Mistaken ‘O’ is a Crazy Gorgeous Boss - Chapter 71

That phone call robbed Qu Zhen of any desire for her midday nap.

For nearly a week, her sleep had been poor, she would often jolt awake after dozing off and repeatedly dream of Shen Zhikou. Sometimes the dreams were of their first meeting, other times of their tender, intimate moments, but more often than not, they were of their relationship shattering apart because of lies.

After tossing and turning, despite feeling exhausted, her mind remained wide awake.

Outside the window, the wind howled and snow swirled. She got out of bed and walked to the window, instinctively glancing toward the parking area. For the past three days, Shen Zhikou hadn’t come, nor had she sent any more messages, as if she had truly buried all her longing deep inside.

Her gaze swept over the parking spots one by one, but even after double-checking, she couldn’t find that white luxury car. Qu Zhen lowered her eyes and took out her phone.

Set to vibrate mode, the message alerts kept buzzing incessantly. She opened WeChat and saw that Gu Wen had been bombarding her with messages.

[Xiao Qu, I heard you moved into the staff apartment?]

[Did you have a disagreement with your partner?]

[Or… did you find out something?]

Qu Zhen didn’t hide it.

[Yes, I know everything now.]

Gu Wen’s replies came quickly. She was straightforward and outspoken by nature, and after learning that Qu Zhen already knew, her first instinct was to apologize.

[I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to keep it from you. But our superiors and team leaders gave strict orders, so I… I’m really, really, sorry.]

[To be honest, I’ve been struggling for the past two weeks over whether to tell you, especially since you mentioned how much you hate being lied to. But the situation that day made me feel that your partner probably didn’t have any ill intentions maybe she had reasons she couldn’t openly share.]

Qu Zhen wasn’t clear about the exact details of what had happened back then. After calming down, she realized how foolish she had been to let Shen Zhikou fool her with the excuse of a guide.

She quickly replied.

[It’s fine, it’s okay.]

[Can you tell me what happened back then?]

A few minutes passed before Gu Wen sent a series of voice messages one after another. Qu Zhen returned to her desk and sat down, playing them in order.

“The situation back then was extremely dangerous. The search and rescue team dispatched by the department was delayed due to heavy snow blocking the roads, and they arrived quite late. Just as they reached the village entrance, your partner arrived with both a search and rescue team and a medical team. The team she brought was far more elite, I heard from others that their starting fee was close to seven figures.”

“The search and rescue team was very experienced. It only took them about forty minutes to rescue you from under the collapsed structure.” She paused. “Your partner followed the search and rescue team the entire time, searching for you. I saw that her hands were injured, and after you were rescued… she even coughed up blood. I’m absolutely certain I didn’t imagine it, there was indeed blood trickling from the corner of her lips. At the time, I thought she must care about you deeply, must love you very much, so afterward, I hesitated and struggled for a while but ultimately decided to follow the team leader’s orders and keep it a secret.”

The words “coughed up blood” made everything around her fade into a haze, to the point where Qu Zhen could no longer hear anything else.

Her almond-shaped eyes widened, her pupils contracted, and her heart ached as if it were being squeezed, making it almost impossible to breathe.

Why was Shen Zhikou’s health so poor? Had she been lying to her all along, not being honest about her condition?

Scalding hot tears fell along with her phone onto the carpet, making a soft thud. Qu Zhen wiped away her tears, picked up her phone, and tapped on the last message.

“I heard she’s the investor in the Archaeological Research Center, and this year’s salary increase was largely because of her. I think… it’s probably related to you. Otherwise, given the center’s performance over the past two years, it’s unlikely there would have been such a significant overall raise. Of course, this is just my speculation. As for the specifics, only those directly involved would know. Xiao Qu, I’m sorry for keeping this from you before. Even though I know nothing about relationships, I believe communication between both parties is especially important. Perhaps you two should calm down and have a proper talk.”

The message ended with a text note.

[I’m going to get busy now. Let’s talk later. Goodbye.]

Qu Zhen replied with “Thank you” and “Goodbye,” then, with tears welling in her eyes, opened the chat with her pinned contact, Shen Zhikou. She typed and retyped messages in the input box, worried about the other person’s health and suddenly longing to see her.

But she didn’t know where Shen Zhikou was. Just like in the past two months, she didn’t know what Shen Zhikou was doing on her business trips, why Shen Zhikou never let her pick her up or drop her off. She was always left waiting behind.

Wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, Qu Zhen sent the edited text messages.

[How are you feeling?]

[The weather has been very cold lately. Take care of yourself. If you’re not feeling well, you can call me. I’ll come over.]

[If it’s convenient, I’d like to see your latest check-up report.]

But by the time she left for her appointment, Shen Zhikou still hadn’t replied to her messages, as silent as the melting snow outside the window.

…

Freediyi was the most famous tea house in Haicheng, with an overall decor that was richly antique, right down to the elegant asparagus fern pots in the corridors.

Following the staff’s guidance, Qu Zhen walked through the winding, secluded corridor and arrived at the innermost private room. Pushing open the carved pinewood door designed in an antique style, she entered the tea-scented room and met Yan Shuang, the head of the Yan family, one of Haicheng’s top elite families.

The high-ranking alpha sat upright on the right side of the tea table, a delicate watch adorning her fair wrist, her fingers tapping lightly on the table in an unhurried rhythm. Her facial features were sharp and deep, giving off a mixed-race, exotic vibe. Her neat, shoulder-length black hair made her sapphire-like eyes shine even more brilliantly.

Their gazes met in the air.

As they locked eyes, Yan Shuang assessed the alpha facing her, her expression unreadable. But the next moment, her phone chimed with a notification. She averted her gaze to glance down, and when she looked up again, her expression had softened slightly, with a trace of unmasked laughter lingering in her eyes.

Qu Zhen sat down on the left side without a hint of timidity, her gaze as calm as spring water, as if she were merely speaking to an ordinary colleague.

“Hello, President Yan.”

Yan Shuang chuckled ambiguously and proactively poured tea for her. “No need to be so formal. I’m one year older than Yunxi. Since you’re married to her, just call me ‘sister.'”

Qu Zhen pursed her lips, pondering for a moment before speaking softly, “Sister Yan Shuang.”

Yan Shuang, pleased with the address, smiled even more brightly.

In all the years she had known Shen Yunxi, Shen Yunxi had never called her that, usually addressing her directly by her name. Hearing Qu Zhen use the term, she suddenly understood her friend a little better.

“Mm.”

Pulling several document folders from the drawer, Yan Shuang gestured. “Take a look at these first.”

“Mm.”

Qu Zhen started by opening the blue file folder on top. The first thing that caught her eye was Yu Suman’s file. Instantly recalling that this was the person who had once harmed Qin Huan, Qu Zhen paused, unsure of Yan Shuang’s intentions.

She didn’t ask further, lowering her gaze as she flipped through Yu Suman’s personal information page. The more she read, the more ripples of emotion stirred within her.

This was a collection of evidence exposing all the wrongdoings the Yu family had committed in Mingqiu County, along with their illegal transactions, meticulously documented with supporting proof.

“That matter back then was something Yunxi entrusted me to handle. After I took charge, I had my subordinates transfer it to the Supreme Procuratorate,” Yan Shuang said calmly. “That’s why the Yu family was investigated overnight and vanished without a trace.”

Qu Zhen’s eyes flickered slightly. At that time, she had only been eighteen. Had Shen Zhikou… known her that early?

How exactly had they met?

Why couldn’t she remember Shen Zhikou at all?

The unpacking continued. Inside the second white file folder were several hotel cooperation contracts, all of which, without exception, involved collaborations with Qin Huan and Qu Han’s flower shop.

Yan Shuang took a sip of tea. “The compensation you received, including your mother’s last-minute change of surgical specialists and the flower shop’s hotel collaborations, were all arranged by Yunxi.”

The ripples in Qu Zhen’s heart surged into turbulent waves, like the sea before high tide. The scales of balance in her heart tilted increasingly toward Shen Zhikou.

Silently, she opened the remaining file folders. They contained projects such as a library collaboration with the university, an anonymous charitable foundation established in Qu Zhen’s name, an archaeological field cooperation project with Lian University, and even an experimental data report.

The report indicated that S-class Omegas suffering from Hormonal Agitation Syndrome could be cured by finding an S-class Alpha for a complete mark. Regardless of their previous compatibility, after marking, the compatibility rate would exceed 95%, which was sufficient to cure the disorder.

The experimental data was the latest discovery from three years ago.

Qu Zhen froze for a moment, her fingers gradually tightening around the data report. The wound on her ankle throbbed with pain, and her heart ached as if gripped by a spasm.

While she had been completely unaware, Shen Zhikou had done so much for her. With her financial resources, she could have easily chosen to match with another S-class Alpha, curing herself early and avoiding suffering. But…

Qu Zhen asked hoarsely, “Is it what I think?”

“Of course,” Yan Shuang replied, her gaze somber. “She made some mistakes, that’s undeniable, but she wanted to see you.”

“After understanding her own feelings, she wanted to slowly get to know you as a friend before confessing. To be honest, I was very surprised. Yunxi grew up in a terrible environment, and I once thought she would never develop feelings for anyone, let alone… fall in love.”

“At that time, I was her only friend. She even asked me what kind of dating spots betas would like. But four years ago, on the night before she planned to see you, she suddenly collapsed. When she woke up, she was diagnosed with Hormonal Agitation Syndrome.”

Yan Shuang set down the celadon teacup, her wristwatch shimmering with a cold gleam. “Since she fell ill, she has never once complained of pain. But this past August, when her condition flared up, Lan Yu and I went to visit her. She was sitting by the windowsill and suddenly told me that it… really, really hurt.”

What kind of suffering could make an omega who had endured so much and never cried out in pain finally speak of it?

Most likely because this past August was the time when Qu Zhen and Su Qi confirmed their romantic relationship.

Qu Zhen’s eyes welled up with tears. She couldn’t speak, her throat felt as if it had been scorched by flames, and the blood in her limbs ran cold. Her beating heart skipped a beat upon hearing Shen Zhikou say she was in pain.

“Those closely involved cannot see as clearly as those standing aside. I’ve overstepped by coming to you, many things shouldn’t be said by me. But I still want to help her. As for the rest, let her be the one to tell you.”

“Yesterday, I called her, but she didn’t answer. I asked her assistant and found out her nesting period has arrived.”

Qu Zhen’s eyes reddened at the corners, her breath catching slightly.

“The car keys are here, and the navigation system is already set for the destination.”

Yan Shuang’s tone shifted. “Now, it’s up to you to make a choice.”