Chapter 6: Appearance Is of Great Importance

Moqi Haoyu opened his eyes, a faint, ethereal sorrow clouding his brow. "Find someone to send a message to her. Tell her that everything is going smoothly."

"As you command, young master." With that response, Qingzhu vanished, leaving only the sound of a rattling window. Such lightness in his movement was truly extraordinary.

Within the Ink Courtyard, only a soft, shallow sigh echoed: "Xiyan..." Then, all fell silent.

Inside the Princess’s residence lay a fifteen-square-meter bathhouse. The exterior was crafted entirely of marble, while the interior was defined by large circular windows and a series of arched galleries. The windows were painted with exquisite landscapes and portraits—clearly the work of a master. In the center of the pool stood a phoenix carved from solid gold. The lifelike bird appeared to stretch its wings as if poised for flight, with a constant stream of hot water flowing from its mouth to supply the pool.

A graceful figure emerged from the water. From behind, she was a vision of perfection: arms white as lotus roots, skin smooth as congealed fat, and a back as flawless as jade. Her waist was slender enough to be spanned by a single hand, and her long, ink-black hair clung to her back and shoulders, still dripping with playful droplets. In the swirling mist, it was a scene of a beauty rising from the bath—a sight so enchanting that even Dieyi, standing by, was momentarily stunned.

"Towel." Reality, however, always diverged from imagination. When Yun Xiange turned around, she cruelly shattered all of Dieyi’s illusions. Her face was covered in black and red blotches, making her figure impossible to appreciate.

"The Princess’s back is truly beautiful," Dieyi said, handing over the towel before taking the robe from the rack to wait at the side.

Yun Xiange curled her lips. "Oh, stop flattering me. I know what I look like. No matter how beautiful my back is, I am still hideous."

"I am sorry." Dieyi’s eyes reddened. She cursed herself for touching upon the Princess’s pain. Having spent time with her recently, she realized the Princess had changed significantly, and she found herself growing fonder of her with each passing day.

"Appearance is not important; the heart is what matters most. As long as your inner self is strong, you have nothing to fear," she said with a smile.

"Really?" Dieyi still felt a pang of guilt.

"Really." She nodded vigorously, wearing an expression as earnest as a pearl.

Only when she saw that Dieyi was no longer sad did she breathe a sigh of relief. Yet, inside, she slapped herself mentally several times. What nonsense about looks not being important? A superficial person like her cared deeply about appearance! Her face—oh, her face! If she ever found out who had poisoned her, she would finish them off in an instant.

Yes, her face had been poisoned. As a former covert agent, assassination and toxicology had been her tools of the trade. After days of drawing her own blood, conducting repetitive drug comparisons, and painstakingly analyzing ancient texts, she had discovered that she was suffering from a toxin known as "Forget-Me-Not." This poison latched onto the skin, causing the victim to lose all memories from before the poisoning. Once the toxin was cleared, her appearance would naturally be restored. What kind of vicious person would target a small child? And what were the memories she had lost? What she found most laughable was the claim that this poison was incurable.

A joke. Was there a poison in this world she could not cure? She had already formulated the antidote; all she needed now was the final catalyst.