Douluo : Capture the goddess starting from peerless tang sect

"You're right. I am one of the crown prince's people. Many years ago, I approached Xu Tianran. Back then, he wasn't even the crown prince yet… For revenge, I had no choice but to rely on Xu Tianran's power. If Xu Tianran becomes emperor, only someone as ambitious as him would ever agree to attack the Star Luo Empire for me…"

Tears slid down Orange's cheeks.

She continued to speak, her voice trembling with fear. Was her closeness to Qian Ran solely because of Xu Tianran's orders? Not entirely—at least, she didn't believe so.

Now that Qian Ran had uncovered her identity and possibly her intentions, her heart was in turmoil.

She knew her sudden intimacy as someone loyal to the Sun-Moon Empire's crown prince would inevitably make anyone suspicious of her motives. Qian Ran wasn't naive; he couldn't possibly overlook this.

At this moment, she feared Qian Ran's complete loss of trust and affection for her.

Caught between despair and hope, her face turned pale. She chose to risk everything, confessing even the secrets of her alliance with Xu Tianran. If Xu Tianran ever discovered her betrayal, she would undoubtedly face death. Yet at this moment, her fear of losing Qian Ran outweighed all else.

It was only now that she realized just how deeply Qian Ran had taken root in her heart.

"So? Why have you come to me now?" Qian Ran asked, his tone softening when he saw her tears. As someone who had read the original novel, he understood Orange's kind nature. Her heart, however, was consumed by vengeance.

Her hatred had been simple once, but after spending so much time with Xu Tianran, that hatred had been redirected toward the Star Luo Empire. To Xu Tianran, Orange was a sharp blade—driven by revenge, perfectly aligned with his ambitions to unite the continent.

"Xu Tianran ordered me to. Since he can no longer… perform, his plans for the future require…" Orange hesitated, then decided to reveal everything. After all, she had already confessed so much—why stop now?

Qian Ran froze.

What?!

He was utterly dumbfounded.

Xu Tianran wasn't just cunning—he was next-level cunning.

Qian Ran's entire body trembled from the sheer audacity of it all.

The White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao, had been forced into a "wife-gifting" scenario, though Qian Ran had coerced him. Fan Yu had been similarly pressured by Qian Ran's schemes. Qian Duoduo and Yan Shaozhe were still blissfully unaware, the honest types who had been unwittingly ensnared.

But this? This was on another level entirely.

Here was a third type of person. A prince who not only offered his virgin wife to another man but—most shockingly—wouldn't marry her unless she was pregnant by someone else!

In other words, Xu Tianran had designated Orange as his future wife, but he outright refused to marry her as long as she remained "pure." He would only take her after she bore Qian Ran's child.

What the…?!

The more Qian Ran thought about it, the more flabbergasted he became. Even with his vast experience as a voracious reader in his previous life, he had rarely encountered someone like this. Such minds were truly rare.

Then again, Xu Tianran wasn't entirely to blame. It wasn't as if he wanted to give away his future wife. His… physical condition had left him with no alternative.

In the original story, Xu Tianran had forced Orange to sleep with his brother—or someone else—just to continue his line. When Orange couldn't take it anymore, she turned to Huo Yuhao, which was how their child came into being.

This bastard Xu Tianran is even eyeing my child? What a scumbag.

He wanted to raise Qian Ran's child as his own? That was the pinnacle of shamelessness. Did he think he could claim Qian Ran's son so easily?

Qian Ran was both amused and disgusted. Xu Tianran truly knew how to play the game. Compared to these twisted nobles, Qian Ran—a man with a simple love for beautiful women—was practically a saint. Still, Qian Ran had to admit that he stood to benefit.

It wasn't entirely unreasonable for Xu Tianran to target Qian Ran. After all, Qian Ran's twin martial souls, the Six-Winged Angel and Golden Dragon, were unparalleled on the continent. Since Xu Tianran knew he couldn't have his own biological children, wouldn't it make sense to adopt the most talented one possible?

Even if it meant replacing the royal bloodline of the Sun-Moon Empire, Xu Tianran didn't care. His ambition was to unify the continent. After becoming its ruler, wouldn't his heirs need to have extraordinary martial souls?

When put that way, even Xu Tianran felt the Sun-Moon Empire's current royal bloodline was inadequate.

Considering all these factors, it made perfect sense why Xu Tianran started scheming the moment Qian Ran arrived at the Sun-Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy.

Qian Ran pieced it together quickly, understanding Xu Tianran's warped logic.

It wasn't something a normal person would ever consider. But Xu Tianran wasn't normal—he was a eunuch. History was full of tales of powerful eunuchs doing bizarre things, and Xu Tianran was no exception.

"Let me get this straight—you were ordered to serve me, future crown princess?" Qian Ran asked, gripping Orange's chin as he studied her flawless face.

The more he looked, the more captivating she became—especially when he thought about her status as the crown prince's fiancée. The mental image of Xu Tianran, powerless in his wheelchair, only made the scenario more stimulating.

This wasn't just about Orange's beauty or figure anymore. Her status and the layers of complexity made it all the more enticing. It was electrifying.

"You… You're not entirely wrong," Orange admitted, her cheeks puffing out in frustration.

She realized that, despite her confessions, Qian Ran hadn't shown any disappointment. On the contrary, he seemed even more intrigued.

This…

Orange was baffled. She was intelligent, but she couldn't possibly grasp the labyrinthine preferences of certain men. Her understanding of men was still stuck at the simplistic notion that they liked beautiful women.

"So, what do you want? If you don't trust me, just forget everything I've said today," Orange finally said after a moment of hesitation.

No matter how much she explained, she didn't believe Qian Ran would trust her. As one of Xu Tianran's closest confidantes, and after hiding so much from him, even her heartfelt revelations might not change his mind.

Orange had already resigned herself to being cast aside by Qian Ran.

"Senior Sister Orange, what nonsense are you spouting? Do I seem like someone so cold and heartless? You care for me, and I like you too. The crown prince agrees as well—what a perfect arrangement! A win for all three of us!" Qian Ran said, cupping Orange's face and gently wiping away her tears.

Inside, Qian Ran was laughing hysterically.

An opportunity like this wouldn't come twice in a lifetime. Was he going to let it slip by? Absolutely not.

Where else could he find someone like Xu Tianran, who willingly handed over his virgin fiancée? Qian Ran adored Xu Tianran's magnanimity.

"You don't mind?" Orange asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"If the crown prince doesn't mind, why should I? Sure, I'm at a slight disadvantage here, but as a man, taking a small hit is normal."

(End of Chapter)