Reborn and Reunited with My Resentful Husband - Chapter 3

“Just moments ago, she was concerned about the young master, yet the moment she heard about that…”

A crimson round-collar robe?

Qi Ranran froze momentarily, her first thought being: What insolence brings Chu Chengyan to the Celestial Master’s residence in his official robes?

Even if that scoundrel secretly aligned himself with Empress Zheng’s faction and ostensibly studied under Minister Lin of the Right Secretariat, if Yu Changfeng truly wished to make trouble, even Chancellor Lin along with the entire Grand Secretariat would have to show some deference, let alone Chu Chengyan who currently held merely a fourth-rank position as Vice Minister of Rites.

Moreover, in her memories from her previous life, Chu Chengyan had not visited the Celestial Master’s residence today.

Could it be that her delayed arrival in this lifetime had aroused Chu Chengyan’s suspicions, leading him to devise some new trap for her?

At this thought, Qi Ranran’s expression instantly darkened.

Heaven knew how desperately she wanted to cut that scoundrel down with one stroke, but at this critical juncture, Chu Chengyan already possessed substantial evidence of her dealings with the Black Feather Army. If they were to openly clash now and Chu Chengyan used this evidence to accuse her, not only would she fail to avert the familial extermination three years later, but her entire Yu family might be wiped out within the year.

Over there, Feng Yi was already seeking Yu Changfeng’s instructions on whether to drive this uninvited guest down the mountain. Collecting herself, Qi Ranran hurriedly interjected before the Celestial Master could respond:

“No need to trouble the Celestial Master’s household!”

She casually handed the divorce agreement to Feng Yi, then turned to offer Yu Changfeng a warm smile,

“Would the Celestial Master grant me this convenience? Let me handle this matter myself. Rest assured, I’ll go down the mountain immediately to resolve it without bringing the slightest disgrace to the Celestial Master’s residence.”

Yu Changfeng’s hand still rested on her wrist. “Down the mountain?”

His gaze cooled again as he withdrew his hand.

Qi Ranran noticed nothing amiss. Feeling his hand release hers, she naturally smoothed her sleeve. “Yes, I’m leaving now.”

Speaking these words while harboring thoughts of “going early and returning soon,” she had already quickened her pace toward the corridor’s end.

……

In the brief moment it took to lift the curtain, the person who had just been insisting on sharing breakfast had vanished without a trace. Yu Changfeng glanced down at his fingers that still retained some warmth, his lips curling in self-mockery as he strode off in the opposite direction.

Shu Ji, who had been waiting outside the corridor, finally rushed over like a gust of wind. With indignant expression, he whispered to Feng Yi:

“See? This is how she toys with our young master like he’s a fool. All smiles and concern for him moments ago, yet the instant she hears that man has come, she races down the mountain without a backward glance. What? Afraid we might mistreat that Chu Chengyan? Does she truly think everyone in the Celestial Master’s residence is as unreasonable as her?”

Brimming with resentment, his eyes caught the divorce agreement in Feng Yi’s hand. His tongue moving faster than his brain, he recklessly added:

“Better put this away safely – it’s the treasure she obtained by striking our young master. Don’t be fooled by her nonchalant departure now. I’d wager she’ll be back at the Celestial Master’s residence by tonight at the latest to retrieve this divorce agreement!”

……These words bordered on outright insubordination. Feng Yi had been listening quietly but now his eyelids twitched. He clamped a hand over Shu Ji’s mouth to silence him, while using his wide sleeve as cover to steal a glance at the departing Yu Changfeng.

Fortunately, the Celestial Master did not pause his steps, his retreating figure still carrying a solemn and steady calm. It was unclear whether he hadn’t heard at all or simply didn’t care in the slightest.

Fengyi let out a sigh of relief, then shook the hot potato in his hand with a troubled expression. “Seriously, what should we do with this thing? We can’t possibly really…”

Just then, Yu Changfeng’s voice drifted back, chilly and detached.

“Tidy up the bamboo cottage in the outer hall and lay the divorce decree flat inside.”

The deep command was wrapped in the distant wind, its tone vague and indistinct, but the words themselves were crystal clear in their icy indifference.

“And remember, gambling is a grave taboo.”

“Shuji, starting tomorrow, add an extra morning lesson.”

The Celestial Master’s residence did not have strict access restrictions; even the outermost mountain gate hall was merely guarded by two disciples serving as messengers. However, the Celestial Master’s reputation was so formidable that even imperial relatives and nobles had to submit formal visiting cards before calling, and few dared to trespass without permission.

Chu Chengyan was no exception. Riding back along the same path, Qi Ranran spotted his upright figure dismounted and waiting from afar before she even reached the mountain gate hall.

Lord Chu had achieved the third rank in the imperial examinations during the sixth year of Zhen Sheng’s reign. Since entering officialdom, he had always maintained the elegant demeanor of a noble scholar. Even now, standing beneath the majestic ornamental pillars, his entire bearing remained refined and gentle, without a hint of inferiority.

Yet Qi Ranran furrowed her brows deeply the moment she saw him.

No wonder Fengyi had deliberately emphasized the “scarlet round-collar robe” earlier. Princess Shaoyang, whose mind was not on romantic affairs, had failed to realize that not only were official robes above the fourth rank scarlet, but the groom’s wedding attire for fetching the bride could also be red!

Moreover, this man was not only wearing a magnificent crown and vermilion robes but had also hung a crimson peony flower on his horse’s neck. Given that her divorce scandal from yesterday was already causing quite a stir, his adding fuel to the fire with such a display today seemed deliberately intended to amplify the repercussions for her.

Noticing that even the two gatekeeping disciples—who had nothing to do with the matter—were beginning to cast faintly contemptuous looks her way, Qi Ranran urged her horse forward and, before Chu Chengyan could approach, whipped the red peony off the horse’s neck.

Smack!

The vibrant peony fell to the ground in one piece. Chu Chengyan paused in his motion to help her dismount but quickly broke into a smile.

“Ranran.”

Unlike the aloof and stern Celestial Master Yu, Lord Chu always regarded her with a moist, gentle warmth in his eyes. Tilting his head slightly, his light-colored pupils now held a soft, sunny glow, further enhancing his harmonious features and the faint smile at his lips.

“Did you bring the divorce decree? I’ll accompany you to petition for the registry amendment.”

Qi Ranran watched his feigned warmth with a cold gaze. Sensing his reciprocal glance, she forced herself to conceal the hatred in her eyes.

“No,” she sighed theatrically, lifting her sleeve to reveal the red mole and repeating the explanation she had given Yu Changfeng earlier.

After finishing, she let out a long, melancholic sigh, her expression full of regret, then abruptly shifted the topic.

“By the way, are my recent correspondences with the Dark Feather Army still stored in the hidden compartment of your study?”

The golden “talisman” had not protected Qi Ranran alone. The late Empress Yu Yao had once divided the so-called “gold ingot key” into three parts, entrusting the other two to her younger sister and niece.

Throughout the year, at least one of Aunt Yu, Cousin Yu, and Qi Ranran must transmit messages to the guardians of the gold ingots through special channels. Otherwise, these assets—destined to cause monetary turbulence in the Great Yong Dynasty—would flood the market in the most crude and direct manner.

This was precisely why, during periods of political stability, even if Empress Zheng coveted the gold to the point of obsession, she dared only “monitor and control” Qi Ranran and the Yu family rather than “intimidate and coerce” them.

Yet for this very reason, surveillance around Qi Ranran had never ceased since Yu Yao’s passing.

With few confidants of her own, she inevitably needed a clever errand-runner. Over time, traces were inevitably left around Chu Chengyan.

Perhaps the topic shift was too abrupt. Chu Chengyan froze momentarily, failing to react immediately.

“What?”

He had been reaching for Qi Ranran’s wrist, but his body stiffened upon hearing her words, his hand halting mid-air.

“Why ask this so suddenly? Ranran, don’t you trust me yet?”

His stalled right hand advanced again as Chu Chengyan pressed his lips together. “Let me check your wrist first.”

“It’s fine.” Qi Ranran frowned, evading his touch as she casually pulled down her sleeve. “I’m not doubting you. Besides, compared to physical anomalies, something else worries me more at the moment.”

“After all, I failed to amend the registry and divorce Yu Changfeng as agreed, so I naturally couldn’t obtain your private seal for mobilizing the Shaoguan granary. With our connection to the Black Feather Army severed, those correspondences should be burned promptly. If we slip up and leave evidence, wouldn’t that bring me nothing but harm?”

Her sweet voice softened slightly. Qi Ranran lowered her eyelashes, her tone despondent yet laden with unspoken implications.

Chu Chengyan grasped her subtext almost instantly, his expression gradually darkening as he sensed something amiss.

Princess Shaoyang was a caged bird holding a treasury key—this key both protected and trapped her. Her only path to complete freedom was to assemble her own “cage-breaking” force.

Yet with political power in the capital intricately entangled, the slightest misstep could alert the “guardians” above. Thus, the Black Feather Army, stationed far from the capital, became her optimal choice.

Having witnessed years of her meticulous efforts, Chu Chengyan prided himself on understanding the depth of Qi Ranran’s obsession with the Black Feather Army.

But today’s conversation suddenly made him feel that Princess Shaoyang’s desire for the Black Feather Army had significantly diminished overnight.

During his silence, Qi Ranran already tightened her reins. “Let’s go to your residence first and burn those letters.”

She met Chu Chengyan’s gaze directly, her bright eyes now clouded with dense gloom, their light extinguished as if she had lost all will to live.

“Honestly, failing to privately recruit the Black Feather Army might not be catastrophic. At worst, I could set the princess manor ablaze and achieve a ‘mutual destruction’ outcome with Zheng Shi.”

Having previously witnessed the “mad” side of Princess Shaoyang’s temperament, Chu Chengyan urgently grabbed her reins.

“Ranran, I’m not using those hundreds of tons of grain to blackmail you. It’s just that human affection is inherently selfish—I momentarily lost my head and failed to control my personal desires.”

He paused, his distant-mountain-like brows and eyes revealing a partially concealed fervent affection, “Besides, if you were to die, how could I possibly live on alone? Today, I will first give you the private seal of the Shaoguan granary. As for the matter of divorce, you can take your time with it.”

Qi Ranran pretended not to understand his underlying meaning and went straight to the point, confirming with him, “You’re really giving me the private seal of the granary? Shall I go to your residence to fetch it now?”

Chu Chengyan nodded earnestly, then mounted his horse in one swift motion, “Alright, let’s go fetch it now.”

…

The two descended the mountain, galloping all the way back to the Chu residence and heading straight into the study. It was not until dusk had deepened along the horizon that Qi Ranran finally left satisfied, clutching the private seal for deploying the Shaoguan granary.

Chu Chengyan’s personal attendant, Mansheng, entered carrying a copper pot to change the water. “Young Master, is Princess Shaoyang suspecting us? Those letters and seals…”

“It’s of no consequence.” Chu Chengyan rubbed the teacup Qi Ranran had used, noticed the dregs of cold tea at the bottom, and lifted his head to drain it.

“As long as she still trusts me, the letters and seals are nothing of importance.”

As he spoke these words, the warm-toned crimson robe he wore had not yet been changed, yet half of his jade-like face was already completely immersed in shadow. His dark eyes churned with turbulent emotions, his expression grim and somber—a stark contrast to his earlier gentle demeanor.

“I just don’t understand. She has always regarded the marriage to the Celestial Master’s residence as a shackle. Now that she has gone to such lengths to obtain the divorce papers, why does she show no trace of joy, as if she doesn’t care at all?”

Mansheng frowned in thought, then ventured a bold guess:

“Young Master, setting aside other matters, young women all favor handsome gentlemen. Didn’t the Empress’s second princess once consider marrying into the Celestial Master’s residence? Princess Shaoyang and Celestial Master Yu have been married for two years after all. Could it be that feelings have developed between them…”

Crash!

A teacup flew past his ear and smashed against the back wall, shattering into pieces instantly.

Mansheng’s heart leaped, and he hurriedly dropped to his knees. “This servant has spoken out of turn. I beg for Young Master’s forgiveness.”

“Those who inherit the position of Celestial Master must sever all emotions and desires. Successive Celestial Masters have always been selected from the Yu clan’s relatives. If Yu Changfeng hadn’t possessed military achievements and overwhelming prestige, the Emperor would never have made an exception to force the princess into this marriage.”

Chu Chengyan’s gaze was sinister as he wiped the water droplets from his fingertips, his face dark and brooding.

“Yu Changfeng is neither qualified to marry nor to harbor feelings. Their positions are opposed, and there is absolutely no possibility of affection between them.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Perhaps I pushed too hard this time. But no matter what, we must not allow Ranran to move into the Celestial Master’s residence under the pretext of being ‘afflicted by evil spirits.'”

“Mansheng, send a message to the Empress immediately. Request that she issue a decree and dispatch the Imperial Clan Court to intercept them.”