Chapter 68

The exhibition ended at 5:30. After parting ways with her colleagues at the entrance, Grace Li and Aiden Thompson headed to the parking lot.

After Huiyun Liang's call, Grace Li had lost interest in the exhibition. She knew her parents were at her place, which meant they'd find out she and Aiden Thompson were living together.

She had been dating Aiden Thompson for almost six months but hadn't told her family yet. She wasn't sure how far their relationship would go. But lately, they had been living together, sharing an ordinary yet warm life like any other couple. Grace Li sometimes thought they might stay like this forever.

As Aiden Thompson drove, Grace Li said, "Aiden, my parents are here."

"Should we go pick them up?"

Grace Li had given Huiyun Liang a key, and they had already taken a cab to her place. "No need. They should be at my place by now."

Aiden Thompson knew Grace Li had been hesitant to tell her family about their relationship. He didn't push, respecting her wishes. In American culture, personal independence and family relationships are highly valued. He understood Grace Li needed to handle this on her terms. "Is it okay if I come over today?"

Grace Li said, "It's up to you. Do you... want to meet my parents?"

Aiden Thompson smiled. "If I have a choice, of course I do. And as your boyfriend."

Since Aiden Thompson was willing, Grace Li felt less anxious. "Then it's settled."

Grace Li thought that regardless of the future of her relationship with Aiden Thompson, they were lovers now. It was only natural for her lover to meet her parents.

But before they arrived home, Huiyun Liang's phone call came again.

The first thing Huiyun Liang asked was, "Grace Li, are you dating someone?"

Grace Li was caught off guard. Before she could answer, Huiyun Liang continued, "I saw men's shoes in your shoe cabinet, and there are men's things in the bathroom too. Don't hide it from me. Just tell me, is it true?"

Grace Li could hear the excitement in Huiyun Liang's voice even over the phone. She smiled helplessly. "Yes, Mom."

"Really? Does he live with you? Is he free today? Ask him to come over for dinner. Your dad and I want to meet him."

Grace Li looked at Aiden Thompson, who was driving. "We're on our way back now."

Huiyun Liang got even more excited. "Is he the doctor your aunt introduced to you last time?"

"No, you'll see when you meet him."

"Great. What does he like to eat? I'll go buy some groceries nearby."

"He's not picky. Just make whatever's in the fridge."

"Okay, okay."

Grace Li hung up the phone and looked at Aiden Thompson, sighing helplessly. "My mom's been asking a lot of questions."

The car was quiet, but Aiden Thompson had already heard her mom's excited voice through the speaker. He could feel how much she was looking forward to meeting her daughter's boyfriend.

A small smile played on Aiden's lips. "Yeah, I heard."

As the car pulled into the underground parking lot of their Manhattan apartment, Grace Li felt an unexpected wave of nerves. It was just introducing her boyfriend to her parents—nothing out of the ordinary. But for some reason, her heart was racing.

Her parents had been dropping hints about marriage since she was twenty-five. Five years of constant reminders. She knew they had been waiting for this moment for a long time. When she first started dating Aiden Thompson, she didn't have the courage to introduce him to them. She was worried about how they'd react.

She turned to Aiden and asked, "How do you feel about meeting my parents?"

"Looking forward to it."

"You've met them before, though."

"Yeah, but this time, it's as your boyfriend."

They walked hand in hand into the elevator. Grace Li exhaled and admitted, "I can't believe I'm actually nervous."

Aiden let out a small laugh. "I feel like I should be the one nervous, considering how serious it is."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you?"

"A little," he admitted. "It's the first time I'm meeting them in this role."

——

Shichen Li and Huiyun Liang came out of the kitchen when they heard the door open. They froze when they saw Aiden Thompson standing next to Grace Li.

Grace Li was the first to speak. "Dad, Mom."

Then, Aiden Thompson politely greeted them, "Mr. and Mrs. Li."

Huiyun Liang snapped out of her surprise. "So, this is… your boyfriend?"

Aiden Thompson introduced himself. "Mrs. Li, my name is Aiden Thompson, and I'm Grace Li's boyfriend."

Huiyun Liang was both shocked and delighted. She had always thought her daughter would end up with someone more modest and around her age, but Aiden Thompson was completely unexpected. She recognized him from before. When Grace Li started working, she had a strong impression of him. "We've met before, right?"

"Yeah, I'm also Grace Li's colleague."

"I thought you looked familiar."

Grace Li changed her shoes and, speaking in Chinese, asked, "Mom, is dinner ready?"

"It's still cooking, should be ready in about half an hour."

"I'll help you."

Grace Li went into the kitchen to help her mom, and Aiden Thompson stayed in the living room with Shichen Li.

Shichen Li had been hoping for years that his daughter would find someone. When he learned that Grace Li had a boyfriend, he was overjoyed. But after meeting Aiden Thompson, he realized they were from different worlds. He was tall and lean, exuding an air of refinement, clearly from a well-off family, and he was much younger than his daughter.

Aiden Thompson picked up the remote and turned on the TV. He asked, "Mr. Li, What kind of shows do you like?"

Sitting on the couch, Shichen Li felt a little awkward. "I watch whatever's on, anything's fine."

Aiden Thompson switched to a Chinese news channel and asked, "Do you like tea? We have Longjing and Tieguanyin."

"Never mind, dinner's almost ready, I'll pass on the tea."

"Okay, let me get you some water then."

"I just had some, I'm good."

Aiden Thompson sat down and accompanied him while they watched the news.

Shichen Li fidgeted with his hands on his lap. Normally, he'd be chatting easily with neighbors, but right now, he didn't know how to start a conversation. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "How old are you?"

Aiden Thompson replied, "I'll be 26 in August."

"Wow, you're five years younger than Grace Li."

Aiden Thompson responded, "People today are pretty open about age gaps. A few years older or younger is really no big deal. I mean, it's really not a big deal these days."

Shichen Li chuckled. "That's true."

He asked, "What do your parents do?"

Aiden Thompson said, "My dad does business , and my mom is a stay-at-home mom."

Shichen Li nodded. "So your family must be doing pretty well, huh?"

Aiden Thompson modestly responded, "It's going well, we've worked hard on it."

Shichen Li nodded again. "Grace Li's mom and I, we're both just regular workers, a pretty average family."

"I know that."

Shichen Li continued, "Have your parents met Grace Li yet?"

"Not yet. My family's in Los Angeles, but once we get the chance, I'll bring Grace Li there to meet them."

"Los Angeles?" Shichen Li raised an eyebrow. "Your family's in LA? What does your dad do?"

"Yeah, that's right."

Just then, Huiyun Liang and Grace Li finished preparing dinner, and the family gathered around the table. The table was filled with traditional Chinese dishes: braised pork, stir-fried vegetables, and Huiyun Liang's special dry bamboo shoots with pork. Outside the window, the busy New York streets and the occasional sound of car horns contrasted with the warmth of the family atmosphere inside.

Huiyun Liang kept piling food into Aiden Thompson's bowl. "Aiden, try this dry bamboo shoots. They were freshly dried this spring, really tasty."

"Eat more meat, have a chicken wing."

Aiden Thompson looked at his bowl piled high with food. He wasn't used to having someone serve him food at the table, but not wanting to refuse in front of his girlfriend's mother, he simply said, "Thank you, Mrs. Li."

"Don't mention it, we're family."

Aiden Thompson then picked up a chicken wing from his bowl and placed it into Grace Li's bowl. Shichen Li and his wife noticed the gesture.

During dinner, Shichen Li asked, "So, when are you two planning to settle down?"

Sure enough, here came the question.