When Lian Li woke up again, he saw dark bed curtains. The window was open, and the room was bright.
He didn’t have a shred of strength in his body, though the bedding was reasonably soft.
His stomach rumbled, clamoring with hunger.
Feeling his own weakness, Lian Li sat blankly on the bed. Before he could even scan the room, a shadow loomed over him.
He looked up, meeting the gaze of the person standing before him, who was leaning over to inspect him.
It took a moment for his brain to process who this person was.
It was the swordsman who had beaten the wolves until they howled and saved his life.
The young swordsman wore a dark inner suit with leather cuffs at the sleeves. Around his waist was a wide leather belt hung with various miscellaneous items.
Over this, he wore an outer robe with gathered sleeves. The fabric wasn’t particularly precious, but it looked extremely comfortable.
He stood by the bed holding his blade. The wind blowing in from the window ruffled his hair, the hem of his clothes, and the red silk tied to the hilt of his weapon. The aura of a swordsman was practically overflowing from him.
Lian Li thought for a moment and opened his mouth. “Thank you, Great Hero, for saving my life. I have no way to repay your kindness, I can only…”
He had heard this phrase so many times that he subconsciously almost blurted out “offer myself to you in marriage.”
Fortunately, Lian Li reacted in time and stopped himself.
The young swordsman straightened his posture and looked down at him with drooping eyelids. Hearing the string of words cut off halfway, he let out a short laugh and said lazily, “You can only what? Why did you stop?”
His tone carried a bit of a roguish charm.
Lian Li gave an awkward smile. He couldn’t be sure if other people the swordsman had saved in the past had said the same thing.
Thus, he thickened his skin and continued, “…also not offer myself to you in marriage.”
The young swordsman didn’t seem to mind his cheekiness. He pointed to a bowl on the table and said, “Now that you’re awake, go drink your medicine yourself. I’ll have the waiter bring up some porridge in a bit; remember to eat. Once you’re done, hurry up and go home.”
Lian Li struggled to get up and surveyed his surroundings.
The ancient-style room wasn’t large—a bed, a table, a cabinet, and two chairs were all it held—but it looked very clean.
Lian Li walked to the table and sat down, preparing to drink the medicine.
Hearing the young swordsman mention going home, his eyes dimmed. The medicine bowl stopped just as it reached his lips.
Seeing his expression, the young swordsman assumed he was throwing a tantrum with his family.
After all, looking at the boy’s clothes, while he didn’t seem to come from a wealthy family, he was dressed neatly. He was fair-skinned, with no scars on his body or calluses on his hands; he was likely pampered at home.
The young swordsman paid Lian Li no further mind. He walked to the cabinet, took out his bundle, and slung it over his shoulder, looking as if he were about to leave.
Lian Li was startled. Casting aside his emotions, he hurriedly called out, “Great Hero! May I ask your esteemed name?”
The young swordsman simply waved his hand, clearly having no intention of answering.
Lian Li thought about how he was currently penniless. He couldn’t return to the “home” of this world, and the original owner was someone who didn’t care about anything, leaving him with no life experience and very few useful memories.
He himself was someone who had spent years confined to a hospital bed and lacked experience. If this swordsman left, he would be all alone in this world without a single acquaintance. What would he do?
“May I ask where you are going? Could I travel with you for a while?”
With that thought, the words slipped out.
Lian Li didn’t want to leech off the young swordsman; he mainly hoped to have someone guide him for a period so he could truly understand the situation here before striking out on his own.
If he became successful in the future, he would repay the swordsman.
Hearing his words, the young swordsman’s footsteps indeed paused. He turned his head and looked at him. “You’re not going home? Why are you following me?”
Hearing that the swordsman hadn’t rejected him outright, Lian Li felt there was a chance.
He quickly followed the original owner’s memories and explained his family situation. “My parents passed away a few months ago. My older brother and sister-in-law didn’t want to support me and kicked me out.”
As he reached the end, he even feigned a gesture of wiping the corner of his eye with the back of his hand.
This explanation was a small lie. Although the original owner’s brother and sister-in-law disliked him for being sickly and didn’t want him around, they hadn’t dared to kick him out so soon after their parents’ death.
If they had done that, the village would have gossiped.
However, life was not easy for the original owner in his brother’s house. He had studied for a few years and was at the age to seek a marriage in the village.
But the original owner had a bit of a petty pride that made him unlikeable, and arranging a marriage for him would be a significant expense, which the brother and sister-in-law were naturally unwilling to pay.
The sister-in-law would constantly needle him with sharp words. At first, the original owner would tell his brother, but the brother would always agree on the surface while doing nothing behind the scenes.
They simply wanted to provoke the original owner into leaving on his own. That way, they would be rid of the burden, and the village would have an explanation.
It wasn’t that they had kicked him out; the original owner had left of his own accord.
They could also save the money intended for his marriage.
Over time, the original owner became depressed. Furthermore, he was looked down upon by his nephew, who was as sturdy as a young calf. Children aren’t as cautious as adults.
The boy would curse him every day, calling him a “sickly ghost” and a burden.
He didn’t even do it behind his back, and the other children in the village who played with the nephew followed suit.
In a fit of rage, the original owner really did leave the village.
As a result, the original owner, who already had poor health, hadn’t even eaten when he left.
He walked along the small paths for two days and one night before finally dying by the roadside, which allowed Lian Li to transmigrate into him.
His previous fainting spell in front of the swordsman was partly because his body truly couldn’t hold out, and partly because of hunger.
The swordsman stood at the door and looked at Lian Li, his sharp eyes seemingly trying to see right through him.
Lian Li subconsciously wanted to hide, but felt that he shouldn’t.
He let the young swordsman watch him until a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.
After a long while, the swordsman withdrew his gaze and spoke. “Yun Huizhou.”
Lian Li was stunned for a moment before realizing this was the hero’s name. He hurriedly offered his own name in return. “Lian Li.”
As luck would have it, the original owner’s name was the same as his.
Seeing Yun Huizhou set down his bundle, Lian Li felt a wave of relief, knowing he had someone to travel with for the time being.
After mentally awarding Yun Huizhou several “good person cards” and noting down this debt of gratitude, Lian Li could finally drink his medicine with peace of mind.
The dark liquid reflected Lian Li’s current appearance, causing him to freeze.
The original owner’s face looked exactly like his own, only a bit younger than when he had passed away in his previous life.
However, back then, he had already begun to be tortured by illness. It just so happened that the original owner’s body was also weak, so even the sickly complexion matched perfectly.
Most Chinese medicine was bitter. Lian Li was far too experienced in taking medicine; he closed his eyes, pinched his nose, and gulped it down.
He finished it in one breath and didn’t rush to drink water. Instead, he waited a moment before taking a sip of warm water.
There was a knock on the room door, and the waiter’s voice sounded. “Guest, the porridge you ordered is ready.”
“Come in,” Yun Huizhou said.
