The Silly Prince Successfully Cancels the Engagement, But the Fiancée is His Childhood Sweetheart - Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Enlightenment

There was less than half a month until the Mecha Battle Competition.

In the simulated battles these past few days, Bai Qing had been losing continuously. There was nothing wrong with his piloting skills, and there was no issue with his mental link to Artemis. In fact, Artemis was silently helping him, and their integration level was already close to 90%.

Yet, he still couldn’t win.

Bai Qing returned from the National Defense Military Academy and sat in Artemis’s cockpit, but he delayed connecting to the mecha.

A sense of powerlessness welled up from the depths of his heart.

The Mecha Battle Competition was less than two weeks away, and now he couldn’t even win a simulated battle.

Suddenly, his wrist tingled, and his communication terminal flashed and vibrated.

He brought up the chat interface and saw it was Xiang Zhuo.

Xiang Zhuo was inviting him to the underground arena for a battle that evening at seven.

The reason given was that the Mecha Battle Competition was approaching, and he needed to stay sharp.

Bai Qing gently stroked Artemis’s fluorescent blue control panel. Feeling at a dead end regarding his fighting style, he replied to Xiang Zhuo with just one cold, single word: “Okay.”

That cold word seemed to instantly ignite the small flame that was about to be extinguished in the other person:

【BlazingFireFlameFurnace】: Alright, see you there!

…

Wearing his human-skin mask and a half-face mask, dressed in a white T-shirt and khaki casual pants, Bai Qing sat quietly on a long bench at the entrance of the underground arena, waiting for Xiang Zhuo.

He was preoccupied today, and sitting there alone, he appeared a bit lonely and downcast.

When Xiang Zhuo saw ‘Bai Yu’ (White Feather)’s figure, his eyes visibly brightened. He ran over in quick strides, bringing the unique fiery vitality of a young man, and smiled at Bai Yu, his eyes squinted: “Why are you here so early today?”

Bai Qing looked up: “Nothing much going on today.”

Xiang Zhuo naturally reached out to sling his arm over Bai Yu’s shoulder: “Then let’s go. Since we’re both early today, we can start a bit sooner…”

Bai Qing’s body stiffened. He pretended to pay the rental fee, subtly avoiding Xiang Zhuo’s touch.

Xiang Zhuo belatedly realized how presumptuous his action was. He leaned closer, his ear tips red: “How can I let you pay the rent?”

Bai Qing was quicker. He walked to the entrance, paid the mecha rental and venue fees on his own, took the combat suits, and tossed one set to Xiang Zhuo.

Xiang Zhuo was flustered: “I’ll transfer it to you online…”

Bai Qing ignored him. He stood firm, turned slightly, and raised his chin: “Let’s fight a round.”

“The rent I paid is my advance on your medical expenses.”

Xiang Zhuo’s hand paused. From his throat to his heart, an unusual, burning sensation flared up.

He had always thought Bai Yu was a taciturn, persistent person who had become submissive and cold through the hardships of life. He pitied him and didn’t want him to suffer anymore. But what he saw before him today made him realize that Bai Yu was far more than that.

The trials of life had only forced him to sheathe his full set of sharp edges.

The true self beneath those layers of feigned strength.

He liked it very much.

…

Once Bai Qing entered the mecha’s cockpit, it was as if a floodgate had opened. He drove the mecha with all his might. The barrage of fire was as dense as sudden rain, catching his opponent off guard. He was venting the suppression of many consecutive days, as well as the frustration of his losing streak.

Yet, strangely, after getting into the mecha, his habitually tense spirit also relaxed.

“Strange, what are you trying to do?” Xiang Zhuo couldn’t ignore the dissonance he felt inside. He turned on the loudspeaker and shouted, “Why the rush?”

Bai Qing answered calmly: “Quick offense.”

Xiang Zhuo was stronger than he had imagined. All his attacks were flawlessly defended by Xiang Zhuo, and he didn’t gain any advantage.

However, even as Bai Qing spoke, his hands didn’t stop, trying hard to land a punch on Xiang Zhuo’s head amidst the latter’s tight defense.

But the next second, a sentence from Xiang Zhuo stunned him: “But I can see through your quick offense style instantly.”

Bai Qing was taken aback: “See through?”

Xiang Zhuo once again anticipated Bai Qing’s move, precisely defending against his attack: “Yes, not only can I see through your attack, but I also know you’re desperate. Coming in with concentrated fire immediately is equivalent to telling me that your stamina is low, and you need to end the battle as quickly as possible. As long as I keep defending and deplete your stamina, I win.”

“I’m your opponent, after all. Show me some respect.”

This sentence hit Bai Qing like a bolt of lightning. He instantly forgot his actions, carefully pondering and repeatedly chewing over the words.

He didn’t anticipate that the move Xiang Zhuo had already launched could no longer be retracted.

He didn’t hear Xiang Zhuo’s anxious shout of “Dodge quickly!” either.

The Flame War God’s heavy punch struck the power source of the mecha Bai Qing was piloting. The colossal steel monster crashed down, and the light in its electronic eyes instantly went out.

Xiang Zhuo was shocked. He immediately jumped out of the cockpit, ignoring everything else, rushing over, and forcibly prying open the mecha’s cockpit door from the outside. Even with the coolant flowing, the temperature outside the hatch could reach over 100 degrees Celsius, but Xiang Zhuo didn’t care about the pain. In an instant, light poured in, and he only saw the person lying in the seat.

He saw the slender youth lying flat, his chest heaving violently. A faint, subtle scent of sandalwood flowed through the confined space. Xiang Zhuo’s eyes darkened, his breathing quickened, and he couldn’t help but reach out: “Are you okay?”

A brief question flashed in Xiang Zhuo’s mind—he seemed to have smelled this faint sandalwood scent somewhere before, but the aroma was too subtle, and he couldn’t recall it immediately.

And, do Betas even have pheromones? Maybe it’s the scent of laundry beads or shampoo. Never mind for now.

Lowering his head, Xiang Zhuo paused.

Bai Yu’s bangs were soaked with sweat. His eyes were unusually bright, and a hint of a smile was hidden in his deep gaze. Borrowing Xiang Zhuo’s strength, he sat up and instinctively said: “I know.”

Xiang Zhuo’s breath hitched: “What?”

Bai Yu didn’t seem inclined to answer his question: “Let’s fight another round.”

Xiang Zhuo was primarily worried about Bai Yu’s physical condition. Bai Yu didn’t have good stamina, and he worried that another round would be too much for him.

But being looked at with such an expectant gaze by Bai Yu, he couldn’t bring himself to say no.

Xiang Zhuo was possessed: “Okay.”

…

For the second round, both sides changed mechas. From the start, Xiang Zhuo clearly noticed how tricky his opponent was.

If, in the previous match, all of Bai Yu’s thoughts were exposed without reservation, in this round, Bai Yu only revealed three-tenths to his opponent.

And those three-tenths might not even be real.

Xiang Zhuo couldn’t help but marvel that such a Bai Yu was truly a genius. If the two of them were to meet on a real battlefield, he would have at most a fifty percent chance of winning.

Moreover, Bai Yu must have realized something from the few words he had just said.

At this moment, Bai Yu was engaging him with a very normal fighting style, coupled with his half-true, half-false attacks, defenses, and deliberately exposed weaknesses. Just as Xiang Zhuo felt annoyed after consecutively missing four times, Bai Yu suddenly accelerated the pace!

Xiang Zhuo suddenly felt his breathing become rapid.

He then realized that, from the beginning of the second round, his opponent had seized the initiative of the match.

But even though he realized it, it was too late.

He watched helplessly as the opponent’s pace gradually quickened, slowly stripping away the veneer of a normal fighting style to expose the essence of the quick offense tactic.

The dense barrage of fire caught Xiang Zhuo off guard. However, the helplessness of being toyed with in the first half had almost exhausted his patience and will to win. Ultimately, he was completely overwhelmed by the urgent battle rhythm, the dense artillery attacks, and Bai Yu’s almost suffocating offensive. Xiang Zhuo finally succumbed to defeat. He actively disconnected his mental link with the mecha; the mecha’s power source went out. He pushed open the heavy canopy of the cockpit and gave Bai Yu a thumbs-up from afar.

Bai Qing relaxed his body. He felt a sense of relief.

Quick offense. He finally won once.

Even though the opponent had significantly backed off.

A long time passed, and Xiang Zhuo still hadn’t seen Bai Yu emerge from the cockpit. He was a little worried that Bai Yu had exhausted himself from fighting two rounds back-to-back. Once the cabin temperature dropped to normal, he politely tapped on the canopy: “Bai Yu?”

There was no answer from inside. Xiang Zhuo was slightly surprised. He found the emergency handle on the mecha’s exterior and pulled open the cockpit door. He once again smelled that extremely faint sandalwood fragrance. Suddenly, he paused.

Bai Yu was sitting in the pilot’s seat, his head slightly tilted, his body completely relaxed. He was quietly, soundly asleep.

Xiang Zhuo froze in place for a full five seconds. Then, quietly, bit by bit, he climbed inside.

He gently brushed the back of his hand against Bai Yu’s soft cheek.