At this moment, Yu Qianqian also noticed Mo Jingnian's gaze. After finishing the last bite, she casually tossed the skewer of grilled fish away, turned her head to look at him, and asked, "What were you thinking about just now?"

Mo Jingnian's eyes met Yu Qianqian's face at a glance. Her face was covered with ointment, and the dust from eating grilled fish made her face look even more miserable, with streaks of black and white.

"Your Majesty...you...your face..." He looked at Yu Qianqian's black and white face and jumped up from the ground in fright.

Tsk tsk tsk... How can he describe this? Her scarred face was at most a flaw, but now it's a living black and white demon, which can only be described as horrific.

It must be tough being an emperor these days. Being tormented by the Empress every day must shorten his lifespan by at least ten years.

"Huh? What happened to my face?" Yu Qianqian exclaimed in surprise, but a smile appeared on her face, a smile that was both ferocious and terrifying.

She was still unaware that she had ruined her face, mistakenly believing that Mo Jingnian's surprise was for some other reason, and felt a surge of inexplicable joy in her heart.

"Although I just took the medicine, it shouldn't take effect so quickly, right?" Yu Qianqian muttered to herself. Then, wanting to confirm with Mo Jingnian, she brought her black and white ghost face closer to him, her smile becoming even more terrifying.

Meanwhile, Mo Jingnian's expression wasn't much better. Seeing Yu Qianqian's wretched state, he trembled with fear and cried out for help.

Out of desperation, he suppressed his fear, turned around, fetched a basin of water, and washed Yu Qianqian's face clean. He then reapplied the ointment, instructing her as he did so, "Your Majesty, please remember, besides maintaining a cheerful mood every day, you must not touch your face. After all, this medicine is not readily available right now..."

In the end, Mo Jingnian's heart was bleeding. The crystal-clear ointment was called Ice Skin Translucent Fairy Ointment, made from a mixture of rare and precious medicinal materials such as snow lotus, purple ginseng, and pearl powder.

He spent several years collecting these incredibly valuable medicinal herbs, only to have them turned into mud by Yu Qianqian, that ancestor of his! What a waste!

Yu Qianqian leaned casually against the flower fence, her arms propped up on her head, her face turned to the side without changing her expression. She looked at the man in blue robes sitting quietly beside her, but her eyes became even sharper. "Qingyun Temple, what do you think of that girl who just tried to commit suicide by hitting her head against the wall?"

Mo Jingnian turned his head upon hearing the sound, and his gaze met that unusual look. He immediately felt uneasy, which reminded him of the scene he had seen not long ago at the foot of the cliff at Qingyun Temple.

Yu Qianqian's sudden change in expression clearly indicated that she was already aware of the matter, and there was no need for her to deny it now.

Mo Jingnian thought for a moment and then slowly said, "It was indeed unexpected that Your Highness was followed at Qingyun Temple today. I guess the reason why that palace maid would rather die than utter a word is because she was afraid of suffering. After all, imprisonment is far more agonizing than death."

She watched him as he spoke eloquently, the sharpness in his eyes quickly fading. Mo Jingnian's viewpoint was merely superficial; he didn't perceive the hidden truth, much less suspect that it was all part of her scheme to uncover the mastermind. From Fengyi Palace to Qingyun Temple, she had set traps in advance, luring the culprit to the surface step by step.

Even if he was deliberately pretending to be stupid, he wouldn't be so clumsy as to make so many mistakes.

If it were Hua Mancheng at this moment, he would definitely agree with her and come up with an even better plan until he helped her eliminate the hidden danger.

He will never be him.