After strolling through the cherry blossom garden for an hour and a half, Grace Li led them to a nearby dessert shop that had a traditional, charming vibe.
The shop looked simple, and next to it, a small shelter had been set up beside the river. There were eight wooden tables inside, four of which were by the river.
Grace Li led Rex and Mabel Thompson to a table by the river. "The decor here is pretty simple, but they serve some of the best New York desserts," she said.
Rex Thompson shook his head. "You two go ahead with your desserts. I'm not really into sweets."
Grace Li pointed to the menu on the wall. "The desserts here are really good, and some aren't too sweet. Mr. Thompson, I recommend trying the famous New York cheesecake or the apple crisp. Both are made with fresh, local ingredients and aren't too sugary."
Rex Thompson's face softened a little. "Alright, I'll go with the cheesecake."
Mabel Thompson looked at the menu, unsure of what to choose. "What do you think I'd like?"
Grace Li replied, "Mrs. Thompson, I'd suggest the chocolate mousse or their classic New York cheesecake."
"The chocolate mousse? That sounds delicious. I'll go with that."
After they placed the order, the food came out. Mabel Thompson took a bite of the chocolate mousse and smiled. "This is really good."
"I'm glad you like it."
Rex Thompson took a bite of the cheesecake. The sweetness was perfect, and the texture was creamy and smooth. "Do you come here a lot?"
Grace Li answered, "This is my third time."
"Third time, and you're already a regular?"
Grace Li explained, "This place is pretty popular. When I was in college, I had a roommate who lived close by. She'd always bring us desserts from here."
Mabel Thompson, intrigued by the story, continued, "So what happened next? Was he your subordinate after that?"
"Yes."
"What do you think of his work performance?"
"Excellent. Some of his ideas and perspectives really made me think twice."
Mabel Thompson listened intently as Grace Li spoke about Aiden Thompson, then asked, "So, who pursued who?"
Grace Li's face flushed slightly. She wasn't sure if she should discuss this with Aiden's parents.
Mabel Thompson noticed her hesitation and said, "It's fine, tell me. My son never talks to us about these things, but as his mother, I'm genuinely curious."
Grace Li cleared her throat. "Well, it wasn't really a clear 'pursuit.' Shortly after New Year's last year, he told me he wanted to be with me, and we just went from there."
This meant that Aiden Thompson had been the one to make the first move. Mabel Thompson, who had never seen her son act this proactively with any girl, was surprised. "Really? I thought he wouldn't be that forward with a girl."
Grace Li smiled. "I was surprised too."
Rex Thompson took a bite of the cheesecake and sipped his tea, casually asking, "Over the last six months, he's been running over here a lot, hasn't he?"
Grace Li paused, then answered, "Not really."
Rex Thompson's expression remained unchanged. "Don't be nervous, I know everything. If I wanted to make a fuss about it, I would've done so by now."
Grace Li relaxed a little after hearing this.
Rex Thompson switched the topic. "Where are you taking us tomorrow?"
Grace Li answered, "There's a church halfway up Inwood Hill Park. A lot of people go there to pray."
Mabel Thompson, who had recently taken an interest in religious culture and was curious about churches, said, "That sounds nice. Let's go there."
"Okay," Grace Li said. "I'll meet you at the hotel tomorrow morning."
Rex Thompson said, "No need to go through all that trouble. Just send us the address, and we'll pick you up."
"That works too."
**
Rex and Mabel Thompson were staying at a luxury hotel not far from Grace Li's apartment. The next day, at 8:30 a.m., they arrived at her place to pick her up.
Grace Li was already five minutes early.
When the car pulled up, she got into the front passenger seat.
Mabel Thompson glanced around the neighborhood. "You live here by yourself?"
Grace Li fastened her seatbelt and responded, "Yeah, I do."
"Did you buy the place, or are you renting?"
"I bought it, still paying off the mortgage."
Mabel Thompson had heard from Aiden Thompson that they had lived together for a while, so she asked, "Did Aiden used to live here too?"
"Yeah."
Rex Thompson asked, "Did he pay rent?"
Grace Li didn't answer directly. Instead, she said, "He mostly covers the daily expenses."
Mabel Thompson asked again, "So, who does the housework and cooking?"
Grace Li turned slightly toward the back seat, showing respect, and said, "We both handle the housework. At first, I did most of the cooking, and he did the dishes. But then he learned to cook, and now he occasionally cooks."
Mabel Thompson was surprised. "My son can actually cook?"
Grace Li laughed. "Not only can he cook, but he's actually pretty good at it."
Mabel Thompson sighed with envy. "I've never had the chance to try his cooking."
"One day when the housekeeper's off, let him show off."
Mabel Thompson laughed.
As they talked about Aiden, Mabel Thompson couldn't stop asking questions. From Grace Li's casual revelations, she could see a side of her son she'd never known. After Aiden was born, they always had a housekeeper, so he never had to step into the kitchen. Now, though, he was doing chores, cooking, and washing dishes. It was clear he was serious about spending his life with this woman.
The morning fog at Inwood Hill Park still hadn't cleared. The mountaintop was covered in thick mist.
It was Sunday, and by 9:00 a.m., there were already plenty of people hiking. Grace Li was concerned about Rex Thompson's health and suggested that Tom drive them up the mountain, but Rex Thompson firmly refused.
"Why take a car? We're here to hike."
The doctor had said that people with heart conditions should avoid strenuous exercise, but hiking was relatively gentle. As long as they took it easy, there shouldn't be any problems.
Grace Li noticed that Rex Thompson was wearing the fitness tracker she had given him yesterday. She felt a warmth in her heart. She had thought he'd brush it off, but he actually wore it.
With the tracker, if there were any heart issues, it would flash an alert, and she'd be able to know his health status right away.
They chose to walk up the shaded asphalt path. Along the way, there were groups of students, families with young kids, and couples strolling hand in hand.
The church was located halfway up the mountain, and it would take about twenty minutes to get there via the winding path.
Mabel Thompson wanted to pray, so Grace Li accompanied her into the church. Afterward, they strolled around inside.
At the wishing well, many worshippers were lined up, buying tokens for good luck.
Grace Li suddenly remembered the company team-building event two years ago. Their group had come here, and when they made wishes, she saw that Aiden Thompson's wish was: Find a rich woman soon. That was the moment when she fell into a year-long misunderstanding.
She couldn't help but wonder, what was he thinking at the time? Why make such a wish?
They stayed in the church for a while, and by 10:30 a.m., the weather started to warm up. Yesterday had been cool, but today's temperature was already reaching 86°F.
On the way down, they moved a little faster than when going up.
Suddenly, a girl in a yellow athletic outfit, a few dozen meters ahead, collapsed without warning. Her friend, wearing black sportswear, tried to catch her but struggled to balance on the steep path, and they both fell to the ground.
Two guys, who had been following them, rushed over to help. The girl in black was helped up and sat down, staring at her friend lying motionless on the ground. She anxiously shouted, "Kiki, what's wrong?"
The two guys nearby asked, "Did your friend pass out from low blood sugar?"
The girl in black shook her head. "I don't know. We had breakfast before coming."
She shook her friend on the ground but got no response. "Kiki..."
She instinctively checked her friend's breathing, then her hand trembled as she looked around at the growing crowd in panic. "What do we do? I think... I think she's not breathing."
One of the guys pulled out his phone. "Should we call an ambulance?"
Grace Li stepped forward and said to the crowd, "She needs fresh air. Please step back and give her some space."
Someone asked, "Are you a doctor?"
"No," Grace Li said, glancing at the unconscious girl. "But I know some first aid. Let me take a look."
Grace Li, wearing a knee-length chiffon dress, put her bag aside, knelt beside the girl, and checked her breathing. She gently patted the girl's shoulder and called out to her, but there was no response. Grace Li leaned in closer to listen for a heartbeat, confirming that her heart had stopped.
Grace Li's heart raced. She had just learned some first aid a few days ago, mainly to be prepared in case of an emergency with Rex Thompson. She never imagined it would be needed now.
The girl in front of her had clearly suffered cardiac arrest, and CPR needed to be performed immediately. If she didn't act fast, brain death would set in within minutes.
But she only knew the basics of CPR, and she wasn't sure if she could save the girl.
She looked around at the growing crowd and called out, "Is there a professional doctor here?"
No one responded.
"Is there anyone here trained in CPR?"
Still, no response. Just people shaking their heads.
Someone said, "I just called 911. They'll be here in about fifteen minutes."
Grace Li said, "Fifteen minutes is too long. Her heart has stopped. We need to do CPR now!"
The girl in black was already crying, her eyes filled with tears. "What should we do?"
"I can try," Grace Li said. She placed the girl's body flat on the ground and adjusted her head to face upward.
Time was critical—at least two minutes had passed since the girl collapsed, and they couldn't wait any longer.
Grace Li knelt down, straightened her body, placed her right hand on the girl's chest, and interlocked her left hand with her right. Using her body weight, she began performing chest compressions rapidly and rhythmically.
As she pressed, she counted in her head, "One, two, three, four..."
By the time she reached twenty compressions, beads of sweat started forming on her forehead, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably. This was her first time performing CPR, and the fear of the unknown overwhelmed her.
After thirty chest compressions, she stopped, pinched the girl's nose, lifted her chin slightly, and gave mouth-to-mouth.
The girl still didn't respond. Grace Li interlocked her hands and continued chest compressions.
Rex and Mabel Thompson stood nearby, watching. They exchanged a worried glance, both feeling anxious.
Rex Thompson took off the health tracker and handed it to the girl sitting on the ground. "Put this on your friend."
The girl in black, her face a blur of tears, took the tracker and, with trembling hands, put it on her friend.
The sun was blazing hot, and a bystander stepped forward with an umbrella, holding it over Grace Li and the girl on the ground to shield them from the sun.
Grace Li continued CPR for three more cycles. The girl still showed no signs of life. Grace Li didn't dare stop. If she stopped, the girl would be gone.
CPR is incredibly physically demanding. Sweat was pouring down her face. She knelt on the rough concrete ground, feeling the friction of the gravel against her knees with every compression.
But she didn't notice any of it. All that mattered was one thought: she had to get her heart beating again.