Chapter 88: Director Duan

After Duan Fengyun quietly slipped out of the room, he jumped directly onto the eaves and observed the situation inside from there.

Everyone's attention was not on Duan Fengyun, and coupled with the excessive noise inside the room, no one noticed that Duan Fengyun had left or that there was an extra person under the eaves.

Time passed slowly, and the half-hour period arrived before long.

Qin Shuang gradually regained his breath, and just as everyone was heartbroken and Ding Ning was weeping bitterly, Qin Shuang opened his eyes.

Qin Shuang opened his eyes, his heart filled with sighs.

He knew everything that had just happened in the room; Junior Brother Duan was truly capable of stirring up trouble.

Ding Ning, who was weeping bitterly, looked up and saw Qin Shuang open his eyes, and was first given a great fright.

Ding Ning wiped her eyes, confirming that she had not seen wrong.

She stood up and looked at Qin Shuang, who had opened his eyes; unable to restrain her impulse any longer, she rushed over to hug Qin Shuang and cried loudly:

"Brother Qin, you're awake, you didn't die. It must be that Heaven couldn't bear to let you die, I knew it!"

Qin Shuang patted Ding Ning's shoulder and said gently:

"Ding Ning, don't worry, I'm fine. Let me speak to them first, and we can talk later."

The crowd, who had just been heartbroken, also looked toward the resurrected Qin Shuang one after another.

Bu Jingyun asked:

"Shuang, what exactly is going on? Junior Brother Duan said you were ambushed, and by the time we arrived, you had already stopped breathing."

Nie Feng also spoke up:

"Shuang, you really earned plenty of our tears just now."

Qin Shuang replied:

"It has been so long, haven't you all noticed that there is one person missing in the room?

According to reason, shouldn't this person be here?"

Only then did the crowd notice that Duan Fengyun was actually not in the room; given the bond between them as fellow disciples, it was impossible for Duan Fengyun not to be heartbroken if Qin Shuang met with disaster.

Furthermore, he was the first person to discover that something had happened to Qin Shuang, and everything had been told from his mouth.

It seemed that this matter, in the final analysis, was definitely the work of that troublemaker Duan Fengyun.

Youruo instantly understood that this was her husband's plan, intended to cast off responsibility and avoid collateral damage.

So, she proposed:

"Let's go, let's all go find Duan Fengyun and see what medicine he is selling in his gourd!"

The crowd walked out of the room one after another to settle accounts with Duan Fengyun; seeing the awkward scene, Ding Ning also stood up, preparing to leave, but was stopped by Qin Shuang's voice.

"Ding Ning, don't go yet, I have something to tell you."

After everyone had left the room, Ding Ning asked Qin Shuang:

"Brother Qin, tell me what it is."

Qin Shuang replied:

"What Junior Brother Duan fed me was a Turtle-Breathing Pill; although this medicine made me appear as if I were dead, I could still hear the sounds around me.

So, although I had fallen into a coma just now, I knew everything that happened on the scene, including the words you said."

Ding Ning had been in the Under Heaven Society for many years, so naturally, she had heard the name of the Turtle-Breathing Pill.

Ding Ning's face instantly turned bright red; she had not expected that Qin Shuang had actually heard her true feelings.

Qin Shuang looked at the blushing Ding Ning and said:

"Ding Ning, I just want to ask, is everything you said true?"

Ding Ning thought of what Youruo had said to her—that one must be brave in pursuing the one they love in their heart.

Ding Ning gathered her courage and replied:

"Yes, Brother Qin, everything I said just now is true; I like you."

After his conversation with Duan Fengyun, Qin Shuang had already faced his feelings for Ding Ning squarely.

Qin Shuang was actually looking for an opportunity to talk to Ding Ning alone.

As it turned out, the emperor was not anxious, but the eunuch was; he never expected Duan Fengyun to make a move directly.

Qin Shuang looked at Ding Ning, and after gathering all his courage, he looked at her and said:

"Ding Ning, I like you too!"

The two looked into each other's eyes, and Qin Shuang stepped forward and hugged Ding Ning tightly.

The two, who had long since developed feelings for each other, finally expressed their inner sentiments.

As for the well-meaning Duan Fengyun, he was the one who suffered; Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun searched all the way and finally found Duan Fengyun, who was deliberately avoiding them, on the eaves.

Nie Feng said:

"Junior Brother Duan, you really are a warm-hearted person. That act you and Shuang put on just now really earned plenty of our tears."

Duan Fengyun rubbed his head and said:

"Two senior brothers, I did this to bring Shuang and Ding Ning together.

If the act wasn't realistic enough, Ding Ning wouldn't have believed it, so I had to sacrifice you two and trick you out of your tears."

Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun did not listen to his sophistry; the two grabbed him and brought him down from the eaves.

Youruo pretended not to know anything and said:

"Husband, I couldn't tell you were so good at acting."

Duan Fengyun replied proudly:

"You don't even look at who I am."

Bu Jingyun said:

"Alright, Great Matchmaker Duan, to thank you for your great kindness to Shuang, we have decided to let you cook another meal."

The previously smirking Duan Fengyun instantly pulled a long face.

Ever since they found out he was a good cook, they always found ways to make him cook; his heart was bitter, but he didn't say a word.

After a small interlude, everyone returned to their own homes and found their own mothers, returning to their rooms to rest.

Inside the room, Youruo gossiped with Duan Fengyun:

"After we left Shuang's room, we never saw Ding Ning come out; who knows, maybe the two of them have already..."

Duan Fengyun added:

"I never thought Shuang would be so honest and upright on the surface, yet so open in private. It seems he's been single for too long and was about to burst.

Unlike me, who remains unmoved even when holding a beauty, a true gentleman."

Youruo looked at him with disdain; even with just the two of them as a married couple, he still had to show off.

Duan Fengyun also knew he had overdone it, so he turned to hug Youruo, touched her increasingly prominent belly, and said:

"Sleep, my two treasures."

Early the next morning, Duan Fengyun got up and started practicing in the courtyard. With an ulterior motive, he appeared to be practicing martial arts, but was actually keeping an eye on Qin Shuang's room.

Seeing Duan Fengyun practicing in the courtyard, Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun arrived in the courtyard one after another.

The three junior brothers were throwing punches, chopping with palms, and kicking legs in the courtyard—what a spectacular sight.

"Clang."

Qin Shuang's room door opened. Duan Fengyun appeared to be punching, but his attention was actually fixed on Qin Shuang's room.

Qin Shuang walked out of the room, saw the three of them, and said:

"Junior Brother Duan, focus your attention; your opening stance for the Frost Fist is wrong."

Duan Fengyun stopped his movements and said sheepishly:

"As expected of Shuang, you even noticed that."

Seeing Duan Fengyun stop, Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun also ceased their hand and leg movements.

Duan Fengyun stepped forward and whispered into Qin Shuang's ear:

"Shuang, did you sleep well last night? Does having a beauty for company feel much more comfortable than sleeping alone?"

Qin Shuang instantly understood what this kid was thinking, and he rolled his eyes at Duan Fengyun:

"Junior Brother Duan, don't let your imagination run wild; nothing happened last night."

Duan Fengyun patted Qin Shuang on the shoulder and said:

"Shuang, we are all men; if you have something to say, just say it directly. Don't be coy; no one will laugh at you."

Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun looked at the two whispering to each other, knowing without guessing that it was Duan Fengyun up to his old tricks again.

Just as Duan Fengyun was teasing Qin Shuang, Ding Ning walked in from outside the courtyard and greeted everyone:

"Good morning, everyone."

Duan Fengyun was instantly stunned; he had been worried that Ding Ning had left Qin Shuang's room early in the morning.

He had practically risen at the crack of dawn to watch, but he had never seen Ding Ning come out of Qin Shuang's room.

After Ding Ning greeted them, she left. Duan Fengyun grabbed Qin Shuang and asked:

"Shuang, what exactly happened? Why wasn't Ding Ning in your room?"

Qin Shuang pushed Duan Fengyun away and said:

"Junior Brother Duan, don't you know me well enough? Not long after Junior Brother Bu and the others left last night, Ding Ning left."

It turned out that after Qin Shuang and Ding Ning poured their hearts out to each other last night, the two had snuggled for a while.

Considering Ding Ning's reputation, Qin Shuang had let her go back; staying in a man's room for a long time was never good for a young woman's reputation.

Upon hearing this, Duan Fengyun gave Qin Shuang a thumbs up and said:

"Shuang, you really are a saint. Unmoved even when holding a beauty, I truly admire you. Tell me, are you perhaps incapable? If so, just tell me, and I'll find a prescription for you."

Dark clouds gathered over Qin Shuang's head; if this continued, he would be nagged to death by this chatterbox Duan Fengyun.

Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, fleeing is the best; Qin Shuang slipped away without a trace.

Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun stepped forward and grabbed the departing Duan Fengyun, saying:

"Junior Brother Duan, don't forget what you promised last night."

Duan Fengyun nodded and replied listlessly:

"Alright, I know, it's just cooking a meal."

Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun laughed as they returned to their rooms to wash up, and Duan Fengyun, ignored by everyone, returned to his own room as well.

By the time the three arrived at the main hall, everyone had already gathered.

Seeing that everyone was present, Ding Ning and Qin Shuang said in unison:

"We have some good news to share with everyone today."

Everyone except Duan Fengyun waited with anticipation for what the two would say next.

And so, Qin Shuang and Ding Ning continued:

"Thanks to someone's strategy yesterday, we two have found our other halves. Thank you to that someone."

Everyone except that someone cheered joyfully:

"Thank you to that someone!"

Duan Fengyun would never miss such an occasion, so he spoke up:

"Indeed, one should thank that someone. Shuang, how soon do you plan to get married?"

Duan Fengyun thought Qin Shuang and Ding Ning would be afraid of this topic, but unexpectedly, Qin Shuang replied righteously:

"I checked the almanac last night; it said recent dates weren't suitable, but the eighth of next month is good. I have decided to marry Ding Ning on the eighth."

"The eighth of the eighth month, eight-eight-eight, prosperity, prosperity, prosperity."

Duan Fengyun spoke up to tease him.

Zhu Huang said:

"Kid Duan, don't forget, you still have to cook today. Let's go, this old man will accompany you to the market to buy ingredients."

Ever since Zhu Huang ate the dishes made by Duan Fengyun, everything else tasted bland to him; now that he had a chance to make Duan Fengyun cook, he was more than eager.

Duan Fengyun curled his lips and said:

"Cook, cook, cook! Senior Zhu, wait for me to go back to my room to change my clothes and shoes before we go."

Just as everyone was in high spirits, an uninvited guest was on their way to Duanqing Ju.