Reborn and Reunited with My Resentful Husband - Chapter 5

“After all, if she wished it, no one could help but adore her…”

The Shaoyang Princess was naturally blessed with a splendid voice—mellow and sweet in tone, clear and articulate in enunciation. Even now, speaking neither too softly nor too loudly, her words reached every person present with perfect clarity.

“Lord Zheng, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, just claimed he observed unusual celestial phenomena and said I must observe taboos to avoid evil influences. Yet the status of the Celestial Master’s residence is far inferior to that of the Imperial Clan Court, so he specially rushed here late at night to take me to the Chongxuan Office.”

Lord Zheng across from her nearly dropped to his knees in panic. “Your Highness, please weigh your words! This humble official never uttered such absurd nonsense about status! Everyone presents can bear witness!”

Qi Ranran let out a soft “Oh,” then slightly lowered her head, her fingers idly tracing patterns on her sleeve as if deeply embarrassed. “Then I must have misunderstood Lord Zheng.”

“Because you said I needed to ward off evil influences, yet forbade me from staying in the most revered and pure Celestial Master’s residence, insisting instead on moving me all the way to the Chongxuan Office. I instinctively assumed you were like your Deputy Minister Cheng, who has long held a grudge against the Celestial Master’s residence.”

She pursed her lips into a faint smile, her grape-like eyes blinking with utter innocence. “By the way, didn’t Deputy Minister Cheng treat Lord Zheng to drinks a few days ago? I
happened to be in the next room and vaguely overheard you discussing how Yu Changfeng arrogantly…”

“Celestial Master!” Lord Zheng’s eyelids twitched violently as he hastily cut off Qi Ranran. He then straightened his sleeves and bowed respectfully toward Yu Changfeng. “This humble official came today solely under Empress’s decree to fulfill duties, with not an ounce of disrespect toward the Celestial Master’s residence. Perhaps the timing was inappropriate or arrangements were flawed, leading to this misunderstanding. After tomorrow’s morning court, I will personally bring Deputy Minister Cheng to the Celestial Master’s residence to offer apologies. I earnestly hope the Celestial Master will not allow this to sow discord with the Imperial Clan Court.”

He paused briefly, his peripheral glance catching Qi Ranran’s triumphant, confident smile and noting the intimate harmony between the two. After a quick mental calculation, he swiftly made his decision. “As for the matter of Her Highness Shaoyang Princess observing quiet retreat to avoid evil influences—since the Princess and the Celestial Master are united as husband and wife, it is naturally more appropriate for her to remain in the Celestial Master’s residence. This humble official takes his leave.”

With that, he straightened his robes and bowed, preparing to depart with his retinue of imperial guards.

“Wait.”

Yu Changfeng’s voice cut through abruptly.

His stature was inherently imposing, and standing atop the steps, he now slowly lowered his gaze amid the crowd’s reverent attention. An overwhelming pressure instantly swept through the scene like a tidal wave.

The retreating procession halted immediately.

In the suffocating silence that spread instantly, the Celestial Master parted his thin lips and uttered a second sentence with detached calmness: “Who injured the Princess’s wrist?”

The imperial guard commander at the front of the formation immediately turned back, dropping to one knee with a heavy thud of armor that kicked up a small cloud of dust. “It was this lowly officer who accidentally harmed Her Highness. I beg the Celestial Master’s forgiveness.”

Yu Changfeng said nothing, his cold gaze dropping downward. He rarely looked down upon others from such a height, but now his profoundly dark eyes appeared deeper and more abyssal than usual, like a lightless, bottomless chasm devoid of any warmth, leaving one feeling chilled and weighed down.
The guard commander gritted his teeth. “This lowly officer accepts the punishment! Tomorrow, I will voluntarily receive forty military strokes at the public market. I implore Her Highness Shaoyang Princess to be magnanimous!”

The imperial guards of the inner court, after all, served directly under the emperor’s eyes. Seizing every opportunity to speak ill of Grand Master Yu was as easy as breathing.

Qi Ranran hadn’t expected Yu Changfeng to vent his frustration with the Court of the Imperial Clan by redirecting it onto the imperial guards. While inwardly complaining about his lack of social tact, she hurriedly stepped forward to smooth things over. “The imperial guards represent the dignity of the royal family. There’s no need to drag them to the execution ground.”

She tugged fiercely at Yu Changfeng’s sleeve while gesturing for the guards to leave. “Alright, alright, hurry up and go now.”

Only when the dense crowd had retreated far into the distance did Yu Changfeng finally lift his eyelids to look at her.

“Still tugging? Do you not want your hand anymore?”

He pulled his sleeve free from Qi Ranran’s grasp, his tone neither warm nor cold.

“You knew to send a message to Shu Ji in advance, but you didn’t know how to control the force of your whip?”

Qi Ranran drew out a soft “Hmm,” hiding the horsewhip behind her back as if covering her ears to steal a bell. “I couldn’t hold back when my temper flared up.”

Then she tilted her head and smiled at him, the dimples in her cheeks deepening, looking utterly docile. “You know how it is—once I get angry, it’s hard for me to stay rational.”

She didn’t deny sending the message, because she had indeed sent a letter to Shu Ji beforehand.

The content of the letter was quite simple: it merely stated that Lord Zheng would likely come secretly to Heli Mountain under cover of night. If they wanted to properly vent their anger over the previous slander and defamation from the Court of the Imperial Clan, it would be best to take the initiative and seize this ready-made “leverage.”

The Grand Master, as always, paid no mind to such matters. Like an immortal viewing mortal, or mortals viewing ants, he stood atop the mountain peak, his eyes completely blind to the self-satisfied, clownish antics of the Vice Minister of the Court of the Imperial Clan. Naturally, he had no intention of engaging in petty disputes.

But his disciples were a different story.

Qi Ranran remembered how, in her previous life, the Chongxuan Office had repeatedly provoked them in secret, always gauging the degree of provocation perfectly—just enough to be infuriating, yet not enough to warrant being “made a big deal of.”

Shu Ji and the others had long been irritated and frustrated by these lowly, persistent troublemakers. Now that they had a chance to see them humiliated, they naturally wouldn’t refuse.

“Informing Chu Chengyan about the red mole on his wrist” was an extremely effective psychological suggestion. With this preconceived notion planted, if Chu Chengyan tried to stop her from escaping the princess’s residence again, his thoughts would instinctively turn first to the Chongxuan Office—an organization linked to “bizarre phenomena” and under Empress Zheng’s control.

And since the Chongxuan Office had already clashed with the Grand Master’s residence, there was an eighty percent chance Shu Ji would bring people down the mountain if she sent a message.

She had predicted almost every turn of events.

The only thing she hadn’t anticipated was Yu Changfeng coming in person.
As she pondered, Shu Ji came scurrying over from behind. He still held a bit of resentment toward Qi Ranran, but he couldn’t deny the satisfaction of having someone stand up for him and help him regain his pride. So, though somewhat awkward, he still asked her kindly:

“You… Your Highness, is your hand alright?”

Qi Ranran rotated her wrist. “It’s fine. It’ll be better after a night’s rest.”

She curved her eyes, revealing eight small, white teeth. “That hair crown of yours is really beautiful. It looks so imposing—perfect for wearing when the Court of the Imperial Clan comes to apologize.”

Though Shu Ji was less than half a year younger than Feng Yi, he had an extremely youthful, baby-faced appearance. That’s why he loved nothing more than being praised for looking “imposing.”

Sure enough, upon hearing these words, the last trace of awkwardness in his tone vanished instantly. He quickened his pace to approach her, leaning in familiarly as he lowered his head for Qi Ranran to admire the intricate patterns on his crown. “Your Highness has excellent taste! This crown was won from my seventh senior brother in a sparring match—it’s the only one of its kind in the entire Celestial Master Manor. I rarely wear it on ordinary days.”

Qi Ranran enthusiastically clapped her hands in appreciation. “So this crown is like a victory ribbon for you? How impressive!”

She then casually praised Yu Changfeng,

“I’ve always thought the attire of the Celestial Master Manor carries an understated elegance. Setting aside other matters, I particularly admire and adore the lotus crown worn by your lord.”

…
Her compliment was indeed delivered without any reserve. While the Celestial Master, who had already walked some distance ahead, showed no reaction, the man in the blue robe following behind him couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Hey,” the blue-robed man quickened his steps and nudged Yu Changfeng with his elbow. “Did you hear that? Your wife is praising you. Isn’t it rumored outside that your marriage is one of convenience? From what I saw today, it doesn’t seem that way.”

He winked meaningfully at the Celestial Master. “And you’re really planning to let this princess stay here? What, have you finally decided to personally debunk the rumors and start living in marital harmony?”

Yu Changfeng didn’t look at him, merely furrowing his brow slightly as he moved his arm away. “She is the lady of the house, having undergone the matrimonial rites and changed her registry. Now that she wishes to stay in her own home, what reason do I have to stop her?”

“Oh-ho—” The blue-robed man immediately raised an eyebrow, his grin turning even more mischievous. “Lady of the house, you say? Yet in the past two years, this ‘lady of the house’ never once stayed overnight. I noticed our ‘lord of the house’ didn’t seem to mind back then.”

After a brief pause, his voice lowered deliberately, suddenly tinged with caution. “Hey, give it to me straight—is your agreement to let Qi Ranran stay at the Celestial Master Manor because the Emperor has made some new move?”

Emperor Zhen Shengdi was obsessed with elixirs and immortality. According to privately circulated royal histories, the ancestors of the Yu family had aided the founding emperor in turning the tide multiple times by employing a secret, enigmatic method that allowed them to foresee all opportunities in advance.

As the Emperor’s health had declined significantly in recent years, his craving for the Yu family’s so-called “life-altering secret art,” passed down through generations, had grown increasingly intense.

Not to mention distant events, just in the past year alone, the number of spies dispatched openly and covertly by the Emperor was enough to fill the entire mountain gate hall.
Yu Changfeng’s expression remained unreadable, his steps unwavering as he walked on, offering no response to the question.

As expected, the blue-robed man received no reply. He rubbed his nose and tactfully changed the subject.

“But speaking of which, I recall Shu Ji used to receive quite a few reprimands from you for his less-than-respectful attitude toward Qi Ranran. How is it that in just a few days, that boy has suddenly become so friendly with our princess?”

He clicked his tongue twice, his tone a mix of admiration and astonishment as he pointed behind them.

“Look at them—chatting away so animatedly, I can almost see Shu Ji’s back teeth. I heard Qi Ranran has to stay at the Celestial Master Manor to ward off evil and recuperate due to some unusual phenomenon affecting her? Could it be that our princess truly possesses some mesmerizing, mystical power?”

“…”

Yu Changfeng abruptly halted, his dark eyes narrowing imperceptibly as he lowered his gaze with an inscrutable expression.

—A masterful art of beguilement?

He had long been acquainted with it.

Qi Ranran never needed any elaborate tricks when she deliberately intended to flatter someone—she could always pinpoint the most superficial yet effective points of appeal in the shortest time.

She seemed born with an innate ability to inspire trust and was particularly adept at adapting to circumstances.
Just as yesterday, when she had stormed up the mountain demanding a divorce, she could wear an impeccably innocent face while exuding an aggressive, domineering aura to intimidate others.

And today, with her stance shifted, she could instantly rein in her arrogance, blinking her utterly guileless large eyes to assume a friendly and amiable demeanor.

The two behind him were indeed chatting animatedly, their back-and-forth exchanges brimming with such fervor that they resembled two chirping cicadas perched on a branch.

Admittedly, it was a bit noisy.

But the level of commotion remained within tolerable limits.

Yet, for some reason, the faint sounds drifting from behind inexplicably grated on his nerves.

The midsummer night was already stifling, and now the sweet, fresh scent in the evening breeze surged around him like water weeds, relentlessly tangling with his breath.

Yu Changfeng furrowed his brow and finally glanced back under the clear night sky.

Sure enough, Qi Ranran was smiling again. Though even when she was being imperious, she never came across as unpleasant, she truly suited this bright-eyed, cheerful appearance far better.

Despite the countless cunning schemes brewing within her, her laughter only made her seem charmingly naive, evoking not an ounce of vigilance.

Ah, and earlier, she had openly called him “husband” in front of everyone.

In the two full years since their marriage, she had never addressed him with such honeyed sweetness—not even on their wedding day.
Abnormalities always hinted at mischief. Regardless of whether her sudden change stemmed from a covert investigation task assigned by the Emperor, her determined effort to stay overnight was clearly more likely driven by some ulterior motive of Her Highness the Princess than by those mystical “unusual bodily phenomena.”

Therefore, if Qi Ranran insisted on staying at the Celestial Master’s residence, housing her in the outer hall was undoubtedly the correct decision.

—It had little to do with her “urgency to descend the mountain and see Chu Chengyan” this morning.

Moreover, even if it were related, it wouldn’t matter. For him, maintaining distance from Qi Ranran and preserving their delicate, balanced estrangement was undoubtedly beneficial in every way.

As the Celestial Master pondered this, he quietly averted his gaze, inadvertently catching sight of Shu Ji’s excited, slightly flushed face.

He wasn’t the least surprised to see Shu Ji, who had been full of complaints during the day, undergo such a dramatic reversal, nor was he startled by how swiftly this transformation had occurred.

He even suspected that the current situation was the result of Qi Ranran exercising restraint.

After all…

“Really, we can’t even talk about this?”

The man in blue, noticing his continued silence, nudged him again in dissatisfaction. “Yu Changfeng, getting a heartfelt word out of you is harder than scaling the heavens.”

“…”

The Grand Master frowned, once again moving his arm aside, but this time he finally deigned to turn his head and give the blue-robed man a proper look.

“What supernatural ability would be needed for that?”

His well-shaped thin lips moved slowly as he spoke. Though his face showed little expression, his voice carried an inexplicable, resolute certainty.

“After all, if she wishes it, no one could help but adore her.”