Chapter 21: Farewell to Ya Fei, a Dazzling Entrance!
Chapter 21: Farewell to Ya Fei, a Dazzling Entrance!
The Elder hurriedly sought out Xiao Ning, accompanied by Xiao Yu, and took him to Xiao Ze's residence.
"Grandfather, what's going on?" Xiao Ning asked, bewildered, as his grandfather held onto him.
"Why did you do that?" Grandfather looked at Xiao Ning with a puzzled expression.
"I told you to apologize to Xiao Yan, didn't I?" he continued.
"Yes, I did apologize. Xiao Yan also said we should bury the hatchet," Xiao Ning replied, confused as to why his grandfather was bringing it up again.
"Did you ask Xiao Yan to speak up for you in front of Xiao Ze?" the Elder pressed on.
"Well... no, Xiao Yan said he couldn't do it and told me to handle it myself," Xiao Ning scratched his head.
Xiao Ning couldn't wrap his head around it. He had done what his grandfather asked, so why was he being grilled about it today?
"Did you ask Xiao Yan to speak up for you in front of Xiao Ze?" the Elder pressed on.
Xiao Ning scratched his head in confusion.
"I did, but I couldn't find him!" he explained, feeling a bit aggrieved by his grandfather's questioning.
"Hmm?" the Elder made a questioning sound.
"Grandfather, we're already at Xiao Ze's residence. If you don't believe me, you can try for yourself," Xiao Ning pointed out.
The Elder looked at Xiao Ning suspiciously, not quite understanding what Xiao Ning was up to.
After straightening his clothes, he approached the door and knocked. After waiting for a while, there was no response.
"He's not here!" Xiao Ning approached and explained with a hint of frustration.
"Xiao Ze hardly ever stays in the house. I've come to look for him several times, but I haven't even seen his shadow," he added. "I even went to the back mountains to search, but it's too vast."
After hearing Xiao Ning's explanation, the Elder felt somewhat deflated.
But Xiao Ze was indeed quite different from Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan practically stayed holed up in the house every day practicing.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ze hardly ever stayed home, always out and about.
Xiao Yu, who had been observing silently, suddenly spoke up.
"Isn't the coming-of-age ceremony approaching? He should be there. Even if it's just a formality, he'll definitely show up!"
"In that case, we'll find another opportunity to apologize to him," the Elder reasoned.
With that, the three of them returned home.
Shortly after, the family's coming-of-age ceremony began, with the venue buzzing with excitement.
Many VIP guests invited by the Xiao family arrived and were seated in the VIP section.
One striking figure, in particular, caught everyone's attention.
With her graceful figure and impeccable smile, Ya Fei effortlessly charmed the prominent figures in the city.
At the same time, she couldn't help but glance around, especially at the younger members of the Xiao family.
She always seemed to have a hopeful look in her eyes.
Unfortunately, despite the presence of most of the important figures from the Xiao family, the one person she was eagerly waiting for had yet to make an appearance.
Ya Fei gently waved over a member of the Xiao family.
"Excuse me, how long until the ceremony begins? I'd like to take a stroll around the Xiao residence."
"Miss Ya Fei, the ceremony will start in about fifteen minutes. Feel free to explore until then," the servant replied.
"Once you hear the bell signaling the start, you can come back, or I can show you around?" the servant offered.
"No need to trouble yourself. I'll explore on my own," Ya Fei politely declined, her smile making it seem like she wasn't refusing at all.
...
Meanwhile, Xiao Ze sat cross-legged on a stone platform, slowly ceasing his cultivation.
Feeling the Qi in his body growing stronger, he clenched his fist with satisfaction.
"I finally broke through to the second star Dou Master."
Xiao Xuner, who was waiting on the side, rolled her eyes.
"Has it only been this long? And you've already broken through!"
"Xiao Ze, if someone didn't know better, they'd think you'd been stuck at the first star for years," she teased.
"Haha, don't make fun of me. We broke through on the same day. You're already at three stars now, while I'm just at two."
"Can you even compare? I'm a fighter, and you're a Dou Master! Alright, stop teasing, hurry up and freshen up!" Xiao Xuner said, pulling Xiao Ze towards the hot spring pool.
"Hurry up and freshen up. I've already prepared your outfit. Today is the coming-of-age ceremony, so at the very least, you need to make an appearance," she instructed.
Xiao Ze nodded and quickly washed up in the hot spring pool.
By the poolside, a set of formal attire had already been laid out.
Xiao Xuner stood outside the pool, wearing a faint smile.
When she heard the sound of the rushing water stop, she turned around with anticipation.
At the entrance, a figure emerged slowly, wearing embroidered cloud and jade boots and a white and gold-trimmed formal attire.
With his upright figure and extraordinarily handsome appearance, he became the focal point of the crowd as soon as he stood there.
Xiao Xuner's eyes sparkled as she stared at Xiao Ze. After putting on this outfit, Xiao Ze felt completely different from before.
Xiao Ze touched his still damp hair and glanced helplessly at Xiao Xuner.
"Xuner, is this outfit a bit too flashy?"
"Xiao Ze, this is the annual ceremony. It's okay to be a bit flashy," Xiao Xuner reassured him. She looked Xiao Ze up and down. Today, Xiao Ze indeed looked very attractive.
She smiled and approached, taking Xiao Ze's hand.
"Don't worry about these little details. Let's hurry up and go, or we'll be late for the coming-of-age ceremony!"
The girl smiled as she held the boy's hand and ran down the mountain.
As they ran, Xiao Ze looked at Xiao Xuner's outfit.
He noticed that she was wearing a similar white and gold-trimmed attire, which seemed to complement his own outfit.
"This girl..."
Xiao Ze didn't say anything more and followed Xiao Xuner to the venue.
"Hey? There's someone over there who seems familiar..."
Xiao Xuner, who was running ahead, suddenly spoke up, but Xiao Ze had already noticed.
"Do you forget? The person we saved that night."
"Miss Ya Fei!"
Xiao Xuner exclaimed, attracting Ya Fei's attention.
When Ya Fei saw Xiao Ze, her eyes lit up instantly.
Compared to the dim light in the alley that day, the boy's attire now made him look even more radiant.
Even though she had seen many noble youths, Ya Fei had to admit that this young man gave her the most peculiar feeling.
It gave her a palpitation, as if she was falling in love.
"Miss Ya Fei, we meet again. I told you, didn't I? We'd meet sooner or later."
Xiao Ze stopped and smiled. Today, Ya Fei was wearing a grand dress.
She knew how to showcase her advantages, and the dress she chose highlighted her figure perfectly.
Xiao Xuner nodded politely at Ya Fei.
"I didn't expect the person we saved that day to be the fourth young master of the Xiao family, Xiao Ze. Miss Ya Fei, thank you once again. I'm truly grateful!"
Ya Fei quickly expressed her gratitude, and the three of them chatted for a while before Xiao Xuner reminded them.
"The coming-of-age ceremony is about to begin. Let's hurry to the venue to avoid being late."
"You're right. As a guest, it's okay for me to be late, but Xiao Ze, as the young master of the Xiao family, it wouldn't be appropriate for you to be absent."
The three of them hurried to the venue and finally arrived at the venue when the bell rang.
With his upright figure, handsome appearance, and spirited demeanor, Xiao Ze stood out and attracted everyone's attention.
The girl, naturally beautiful, though not fully grown, already possessed the charm of a peerless beauty. Her eyes sparkled, and a faint smile played at her lips.
The outfits of the boy and the girl complemented each other perfectly, as if they were made for each other.
With the charming Ya Fei added to the mix, her appearance instantly drew the attention of everyone present.
Feeling the gaze of the crowd, Xiao Ze smiled faintly.
Now, he truly made a dazzling entrance!
(End of this chapter)