Late at night at Qixia Temple.


    In a private Zen room with a courtyard, a stunning woman sitsfortably in a wicker chair, gazing up at the autumn night sky filled with stars.


    An elderly woman, bald and distinguished, steps out and gently drapes a nket over the woman’s legs. Respectfully, she says, “Madam, the young master’s ne has taken off.”


    “It has?” the woman replies, her eyes quickly darting toward the airport direction, searching the skies.


    As she observes the distant twinkling lights, she lets out a sigh, pondering, “I wonder which of these bright spots holds Charlie.” After a moment, she asks the elderly woman, “Is Charlie traveling with you?”<fn98a8> Follow current nov?ls on ?ovelFind</fn98a8><h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">


    This beautiful woman is Lydia, also known as Ava, Charlie’s mother.


    The elderly woman apanying Lydia is Sun Jinyu, who has been with her for many years, serving a role simr to that of a housekeeper while pretending to be the master’s wife.


    Sun Jinyu responds to Lydia, “Madam, the young master did board the ne with Arman. They are flying swiftly and should arrive in New York around 8 PM.”


    Lydia nods slightly, a smile crossing her face as she replies, “Peter has faced so many challenges these past few years, and I feel helpless. If Charlie can find him, I believe he can assist Peter in oveing his troubles, and perhaps help Charlie unlock the secrets of Niwan Pce.”


    …


    Fast forward to 8:30 PM New York time.


    The ne carrying Charlie and Arman has just touched down smoothly at JFK Airport.


    Given thete hour, Charlie has decided against heading directly to the antique store in Queens tonight.


    Understanding that Arman joined him in New York partly to see Gunbir, the man he adopted, Charlie knows how much Gunbir means to Arman. After all, Gunbir has taken over the roast goose restaurant he ran for decades. Thus, uponnding, Charlie suggests to Arman, “Uncle Arman, let’s visit Tang Dynasty first tonight. What time does your roast goose shop usually open?”


    Arman is surprised by Charlie’s choice to head to Chinatown first. He quickly responds, “Master, I think it’s better if I apany you for business first. Once that’s done, I can carve out some time to see Gunbir.”


    Charlie smiles and counters, “Uncle Arman, it’s quitete. It wouldn’t be wise for two busy individuals to rush to the antique store right after arriving. If someone notices our unusual behavior, it could draw unwanted attention. Today, let’s skip the antique store and head to Chinatown for a meal first. You can also catch up with Qiangzi. Then we can stay at Buckingham Pce in New York for the night and visit the Queen tomorrow.”


    Arman recognizes the logic in Charlie’s reasoning but is also aware that Charlie is considering his feelings.


    Not wanting to be overly formal with Charlie, he replies, “Master, roast goose restaurants usually stay open until 2 AM.”


    “Sote?” Charlie asks with curiosity.


    Arman nods, exining, “It’s mainly because the prices are affordable. Most of our customers are migrant workers, many of whom are undocumented. They typically can only eat after finishing theirte-night shifts, so we keep the stall open until they’ve all eaten.”


    Charlie smiles, saying, “Great! Since the hours are flexible, we can still grab a bite when we get there.” Arman adds, “I’ll call Gunbir to let him know to prepare ahead of time.”


    Charlie then asks, “Uncle Arman, did you mention to Gunbir that you’re in the U.S. this time?”


    “Not yet,” Arman replies. “I was in a hurry and didn’t tell him because I was worried about not having enough time to visit, which might lead to disappointment.”