"Dai Hao, what are you standing there for? Go and prepare some tea for Qian Ran," Zhu Ying scolded Dai Hao with a sharp glance, then obediently turned to stand before Qian Ran, showing off her figure.
Without a wedding dress, Zhu Ying was undoubtedly beautiful, but she seemed to lack a certain charm.
Once she put on the wedding dress, however, she was utterly captivating.
Her entire presence was both breathtakingly gorgeous and imbued with an air of holiness.
Zhu Ying shone brightly, her delicate hands lightly pinching the sides of her dress as she twirled before Qian Ran, flashing a sweet smile.
"Husband, am I beautiful?"
"Beautiful, but something feels incomplete. Let me investigate," Qian Ran said, slipping one arm beneath her underarms and the other under her knees to lift her into a princess carry. Zhu Ying, in turn, reached her arms around his neck, clasping her fingers together.
What the hell.
Zhu Ying in her wedding dress was perfection itself.
Outside, Dai Hao listened to the sounds from within, his eyes dull and lifeless. At that moment, he felt an urge to cry. He was truly miserable—trapped outside serving tea while the couple inside reveled in each other's company. What a helpless and hopeless situation this was.
"Brother Ran, the tea is ready," Dai Hao said with a forced smile, doing his best to mask his misery. After all, Zhu Ying had already become intimate with Qian Ran. It was inevitable that other outstanding women of the Dai family would also fall into Qian Ran's grasp. Since things had already reached this point, he might as well use this opportunity to curry favor with Qian Ran.
Even a casual reward from Qian Ran would be a tremendous fortune. With this thought, Dai Hao felt slightly less miserable.
"Hold on. I'll come out once my warm-up is done."
Dai Hao's face darkened. Just a warm-up? How long will the main event take?
Two hours later, Qian Ran finally emerged, while Zhu Ying lay sprawled on the bed in her now-disheveled wedding dress, utterly exhausted.
Dai Hao offered another cup of hot tea to Qian Ran.
"Brother Ran, you must be tired," Dai Hao said with a forced grin. He had just spent two full hours listening to the noises inside, with Qian Ran showing no signs of stopping. Is he even human?
Most men, even the best of them, might stretch their endurance by relying on a bit of deception to prolong the experience. But Qian Ran? He was all substance, no shortcuts.
Two solid hours of substance?
This should be enough to start a fire!
"I'm fine. How about the preparations I asked for? What did they say?" Qian Ran sipped the tea with satisfaction, feeling content as Dai Hao diligently catered to his needs after such high-intensity activity.
"I brought them all over. But, uh... I haven't told them they'll be serving as your maids yet. Still, to serve Brother Ran is a blessing they couldn't earn in eight lifetimes," Dai Hao said with a smile that looked more like he was on the verge of tears.
Even with his usual cowardice, Dai Hao felt a deep sense of humiliation at this moment.
Fearing that failing the task would bring Qian Ran's wrath upon him, Dai Hao had no choice but to trick the women into coming here. But as for telling them outright they would become Qian Ran's maids? He couldn't bring himself to say it.
"The list?" Qian Ran took another sip of tea.
"Here," Dai Hao said, hurriedly handing over the document.
Qian Ran glanced at it. The list detailed the identities and family backgrounds of each individual in meticulous detail.
"You've got a nice concubine there. Bring her over during dinner; we'll have some fun," Qian Ran remarked with a chuckle. His gaze lingered on one name—Dai Luoli's birth mother. In the original story, after Huo Yuhao ascended to godhood, it was Dai Luoli who eventually succeeded the throne.
"Alright," Dai Hao said, his body trembling. He knew he was in for another round of humiliation soon.
"Tsk, tsk. So, you even have a precious daughter? And you're willing to hand her over to me? And your brothers' daughters too—you really went all out to deceive them," Qian Ran said, laughing as he read through the details.
When Qian Ran asked Dai Hao to send people over, he genuinely intended to employ them as maids. His villa was enormous, and, well, someone needed to manage the cleaning, right? Tasks like sweeping the fallen leaves in the courtyard or maintaining the lawn required considerable manpower. Previously, he had hired external cleaning services to take care of it all.
But now, with more people joining his inner circle—such as Xian Liner, Cai Meier, Zhou Yi, and Mu Jin—many of whom had identities that couldn't be publicly revealed, Qian Ran wanted to bring in some trusted individuals.
The noblewomen of the Dai family, born into a duke's household, were already graced with elegance, beauty, and poise. With a bit of training, they could add a charming aesthetic to his estate as maids.
Of course, if Qian Ran was in the mood for a bit of fun, that wasn't out of the question either.
Once handed over to Qian Ran, even if he decided to auction them off at an underground market or gift them to someone else, Dai Hao wouldn't dare interfere. Not that Qian Ran had any intention of stooping to such disgraceful actions.
"Rest assured, in my hands, no one will gossip about you. Outwardly, you'll still be the highly respected Duke Dai. I'll have Yun'er handle their training," Qian Ran said with a sly smile.
Huo Yun'er had recently been studying aristocratic etiquette and dance. With her meticulous nature, she was perfect for training a few maids.
Once they were properly trained, Qian Ran planned to invite Dai Huabin and Dai Yaoheng over to observe.
"Yun'er?" Dai Hao's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Yun'er? But wasn't she dead?
"You guessed right—Huo Yun'er. I brought her back to life," Qian Ran said with a playful smirk.
"To be able to follow Brother Ran is Yun'er's blessing," Dai Hao said, his heart aching as he continued to flatter Qian Ran. He realized that everything in his life had been taken away by Qian Ran, yet he still had to help him consolidate power.
The next words from Qian Ran left Dai Hao deeply shocked and terrified. Huo Yun'er had been dead for years, yet Qian Ran had resurrected her. What kind of terrifying power was this?
Dai Hao realized he had only glimpsed the tip of the iceberg when it came to Qian Ran's abilities. His fear of Qian Ran grew even more profound.
That evening, Dai Hao and Zhu Ying brought the group of noblewomen to the banquet table.
Dai Hao was weighed down with heavy thoughts. The events to come filled him with an overwhelming sense of dread. Qian Ran glanced at the women Dai Hao had brought. He truly had gone all out—each one was a beauty. Then again, as daughters of a noble family, they were bound to be stunning.
After some food and drink, Qian Ran spoke up.
"Dai Hao, it's about time."
Around the table, the young women of the Dai family—proud and haughty by nature—were all stunned as they watched Qian Ran. As members of the Dai family, they took immense pride in their lineage and in Dai Hao, a powerful Title Douluo and a figure they deeply revered. But here was Qian Ran, addressing Dai Hao by name without a shred of respect, as though he held no regard for him.
The young women were utterly baffled.
Dai Hao had tricked them into coming here. Who could have imagined their family patriarch would deceive them?
What shocked them even more was that the matriarch, Zhu Ying, was now sitting on Qian Ran's lap.
"I brought you here so you could serve Brother Ran as his maids. From now on, do your best to please him. Brother Ran won't treat you unfairly," Dai Hao said, head bowed and fists clenched as he forced out the humiliating words.
"Patriarch…"
"Husband, what are you saying?"
The noblewomen stared in disbelief, their hearts sinking. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. This was the White Tiger Duke, a Title Douluo.
How could he…
As proud daughters of the Dai family, they had always been held in high regard. How could they accept becoming someone else's maids? And being handed over like this, they were little more than slaves. Even if they died, no one would care.
Dai Hao's concubine trembled uncontrollably, her mouth opening and closing as she failed to produce any sound, rendered temporarily mute by shock and despair.
"Still don't get it? Dai Hao offended Brother Qian Ran. To save his own skin, he's sending you here to curry favor with Brother Ran. Isn't that right, useless Dai Hao? Tsk, tsk. The pampered princesses of the Dai family—you all look so pitiful. Truly captivating," Zhu Ying said arrogantly, her tone dripping with derision as she surveyed the group.
Since becoming Qian Ran's woman, she had grown increasingly disdainful of the Dai family.
Most of the women before her were familiar faces. Watching them about to be reduced to Qian Ran's maids filled Zhu Ying with satisfaction. Soon, she would be able to order them around herself.
"Everything the mistress says is correct. From now on, you are to serve Brother Ran well," Dai Hao said, having resigned himself to his fate. He dared not meet the furious and despairing gazes of the women beside him.
(End of Chapter)