The Author's Draft-Chapter 53: Big Brother Chen II

"Who’s the guy with her?"

"Never seen him before."

"They’re holding hands..."

"Oh, I know I heard she was engaged to someone."

Qinglan either didn’t notice or didn’t care.

Eventually, they ended up on a hillside overlooking the inner domain. The view was spectacular—pavilions and courtyards spread out below them, glowing formations creating patterns of light across the sect grounds. The night sky stretched overhead, stars visible despite the ambient glow.

Qinglan sat down on the grass, patting the spot beside her. "Sit."

Long Chen sat.

For a moment, they just looked at the view in comfortable silence.

Then Qinglan spoke, her voice quieter now. "I was so surprised when I found out you were here. In the sect, as a cultivation genius, no less."

She turned to look at him, her expression genuinely happy. "I’m proud of you, Big Brother Chen. Really proud."

Long Chen felt something twist in his chest. The original Long Chen had failed his awakening, had become a servant and been mocked and degraded for years. And through all of it, Qinglan had been the one person who’d never looked down on him.

Now here she was, genuinely happy that he’d succeeded.

"Thank you," Long Chen said quietly.

"So tell me," Qinglan said, leaning forward slightly. "How did it happen? How did you awaken? And Sword Aura! I heard you held your ground against a king realm student using only sword aura. That’s incredible!"

Long Chen hesitated.

He couldn’t tell her the truth or explain that he wasn’t really Long Chen, that he was actually a failed writer from another world inhabiting this body through a divine contract. He couldn’t mention the dragon bloodline or the inheritance or any of it.

So he lied.

"I don’t really understand it myself," Long Chen said, keeping his tone uncertain. "One day I was in the back mountains, training alone, and something just... changed. Like something inside me woke up. After that, cultivation came naturally."

It wasn’t entirely false. Just heavily edited.

Qinglan listened intently, nodding along. "A late awakening. That’s rare, but not unheard of. Some people’s spiritual roots just develop slower."

"I guess so."

"And the Sword Aura?"

"Instinct, mostly. I was fighting spirit beasts in the mountains, and it just happened during a life-or-death moment."

Also technically true.

Qinglan smiled. "You always were stubborn. Even when everyone said you couldn’t cultivate, you kept trying. I’m glad it finally paid off."

They talked for a while longer, sharing stories. Qinglan told him about her experiences in the sect, the techniques she’d learned, the friends she’d made. Long Chen mostly listened, occasionally adding details from Long Chen’s memories when appropriate.

Eventually, Qinglan glanced at the sky and sighed. "I should head back. My master is very strict, and I don’t want to get caught sneaking in late."

She stood up, brushing grass from her robes. "But I’ll come see you soon, okay? We have a lot of catching up to do."

"I’d like that," Long Chen said.

Qinglan smiled, and for a moment, she looked like she wanted to say something else. But instead, she just turned to leave.

Long Chen stood as well, watching her walk down the hillside path—

A figure stepped out from the shadows.

Long Chen’s hand moved to Demon Dweller’s hilt immediately.

The figure was a young man, maybe twenty years old, wearing the distinctive robes of a core disciple—deep black with gold trim. His cultivation radiated from him in waves. King realm. Mid-stage, maybe higher.

His face was handsome in a sharp, aristocratic way. High cheekbones, cold eyes, perfectly styled hair. The kind of face that screamed "young master" in every cultivation novel Aiden had ever read.

And right now, that face was twisted in barely contained fury.

"Qinglan," the man said, his voice tight. "What are you doing out here?"

Qinglan turned, and her expression shifted immediately—not to fear or embarrassment, but to polite neutrality. Like she was dealing with an annoying acquaintance rather than someone she wanted to see.

"Senior Brother Tian," she said evenly. "I was just showing an old friend around the sect."

Feng’s eyes snapped to Long Chen, and his gaze turned predatory. "Old friend?"

His eyes locked onto their joined hands—Qinglan was still holding Long Chen’s hand from when they’d been sitting together.

Feng’s jaw clenched.

"Who is this?" Feng asked, each word clipped.

Qinglan either didn’t notice the hostility or chose to ignore it. Her expression remained pleasant, almost cheerful.

"This is Long Chen," she said simply. "My fiancé."

The temperature seemed to drop ten degrees.

Feng’s face went completely blank for a moment, like he couldn’t process what he’d just heard. Then his eyes narrowed dangerously, spiritual pressure rolling off him in waves.

"Fiancé," Feng repeated slowly.

"Yes." Qinglan smiled, oblivious—or maybe pretending to be oblivious. "We’ve been engaged since we were children. It’s wonderful that we’re both in the sect now."

She turned back to Long Chen, completely ignoring Feng’s darkening expression. "I’ll see you tomorrow, Big Brother Chen. Don’t stay up too late!"

Then she walked past Feng and headed down the path toward the core disciple area.

Feng stood there for a moment, watching her leave. Then his gaze slowly turned back to Long Chen.

The hostility was no longer hidden. It radiated from him like heat from a forge.

Feng took a step closer, and his voice dropped to a low, dangerous tone—not spoken aloud, but transmitted directly into Long Chen’s mind through spiritual sense.

*Watch yourself,* Feng’s mental voice hissed. *Be sensible. Break off that engagement and stay away from her. Because if you don’t, you won’t even know how you died.*

Then he turned and followed after Qinglan, leaving Long Chen standing alone on the hillside.

Long Chen watched him go.

*Well,* Azazel said cheerfully. *That’s your second death threat today. You’re making friends fast.*

[Tian Whoever-He-Is is clearly infatuated with Dugu Qinglan,] the system observed. [And now sees you as a romantic rival. Classic love triangle escalation.]

*I told you! Love triangle! I called it earlier!*

"Shut up, both of you," Long Chen muttered.

He turned and started walking back toward his cave abode.

Two confrontations in one day. One about the engagement, one because of it.

And somehow, despite everything, he’d accidentally flirted with his fiancée and made her blush.

’This is getting complicated,’ Long Chen thought.

*Complicated is fun,* Azazel replied. *Boring is bad. You’re doing great. You know back in my days the beauties couldn’t keep away.*

Long Chen didn’t respond. He just kept walking, already dreading whatever tomorrow would bring.