There was no doubt—Lance's intentions were pure. He was gradually finding his place in this parallel world, no longer just a wandering soul without roots. He was beginning to grow here, slowly putting down roots and sprouting branches. He genuinely wanted Alan and Sue to be happy too.
But Lance had overlooked one thing:
The generational gap.
People from different eras think differently. Their values and lifestyles aren't the same. What Lance considered thoughtful and right, Alan and Sue might not see the same way. In truth, while Lance was thinking about their future, they were just as worried about his.
That's exactly what was happening now.
Lance's words moved Sue slightly, but Alan remained frowning, slowly shaking his head in disapproval.
"Xiao Wei, you're jumping the gun."
"You've only been in the league for one year. Nothing's certain yet. A professional athlete's career is unpredictable. What if you get injured? What if your form drops?"
"Your mom and I are still young. We can work a few more years. We're your safety net. That way, no matter what happens, you'll always have something to fall back on."
"Don't worry about us. Just focus on your career."
Lance let out a long sigh. How was he supposed to convince the older generation not to worry? And how could he explain that now wasn't the time for fallback plans—but for dreaming big and climbing higher?
Sue glanced at the father-son tension unfolding. Their back-and-forth, switching between Mandarin and English, left Josh completely confused, his brow nearly crumpling under a sea of question marks. She quickly stepped in to break the ice.
"Alright, you two. Enough. One less sentence from each."
"Old Li, the one he's worried about is me. Stop acting like it's all about you."
Alan's eyes widened in disbelief at her jab, but Sue stared him down without flinching. Words caught in his throat, and he turned his head away in frustration, exhaling heavily.
Sue ignored him.
"Xiao Wei, we understand your intentions. I'm really happy—and your dad is too. He just won't admit it. He turns even good news into complaints."
Lance still had more to say, but looking at his mother, he knew that changing someone's way of life wasn't something that happened overnight. Everything took time. So the words he had planned were swallowed again.
He thought for a second. "Dad, I'm not trying to argue. I just want you both to come watch me play the Super Bowl. I've been in the league a whole year now, and neither of you have seen a game live. This is the last game of the season. Are you really not coming?"
Alan had always approached Lance's career with a sense of looming uncertainty—like everything could collapse at any moment. During the regular season, Lance had invited them multiple times to watch his games in person, but Alan always declined with the excuse of "the restaurant can't close." Now the final game—the Super Bowl—was here, and Lance earnestly hoped his parents would finally attend.
Alan instinctively shot back, "Then what about the restaurant? Just leave it to Jack?"
Josh: ???
Sitting there, Josh had just started to daydream about maybe—just maybe—being invited to see the Super Bowl live. Now, with that one sentence, he was stunned into silence.
Lance felt frustration build in his chest. He tried again and again to stay calm, but this time, he couldn't hold back.
"Dad, New York's not going to starve just because our restaurant's closed for a few days."
Alan was just about to retort when Sue suddenly burst into laughter. The tension instantly eased, and Alan turned to her, stunned.
But Sue wasn't paying attention to him anymore. She was smiling at her son.
"Of course we're going. Why wouldn't we?"
Alan's shocked expression could hardly be hidden.
Sue finally looked back at her husband.
"I've always wanted to see our son play in person. But one thing or another kept getting in the way all season. If his team had been knocked out early, that'd be one thing—but now they've made it to the final game. Are we really going to miss that too?"
"Think about it, Old Li."
"Every other player's parents will be there cheering them on. This is the biggest event of the year. So many parents dream of being there but never get the chance. And here we are—our son invites us, and we say no?"
"Does that sound right to you?"
The question landed—firm and unrelenting.
Silence.
Not just any silence. A silence so tense it seemed the air might combust. At the dinner table, an invisible battle of wills flared. Alan and Sue were locked in a standoff—no words needed to feel the pulse of their emotions.
Josh glanced from one to the other, feeling like he'd accidentally crawled under a truck.
He regretted everything. This was a family matter. What was he doing here? He shouldn't have lingered in the kitchen just to score a free dinner. Now he was in the eye of a storm.
What now?
Josh wanted to speak, but worried he'd only make things worse. And what was his position to even say anything?
Then a voice broke the silence.
"I really hope you'll come watch me play."
Josh whipped his head toward the sound:
Lance?
Of all the people, it was Lance—who just moments ago had been tense and fiery. Now he spoke gently, sincerely, cutting through the tension like a breeze.
"I mean it," Lance said.
He looked at Alan—not with more arguments or explanations, just a calm, unwavering gaze that said everything. The dignity and earnestness in his eyes made Alan feel slightly embarrassed.
Alan knew—this was Lance offering a way out. Though his concerns weren't gone, he couldn't deny it: seeing his son achieve so much made him proud and happy. He wanted to be there to witness it. But every time he opened his mouth, his words came out wrong. He hadn't meant to argue. He just wanted to be careful.
Alan sighed.
"I never said I wouldn't go."
Josh: Whew.
Sue looked at Alan, on the verge of saying something—but held back. His half-hearted tone made her want to roll her eyes. Something so joyful had been turned into a mess.
The atmosphere was still a little stiff.
Josh wanted to crack a joke but couldn't find the right moment.
Just as Josh was asking himself for the thousandth time why he was still here, Lance's voice rang out again—like music to his ears.
"Josh, you should come too."
Josh: Huh?!
He sucked in a sharp breath and nodded so fast he nearly sprained his neck.
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Powerstones?
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