One morning, eighteen-year-old Ding Yuanbao wakes up as Ding Yuan, the legitimate son of a wealthy merchant in the Great Liang dynasty.
He's dressed in a long robe, has passed the county-level imperial exam, and is engaged to a government official's daughter.
Meanwhile, a stuffy scholar named Ding Yuan has taken up residence in his own body.
The good news: Every night at eight, a mysterious glass cup forces them to connect across space.
The bad news: Ding Yuan's imperial exams and Ding Yuanbao's English test both fall to two "illiterates."
The worse news: How will they hide this from everyone around them?
To save their lives, they sign a "three-point agreement plus N additional clauses":
They won't sabotage each other, they'll protect each other's reputations, and they'll teach each other how to survive in their respective worlds.
Ding Yuanbao grits his teeth and deals with Miss Chen, who looks down on merchants. Ding Yuan is forced to face his modern parents, who keep trying to set him up on dates.
"If you dare use my body to marry someone..."
"If you use my body to promise yourself to someone..."
Neither finishes the threat. They fall silent at the same time.
Ding Yuanbao (watching the other guy wear his T-shirt): "I'm straight."
Ding Yuan (watching the other guy work out shirtless): "I am a man of propriety."
The glass cup: I'll just sit here and watch you two keep protesting too much.
A rebellious, arrogant modern rich heartthrob (top) x a gentle, reserved, melancholic young master from ancient times (bottom)
Reader's Guide:
1. Fictional setting with both leads crossing between worlds
2. Parallel storylines in ancient and modern times, with equal emphasis on plot and romance
3. One-on-one, both are each other's first, happy ending
Theme: I'll protect your reputation.
