After the successful product launch of Hengyue Technology, Grace Li finally breathed a sigh of relief. She eased up on the time she had been dedicating to the company and shifted some of her focus to other projects.
Time flew by, and before she knew it, it was the Lunar New Year. Though the celebration of Chinese New Year isn't as widespread here as in China, it's still the most important time of year for Chinese families in the U.S.
Grace Li didn't make it back home until the morning of New Year's Eve. William Li, her brother, came back even later, arriving home in the afternoon.
With both children finally home, Huiyun Liang and Shichen Li were filled with joy. From early in the morning, they were busy preparing a big family feast, sticking to the Chinese tradition of slaughtering chickens and ducks. The kitchen was filled with the rich aroma of home-cooked food.
Grace Li hadn't been home for quite some time. Ever since she bought her own house and dove into her startup, she hadn't made it back as often. It wasn't that she didn't miss her parents; it was just that every time she did, relatives would come asking for money or asking her to find jobs for their kids, which got a bit overwhelming.
This time, she planned to stay only for two or three days and head back to New York on the second day of the New Year to continue her busy work.
As the family sat down to eat the New Year's Eve dinner, Shichen Li sighed, "Another year has passed. You two are a year older. William, you're 25 now—it's probably time to start thinking about your future and what's next."
Usually, it was Grace Li's parents urging her to settle down, but this year, it was her brother who was getting the pressure. He shoveled some food into his mouth and said, "Dad, I just turned 25. Most people don't start thinking about this until they're in their 30s."
"After 30, it's too late. Don't follow your sister's example," Shichen Li said, taking a sip of his drink. "Many people say it's easier to focus on your career after settling down. You can't just focus on work if no one's there at home to take care of things."
Huiyun Liang nodded in agreement. "Yeah, William, you really should think about it. Have you met any nice girls in New York?"
William Li shrugged helplessly. "No."
Huiyun Liang added, "Your aunt mentioned a girl to me. She's graduating from college this June and plans to teach at an elementary school in New York after that."
William Li shot a look of desperation toward Grace Li, hoping for help. Grace Li swallowed her food and stepped in, "Dad, Mom,William's still young, and he hasn't even settled into his job yet. No need to rush on finding a partner."
William Li, taking his sister's cue, added, "Yeah, look at my sister. She focused on her career until she was 30, then found an amazing boyfriend."
Shichen Li wasn't having it. "Why are you comparing yourself to your sister?"
William Li, who had been getting the marriage pressure for years, knew his parents wouldn't get it, so he quickly changed the subject. "By the way, sis, I saw someone on a college friend's Instagram the other day. He looks just like your boyfriend."
Grace Li was curious—why would Aiden Thompson show up on her brother's college friend's social media?
"Your college friend's Instagram?" she asked.
"Yeah, they had a company event recently, and she posted a video of it."
Huiyun Liang's interest piqued. "What video? Show me!"
William Li pulled out his phone, scrolled to the post, and tapped on the 15-second video. His mom grabbed the phone, looked at it, and exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, that's Aiden Thompson!"
Shichen Li leaned in to get a look.
Huiyun Liang handed the phone to Grace Li. "Take a look. Is that him?"
Grace Li took the phone, and saw Aiden Thompson in a sharp suit and tie, holding a microphone and standing at a podium, giving a summary speech at Silverstone Group's annual meeting.
Clearly, William Li's college friend worked for Silverstone Group and had filmed this clip at the event, adding a fangirlish caption: "Ahhh, our CEO! He's like the real-life version of a CEO from a romance novel!!"
Huiyun Liang pressed further. "Grace, is that really him?"
William Li was confused. "But wasn't your boyfriend working with you to start a company? This guy's the chairman of Silverstone Group."
Huiyun Liang and Shichen Li exchanged glances. Huiyun Liang said, "If it's not him, it's really strange. Aiden Thompson looks exactly like this guy, even sounds like him."
Grace Li handed the phone back to William Li. It seemed like it was time to tell her family the truth about Aiden Thompson.
She said, "It's him."
Huiyun Liang's eyes widened. "He... he's the chairman of that group?"
Grace Li explained, "He's the acting chairman. His father is sick, and for now, he's in charge of the company."
William Li was shocked. "Sis, you're saying your boyfriend is the acting chairman of Silverstone Group?"
"Yep."
Huiyun Liang's face showed a mix of surprise and shock. "So, does that mean my daughter is going to become a rich wife?"
Shichen Li, however, wasn't as thrilled. He frowned and said, "You guys are thinking too simply. If Aiden Thompson really is the chairman of that group, how would his family look at ours?"
At these words, Huiyun Liang's smile vanished. Not only was there a huge difference in their family backgrounds, but Aiden Thompson was also much younger than Grace Li. Most families wouldn't approve of such a relationship. She looked at Grace Li and asked, "Grace, has his family met you?"
Grace Li hesitated. She knew she couldn't hide the truth much longer, but telling her parents everything would only make them worry. So, she picked her words carefully, "I've met his dad and his sister."
Huiyun Liang pressed on. "So, his parents met you? Do they approve of you two being together?"
Grace Li replied, "We're still in the dating stage. It's not yet time to talk about marriage."
Huiyun Liang asked again, "How do his family feel about you? Do they like you?"
Grace Li paused before answering, "Mom, they're not going to say outright if they like me. How would I know?"
While Grace Li didn't answer directly, Dad seemed to have figured it out. Though they weren't wealthy, he had never expected his daughter to aim so high. "You've been together for a year now. Since he doesn't have marriage plans yet, maybe you should think about it. Otherwise, in a couple of years, it'll be harder to find someone suitable."
Grace Li said, "Dad, things are going well between us. I don't plan to look for someone else."
Huiyun Liang finally realized the seriousness of the situation. "Grace, marriage needs to be on the agenda. He's still young, but you're turning 31 in two months. In a few years, you'll be past the prime age to have kids, and who knows if he'll still want to get married then?"
Last year had been the easiest year for Grace Li, as her parents had stopped pressuring her to get married. She had hoped to avoid the topic during this New Year, but it was inevitable.
Grace Li said, "Dad, Mom, it's New Year's Eve. Let's not talk about this now. Let's enjoy our dinner together."
William Li, feeling guilty for shifting the focus to his sister, quickly tried to smooth things over. "Right, it's New Year's Eve. Let's talk about something happier. How about we go out tomorrow for the first day of the New Year?"
Grace Li suggested, "Let's go to Central Park. We haven't gone out as a family in a while."
Shichen Li scoffed. "What's so fun about the park?"
Huiyun Liang suggested, "Why don't we go see some houses? There are new apartments being built nearby, and it's only a half-hour drive from here."
When the topic of buying a house came up, William Li got frustrated. His parents had mentioned it a few times over the past year, but he always found excuses to avoid it. He never expected Mom to bring it up again. "Mom, I'm still not sure where I want to settle down. Why buy a house so early?"
Shichen Li snapped, "What do you know? You're 25 and haven't even brought a girl home yet. How are you going to settle down later?"
William Li sighed. "But if I buy a house and don't work here, who's going to live in it?"
"You'll come back eventually," his mom said.
The warm, festive New Year's dinner ended in this kind of back-and-forth.