"Cousin Xiao Yan, do you still remember what happened between us when we were four to six years old?"
After a long silence, Xun'er suddenly turned her head, as if recalling something, and asked softly.
"Four to six…?" Xiao Yan froze. Then—instinctively—his hand shot down to guard his lower body.
Everything else might fade over time.
But what happened when he was four… would haunt him forever.
Back then, he was four; Xun'er had just arrived at the Xiao family. And, as the saying goes: a boy who doesn't flirt in youth has wasted his youth.
At first sight, he fell completely for the little loli who looked as though she walked straight out of a painting. And under cover of night, he acted on his "feelings."
Claiming he wanted to "test whether Dou Qi truly existed, and nurture her body in passing," he attempted to leave a deep impression on her.
But the seemingly delicate, weak little girl exploded with strength no one could have predicted. She beat him until three ribs cracked—and even "down there" she kicked him several times, intentionally or unintentionally. He ended up peeing blood for more than half a month.
Truly, the more unattainable it is, the more beautiful it becomes.
Even after recovering from his injuries, he refused to give up—instead, he worked even harder to increase her favorability.
Yet Xun'er was unexpectedly fierce back then, like a little boy. She beat up nearly every male in the Xiao family who approached her—including him. Anyone who stepped within three meters was guaranteed a beating.
In just two years, she earned the nickname "Little Tyrant" of the Xiao family.
Many boys smitten by her cute appearance retreated in terror.
Only Xiao Yan persisted.
He got beaten; healed; tried again.
Got beaten; healed; tried again.
His refusal to admit defeat kept him going.
Then, at age six—things changed.
That year, Xun'er sat alone in the back mountain, crying. Crying so hard, as if she had lost something incredibly precious.
Xiao Yan hid behind a boulder, watching quietly.
As a transmigrator from Blue Star, he knew well—when a girl is heartbroken, her emotional defenses are the weakest. So he followed the scenes from modern TV dramas: he went forward to comfort her.
Of course, he was still beaten senseless.
But the next day, Xun'er suddenly changed. She was no longer overly aggressive, no longer punched everyone around her. Instead, she became gentle and elegant, like a noble young lady.
Those who had been beaten too many times were sure she was laying a trap—none dared approach.
Only Xiao Yan, who had seen her crying, remained fearless. With persistence over the years, their relationship slowly improved until they eventually addressed each other like siblings.
Just as Xiao Yan was drowning in memories, Xun'er's gentle voice sounded again.
"Cousin Xiao Yan?"
"Oh—uh…" Snapped back to reality, Xiao Yan scratched his head awkwardly. "We were too young then. I don't really remember."
Xun'er's brows lifted in mild suspicion, but she didn't press the matter. She simply nodded and returned her attention to the book in her hands.
Xiao Yan stared at her increasingly beautiful face and swallowed hard.
He silently cursed himself—after so much effort to draw close to her, he let things fall apart just because of pride… and now she was distant.
To distract himself—or perhaps to change the subject—he glanced at the unfamiliar elder and girl seated at the front and whispered to Xun'er:
"Xun'er, do you know who those two guests are? That old man's cultivation is even higher than my father's."
At the mention, Xun'er showed a flicker of interest. If possible, she actually hoped Nalan Yanran wouldn't break the engagement—because then one less girl would end up entangled with Xiao Se.
She smiled faintly. "Look at the seven-colored silver sword on their sleeves."
"Cloud Mist Sect?" Xiao Yan instantly recognized it. The seven-colored silver sword was iconic—anyone in the Jia Ma Empire would know it.
"That elder is Ge Ye, an Elder of the Cloud Mist Sect. The girl beside him is the disciple of Sect Master Yun Yun. I think her name should be familiar to you—Nalan Yanran."
"Nalan Yanran?" Xiao Yan's heart jolted. He frowned and asked, "Why are they here?"
"Four years ago, Nalan Yanran was taken in by Yun Yun as her direct disciple. She displayed exceptional talent, so Yun Yun cherished her greatly. When a person gains the ability to change their destiny, they will erase anything they no longer want.
Unfortunately… Cousin Xiao Yan is what she wishes to erase."
"She came to break the engagement?" Xiao Yan growled.
Xun'er nodded calmly. "Most likely."
Xiao Yan's face instantly went pale. If the engagement was truly dissolved, he would become a laughingstock.
"Damn it… If I were a Dou Shi right now, how would she dare humiliate me like this?" He clenched his teeth, fists trembling.
"Cough." Elder Ge Ye stood up, cupping his hands to Xiao Zhan. "Patriarch Xiao, I came to the Xiao family today with a request."
"Elder Ge, speak freely. If it is within the Xiao family's ability, we will not refuse."
Facing a Cloud Mist Sect Elder, Xiao Zhan did not dare speak too boldly.
Ge Ye glanced around the hall, frowned, and said, "May we speak privately?"
Xiao Zhan hesitated—only for the three Xiao family Elders, worried Xiao Zhan might build a private connection with Ge Ye without them, to immediately butt in:
"Elder Ge, no need for secrecy! Everyone here is the Xiao family's backbone. If there is anything, just say it—we will do our utmost!"
Ge Ye ignored them completely and looked only at Xiao Zhan, waiting.
He had been entrusted by Nalan Jie to accompany Nalan Yanran to dissolve the engagement; Yun Yun had given her approval as well. Nalan Jie instructed him to discuss this matter privately with Xiao Zhan.
But the situation had spiraled beyond control.
So now—he handed the choice to Xiao Zhan.
"This…"
Dozens of eyes—including those of the three Elders—fixed themselves on Xiao Zhan, making him extremely uncomfortable.
After a moment of hesitation, Xiao Zhan made a decision he would regret for the rest of his life.
"Elder Ge, please speak. There are no outsiders here."
His cowardice made disappointment flash across Ge Ye's eyes. Still, he forced out a strained smile and gestured toward the girl beside him.
"Patriarch Xiao, do you recognize this young lady?"
"Forgive my poor eyesight… this young lady is…?"
Xiao Zhan examined Nalan Yanran awkwardly, but ultimately shook his head.
Nalan Yanran stood, curtsied lightly, and spoke with a composed voice:
"Niece Nalan Yanran greets Uncle Xiao."
(End of Chapter)
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