After Rebirth, I Reconciled with My Resentful Husband

Qi Ranran, the Princess of Shaoyang, endures three days of torture in a dark prison cell, refusing to reveal the location of her late mother’s hidden gold reserve to Empress Zheng, who has seized power through a coup. The Empress’s chief eunuch, Cheng Shouzhen, beats her relentlessly, but Qi Ranran remains defiant, having already led the Empress’s men to dig up a relative’s tomb instead of the actual treasure. Her only protection is her status as the wife of Yu Changfeng, the Celestial Master, a man of immense religious and military power with whom she shares a bitter, estranged marriage. When Chu Chengyan, a former intimate and current official aligned with the Empress, arrives with soldiers who have massacred her aunt and cousin, Qi Ranran’s hope shatters. She triggers a hidden explosive trap, killing Cheng Shouzhen and many of Chu’s men, but succumbs to her burns and dies in the flames, her final thoughts drifting to the memorial hall Yu Changfeng had secretly built for her.

Qi Ranran awakens three years in the past, on the day she had originally demanded a divorce. She discovers she has been reborn with a small red mole on her wrist, a mark she uses as an excuse to avoid returning to her spy-ridden palace. Realizing that her previous alliances were betrayals, she decides to stay at the Celestial Master’s Estate to bide her time and rebuild her power. Chu Chengyan arrives dressed in a bridegroom’s crimson robe, attempting to pressure her into finalizing the divorce and surrendering control of her secret correspondence with the Xuan Yu Army. Qi Ranran outmaneuvers him by feigning spiritual instability and claiming she needs purification at the sacred estate, successfully securing the granary seal she needs while keeping her letters hidden.

As she attempts to return to the mountain, officials from the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, led by Lord Zheng, intercept her under the pretext of a heavenly omen to abduct her for a ritual. Qi Ranran turns the tables by whipping the eunuch Cheng Shouzhen and provoking Lord Zheng, forcing him to retreat when Yu Changfeng arrives with fire arrows. She publicly calls Yu Changfeng her husband, leveraging his authority to protect herself. Although Yu Changfeng initially rebuffs her advances and orders her to the outer hall, his disciples quickly warm to her generosity after she rides down the mountain to buy pastries for them. Yu Changfeng, observing her interactions, becomes increasingly intrigued by her sudden change in demeanor and the genuine care she shows his followers.

Despite being moved to the outer hall, Qi Ranran’s health deteriorates as she coughs blood, a lingering effect of her previous life’s torture. She attempts to coax Yu Changfeng into letting her move back to the inner quarters, but he coldly refuses, citing the need to maintain distance. However, after she leaves, he is seen eating the pastries she bought for him and secretly orders his disciples to prepare her room in the inner hall with all necessary amenities. The story concludes with Qi Ranran settling into her new quarters, aware that she must navigate the treacherous political landscape of the capital while relying on the reluctant protection of the Celestial Master, whose true feelings remain a mystery.