Who Cares About Being the Matriarch? My Rebellious Husband Secured Me a Noble Rank! - Chapter 62

Chi Yan walked down the road, Liu Yifu’s words still echoing in his ears. His steps felt oddly weightless, as though he were treading on clouds.

Liu Yifu had said, “Futing was skilled in the art of blending incense. I had Imperial Physician Zhang examine the sachet she always carried. On their own, neither the sachet nor the suhe fragrance posed any harm.”

Then his tone had darkened. “But mixed together, they can briefly strip a man of his reason… leaving him open to manipulation.”

Most of the incense burners in Chunfeng Brothel used suhe incense.

Futing had exploited this subtle mixture to coax earth-shaking secrets from the lips of powerful men who sought her company. She recorded them in a booklet and hid it inside the black lacquered box.

And the key—was none other than the golden hairpin she wore in her bun.

Enlightenment struck Chi Yan. “No wonder I felt so faint and muddle-headed… there really was something wrong with the incense!”

But then… had Futing, knowing too much and realizing her days were numbered, chosen to take her own life?

“Then why stage the scene to frame me?”

Liu Yifu had looked at him deeply. “My guess is that someone forced her hand. Second Young Master Chi, perhaps you should think carefully—have you made any enemies without realizing it?”

Chi Yan racked his brains, but nothing came. Sure, he’d stirred up trouble teasing dogs or harassing cats, but heinous crimes? Never. Who would hate him to this extent?

A chilling suspicion flickered through his mind.

No… perhaps he was never the true target at all.

Perhaps it was Shen Tangning.

That thought explained everything. Her ruthless style was far more likely to breed resentment than his carefree debauchery.

And strangely, the realization eased his chest. If the enemy had come for him instead of her, then so be it. But had Tangning been the one thrown into danger tonight… he wasn’t sure he’d have had the ability to pull her back out.

Now that his name was cleared, Chi Yan felt blissful. Finally, a bath! A real meal! After days in that cell, he swore he’d been pickled through.

When he reached the Chi estate, he hesitated at the tightly closed gates. It was deep into the night. Rousing servants to open up felt inconsiderate—especially after what he’d just been through.

Besides, it wasn’t exactly a glorious return worth announcing.

Scratching his nose, he decided to fall back on his usual routine—climbing the wall.

But just as he neared the corner, the gates creaked open.

A head popped out. Ba Liang’s eyes lit up. “Second Young Master! You’re back!”

Chi Yan flinched. “Don’t shout—!” Too late.

Moments later, Shen Tangning arrived with Madam Chi on her arm, and Father Chi trailing beside them.

Tangning’s lips curved faintly as she spoke to Madam Chi, voice low and warm. “Didn’t I say so? Mother didn’t believe me, but see—your son has come home after all.”

Madam Chi’s eyes glistened as she rushed forward. “You rascal, you still know how to come home!”

Chi Yan raised a brow, answering in his usual lazy drawl. “Mother makes it sound like I didn’t want to. As if the Prefectural Office is my own backyard—I could leave whenever I liked?”

Madam Chi’s words stuck in her throat. The moment of sentiment was thoroughly ruined. She ground her teeth. “Hopeless brat, still so insufferable!”

Father Chi, however, clapped his son’s shoulder with relief. “It’s good enough that you’re back. Good enough.”

Days of heavy gloom finally eased.

Chi Yan felt a twinge of sourness, quickly masked with flippancy. “Alright, alright, stop with the mush—it’s the middle of the night. Any food left? Something to drink? Look at me, I’ve wasted away to skin and bones!”

“…Hardly,” everyone thought silently.

Tangning’s lips curved into a quiet smile. “Wait, husband.”

Chi Yan paused mid-step, blinking as Snow green came forward holding a bundle of branches.

“This was specially prepared by the young mistress,” the maid announced cheerfully.

His eyelid twitched. Don’t tell him…

Yes. She raised the bundle and lightly tapped him with it.

Not a beating, though. A ritual. Mugwort leaves brushed against his sleeves and chest.

Tangning’s voice was soft, solemn. “Mugwort drives away misfortune. After all that has happened, may my husband walk hereafter in peace and safety.”

Chi Yan froze, staring at her in surprise.

The pent-up bitterness and frustration of the past days melted away at her simple, quiet gesture.

Slowly, his lips curved. “Thank you.”

Father and Mother Chi exchanged knowing glances, amused. “Look at that—the young couple being all polite with each other.”

…

After his bath, Chi Yan devoured the feast laid before him with zero decorum. Halfway through, he noticed Tangning sitting quietly nearby. His ears burned. He coughed, slowed down, and muttered, “Why are you still up? Don’t bother watching me—I’m not a three-year-old.”

Tangning had already sent his parents to bed, so at least they could finally rest easy.

“The night is nearly over. Dawn is only an hour away. I couldn’t sleep anyway, so I thought I’d keep you company.”

“…Oh.”

So it wasn’t about him at all. Figures.

After a moment, he spoke again. “I heard from Lord Liu—it was you who went with him to Chunfeng Brothel, who uncovered the clues. That’s the only reason I was released so quickly, right?”

His throat tightened, words rough. “You’ve worked hard these days.”

In the flickering candlelight, her lashes lowered, eyes serene as she smiled faintly. “Hard? No. The one who suffered is you, in that cell.”

If the Third Prince’s true aim had been to retaliate against her, then Chi Yan had been nothing more than collateral damage.

He wouldn’t be thanking her so earnestly if he knew.

But Chi Yan only laughed it off. “A man can handle a little suffering. Call it a trial by fire. Besides… I hardly suffered at all.”

He had braced himself for cruel torture, only to find Liu’s methods surprisingly mild.

Perhaps being a Chi had bought him some face after all.

“Tch, not useless then, this family name.”

He leaned back with a grin. “That Lord Liu, though, he’s something else! He looks like a real honest-to-goodness official—just the kind of clean, upright man the people pray for.”

Tangning’s lips curved. “He truly is a good man.”

A rare compliment from her. She only hoped the evidence he now held wouldn’t make him a target.

Chi Yan blinked in surprise at her words. Rare indeed.

She quickly shifted the topic. “Husband should rest and gather strength. Tomorrow, you’ll have to pay respects to Grandmother. It will not be an easy audience.”

Her gaze carried clear meaning.

Chi Yan groaned instantly. He wasn’t stupid—he knew exactly what awaited him.

Grandmother’s temper was legendary. A beating was inevitable.

He sighed miserably. “So the whipping’s guaranteed, huh… I just hope she keeps the scolding short this time.”