Grace Li replied, "Dad, Aiden and I haven't been together that long, so we're not rushing into anything. I think we gotta take our time."
Shichen Li sighed, his tone softer but still firm. "I know you're getting older, and marriage is an important step. You don't want to leave it too late."
Aiden Thompson spoke up, "Mr. Li, both Grace and I feel that marriage is something to consider when the time is right. We believe we should wait for the right moment."
Shichen Li looked at Aiden and felt anxious. "Aiden, our family is different from yours. Grace is a woman, and if she's still not married at thirty, people back home will talk. Her mom and I won't hear the end of it."
Grace Li frowned slightly. "Dad, I understand where you're coming from, but we can't live our lives based on what other people think. What matters is that we're happy. I hope you and Mom can respect that."
Aiden Thompson sensed her growing frustration and quickly stepped in. "Mr. Li, I know how much you care about Grace. She's incredible, and she deserves the best. Thirty is the perfect age—she knows exactly what she wants, both in her career and in her relationships. I hope you and Mrs. Li can trust her to make her own choices. Family is important, but so is her happiness."
His tone was calm and sincere. Shichen Li and Huiyun Liang didn't immediately respond. After a moment, Huiyun Liang smiled and said, "Her dad is just worried. Don't take it to heart. You two do what feels right. We won't interfere."
The rest of the meal passed smoothly.
After dinner, Aiden Thompson got up and said, "Let me wash the dishes."
Huiyun Liang quickly waved him off. "Oh no, you're a guest, you can't do that."
Aiden Thompson had already rolled up his sleeves. "It's fine. Grace and I split the chores at home—she cooks, I wash the dishes, or I cook, and she washes. We have a system."
Huiyun Liang was surprised, and her impression of him improved even more. She had assumed he was just a privileged kid, but it turned out he was actually hands-on. "You're very thoughtful. Not like Grace's dad—after all these years, I've never seen him wash a single dish."
Shichen Li, who had been puffing on a cigarette, coughed lightly and muttered, "Huiyun, you can praise Aiden, but do you have to throw me under the bus?"
Huiyun Liang laughed. "Well, am I wrong?"
The couple bickered playfully for a moment before Grace Li interjected, "Alright, alright, enough. Let's not turn this into a fight."
"Grace, come here," Huiyun Liang said, pulling her daughter into the bedroom.
Once inside, she closed the door. Grace Li sat on the edge of the bed and asked, "Mom, what is it?"
Lowering her voice, Huiyun Liang asked, "That boy has such good conditions. How did you end up with him?"
Grace Li chuckled. "Mom, what do you mean? I'm not bad either."
"You're great, but he's got everything—he's young, good-looking, comes from a well-off family. It's just… unexpected."
Grace Li had once wondered the same thing—why Aiden Thompson had chosen her. At first, she even doubted whether he was with her for the wrong reasons. But after nearly six months together, she had started to believe that his feelings for her were genuine.
Still, she never asked him directly. She knew he could say all the right things, but that didn't necessarily mean they were true.
"Mom, don't overthink it. He's my boyfriend."
Huiyun Liang sighed. "I just hope it lasts. You're already thirty. You don't have time to waste."
Grace Li answered, "We'll see where things go. Right now, I'm happy being with him."
"So, has he mentioned marriage?"
"We're taking things step by step, Mom. Please don't rush us."
"Alright, alright." Then, Huiyun Liang hesitated before saying, "I saw Aiden's things in the guest room. Your dad and I will stay in a hotel tonight. Can you book one for us?"
Grace Li felt a little awkward. "He does keep some stuff there, but he hasn't stayed in that room for a while. You and Dad can use it."
Huiyun Liang had assumed they were sleeping separately, but now she understood. Living together before marriage was common in New York, and since her daughter was already thirty, it wasn't her place to say anything.
Shichen Li and Huiyun Liang were early risers and usually went to bed before ten. Grace Li let them shower and rest first, then she and Aiden Thompson took their turns.
After Aiden finished his shower, he walked into the bedroom. Grace was leaning against the headboard, scrolling through her phone. He lifted the blanket and sat down next to her.
Grace Li put her phone down and looked at him. "Don't take what my dad said too seriously."
"You mean about marriage?"
"Yeah."
Aiden shifted his position, draped an arm around her, and pulled her closer. "Grace, let's talk."
"About what?"
"Marriage."
Grace Li paused.
Aiden looked at her and asked, "Have you ever thought about marrying me?"
Grace Li wasn't sure how to respond. Had she thought about it? Of course, she had. But it had always been in passing, a vague idea, more fantasy than reality. Rationally, she knew that she and Aiden came from different worlds. Though their paths had crossed, she didn't know what the future held. She didn't want to build up expectations, only to be disappointed.
Before she could answer, Aiden spoke again. "I have. I want to marry you. At dinner, I didn't say anything because I wasn't sure what you were thinking. But honestly, I've known from the start."
Grace Li's heart warmed, and she was a little surprised. She hadn't expected him to say that.
"Aiden, what about you? What do you really think?"
She placed her hand over his, interlacing their fingers.
"Of course, I've thought about it," she admitted. "But marriage is different from dating. We have to be sure, and we have to stand the test of time."
Aiden chuckled and leaned in closer. "Alright. So how do I pass this test?"
Grace Li smiled. "There's no specific test. Time is the best test. Time will tell."
He understood what she meant. "Alright."