Ryan Clark's words suddenly came to an abrupt halt. Even so, that last childish remark instantly made Brian Clark both angry and amused. Right after, he murmured softly, unable to help but marvel at his own good fortune.

"It's only been a month..."

After all, they were two completely different people. To have him call people who were total strangers before "father" and "mother"—he really couldn't bring himself to do it. Luckily, his new identity was almost no different from that of an orphan. After all, if there had been any close relatives or old friends around, even if he had accepted all the memories, his behavior would inevitably give him away.

But now, aside from the couple hired to do odd jobs outside, the only one by his side was the son left behind by his late wet nurse, who had only been sent over for a month at most. This undoubtedly solved his biggest problem. As for those members of the Xu family, he only saw them a handful of times throughout the year, so any changes in him could be blamed on this recent serious injury.

"Alright, hurry and fetch a bucket of well water to wash up and put on your face. See if you can get rid of that slap mark—otherwise, how are you going to face people?"

"Young master, your wounds have only just healed, and you're going out already?"

"I didn't have the strength the past few days, and I haven't even properly thanked my lifesaver yet. Do you know where my lifesaver's house is?"

Only then did Ryan Clark suddenly realize, quickly saying he did, and hurried out to get ready. Once he was gone, Brian Clark propped himself up on the bed, slipped on his shoes, and walked to the window, pushing open the window sash. As the fresh air from outside rushed in, he felt the stuffiness in the room swept away, and his mind became much clearer.

Whether he liked it or not, from now on, his life had to start anew.

Chapter Three: Repaying Kindness

The Xu family courtyard wasn't considered large in Nanjing, where mansions stood side by side, but it certainly couldn't be called small either. The three-section courtyard had been purchased by Xu Bian twenty years ago; the masons and bricklayers were all well paid, and the workmanship was impeccable. Even after all these years, there was no major damage—just the occasional minor repair to the tiles. Because of limited manpower, the east and west wings of the last courtyard were simply locked up and left empty. Brian Clark lived alone in the main house, and now only had Ryan Clark for company.

As for the front courtyard, it was occupied by a couple surnamed Jin. Both were hired servants: Jin Liu was in charge of guarding the gate, shopping, and looking after the carriage in the stable, and if Brian Clark needed to go out, he would act as the coachman; Mrs. Jin was responsible for cooking, boiling water, laundry, and cleaning, and unless summoned, she rarely entered the inner courtyard. Most of the time, the couple could be found tending a small vegetable patch outside the west screen door of the front courtyard. The former Brian Clark rarely paid them any attention.

So, that morning, when Brian Clark quietly left with Ryan Clark, he didn't see the couple at all—they were probably busy in the vegetable patch. Walking on the bustling street outside the gate, he glanced at the stream of carriages, horses, and pedestrians, noticing that bright carriages passed by from time to time. He couldn't help but remark thoughtfully, "So many important people pass by our door every day."

"There used to be even more!" Ryan Clark felt that the young master had been much easier to serve these past few days, no longer losing his temper, so he gradually became more talkative. "I heard from Aunt Su next door that back in the days of Emperor Hongwu, Taiping Lane was really something—everyone who lived here was a noble who had to attend court early in the morning. Before dawn every day, it was lively out front, with wave after wave of carriages and horses passing by. They say people even found fans and sachets dropped by nobles on the road, and sometimes even money!"

"Fool, you believe everything people say? Those old gentlemen aren't stupid—how could they be dropping things every day?"

Brian Clark shook his head in exasperation. Ryan Clark fell silent, but still carefully supported him, refusing to let go. When they reached a crossroad ahead, he pointed to a low, small courtyard nearby and said, "Young master, we're here—that's Grandpa Liang's house!"

The two doors of the small courtyard were only half-closed, the paint long faded, and the bricks atop the wall were uneven. Standing outside, you only had to tiptoe a little to see inside, clearly showing the owner's straitened circumstances. Brian Clark poked his head in from outside, then walked up and knocked gently on the door. After a while, hearing no response from inside, he hesitated for a moment, then simply pushed the door open and went in. Ryan Clark followed close behind, raising his voice and calling out.

"Grandpa Liang, Grandpa Liang, are you there? My young master has come to thank you!"

After calling out twice, there was still no response from inside, but a loud voice came from next door: "Who's looking for me?"

At these words, Brian Clark looked up in surprise and saw a head appear over the eastern wall—it was the old man who had saved him under the Zhongzhong Bridge. When the old man recognized him, he immediately smiled, turned back and shouted something to someone behind him, then vaulted over the low wall with one hand, landing steadily without any sign of age.

"I was wondering who it was—why, isn't this the Seventh Young Master?" The old man clapped his hands, glanced at the tightly closed house, and after a moment's hesitation said with some embarrassment, "The house hasn't been tidied up. If you don't mind, Seventh Young Master, why not sit outside?"