Aiden Thompson followed Grace Li back to her apartment. It was almost 9 PM by now, but Grace didn't waste any time. She walked straight into the kitchen to make some noodles.

The kitchen in Grace's apartment was small but well-equipped, with a stainless-steel stove and a rack of pots and pans hanging neatly above. As she turned on the gas and began boiling water in a saucepan, the sound of the flame whooshing filled the room.

She noticed a hot gaze on her from behind. Turning around, she saw Aiden Thompson leaning casually against the doorframe, arms crossed, staring at her with soft, affectionate eyes.

Grace couldn't help but smile to herself. Is this guy starving or something? “You go sit in the living room. I'll have the noodles ready in ten minutes.”

Aiden grinned and replied in a teasing voice, “But what can I do? I'm super clingy right now. Can't stand being more than three feet away from my girlfriend.” His eyes were full of affection.

Hearing the word girlfriend made Grace's heart skip a beat. Her pulse quickened, and her smile widened. “You're distracting me. I'm gonna mess up the noodles if you keep staring at me.”

“I don't mind if the noodles aren't perfect,” Aiden said with a grin.

Grace laughed softly and went back to cooking. Her hands were still a little shaky, and she felt herself buzzing with excitement. She had always thought she was calm and collected, especially at 30, but when it came to the guy she liked, she couldn't help but feel all jittery and nervous. She wasn't sure how long this would last, but she was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

Worried that he might still be hungry, Grace added two eggs to the noodles, then tossed in some hot dogs and seaweed. She hadn't eaten much at the restaurant either, so she served herself a small bowl as well.

Thankfully, the noodles turned out pretty well. Her nerves didn't ruin them after all.

They sat across from each other at the small kitchen table, quietly eating their noodles. Even though neither of them spoke, there was a quiet sweetness in the air, like there were pink bubbles floating around them, making everything feel light and happy.

Aiden broke the silence, asking, “What are you up to tomorrow?”

Grace looked up from her bowl. “I'm moving next weekend, so I still have a ton to do to get the new place ready.”

Aiden leaned back in his chair with a smirk. “Well, how about I be your free labor? You should definitely consider it.”

Grace didn't hesitate. “Free help? I'd be crazy to say no.”

Aiden chuckled. “And on moving day, I'll be your free mover. I'm down for some heavy lifting.”

Grace raised an eyebrow. “Sounds good. Wow, having a boyfriend actually saves me some cash,” she said, throwing in the word boyfriend back at him for fun.

Aiden laughed. “Well, having a boyfriend comes with its own costs, you know.”

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Grace's heart skipped again. Is he about to talk about money? But then she reminded herself that Aiden was a great guy, and it wouldn't be realistic to think he wasn't looking for something in return. She braced herself. “Like what?”

Aiden looked at her with a playful glint in his eyes. “Well, for starters, I'm probably going to crash at your place for meals a lot. So, you'll need to spend a little more on groceries.”

Grace let out a breath of relief. Phew, it's just about food… “Just that?”

“Yep, just that.”

Grace smiled. “You can come over anytime. I've got enough to feed you, even if it's every day.”

“Don't worry about making fancy meals. Noodles like these are more than enough to make me happy.”

“Are you that easy to please?”

“Only because you make them taste so good.”

Grace looked over and saw him almost finishing his noodles, feeling a warm sense of contentment. Suddenly, she remembered something. “Oh, by the way, there's one more thing.”

“Go ahead.”

“In a lot of American companies, office romances are a big deal,” she said, her voice turning more serious. “It's not just about distractions, but also about favoritism. Since you're in a mid-management role, we need to be careful. If anyone finds out, it could put both our jobs at risk. So, we need to keep our relationship quiet at work.”

Aiden nodded thoughtfully. “You're right. We can't take any chances. So, how should we handle things at work?”

“At the office, we'll just be regular coworkers, like we always were,” Grace said, her tone firm. “But when we're alone, outside of work, we'll be…”

She trailed off, unsure of how to finish. Aiden raised an eyebrow and teased, “We'll be what?”

“Good friends,” she said with a grin.

Aiden burst into laughter. “‘Lovers' too hard to say? Is it burning your tongue?”

Grace couldn't help but laugh along. “I'm just not used to it yet.”

Aiden Thompson stayed at Grace Li's place until 10 PM. Before he left, they agreed that Aiden would come over to help her get settled in her new apartment at 8 AM the next day.

Once Aiden left, Grace finally had a chance to check her phone, and she saw that Isabella Hsueh had sent her a ton of messages.

Isabella Hsueh: How'd it go? What's the verdict on the blind date?

Isabella Hsueh: Someone actually called me today asking where you were. Guess who?

Isabella Hsueh: Why are you ignoring my messages? Darling, are you ditching your friends for a guy?

Isabella Hsueh: [Marmot scream.gif]

Grace looked at these messages and couldn't help but feel a little helpless.

Grace Li: So, you admit it—you sold me out, huh?

Isabella immediately called her, and Grace picked up quickly.

Isabella Hsueh: So, how was it?

Grace Li: How was what?

Isabella Hsueh: Don't play dumb, did the cute guy come find you?

Grace Li: Yep.

Isabella Hsueh: And then?

Grace sat cross-legged on the couch, thinking about everything that had happened that night. After Aiden left, she still felt like it wasn't quite real.

Grace Li: “Then, I guess... maybe... I have a boyfriend now.”

Isabella Hsueh: What do you mean maybe? What's that supposed to mean? You're killing me here.

Grace Li: What's the big hurry? (laughs) “Why are you so worked up?”

Isabella Hsueh: My best friend is 30 and still hasn't had a boyfriend! You expect me not to be freaking out?

Grace couldn't help but chuckle.

Grace Li: “Well, technically, I got one before I turned 30.”

Isabella Hsueh: So, you confirmed it, right?

Grace Li: Yep.

Isabella Hsueh: Congratulations!!! So when are you treating me to a meal for being your personal matchmaker?

Grace Li: Tomorrow.

Isabella had originally planned to help Grace with her move the next day, but since Grace and Aiden had just made things official, she figured they'd probably want some alone time. So she asked,

Isabella Hsueh: So, is the cute guy still coming to your new place tomorrow?

Grace Li: Yep, he said he's gonna be free labor.

Isabella Hsueh: Well, then I'll skip out. I've already played the third wheel once or twice. As for that big meal, I'm writing it down in my book.

Grace Li: Sounds good.