The room seemed to shrink the moment Feng Lian entered.
Lan Xiyue's stance shifted — not openly aggressive, but every line of his body said move closer and you'll regret it. Feng Lian, of course, treated it like a game. He took his time closing the door, leaning casually against the frame.
Feng Lian: "I was almost disappointed, Xiyue. Thought you might have gotten to him before me and already spirited him away."
Xiyue: "Almost?"
Feng Lian: "I enjoy the chase."
His eyes slid to Ruo Han, the faintest curl of amusement tugging his lips.
Feng Lian: "You've been hard to find, little moon."
Ruo Han's pulse jumped at the nickname, but he kept his expression calm.
Ruo Han: "And yet, here you are."
Xiyue stepped subtly between them, the movement protective but not possessive — though his qi coiled in the air like a warning.
Xiyue: "We're leaving. You're not coming."
Feng Lian tilted his head.
Feng Lian: "You speak as if you have a choice in the matter."
The air thickened, the sharp tang of steel meeting the heady scent of warm embers. Ruo Han felt it pull at something inside him — the Heaven's Vein answering both their presences in different ways.
One like a shield.
The other like a fire he couldn't quite turn from.
Ruo Han: "Enough. Both of you."
They both looked at him then, and he realized too late what a mistake it was to meet their gazes at the same time.
In that instant, Ruo Han knew — neither man was going to back down.
And he was the prize.