If you are looking for a series that balances with a deeply layered, slow-burn romance , Maomao's journey in the "Asian Diary" of the Imperial Palace is highly recommended.

But who exactly is "Xiao"? The term, while not a formal name, has evolved into shorthand within the fandom (particularly for English-speaking players of Chinese-produced dating sims) to describe a specific character template. The "Xiao" (often evoking the Chinese character 萧 for "dreary" or "desolate," or sometimes 小 for "small/youthful") is the cold-on-the-outside, warm-on-the-inside love interest. Think brooding poets, lonely heirs, or geniuses scarred by past trauma.