Mistaken ‘O’ is a Crazy Gorgeous Boss - Chapter 77

The pink love letter was like a magical box.

Qu Zhen was the sorceress who bestowed it with magic. She gazed smilingly at her kitten, wearing a cream-colored hair tie meant for her. Even though the kitten across the table remained motionless, she waited with immense patience, showing no urge to rush.

In this moment, Shen Zhikou, now transformed into “Classmate Shen,” stared intently at her little Zhen. The icy, snow-covered chambers of her heart gradually thawed in the warmth of spring, and deep within her soul, a certain sound seemed to resonate, a reverberation that echoed straight to her core, born from the fulfillment of years of longing.

After a moment of silence, she finally took the magical box. When she spoke again, her voice was slightly hoarse.

“It counts.”

As soon as the words fell, Little Zhen took her hand and led her to sit in the adjacent seat. The room was warm with the heater running full blast. Little Zhen took out another blue-and-white school uniform jacket she had prepared in advance, removed Shen’s shawl cloak, and helped her into the brand-new uniform.

Then, she gathered Shen’s long hair and tied it into a matching high ponytail.

The powerful head of the Shen family indulged Little Zhen’s whimsical makeover. By the time she regained her senses, she had been enchanted, transformed into the “Classmate Shen” of those youthful days, sharing a desk with Little Zhen, studying and growing together.

“All done,” Little Zhen blinked at her. “But you can’t open the love letter to read it yet.”

“Okay,” Classmate Shen asked gently, “Then what should we do now?”

The mischievous Little Zhen flipped to the last page of the mock test booklet with its yellow cover, tore off the final two pages along the fold, placed one on her own desk, and set the other, along with a pen, on the desk beside her for Classmate Shen.

Without her glasses, Classmate Shen seemed slightly less restrained and aloof, her facial lines softened, making her appear even more gentle and refined.

She glanced at the title on the paper.

[Heartthrob Test (Exclusive Edition for the Free Cat Queen and the Puppy Knight)]

The straight line of her lips curved upward. Classmate Shen was clearly charmed by the adorable title.

“Classmate Shen, are you ready?” Little Zhen reminded her seriously. “You only have half an hour to fill in the answers. No seeking my help or openly cheating, okay?”

Classmate Shen played along, sitting up straight. “Understood. Let’s begin.”

“Mm!”

The prepared hourglass timer was flipped over once more. Seated on the inside, Little Zhen diligently filled out her answers, occasionally stealing glances at her deskmate. A smile never left her lips, and her almond-shaped eyes shimmered with affection, as if she were experiencing a joy worth remembering for a lifetime.

Outside the window, snowflakes drifted endlessly, and the jade-like branches along the pathway were adorned with icicles. Time slipped away amid the faint rustle of pen meeting paper.

Little Zhen was the first to finish, completing all the questions eight minutes early, brimming with confidence. Classmate Shen followed closely, finishing five minutes ahead of time. Her expression remained calm, giving no hint of how she had answered.

“Do you need more time to review?” Little Zhen asked.

Classmate Shen shook her head. “No need. How should we grade them?”

“Exchange answer sheets.” Classmate little Zhen stood up and retrieved two unopened envelopes from a desk further away. “These are my test answers. Use them for grading, and don’t go easy on me.”

“Alright.”

Her ponytail draped down past her shoulder blades to her waist. Classmate Shen took both little Zhen’s test paper and the answer key. Before even glancing at the responses, her eyes caught a long string of words on the line for the test-taker’s name.

The Loyal Puppy Knight Who Will Forever Protect the Cat Queen (holding a rose) (making a heart) (heart pounding loudly) (completely enchanted by the Cat Queen!!!)

The answer on the age line below was even more unconventional.

Hmm? Probably around 1314 years old, because I want to stay with the Cat Queen for a very, very long time! (。ì _ í。)

And the final entry, for secondary gender, was the most adorable of all.

Once a beta kitten knight, now a free alpha puppy knight of the Cat Queen. (To protect the Cat Queen more effectively, the alpha puppy knight joined the castle guard, trained hard, and became the captain of the guard!)

Even someone as composed as Classmate Shen couldn’t help but break into a radiant smile. Her fingers paused over little Zhen’s elegant handwriting, tracing the little heart she’d drawn at the end. The affection and amusement in her eyes were so vivid they seemed ready to spill over.

Little Zhen, who had been keeping a close watch on her companion, coughed lightly. “Don’t get distracted. Grading time is limited.”

This was the first time since adulthood that little Zhen had written such playful words. The jade stud in her right ear seemed to glow with a rosy hue, and a sudden wave of shyness and nervousness washed over her.

Fortunately, Classmate Shen didn’t press further. “Okay.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Little Zhen saw classmate Shen begin grading, but her own nervousness only intensified. Forcing herself not to sneak another glance, she picked up a red pen and started grading classmate Shen’s answers.

She focused intently, reading carefully.

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Do you like her?
                                                Answer: Only her.

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. After realizing you liked her, did you ever think about which part of her you liked the most?
                                                Answer: Everything.

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Have you imagined what it would be like if she accepted your confession?
                                                Answer: Many times, but every time I woke up, she wasn’t by my side.

Little Zhen’s heart felt as if a kitten had gently clawed at it. Her long, curled eyelashes fluttered, and a surge of emotion welled up inside her.

The following questions were multiple-choice, testing their tacit understanding. Classmate Shen scored perfectly, even on the question little Zhen had thought was the most difficult, she had noticed the details in their daily life.

If they weren’t in the middle of grading, little Zhen would have kissed her right then and there.

On the other side, Classmate Shen was also reading attentively, her heart pounding like a deer crashing into trees. Her heart rate quickly soared from the normal range into the abnormal.

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. When did you realize you had fallen for her?
                                                Answer: I was a bit slow to realize it. If I really think about it, it might have been the first time she kissed me, or maybe it was love at first sight. Because the Cat Queen is just so incredibly cute and charming, it’s impossible not to fall for her.

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. How important is she to you at this stage?
                                                Answer: Holding her feels like having the whole world. She is the most important part of my life, my deepest love and my greatest preference. If I had to quantify how much she means to me, she is my 1 + 99 = 100. With her, the 99, by my side, my soul feels complete.

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Does she have any flaws? What changes would you hope she makes?

Answer: No, no changes needed. I have many flaws, so I should be the one to change. (ps: For the puppy knight, the cat queen is perfect. No matter which side she shows, the puppy knight adores it all, wagging its tail excitedly whenever it sees the cat queen. The puppy knight often wonders how there could be such a perfect little cat in the universe and strives to become better and stronger to protect the cat queen forever.)

With her right hand resting over her beating heart, classmate Shen felt as if she had truly turned into a little cat in that moment. Her cat ears perked up, her fluffy tail swayed, and it even curled into the shape of a heart.

The usually aloof Shen couldn’t quite understand why she had become like this.

She openly glanced at little Zhen and noticed her flushed ears, certain that little Zhen felt the same way. Clutching the test paper, she restrained herself and chose to continue grading instead of turning to kiss her.

For the subsequent multiple-choice questions, little Zhen unsurprisingly scored full marks.

When it came to the final special question, classmate Shen saw a familiar name.

1.If you had a chance to travel to the past, what would you say to He Yu from back then?

Answer: I would tell her that her existence and birth are not mistakes or sins. Someone eagerly awaits meeting her like me. We will meet, fall in love, and stay together for life. To me, her birth is the most beautiful thing.

Shen Zhikou froze for a moment. No one had ever told her so earnestly that her arrival could bring someone joy and happiness. For as long as she could remember, Shen Wenxi had always equated herself with sin and misfortune.

Apart from her mother, Yun Yun, who mentioned it in her suicide note, only her little girl had ever said such a thing.

Realizing her eyes were stinging, she blinked slowly, forcing back the tears before Qu Zhen noticed.

2.If you were classmates with Shen Zhikou, would you fall for her?

Answer: Of course I would. Not because of highly compatible pheromones, but because of genuine affection from the heart. Falling for her is destined and irresistible, like gravity and an apple. As long as gravity exists, I will fall from the apple tree and journey thousands of miles to reach her. If all goes well, I would pursue her right after the college entrance exams. If she likes me too, we would become lifelong partners. So…

Shen Zhikou, sitting beside me, what are your thoughts?

Reading the last line, Shen Zhikou finally understood little Zhen’s true intention. She was making up for their regrets and telling her through this method that she, too, wished they had met earlier and that she truly adored her.

Shen paused, pen in hand, and turned to look at Qu Zhen beside her. Coincidentally, Qu Zhen, who had planned this confession, was also gazing at her. Their eyes met, brimming with endless, heartfelt affection.

“I’ve thought it over,” classmate Shen said, word by word. “I like you too. I want to be with you.”

“Then-” little Zhen leaned closer. “Classmate Shen, shall we kiss?”

The remaining words were swallowed between their lips. This time, Shen Zhikou was somewhat inexperienced, held firmly by little Zhen, who cupped the back of her head and caressed the gland on her nape, entwining their soft tongues as she thoroughly plundered the lily-of-the-valley fragrance.

Not far away, the green wilderness and snowy landscape mirrored each other, like a patch of green roses blooming in the snow, symbolizing love that never fades.

The light, fragmented by floating balloons, created an isolated space. In the flickering shadows, their kiss continued.

Their breaths intertwined, the pale purple hyacinths completely enveloping the pure white lily-of-the-valley, as if to drown it entirely. The tall little Zhen held the slender classmate Shen in her arms, letting her sit on her lap, tilting her face up to receive her kisses.

By the end, both were breathing raggedly, their cheeks flushed with an indistinguishable shade of crabapple red. Liittle Zhen rested her head on Classmate Shen’s shoulder, accusing her like the villain striking first.

“Classmate Shen, you’re so naughty, sticking your tongue out on our first kiss.”

Though she had been the passive one, Classmate Shen took full responsibility: “I’m sorry. I like Xiao Zhen too much and couldn’t control myself.”

Pacified, Little Zhen lifted her chin. “But Classmate Shen, you didn’t really respond to me during the kiss just now.”

“Then… shall we kiss again?”

“Will you respond this time?”

Shen nodded. “Mm.”

Encouraged by Shen Zhikou’s indulgence, Qu Zhen grew greedier. “I want kisses on my cheeks too.”

“Okay.”

The second kiss was much gentler. Shen Zhikou, quick to adapt, not only kissed her lips but also her cheeks and forehead, finally pressing a kiss to the ring finger where her wedding band rested.

“I like you,” she said.

“Me too.” Qu Zhen kissed her back and asked, “How many points did I get on my test?”

Shen Zhikou took the exam paper. “Full marks.”

“Really? No favoritism involved?”

Shen Zhikou, who usually never joked, now teased her with a straight face: “Even if the puppy knight worked hard to become the captain of the guard, the cat queen is still very strict.”

“Is the cat queen really not softening at all?”

“Mm.”

So, the cat queen was kissed by the puppy knight. “Are you sure?”

“Sure.”

“How about now?”

After being kissed twice, the cat queen felt a bit dazed. “…Same.”

The puppy knight’s election as captain of the guard wasn’t just due to her superior qualities and solid skills, she also had a secret weapon. Deploying it, the puppy knight hugged the cat queen and showered her with three quick kisses, then took her hand to let her touch her tail.

Perhaps bewitched by charm, the cat queen relented slightly. “I… might be softening a little.”

“You should be softening a lot.”

Now fully defected, the cat queen conceded: “Mm, I’m only very soft for you.”

Satisfied, the puppy knight kissed her ring finger as well, then put away both test papers and slipped the yellow book into her backpack.

“Shall we read the love letter here?”

“I’ll read it alone when I get back.”

Qu Zhen tucked the love letter into her bag, stood up, and with her left hand holding her bag and clothes and her right hand leading her little cat, walked along the aisle toward the bookshelves.

Catching sight of a photo placed among them, Shen asked softly, “Are we still just Little Zhen and Classmate Shen now?”

“We’ve always been.”

The photo in the frame captured a serene moment from the past, a picture taken during their first trip back to Mingqiu County. Apricot blossoms drifted like rain, and the bluestone-paved streets were sparsely populated. They stood beneath a paper lantern painted with a little rabbit, while Qin Huan, standing opposite them, raised her phone to take the photo for them.

Shen Zhikou stopped walking, her gaze lingering on the image of Qu Zhen and the rabbit lantern, a faint smile flickering in her eyes.

“In Meixiang Village, you made me a rabbit lantern.”

Qu Zhen, matching her kitten’s playful tone, shifted back into the role of someone reminiscing about the past. Of course, she remembered that rabbit lantern though the final product wasn’t particularly pretty, with the paper clumsily pasted and the bunny’s ears crumpled into a ball.

But she didn’t know that, for He Yu back then, it was one of the few gifts she had ever received. Though she showed no outward emotion, after the young girl left, she got up from her bed, sat at the table, and stared at it unblinkingly for a long time.

“Sister,” Qu Zhen suddenly recalled something. “On the night of my eighteenth birthday, were you… also in Mingqiu County?”

“Yes.”

“Under the Moonlight Bridge, by the Thousand Lantern River… was it you who released that rabbit lantern there?”

Shen Zhikou replied softly, “It was me.”

“You once told me you wanted to see the Thousand Lantern River filled with rabbit lanterns. I remembered your birthday, but I couldn’t give you a gift in my own name, so I found another way to make your wish come true.”

Qu Zhen felt both regretful and heartbroken. “I should have realized it sooner.”

“It’s not too late now,” Shen Zhikou reassured her. “Don’t be upset, okay?”

Qu Zhen nodded, holding her hand tightly as they continued walking, trying to recall more memories related to Shen Zhikou.

“So, when I went traveling with my mom, was that beautiful sandcastle also built by you?”

“Yes.”

“And the first time I went on a field archaeology trip with my team and got lost, was the kind stranger I met… also you?”

Shen Zhikou shook her head. “That wasn’t me. It was my bodyguard. But I was the one who asked her to give you directions and give you the protective sachet.”

A surge of emotions overwhelmed Qu Zhen, and she stopped walking to kiss Shen Zhikou.

After a long kiss, she pulled back, her voice tinged with sadness. “But when I took the bus home, the sachet was stolen at the station.”

“It’s alright. That one was just something I bought. If you want, I can embroider another one for you.”

“I want you, sister.”

Shen Zhikou looked up and pinched her cheek. “Even as the captain of the guard, you’re still this good at acting spoiled?”

Qu Zhen hugged her, as if she could never hold or kiss her enough. “Is that not allowed?”

“Whatever you want, I’ll make sure you get it.”

Shen Zhikou turned the question back to her. “Why did you prepare all of this today?”

“Because the Cat Queen told me she wished she had met me earlier and that we could have been classmates and friends.”

Just as Shen Zhikou remembered every wish Qu Zhen ever expressed, Qu Zhen, too, remembered every word, every desire Shen Zhikou shared and did everything in her power to make them come true.

“Now, we are classmates who have known each other for three years, university sweethearts who dated for four years, and newlywed life partners.” Qu Zhen smiled softly. “Let me be the one to remember everything from the past. You can forget all the lies and tears, and keep only the beautiful, unforgettable moments. Then, let’s start over together, okay?”

“Why don’t you forget, Zhenzhen?”

“I want to remember everything about my sister.”

The little dog was truly well-behaved, and Shen Zhikou once again felt the urge to pet its tail. “Okay.”

“Good little kitten.”

The two of them looked through all the photos arranged on the second floor. As they descended the hallway and were about to reach the first floor adorned with lily of the valley, Shen Zhikou’s phone rang.

She didn’t avoid Qu Zhen, allowing her to hold her left hand while using her right hand to answer the call from Lan Yu.

“Koukou,” the woman’s voice on the other end was gentle, “Has the nesting period ended?”

“It’s over, Aunt Lan.”

Lan Yu’s voice sounded no different from usual: “How is your health?”

Shen Zhikou gazed at the snowy scenery outside the window. “Fine. The examination results show everything is gradually improving.”

“That’s good.” After a moment of silence, Lan Yu suddenly said, “If Koukou has time now, come over.”

“Aunt Lan-”

“Shen Wenxi is dead.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhikou remained unruffled, her expression unchanged, as if the deceased were not her alpha mother but merely someone unrelated to her.

“Bring Xiao Qu along. Aunt Lan would like to meet her.”

The young girl beside her, completely unaware, was gazing into the distance at the green desert.

Shen Zhikou replied, “Okay.”