When I returned home, the revelers had sobered up. They were sitting in the living room, sipping high-grade tea and chatting. Mom and Dad assumed I had gone upstairs to play, not asking a single question.

In my own room, Taozi was online. I collapsed onto the bed, thinking I should grab a nap before dinner; otherwise, I wouldn't have the energy to stay up all night with Zhu Da. By tradition, tonight was supposed to be an all-nighter, and Zhu Da’s usual routine was watching TV and playing cards.

My QQ suddenly pinged. Taozi turned to me and asked, "Your little wife says, 'I really like it, thank you.' What does that even mean?"

I ignored Taozi's question and told it, "Reply for me: Making you happy is my greatest aspiration."

"So cheesy," Taozi clicked away, typing for me. I really have become a young master now. I have Xiao Yourou and Xiaoyudi helping me court girls, Taozi manages the stock market and the Beast Army, Huanyu and Dadi are currently managed by Fang Yanmeng and Xiao Chuchu, Honglong is under Xia Huren, Tieniu Tofu has the Village Chief, the Brothers’ Alliance is with Zhu Da, R&D is handled by the four girls, gene research belongs to Professor Chen. I wonder what I'm actually supposed to do?

Dinner was the same large group from lunch. Although Mom was utterly exhausted from the effort, it was clear she was delighted. Since everyone had drunk too much at noon, and the New Year's Eve dinner certainly called for more, nobody mentioned alcohol for the evening meal. Even Zhu Da obediently ate his dumplings and retired to watch television.

"Auntie, can Zhao Qian come upstairs and play with us?" the four girls sweetly pleaded with my mother.

Mom’s face blossomed like a fresh flower. "Alright, but you must all be back downstairs before midnight for the New Year’s Eve feast."

I stealthily grabbed the gifts I had bought today at Baixing Supermarket and followed the four girls upstairs. What the girls loved doing most every day was washing up. After Zhao Fen and Zhao Fang had bathed and entered their room, I slipped in right behind them.

Fearing a misidentification, I first leaned close to their bodies to smell them. Confirming it was Zhao Fen, I was no longer afraid of repeating last night’s embarrassment.

"What are you doing, Brother Zhao? Why are you sniffing around? Is there something wrong with us? We just showered," Zhao Fen asked, confused by my actions.

Zhao Fang rushed to answer for me, "Sis, Brother-in-law is just afraid of picking the wrong person! I should think about how to mask my scent someday so Brother-in-law can’t tell us apart—hee hee, that would be quite the scene."

My face flushed as red as a monkey's rear, but inwardly, my mind was swimming with lust: Not being able to tell them apart would be even better; I could just have an arm around each one.

"Look what I bought for you," I said, pulling out two pearl necklaces.

"So beautiful!" the two women exclaimed simultaneously. For Zhao Fen and Zhao Fang, who never bothered with excessive adornment and never frequented jewelers, these two necklaces were certainly eye-catching.

Zhao Fang snatched both strands. She carefully fastened one around her sister’s neck, then flung her freshly washed hair back and put the other one on herself.

I have to admit, these necklaces truly suited the sisters. Whether in terms of color coordination or complementing their décolletage, the people and the jewelry reflected each other, adding a touch of noble elegance to their inherent cuteness.

"Thank you, Brother-in-law," Zhao Fang said, her eyes full of suggestive meaning.

Zhao Fen added, "These must have been expensive. Don't waste money like that in the future. You don't need to give gifts this valuable to family."

I looked at them fondly. "Brother Zhao has money now. Fenfen, remember those snake pearls we cut out of the giant serpent’s belly in the Snake Cave? Those pearls contained a substance, Substance B, that can cure illnesses and perform genetic modification. I sold some to Hua Qingqing and made a fortune. Plus, the Chairman gave us some money too. We certainly don't lack cash right now. If I don't dress you two up beautifully, my heart feels uneasy, Brother Zhao."

"Good Brother-in-law, my sister and I need to change. Do you want to stay?"

Of course, I wanted to stay, but my feet carried my body out of the sisters’ room and on to Yi Xiaorou and Xiaoyudi’s room. Although they found the bracelets a bit too flashy, they were ecstatic because this was the first gift I had given them.

Soon, the four of them were settled in the living room, planning a game of Bao Huang. However, Fang Yanmeng called, insisting we hop onto QQ video chat. So, the five of us ended up crowding into Yi Xiaorou's room to get online.

The internet speed tonight was agonizingly slow. It took quite an effort to establish a connection with Fang Yanmeng, and the image kept freezing. The audio was choppy, so we had to resort to typing to communicate.

Fang Yanmeng ranted, "Xiaoyu, the paperwork for Huanyu Communications is almost done. When can we start using our own network? Then we can video chat anytime we want without worrying about leaks."

Xiaoyudi replied, "Don't worry. The sixteen secret data centers worldwide have already begun construction. We should be able to launch the satellite before the end of the first lunar month, and our internal network can start trial operations that same day."

"Yay!" Fang Yanmeng pumped her fist. "Xiaoyu, your team’s efficiency is amazing!"

I thought to myself, How could it not be? With the accumulation of ten million years of civilization! Although only the production robots were a perfect restoration of future technology, Xiaoyudi and the supercomputer Xiaohui have spent hundreds of years in diligent research. Everything in the underground base is absolutely cutting-edge.

"Brother Zhao Qian, how is everything with Honglong? After the holiday, Sister Chuchu and I are opening for business. We agreed we’d manage both companies—you can’t go back on your word now, okay?"

Xiaoyudi smiled and answered Fang Yanmeng, "Just focus on your work. Your Brother Zhao Qian doesn't go back on his word. We'll be your witnesses."

I spoke into the microphone, "Honglong opened ages ago. We already pulled off a huge deal, unlike you two dawdling around."

It took a while for Fang Yanmeng to hear my voice. She made a funny face at the screen, making my heart leap wildly. If only she could move in here too; we could be intimate often.

"I’ll come visit you tomorrow for New Year’s greetings. Sister Mengmeng is very busy tonight; she won’t be free until after midnight. We'll go together then. By the way, why are you all together? Is this at Brother Zhu’s house?"

Xiaoyudi replied, "We moved. We live right upstairs from Brother. This is Sister Xiaorou’s and my bedroom; Brother handled all the setup himself. Isn't it beautiful?"

Xiaoyudi spoke without malice, certainly not trying to show off, but it struck a nerve with Fang Yanmeng. Tears welled up as if she had suffered a tremendous wrong. She typed a few characters, telling me to step aside to take a call.

Xiaoyudi gasped and stuck out her tongue. "Sorry, Brother. I didn’t mean it, but Sister Mengmeng is truly jealous."

My cell phone rang. Fang Yanmeng had already vanished from the camera feed. Having no choice, I ran into Zhao Fen and Zhao Fang's room to answer it.

"You jerk, Zhao Qian! You’re biased! Is it because I can't satisfy your sexual demands that you don't want me? I hate you! I hate you so much!"

Heavens above, Fang Yanmeng wasn't mincing words even on New Year's Day. "Mengmeng, you misunderstood. Zhao Fen, Zhao Fang, and Xiaoyudi are all orphans. During the New Year, they have nowhere to go and no mother or father to care for them. It just so happened that a house upstairs was for sale, and I bought it for convenience so they could move in together for mutual support."

"You bought it for convenience? You bought it for convenient sneaking around! Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Do you think I would stop you? If you’re going to keep them, you have to buy a place for me too, and you have to support me!"

"Fine, fine, fine. If I find a suitable one, I'll buy it for you."

"And why is Sister Xiaorou there too? Hmph, her breasts look bigger again. Confess! Have you been holding her while you sleep every night recently?"

"Heaven is my witness, Your Highness! Sister Xiaorou is undergoing breast augmentation; that has nothing to do with me. Besides, where else would she go? She’s a married woman; she certainly can’t stay at her parents' house for the New Year, and the Tan family is out of the question. She has to stay with us."

"Oh, Sister Xiaorou is augmenting her chest? Hurry up and pass the phone to her; I need to ask her about the results."

I returned to Yi Xiaorou's room and handed her the phone. After a few words, Yi Xiaorou took the phone and went to the living room, and I could still hear her giggling.

Xiaoyudi asked, "Did you sort it out, Brother?"

I gave an OK sign. Zhao Fang quietly stepped on my foot with her toe. Even though it hurt, I dared not make a sound. I wondered if she was jealous too.

Yi Xiaorou chatted with Fang Yanmeng on the phone for a while, then they reconnected on QQ. Since the five of us were missing one, we couldn't play cards. Xiaoyudi went to watch TV. Zhao Fen and Zhao Fang, having work at the National Defense University and the Naval Research Institute, and also being busy developing a new fighter jet recently, returned to their room to look at data.

Xiaoyudi wouldn't let me get handsy because the other three girls might come back at any moment. Ironically, with more girls around, I felt lonelier. Bored, I excused myself to go downstairs to hang out with Zhu Da and the others.

Just as I reached for the door handle, my phone rang. It was Xiao Chuchu. Weren't they supposed to be busy with the Spring Festival Gala tonight? Why was she calling me?

"Zhao Qian, I’m downstairs at your place. (Fastest updates at http://wap.16k.c n) Can you come out for a moment?"

Sure enough, when I went downstairs, I saw Xiao Chuchu's Mercedes. She opened the passenger door and beckoned me in. It was warm inside, almost like Fang Yanmeng’s Ferrari. The interior was very feminine, and the air was thick with perfume.

"Shouldn't you be very busy tonight with the Gala? I was planning on seeing if I could catch a glimpse of your beautiful face when I went home."

Xiao Chuchu’s expression was a little pale, but a faint smile touched her lips when she heard my words. "Am I really that important to you? If you wanted me to, I could show up on the Gala."

I quickly waved my hands. If she suddenly crashed the Gala and pulled any stunts, it would be disastrous. "Never mind, never mind. I was just saying. Fame isn't always a good thing; living an ordinary life is the most real thing."

Xiao Chuchu suddenly burst out laughing. "You’re not afraid that if I become famous, I’ll have too many admirers, are you? Heh, I’m just kidding. I know many girls like you. In your eyes, I’m probably just the most ordinary person. Maybe you even dislike me."

I had never thought that way, so I had to explain clearly: "Chuchu, you are actually a wonderful person—beautiful, elegant, and from a very good family. You are the ideal girl every man dreams of. I don't dislike you; I even like you. It’s just that I’m not a good man. I covet what I have while looking longingly at what others have. I don’t know what I’ll do in the future. I don't want to wrong any girl around me, much less see any of them heartbroken. That’s why I feel helpless sometimes."

"Stop talking," Xiao Chuchu interrupted me. "Why don't you object to Mengmeng? Am I worse than her? Or is it because I’m not as bold and passionate as she is?"

Fang Yanmeng was open; she seduced me actively, so she easily entered my world. But Xiao Chuchu, sitting before me, was conventional. Even though she possessed the 'criminal' evidence regarding me and Fang Yanmeng, she never actually used it to blackmail me.

"Zhao Qian, I’ve been thinking these past few days about whether I was right or wrong to fall for you, but I can’t find the answer. I want to forget you, erase you forever, but I’ve tried a million ways, and you still occupy my mind. You are different from other men. You are helpful and kind to people, qualities that are rare in today's society. You have ability and capability but never flaunt them, choosing instead to live your quiet life. You have many girls around you, but you never let them feel sad or hurt—except me, of course. I know I can’t integrate into your life because I lack enough initiative. Because you don’t want to wrong the girls around you, you hold back. Today, I must give myself a chance, and give you a chance too. I will be brave, passionate, and completely devote myself..."

Xiao Chuchu couldn't finish her sentence because she had already climbed over the divider between the seats and lunged at me. Her lips pressed against mine without warning, and her hands pinned me firmly to the passenger seat, making resistance impossible.

Pah! Isn’t this exactly what I wanted? As long as a girl takes the initiative, it means she objectively accepts my 'promiscuity.' This is another huge step forward for my grand harem plan.

Yi Xiaorou and Xiaoyudi certainly wouldn't object to having more sisters. As for Zhao Fen and Zhao Fang, although they might have feelings, the older sister would look out for the younger sister's happiness and wouldn't say anything, and the younger sister couldn't tell others that she stole her sister’s happiness. Fang Yanmeng and Zhang Xiaoya would definitely oppose it, but as long as my skills were profound enough, none of them would leave my side. They would wait patiently for their turn to become the primary consort—but by that day, their children would be running errands, and leaving me then would be difficult!

This way, my grand harem plan could proceed smoothly. The lust inside me was so intense, so exhilarating, that I let out a soft chuckle. Xiao Chuchu, who had been kissing me passionately, jumped back to her seat, startled.

"Zhao Qian, don't scare me. This is my first kiss. I know you’re mad because I was aggressive, but you have no idea—if I didn't make a move today, I'd be marrying someone else. My father issued his final ultimatum: tomorrow I have to accompany him to pay respects to that man’s family. His father is the Minister of Radio, Film, and Television. While his power isn't absolute, he has very close ties to our television station..."

I cut Xiao Chuchu off. "Do you like him?"

Xiao Chuchu shook her head. "You know the answer to that question even if I don't say it."

I asked again with a wicked grin, "Do you like me?"

Xiao Chuchu froze; she hadn't expected me to be so direct. But she quickly understood the implication behind the question, giggled, and threw herself back onto me. "Zhao Qian, you are so bad..."

The space in the car was too narrow. Xiao Chuchu was leaning on my legs with her upper body, her entire chest pressing against me as we kissed deeply. Uncharacteristically, I didn't take the opportunity to grope her. After a moment, we broke apart. For convenience, Xiao Chuchu squeezed her legs over to my side, finally sitting facing me in my lap.

"Zhao Qian, tell me, who do you like more? Do I have a chance?"

"Yes, I like you all equally."

"Stop joking. By the way, I recorded the entire kissing scene. You can watch it right now on the car DVD player..."

Sweating profusely...

Seeing that I didn't move, Xiao Chuchu thought her action had angered me. She asked timidly, "I didn't mean to use this to threaten you, truly, Zhao Qian. It's just professional habit. I wanted to keep a beautiful memory of our future; this is my first kiss, after all, it’s very significant."

I reached out and felt her ample bust. "How about we record the boob-feeling scene too? Playing it back often when we have time should be quite stimulating."

Xiao Chuchu looked highly enthusiastic. "Okay, but the resolution on my car's pinhole equipment isn't very high, and filming at night might affect the quality, so don't blame me."

I patted Xiao Chuchu’s butt. "You’re busy today. Let’s do it another time. Didn't you want to watch the kissing footage?"

The video quality was indeed not great, but the scene of the two of us squeezed tightly together, heads tilted and writhing, was still very provocative on screen. Xiao Chuchu let out a soft moan, pulled me up, and kissed me again—this time, there was no recording.

I didn't want to waste Xiao Chuchu’s work time fooling around, so I stopped. "I’ll drive you there. I won't feel safe letting you walk alone."

"Okay. Don't make you late accompanying Auntie and the others for the New Year, though?"

I moved to the driver's seat. "I’ll be right back."

Xiao Chuchu leaned against me like a small bird seeking shelter, which made shifting gears difficult all the way. When we arrived at the station and she got out, Xiao Chuchu insisted I drive her car back. I refused; this short distance was nothing to me.

"You should delete the video in your car. It would be a huge problem if someone stole the car," I said to Xiao Chuchu as we shared a farewell kiss.

"I have a password. Even if someone steals it, they can't open it. See you tomorrow, and Happy New Year."

The streets overflowed with the joy of the New Year—red lanterns and Chinese knots were everywhere. Some adults and children who couldn't bear to stay home had already started visiting neighbors. No one knew that beneath the peaceful holiday facade, a conspiracy was brewing in the South China Sea of the East Dragon Kingdom.

Serpent's Blood and Fiery Desire