pdf-ebookys Chapter 63 Xu Xiaoyan
Chapter 63 Xu Xiaoyan
Chapter 63 Xu Xiaoyan
The banquet hall was brightly lit, filled with elegantly dressed people, and melodious music flowed gently through the air.
Holding Lu Xingchen's small hand, Mu Xi walked briskly through the crowd, occasionally pointing out the guests around him. Her tone was familiar and clear: "Little brother Xingchen, look at that distinguished gentleman. He is Xie Mingyuan, the patriarch of the Xie family. Don't let his age fool you; the Xie family is a renowned and prestigious clan in our Donghai City."
"Especially in the mecha manufacturing industry, it occupies a pivotal position. Most of the core components of high-end mechas in Donghai City come from Xie's workshop."
Following the direction Mu Xi pointed, they saw a middle-aged man in a dark blue suit chatting and laughing with several guests. His brows revealed composure and competence, and his every move exuded the air of a superior.
"And that old gentleman in the brocade gray robe," Mu Xi continued, lowering her voice slightly, "he is the current patriarch of the Shenli family: Shenli Qingyan, who also serves as the Minister of Finance of Tianhai City. Don't think that the position of Minister of Finance is insignificant."
"The Shenli family is a large family that has been passed down in Tianhai City for nearly a thousand years. It has a deep foundation, abundant wealth, and a very high reputation in the entire East China Sea business community. Even the decisions of major chambers of commerce have to take into account the opinions of the Shenli family."
Lu Xingchen followed her gaze and saw that the old man had white hair and beard, but was still vigorous and had deep eyes. He exuded an aura of authority that had been accumulated over the years, and even just standing there quietly, he made people dare not approach him easily.
"Who is that—"
Although Mu Xi is only eleven years old, as the daughter of a master craftsman, she frequently attends various high-end events and knows the identities, backgrounds, and family influence of the guests present like the back of her hand.
She not only meticulously introduced the identities of the important figures, but also mentioned their status and influence in the East China Sea region, speaking clearly and logically, like a little adult.
Yuan Bao'er followed not far behind the two, a gentle smile always on her face. She looked at her daughter with doting eyes as she earnestly introduced Lu Xingchen to various people, just like a little adult.
She would occasionally nod to familiar guests, but she would not approach the two children and let them move freely in the banquet hall.
Just as the two were about to reach the lounge area in the center of the banquet hall, an unpleasant snort suddenly rang out: "Hmph, I didn't expect to see you here, Lu Xingchen!"
Before they could finish speaking, a young man dressed in an exquisite suit and sporting neat blue hair stood in front of them, his brows furrowed with a hint of barely perceptible arrogance.
Lu Xingchen looked at him suspiciously and asked, "Excuse me, who are you? Have we met before?"
"What?! You actually forgot my name?" Upon hearing this, the blue-haired boy seemed to have been greatly humiliated, his cheeks instantly turning bright red, and his breathing becoming rapid.
Mu Xi recognized him at a glance and quickly leaned close to Lu Xingchen's ear, lowering her voice to introduce him: "He is Xu Xiaoyu, the eldest son of the Xu family in Donghai City, and a student in the intermediate department of Donghai Academy."
"I don't know him." Lu Xingchen shook his head.
Xu Xiaoyu's expression softened slightly after Mu Xi's introduction, thinking that perhaps the other party just hadn't remembered for a moment.
Upon hearing Lu Xingchen's decisive denial, his face instantly turned from red to black, as if it had been stained with ink.
He suddenly raised his voice, his tone full of resentment as he reminded him, "Your opponent in the quarterfinals of the Tianhai Alliance Tournament's junior division was me! You don't even remember me?"
"Well----"
Upon hearing this, Lu Xingchen subconsciously scratched his head, revealing an innocent and honest expression: "Sorry, I usually don't bother to remember the names of those who have lost to me. After all, it's a competition; once you win, it's over, and there's no need to keep remembering who your opponent is."
"You, you————"
Xu Xiaoyu was speechless for a long time after hearing this, her cheeks turned purple, and she pointed her finger at Lu Xingchen, trembling with anger.
He admitted that Lu Xingchen's strength was indeed far superior to his during the competition. Lu Xingchen's overwhelming offensive left him with no chance to fight back, and he lost completely and accepted the defeat wholeheartedly.
Even so, being told so bluntly that he "doesn't remember" still made him feel utterly humiliated.
Just as tensions were about to rise, a soft, sweet voice suddenly rang out: "Alright, brother, Dad sent us here, not for you to cause trouble."
Lu Xingchen looked in the direction of the sound and saw a little girl in a light blue gauze dress standing behind Xu Xiaoyu. She had the same light blue long hair as Xu Xiaoyu, but her hair was softer and smoother, cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall.
The girl was about six or seven years old, with fair skin and delicate features like a porcelain doll. Her big, bright eyes were filled with worry as she gently tugged at Xu Xiaoyu's sleeve.
"Xiaoyan."
Hearing her sister's voice, Xu Xiaoyu's anger dissipated almost instantly, as if doused with cold water.
However, he was always proud and concerned about his image. Now that his sister had publicly dissuaded him, he couldn't bring himself to apologize. He could only awkwardly turn his head away, his cheeks slightly flushed.
"Really, my brother is still so competitive."
Xu Xiaoyan shook her head helplessly. She knew her brother's personality too well. He seemed arrogant and domineering, but he was actually simple-minded. He just didn't know how to get along with people in a dignified way.
Since she couldn't rely on her brother, she had no choice but to step in herself to defuse the awkward situation.
Xu Xiaoyan silently cheered herself on: "Xu Xiaoyan, come on, you can do it!"
She took a deep breath, raised her head, and gave Lu Xingchen and Mu Xi a shy smile. Her voice was soft but clear: "Hello, brothers and sisters. My name is Xu Xiaoyan, and this is my brother, Xu Xiaoyu. Please don't misunderstand, we're not here to cause trouble. We just wanted to say hello."
She paused, then added sincerely, "My brother's tone was bad just now because he lost to Xingchen in the competition and was a little resentful, but he couldn't bring himself to admit it, so he spoke like that. I hope you don't mind."
As she spoke, Xu Xiaoyan curiously looked at Lu Xingchen. She hadn't been able to see his face clearly from a distance at the competition venue, but now that she was up close, she realized that he was actually about the same age as her.
"Xu Xiaoyan?"
Lu Xingchen's mind raced, and he recognized her as a familiar face. Without making a sound, he released his high-level spiritual power, which quietly enveloped Xu Xiaoyan, allowing him to thoroughly investigate her situation.
"Seven years old, the same age as me, and already awakened his martial soul and become a soul master—hmm? Only level eleven soul power?" Lu Xingchen's expression became somewhat strange.
He vaguely remembered that Xu Xiaoyan's martial soul was the Star Wheel Ice Staff, which was hailed as a top-tier martial soul that was "absolutely guaranteed". According to the records on the Soul Guidance Network, when a martial soul of this level was awakened, it would inevitably have full innate soul power.
But she's only seven years old, and her soul power is only at level eleven. Could it be that Xu Xiaoyan has hardly cultivated at all in the year since she awakened her martial soul?
It's worth noting that, despite being all seven years old, the four little ones from the orphanage have already reached level thirteen in their cultivation.
Perhaps it was Lu Xingchen's focused gaze, tinged with a hint of inquiry, that made Xu Xiaoyan feel somewhat uneasy.
She always felt that the other person's gaze could see right through her clothes and see her clearly. This feeling made her very uncomfortable, and her cheeks instantly flushed a faint blush, like a ripe apple.
Xu Xiaoyan lowered her head shyly, nervously twisting the hem of her skirt with her hands, and said in a voice barely audible, "Then..."
Um—Brother Xingchen, could you please stop looking at me like that?
"Oh, I'm so sorry!"
Lu Xingchen suddenly snapped out of her daze, realizing her lapse in composure. She quickly averted her gaze and said sincerely, "It's just that you're so cute, Xiaoyan. I was momentarily stunned. I didn't mean anything by it, so please don't overthink it."
He paused, then looked in Xu Xiaoyu's direction and said gently, "As for your brother's situation, I understand. As an older brother, he always wants to show his strongest side in front of his younger sister, so it's understandable that he'd feel bad after losing the match."
"Cute and all that————"
Hearing Lu Xingchen's praise, Xu Xiaoyan's cheeks turned even redder, and even her ears turned pink.
She stole a glance at Lu Xingchen, and seeing his clear eyes and sincere smile, her shyness gradually faded, replaced by a hint of curiosity. She cautiously asked, "Brother Xingchen, do you have a younger sister too?"
"Yes, I have four younger sisters, and they are all very cute." Lu Xingchen nodded with a smile, taking the initiative to start the conversation.
With a common topic, the atmosphere between the two immediately eased, and they began to chat freely.
Xu Xiaoyan gradually relaxed her initial nervousness and became more talkative. She even couldn't help but complain about her brother: "My brother's personality is really awkward. He clearly doesn't mean any harm, but he can never say anything nice. Several times, people have misunderstood him as someone who's looking for trouble. Dad has told him off many times, but he just can't change."
"Yes, that kind of personality does easily lead to misunderstandings," Lu Xingchen wholeheartedly agreed. "Xiao Yan, you must have a lot of trouble getting along with an older brother like that, right?"
"It's alright, my brother is actually a very good person, he's just stubborn but soft-hearted." Xu Xiaoyan quickly defended her brother, her eyes filled with protectiveness.
"Then I'll have to trouble Xiaoyan to explain things to her brother from now on," Lu Xingchen said with a smile. "After all, you're so good-looking, everyone will definitely forgive your brother because of you."
"Brother Xingchen, you really are—" Xu Xiaoyan's cheeks flushed from his words, and she lowered her head in embarrassment, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.
This scene struck Xu Xiaoyu like a thunderbolt, and alarm bells rang in his mind: "Holy crap, there's a cow!"
He never expected that his shy and introverted sister, who rarely took the initiative to get close to strangers, would chat so congenially with Lu Xingchen, and even complain about his awkward personality without any restraint.
Seeing the two chatting happily and the atmosphere becoming more and more harmonious, Xu Xiaoyu suddenly felt a strong sense of crisis, as if her precious little sister, whom she had carefully protected, was about to be "kidnapped" in the next second.
"Xiao Yan, now that we've said our goodbyes, we should go."
Without further hesitation, Xu Xiaoyu reached out and took her younger sister's hand, her tone filled with an undeniable urgency: "Brother has a few close friends at the banquet. Let's go over and say hello to them, and chat about our recent cultivation experiences."
As he spoke, he secretly exerted force, trying to pull Xu Xiaoyan away from Lu Xingchen, wanting to get her away from this place that made him feel "dangerous" as soon as possible.
Xu Xiaoyan's smile faded slightly, and a hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes. She hadn't finished chatting with Brother Xingchen yet.
But she was always obedient and knew that once her brother became stubborn, she couldn't resist him at all, so she could only obediently reply, "Okay."
As her brother pulled her around, Xu Xiaoyan didn't forget to look back and wave her other free little hand at Lu Xingchen and Mu Xi, her voice soft and sweet with a hint of reluctance: "Goodbye, Brother Xingchen, Sister Mu Xi, let's chat again sometime."
"Okay, goodbye." Lu Xingchen gave her a gentle smile and waved in response.
Watching the two figures walk further and further away, Mu Xi, for some reason, suddenly felt a strange unease welling up in her heart. The feeling was subtle; it was neither anger nor jealousy, but it made her feel somewhat depressed.
She glanced at Lu Xingchen beside her, her tone carrying a hint of probing: "You two are meeting for the first time, yet you seem to get along very well."
Upon hearing this, Lu Xingchen immediately turned around and gave Mu Xi a big hug.
Because of the height difference, he could only barely hug Mu Xi's waist, his small head gently resting on her skirt, his voice clear and sincere: "Isn't this the first time Mu Xi and I have met today?"
"I think Sister Mu Xi is not only very beautiful, but also very kind-hearted. Even though we just met, you were willing to patiently introduce me to so many seniors and explain their backgrounds to me in detail. Thank you so much, Sister Mu Xi."
The boy's words were pure and sincere, without the slightest attempt to flatter, like a clear spring in spring, slowly flowing into Mu Xi's heart.
"What the heck, suddenly saying something like that—"
Mu Xi was caught off guard by his sudden hug and straightforward praise, her cheeks flushed slightly. She looked down at the small figure that only reached her waist and was hugging her tightly, and a strange flutter rose in her heart. Even her legs under her skirt unconsciously tightened slightly.
She turned her head away somewhat shyly, avoiding Lu Xingchen's overly earnest gaze. Her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her skirt, and her voice carried a hint of coquettishness and probing: "So, do you think I'm prettier, or is that Xu Xiaoyan prettier?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Mu Xi regretted them.
She felt that asking such a question was incredibly childish, like a jealous little kid, but since she had already said it, she could only grit her teeth and wait for the answer.
Upon hearing this, Lu Xingchen blinked her clear, bright eyes, pondered seriously for a moment, and then slowly released her small hands from Mu Xi's waist, saying in an extremely sincere tone, "Xiao Yan is very cute, like a soft and cuddly little dumpling, making people want to get close to her. But Mu Xi, you're different. You're more beautiful, the kind of beauty that makes people feel dazzling, like the sun, full of light."
Yes, Mu Xi's martial soul is Radiant Sun, so saying it's like the sun is not wrong.
"Am I prettier?" Mu Xi selectively ignored the earlier comments about Xu Xiaoyan and only remembered the second half of the sentence.
Looking at the boy in front of her, who was only up to her waist and whose eyes were clear and without a trace of impurity, the inexplicable discomfort in her heart instantly vanished, replaced by joy and excitement.
She couldn't help but reach out and gently pinch Lu Xingchen's soft cheek. The touch from her fingertips was delicate and warm, making her smile even brighter: "Since little brother Xingchen has said so, then I, Mu Xi, will take you to meet some important seniors. They are all leaders in the forging world, and they will be of great help to your future forging journey."
"OK!"
"Then come with me, sister." Mu Xi took Lu Xingchen's little hand and stepped into the crowd in the banquet hall again.
This time, her steps were lighter, and when she introduced the guests, her tone carried a hint of barely perceptible excitement.