Xiao YanXue/Relationships

## Family

Xiao YanXue knew that she was the precious jewel of the Xiao Family and she had also made great contributions to the family. Furthermore, her marriage should be decided by her alone and she was extremely proud of this fact. She was certain of this because her grandfather, Xiao FengHan, had annulled the marriage with the Ling Family despite his decades of brotherhood with Ling Zhan after knowing that Ling Tian was a hopeless profligate son. This made Xiao YanXue feel that she was extremely special and her happiness was what mattered to her grandfather. All other things were of little significance as compared to that.
Xiao YanXue had never imagined that she would ever make a sacrifice for the family. Or more accurately, the family would sacrifice her in exchange for something else. However, she had personally heard her two grandfathers who doted on her the most decide to exchange her marriage for an alliance with Eastern Zhao. After hearing that, Xiao YanXue ran to her parents to make a complaint and she stubbornly felt that her parents would definitely stand up for her. In the end, her mother told her that she would not suffer if she were to be married over to Eastern Zhao and her father told her that she should be proud that she could make a sacrifice for the family! She was devastated! She suddenly felt that she was helpless and alone in this familiar home which she had grown up in! Am I no more than a tool? Was I a tool to help the family earn money in the past and a tool to help the family form an alliance now?! Will my whole life be destroyed just like that? What's my worth?!

## Ling Tian

Her original judgment of herself was unbearably lofty, thinking that she was not only clever and witty, with many schemes, but also managing the family business and increasing the volume of sales day after day. She believed that in the entire Heavenly Star Continent, there was actually no one that could be compared to her!
However, the last trip to Sky Bearing completely destroyed her worldview. Be it the brain she was so proud of, or wisdom, or even poetry and music which she so loved, there was not a single aspect in which she wasn't soundly beaten. And the person who beat her in all aspects was the person she had despised since she was young, the number one profligate in Sky Bearing, Ling Tian!
She had never believed any other lady capable enough to meet her talents, but with the appearance of Ling Chen, Xiao YanXue had already lost confidence in herself. Towards the talents of Ling Chen, she only had praise! However, this outstanding Ling Chen was merely the maidservant of Ling Tian, with her every single aspect being carefully groomed by Ling Tian himself! At that point, Xiao YanXue did not dare to believe, did not want to believe, and could not bring herself to believe it! How could the number one profligate actually have the ability to teach someone, let alone someone as outstanding as Ling Chen?
Following that was the literary meet, where Ling Tian used his peerless literary talent to move her heart. How could she still refuse to believe? The truth was in front of her!
In front of him, everything that she was proud of about herself was unworthy to even be mentioned! The most embarrassing part, however, was that she had maintained that sort of haughty and proud demeanor to look down on him. But that day, at her most helpless, he was the one who had saved her. Ever since she found out that Ling Tian was her savior, she had always felt some shame when facing him.
To give an example, it was as though a person who failed the official exams was bragging about himself in front of someone else, and even using a tone that signified the other was trash. Then the former finds out that the person that he was bragging to was actually the top scholar! But words spoken could not be taken back. This sort of embarrassment was indescribable.
From the disdain she felt towards him while far away at her home, to the disregard she gave him when she saw him and even the scorn when they conversed as well as the contempt she felt from her bones towards him. In the end, all she found out was that she was actually the one who should be looking up to and admiring him!

Amid her complicated thoughts, Ling Tian's shadow was unknowingly carved onto Xiao YanXue's heart. When she left Sky Bearing back then, it was truly a gut-wrenching feeling.

It was because of this hazy feeling of concern, a fairytale-like dream of hers, and intoxicated mood that made Xiao YanXue daydream about Ling Tian time and time again. After all, Ling Tian was supposed to be her prospective husband! Every time she thought about this, Xiao YanXue would feel a sourness in her heart and endless depression would surround her. It was also these complicated thoughts of hers that gave her the courage to escape from home after hearing her family's decision!

If she did not see Ling Tian and did not discover the shocking talent beneath his profligate disguise, perhaps she wouldn't be so conflicted about her family's decision. However, after seeing the miraculous performance of Ling Tian, how would the prideful Xiao YanXue be willing to marry someone ordinary? When her life was in the darkest period and she was unable to fall asleep, she felt the Blood Phoenix Jaspar Bracelet on her wrist. This was the family heirloom of the Ling Family and also the token which Old Madam Ling had given to her. Only the daughter-in-law of the Xiao Family would be worthy of this item! She felt the coolness from the Blood Phoenix Jaspar Bracelet, and it woke her up as Ling Tian's face became clearer and clearer in her mind. In this world, is he perhaps the only one capable of protecting me? I want to look for him! I want to see him! Holding on to her desperation and a final trace of hope, Xiao YanXue left the Xiao Residence in the night and headed towards Sky Bearing in disguise. Before she could arrive at Sky Bearing, she heard news of Wei ChengPing inviting the Martial Order Medallion owner to kill Ling Tian! This made the little lass at a complete loss. What was the use of her going to Sky Bearing if Ling Tian wasn't there? With the ties of Old Madam Ling and her grandfather, she would probably be sent back to the Xiao Family immediately after she set foot in the Ling Residence. Furthermore, what could she tell the members of the Ling Family? That she liked Ling Tian and wanted to marry him? Even if the marriage between both the families wasn't annulled, that wasn't an appropriate action! In the whole Ling Family, Ling Tian was probably the only person who did not place her grandfather in his sights! In fact, in the whole world, there probably wasn't anyone who Ling Tian placed in his sight! He was the only one who was like a carefree eagle soaring through the skies, doing as he wished! After patiently waiting for a few days, Xiao YanXue risked the exposure of her identity to find out that Ling Tian was heading to Bright Jade City from the Xiao Family's spies. While she did not know why Ling Tian was heading to such a dangerous place, Xiao YanXue had still traveled to Bright Jade City without hesitation! Xiao YanXue had only entered the city a mere four hours earlier than Ling Tian. How would she be able to know that a storm had just descended onto Bright Jade City? The Yu Family was like a red-eyed gambler, locking down the city and killing the citizens like they were ants. After Xiao YanXue was discovered in the inn, she escaped all the way here, was captured and almost humiliated! n her hopelessness and when she thought that she had no one to rely on, she was actually saved! Furthermore, the one who saved her was the very person who she was looking for! He is safe and saved the helpless me! He saved me again! She was brought from the pits of hell to the heavens and hopelessness to security. Xiao YanXue could no longer endure the intense fluctuations of her emotions and fell unconscious! Even if she fainted, she felt at ease and blessed, because Xiao YanXue was clear that she had landed in his embrace. Thank the heavens for their arrangements! The fate between the two of them was just so mystical! What a good sleep!

Upon thinking about this embarrassing and sensitive problem, Xiao YanXue could not help but feel some panic. While she had affection towards Ling Tian currently, she had never placed him in her heart all those years prior, and by the time she had a change of heart, they no longer had any contact. Furthermore, with her grandfather going forth to annul the marriage, it was something that any family, let alone the man itself, would feel humiliation over! With his current status, and with so many country-toppling beauties beside him, why would he even bother about herself, let alone take her in and shelter her?

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chapter 461
2. ↑ Chapter 460
3. ↑ Chapter 462