Cousin Xiao Yu

Xiao Yan was greatly shocked. His future life was far too miserable!

At three, his grandfather, the pillar of the family, fell; at four, his birth mother died. After finally having a few smooth years, tragedy struck again?!

"With Dou Qi developed to such heights here, there should be a solution, right?"

While nervous, Xiao Yan held onto a trace of hope and continued reading.

[Year Thirteen: Your father, Xiao Zhan, has been searching for a solution for you, but with his connections and strength, there are still no signs of improvement in your condition.]

[The younger members of the family gradually began voicing complaints about you, this 'genius.' However, afraid that you might suddenly make a comeback someday, they did not go too far.]

[One day, while taking a walk to clear your mind in the back mountain, you accidentally saw your cousin Xiao Yu entering a hot spring to bathe.]

[Unfortunately, she discovered you. You chose...]

[A: Step out openly and explain the reason.]

[B: Turn and flee, making a clean getaway.]

[C: Run toward Xiao Yu and say you were chased here by a magical beast.]

Xiao Yan sighed inwardly. When a person was unlucky, even a fart could hit their heel.

Who would have thought there was a hot spring in the back mountain that the Xiao Clan had never discovered?

And who would have thought a young woman would dare bathe in broad daylight?

Yet he had run into both of these highly unlikely events!

Looking at the three choices, Xiao Yan frowned slightly.

To be honest, the truth was sometimes hard to make people believe.

But running away would make it seem like he really had been peeping on Xiao Yu bathing...

After hesitating for a moment, Xiao Yan chose C.

If he said there was a magical beast in the back mountain, not only would it solve his problem, but Xiao Yu probably would not dare bathe here so boldly in the future.

[A woman's sixth sense made Xiao Yu feel that something was amiss. After carefully observing her surroundings, she truly discovered something.]

"Who's there?"

Unlike the rustling caused by the wind, this sound made Xiao Yu tense up.

Her lotus-like arms abruptly covered the skin before her, smooth as congealed cream, while her pair of slender, sexy jade legs instinctively pressed tightly together.

Her gaze swiftly swept across her surroundings. Xiao Yu immediately spotted a very conspicuous corner of black clothing in the grass and let out a sharp cry.

"Who is it? Get out here!"

"Magical beast! There's a magical beast here! Run!"

Knowing he had been discovered, Xiao Yan hurriedly leaped out and ran toward Xiao Yu, casually making up a reason for being there.

The ground around the hot spring was wet. Xiao Yan rushed forward like a wild horse breaking free of its reins, but his foot suddenly slipped. With a splash, he tumbled into the hot spring beneath Xiao Yu's stunned gaze.

Having suddenly fallen into the water, Xiao Yan, like most drowning people, thrashed wildly and grabbed at anything that could save his life.

Fortunately, Xiao Yan quickly managed to grab hold of something.

Though it felt exceptionally smooth and slick, having something to brace himself against let Xiao Yan steady his body. He slowly lifted his head from the water.

The tender, rosy-white sight before him made Xiao Yan freeze on the spot.

Seeing this fellow clutching her thigh, Xiao Yu's face turned crimson as blood.

After a moment of stunned silence, she went berserk like a crazed mother leopard, her shriek shaking the forest.

"You little bastard, you're courting death!"

[Her jade foot, smooth as lamb fat, kicked you in the face. Xiao Yu swiftly got dressed.]

[Knowing you had failed to fool Xiao Yu, and that your strength was meager, you turned and ran.]

[Although Xiao Yu was much stronger than you, your keen soul perception allowed you not only to anticipate your enemy's moves, but also to discern the environment ahead. You moved freely through the forest.

Therefore, you were not caught. However, Xiao Yu refused to let the matter rest and chased you all over the mountain, leaving you looking utterly miserable.]

[For the next half year, because of this incident, you did not have a good day.]

[Later, when Xiao Yu prepared to enroll in Canaan Academy and began focusing on cultivation, you finally breathed a sigh of relief.]

"Strength... If I hadn't wasted that period of time, how could Xiao Yu have been a match for me!"

Seeing his own miserable state, Xiao Yan pursed his lips, then sighed helplessly inwardly.

If his talent had truly remained, why would he have gone wandering around the back mountain?

[Year Fourteen: Your condition continued worsening, but Xiao Zhan did not abandon you. This gradually made you acknowledge him as your father in this world.]

"I'm really... the type to call whoever feeds me Mom." Seeing himself acknowledge Xiao Zhan so easily, Xiao Yan gave a bitter smile inwardly.

[Year Fifteen: Your strength fell back to the third stage of Dou Qi, convincing many people that you were a useless cripple who could never make a comeback.

Your cousin Xiao Mei, who had once been extremely affectionate toward you, gradually became cold toward you. Some of your peers completely stopped taking you seriously.

Xiao Xun'er, whose meridians you had nourished when she was little, was one of the few who still cared about you.

As she grew older, her temperament became elegant as a lotus. Despite her young age, she was already exceptionally refined, making it easy to imagine that she would one day possess beauty capable of toppling nations.

This comforted you somewhat. Along with constantly telling yourself that a miserable life was still better than death, you managed not to break beneath the countless taunts of reality and kill yourself.]

Xiao Yan felt exceedingly bitter. Compared to those who died from online abuse, he was being mocked to his face by countless people.

If it had truly been some young boy in his place, he probably would have been unable to bear it long ago.

[Year Sixteen: As you grew older, the results of your cultivation became better and better. Yet your strength, stalled at the third stage of Dou Qi, showed no signs of rebounding.

You guessed that perhaps things would change once you turned sixteen.]

[During the family test, having remained in place, you immediately suffered unrestrained mockery from everyone.]

"Third stage? Hehe, just as expected. This 'genius' has remained stuck in place for another whole year."

"Sigh, this piece of trash has completely disgraced the Xiao Clan."

"His father is only the clan leader. Otherwise, trash like him should have been driven from the clan long ago and left to fend for himself. How could he still be freeloading in the clan?"

"Exactly. A disaster star cursed by the wrath of the gods like him might bring calamity upon geniuses like me if he remains in the clan..."

[Your dark eyes swept over the mocking peers around you. You gave a self-deprecating smile and turned away in dejection.]

Seeing that figure so out of place with the world around him, Xiao Yan could almost feel it himself.

"He's become completely insecure and withdrawn. What exactly is going on? Don't tell me he'll die without ever knowing the reason. That would be truly unbearable."

[The test continued. This year, Xiao Mei broke through to the seventh stage of Dou Qi, drawing a chorus of applause.

She gave you a complicated look. After thinking for a moment, she sighed softly. From now on, the two of you belonged to different worlds.

Immediately afterward, Xiao Xun'er's strength at the ninth stage of Dou Qi shocked everyone. If she successfully condensed a Dou Qi Whirl in the future, she would become the second person in Xiao Clan history to do so.

As usual, after the test, Xiao Xun'er walked up to you beneath the burning gazes of the crowd and greeted you intimately.

The prolonged and relentless mockery made you feel somewhat inferior in front of the girl, but Xiao Xun'er did not mind as she walked alongside you.]