More and more people gathered around, all eyes fixed on the girl lying on the ground. Frowns were deeply etched on their faces, and some were snapping pictures and recording videos.

  The two guys who had been helping earlier were now directing the crowd, telling them to stay back and give enough space.

  Ten minutes had passed, but the girl still hadn’t responded. Grace Li had lost track of how many rounds of CPR she’d done. Her clothes were soaked with sweat, and her arms were numb, but she kept mechanically repeating the chest compressions.

  After finishing a round, she tilted the girl’s chin to prepare for rescue breaths. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably. Sweat dripped down her face, but she had no time to wipe it away. After giving the breaths, she crossed her hands again and started another round of chest compressions.

  Suddenly, the wristband on the girl’s wrist lit up, flashing a green light.

  A bystander holding an umbrella for Grace Li pointed at the girl’s wrist. “Hey, the light on her wristband is on. Does that mean she’s going to be okay?”

  Grace Li glanced at the girl’s wrist. The green light was indeed flashing, faint but steady. That meant her heartbeat was weak.

  Grace Li stopped the compressions, a flicker of hope in her eyes, and immediately asked, “Is the ambulance here yet?”

  Just then, the sound of an ambulance siren could be heard in the distance. “It’s here! It’s almost here!” someone shouted.

  The ambulance arrived, and the paramedics quickly rushed forward, lifting the girl onto the stretcher and into the vehicle.

  Grace Li, kneeling on the ground, was completely exhausted. As she tried to stand, a sharp pain shot through her knee, and she winced. The sting of her scraped knee traveled all the way through her body, making her eyes water.

  The bystander who had been holding the umbrella and Mabel Thompson helped her up. The bystander, clearly moved, said, “You’re incredible! You a doctor or something?”

  Grace Li shook her head. “No, I’m not a doctor. I’ve just picked up some first aid training recently.”

  “Well, that’s still pretty amazing. If that girl makes it, you’re her lifesaver.”

  Grace Li only smiled, not responding. At that moment, she was really scared—scared she wasn’t doing enough to save the girl, and worried that if the girl didn’t make it, she would feel guilty for the rest of her life. She even wondered if the girl’s family would blame her.

  Mabel Thompson looked at Grace Li’s scraped-up knee and said, “You should get that cleaned up at the hospital.”

  Grace Li shook her head. “I’m fine.”

  Mabel Thompson pointed at her knee. “It’s pretty bad. You should get it treated. It could get infected if you leave it like that.”

  Grace Li glanced down and saw her knee was badly scraped, with sand and gravel ground into the wound. It burned with pain now.

  The driver had already pulled up with the car. They made their way to the nearby hospital.

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  The girl from earlier had also been brought to the same hospital. After Grace Li had her knee treated, she stepped out of the emergency room and saw the girl in black workout clothes walking toward her.

  The girl immediately came over. “I really can’t thank you enough. The doctor said that if we hadn’t started CPR in time, my friend wouldn’t have made it.”

  Grace Li felt a huge relief wash over her. “I’m just glad she’s okay.”

  “Honestly, I was really freaked out. I always thought stuff like this happened to other people, not someone I know.”

  Grace Li comforted her, “It’s just a relief that she’s okay.”

  “Yeah, I know,” the girl said, pulling out her phone. “Hey, let me have your number. Once my friend wakes up, she’ll definitely want to thank you.”

  Grace Li shook her head. “No need. I just helped out.”

  Once she was sure the girl was out of danger, Grace Li left the hospital.

  It was already around lunch. Rex and the gang were heading back to LA after they ate. Grace Li had already made a reservation at a restaurant, so she headed straight there after leaving the hospital.

  Grace Li had booked a cozy Asian-inspired restaurant with a beautiful garden setting.

  They arrived at 1 PM, and there were only two tables left in the restaurant.

  While waiting for the food, Rex Thompson casually asked, sipping his tea, “You know CPR or anything like that?”

  Grace Li replied, “I learned a little from a cardiologist, just the basics.”

  Rex Thompson said, “Not everyone can be saved with CPR, though. Weren’t you scared?”

  “Yeah, honestly. It was my first time, and I was really worried I wasn’t doing it right. I was scared that even if I tried, it wouldn’t work,” Grace Li answered truthfully.

  “Then weren’t you worried that her family might blame you if she didn’t make it?”

  Grace Li had thought about that too. “There are plenty of similar stories. Saying I wasn’t worried would be a lie.”

  “So you just went for it and tried to save her?”

  “I guess it’s instinctive,” Grace Li said. “When you see someone in danger, most people would instinctively try to help. It’s like how every year, there are stories about people who try to save someone from drowning but end up losing their lives. But people still try. Even though society can be harsh, there’s still a lot of warmth in it.”

  Rex Thompson nodded, clearly impressed by her words, and he started to understand why his son was so drawn to her.

  When the food arrived, the restaurant owner personally brought over a small appetizer. “I see this young lady is a regular, so I’ll treat you to a little appetizer,” he said.

  Grace Li smiled. “Thank you.”

  Mabel Thompson then asked, “Do you come here often?”

  “I’ve been a few times,” Grace Li replied. “The first time was when Aiden brought me here.”

  Mabel Thompson smiled knowingly. “Is that so?”

  “Yeah, that was when we first started dating. I guess it was our first official date.”

  Mabel Thompson then asked, “What are your plans if you two get married?”

  Grace Li paused, unsure of Mabel Thompson’s intention with the question, then replied, “What kind of plans do you mean?”

  “Well, since you’re planning to be with him, you two are living in different cities—one in New York, one in LA. You must have some sort of plan, right?”

  Grace Li answered, “I don’t have any concrete plans for now. The two cities aren’t exactly next door to each other, but they’re not crazy far either. Even if we’re in different places, it’s not a big deal.”

  Mabel Thompson said, “But he’s decided to take over the family business. He’ll be busy, and he’ll need someone to handle his daily life.”

  It was clear that Mabel Thompson hoped Aiden’s future wife would become a stay-at-home wife.

  Grace Li was firm in her response. She wanted Aiden’s parents to clearly understand her stance. “Honestly, I don’t have a detailed plan for the future, but for me, the most important thing is being myself. I want to keep doing what I love, even if I get married.”

  The atmosphere became a little tense. Rex and Mabel Thompson seemed less than pleased with Grace Li’s answer.

  Grace Li knew her words had made things awkward, but she didn’t feel she was wrong. It was her honest opinion, and she felt it was important to stand her ground—even if it meant she might not be able to stay with Aiden.

  The food continued to arrive, and Rex Thompson finally said, “Let’s eat.”

  Grace Li immediately brightened up and introduced the dishes to them. “This dish, osmanthus-stuffed lotus root, is a traditional Chinese dish. You should try it; it’s really soft and sticky.”

  “Sounds good.” Mabel Thompson took a bite, “It’s really soft and sticky.”

  Grace Li pointed to another dish, sweet and sour fish. “Mrs. Thompson, try this sweet and sour fish, too. It’s really refreshing.”

  The mood seemed to ease a bit.

  After the meal, Rex Thompson had the driver take Grace Li home first, then they would head back to LA.