Mistaken ‘O’ is a Crazy Gorgeous Boss - Chapter 67

After the doctor completed the check-up and gave a series of instructions, he informed them that they would need to remain in the hospital for at least another week for observation.

Once the doctor left, a food delivery person arrived at the hospital. Shen Zhikou put on a face mask and went downstairs to pick up the order, letting Qu Zhen know before she left.

The ward was quiet. Qu Zhen looked around, scanning the entire room, and suddenly felt that it seemed slightly different from what she had seen when she first woke up.

However, she had only been conscious for a moment back then, and her mind and vision had been blurry, so she didn’t dwell on it, assuming she must have misremembered.

On the bedside table were two bouquets of flowers and two exquisitely packaged fruit baskets. Qu Zhen’s gaze lingered for a moment before she turned to look out the window.

The rain was falling harder and harder. Although Shen Zhikou was only picking up the food at the hospital’s side entrance, Qu Zhen still felt a little worried about her. The moment Qu Zhen woke up, she had noticed that Shen Zhikou had lost weight. Her already small, delicate face looked even more defined, her jawline sharp as if drawn with a fine brush.

Their earlier embrace had been too brief, and there were many things Qu Zhen hadn’t had the chance to ask. When Shen Zhikou returned with the food and laid out four dishes and a soup, Qu Zhen instinctively wanted to ask about the earthquake. But when she noticed Shen Zhikou’s movements, she changed the subject.

“Sister, you eat first. I’ll eat later.”

“I’ll feed you first, then eat myself.” Shen Zhikou brought a spoonful of soup to Qu Zhen’s lips. “Zhenzhen, have a sip of soup first.”

The American ginseng and pigeon soup was light and sweet, warming Qu Zhen’s stomach. She smiled slightly, unaware that in Shen Zhikou’s eyes, she looked like a little bear in springtime, greedily licking the last traces of honey from its paws after finishing a jar.

“How does it taste?” Shen Zhikou asked.

Qu Zhen deliberately tried to lighten the mood, wanting to dispel the heaviness left by the disaster. “It’s really good. But compared to the nutritious soup I make for you, it’s just a little bit lacking.”

Shen Zhikou guessed Qu Zhen’s intention and smiled faintly. “What’s missing?”

“It’s missing…” Qu Zhen’s mind went blank for a moment. “It’s missing love and uniqueness. That soup I make for you is one of a kind.”

“You’re being coy.”

Qu Zhen took another sip. “Puppies don’t know how to be coy, only kittens do.”

The curtains blocked the view of the rain outside. Shen Zhikou wiped Qu Zhen’s mouth with a tissue. “Kittens like puppies who know how to be coy.”

Qu Zhen immediately changed her tune. “Then… puppies really do know how to be coy.”

This time, Shen Zhikou’s smile was genuine and unrestrained. “Indeed.”

Her beautiful eyes sparkled like stars. Qu Zhen silently scolded herself for falling into Shen Zhikou’s trap again, feeling so embarrassed by her quick change of heart that she lowered her head. She wanted to kiss Shen Zhirou, but right now, she couldn’t do anything, not even feed herself.

“What’s wrong?”

Qu Zhen shook her head. “Nothing.” She changed the subject. “Sister, who sent those two bouquets and fruit baskets?”

“Two of my friends. They just returned from working at the overseas branch. Once you’re better, we can all have a meal together.”

“Okay.”

Remembering an important question, Qu Zhen asked urgently, “Sister, did you tell Mom and the others about this?”

“No.”

Qu Zhen breathed a sigh of relief.

“You told me before that Aunt Qin isn’t in good health and that her old leg injury flares up on rainy days. Haicheng has been rainy all week, and the doctor said your condition is stable. I also know you didn’t want to worry them, so I didn’t tell them, thinking I’d leave the decision to you after you woke up.”

These words aligned perfectly with Qu Zhen’s own thoughts. Besides, she was the type to share good news but keep troubles to herself, she didn’t want her mothers back home to worry about her. Fortunately, she hadn’t mentioned to her mother beforehand that she was heading to Lingshan with the team; otherwise, it would have been impossible to keep it from them.

Qu Zhen explained, “After Grandma passed away, my mom has been prone to overthinking. If she knew I was in the hospital, she’d be dizzy, anxious, and unable to sleep all night. Even if my other mom stayed by her side, it wouldn’t help much. So, let’s wait until I’m discharged to tell her.”

“Okay.”

After finishing half a bowl of American ginseng and pigeon soup, Qu Zhen couldn’t help but ask, “Sis, how did you get to Lingshan that day? And how are the other colleagues?”

“Zhenzhen.”

Shen Zhikou set down the soup spoon, calm and composed. “Actually, I happened to be on leave that day. I wanted to surprise you, so I secretly booked the earliest flight. After arriving at the airport, I took a bus to Lingshan and met a guide from a neighboring village. I paid her triple the usual rate, and she led me through a mountain path into the village.”

“Once in the village, your colleagues told me about the earthquake. When the rescue team arrived, I joined them to search for you.” Shen Zhikou’s eyes flickered slightly. “Zhenzhen, my hands got frostbite.”

Qu Zhen’s heart ached beyond words.

She couldn’t imagine how Shen Zhikou had trekked across mountains and rivers, navigating the rugged terrain to reach her side. Nor could she fathom what Shen Zhikou must have felt upon learning she was trapped in a landslide and braving the heavy snow with the rescue team to find her.

Just one of those thoughts was enough to make her hands tremble and her eyes redden. So much so that she lost all desire to probe further.

“I’m sorry, Sis. I never expected something like this to happen.” Qu Zhen lowered her head to look at Shen Zhikou’s hands, mustering all her strength to lift her weak arm and gently touch the frostbitten left hand with her own bandaged right hand. “I’ll be more careful next time,” she repeated firmly. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. Natural disasters are unpredictable, no one could have foreseen this.” Shen Zhikou wiped her tears. “Don’t cry, Zhenzhen. You’re a good girl. I’m not blaming you.”

Qu Zhen’s voice was thick with tears, droplets falling onto the blanket. “Mm. I won’t cry.”

She agreed readily and tried hard to hold back her tears, but every time she recalled those scenes, the tears flowed uncontrollably.

At home, she couldn’t bear to let Shen Zhikou do any housework, let alone endure freezing conditions in a landslide during a snowstorm. Gently stroking the frostbite on the side of Shen Zhikou’s left ring finger, her heart felt even sourer than if she had eaten ten lemons.

“Sis, does it itch? Does it hurt?”

“It’s okay. I’ve already applied some ointment.”

Shen Zhikou thought the little puppy who claimed she wouldn’t cry but silently shed tears was incredibly endearing. She mused that she might need to add another note to her memo.

12. 12. 12. 12. 12. 12. 12. 12. She looks very cute and well-behaved when she cries, making me want to tease her. But I mustn’t, because it would make my heart ache.

During the week of observation in the hospital, Shen Zhikou took meticulous care of Qu Zhen every day, while Qu Zhen actively cooperated with the doctors’ examinations and rehabilitation procedures. The Archaeological Research Center had granted her a half-month leave with full pay and would also compensate her with an allowance for accidental injury.

During this time, some colleagues from her department visited, bringing her local specialties and supplements from their hometowns. They only left after seeing that she was in good spirits.

However, Qu Zhen noticed that her colleagues seemed a bit… subtly tense and deliberately relaxed around Shen Zhikou, as if treating her as a dangerous figure.

Despite their efforts to maintain a calm facade, Qu Zhen keenly picked up on this detail.

She didn’t ask about the reason on her phone. On one hand, she trusted Shen Zhikou completely; on the other, everyone has their own standards for choosing friends.

By the day of her discharge, perhaps due to her differentiation into an S-class alpha, her injuries had healed remarkably well. The wounds on her face and wrist had completely disappeared, with only her ankle still wrapped in bandages.

After picking up her medication and completing the discharge procedures, they headed to the underground parking garage. It was then that Qu Zhen realized she had left her book in the hospital room. That book, a gift from her teacher, was deeply meaningful, and she never tired of reading it.

“Sister, wait here for me. I’ll go get the book and be right back.”

“No need,” Shen Zhikou, wearing a mask, replied. “Your bandages haven’t been removed yet. You wait in the garage, and I’ll go get the book for you.”

The bandages on her ankle were for a minor abrasion, and as long as she didn’t move too vigorously, walking wasn’t an issue. Meeting Shen Zhikou’s clear gaze, Qu Zhen could only nod in agreement.

“Alright, see you in a bit.”

Shen Zhikou handed her the car keys. “Wait inside the car. It’s cold outside.”

“Okay.”

The first floor was bustling with people. After parting ways, Qu Zhen followed the signs to the underground parking garage and spotted the familiar black car in the corner beside the staircase on the right side.

The temperature in Haicheng had dropped sharply over the week. Dressed in a black cotton coat, a cashmere scarf Shen Zhikou had bought for her around her neck, and a mask she’d put on before leaving the room, Qu Zhen was bundled up tightly.

As she prepared to walk around the staircase toward her destination, two cleaning staff descended the stairs, chatting while carrying their cleaning equipment.

“Hey, they’re finally leaving.”

“Yeah, I’ve been on edge all week, worried I might accidentally offend that important figure.”

The taller employee on the left said, “Me too. I heard that day the big shot arrived with a rescue team in a helicopter, the latest QF181896 model that can hold nearly a hundred people. That big shot is seriously rich.”

Hearing the words “rescue team,” Qu Zhen instinctively paused. Standing in the shadows with her face covered, it was natural they didn’t recognize her.

“Don’t even mention it. She invested in this entire hospital, of course she’s rich,” the employee on the right remarked with a sigh. “I wonder why she’s keeping it from that alpha. Is this some new dating trend?”

“What dating? They’re already married.”

The employee on the right sighed again. “Right. Do you think the patient in room 606 on the eighth floor really has no idea her Omega is hiding so much?”

“She definitely doesn’t know. Otherwise, why would we have to play along and lie to her?”

“That’s true…”

The two walked toward the left, unaware that the very subject of their conversation was standing in the shadows on the right.

The voices grew increasingly distant and faint, but Qu Zhen remained frozen in place, motionless. To be precise, the moment she heard “Room 606, 8th floor,” she felt as if she had been struck by a paralysis point.

Because Room 606 on the 8th floor was a single-patient room, and the alpha patient in that room was none other than her.

Search and rescue teams, helicopters, investors, concealment, and deception.

These words made her head spin, and the scene before her seemed to blur. She blinked in confusion, clasping her hands tightly to stay calm. Yet, these fantastical pieces of information refused to fade from her mind.

She even recalled the words Shen Zhikou had once said to her:

“I’m here to pay off debts. My alpha mother was a heavy gambler during her lifetime and owed many debts, big and small.”

“I cut ties with her after turning eighteen and haven’t been in contact since. I’ve always been alone.”

“My monthly income after taxes is fourteen thousand. I paid off my housing loan last year.”

“I would never deceive you, Zhenzhen.”

Footsteps echoed in the hallway as Shen Zhikou, having retrieved a book, approached Qu Zhen with ease. She had no idea what had happened, nor could she foresee that the web of lies she had woven was beginning to unravel.

In the dim shadows, she took Qu Zhen’s hand and simply asked, “Zhenzhen, what’s wrong?”