However, it was just that faint glance that aroused the little maid’s intense disgust. She glared at him and said, “I’m calling you! Are you deaf?”

Ryan Carter gave a bitter smile. It seemed that this Little Brother Carter was truly detestable—even a little maid in the household bossed him around. He knew the little maid was named Amy, the personal attendant of the eldest young lady of the Liu Residence, Yvonne Foster.

“Miss Amy, what do you need from me?”

“My lady and the young miss are looking for you. Come with me, quickly.” Amy frowned and turned to leave.

Ryan Carter opened the door. Seeing the room in utter disarray with nothing worth tidying up, he shook his head, closed the door, and followed behind Amy’s swaying waist toward the inner courtyard of the Liu Residence.

……

Madam Foster was the typical noblewoman of Tang society—plump, still charming, but with very ordinary looks. If she took off her luxurious clothes and blended into a crowd, no one would recognize her.

Yvonne Foster, on the other hand, was the classic beauty according to traditional Chinese aesthetics: a slender waist, oval face, brows like distant mountains, bright eyes and white teeth, her dignified demeanor tinged with a faint coldness, like a glacial snow lotus. Whether this coldness was an act, deliberately shown to Ryan Carter, or simply her nature, was anyone’s guess.

Ryan Carter didn’t know what to say and simply stood there quietly.

The strong smell of alcohol on him made both Madam Foster and Yvonne Foster extremely repulsed, and they couldn’t help but cover their mouths and noses. Madam Foster waved her hand, and Amy understood, stepping forward arrogantly. “Ryan Carter, madam wants to know: when do you plan to break off the engagement with the young miss? You, a grown man, indulging in every vice and shamelessly clinging to the The Foster Family—what do you call that? Even I feel embarrassed for you!”

Such words were unbearable—no man could stand them.

Even though Ryan Carter knew she wasn’t talking about him, he still felt a surge of anger. After all, Ryan Carter was the son-in-law of the Liu Residence, and yet even a little maid dared to criticize and insult him. Outrageous! He wished he could slap Amy, and sneered coldly, “The marriage between Carter and the young miss was arranged by my late father and Prime Minister Foster. As a junior, how could I dare break off an engagement set by my elders?”

Amy spat, “Don’t give me that! As if we don’t know—you’re just refusing to break off the engagement so you can keep freeloading at the Liu Residence. Let me tell you the truth: madam and the young miss called you here today to break off this damned engagement.”

“Shut up! You insolent servant, how dare you act up in front of Carter?!” Ryan Carter could no longer control the raging fire in his heart and gave Amy a shove, making her stagger.

Casting a cold glance at the furious Madam Foster, Ryan Carter said in a deep voice, “Madam Foster, I’ve troubled your esteemed household for many days—my thanks. Rest assured, once I leave the gates of the Liu Residence today, I will never set foot here again in this life. As for the engagement, if it is to be broken, let Prime Minister Foster come and tell me himself. Farewell!”

Ryan Carter strode away.

After a while, Amy ran in from outside the hall, panting, “Madam, young miss, that scoundrel is gone—he really left!”

A trace of reluctance flashed in Madam Foster’s eyes. “Mr. Carter was once a renowned minister of the Tang. How did he end up with such a disappointing son? Well, it’s peaceful now that he’s gone. Amy, have the steward give him some silver—after three years, our Liu Residence has done all we could for Mr. Carter.”

“Still giving him money? That scoundrel…”

Amy muttered, and a hint of unwavering resolve flashed across Yvonne Foster’s calm face. She said softly, “Amy, don’t be so rude in the future. Even if he is disappointing, you mustn’t lose your manners.”

After a pause, Yvonne Foster added, “Mother, send someone to Chang’an to inform father about this…” With that, she gracefully rose and left the hall, her slender waist swaying as she returned to her room.

Chapter 007: Brother-in-law’s Family

Ryan Carter left the Liu Residence, walking slowly into the night, his tall figure soon fading into the hazy darkness.

Once he left the Liu Residence, he felt a great weight lifted from his heart, an indescribable sense of relief. To the former Ryan Carter, the Liu Residence was a haven of wealth and comfort, but to the current Ryan Carter, it was a shackle and a cage. Drawing a clear line with the Liu Residence was also drawing a line with his past self.

Softly I leave, just as softly as I came.

Waving my hand, I take not a single cloud with me.

If anyone from the Liu Residence saw Ryan Carter at this moment, turning back to look at the grand mansion with a smile of relief, they would surely find it unbelievable.

As for where to go, Ryan Carter already had an idea. First, the The Carter Family still had an old residence in Luoyang, so he wouldn’t be sleeping on the streets. Second, he had an elder sister, Grace Carter, who lived in the north of the city. After some thought, Ryan Carter decided to stay at his sister’s place for now and make further plans.

He chose to go to his sister’s because his “memories” showed that Ryan Carter and his sister Grace Carter were very close. After Mrs. Carter passed away, Grace Carter had more than once asked Ryan Carter to leave the Liu Residence and move in with her, but he had always refused. More importantly, he knew that Grace Carter and her husband ran a rather large tavern—the kind that brewed wine in the back and sold it in the front.