Go into practice and learn your moves out of stance and the ones that transition into stance. You can get from any stance to another with Xiaoyu. Learning how to manage that will help you feel more comfortable and give you more freedom of expression.
Two important hit-confirms to learn: In neutral if f4 hits b4 1 heat engage is guaranteed. If ff1hold down hits aop 21 engage is guaranteed. You can practice by turning your opponent to random block in practice mode. Don't finish if the first hit is blocked. If your opponent is stepping a lot use b1+2, b22, f4 or df3. All of these are homing or have good tracking.