Mistaken ‘O’ is a Crazy Gorgeous Boss - Chapter 52

B-baby?

B-baby!!?

Baby!!!  (●ˊ▽ˋ●)

This one word scrolled through Qu Zhen’s mind like bullet comments on a screen, echoing repeatedly in her ears. She didn’t even have time to process the surprise of her estrus cycle before her cheeks flushed the color of ripe grapefruit.

She blinked, feeling both shy and incredibly happy.

According to that dating guidebook she’d read, having an affectionate nickname from your partner was a very meaningful and positive sign.

Sensing the little alpha radiating heat, Shen Zhikou lowered her gaze and gently pinched Qu Zhen’s cheek, her voice tinged with noticeable amusement.

“Are you feeling shy again?”

The embrace ended when Qu Zhen pulled away slightly, and she nodded. “Mm.”

“What’s making you shy this time?”

Shen Zhikou’s patience made Qu Zhen even more honest. “Because… just now, Sister called me…”

She couldn’t bring herself to say it, so Shen Zhikou finished for her. “Baby?”

Qu Zhen’s face turned even redder.

“Don’t you like it?” Shen Zhikou studied her. “The country I visited for my business trip has a very open culture. People there aren’t shy about expressing affection for their partners, even on the streets. I often heard terms like ‘baby,’ ‘darling,’ ‘honey,’ and ‘sweetheart.’ I thought a little one six years younger than me would like it too.”

There was no need to clarify who the “little one six years younger” was.

“No… it’s not that I don’t like it,” Qu Zhen stammered. “I do like it.”

“Mm.”

The gardenia on the bedside table emitted a rich, sweet fragrance. Qu Zhen asked softly, “Sister, when can I be discharged from the hospital?”

“Because your secondary differentiation occurred relatively late, the timing of your estrus cycle also differed from the initial predictions. So, I’ve scheduled a full check-up for you. Once the tests are done and everything looks good, you can be discharged.” Shen Zhikou asked, “Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”

“No,” Qu Zhen paused. “I just feel very hot.”

And… I really want to be close to Sister.

She kept that thought to herself, not voicing it aloud.

“I just gave you a short-acting inhibitor, so you might feel a bit uncomfortable. If it becomes too much, you must tell me.”

“Mm.”

The fever made Qu Zhen’s mind feel sluggish. She took the cup of water Shen Zhikou handed her and drank it all in one go, her soft lips growing even more flushed.

As she looked at Shen Zhikou, who was wearing a long trench coat, Qu Zhen thought back to the events of the previous night and realized many details she had overlooked.

“Sister, weren’t you supposed to return to Haicheng tomorrow?”

Shen Zhikou tucked the blanket around her and sat on the edge of the bed, letting Qu Zhen hold her hand. “I arrived in Haicheng at 9:30 last night. I wanted to surprise you, so I didn’t tell you in advance. I thought you’d be at home, but instead, you gave me a fright.”

“I’m sorry, Sister.”

“What are you apologizing for?” Shen Zhikou gently stroked her fingertips. “Zhenzhen is brave and kind. Why are you saying sorry?”

“I made Sister worry.” Even in her dazed state, Qu Zhen was good at self-reflection. “Because the situation was urgent this time, I didn’t discuss it with you beforehand. I’ll be more careful next time. And fainting during my estrus cycle was also my oversight. I’ve been feeling a bit off these past couple of days but didn’t pay enough attention. I promise Sister, from now on, I’ll be more mindful of my physical condition.”

“It’s okay, I forgive you,” Shen Zhikou said. “I don’t bully good kids.”

Qu Zhen’s consciousness grew increasingly hazy. Though utterly exhausted, she struggled to stay awake a little longer just to catch another glimpse of Shen Zhikou, whom she hadn’t seen in a week. It wasn’t until the nurse entered the room to wheel her bed out for a check-up that she finally released Shen Zhikou’s hand, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

…

The investigation into Cao Yuan of Shengcan Venture Capital caused quite a stir. Not only was she a highly accomplished gold-medal lawyer, but the public was also shocked by the revelation of her crimes spanning several years, which had affected numerous victims.

Online media platforms buzzed with heated discussions, with screens flooded with scathing criticism.

Meanwhile, in just one morning, Shengcan Venture Capital underwent a sweeping internal overhaul. Cao Yuan’s position was swiftly filled by a parachuted executive from the group headquarters, and the company’s disciplinary rules and regulations were comprehensively revised.

Additionally, inspectors dispatched from the group headquarters decisively purged all “connections hires” across various departments, including Xiang Ting from the legal department.

The overhaul was so swift and drastic that Xiang Ting, who was ordered to pack her belongings and leave the company immediately, grumbled discontentedly for a long time before finally carrying a large cardboard box downstairs.

Once seated in the pre-booked car, Xiang Ting first called her mother to ask why the group headquarters had taken such drastic action. Her mother, equally puzzled, had no answers.

Logically, even if Cao Yuan had gotten into trouble, the headquarters would have simply sent someone to replace her. No one expected such a massive shake-up, especially since Cao Yuan’s protector, Cao Xin, had also been suspended, dismissed, and was now under investigation by two bureaus.

Dissatisfied with her mother’s response, Xiang Ting hung up in a fit of anger, unable to figure out what had gone wrong.

She had always performed well, never offended anyone, and maintained a cheerful demeanor with everyone. She couldn’t understand why she was the one being fired, rather than Qu Zhen and Xu Qingqing, the two troublemakers.

A raging fire burned in her heart. Picking up her phone, before being removed from Shengcan’s internal group chat, she used an anonymous function to spread rumors about Qu Zhen.

[s: Did you know? The wedding ring worn by Qu Zhen, the new hire in the legal department, is a fake.]

[s: She’s so pretentious… wearing discounted mall brands as if they were luxury items and flaunting a cheap street-market ring as a multi-million dollar diamond.]

[s: Having her in the legal department is an absolute disgrace.]

These three messages quickly caught the attention of those slacking off at work, though no one dared to openly respond to the gossip during office hours. Just as everyone’s curiosity was piqued, the messages were abruptly deleted by an administrator, who soon revealed s’s real identity and kicked Xiang Ting, the person behind the alias, out of the group chat.

Xiang Ting was absolutely furious.

Because she had gotten into Shengcan through connections, she had reviewed the profiles of the other three interns from the start and learned that Qu Zhen was an S-grade alpha.

S-grade alphas were exceptionally rare, each possessing immense potential across various industries.

She had set her sights on Qu Zhen, hoping to befriend her and even steal her away from her partner. Confident in her own qualifications, she was baffled when Qu Zhen completely ignored her. No matter how hard she tried, Qu Zhen never once glanced her way.

As her anger grew, so did her hatred for Qu Zhen, to the point that even after parting ways, she couldn’t bear to let Qu Zhen have it easy.

The phone screen reflected her twisted expression. At that moment, she despised Qu Zhen and Xu Qingqing intensely, convinced that if it weren’t for their actions, the group headquarters wouldn’t have noticed Shengcan Venture Capital, and she wouldn’t have lost her job.

After sending the message, she finally felt a bit of relief.

She thought Qu Zhen would face public scorn as a result of her revenge, unaware that this would become the decision she would later regret the most.

…

At noon, the rain stopped.

The light in the examination room shifted from red to green, and the high-tech automatic door slowly opened. Qu Zhen, having completed all her tests, was wheeled back to her room. It wasn’t until 2 p.m. that she groggily woke up.

The first thing she did upon waking was to check if Shen Zhikou was still by her side.

Spotting the familiar figure by the water dispenser nearby, fetching warm water for her, her heart finally settled.

During her estrus cycle, an alpha tends to become very clingy toward their omega. The hidden possessiveness and destructive urges, usually buried deep within, surge forth during this special period.

Her gaze fixed unwaveringly on Shen Zhikou, like a child begging for candy. When Shen Zhikou approached and was about to speak, Qu Zhen realized her voice had become unusually deep and hoarse.

“Sister.”

“Mm.” Shen Zhikou gestured for her to drink water. “The test results are out. Your health is fine in all aspects. The doctor estimates your estrus cycle will last five days. I’ve already requested leave from your company. Do you need to rest a bit more, or shall we head home directly?”

Qu Zhen really wanted to go home. She disliked hospitals and didn’t want to stay a second longer.

“Sister, I want to go home.”

“Okay.”

Shen Zhikou dressed the feverish alpha as if adorning a porcelain doll, helping her into her coat, tying a light-colored scarf around her neck, and pulling up her hood. Only after ensuring the alpha wouldn’t catch a chill did she take her hand and leave the hospital.

Once seated in the passenger seat, Qu Zhen belatedly asked, “Sister, did we forget to complete the discharge procedures?”

“I took care of it in advance while you were asleep,” Shen Zhikou replied, fastening her seatbelt. “The discharge time is flexible, earlier or later doesn’t matter, as long as the procedures are done.”

“Mm.” Qu Zhen nodded.

“Are you hungry? There’s bread and baked cookies in the car.”

“I’m not hungry.”

Qu Zhen wasn’t hungry at all; she just felt overwhelmingly hot. The effects of the short-term suppressant were gradually wearing off, and her rationality was thinning bit by bit. She completely forgot the pre-marital agreement, her only thought being to lock herself away at home and avoid harming Shen Zhikou in any way.

“We’ll be home in twenty minutes. Do you want to put on an eye mask and rest for a while?”

“Okay.”

Qu Zhen put on the fluffy bear eye mask, leaning sideways against the car seat, her jawline sharp and elegant.

Though her vision was completely blocked, her other senses became exceptionally acute. She could detect every movement Shen Zhikou made, along with the faint scent of lily of the valley she emitted.

The gland at the back of her neck grew increasingly hot, and all sorts of lingering, improper thoughts surged uncontrollably to the surface.

When Shen Zhikou’s hand made a sound on the steering wheel, she wanted to kiss her. When Shen Zhikou raised her hand to lightly tap her phone, she wanted to kiss her. No matter what Shen Zhikou do, she wanted to pull her close, hold her tightly in her arms, and kiss her from the corner of her lips to her lips and then to her tongue, not missing an inch.

But,

She couldn’t do it.

She wouldn’t allow herself to do it.

Because once she started, those terrible thoughts would become uncontrollable. She would make the person she loved cry and drag her into the depths of desire.

Time passed slowly amid the sound of car horns. When they arrived at Xinyu Garden, took the elevator up, and returned home, Qu Zhen changed her shoes and, without even taking off her scarf, hurriedly hid in the secondary bedroom.

She rummaged for the things she had prepared long ago, put them on after some effort, took a deep breath, and walked out of the secondary bedroom with the last shred of her rationality. As soon as she closed the door and before she could take a step, she turned around and saw Shen Zhikou just a few steps away.

The lights in the room were off, and the hallway was dimly lit. The alpha, breathing unsteadily, stood by the door, the lower half of her face completely covered by a black muzzle.

The pure black muzzle, fastened from behind her ears to the tip of her chin, contrasted sharply with her fair skin, making her clean and delicate face appear even more seductive.

“Sister,” Qu Zhen forced herself to look away with difficulty. “I’ll stay in the secondary bedroom during my estrus cycle. Don’t worry, I’ll keep the muzzle on. I absolutely… absolutely won’t hurt you.”

The scent of lily of the valley drifted from Shen Zhikou’s direction. She walked expressionlessly toward the alpha, stopping just a step away.

She asked, “What else have you prepared?”

“Inhibitors… and handcuffs.”

Shen Zhikou walked past her, turned the doorknob, and from the drawer that hadn’t been closed yet, took out a box of S-grade alpha-specific inhibitors and a pair of cold, gleaming silver handcuffs.

Qu Zhen followed closely behind. Just as she was about to approach, Shen Zhikou threw the entire box of inhibitors onto the floor. The solution and glass shards scattered everywhere, filling the room with a peculiar fragrance.

“Do you want a divorce?”

Qu Zhen froze for a moment before hurriedly denying it. “No, I don’t think that way at all.”

Shen Zhikou pinched the tip of her chin, her thumb brushing against the cold edge of the muzzle. “Then why use inhibitors? Tell me.”

The fever was intensifying, and Qu Zhen’s eyes were red with its heat.

“I looked it up before. During the first estrus cycle after secondary differentiation, alphas completely lose their rationality and become… fierce.” She met the omega’s gaze. “I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to control myself, but I don’t want to, and can’t… hurt you, not even a little. That’s why I decided to lock myself away and use inhibitors to get through it.”

“It’s not that I don’t like you, and it’s definitely not that I want a divorce. I don’t.”

Shen Zhikou: “Liar.”

“I’m not lying.” Qu Zhen’s voice carried a hint of sorrow. “I just feel like… you don’t really like me yet. I want you to spend my estrus cycle with me because you like me, not out of obligation.”

“When did I ever say I don’t like you?”

As soon as the words fell, Shen Zhikou took the silver handcuffs and willingly fastened them around her own wrists. Holding Qu Zhen’s right hand to her lips, she gently placed a kiss on it, word by word shattering the last remnants of Qu Zhen’s self-control.

“I am your omega.”

“From this moment on, I permit you to do anything you desire to me.”