ABFMV Chapter 46 Part 1

He had deliberately brought up Lu Xiao’s name—just to see Xu Linlang’s reaction.

If she liked Lu Xiao too, he wasn’t sure what he would do, but one thing was certain: he wouldn’t just step aside and let it happen.

Thankfully, Xu Linlang didn’t like Lu Xiao.

With the effects of the medicine finally kicking in, Qiye relaxed and closed his eyes.

…

——————————

In the holographic virtual net, a high-rise blazed with lights.

Inside the training hall, a crimson mech stood proudly, staring down its opponent’s machine with arrogant disdain.

Almost instantly, it locked onto its target, concentrating fire on the mech’s central systems, hammering at the weak points.

The opposing mech counterattacked quickly, its machine gun spitting out a wild barrage.

But it was pointless. Against the crimson mech, that damage was about as effective as a polish—its hull didn’t suffer a single scratch.

Seeing this, the enemy mech twisted its exoskeleton, trying to close the distance for hand-to-hand combat.

But just as it moved in, the crimson mech fired its particle cannon. One clean shot split what had looked like an unbreakable exoskeleton in two.

From then on, the battle was hopelessly one-sided. The enemy mech could only stagger, dodge, and eventually run for cover.

Cornered at last, with nowhere left to run, it emptied the rest of its ammunition in a final, desperate salvo.

The crimson mech leveled its massive gun barrel at it and opened fire mercilessly.

Amid the smoke and fire, the enemy mech was blown apart. Rong Xi climbed down from her machine, her face curled in a sneer of disdain.

“This is the opponent you lined up for me? So pathetic. Pay him some mech repair money and tell him to get lost.”

The virtual battle manager bowed repeatedly, forcing a bitter smile.

After what had happened last time, how could he dare arrange for a skilled opponent to face the noble princess again?

That little Nan kid—he had been too young, too clueless about how the world worked. To win against the princess in front of so many people? Of course, she’d lose face. How could she not punish him?

Ever since, the manager had been extremely cautious, handpicking opponents and warning them: under no circumstances were they allowed to win against the princess.

Not that many could have, anyway. The princess piloted one of the very best A-class mechs, near top-tier. Unless the opponent had an S-class or an A+, the gap in raw specs would erase any difference in skill.

But that boy Nan had somehow used sheer technique to make up for the massive gap, fighting uphill and actually defeating the princess.

Such a young age, such rare talent. If only he’d known how to keep his head down instead of showing off—now that he’d offended the princess, he’d probably never get another chance to shine.

The manager scrolled through the virtual battle registration roster, looking for a suitable match for her. His eyes froze on a familiar avatar.

Nan?

He hesitated. It really was Nan who had signed up again. His face shifted into uncertainty.

But… the princess’s people had already ruined Nan’s mech. How could he possibly still be eligible to fight?

Rong Xi noticed his hesitation. Her gaze flicked to his finger on the screen and she saw Nan’s profile picture.

Her brows drew together for an instant, then her lips curved into a mocking smile. “Bring him in.”

The manager’s eyes went wide. “Y-you mean… him?”

Cold light glinted in Rong Xi’s eyes. “That’s right. I want to know how he’s still managing to show up for a virtual battle.”

The manager knew the truth: Nan had completely crossed the princess. For him to recover so quickly and step back into the arena—it was a slap in her face.

Rong Xi’s voice was cool and deliberate. “Make this a public match. Use the largest viewing hall.”

Her eyes bored into him with meaning. “I won’t lose this time. I’ll make sure every lowborn commoner understands the cost of crossing me. Do you understand?”

The manager’s back was drenched in cold sweat. He stammered, “Yes, Your Highness.”

Rong Xi packed up her gear and reclined in the lounge, instructing her attendants to dig into everything about this Nan.

He had beaten her once, and even after she deliberately wrecked his mech, he had managed to return in such a short time.

It made her seethe with loathing.

What kind of commoner dared challenge her again and again like this?

Just then, a notification flashed on her personal terminal.

[The mech Nan is using this time is the same one you damaged before.]

[I checked every repair shop in the commercial district. Clerks confirmed Nan came by for help, but none of them dared fix it.]

[But the last time he was seen, a girl with the nickname 007 was with him. She’d purchased a large haul of parts, paying lavishly… Investigation shows this girl is none other than Marshal Xu’s daughter, Miss Xu Linlang. She’s likely the one who repaired Nan’s mech.]

Rong Xi’s face darkened as she traced the glowing words one by one.

She skipped the rest of the report. The three characters that burned into her eyes were Xu Linlang.

The name stuck in her throat like a bone, dragging her back to childhood—the years when everyone compared her to Xu Linlang.

And now, hearing Xu Linlang had been taken on as Master Jiang Yan’s apprentice, her chest clenched even tighter.

Xu Linlang’s S-grade genes had already been ruined. Her future was supposed to be ordinary, mediocre—so how could she possibly have gotten into the mecha design program, let alone been accepted under Elder Jiang?

Rong Xi refused to believe it. She couldn’t accept it.

The day she heard the news, she had smashed everything within reach, and still the rage wouldn’t subside.