My Fierce Beta Husband is Surprisingly Sweet | Chapter 15 | A Long-Awaited Date | Novela.app

"Once my two exams are over tomorrow morning, I’ll be quite free. Let’s head into the city for a stroll in the afternoon." Last night, just before turning off the lights, Li Zi had suddenly dropped those words. She had simply pulled up her covers and drifted off to sleep, leaving Li Zhenting to toss and turn all night. What did she mean, "head into the city for a stroll"? A stroll for what? Was it just a "stroll," or was it a date? A storm of thoughts had immediately erupted in his mind. He had desperately wanted to shake the woman awake to demand a clear answer, but when he saw her exhausted face—the result of her recent immersion in exam review and the constant back-and-forth between the school and the hotel—his heart softened. He couldn't be blamed for his restlessness. Though they had known each other for many years, they had been officially together for less than a year. It was only during the summer after Li Zi’s college entrance exams, on the day she turned eighteen, that her differentiation finally arrived. Only then had they defined their relationship. Li Zi wasn't one for crowds or excitement, nor did she possess much of a romantic bone in her body. Consequently, since they had started dating, they had hardly gone anywhere besides hotels, Li Zi’s home, or Li Zhenting’s place. Let alone an actual date. The thought made Li Zhenting feel a pang of unease. Why exactly was Li Zi with him? Was it because he had pestered her for so many years that he was the only person left by her side? Was it because she liked his physique? Or was it simply because he had taken advantage of her during her first rut, and she had just gone along with it... Otherwise, why was it that, aside from physical intimacy, they almost never did anything normal couples did? And now, why the sudden suggestion of a date? He rolled over again, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling as if trying to divine an answer from the void. "Go to sleep." With someone tossing and turning beside her, Li Zi naturally couldn't sleep either. She reached out, pulled the restless man into her arms, and cradled his head against her. He needed to sleep; health was important. Li Zhenting struggled for a moment, but when he couldn't break free, he went limp. Pressing against Li Zi’s warm body, he rested his face against the crook of her neck and closed his eyes. Whatever. At least at this very moment, this Alpha belonged to him. The next morning, Li Zi had already departed for the exam hall. Li Zhenting sat on the bed, nursing a headache as he faced several outfits spread out before him. If he had known there would be a date, he would have brought more clothes! What was all this? The more he looked, the uglier every piece seemed. None of them felt worthy of whatever itinerary today might hold. Should he borrow something from someone else? He dialed Liu Yan’s number. "Hey, Little Liu, where are you?" Liu Yan picked up quickly, but the background noise on his end was chaotic. He shouted into the phone, "Hey, Brother Li! I'm near the hospital. What's up?" "Nothing much. Did you bring any spare clothes?" "Huh? What clothes? Oh, it's you!—Brother Li, hold on a sec, I’ve got something going on here." As he spoke, it sounded like Liu Yan had run into an acquaintance and was busy exchanging greetings. Li Zhenting tapped his fingers against his phone, waiting impatiently. "Ah, sorry about that, Brother Li. I'm looking for a suitable rental nearby. I want to move my dad in; staying in hotels all the time isn't cost-effective." "You were saying something about clothes?" "Never mind. Get back to work." Li Zhenting hung up. It had suddenly occurred to him that Liu Yan was shorter than him, making his clothes impractical to wear. Moreover, Liu Yan’s taste... was even worse than his own. "Sigh." He let out a long breath, frustrated with himself for being so worked up over a mere possibility of a date. Forget it. He reached out and grabbed a black trench coat and a V-neck sweater that Li Zi had once complimented. He pulled them on. He was who he was; it didn't matter what he wore. He looked at the fierce-looking man in the mirror and muttered, "Anyway, she likes your body." The man in the mirror had thick brows and bright eyes—a handsome face, originally. However, because of his volatile temperament, his brow always seemed to be furrowed, giving him a "don't mess with me" aura. He touched the corner of his eye, tracing a scar. He had gotten that back in high school during a fight with the then-boss of Xi'an Street. In truth, he had been running with that boss since middle school. Although he hadn't agreed with many of the man's methods, he hadn't planned on turning against him so early. But who told that man to dare lust after the one person Li Zhenting didn't even dare to dream of for himself? At the thought, his old rage seemed to flare up again. He clenched his fists. Fortunately—fortunately, he had dealt with him. But he had still been too weak back then; he had still allowed Li Zi, who was only a middle schooler at the time, to get hurt. He could grovel at others' feet, and he could do things that others despised, but there was one exception—Li Zi. No one was allowed to touch her. That was his bottom line. She was the precious sunlight belonging to a weed growing in a dark, neglected corner.