Liu Qinghui is no simple woman, not just a pretty face.
She herself possesses average-to-high talent with Three Spiritual Roots. Despite being the same age as Ning Fa, she's already at the seventh level of Qi Condensation.
Crucially, she has exceptional alchemy talent, widely recognized as the best in the Ning Family.
While Ning Fa's previous self despaired over failing to become a low-grade First-rank Pill Master, Liu Qinghui had already advanced to a high-grade First-rank Pill Master two years prior.
She is, in fact, the second-best alchemist in the Ning Family. However, she lacks Wei Chengzong's experience, and in terms of potential, Wei Chengzong is far inferior to her.
Wei Chengzong had long ago assessed that she could very well become a Second-rank Pill Master, even potentially approaching the level of the Ning Family ancestor, the mid-grade Second-rank Pill Master Ning Chuyun.
Therefore, despite Liu Qinghui originating from a vassal family of the Ning Family, her status within the entire Ning Family is very high, not solely due to her being the adopted daughter of the Ning Family's Third Elder.
Although her family status and treatment are not as good as those of family elders, they are already comparable to the heads of ordinary halls within the family.
The Ning Family naturally wouldn't let her leave. The Third Elder, Ning Zhongjiu, had long ago stated that Liu Qinghui could choose any suitable husband within the family.
As a result, the young talents within the family who considered themselves well-qualified flocked to her, pursuing her fiercely. However, Ning Ruiming currently has the highest chance.
Ning Fa had initially thought Liu Qinghui might want to ease their strained relationship, but he suddenly felt something was off.
He was nowhere near being a threat to her at this point.
Given her current status and position, there was no need for her to act so… ingratiatingly towards him?
Seeing that Ning Fa hadn't touched the osmanthus cake on the table, Liu Qinghui sighed softly. Her clear black and white eyes fixed on Ning Fa, and she said in a low voice, "I can help you, so that Ning Ruiming stops bothering you. You can move to the Pill Hall with peace of mind."
Ning Fa felt even more convinced that this woman had ulterior motives. He smiled and asked, "How will you help me?"
"I'll go talk to Ning Ruiming. I believe he'll give me that face," Liu Qinghui said, parting her cherry lips.
Ning Fa inwardly thought that if his past self heard this, he would have been suffocated with frustration to death.
He lazily replied, "No need. I can handle this minor trouble. Please leave."
Liu Qinghui pursed her cherry lips, a mistiness gathering in her beautiful eyes. Her tone suddenly became emotional, "Ning Fa, I actually had my reasons. The annulment of our engagement wasn't something I could control. I will never forget your kindness to me."
With that, Liu Qinghui suddenly reached into her chest.
Ning Fa was startled. Was this "green tea" going to try and seduce him?
If so, should he accept or… accept?
Ning Fa found himself in a bit of a dilemma. For a gentleman like him, it was a great test.
However, Liu Qinghui pulled out a milky-white jade pendant, half of it tied with a red string, from her chest.
Her eyes sparkled with a peculiar crystalline light, and she said softly, "Do you remember this half of the jade pendant? You received a complete jade pendant back then and split it in two, giving me this half. I've worn it close to me all these years. Do you still have the other half?"
After speaking, Liu Qinghui stared intently at Ning Fa, seemingly trying to discern something from his expression.
Faced with Liu Qinghui's display of deep affection and loyalty, anyone else, especially the great sucker that was his past self, might have been moved and even let go of their past grievances.
But Ning Fa was no ordinary person. His expression remained calm as he looked at Liu Qinghui, his heart undisturbed.
With his personality, one act of disloyalty was a death sentence, and he would never forgive them again, regardless of the reason.
Besides, did Liu Qinghui take him for a three-year-old child?
If his father had made the decision to break off the engagement before, then why had this woman never offered any help when the original Ning Fa was in such dire straits after his parents' deaths?
Even secretly sending some Spirit Stones would have been something, but the fact was that this woman had always acted as if the original Ning Fa didn't exist.
"What jade pendant? I threw it away long ago," Ning Fa said lazily. He then looked up at the moon and chuckled, "It's late. If you're not leaving, why don't you stay and sleep with me?"
The excitement on Liu Qinghui's face faded. A flicker of disappointment flashed in her beautiful eyes. She gave Ning Fa a deep look and, saying no more, got up to leave.
After Liu Qinghui had traveled quite a distance from Ning Fa's home, she suddenly stopped.
She stood on a small path between several spirit fields. The surrounding spirit plants swayed gently in the breeze, and the soft moonlight cast a peculiar radiance on her face, making her beautiful features glow as if she were a fairy under the moon.
Her expression was placid, and she suddenly spoke, "What do you think?"
Her words were abrupt and nonsensical. Though she was alone, she spoke as if addressing someone else, which was quite strange.
At that moment, a half jade pendant tied with a red string flew out from Liu Qinghui's chest.
Its surface flashed with a faint white light, and a slightly aged voice suddenly emanated from it, "This old man still hasn't sensed it."
A hint of confusion appeared on Liu Qinghui's pretty face. The aged voice continued, "It was understandable that I couldn't sense it a few months ago when that brat was unconscious. But now is when my soul power is at its strongest for the year. If I still can't sense it now, then that half jade pendant is most likely not with that brat anymore. And didn't you search his home when he was recuperating at his paternal uncle's home and not find it then?"
Liu Qinghui said faintly, "It's highly likely. When I took out this half jade pendant to test him just now, he showed no reaction either… I thought he would always keep that half jade pendant."
The aged voice chuckled, "You wounded that brat's heart so deeply that it caused his temperament to change drastically. Is it strange that he would throw away your token of love?"
Liu Qinghui ignored the aged voice's mockery, her brow furrowed with confusion. "Without the jade pendant's help, how could he suddenly awaken his talent in alchemy? How could his alchemy skills improve so much in such a short time?"
The aged voice paused for a moment before saying indifferently, "Even if he suddenly awakened, it's not strange. My master was also extremely slow to grasp alchemy at first, but after a moment of enlightenment, his alchemy skills improved rapidly. This brat might be in a similar situation."
"Moreover, I never thought that half jade pendant would have a residual artifact spirit. After all, I've never felt any sense of division. If there's no artifact spirit, that half jade pendant is just a useless item."
Liu Qinghui fell silent upon hearing this, tilting her head to gaze at the moon and murmuring, "Could it really be a sudden awakening?"
The aged voice grumbled again, "If you ask me, instead of probing and guessing like this, why don't you just capture that brat and interrogate him? Then you'll know everything, won't you? That brat hasn't even reached the middle stage of Qi Condensation. Dealing with him should be a piece of cake for you."
Liu Qinghui shook her head and said faintly, "If it were before he was injured by Ning Zhen'an, I might have tried. But now, with Ninth Elder valuing him so highly, he might have been bestowed some life-saving treasure. Moreover, others saw me enter his home just now. I won't do anything so risky."
The aged voice paused. "Alright, you are indeed still so cautious. This is both a weakness and a strength for a cultivator. But if that brat truly had a moment of enlightenment and his alchemy talent greatly improved, aren't you afraid he'll threaten you in the future? After all, I'm still very weak and can't help you much, and that brat seems to hate you and your father to the bone."
A confident gleam flashed in Liu Qinghui's beautiful eyes. "He won't. I'm confident I can make him dote on me like before."