Surrounded by the crowd, sprayed with their spittle as they spoke, some tugged at his collar, some gripped his hand tightly, and others pressed his shoulder with ambiguous intent. He sat calmly among them, unmoved, yet his expression grew hazy. Before he crossed over, he had also been a sought-after figure in the liquor industry. Now, this scene—so strikingly similar across a thousand years, bridging the Tang Dynasty and modern society—stirred a flood of emotions within him.

The crowd continued their noisy chatter. At that moment, a crisp birdsong rang out before dawn from the osmanthus tree in the courtyard of Yihong Tower. Ryan Carter rose calmly, gazing at the faint morning light beyond the ornate window lattice. “Everyone, please say no more. I have no such intention, but thank you all for your kindness. Ryan Carter is grateful!”

……

……

The wine-tasting banquet lasted all night. As the blazing sun rose and the heat began to bear down, the elite of Luoyang’s wine world left one after another, disappointed and reeking of alcohol. As he departed, Frank Scott even declared that as long as Ryan Carter was willing, the Sangluo Winery in the south of the city would always welcome him.

Horses and carriages stood in neat rows as the winery owners’ carriages departed one by one. Chris also cupped his hands in farewell. “Brother Charles, my home is always open to you. Farewell for now—let’s drink together again another day.” Chris strode away, his aged figure swaying slightly in the sunlight, whether from drunkenness or from excitement, it was hard to tell.

A luxurious carriage approached. Henry Scott bowed deeply. “Brother Charles, let me give you a ride!”

Ryan Carter waved his hand and smiled. “No need, thank you for your kindness, Brother Henry. I’m a bit tipsy and would rather walk it off. Farewell!”

Watching that handsome figure drift away, the young man’s steps were so light, so free, without any pretense. From his confident stride, Henry Scott sensed something different. Smiling, he turned to his attendant and said, “Alan, find a few people to keep an eye on Ryan Carter’s whereabouts for me.”

※※※

And so, drifting along, he crossed the Luoyang Bridge. In just a few days, Ryan Carter had crossed this most famous bridge in Luoyang several times.

Passing by the Yuhu Spring Tavern owned by William Harris, he instinctively glanced inside. The tavern had just opened, empty of customers, with only a few workers bent over, busily wiping down stools and low tables.

He knew perfectly well that, this early in the morning, that stunningly beautiful young girl could not possibly be here. Yet Ryan Carter still felt a faint tinge of disappointment, a faint glimmer of hope. It seemed that in just these two short days, his feelings for the girl had shifted from initial amazement to a kind of longing. Looking up at the blazing sun, then at the bustling flow of people and carriages around him, he laughed at himself: Just arrived in the Tang Dynasty, barely found his footing, and already his mind was wandering with such infatuated thoughts—how ridiculous.

Lost in his own thoughts, he had no idea that, in the The Harris Family residence in the city, the young girl Olivia Harris was holding a winnowing basket, scattering grain with her hand and calling a few chicks to feed. In her heart, too, the image of that elegant, handsome figure from yesterday floated up.

“The Han emperor was infatuated, longing for a beauty to topple a kingdom; for years he ruled, but could not find her. In the The Harris Family, a girl has just come of age, raised in seclusion, unknown to the world. Born with natural beauty, she cannot hide it; one day she is chosen to serve by the emperor’s side. A single backward glance, a hundred charms arise; the beauties of the palace pale in comparison.”

A young girl’s heart is as lofty as the clouds. She murmured to herself, her ethereal thoughts drifting once more, standing quietly in the sunlit courtyard, letting the blazing sunlight shine on her skin, white as Tianshan snow, lost in a daze.

The main hall door opened. A middle-aged woman, hair in a high bun, chest exposed, a red shawl over her shoulders, wearing a yellow narrow-sleeved short jacket, a long green skirt trailing to the ground, and a red belt at her waist, stood lazily in the doorway, her expression full of mockery. She sneered, “Still daydreaming about entering the palace to serve the emperor as a noble consort? Silly girl, stop your wishful thinking and hurry to the kitchen to help. If you’re really lovesick, wait till your uncle comes home—I'll have him find you a husband right away, so you stop wandering around in a daze and wasting all the money I spent raising you.”

Startled, the girl quickly lowered her head and continued scattering feed for the chicks.

The woman sneered again, closed the door, and went back inside.

Hearing the creak of the closing door, the girl couldn’t help but glance back. The grievance and faint anger on her rosy face would tug at anyone’s heart.

“It’s been four years. Ever since father died and I came to live with my uncle’s family in Luoyang, this aunt has never shown me a kind face.” The girl’s heart ached. She put down the basket and wiped her reddened eyes with her sleeve.

Her uncle and his son treated her tolerably, but this stepmother of the The Harris Family, Baker, was truly a shrew. She constantly found fault with her, bossed her around like a servant, and often provoked her. Now, she was even looking for a husband to marry off this “money-losing” outsider, hoping to get a fat dowry out of it.

“Ah… my life is so bitter…” the girl sighed softly, rolled up her sleeves, and silently went about her chores in the sunlight.

Chapter 015 Peter Grant

Drifting and wandering, Ryan Carter strolled through the bustling city of Luoyang. Watching the busy people coming and going, he couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed: it seemed he was the most idle person in all of Luoyang.