The Family Dog

长青长白Apr 2026

2.7

Word count: 141K words
Chapters: 43

Summary

Otherworldly Audrey spent over a decade scheming before she wrested control of the family from a pack of arrogant men and took her place as head of the household. Yet before she could savor the taste of power, she died of illness brought on by her frail constitution and overwork. Returned to the world, she became her own niece Andrea, just seventeen, given by the man who had seized power in the Capet family to the Fiesley family's half-buried old man. Amid everyone's pity and jeers she was married off, but no one expected that soon after the wedding her new husband and stepson would die one after another in accidents, and she, in a short time, would become the new head of the Fiesley family. The slave she had once bought from the arena on a whim was now the steward holding power in the Fiesley family. He lowered his head, dropped to one knee at her feet, and reverently pressed a kiss to the back of her hand, his voice trembling as he said, "Master, welcome back to my side." She had mocked his disloyalty and toyed with his lowliness; she was the flesh and blood he longed to swallow down his throat, and also his utterly loyal master.

Editor's review

Homebound Hound continues the author's approach of managing power relations within fantasy romance. The heroine, Audrey, spent over a decade wresting the position of head of household from arrogant men, only to die of illness brought on by frail health and overwork; reborn as her niece Andrea, she is married off at seventeen to the Fiesley family's half-buried old man. The story's draw lies in how she is married off amid everyone's pity and jeers, and how, after her new husband and stepson die one after another, she swiftly becomes the new head of the household and seizes the initiative again. The slave bought from the arena is now the steward holding power, and the scene in which he kneels, kisses the back of her hand, and calls her master highlights the core of inverted master-servant roles and tangled loyalty. The overall pace is brisk, and the character relationships carry a sense of calculation and taming, suited to readers who enjoy female power games, rebirth and reversal, and master-servant tension, reading in one sitting over a short period.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy female rebirth, power grabbing, and family games
Readers who prefer master-servant relationships and tangled loyalty
Readers interested in power reversal in a fantasy setting
Romance readers looking for a fast pace and strong relationship tension

Not a good fit for

Readers who do not accept master-servant power relations and taming depictions
Readers who prefer light, sweet romance without scheming plots
Readers who find marriage transactions and family infighting oppressive

Reading tips

First sort out the relationship between the heroine's past-life identity and her present-life identity as the niece, to better understand the basis of her power.
Pay attention to the thread of the steward's experience from arena slave to steward in power; this is key to the master-servant relationship.
Best read several chapters in a row to feel the shift in pace from her marriage to becoming head of the household.

版权信息
第一章
第二章
第三章
第四章
第五章
第六章
第七章
第八章
第九章
第十章
第十一章
第十二章
第十三章
第十四章
第十五章
第十六章
第十七章
第十八章
第十九章
第二十章
第二十一章
第二十二章
第二十三章
第二十四章
第二十五章
第二十六章
第二十七章
第二十八章
第二十九章
第三十章
第三十一章
第三十二章
第三十三章
第三十四章
第三十五章
第三十六章
第三十七章：恃宠而骄（番外）
第三十八章：野犬·上（番外）
第三十九章：野犬·中（番外）
第四十章：野犬·下（番外）
第四十一章：醉酒·上（番外）
第四十二章：醉酒·中（番外）

FAQ

What is the heroine's identity after rebirth?

She was originally the head of the household who seized family power; after dying of illness she becomes her own niece Andrea, just seventeen when the man who had seized power in the Capet family gives her to the Fiesley family's half-buried old man. Past-life memories and present circumstances form the story's main tension.

What was the relationship between the steward and the heroine in the past?

The synopsis mentions he was a slave the heroine bought from the arena, and is now the steward holding power in the Fiesley family. She mocked his disloyalty and toyed with his lowliness, while he kneels, kisses the back of her hand, and calls her master, showing their relationship holds both old grievances and loyalty.

What drives the power reversal in the story?

The material shows that soon after her marriage her new husband and stepson die one after another in accidents, and she therefore becomes the new head of the Fiesley family in a short time. The specific process must be read in the main text; the synopsis does not elaborate on the details.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

长青长白 Author

Changqing Changbai is a Chinese web-fiction author about whom little public information is available; nationality, dates of birth and death, and real identity are not clearly recorded. Eight of the author's works are currently collected, spanning categories such as time-travel and alternate-world fiction, modern romance, youth literature, and otherworld fantasy. Representative titles include Renyu Zhouyin (Mermaid Curse), Guaiwu (Monster), Zhiling Queren (Command Confirmed), Xian Yu, Ting An, Rimu Haihang, and Jiaquan, along with a two-volume set billed as a collection of fate-driven sweet romance by the author. Judging from the titles and categories, the writing tends to center on alternate-world settings and emotional storylines, blending fantastical elements with a sweet-romance orientation. The range is fairly broad, covering both otherworldly imagination and youth and romance narratives closer to reality. The style generally advances plot through character relationships, emphasizing a sense of destiny and readability, and appeals to readers who enjoy time-travel fantasy and modern romance.