He glanced at Hye Won again, a half-smile tugging at his lips. "So... when this transformation finishes, I might come off like a bit of a douchebag."
She snorted. "Might?" Her voice dropped, softer now. "Just don't die again without telling us. Once was already too much."
Another pause. Her eyes clear didn't leave his. "When it's over… will you stop loving me?"
He smiled gently. "No. It'll be the opposite. I'll probably realize I can't live without you."
His gaze shifted between the confused looks of two women, now calm and resolute. "I've known love before—in past lives. That life was enough to experiment what all there is, from the ordinary to the unspeakable. But I have no karmic ties, no fated threads to whatever that is in it. Being reborn didn't mean I came back as a man trapped in a child's body. I was a boy with memories, nothing more. I've had to relearn what love even means."
"I'm not who I used to be," he continued. "I don't carry the same weight. So when I say I love you both—it isn't history talking. It's me. Here and now."
He turned to Hye Won with a lazy grin. "Biologically? Spiritually? Sweetheart, I'm already yours. That's not changing."
Then, as if catching himself, he glanced away, voice softening. "As for Yue Lan… I've been noticing her more. At first, it was just… something familiar. But then it's in the details—the way her eyes darken before she speaks, that little frown when she's focused, the sharp edge of her glare…" His thumb absently traced the air, as if following the memory. "The curve of her jaw, the tilt of her head when she's thinking… hell, even the way her voice cuts when she's mad. And her scent—"
Yue Lan's face burned crimson.
A sharp, pointed stare from Hye Won nearly bored a hole into his skull. He cleared his throat, flashing her a roguish smile. "Ahem..... Anyway. You get the idea."
Then his gaze dropped to Hye Won, slow and deliberate. "But you… fuck, you're mesmerizing. That dress I picked? It clings to you like it's begging to stay. The silver trim lights up like you've got stars dancing on your skin. And that jade pin holding your hair up—every strand perfect, but still wild and untamed beneath. Just like you. It's the way you own every inch of yourself, the intelligence in your eyes, that fierce independence I see. "
He leaned in, just enough for his voice to drop to a murmur. "But it's your eyes that ruin me. They burn. Like you're always holding back lightning. When you look at me, it's not just looking—it's like you see straight through me. I've never met anyone who could make me stand taller just to deserve their attention."
His thumb hovered near her cheek, close enough to feel the warmth but not touching. "And your lips… gods, those lips could start wars. Or end them with a smile. I could write a hundred poems and still not do them justice."
A beat. Then his mouth curled, teasing. "So if I got distracted earlier? Blame it on you. Standing this close, in that dress, with those eyes… I forgot how to fucking breathe so I turned and coincidentally saw her.."
Hye Won's lips twitched, fighting a smile. "You're impossible." Then Hye Won turned to Yue Lan, her voice low."You also have something to say. Don't pretend otherwise."
Yue Lan smiling face froze. She changed her gaze to floor and back to him. She hadn't meant to fall for him. She'd resisted. She told herself it was gratitude. That she admired him. That the soul connection wasn't her choice. But the little things gave her away—the tea he brought without asking, how he always remembered her preferences, how every meeting felt quieter when he was near.
Every time he showed up—calm, steady, always knowing when to speak and when not to, confidence, his overpowering abilities yet acting like a simple guy..yet being brutal when necessary, like what happened nearly a week ago, what he made her do.....it chipped away at her defenses. Besides, the soul connection is like a drug, she was itching not knowing whatever happens on each others end all the while.
She spoke, hesitantly. "I didn't plan it. I fought it. I thought it was just… everything we've been through. The memories. The bond. But when I tried to move on, I couldn't. No one felt close. No one made me laugh at myself like he does. I… I want to stay."
She had tried dating again once. It lasted two weeks. No one compared to what he is... Her voice trembled."I… I want to. But what will people think?"
"They'll think nothing. He made it clear we belong to him." Hye Won said dryly. "But I'm already in love with a man who can fly and breathe fire and treats geopolitical collapse like daytime TV. Insane right? So… what's a little polyamory between soulmates?"
Yue Lan laughed—half horror, half relief. Hye Won leaned in. "You stopped dating the moment he returned in the beginning. You light up when he praises you. Don't think I didn't notice."
Blushing deep red, Yue Lan looked at Han Chen."I want to stay. With both of you. I want to try."
Han Chen was half-asleep already, a head tilting back and doing explanations and sudden confession from Hye Won, in the middle of spirit transformation took a toll and his head tilting back slightly, a faint smirk forming. "She confessed…"
"Shut up and do it properly," Hye Won said, then nudged Yue Lan forward with a flick of spirit force.
Yue Lan stumbled—only to be pulled gently into his arms. Han Chen didn't even open his eyes. Just one arm tightened around her waist, the other reaching blindly until it found Hye Won's hand and tugged her close too. The three of them held there—quiet. " Thank you Hye....Yue.." But instead of a loving conclusion he didn't finish the speech at the critical moment. ".... I really need sleep," he murmured. "It's been over two months only..."
And just like that, he slumped forward, completely out—his head resting in Hye Won's lap like a boy who had finally stopped pretending to be invincible.
Both women flushed, uncertain, but neither pulled away. Quietly, they adjusted his posture, letting him rest. For the first time in weeks, he didn't look like a cultivator who could cleave cities apart or rewrite fate with a glance. He just looked… human. Exhausted. Real.
Later, while he slept, Yue Lan quietly moved her things into the spare room across the hall, saying nothing.
Hye Won stayed behind, sitting beneath his resting place. Fingers idly brushing along the curve of Han Chen's jaw. His skin was warm—softer than expected, yet unnaturally dense, like it held more than flesh. Beneath it, a heartbeat pulsed extremely slow—not quite human. And often, a faint shimmer of golden color could be traced beneath his veins. "Golden blood" She remembered.
She whispered, "What happened to you, my dear?"
Her voice dropped lower, more to herself than him. "Would I be here if I hadn't followed you around like a lost puppy back in high school and while graduating?...well those probably are the most rewarding investment in my life" A faint, self-deprecating smile tugged at her lips. "Sometimes I wonder if you'd have soul-bound yourself to anyone who just… stayed."
She paused. Her tone sharpened, half-teasing. "Hmm… don't think I gave you permission for more than the three of us. I will cut off your precious,.. if you start collecting soulmates like this..."
Then, after a beat—quieter, almost unwillingly tender:"But then again… you made me accept one more. And I still like you more than anything." She bent forward slightly, brushing a kiss against his brow.