Cold-faced Empress

Mo Canglan didn't ask why he had tricked that man, only saying, "I have no reason to help you."

Fu Siying was furious and, driven by malice, shoved her hand into Mo Canglan's palm.

At the same time, her voice was sweetened: "Please help me." As she spoke, she lightly bumped Mo Canglan's arm with her shoulder.

Mo Canglan was a divine being; he remained unfazed by this disgusting display of coquetry. He flipped his hand, releasing Fu Siying's grip, and coldly uttered two words: "You're done."

Fu Siying gritted her teeth, forcing a smile as she withdrew her small hand, which had been warm just moments before but instantly turned cold the moment he touched it: "Ugh, you made my hands cold. If you're not going to help me, at least warm them up!"

These arrogant yet intimate and ambiguous words made Jiang Zhen, who was standing to the side, look as painful and ugly as if he had eaten three pounds of mud.

Mo Canglan replied quickly: "Otherwise, grab a piece of charcoal, or put your hand on the edge of the brazier."

The familiar sarcasm jolted Fu Siying back to normal: "Don't even think about touching my hand again! Humph!"

He turned his back, displaying a resolute attitude that he would no longer pay attention to Mo Canglan.

Mo Canglan turned his head and stared at Fu Siying's back for a few moments.

He turned around, closed his eyes, and slowly exhaled. It's as if he wanted to touch her hand; wasn't it she who offered her hand willingly?

To slander and frame someone is truly despicable.

When He Changyi was playing chess, he had a significant advantage halfway through the game. Suddenly, his opponent was summoned away by Prince Mu's men. Helpless, He Changyi could only wait quietly.

In a short while, the fighters returned, and He Changyi immediately sensed that something was wrong!

His playing style suddenly became strong and fierce. In just a few moves, he turned the tide and, in just a few more moves, he was evenly matched with him.

He Changyi was almost powerless to resist!

What... what's going on?!

He couldn't help but glance in the direction of Prince Mu, but he could only see that Prince Mu was surrounded by a group of officials, completely absorbed in political affairs, and had no interest in the chess game here.

Even without distraction, one still needs to be fully focused to deal with the situation. If one loses focus, the opponent will immediately seize the opportunity and force him into a retreat.

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, He Changyi lost! Listening to the commotion around him, He Changyi was completely bewildered and confused. He even forgot what had just happened, even though he had a very good chance of winning!

"This...I..."

Xue Jin immediately stepped forward to comfort He Changyi: "Brother He, don't be discouraged. There's still the 'fu' category to compete in. Your literary talent is extraordinary, and you certainly won't fail this time. With Prince Mu present today, you must seize the opportunity and make a name for yourself!"

He Changyi responded dazedly, his heart sinking into a quagmire from which he could not escape. When he looked in the direction of Prince Mu again, he unexpectedly encountered a pair of cold eyes. Those eyes were like a mirage of wind and snow, and a single glance sent a chill down his spine.

He only snapped back to reality when he was blocked by passersby.

Fu Siying was overjoyed to hear that He Changyi hadn't won the chess tournament. Although she hadn't watched the match, she had personally witnessed Mo Canglan summon He Changyi's opponent for a private talk, after which He Changyi was utterly defeated.

Tsk tsk, acting cute really works!

After his near-defeat in chess, He Changyi seemed to be affected mentally. His performance in the poetry competition was far below par. He was nowhere near Lang Junsong's level, not even half of his previous life's skill. Coupled with his previous reprimand from Fu Siying and his rudeness during the game, everyone's opinion of him worsened.