Mistaken ‘O’ is a Crazy Gorgeous Boss - Chapter 8

The winding water stains in the corridor extended all the way to the door, a chilling cold permeating the entire area.

This embrace, laden with complex emotions like apology and guilt, didn’t last long. Qu Zhen patted the Omega’s right shoulder before pulling away, her fair ears already flushed red.

“Sister, my clothes will get you wet too. Let’s talk inside.”

Shen Zhikou nodded slightly. After closing the door and entering the room, she urged the alpha to first take a hot shower in the guest room and change clothes. Not wanting to dirty the interior, Qu Zhen agreed and quickly returned to her room to change. She wiped her damp hair briefly with a towel before heading to the living room and sitting opposite Shen Zhikou.

“Why didn’t you take a shower before coming out?”

Qu Zhen replied earnestly, “It’s not urgent. I’d like to hear what happened earlier first.”

Shen Zhikou’s expression shifted slightly. Her long, thick eyelashes lowered, and her voice softened. “Our work hours are quite flexible. Today, I left half an hour early and came home. Just as I was about to message you to ask what you were doing, the doorbell rang.”

“They kept knocking repeatedly. I was a bit scared and hid behind the door to call you.”

The Omega before her seemed genuinely frightened. The frost in her expression had faded considerably, and her captivating peach-blossom eyes seemed veiled in a misty haze.

Influenced by the lingering effects of the temporary mark, her body’s instinctive reaction outpaced her rationality. Before Qu Zhen even realized it, she had already moved to sit beside Shen Zhikou in a protective posture.

“Sister, I’m here with you now. Don’t be afraid.”

Shen Zhikou hummed softly, her expression reminiscent of the stray calico cats on campus. Strands of hair that had been tucked behind her ears fell to her cheeks. She pursed her lips slightly, her fingers twitching, and asked in a small voice, “Can we hold hands?”

Qu Zhen couldn’t bring herself to refuse, nor did she have any reason or standing to deny an Omega she had temporarily marked, one who suffered from hormonal imbalance and needed her regular reassurance.

She took the initiative to grasp the delicate fingers of the person beside her. “Of course.” Then, her ears flushing red again, she added, “If… if that’s what you need, sister.”

“Mm.”

Still unfamiliar with comforting gestures, Qu Zhen simply held the Omega’s hand without releasing the noticeably soothing pheromones.

She continued, “Sister, after the security guards arrived, did those three people say anything?”

The soundproofing in older residential areas was generally poor, and conversations in the corridor could be heard clearly from behind the door. To prevent such a situation from recurring, Qu Zhen needed to understand the full context of what had happened.

Moreover, judging by their appearance, those three individuals resembled the loan sharks or debt collectors often depicted on television.

Shen Zhikou paused. “They said they were here to collect a debt.”

Meeting the alpha’s slightly surprised gaze, Shen Zhikou explained in a low voice, “My alpha mother passed away in a car accident a few years ago. She was heavily addicted to gambling during her lifetime and accumulated many debts, both large and small. After I turned eighteen, I cut ties with her and had no further contact. Those people came to me, but I have no obligation to repay her debts.”

Delving into the legal aspects, Qu Zhen asked a few more detailed questions. After ruling out all possible repayment scenarios and regulations, she declared firmly.

“Yes. Legally speaking, you don’t need to bear her debts,” Qu Zhen analyzed for her. “Next time something like this happens, we’ll just call the police and let them handle it.”

“Don’t worry, sister, I’ll help you.”

Shen Zhikou had always given her the impression of being aloof, decisive, calm, and independent, an elder sister figure. Yet, on this rainy night, for the first time, she realized that even the seemingly unshakable sister could have a vulnerable side that needed protection, like a flustered little cat trembling with unease.

Her protective instincts surged to their peak at that moment, and Qu Zhen whispered firmly, “I’ll protect you, sister.”

The room was quiet, with only the faint rumble of thunder outside. Wearing white pajamas, Shen Zhikou turned her head, a shadow stirring deep in her gaze, though her expression remained unchanged.

“Then, will what you said earlier still hold true?”

“What exactly?” Qu Zhen asked for clarification.

Shen Zhikou’s voice was melodious and clear: “You said you’d come home to accompany me every day from now on.”

Raised to always keep her word, Qu Zhen replied naturally, “Of course it holds true. Every word I say counts.”

Even though the debt collection situation had been resolved, Qu Zhen still didn’t feel at ease leaving an Omega alone at home late at night during the temporary marking period. They were in the development stage now, and if they continued to get along as harmoniously as they had over the next ten days, then Shen Zhikou would become her future partner.

Her wife, her beloved, her Omega.

It was only natural that she should protect her.

The phone on the coffee table vibrated, clearly having received a new message. Sitting on the right side of the sofa, Shen Zhikou could no longer contain the shadows swirling in her eyes, and her clasped hands tightened until there was not a single gap left.

When Qu Zhen looked back at her with clear, innocent eyes, Shen Zhikou’s gaze deepened, her breath soft as orchid.

“Zhenzhen.”

As the distance between them closed, a strand of black hair brushed against the back of Qu Zhen’s hand. She heard the Omega, who had transformed back from a flustered kitten into the aloof elder sister, ask:

“Do you know any other ways to comfort me?”

Lily of the valley often grows in mountain valleys and peaks, with a light and elegant fragrance, earning it the reputation as the “lily of the valley.”

Qu Zhen really liked the scent of lily of the valley. Her sense of smell wasn’t very sensitive; even though her family ran a flower shop, she struggled to remember and distinguish the scents of many flowers. Before this, she couldn’t even recall the scent of her own pheromones, hyacinth.

Only the bell-like lily of the valley left a deep impression on her from the very first encounter.

And now, as Shen Zhikou’s hair brushed against the back of her hand, it seemed to carry a faint fragrance of lily of the valley. Her face began to flush red, and the earlier boldness of wanting to protect someone faded, as if she had turned back into a drenched puppy.

“A little,” she pursed her lips, her cheeks tinged pink. “Just a little.”

The woman didn’t move closer, maintaining a distance that was neither too far nor too close, her voice equally elusive. “My condition is unstable, so I might need soothing quite often.”