My Fierce Beta Husband is Surprisingly Sweet | Chapter 3 | The Boy at the End of the Street | Novela.app

This was an era of six secondary genders: male Alpha, Beta, Omega, and female Alpha, Beta, Omega. Alphas were more often found in cutting-edge industries and positions of real authority. Omegas, blessed with innate sensitivity and empathy, were widely represented in fields such as advertising, psychology, healthcare, and literature. Most other occupations were filled by Betas. After all, in any era, those who were rare and possessed unique advantages tended to occupy better resources. Omega–Omega pairings were extremely rare, but because of their mutual understanding, their relationships were often deeply stable. In contrast, Alpha–Beta and Beta–Omega pairings had the highest rates of infidelity and divorce. Even in modern times, the attraction between glandular pheromones remained an unsolved mystery. Female Alphas still possessed the typical physical characteristics of women, but their muscular strength could rival that of male Alphas. Because female Alphas might choose female or male Omegas or Betas as partners, once they reached adulthood at sixteen, the local Alpha Association would customize sensory-transmitting biological tools for them according to their needs. If a female Alpha wished to have children, she could obtain a reproductive catalyst from the Association, inject it into the tool, and engage with her partner. With sufficient pheromone transfer into the partner’s neck gland and a deep physical bond, conception could occur. However, this only applied when the partner was an Omega. Male Betas typically had underdeveloped reproductive cavities, and Alpha reproductive organs became nonfunctional after differentiation. Thus, most non-AO or non-BB couples chose adoption or artificial incubation instead. To this day, the fatal attraction between Alphas and Omegas—and the relief they provided each other during heat and sensitivity cycles—remained unmatched by any other pairing. Which was why Li Zhenting, a Beta with only a high school education, no stable career, and no proper family, always felt deeply insecure around Li Zi. Li Zi came from an exceptional background. Her father was a renowned neurosurgeon who worked overtime year-round and volunteered in his spare time. Her mother was the head of a major corporation, traveling for business ten months of the year. Despite their busy lives, their relationship remained loving. They simply couldn’t stay home often, so they hired a reliable nanny to care for their child. How did Li Zhenting know all this? Because on his tenth birthday, after fighting classmates who mocked him for not having parents, he returned home bruised and dirty. At the street corner, he saw them. A strikingly beautiful, well-dressed couple moving into the long-empty villa nearby. For reasons he didn’t understand, he hid behind the wall and watched them secretly. They smiled as they carried a little girl out of the car. “Baby, this will be our home from now on,” they said gently. The girl was only four or five, but her expression remained calm as she looked at the unfamiliar house. There was no fear in her eyes. She nodded. Her clear, childish voice reached his ears, making them itch strangely. “Okay, Daddy. Okay, Mommy.” The three of them went inside. He remained against the wall, scratching his ear with one hand and picking at the worn bricks with the other. She’s so cute. I wish I had a little sister like that. He stared at the villa for a long time. Only when darkness fell did he reluctantly turn away and walk down the street—to the very end, to the top floor of a crumbling building. That was his home. Fortunately, someone was waiting for him there. When he opened the door, warm yellow light spilled out. An elderly woman had already prepared dinner. Seeing his injuries, she hurried over anxiously. “Xiao Ting, why did you fight again? Does it hurt?” Yes. This was where he belonged. Even at that young age, Li Zhenting felt a strange emptiness he couldn’t explain. After that, whenever he wasn’t in school or working part-time, he would go to the street corner to watch that house. After caring for her briefly, the girl’s parents left and rarely returned. A nanny took her to and from school every day. She often sat on the balcony alone. She didn’t play with toys. She didn’t make noise. She simply drew quietly in a small notebook. Sometimes she ate desserts he had never seen before. Later, she got a cat. The cat would lie lazily beside her, its tail swaying slowly. After watching her like this for a year, he finally learned her name from the neighbors. Li Zi. “Li” as in dawn. “Zi” as in freedom and indulgence. Her parents wanted her to live freely and happily forever. In the third year, she got a dog. She had started elementary school and became more independent. At some point, she began walking the dog herself—a well-behaved golden retriever. Adults called it “walking the dog.” He didn’t understand. What was the point of walking a dog? Why not let it run freely and just come home later? But secretly— He envied it deeply. One day, Li Zi went out again with her golden retriever, named Golden. Li Zhenting followed from afar. He was thirteen now. He knew his behavior wasn’t right. But he couldn’t stop. He could only scold himself silently. She turned a corner. A drunk man staggered toward her. He stared at her for a few seconds. Then suddenly kicked Golden. All three of them froze. Before they could react, the man tried to kick the dog again. This time Golden dodged quickly. Li Zi stepped in front of the dog. “What are you trying to do?” she asked calmly. The drunk man belched. “I’m in a bad mood. I want to kick the mutt. So what?” Before she could respond, he shoved her to the ground. “Who do you think you are? It’s just a dog. I’ll pay you. One hundred is enough, right, little girl?” He grabbed the leash. Golden immediately lowered its body, growling in warning. Li Zi scrambled up, trying to take back the leash. They stood in a tense standoff. And then— Li Zhenting rushed forward. His hand struck the man’s arm sharply, numbing it and forcing him to release the leash. Then he kicked the man’s knee, sending him crashing to the ground. He raised his fist. “You trash who only bullies kids and dogs—I’ll—” A small hand grabbed his shoulder. Stopping him. “Don’t hit him.” He turned, confused. Anger burned in his dark eyes. “Why not? He hurt you!” Though small, Li Zi remained calm. She stroked Golden gently and said, “If you hit him, you’d be the one breaking the law. He could accuse you of assault. I’ll call the police. They’ll handle him.” She showed him her scraped palm and elbow. He hesitated. He looked at the drunk man. Then at her. Slowly— He lowered his fist. This was the first time they met.