ABFMV Chapter 23 Part 2

The nobles who once courted her would soon turn their attention to Qi Ye, the true top scorer.

She couldn’t accept not being the center of attention. She couldn’t stand anyone stealing her spotlight.

If someone overshadowed her, then she was no longer unique.

Qi Ye was male—he wasn’t her real rival. In fact, he was someone she meant to draw to her side.

Right now, Yao Mo’s first priority was dealing with Xu Linlang, the girl who had been deliberately making trouble for her.

She pressed the call button on her personal terminal and connected with Admiral Peter’s line.

“Hello, Admiral Peter. There’s something I’d like to report. From my interactions with Xu Linlang these past two days, I don’t think she’s as ignorant and arrogant as people say. That attitude of hers feels more like an act—something she puts on to deceive and disarm others…”

“But maybe I’m overthinking it. I only wanted to remind you, Admiral. By the way, your voice sounds a little hoarse—remember to drink more honey water and take care of yourself. I’ll hang up now.”

Yao Mo ended the call with a smile. With the upcoming exams, Admiral Peter was bound to grow suspicious of Xu Linlang after hearing this.

At the very least, she wouldn’t be allowed to slip easily into the mecha maintenance program.

The Xu family already had a son excelling in the piloting track—if their daughter also achieved success in maintenance, wouldn’t that make them unstoppable?

Her fingertips brushed across the gleaming white mech before her. Whoever dared to stand in her way had better be ready to pay the price.

The prep room door swung open, flooding the space with blinding light.

Yao Mo raised a hand to shield her eyes, instinctively squinting. “Who’s there?”

The boy ignored her completely, striding past to another practice mech and hitting the start-up sequence.

When she finally saw his face clearly, her eyes widened. “You?!”

Her assigned opponent turned out to be Qi Ye. She didn’t know whether to call it bad luck—or good.

Qi Ye’s voice was cold as ice. “Not ready yet? I don’t want to waste too much time on you.”

Still smiling sweetly, Yao Mo stepped closer and extended a hand. “Qi Ye, I think there’s been some misunderstanding between us. Earlier, I said things in the heat of the moment, and Xu keeps painting me in the worst light, never even giving me a chance to explain. Now that you’re back, I’m truly happy. It eases my guilt. Honestly, I just want us to put the past behind us.”

Qi Ye glanced around. “There’s no one else here. You don’t need to put on that pitiful act—your audience isn’t watching.”

Yao Mo kept smiling. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

“You really don’t?” His gaze was sharp.

“…”

After a beat of silence, she nodded, her expression tinged with hurt innocence.

“That’s just stupid.”

Without another word, Qi Ye slipped neatly into the mech’s cockpit, not sparing her a glance.

Yao Mo had never been treated like this before. No, it was more than being ignored—she could feel it. Qi Ye despised her.

Her fists clenched tight. Fine. She would make him recognize her strength, prove she wasn’t like other girls—and win his admiration.

Just like every other boy.

She pressed her mech’s start-up button and climbed into the cockpit, guiding it into the testing arena.

—

The arena was designed with five interchangeable terrains that shifted throughout the duel, testing the cadets’ adaptability under pressure.

On the massive central screen, the photos of Qi Ye and Yao Mo appeared, drawing all eyes to their match.

The audience buzzed with excitement:

“Wow, look at that guy—his looks are unreal! Are we sure this is a piloting exam and not some idol competition?”

“Honestly, Qi Ye and Yao Mo kind of look good together. Who knows, maybe they’ll fight, make up, and end up as a campus couple.”

“A couple? No way. Qi Ye clearly looks more matched with Xu Linlang. Both of them have that striking, unforgettable kind of beauty. Next to them, Yao Mo seems… plain.”

“You’ve got a point. But isn’t Xu Linlang still hung up on Lu Xiao?”

“And what of it? Lu Xiao’s type is Yao Mo. He’d never like Xu Linlang.”

The chatter died for a moment as everyone looked back at the screen.

“…Their relationships are so messy!”

With both mechs stepping into the arena, the duel officially began.

Students who had been half-asleep earlier were now wide awake, eager to see what kind of battle these two would put on.

Jin Huan leaned toward Lu Xiao. “Who do you think’s going to win?”

“Qi Ye,” Lu Xiao answered without hesitation.

Jin Huan blinked in surprise. “So you’re not betting on Yao Mo anymore?”

Lu Xiao found a seat. “Let’s just say I have more faith in Qi Ye.”

Jin Huan clicked his tongue. “You change fast. Not long ago, you were all about Yao Mo, and now you’re hyping up Qi Ye. I don’t get you.”

“Wait—huh?” Jin Huan rubbed his eyes. “Isn’t that the Xu family’s young lady? What’s she doing watching here? Shouldn’t she be in her own exam right now? Did she finish early?”

He nudged Lu Xiao with his elbow. “Both exams end around the same time. Don’t you think she handed in early just to catch a glimpse of you?”

After all, the mecha piloting exam had always been organized by the student council—and as council president, Lu Xiao was bound to be here.