Chapter 45: Just Go Next Door and Find Old Man Li

Not taking him to the hospital—it's freezing cold, and no one can be left lying in the yard like that. So, everyone pitched in, lifting and carrying him amid Duan Chengliang’s agonized cries, and finally brought him back inside, laid him on the heated kang, and covered him with a quilt. Then, without a word, everyone scattered quickly, each silently hoping not to get involved further.

Once everyone had left, the room soon fell into complete silence.

Duan Chengliang no longer had to cry out or pretend. He couldn’t help but lift his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his brow.

Though he was just a prop, having spent so much time on set, he had developed some basic acting skills. Today’s performance had been vigorous enough to break a sweat. At one point, he had even gotten so into character that he truly felt injured—his foot aching and chilling.

He chuckled to himself, pleased with his clever use of space today. Objects and tools are lifeless; it’s the mind that’s alive. The blacksmith’s workshop, if used wisely, could be a deadly weapon. Judging by the actual effect, it was completely unnoticed by anyone, and the result was spot on.

Thinking back, he felt a pang of sympathy for Shazhu. When Shazhu was rolling on the ground earlier, Duan Chengliang had sneaked a glance and estimated that Shazhu had at least fractured some of the arch bones—several bones were definitely broken. Perhaps there were issues with the lower leg or wrist bones as well.

Damn it, Duan Chengliang couldn’t blame himself for this outcome. That single strike was enough to reveal just how vicious Shazhu was willing to be, how much force he intended to use. If Duan Chengliang hadn’t had his space to stealthily block the blow with a hammer, things might have ended badly—possibly even before he could become Xu Damiao.

Now, Duan Chengliang felt no frustration at all. After being tricked by Shazhu at the steel mill gate earlier that afternoon, he finally felt he had gotten his revenge. And he was quite satisfied with how it turned out.

Many things don’t require meticulous planning; often, acting on impulse and seizing the moment yields the best and most unexpected results.

At this moment, he still couldn’t move around freely or rummage through his space to work. After all, he was still the center of attention in the whole yard, which was currently bustling with activity.

So, he had no choice but to lie quietly in the warm quilt, peacefully enjoying his good mood.

Lost in thought, the door creaked open, and Qin Huairu slipped inside through a narrow gap, quickly closing the door behind her and latching it.

Duan Chengliang heard the noise but didn’t know who had come in; he was about to continue his act when he caught Qin Huairu’s slightly trembling voice, filled with worry: “Chengliang, how are you? If you need any medicine, just tell me—I’ll buy it for you.”

Hearing it was Qin Huairu, Duan Chengliang thought, “She’s really brave to sneak in at a time like this.” He turned his head to look at her standing by the heated kang, worry etched on her face.

It was clear she truly cared about him.

So he said, looking at Qin Huairu, “Qin, I don’t need any medicine. It’s just a bit painful—you can take a look at the wound.”

He said it casually, but to his surprise, Qin Huairu showed no embarrassment. She sat down on the kang, leaned forward with genuine concern, ready to examine the injury.

Her eyes were full of pity as she softly asked, “Is it very painful? Let me take you to the hospital. Come, let me see how bad the injury is.”

“Oh, it’s so badly injured, swollen so badly!”

Qin Huairu was shocked by what she found during her examination, her heart turning cold. Shazhu had been too ruthless.

She was even somewhat flustered, uncertain if such a severe and swollen injury could be healed.

But gradually, she realized the situation wasn’t as she had imagined. Most tellingly, when she touched the injured area, Duan Chengliang showed no pain or distress—instead, he looked like he was enjoying it.

Moreover, she wasn’t clueless. Earlier, her concern had made her careless, but now, sensing the true nature of the swelling and pain, she understood perfectly.

Qin Huairu blushed deeply, flustered, and tried to pull her hand away, but Duan Chengliang caught it.

“Actually, with the right treatment, there’s still time to heal. To make a full recovery, I need your careful care. I’ve heard saliva can reduce inflammation and relieve pain—we could try that. After all, getting herbs outside is expensive and troublesome. Better to use some folk remedies if we can. I just worry that if we don’t treat this, there may be lasting effects.”

Duan Chengliang avoided the hospital and, with the help of the amateur doctor Qin Huairu from the yard, used folk remedies and careful treatment. After some dedicated effort, the pain truly subsided. The emotional wounds inflicted by Shazhu also healed, leaving him feeling refreshed and relaxed.

Now, he was lying on the kang with eyes half-closed, enjoying a moment of leisure.

A rosy flush spread across his cheeks, his movements gentle and tender. Yet his words were blunt: “You’re the worst, always making me work hard. You sure know how to pretend and act. Now the pain’s gone, the injury’s no longer swollen, right?”

Duan Chengliang’s lips curved into a smile; he didn’t even open his eyes, responding with a soft “Mm.” His expression radiated pure satisfaction.

Qin Huairu was both shy and annoyed, biting back a laugh, then gave his waist a pinch.

As Duan Chengliang suppressed his cries of pain, clutching his side, she tossed the towel into the basin and stood up by the edge of the kang.

“Since you’re fine, I’ll leave. After all, it’s lively out there in the yard, with many eyes watching. By the way, how long do you plan to keep this up? How will you wrap things up? Before I came, I saw Shazhu’s foot injury—it wasn’t light. It’s strange—he kicked you, but you’re fine, and he’s the one who’s hurt like that?”

Duan Chengliang opened his eyes, smiled at Qin Huairu, raised an eyebrow, and said, “How tough do you think I am? Who else but him would hit me at my most vulnerable spots?”

Qin Huairu’s face turned even redder in embarrassment, and she playfully spat at him.

Seeing her like that put Duan Chengliang in a great mood. He chuckled softly before saying, “Don’t worry about it. Just pretend you know nothing about any of this. Do what you need to do. When the time comes, Yi Zhonghai will come find me.”

Qin Huairu pursed her lips, thought for a moment, then nodded. “Alright, as long as you know what you’re doing. I’ll go now.”

But Duan Chengliang suddenly called after her, “Qin, you really need to get me some medicine.”

Qin Huairu stopped in her tracks, puzzled. “I thought you were fine? Why bother with medicine? Besides, it’s so late—where would you get bandages now if not at the hospital?”

Duan Chengliang smiled and said, “To make the act complete, it has to be convincing; otherwise it’s no fun and might affect the final outcome. I want you to get the medicine, but you don’t need to go to the pharmacy or the hospital. Just go to the yard next door and find Old Man Li.”