How Could a Scumbag Alpha Possibly Love His Wife? - Chapter 40
Human differentiation typically begins around the age of thirteen or fourteen. However, with advances in technology, it is now possible to determine the direction of differentiation as early as five months into pregnancy.
Cheng Qiaoqing is 15 years old. She underwent a differentiation test shortly after birth, and there was a 73% chance she would become an alpha, which made the Cheng family dote on her even more. She was seen as a precious child, a rare gift.
Cheng Wan, on the other hand, differentiated into an Omega at the age of thirteen. The Cheng family was not at all surprised by this, and they even considered it a burden.
In this society, Omegas held a low social status. They had to endure the coming of their sensitive periods every month, and their strength was the weakest among the three genders, making it nearly impossible for them to do any heavy labor.
The social attitude had improved a lot compared to a few decades ago. Back then, almost no one wanted an Omega child. If a family had an Omega baby, they would do everything in their power to abandon or give it away.
In those days, orphanages were full of abandoned Omega children. Some families, more ruthless than others, would simply leave them in the mountains, and by the time they were found, they would often be dead from hunger.
Except for wealthy families, ordinary families would rather have a regular beta child than raise an Omega child, who brought so many inconveniences after differentiation. As a result, for a period of time, the survival rate of Omegas was very low. Some small hospitals even offered abortion services to pregnant women who were carrying Omega babies.
Although times had improved and the atmosphere was less harsh than before, there were still many people who disliked Omegas. Even in this era of low fertility, they hoped their children would be either beta or alpha.
Cheng Qiaoqing, with a high chance of becoming an alpha, was naturally the center of attention in her family. Today, she was hosting a gathering at home, inviting many relatives.
Xu He was a woman who loved attention and showing off. Today, she wore a white dress that highlighted her figure, with an unbuttoned beige shawl draped over her shoulders, exposing her shoulders, collarbone, and the sapphire necklace around her neck.
“Aunt, you brought your grandson, huh? He’s such a handsome little one.” Xu He, adjusting her shawl, said to a woman in her fifties who was holding a young boy. “Would you like some fruit? It’ll be lunchtime soon, and I’ve specially invited a chef from a five-star restaurant. The food is delicious, and I’m sure you’ll love it.”
Listening to Xu He chatter on, several women sitting on the sofa exchanged knowing glances and smiled.
“Sister-in-law, stop worrying about us,” one of the women said. “Tell us about the person from the Bai family that you invited today.”
Xu He proudly said, “It’s Bai Juntang, from the Gangu family. She’s married to our Wanwan. She came specially today to celebrate Qiaoqing’s achievement.”
As soon as Xu He started talking about Bai Juntang, she couldn’t stop herself. “Bai Juntang is truly something. She comes from a great family, has an excellent character, and most importantly, she treats our Wanwan so well. Once she arrives, you’ll see for yourselves. Wanwan is really lucky to have married her.”
“I bet your whole family benefits from Miss Bai’s generosity, don’t they?” someone teased.
“Of course!” Xu He replied with a proud smile. “I heard Miss Bai is incredibly wealthy. With all that money, if she invests in your family’s projects, you’ll be making a fortune.”
Xu He chuckled, covering her mouth as her eyes squinted with amusement. “Look at what you’re saying. If our family makes money, doesn’t that mean you’ll profit too? Once we all start making money, we’ll be moving into an even better villa.”
While the adults continued chatting in the living room, Cheng Qiaoqing sat at the grand piano, playing a song.
Cheng Jiajian and a few uncles and relatives Cheng Qiaoqing didn’t recognize were standing by the piano, listening to her play. After a while, Cheng Jiajian spoke up, “Not bad, not bad. Qiaoqing has such nimble fingers. She’ll definitely become an amazing pianist in the future.”
Hearing his daughter receive praise, Cheng Jiajian’s face lit up with pride, though he downplayed it by saying, “Oh, she still has a long way to go. She’s about to compete soon, and her teacher said she’ll probably only make it into the top three.”
“Top three? That’s when the TV stations start doing interviews, right?” one of the relatives asked.
“No, only the first-place winner gets an interview,” Cheng Jiajian corrected.
“Well, Qiaoqing better work hard and aim for first place, so she can bring honor to the Cheng family!”
As Cheng Qiaoqing listened to the empty compliments, she overheard Xu He’s voice, laughing in a way that grated on her nerves.
Watching her parents happily chat with relatives and friends, all smiles and clearly proud, Cheng Qiaoqing felt irritated. She didn’t know how to escape from this overwhelming situation.
Cheng Qiaoqing’s performance in the final exams wasn’t great, but somehow her parents managed to portray her as an exceptional student—outstanding both academically and in character. They even insisted on hosting a tedious family gathering to celebrate.
The uncles, aunts, and distant relatives were strangers to her. Even if she recognized them, she didn’t feel like greeting them. After finishing her piano performance, she used the excuse of needing to get some water to slip away from the situation.
The kitchen was filled with various plastic containers, and a chef was busy preparing the meal, while an aunt helped out. When she saw Cheng Qiaoqing enter, she quickly said, “What are you doing in the kitchen? It’s such a mess in here. What do you need?”
“I just came to get some water,” Cheng Qiaoqing replied, her tone sharp.
“There’s a water dispenser in the living room. Why not get water there?” the aunt asked, but still poured a glass of water for Cheng Qiaoqing. “Alright, go back out now. The kitchen is a mess, don’t slip on something.”
Cheng Qiaoqing took the glass but immediately yelped in pain, dropping it. The glass shattered loudly.
“Why is it so hot?!” Cheng Qiaoqing shouted, clearly frustrated. “How am I supposed to drink this? Are you trying to burn me?!”
The noise made everyone in the living room look over. The aunt quickly apologized, feeling awkward. “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry! There was only hot water in the kitchen.”
“Why didn’t you tell me it was hot water?!” Cheng Qiaoqing snapped, her voice sharp. “You burned me—are you going to pay for this?!”
Xu He hurried over, asking, “What happened?”
Cheng Qiaoqing, who had been furious just moments before, suddenly felt very wronged. She rushed into her mother’s arms, her voice trembling as she cried, “I asked the maid to pour me some water, and she gave me hot water without even telling me. My hand is burned, Mom…”
As she spoke, Cheng Qiaoqing became even more pitiful, lying in her mother’s arms, acting spoiled. The maid, on the other hand, looked terrified.
The maid had worked for the Cheng family for years and knew very well Cheng Qiaoqing’s temper. Plus, with so many people watching, Xu He would surely side with her daughter.
Sure enough, Xu He’s expression darkened. She immediately turned to the maid, her voice cold with anger. “What good are you if you can’t even pour a simple glass of water? You’ve worked here for so many years and still don’t know what to do. Pack your things and leave. I don’t want to see you again.”
The relatives and friends gathered around found this scene rather entertaining, watching the drama unfold. The maid was now pale, clearly distressed. She had come from a rural background and had no work experience, so getting a decent-paying job as a live-in maid was a rare opportunity for her. Being humiliated like this was incredibly difficult for her.
“Ma’am, I… I really didn’t mean it,” the maid stammered, her forehead sweating. She turned to Cheng Qiaoqing and said, “Qiaoqing, it was my fault for not noticing the water was too hot. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”
Xu He rolled her eyes in annoyance and wrapped her arm around her precious daughter. “Stop with the nonsense, just go away,” she said.
The maid didn’t dare speak up. She looked at the dozens of people in the room, unsure of what to do.
Her family was struggling, and she worked to save money for her son’s education. If she were fired now, it would be hard to find another live-in maid job since she didn’t have any other skills. She felt completely trapped, not knowing what to do.
Just then, everyone heard the sound of car brakes from outside. Xu He instinctively looked over, her eyes lighting up immediately.
Bai Juntang pulled up in a matte gray sports car and parked in front of the house. She eagerly got out of the car and helped Cheng Wan out.
Cheng Wan was confused by Bai Juntang’s behavior. She had a lot of questions but didn’t dare to refuse. She simply allowed Bai Juntang to hold her and lead her into the living room.
“Why is it so lively in here?” Bai Juntang asked, stepping into the room in her high heels. She lazily glanced around at the gathered crowd and added, “Did we arrive late?”
Cheng Wan immediately noticed the situation in the kitchen. The broken glass on the floor was hard to miss. Xu He was holding Cheng Qiaoqing in a protective manner. Cheng Wan didn’t have to think twice to understand what had happened.
It was clear that Cheng Qiaoqing had once again been spoiled, and the maid had been scolded by Xu He, possibly even told to pack her things and leave.
The maid had probably received just as many cold stares as Cheng Wan. At least Cheng Wan had the status of being an adopted daughter, and even if she was treated poorly, it was better than being an outsider. Moreover, Cheng Wan knew about the maid’s difficult situation, so she felt sorry for her.
Xu He released her precious daughter and walked over to Cheng Wan. She skillfully took her hand and said, “Wanwan, you’re here! We’ve been waiting for you.”
She then turned and sharply addressed the maid, “What are you standing around for? Go clean up the floor!”
Bai Juntang could tell something had happened, but she casually said to Xu He, “Wanwan mentioned she’s a little hungry. Can you have the maid bring out some snacks?”
Cheng Wan looked at her suspiciously and blinked. When did I say I was hungry?
However, she understood that Bai Juntang was trying to help the maid, so she cooperated and said, “No need to trouble her. I’d love to have the salad you make, Auntie. Do you think we could have it for lunch today?”
The maid didn’t dare speak up. Xu He rolled her eyes at her, then smiled and said, “Of course! Whatever you want. I’ve prepared so many of your favorite dishes for you today.”
With that, Xu He eagerly pulled Cheng Wan and Bai Juntang over to introduce them to her relatives, beaming with pride.
Almost everyone looked at Cheng Wan with envy, glancing at her slightly visible belly.
“Four or five months, right? It’s clear she’s been well taken care of.”
“At five months, you can find out the gender. But looking at your belly, I bet it’s going to be a little alpha.”
“Yeah, yeah, Wanwan is really lucky.”
Just then, someone suddenly asked, “Have you two gotten your marriage certificate yet? Why haven’t you had a wedding?”
As soon as the question was asked, Xu He’s face became somewhat awkward.
The truth was, they had planned on having a wedding. In fact, they would have loved to broadcast the news of Bai Juntang and Cheng Wan’s marriage with a loudspeaker. However, Bai Juntang wasn’t willing to have one, and the Cheng family understood why. It wasn’t exactly the best start to their marriage, so they couldn’t shamelessly demand Bai Juntang to have a wedding.
Over time, the topic was simply not brought up again. Now, suddenly being asked about it made Xu He feel especially uncomfortable.
“The wedding just isn’t happening right now,” Bai Juntang said with a light smile, looking at the others. “Once the baby is born, we will definitely have one.”