Zhou Shuren choked and couldn't stop coughing, because he felt guilty, how could he not feel guilty?
He had been wondering who had traveled with him to the ancient times, pondering over it as he lay there, realizing that the most likely person was the kind-hearted girl who had offered him help.
Yet, facing the girl only made him feel more guilty. She had helped him out of kindness, and instead, he had dragged her into trouble. Indeed, he owed her his life.
Zhulan, seeing Zhou Shuren's reaction, didn't hurry him.
Zhou Shuren caught his breath and lifted his head. He hadn't dared to look closely this morning, but now he took a careful look at the original body's wife. Her complexion was pale, her hair a bit yellow, and their gazes met. The eyes were different, brighter now, a clever glint in them that made him relax and smile.
Zhulan knew she was being assessed and kept her cool, raising an eyebrow to ask, "What are you laughing at?"
Zhou Shuren replied with a smile in his eyes, "You're quite good."
Zhulan, "...."
Zhou Shuren saw Zhulan's face fall and quickly changed the subject, "You're right, I indeed owe you my life."
Zhulan gritted her teeth, "Do you know how much you've put me through? Back in modern times, I was twenty-six, without a boyfriend, unmarried, with my own house and savings, living a carefree life. Now I'm ten years older, with a worn-out body, and I have to manage a whole household. The point is, I don't know how to farm, I've never lived in the countryside, I'm completely in the dark."
Zhou Shuren felt a bit uncomfortable, stroking the quilt. He didn't know how to farm either, even though he had the memories of the original body, he still wasn't the original person.
Zhulan took one look at him and understood immediately. Right, they were both in the same boat. Puckering her lips in frustration, she thought that she couldn't divorce, so the two of them were tied together. She narrowed her eyes, "You owe me, so you're responsible for the rest of my life. There's no chance of separation."
Zhou Shuren was stunned. He hadn't considered the possibility of divorce when his wife was swapped, feeling uncomfortable with the idea, yet knowing it was unrealistic — this was ancient times, not the present where divorce is as casual as drinking water. Besides, he was the head of the family, his wife hadn't erred, and his conscience wouldn't permit a divorce.
Now that he knew the original wife had been replaced, he was pleased inside. At least she wasn't a stranger, and even if he had changed, he wouldn't be treated as a monster. Moreover, both coming from the modern world, he did owe her a life, making their relationship the closest by default.
And two people in a strange environment were always better than one. As husband and wife, they could cover for each other and, knowing each other well, could support one another. When facing issues, they had someone to discuss with, a much better scenario than fighting alone.
Zhou Shuren thought for a while, and his tone became more cheerful, "That goes without saying."
Zhulan huffed, "And no taking concubines either."
He had dragged her to ancient times; he could dream on about taking concubines and living the easy life. She wasn't very lenient; since she was trapped by the original body, the one who dragged her along had to stay put as well!
Zhou Shuren was speechless. He hadn't thought about taking concubines, no, he hadn't thought about women at all, "Rest assured, I'm not interested in that."
Zhulan quickly added, "And don't you dare lay a finger on me."
Zhou Shuren, ".....Right."
Zhulan wasn't a fool. She knew verbal agreements didn't mean much, but it was important to set things straight and establish boundaries for each other.
Zhulan and he spoke in hushed tones, not wanting to be heard, "Now we're grasshoppers on the same rope, partners for the latter half of our lives, so let's introduce ourselves properly. You first."
Zhou Shuren cleared his throat lightly, took a breath, and then began, "My name's Zhou Shuren, just like the original guy, twenty-seven this year. Grew up in an orphanage, got double degrees in Chinese literature and archaeology, and was a PhD. Before traversing time, I was involved in archaeological excavations, fell ill from overwork, and just couldn't keep up, thinking of going to the hospital. You know the rest."