Ignoring Chen Ying's sulky expression, Li Qingyuan escorted her directly home.
Though taking two little girls out was certainly enjoyable, he still had to consider the feelings of their parents.
Besides, Chen Ying was naturally skinny and frail, flat from head to toe. Staying up late at night would definitely affect her development.
So, whether for long-term growth or short-term responsibility, he had to get her home before midnight!
Chen Ying's mother was a woman in her thirties.
In fact, if well-maintained, she could easily pass as a young lady.
Unfortunately, appearances matter too much in this world.
Her name was Chen Meiyun. Judging by her name and the contours of her features, she must have been a beauty in her youth.
But as a single mother raising Chen Ying in New York, years of hardship had taken a serious toll on her figure and appearance.
"Meiyun, I've brought Chen Ying back for you!"
Outside the Chinatown Sha County Snack Shop, Li Qingyuan called to the woman who was busy cleaning.
"Xiao Li! Little Ying didn't trouble you too much, did she?" Chen Meiyun put down her cleaning tools and hurried over to greet him.
"Not at all. Chen Ying was very well-behaved and had a great time with Wanda!"
After a few casual exchanges, Chen Meiyun insisted on paying him for the evening's expenses. But those few dozen dollars were hardly worth Li Qingyuan's attention.
After a short tug-of-war, she gave up on the idea of payment and turned to tell Chen Ying to go upstairs to sleep, also inviting Wanda to come eat next time.
The snack shop had a loft on the second floor, where Chen Ying and her mother lived.
"Little Ying's mom works so hard!"
Wanda glanced back at Chen Meiyun still cleaning and said empathetically.
Back in Sokovia, her own parents had been the same—busy from dawn to dusk, with no time for rest.
Most people in this world are poor. Motivational sayings advise hard work to get rich, but in reality, very few actually become wealthy through diligence alone.
Most people work from morning to night just to maintain a basic living.
"Alright, kids, don't be so sentimental!" Li Qingyuan said with a smile, pinching Wanda's little cheeks.
Kids pretending to be adults!
"I'm not a kid!" Wanda pouted in defiance.
"Yeah, you're definitely not a kid!" Li Qingyuan appraised her from head to toe, nodding silently.
"You're so bad!" Wanda's face flushed red as she angrily swung her little fists at him.
Kids these days mature early. Especially in a place like New York, Chen Ying might still be treated like a child due to her figure, but Wanda, disregarding her height and outfit, would easily be mistaken for a high school student.
Even ordinary high schoolers could hardly compare to her!
"Alright, alright, we still need to find your brother!" After Wanda tired herself out, Li Qingyuan picked her up to soothe her.
"By the way, Pietro!" Wanda struggled briefly to get free, but it was useless.
"Put me down!" she said, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"All right, all right!" Li Qingyuan pinched her little cheeks again before setting her down.
This level of teasing was enough—crossing the line would have consequences!
"Pietro must have gotten separated from us at the subway. Where do you think he might have gone?" The two of them hailed a taxi back to the Broadway subway station, observing the entrance.
It was already 1 a.m. Even New York's subway felt quiet, with only a few scattered people—worlds apart from the crowded chaos of three hours ago.
"How would I know? That idiot only ever looks at useless stuff every day! Who knows where he went!" Wanda pouted angrily. That brother of hers was truly impossible to keep track of!
"Useless stuff?" Li Qingyuan blinked. He hadn't really paid attention to Pietro, so he had no idea what the boy had been doing recently.
"You know, the stuff men like to look at. I saw him exchanging Playboy magazines at school last time!" Wanda spat. Normally, she wouldn't have said this, wanting to save her silly brother some face.
But now that he was missing, there was no holding back!
"You mean Pietro not only looks at magazines at school but also shares them with others?" Li Qingyuan's mind went blank.
True, kids in America matured early, but they were still in middle school, right?
Elementary school kids exchanging magazines—this felt like the world itself was conspiring against someone who had once been a great magician in a past life!
"I don't know!" Wanda angrily kicked Li Qingyuan twice with her little shoes. If it had to be known, fine, but why say it out loud?
"Wait, let me think this through!" Li Qingyuan picked up the clearly furious Wanda and began considering the situation carefully.
Now wasn't the time to lecture Pietro about magazines—this was unavoidable.
Besides, Pietro probably hadn't fully developed yet; even if he had mischievous intentions, he lacked the ability.
The priority was to find him first, then decide how to handle things.
He recalled seeing Pietro during the earlier encounter with the kidnappers. But once the subway lights dimmed, he had lost sight of him.
Thinking back, Pietro must have run out with the other hostages.
If he had escaped, why hadn't he gone straight home?
Granted, Pietro had been given a lot of freedom, but Li Qingyuan had never deprived him materially—$200 allowance per week was generous.
Otherwise, Pietro wouldn't have money to buy Playboy magazines, right?
Yet so far, there had been no call from Pietro. Clearly, he hadn't gone home.
He should have equipped them with phones earlier!
Phones would become essential in ten years, but in 2008, they were still considered a luxury. Wanda and Pietro attended a public school in Chinatown, so bringing phones would be too conspicuous.
After circling the subway entrance for a while with no leads, Li Qingyuan was ready to go home and continue the search tomorrow. But seeing Wanda's tearful puppy-dog expression, he shook his head helplessly.
No matter how much Wanda teased Pietro in daily life, she truly cared when something happened.
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)