Chapter 135

On Friday, Aiden Thompson finished work in Los Angeles and flew straight to New York. Now that he no longer had to hide from his parents, he could finally visit Grace Li openly.

After spending the night at Grace Li's place, the next morning, they both headed to her hometown.

When they arrived at the front door, Grace Li noticed that the trunk of Aiden Thompson's car was filled with thoughtful gifts for her parents. Inside were a selection of local specialties and some fine wine—each carefully chosen to show his respect and thoughtfulness for her parents, hoping to express his serious intentions for their relationship.

At first, Huiyun Liang and Shichen Li had some reservations about Aiden Thompson and had expressed concerns about their relationship. Now, seeing the gifts, their feelings were a bit more complicated.

Huiyun Liang invited Aiden Thompson inside and had him sit in the living room while she prepared tea.

Shichen Li, with a concerned look, gently said, "Aiden, I know you're a good guy. But I've heard that your parents had some concerns about your relationship with Grace Li. We've been worried this might bring some challenges to your future together. How do you plan to deal with these issues?"

Aiden Thompson replied, "Uncle, I'm actually here today to tell you that my parents have given their blessing for Grace and me to be together."

Huiyun Liang was surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah, at first, my parents didn't know Grace Li well, but after meeting her, they really like her."

Huiyun Liang asked, "So, your parents have met Grace Li?"

"Yes, a few days ago, my father invited Grace Li to our house."

Hearing this, Shichen Li felt a little relieved, although he didn't show it. "Well, if they've agreed, then we don't have anything to worry about."

"Thanks, Uncle." Aiden Thompson took Grace Li's hand. "I'm going to do my best to make sure Grace is happy."

Shichen Li said, "We come from different backgrounds, but I just hope Grace won't feel out of place with you."

Aiden Thompson looked at Grace Li. "I'll do everything I can to make sure she's happy and feels loved."

Huiyun Liang's eyes started to well up. "That's good to hear."

Shichen Li was also touched. His daughter's future had always been a major concern for him. Now that she'd found someone good, he said, "I know I expressed some concerns before. Don't take it personally. It's all in the past now."

"It's okay, Uncle. I know you were just looking out for Grace Li. Honestly, I could've done better. I should apologize to both Grace Li and you."

Grace Li smiled, "There's no need to apologize. No one did anything wrong. Your parents were protecting you, and mine were protecting me. You've done a great job of balancing everything, Aiden. You've handled it really well."

Huiyun Liang nodded. "That's right. As long as you're together now, everything is fine. Let's leave the past behind and look ahead."

Aiden Thompson felt warmth in his chest. "Yeah."

Noticing it was almost noon, Huiyun Liang stood up and said, "It's almost lunchtime. You two relax, I'll go prepare lunch."

Aiden Thompson stood up with her. "Aunt, let me help, or I could even cook a few dishes."

Huiyun Liang knew Aiden Thompson could cook—she had tasted his food when she visited Grace Li's place before, and it was quite good. "You're a guest today, so let me handle it. Next time we're at your place, we'll try your cooking."

Aiden Thompson didn't insist, as it was his first time at Grace Li's home and he wasn't yet familiar with everything.

After lunch, Shichen Li had to go to work, and Huiyun Liang needed to check on the shop. Grace Li and Aiden Thompson didn't stay long and headed back to New York.

The next day, after spending some time in the familiar comfort of their own routine, Aiden and Grace Li went grocery shopping, picking up ingredients for dinner. That evening, Aiden Thompson cooked a few dishes. The scene felt like a return to the days when they had lived together last year.

In the past six months, every time Aiden visited Grace Li, he had to carefully calculate the timing and come up with excuses to avoid Rex Thompson's probing questions. Now that he could be with her openly, he finally understood just how happy and peaceful their simple days together could be.

After dinner, Grace Li washed some cherries and strawberries, and the two of them sat on the balcony, eating fruit and sipping on sparkling water while talking.

"Grace Li, do you remember me telling you a couple of weeks ago that I'd take you somewhere?"

Grace Li remembered—it was the day Rex and Mabel Thompson came to New York. Aiden Thompson had mentioned taking her somewhere but had kept it a secret, which made her curiosity even more piqued. "So, you finally decided to reveal the secret?"

Aiden Thompson grinned. "I guess so. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you there and reveal the answer."

Grace Li fed him a cherry, "I'll look forward to it, then."

The next day, Aiden Thompson drove toward a nearby city on the outskirts of New York, and Grace Li didn't ask where they were going. She assumed it was a place in a nearby town.

After about 1 hour, they arrived at their destination.

It was a suburban villa area , near a famous resort.

The car stopped in front of one of the villas, and Grace Li got out. Looking at the house in front of her, she asked, "Is this where you brought me?"

Aiden Thompson walked to the door, pressed the keypad, and the gate automatically opened. "Miss Li, welcome home."

Grace Li stared at him, puzzled. "Home?"

Aiden Thompson took her hand and led her inside. "From now on, this will be our place."

Grace Li followed him inside, where there was a stone path leading through a garden, with flowers planted on both sides. It was the season for roses, and various colored roses bloomed beautifully.

As they walked further, they reached a Nordic-style cottage. Aiden Thompson unlocked the door with a fingerprint scanner. As they entered, the foyer led them into the living room. The décor was simple yet refreshing, with white, green, and wood tones—typical of a forest-themed style. The large arched windows covered two-thirds of the wall, letting in ample sunlight and making the living room feel bright and airy. There were plenty of plants around, adding a lively touch.

This was exactly the style Grace Li loved.

"Our place?" Grace Li asked uncertainly.

"Mm-hmm," Aiden Thompson led her to the floor-to-ceiling windows, where they could see the rose garden.

"This house must not be cheap."

Aiden Thompson replied honestly, "The total price was $12 million, and I paid the down payment with the money I earned over the past six months."

Grace Li nodded. "I didn't realize your salary at Silverstone Group was that high."

"Of course! It's a high-pressure job, and I wouldn't do it for a low salary."

Grace Li smiled. "What about my house?"

"Your house is yours, of course. You can keep it for your family, or we can stay there sometimes. If I ever annoy you, you can stay there for a while."

Grace Li couldn't help but laugh. "You've already planned how I'll cool off when I'm mad at you?"

"Well, I hope we don't need that," Aiden Thompson chuckled.

"Like what?" Grace Li teased.

"Like, just smack me one good time."

Grace Li burst out laughing. "Not a bad idea, I might consider it."

"Shall we head upstairs to check it out?"

"Sure."

The house wasn't huge, about 1,500 square feet. The first floor had the living room, kitchen, a bedroom, and a storage room. The second floor had two bedrooms and an office, and upstairs there were two more rooms, plus a small balcony.

The master bedroom was spacious and fully furnished, with a walk-in closet and vanity—everything prepared for Grace Li.

Looking around, Grace Li couldn't find anything she didn't like.

They stood in front of the master bedroom windows, watching the view. Grace Li said, "This really is a surprise. I love everything about it."

"Since you like it, let's pick a weekend soon and settle in. We can turn this place into our home," Aiden Thompson said.

Grace Li bit her lip. She wanted to say that it might be better to wait until after they were married to move in, but since they had already lived together, it felt a bit late to make that an issue.

Aiden Thompson said, "But before we do that, there's one more thing we need to do."

"What's that?"

Aiden Thompson took a step forward, facing her. He reached into his pocket and suddenly knelt down.

Grace Li was startled and instinctively tried to help him, but then realized what he was doing and pulled her hand back.

Aiden Thompson opened the ring box and looked up at her. "I told you, once we passed the parents' test, I'd marry you right away. So, Grace Li, will you marry me?"

Grace Li didn't even look at the ring. She just looked at him. Though they had already discussed this, hearing him say it while kneeling in front of her made her eyes well up. She crouched down to meet his gaze.

With tears in her eyes, she smiled. "Yes."

Aiden Thompson took the ring and gently slid it onto her ring finger, fitting perfectly. Grace Li then noticed how simple the ring was—no large prongs, just a design that made it easy to wear every day.

Aiden Thompson held her hand and helped her up. "The courthouse opens tomorrow. How about we go get our marriage license?"

Grace Li asked, "So soon?"

"Because you're my only choice," Aiden Thompson said, intertwining their fingers. "Most importantly, I can't wait to be legally recognized as your husband."

"That works for me. I don't have any other options either. You're my only one." Grace Li smiled and asked, "So, do you want to go to the courthouse in New York, or somewhere nearby?"

"Let's just go to the one closest to us. I'm staying at your place tonight anyway."

"Alright."