong to both of us,” she explained clearly and logically. “C University is considered one of the better universities in the country. I’ll work hard and strive to earn money so our future together can keep getting better.”

Shen Zhikou remained silent for a long time.

The young alpha’s words had shaken her far more than she had anticipated, especially the phrase “our future,” which completely captured her attention.

A faint trace of hyacinth scent, barely noticeable, wove between them. After waiting a long while without a response from the person beside her, Qu Zhen grew nervous again. She even began to reflect on whether she had been too… presumptuous.

Not everyone thought the way she did.

Even though the four of them in her dorm got along well, their attitudes toward relationships and marriage varied greatly.

Whenever Qu Zhen felt nervous, she would press her lips together. Her amber eyes fixed unblinkingly on Shen Zhikou, as if trying to decipher her thoughts from her expression.

Unable to hold back, she spoke up, “Sister, you-”

“Alright,” Shen Zhikou dispelled her worries. “Let’s give it a try.”

Qu Zhen was truly easy to reassure. One moment she was tense, the next she broke into a smile. When she smiled, a small dimple appeared on her cheek, her face flushed pink, and her almond-shaped eyes curved like crescent moons.

“Okay.”

Suddenly snapping back to reality, Qu Zhen realized she had overlooked a significant question. “Sister, where do you work?”

“I work at Streeep, in the foreign trade department,” Shen Zhikou replied calmly. “My monthly salary after taxes is around fourteen thousand. I own a small two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment in Xinyu Garden, Ling’an District. I paid off both my car and mortgage loans last year, so my living expenses aren’t too heavy. Most of my spending goes toward medical treatments.”

“I don’t smoke, drink, or go to bars. I keep a regular schedule and have no romantic history,” she added. “Is there anything else you’d like to know?”

“Nothing else,” Qu Zhen replied just as formally. “I don’t smoke, drink, or go to bars either. I eat healthily and keep a good routine.”

“Mm,” Shen Zhikou acknowledged. “When you say a week of getting to know each other, you mean starting this week, right?”

“Yes. If by the end of the week, you haven’t changed your mind, then I’ll go home next week to get my household registration booklet.”

Shen Zhikou feigned ignorance. “Get your household registration booklet?”

“Mm,” Qu Zhen whispered, her voice as soft as a mosquito’s hum. “For marriage.”

A flicker of amusement passed through Shen Zhikou’s eyes as she responded, “Okay.”

They had agreed to meet at 8:30 PM. Qu Zhen’s phone vibrated twice in succession. Pulling it out, she saw a reminder message from the hotel she had booked.

She prepared to leave. “Sister, I need to check in at the hotel. It’s getting late, so please drive home safely.”

“Still planning to stay at a hotel?”

Qu Zhen blinked. “What?”

“Nowadays, before marriage, couples usually have a short or long cohabitation observation period. We only have a week. Are you sure you want to waste a night at a hotel?”

The implication was clear, leaving Qu Zhen, who had been the one to propose marriage, momentarily stunned. Perhaps she was just too inexperienced and clumsy when it came to matters of the heart, once again, she had misunderstood the other’s meaning.

“Then… should we stay at the hotel together?”

“Think in another direction.”

As if waking from a dream, Qu Zhen suddenly understood, her face instantly flushing bright red. “Sister, would… would that inconvenience you?”

The alpha had rushed to the appointment dressed in a very student-like gray zip-up hoodie, paired with loose black sweatpants, her delicate features exceptionally refined. In contrast, Shen Zhikou’s attire was much more mature, resembling an elegant and noble champagne rose in the dim light.

“Not at all. The guest room is very clean.” Shen Zhikou asked, “Are cars allowed into the campus?”

“Not at the moment.” Qu Zhen no longer hesitated. “Sister, could you wait for me a bit? I’ve already packed my things. I’ll grab them and come right back.”

“How long will it take?”

“About twenty minutes.”

“Alright.”

Stepping out of the car and breathing in the fresh air, the heat in Qu Zhen’s face receded like an ebbing tide. It felt as if a little rabbit were thumping wildly in her chest, its heartbeat echoing all the way back.

She ran back to her dorm to get her luggage. Faced with her roommates’ curiosity, Qu Zhen stammered without giving a clear explanation. In the end, her three roommates didn’t press her, simply reminding her to stay safe outside before letting her go.

Qu Zhen didn’t dare delay any longer. Even so, when she encountered a stray cat along the way, she still took out a cat sausage she always carried in her backpack, unwrapped it, and placed it beside the calico cat.

When she returned to the car, she first put her small suitcase in the trunk, then settled into the passenger seat, softly telling Shen Zhikou they could leave.

The drive from the university district to Ling’an District took forty minutes.

The car was quiet. Neither of them was particularly talkative, so they sat in peaceful silence until they stopped at a traffic light.

“Sister.”

“Hmm?”

“Have you had dinner yet?”

Shen Zhikou replied, “No. I came straight after finishing overtime.”

With fifteen minutes left to their destination and no convenient place to park nearby, Qu Zhen asked softly, “Are there ingredients at home? I can cook for you.”

“Yes.”

“Okay.” Qu Zhen opened her memo app, taking notes as she asked, “Do you have any dietary restrictions?”

Shen Zhikou was quite picky and listed many dislikes, but Qu Zhen found it remarkable how similar their preferences and aversions were, even their favorite fruits were surprisingly the same.

She quietly noted everything in her memo, thinking about what to cook for Shen Zhikou later.

“By the way, I’ll be traveling frequently for work over the next six months. If there are any plans, I’ll let you know in advance.”

“Okay.”

The navigation announcement ended as they arrived at their destination.

Xinyu Garden had limited green space and towering buildings. Shen Zhikou’s apartment was in Building B8, Unit 1602. Qu Zhen followed behind her, still feeling somewhat uneasy and nervous, the rabbit in her chest nearly leaping out again.

The interior was decorated primarily in white, simple yet elegant. After changing her shoes, Qu Zhen stood in the middle of the living room, like a little snail cautiously peeking out of its shell to survey the new surroundings.

“Sister, let me cook for you first.”

Shen Zhikou, seated in the center of the sofa, suddenly turned her captivating peach-blossom eyes toward Qu Zhen. Her half-tied hair had come loose, cascading like dark silk down to her waist. This time, her tone was noticeably unsettled.

“I’m afraid that won’t do.”

A delicate flush colored her cheeks as she said, “Good girl, I need your comfort.”