Battle Through the Heavens: Oh no, I've become the succubus Xiao Yan!

Nalan Yanran has never forgotten her memories of being eight years old.

That day, the Xiao family came to visit the Nalan family. The adults were discussing some matters in the hall, and she listened to them for a while but got bored, so she simply slipped away to the backyard.

The Nalan family's backyard was large, with lush trees, artificial hills, and flowing water. She practiced swordsmanship alone, her movements somewhat stiff. Every move was forced upon her by her father, but she didn't actually like this sword technique at all.

After practicing for a while, she stopped, feeling a little bored and depressed.

Just then, a venomous snake darted out of the bushes, its red tongue flicking, and lunged at her ankle. She couldn't quite remember why there was a venomous snake in her backyard.

Nalan Yanran only remembered that she screamed in fright, dropped the wooden sword in her hand, and her mind went blank.

It was around that time that she met him.

A small flame flew from the side and landed precisely on the snake. The snake hissed and turned to ashes.

Nalan Yanran turned her head in shock and saw a boy of similar age standing there, his fingers still in the flicking position.

"Who...who are you?" Her voice was still trembling. She hadn't fully recovered from the situation.

"You can call me Little Fire, what's your name?"

Xiao Huohuo, she later realized that this was probably not his real name, but at the time she didn't think that much about it, she only knew that this boy had saved her.

That was also the happiest time in her memory.

That afternoon, he spent the whole day playing with her.

He grilled fish for her, fished from the pond in the backyard. He held the skewer with three fingers of his left hand, flipped it over with his right, and flames leaped and danced from his fingertips. She squatted beside him watching, her eyes shining like stars in the firelight.

"Wow, that's amazing! How did you do that?"

"Talent," he said, "I was born with the ability to control fire."

That afternoon, he told her many stories—about how a monkey king named Sun Wukong wreaked havoc in the Heavenly Palace, how a man named Peter Parker became a failure, and how a powerful figure named Yinhe and his good brother Lugiel, whom he met in the back mountains, broke off their friendship due to differing ideologies. She listened intently, her chin resting on her knees, completely still. No one in the Nalan family had ever told her these stories. For her, these stories were like opening the door to a new world.

He used his fighting spirit to conjure up tiny sparks to make her laugh. "Look, don't they look like fireflies?" The sparks flew around her head, and she reached out to catch them, but couldn't, and laughed so hard she bent over.

That was the first time she had laughed so happily. In the Nalan family, she was always the "young lady," and no one played with her like this.

As the sun set, her father came to call her. He had to leave. She also had to say goodbye to him.

She chased after him, asking, "Little Fire, will I ever see you again?"

"Maybe."

He smiled, then followed his father and left the Nalan family home. As he walked away, the setting sun cast a long shadow over him.

She stood in the backyard, watching the shadow grow smaller and smaller until it disappeared.

  

Maybe.

She waited seven years. Finally...

-

As the tide of memories receded, Nalan Yanran trembled all over.

She looked at the string of fish in Xiao Yan's hand, at the action of pinching the skewer with three fingers of his left hand and flipping it with his right hand, and at the warm, leaping flame.

Exactly the same as seven years ago.

"You..." Her voice trembled, "You are... Brother Little Fire?"

The garden was quiet. The fragrance of winter plum blossoms floated in the air.

Xiao Yan looked at her.

Seven years have passed. The little girl who practiced swordsmanship in the backyard back then has grown into a graceful young woman. Her eyes are still as bright as ever, but now they are filled with tears.

"Miss Nalan," he said, "it's been a long time."

Nalan Yanran's tears welled up instantly.

She searched for seven years. During those seven years, she rejected all marriage proposals and advances, simply because she couldn't forget that afternoon, couldn't forget the boy who grilled fish for her, told her stories, and made her laugh with a little sparkler.

She rejected the engagement for the sake of her beloved, unaware that her beloved was her fiancé.

"Why...why didn't you say so sooner?" Nalan Yanran's voice was trembling with tears and a hint of grievance. "You knew I was looking for you—I..."

"I don't know," Xiao Yan said somewhat embarrassedly. "I was only eight years old then, and I never went back to the Nalan family after that. I didn't know you were looking for me."

Nalan Yanran wiped away her tears and took a deep breath.

"I'm not returning it."

"What?"

"I won't break off the engagement," Nalan Yanran said, her voice still trembling, but her eyes were firm. "Because the one I love is you, Xiao Huohuo, no, I should call you Xiao Yan. I've been searching for you for seven years, and you've always been here."

Xiao Yan remained silent for a few seconds.

"Yanran," he called her name for the first time, "thank you."

Nalan Yanran raised her head, her eyes blurry with tears.

"But I don't need a marriage contract to bind anyone," Xiao Yan said. "If one day you are willing to stay by my side, I hope it's because you want to, not because of a marriage contract."

Nalan Yanran was stunned.

Then she smiled. Tears were still on her face, but she smiled.

"Okay," she said, "then I'll become stronger first. When no one can gossip about me anymore, when I can catch up with you, I'll come and marry you myself."

Xiao Yan smiled too.

"Then I'll wait for you to marry me."

"Then I'll walk with you a little longer, Yanran."

"Okay," Naran Yanran replied shyly.

Afterwards, Xiao Yan accompanied Nalan Yanran for a while, showing her around the Xiao family compound and telling her some interesting stories from her childhood.

Nalan Yanran seemed very happy throughout the journey, as this was the first time she had seen him in so many years, and she enjoyed this time alone with him.

---

When the two returned to the living room, the atmosphere had eased considerably.

Looking at his granddaughter's red eyes but smiling lips, Nalan Su understood everything. He sighed and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to Xiao Zhan: "Xiao Zhan, about the engagement..."

"Not going to refund?" Xiao Zhan glanced at Xiao Yan.

"We won't refund it," Nalan Yanran answered for her father, her tone firm.

Xiao Zhan breathed a sigh of relief, but didn't ask any further questions. He could tell there was something going on, but since his son didn't want to talk about it, he didn't press the matter.

Although Nalan Su was puzzled, he respected his daughter's choice. The marriage agreement between the two families continued, and the atmosphere finally eased.

But Nalan Yanran clearly didn't want to leave just like that.

"Dad," she suddenly said, "I want to stay in the Xiao family."

Nalan Su was taken aback: "Yanran, you—"

"I'll only stay for a few days," Nalan Yanran said. "I finally found this place... I finally made it all the way here, so I want to stay a few more days."

Nalan Su shook his head: "No. You are already a disciple of the Yunlan Sect, and you can't just stay at someone else's house. Besides, the Nalan family has matters to attend to, so you have to go back today."

Nalan Yanran reluctantly bit her lip, but didn't insist any further. She knew her father was telling the truth—she was now the young sect leader of the Yunlan Sect and couldn't act on her whims.

"So...can I come again next time?"

Nalan Su glanced at Xiao Zhan. Xiao Zhan nodded: "You're welcome anytime."

Nalan Yanran then revealed a slight smile.

Before leaving, she paused at the door and glanced back at Xiao Yan.

"Little Fire," she whispered, only Xiao Yan could hear, "wait for me."

Then they got into the carriage.