Not only had she been branded a prodigy from a young age, but she also held a rather special status.
Since childhood, she had been doted on by all manner of people. Even within a place like the Crouching Dragon Martial Sect, she was as noble and untouchable as a princess.
And precisely because of this, everyone around her—men and women, old and young—was either flattering her or fearing her.
Ever since she was young, Xia Yan had been troubled by one thing: she didn't have a single true friend. She could never be sure who was sincere toward her.
But when Xia Yan was sixteen years old, she met a friend who truly cared about her.
It was a girl her own age. Because she possessed a rare Heavenly Gifted Divine Body, she had been brought into the Crouching Dragon Martial Sect at a very young age.
This girl's name was
Because she was genuine in the way she treated others and they shared similar interests, Xia Yan and Zhao Xiaobu quickly became the closest of friends.
Though Xia Yan cherished Zhao Xiaobu—a friend so hard to come by—having been spoiled from birth, she inevitably had something of a young miss's temper.
That temper often ended up being directed at Zhao Xiaobu.
But Zhao Xiaobu never grew angry, nor did her attitude toward Xia Yan ever change because of it.
Xia Yan saw how much Zhao Xiaobu endured for her sake, and she came to treasure Zhao Xiaobu even more.
Then, during one cultivation session, Xia Yan's greed led her to make a terrible mistake and bring a great calamity upon herself.
At the critical moment, it was Zhao Xiaobu who stepped forward and saved Xia Yan's life.
Though Xia Yan survived, Zhao Xiaobu suffered devastating injuries in the process.
To save Zhao Xiaobu, Xia Yan's grandfather even went so far as to personally invite the Sect Master of the Crouching Dragon Martial Sect to treat her.
But the injuries were simply too severe, and in the end, Zhao Xiaobu still died.
Xia Yan was overcome with grief, and her guilt toward Zhao Xiaobu was immense.
She desperately wanted to make it up to Zhao Xiaobu, but the dead cannot be brought back to life. If Xia Yan wanted to atone, she would have to find another way.
And it just so happened that Zhao Xiaobu had once told Xia Yan that she still had a younger brother.
That brother's name was Zhao Xiaoran.
Zhao Xiaobu and Zhao Xiaoran's parents had died when they were young, and the two siblings had relied on each other to survive.
After Zhao Xiaobu was taken into the Crouching Dragon Martial Sect, Zhao Xiaoran was left alone in the outside world.
Zhao Xiaobu had always been deeply concerned about her younger brother and had asked the elders on multiple occasions to bring him into the Crouching Dragon Sect as well.
But because Zhao Xiaoran's talent did not meet the requirements, it never happened.
Before her death, for the first and only time, Zhao Xiaobu made a request of Xia Yan.
She asked Xia Yan to use her connections and influence to look after her brother, Zhao Xiaoran—at the very least… to make sure he survived.
To make it up to Zhao Xiaobu, Xia Yan agreed.
And after Zhao Xiaobu's death, she pleaded with her grandfather to bring Zhao Xiaoran into the Crouching Dragon Martial Sect.
Zhao Xiaoran's talent was extremely poor, so her grandfather naturally refused at first. But seeing how Xia Yan moped about day after day, sullen and joyless, unable to even find the will to cultivate, her grandfather relented and made an exception to bring Zhao Xiaoran in.
Once Zhao Xiaoran entered the Crouching Dragon Martial Sect, Xia Yan immediately acknowledged him as her sworn younger brother and treated him… with extraordinary indulgence.
Xia Yan poured every ounce of the guilt she owed Zhao Xiaobu into caring for Zhao Xiaoran.
And Zhao Xiaoran was none other than
However, after being acknowledged as Xia Yan's brother, he took it upon himself to change his surname—changing his name from Zhao Xiaoran to Xia Ran.
Xia Yan did not like this behavior. In fact, she despised it.
She felt nothing for Zhao Xiaoran himself. The only reason she was good to him was because of Zhao Xiaobu.
But every time she thought of Zhao Xiaobu, Xia Yan's heart softened, and she grew ever more indulgent toward Zhao Xiaoran. Whenever Xia Ran got into trouble, regardless of whether he was right or wrong, Xia Yan would always take his side.
Over time, in the eyes of outsiders, this Xia Ran—who had even changed his name just to be closer to Xia Yan—came to be known as Xia Yan's fiercely doted-upon younger brother.
"So it's not that you didn't know about Xia Ran's actions."
"You simply wanted to look after Zhao Xiaobu's brother on her behalf."
"Say what you will, but I actually despise Xia Ran."
Xia Yan said to Chu Feng.
"I could tell. When you struck him just now, I didn't see a single trace of heartache on your face. All I saw in your eyes was relief."
Chu Feng said.