"So… Yunyi's your aunt."
Jun Haoxuan's voice was quiet, lacking any real surprise as they stood beneath the tree, both gazing up at the blue flames.
"You don't sound surprised," Ningyan muttered.
"That's because I'm not." Jun Haoxuan folded his arms. "I suspected you were related to her somehow. Your kind's numbers are dwindling. Even if some are hiding, it doesn't change that fact. Finding a relative isn't that difficult."
Ningyan scoffed. "That logic's flawed. It could just as easily be the other way around."
Jun Haoxuan's lips curved faintly as he turned fully toward him. Then his eyes caught on something else.
The spirit mate chain.
White-gold light shimmered as it materialized around Ningyan's neck.
Jun Haoxuan's smile vanished. "Look at me."
Ningyan turned, confused. "What?"
Jun Haoxuan stepped forward and reached out, his fingers closing around the chain. The moment it solidified in Ningyan's sight, lightning crackled violently around Jun Haoxuan's grip.
