Reborn and Reunited with My Resentful Husband - Chapter 2

“I cannot divorce you today.”

She had rarely slept so deeply and soundly in that tranquil darkness, but when she opened her eyes again, it was because she had been jolted awake by sheer pain.

A sudden, sharp agony shot through her chest and lungs, and her throat ached as if she had swallowed thousands of red-hot needles. When she swallowed, she could faintly taste a faint, metallic hint of bl00d.

Qi Ranran furrowed her brows and endured the pain for a while before abruptly sitting up, grabbing a handkerchief and pressing it tightly against her mouth.

Cough, cough, cough—

She coughed violently for a long time, only relaxing her furrowed brow after expelling the suffocating sensation in her chest. She tossed the handkerchief carelessly to the corner of the bed and slowly lay back down…

Wait, hadn’t she already died?!

She bolted upright again, her first instinct to frantically pat herself down. Aside from a glaringly bright crimson mole that had appeared on her right wrist, her body showed no other abnormalities—not even a trace of burns.

…Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

The lotus-colored sheer bed curtains tightly blocked out the uncertain scenery outside. After a moment of hesitation, Qi Ranran finally reached out and lifted them, cautiously peering outside.

She had expected to see a gloomy, eerie underworld, but instead, her eyes fell upon an unfamiliar yet vaguely familiar, elegant and spacious room.

A verdant green gauze cabinet stood as a partition beyond the hall, and a rectangular table with pearwood cabriole legs occupied the center. Farther away, pale yellow silk paper embroidered with subtle patterns was divided into neat sections by cloud-patterned latticework. Thanks to the room’s excellent orientation, the sunlight streaming in cast a faint, shimmering glow, reminiscent of glazed porcelain.

Qi Ranran’s bewildered gaze wandered aimlessly through this serene brightness before finally drifting past the half-open window and settling on a lush pear tree in the courtyard outside, just beginning to bear green fruit.

At that very moment, a green pear unexpectedly fell from a branch, tumbling into the grass nearby.

Her eyes unconsciously followed the pear until they landed on a white jade wall, and she froze in shock.

—The wall was carved with an entire, majestic emblem of the Four Divine Creatures.

Walls engraved with the orderly Four Divine Creatures were not for commoners; even the Chongxuan Office of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was only permitted to use ordinary sandstone for separate carvings.

And as for a place qualified to possess such a totem, meticulously crafted and inlaid with thousands of jade beads—there was likely no second such place in the entire Great Yong Dynasty.

Qi Ranran’s breath hitched, and a wild suspicion flashed through her mind.

Without bothering to dress properly, she hastily threw on her clothes and rushed to the outer chamber. Following a vague memory, she skirted around a screen and opened the second small drawer beneath the dressing table—

A divorce agreement stamped with her and Yu Changfeng’s personal seals fluttered down lightly.

So, it was true.

This was the Yu Family Exorcist Manor, and the divorce papers clearly indicated the date: the seventh day of the seventh month in the thirteenth year of Zhen Sheng’s reign.

—She had truly been reborn, returned to three years ago!

Qi Ranran picked up the thin sheet of paper, pinching herself in disbelief.

Just as she was reeling from the shock, two knocks sounded at the door.

The first was heavy and forceful, shaking the solid door panel with palpable anger; the second, though following almost immediately, was noticeably restrained, carrying a hint of reluctant deference.

A clear, youthful voice followed closely, “Breakfast is ready. We can’t bring it in, so please come out to eat…”

The voice paused again at this point, then continued through gritted teeth after a long moment, “Princess Shaoyang, we respectfully request that you personally come out for breakfast.”

Yu Changfeng had two disciples who had served him since childhood. The slightly older one was called Fengyi, while the younger one was named Shuji.

Clearly, the one knocking at the door now was Shuji – the same Shuji who in her previous life would often stand up for Master Yu and particularly disliked her.

Qi Ranran composed herself and reached out to open the door.

…

A beam of light immediately fell upon her head. The cool mountain breeze of a midsummer morning swept gently through the vast expanse of ancient bamboos and trees in the majestic valley, carrying with it the century-accumulated fragrance of sacred incense from the Celestial Master’s residence, instantly dispelling the bone-deep restlessness that had clung to her.

Qi Ranran unconsciously let out a long breath, a faint smile instinctively appearing at the corners of her lips.

Her smile was purely due to feeling greatly relieved, but Fengyi and Shuji waiting nearby clearly misunderstood her meaning.

Shuji’s expression immediately turned even more unpleasant. “You are truly quite rude! A few days ago, you unreasonably demanded rice and grain. Yesterday, you came making a scene up the mountain, clamoring for divorce. After dinner, you even injured our young master’s forehead by throwing scrolls at him! Today, not only do you show no remorse, you actually have the nerve to smile?”

The ‘young master’ he referred to was Yu Changfeng. After Emperor Zhenyuan’s passing, the Yu family no longer exclusively focused on Taoist practices, with most altar ceremonies and related affairs transferred to the Chongxuan Office. The customary title of ‘Celestial Master Yu’ for successive generations had consequently changed to ‘young master.’

As for the so-called ‘demanding rice and grain,’ it referred to earlier this year when the Xuanwu Army she was trying to recruit happened to be short of a batch of grain supplies. This independent light cavalry unit, originating from the wilderness with less than a hundred members, had always been extremely difficult to approach. She had planned and negotiated for nearly two years before finally getting this opportunity to show goodwill.

However, since the eleventh year of Zhensheng reign, grain production had been insufficient for three consecutive years. Even public grain reserves came from common people straining to pay their taxes, let alone large quantities of grain circulating in the market. Qi Ranran had exhausted all means before finally securing an order for a batch of grain.

Yet on the scheduled delivery date, the grain shop manager told her with an embarrassed expression that this batch had been completely purchased by people from the Celestial Master’s residence.

‘The Celestial Master’s residence distributing relief grain year after year’ was already widely known fact. Who would have thought that this year, by coincidence, the ‘relief grain’ would conflict with her order? After careful consideration, Qi Ranran ultimately went to find Yu Changfeng, claiming that her estate in the capital suburbs would soon undergo renovations, and the craftsmen needed provisions. She begged the Celestial Master to temporarily lend her this relief grain, promising to repay double the amount within a month.

The outcome was predictable – Yu Changfeng naturally refused.

In the end, it was Chu Chengyan who stepped forward, saying he had several hundred dan of old coarse rice stored in Shaoguan not far from the capital. Though the quality was poor, it could at least solve Qi Ranran’s urgent need.

However, he simultaneously proposed an exchange condition – that she must petition for divorce from Yu Changfeng.

On the seventh day of the seventh month in the thirteenth year of Zhensheng reign in her previous life, Qi Ranran unusually entered the Celestial Master’s residence for only the second time since marriage. She solemnly prepared divorce documents, then threw piles of documents from the desk at Yu Changfeng, forcing the Celestial Master to affix his personal seal through almost face-tearing aggressive methods.

The next day, the two petitioned for divorce, provoking Zhen Shengdi’s furious wrath. She was confined to the princess’ estate for half a year, while Chu Chengyan left the capital with her token and the grain provisions from Shaoguan, serving as her messenger in the years that followed—until she brought the Black Feather Army under her command.

Looking back now, there had been no sudden betrayal on the battlefield. From the very beginning, the Black Feather Army’s true loyalty had likely never been to her.

…

At this thought, Qi Ranran turned to Shu Ji. “Where is your master?”

Shu Ji shot her an indignant glare, still muttering furiously to himself, “The Celestial Master’s estate doesn’t rely on your princess’ estate’s allowances! Even the Sage Emperor treats our master with deference!”

“For two whole years of marriage, this is your first time at the Celestial Master’s estate. After the wedding ceremony, you drank one cup of wine and left! The second time was even worse—you actually laid hands on him!”

“Our master can snap a vulture’s neck with one hand on the battlefield! If he hadn’t been holding back, do you think you could’ve—”

Feng Yi stepped forward, cutting off Shu Ji’s rambling accusations. “The master is in the outer corridor.”

He bowed to Qi Ranran, his posture respectful and polite, but his tone unmistakably cold and impatient. “Princess Shaoyang, this way.”

Qi Ranran paid no mind to their hostile attitudes. Following Feng Yi’s direction, she walked outward and just as expected, spotted Yu Changfeng standing silently at the end of the corridor.

He looked almost exactly as she remembered—his face cold, his expression icy. Jet-black hair was neatly tied within a golden lotus crown, and his deep blue robe embroidered with cranes billowed slightly. Even standing in sunlight, he exuded an aloof, transcendent aura that kept others at a distance.

Perhaps due to a restless night, a faint weariness tinged his striking, profound eyes—a subtle departure from his usual demeanor. Though his imposing presence remained sharp and authoritative, that untouchable remoteness seemed slightly softened.

Shu Ji, who had been scurrying after her, halted abruptly at the corridor entrance when Yu Changfeng cast him a fleeting glance before ascending the steps, sheepishly staying put in the distance.

In the past, Qi Ranran would have stopped there as well—not out of fear, but because their respective allegiances forbade any closeness between them.

State affairs hinged on rites and warfare. The imperial family relied on the Celestial Master’s estate yet needed a pawn to restrain this master proficient in both rites and warfare. The Yu clan owed deep gratitude to the imperial house, but its elders remained wary of her—a virtual imperial spy.

Since two incompatible forces must coexist and check each other, maintaining a delicate, distant balance was the optimal strategy for lasting stability.

Applied to her and Yu Changfeng, it boiled down to one principle:

The closer they grew, the more trouble ensued.

Until their divorce in her previous life, Qi Ranran had steadfastly adhered to this rule, keeping a respectful distance from Yu Changfeng. But now, gazing at the Celestial Master’s tall, poised figure and recalling his slightly bowed back in the mourning hall, she didn’t hesitate—walking directly toward him.

Only when she drew near did she notice the bruise on his temple was truly severe—a conspicuous patch of bluish-purple and red marring his handsome features, starkly incongruous with his flawless, immortal-like countenance.

She immediately felt a pang of guilt, recalling the madness with which she had lashed out in both lifetimes. Hurriedly, she curved her eyes into crescents, forcing an exceptionally soft and radiant smile.

“Um, Master Yu, did you rest well last night?”

…

It was true that Princess Shaoyang had been forced into marriage at sixteen. Yet, as the only child of the emperor during his years of obscurity, her early pampering had fostered a willful and unrestrained temperament. Later, with the wealth left by Yu Yao as her foundation, even though she was covertly constrained at every turn, she had never deliberately suppressed her temper in public.

But despite being seen by outsiders as a reckless and spoiled princess, she happened to possess the endearing and charming appearance of a beloved young maiden.

With an apricot-shaped face, vermilion lips, and grape-like eyes, snow-white skin, raven-black hair, and soft peach-blossom cheeks—now, as she smiled with curved brows and eyes, the two small dimples on her cheeks instantly shone like bright, warm sunlight, bubbling over with sweetness.

Yu Changfeng watched as she approached him with a beaming smile. His gaze drifted from those deep-set dimples down to her disheveled robes and the hand tightly clutching the divorce agreement. His thin lips pressed together, and his eyes involuntarily turned cold.

“I know you don’t wish to be associated with me. Now that you’ve gotten your wish, there’s no need to be in such a hurry.”

…?

Qi Ranran followed his gaze and looked down, only then realizing that she was still wrapped in the outer robe she had hastily thrown on in the chaos. In her surprise, she had picked up the divorce agreement and was still gripping it tightly. At a glance, it truly did appear as though she were eagerly urging to sever ties with him.

“That’s not…”

The rarely flustered Princess Shaoyang let out an awkward chuckle.

“I didn’t mean it that way…”

Stammering and at a loss, she instinctively wanted to bite her nails. Her right arm, holding the divorce agreement, subconsciously lifted, inadvertently flaunting the thin paper stamped with both their private seals right before Master Yu’s eyes.

Yu Changfeng’s expression darkened further. He turned to leave immediately.

“The carriage is waiting outside. Let’s go. We can finalize the divorce today.”

“Wait!”

Qi Ranran hastily grabbed the hem of his robe. In her previous life, the first misstep she had made was being confined to the princess’s residence after the divorce. This time, no matter what, she could not repeat that mistake at this critical juncture.

“I can’t divorce you today! Because, because…”

Her large eyes, veiled by long lashes, darted around nervously. Racking her brains, a sudden inspiration struck in her desperation. She abruptly pushed up her right sleeve and pointed to a small red mole that had inexplicably appeared on her wrist.

“Because I experienced an unusual phenomenon this morning. I probably need to stay in the Master’s residence for a while to ward off evil and recuperate.”

As she spoke, she hurriedly shook her right hand, exposing half of her fair, glowing forearm under the bright sunlight. Amid the blue veins, a bl00d-red mole indeed stood out conspicuously.

Yu Changfeng immediately furrowed his brows.

He remembered clearly that yesterday, when this same hand had hurled a book at him, it had been pristine and unmarked, with no unusual traces on either the palm or the wrist.

His deep, dark eyes narrowed slightly. He reached out and clasped her pulse, then scrutinized her somewhat pale complexion inch by inch.

“After I left yesterday, where did you go?”

Qi Ranran shook her head innocently. “I didn’t go anywhere. I woke up like this.”

She let out a slow, drawn-out “Hmm,” stretching her already soft tone even finer and longer.

“But I’ve heard before that unusual bodily manifestations are signs of being tainted by evil spirits, and the best solution is to rest peacefully in a pure place. Under heaven, I’m afraid there’s no second place purer than the Celestial Master’s residence, is there?”

After speaking, she blinked again, her red lips curling upward as her smile grew even more innocent and radiant.

“Yet the Celestial Master’s residence is revered and prestigious—even imperial relatives cannot stay without reason, and of course I cannot break the rules. So, how about we don’t annul our marriage today? Could the Celestial Master lend me a place to stay for a while?”

Her smiling face today seemed more frequent than in the past two years combined, giving her a genuinely bewitched appearance.

Yu Changfeng’s gaze lingered heavily on the small dimple by her cheek. After a long pause, he curled his lips sarcastically.

“Stay? Tired of being outside?”

“Do you truly think the Celestial Master’s residence is a place you can come and go as you please?”

He deliberately emphasized the word “outside,” though it was unclear whether he specifically meant her princess residence or if there was an underlying implication.

Qi Ranran smiled brightly without responding, silently noting that the Celestial Master’s resentment seemed particularly heavy at the moment, likely still holding a grudge over her actions from yesterday.

Sighing inwardly, seeing that Yu Changfeng remained noncommittal about her request to stay, she quickly devised a way to prompt his tacit agreement.

“Has the Celestial Master had breakfast yet? Shuji just mentioned that breakfast is ready. Why don’t we go together…”

Before she could finish, Fengyi approached from a distance, his eyes filled with anger.

“Young Master.”

He stopped before Yu Changfeng, bowed respectfully, then glanced at Qi Ranran, his face flushed with irritation. The annoyance in his eyes was even more evident than during their first meeting.

“Chu Chengyan from the Ministry of Rites has arrived on horseback outside the Mountain Gate Hall.”

“And that Lord Chu… he is wearing a crimson round-collar robe.”