In 2015, Xiao Yan made her acting debut in the television series A Detective Housewife.
In 2016, Xiao played her first leading role in the web film Princess & Her 49 Servants.[1][2]
In 2017, Xiao gained recognition for her performance in the youth campus drama Hot Blooded Goddess.[3] She then starred in the wuxia drama The Lost Swordship, and sang the theme song of the drama titled "Gaze".[4]
In 2019, Xiao became known to the broad audience after her roles as Qin Zhiyan in the xianxia drama The Legends,[5] and as Green Snake (Xiao Qing) in the web series adaptation of the folktale legendThe Legend of White Snake.[6] The same year, she featured in fantasy drama L.O.R.D. Critical World.[7]
In 2020, Xiao starred in the period detective drama My Roommate is a Detective alongside Hu Yitian and Zhang Yunlong, playing a newspaper reporter.[8] The same year, she starred in the Chinese remake of the Singapore period drama The Little Nyonya, playing dual roles as the female lead and the female lead's mother.[9] Xiao also starred in historical romance web drama Marry Me alongside Xing Zhaolin;[citation needed] and featured in romance drama Love is Sweet.[10]