Originally, Liu Qingyu hadn’t understood why Madam Ning had sent them the meat pies. Now, everything clicked into place.
Madam Ning wanted their family’s lives—more precisely, she wanted Liu Qingyu dead.
She wanted the Ning family to earn a good reputation while getting rid of Liu Qingyu without dirtying her hands, allowing Ning Dalang’s engagement to Liu Qingyu to end naturally.
Liu Qingyu couldn’t help but sigh.
What a brilliant scheme.
The meat pies sent to the prison had merely been a test. If Liu Qingyu and her family had shared the pies, others would have seen them as weak and easy to bully.
Once the exile journey began and they traveled farther and farther away, food would become increasingly scarce. When hunger drove people to desperation, their eyes would naturally fall upon the cart piled high with supplies.
There were only three people in Liu Qingyu’s family. They would never be able to protect all those goods. If anything happened afterward, naturally it would have nothing to do with the Ning family.
However, Madam Ning, who had always thought she understood the Liu family’s eldest branch, hadn’t expected the mother and daughter to refuse to play by the rules. First, they didn’t share the meat pies; then they used force to suppress Madam Jiang, completely disrupting her plans.
But the arrow was already on the bowstring and had to be released.
Her son’s marriage could not be delayed, so Madam Ning still brought the cart out of the city.
“Madam Liu, please accept these supplies. Otherwise, my son and I will worry day and night and never be at ease,” Madam Ning said with a gentle smile.
Seeing everything Madam Ning had done, everyone around them praised her.
“Now that the Liu family has fallen on hard times, the Ning family is still willing to help in their hour of need. The Liu family truly found themselves a good in-law family,” a woman remarked to the person beside her.
But the woman beside her gave Madam Ning a cold glance and said loudly,
“Indeed. Since the Ning family is so concerned about Young Master Ning’s fiancée, why don’t they simply marry her into the family? That way, the young lady wouldn’t have to suffer exile.”
All of them had been officials’ wives for many years.
Did Madam Ning really think no one could see through her scheme?
She wanted to use them as stepping stones for the Ning family to break off the engagement, and unfortunately, these exiles no longer had the luxury of choice.
At first, Madam Ning had been delighted to hear people praising her family.
But when she heard someone suggesting that her son marry that girl from the Liu family, she almost failed to control her expression.
How could her son possibly marry the daughter of a convicted official?
“Then many thanks to Madam Ning. I shall accept this kindness. As for the engagement between your son and me, why don’t we call it off? I am now a criminal and cannot delay his future.”
Liu Qingyu deliberately emphasized the word kindness and spoke to Madam Ning in a sweet yet cutting tone.
Since you’ve made the first move, don’t blame me for striking back.
I’ll take the cart—and I’ll take the good reputation too.
The onlookers had never expected Liu Qingyu to give up her only chance to avoid exile.
They all exclaimed:
“I never believed someone could be so understanding, but now I’ve seen it with my own eyes. The Ning family are good people, and Miss Liu is an even better person.”
“Miss Liu has always kept a low profile. Who would’ve thought she possessed such broad-mindedness and generosity!”
Listening to everyone praise Liu Qingyu, the veins on Madam Ning’s forehead nearly bulged.
This girl was her nemesis, ruining every single one of her plans.
At that moment, Liu Qingyu contacted Liu Aotian with her mind.
“Aotian, help me find some kind of torture item. Preferably something that makes life worse than death, and one where I can decide her life or death at a critical moment.”
There was no way she’d sit back after someone had tried to take her life.
[Understood, Host! I’ll look right away.]
Liu Aotian answered enthusiastically.
A short while later, his cheerful mechanical voice sounded again.
[Host, I’ve found two torture devices that ordinary humans can endure without dying. One is called ‘Sitting on Needles,’ and the other is ‘Endless Nightmares.’]
[‘Sitting on Needles’ means that whenever the target sits or lies down, they’ll feel agonizing pain all over their body. However, it can’t determine life or death. It lasts for one year and costs five points.]
[‘Endless Nightmares,’ as the name suggests, causes the target to have nightmares every time they sleep. Moreover, the nightmares become increasingly terrifying as time passes. It also lasts for one year.
It’s more expensive, costing ten points, but its greatest feature is that it can be upgraded with points. After upgrading, the host can directly cause the target to die within their nightmares.]
After hearing the explanation, Liu Qingyu chose Endless Nightmares.
Though it cost more, it suited her needs better.
After all, if a person never slept, they would eventually go insane.
And if a mad person suddenly died…
Wasn’t that perfectly reasonable?
“Since Qingyu insists, our Ning family isn’t unreasonable. Here is the token that was exchanged back then. Do you happen to have your family’s token with you?”
After collecting herself, Madam Ning took a jade pendant from Ning Dalang.
As it happened, Liu Qingyu was carrying that very pendant.
She took it out and handed it over to Madam Ning, taking the opportunity to touch her hand and have the system place Endless Nightmares on her.
Looking at the jade pendant of the Liu family that had been returned, Liu Qingyu knew that from this day forward, the Ning and Liu families no longer had any marital ties.
“Since the matter has been settled, I shall take my leave.”
After glancing into the distance, Madam Ning made a rather strange gesture with the hand resting before her.
Following her gaze, Liu Qingyu saw only a group of officers chatting among themselves.
Could it be…?
At that moment, Liu Jinyao suddenly rushed forward. She grabbed Ning Dalang’s sleeve and cried pitifully.
“Dalang, didn’t you say I was the one you loved most? Now that you’ve broken off your engagement with Liu Qingyu, marry me instead! I don’t want to be exiled!”
Originally, Ning Dalang had wanted to comfort her and wipe away her tears.
But when he saw Liu Jinyao’s face—which looked as though someone had splashed it with every color of paint—his hand paused.
“Miss Liu, you may not care about your reputation, but my son certainly does. Even if our family had marital ties with the Liu family, they were with Liu Qingyu, not with you. You should think carefully about your own conduct.”
With that, Madam Ning glanced at Ning Dalang and turned to leave.
Seeing that his mother was angry, Ning Dalang immediately forgot about comforting Liu Jinyao and hurried after her.
As for what would happen to Liu Jinyao?
What did it have to do with him?
He was merely a man who couldn’t bear to see beauties cry.
Liu Jinyao stared in disbelief at Ning Dalang’s retreating figure.
Hadn’t he said that his engagement to Liu Qingyu was forced upon him by his parents, while she was his true love and the only woman he would ever marry?
Why had he abandoned her so heartlessly now?
Liu Qingyu couldn’t be bothered to watch her acting as though the sky had fallen.
She turned and walked back toward her mother.
“Wife! Daughter!”
The moment she turned around, she heard her father’s hearty shout.
Looking at Liu Hongyi, who was wearing a wooden cangue and striding quickly toward them, she couldn’t help feeling excited as well.
“Daughter, I just got here and heard people saying you’ve broken off your engagement. Did the Ning family bully you? Are you and your mother alright?” Liu Hongyi asked worriedly.
Liu Qingyu pointed at the cart behind her.
“We’re fine. The engagement’s over, and we got an entire cart of supplies for free.”
Although Liu Hongyi looked tall and rough, as though he were a careless man, his mind was actually extremely sharp.
He instantly understood the situation.
“Daughter, we can’t keep all these things—at least not all of them. Otherwise, we’ll truly become everyone’s target.”
He lowered his voice as he spoke.