Chapter 24: Xiao Yan
At the top of a cliff on the back mountain of the Xiao family, a young man lay on the grass, chewing on a blade of grass with a hint of melancholy in his expression.
"Sigh, there's another test in a month… But my cultivation hasn't improved at all. I'm going to embarrass my father again," Xiao Yan sighed lightly. He withdrew his hand and rested his head on his arms, a bitter smile on his face.
"Damn it, did you bring me to this world just to make fun of me?" Xiao Yan looked at the sky and roared in anger.
After venting his frustration, Xiao Yan's emotions gradually calmed down, and his face returned to its usual desolation. No matter how angry he was, he couldn't recover the Dou Qi cyclone that he had worked so hard to cultivate.
"Brother Xiao Yan, I knew you would be on the back mountain again," a light and pleasant voice suddenly sounded next to Xiao Yan. A girl had somehow appeared next to him.
"Xun'er, you're here," Xiao Yan said, forcing a smile on his face, but the helplessness in his eyes was hard to conceal.
The girl was dressed in a purple dress, standing elegantly. The wind blew her long hair, revealing the perfect curves of the girl. At this moment, she was looking at Xiao Yan with a bit of heartache, standing there like a pure lotus, untouched by the world.
"Brother Xiao Yan, you once told me that only by letting go can you pick up again. Being able to let go and pick up freely is the mark of a free person. Have you forgotten?" The girl suddenly spoke after a long silence. Her pleasant voice gave people a strange feeling of being cleansed.
"Hehe, a free person? I can only talk about it. Look at me now, do I look like a free person?" Xiao Yan laughed at himself and said dispiritedly.
Seeing Xiao Yan's decadence, Xiao Xun'er frowned slightly and said seriously, "Brother Xiao Yan, although I don't know what's going on with you, I believe that you will stand up again and regain your glory and dignity…"
After saying this, the girl looked at Xiao Yan, who still didn't react, and shook her head slightly.
"Brother Xiao Yan, when I came up, I saw Uncle Xiao. He seemed to be looking for you. We should go down quickly."
"Father is looking for me?" Hearing this, Xiao Yan's eyelids twitched. He nodded and then got up to go down the mountain with Xiao Xun'er.
"Father, are you looking for me?" At the foot of the mountain, Xiao Yan saw a middle-aged man waiting and quickly went up to ask.
The middle-aged man was dressed in a luxurious grey robe, and his demeanor was quite majestic. His thick eyebrows added a bit of boldness to his face. He was the current patriarch of the Xiao family, Xiao Yan's father, a five-star Dou Shi, Xiao Zhan!
"Yan'er, are you worried about your cultivation again?" Looking at Xiao Yan's youthful and handsome face, Xiao Zhan sighed slightly. As a father, he knew that every time Xiao Yan was upset, he would run to the back mountain.
"Hehe, father, what's there to worry about? It's still the same as before," Xiao Yan shook his head, a bitter smile on his face.
Seeing Xiao Yan's decadence, Xiao Zhan quickly changed the subject, "Forget it, let's not talk about this. Yan'er, you'll go with me to the Miteer Auction House tomorrow."
"Go to the Miteer Auction House? To attend the auction?" Xiao Yan asked, somewhat puzzled.
"The auction was held today. Tomorrow, you'll go with me to the Miteer Auction House for a banquet," Xiao Zhan explained.
"A banquet?" Xiao Yan was stunned, then shook his head, "Father, I won't go."
He was also puzzled. Since his cultivation had problems, he had rarely appeared in public places. Why would his father suddenly suggest taking him to a banquet this time?
"It's different this time. They specifically invited you. You have to go," Xiao Zhan was also puzzled. He had received an invitation from Miss Ya Fei of the Miteer Auction House, which specifically mentioned Xiao Yan.
"Who specifically invited me?" Xiao Yan frowned.
"It's Miss Ya Fei from the Miteer Auction House," Xiao Zhan said.
"Miss Ya Fei?" Hearing Xiao Zhan's words, Xiao Yan was even more confused.
"Father, it seems that I don't have any intersection with Miss Ya Fei. Why would she suddenly invite me to a banquet?" Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Zhan, very puzzled.
"To be honest, I'm also puzzled. But since Miss Ya Fei has specifically invited you, you should go with me tomorrow," Xiao Zhan shook his head. He had also had quite a few dealings with Ya Fei, but they were all business-related. This was the first time Ya Fei had invited him to a banquet, which made him wonder what Ya Fei was up to.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan fell silent, showing a hint of difficulty on his face. Since his cultivation had problems, every time he appeared in public, he would be pointed at and discussed. Therefore, he was very resistant to these banquets with many people. Especially this Ya Fei, whom he had never dealt with before, he really didn't want to go.
"Sigh, forget it, if you don't want to go, then don't," Seeing Xiao Yan's difficulty, Xiao Zhan suddenly sighed. He didn't want to force his son. If necessary, he would apologize to Ya Fei tomorrow.
Xiao Zhan shook his head and was about to turn around and leave.
"Wait!" Just then, Xiao Yan suddenly spoke, "Father, remember to call me tomorrow."
Hearing this, Xiao Zhan finally showed a relieved smile on his face. He nodded at Xiao Yan and then turned around and left.