Take the Stage

How could Xiao Han fail to notice the maiden's actions beside him? He smiled helplessly, then tightened his grip around her soft, delicate hand once more.

"You little fool, what are you thinking about? Since I've chosen you, you're my only one!" Xiao Han looked at Xiao Xueqin and spoke earnestly. Naturally, he had already seen through her little thoughts.

Meeting Xiao Han's gaze, Xiao Xueqin's beautiful eyes froze slightly. She was touched, though she did not know whether she felt joy or worry—perhaps both. In a hazy love, unable to control the future, wasn't it only natural to be caught between hope and fear?

Perhaps it was a kind of trouble, but who could say it was not beautiful?

"Don't overthink it, Xue Qin. I promise you, in the future, your radiance will not be weaker than Xun Er's. You, too, will become a goddess no one dares defile in everyone's eyes!" Xiao Han said firmly.

Hearing this, Xiao Xueqin was stunned for a long while. Become an untouchable goddess—could she really do it?

Seeing this, Xiao Han chuckled and said no more. Xiao Xueqin would understand in the future. In any case, how could his woman possibly be ordinary?

Amid the envious gazes of the crowd, Xun Er stepped down from the stage. She did not care about their reactions and walked straight toward the youth in black.

"Brother Xiao Yan." The maiden clasped her little hands behind her back, her beautiful eyes smiling as she stared at Xiao Yan, as though waiting for him to praise her.

"As expected of my Xun Er. You have my flair from back then." Xiao Yan reached out and gently rubbed the maiden's little head, smiling.

Xun Er shook her head and shot Xiao Yan a coquettish glance, looking utterly charming.

Some of the youths nearby saw how intimate the two were, and their hearts filled with jealousy. Did such trash deserve it?

If the occasion had not been inappropriate, they would probably have already rushed over to beat Xiao Yan up. That was the goddess in their hearts!

"Hmph, when this trash goes on stage for testing later, he definitely won't pass. After the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, he'll surely be driven out of the Xiao Clan. Even the Patriarch won't be able to protect him then!"

"Exactly. He should take a look at what he is. Does he deserve Xun Er?"

"..."

The youths below the stage began discussing in low voices, their gazes toward Xiao Yan filled with disdain and mockery.

Xiao Yan naturally heard the hushed discussions around him. He had long grown used to them. Once, they had looked up at him with the humblest gazes; now, they naturally spared no effort in mocking a genius who had fallen from his pedestal.

"Silence!" The Middle-aged Tester swept his imposing gaze across the crowd before continuing, "Next, Xiao Yan!"

At once, everyone's eyes gathered on Xiao Yan, all of them carrying teasing looks, as though they were waiting to see him make a fool of himself.

Xiao Yan's dark eyes swept over the crowd, and the corner of his mouth lifted into an inexplicable curve.

Although he had long become accustomed to everyone's ridicule, those voices truly sounded like the buzzing of annoying flies. They were really... irritating. So...

So after today, those voices could disappear. He would tell everyone that, in the past and even now, he was still someone they could only look up to.

He would also tell everyone that only he was qualified to be with that Green-clothed Girl!

Thus, Xiao Yan moved. Step by step, unhurriedly, he walked toward the Testing Magic Stone Tablet...