Chapter 7

The next morning, I had to return to the office for some urgent matters.

"Dad, Mom, please rest at home. I'll be back at lunchtime to take you out to eat." I put on my suit jacket, ready to leave.

"Go on, don't let us hold up your work," my mother said, her tone much gentler than yesterday.

At the office, I had just finished dealing with a few emails when my colleague Mike called.

"Ms. Jade, two elderly people came looking for you earlier. They said they were your parents. I told them you were in a meeting, so they left a message for you to call them back when you have a moment."

My heart instantly lurched. "They… did they say anything else?"

"No, they just asked about your work, and roughly what your salary was. I said I couldn't disclose that, and they didn't press it."

I hung up, my palms sweating.

My parents actually came to the company to inquire about my situation?

This was highly unusual. Did they doubt my story?

I quickly called home, and my mother answered.

"Mom, did you go to my company?" I asked directly.

"Oh, yes, your father and I wanted to see your workplace and bring you lunch." My mother's voice sounded perfectly natural. "We couldn't find you, so we came back."

"Next time, please tell me beforehand so I can arrange a tour for you," I tried to control my emotions.

"Okay, you go back to work. We're just watching TV at home," she said.

After hanging up, I was terrified.

I knew my parents. They wouldn't come to my company for no reason.

They must not trust what I told them and wanted to verify my true income.

I immediately called the bank to confirm my main account's security settings were still active.

Then I double-checked my mobile banking app, ensuring there were no unusual login records.

But I forgot one thing – my bank statements.

The bank usually sends paper statements to my registered address every month.

Initially, I used my hometown address, but after moving to New York, I changed it to my current one.

However, the bank system sometimes had issues, and statements occasionally still went to my old address.

It suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't received last month's statement. Could it be…

No, it couldn't be such a coincidence.

I tried to reassure myself.

Even if the statement was sent back home, my parents wouldn't open it. They weren't the type to disrespect their child's privacy.

But regardless, I had to deal with this quickly. I couldn't let my parents discover my true financial situation.

It wasn't that I didn't want to help my brother, but I couldn't abandon my life plans and dreams.

At noon, I returned home to find my parents sitting in the living room watching TV, the atmosphere unusually calm.

"Finished with work?" my father asked, his eyes still on the TV screen.

"Yes, handled a few urgent documents." I put down my bag. "What do you want to eat? I'll take you to a nearby restaurant."

"Whatever, you decide," my mother's voice was a bit distracted.

During dinner, my parents surprisingly mentioned Leo's situation less, instead asking about my work and life.

This unusual behavior made me even more uneasy.

After lunch, my father suddenly said, "Jade, your mother and I discussed it. We understand your situation. Fifty thousand is fine. If you can help, help; if not, it's okay."

I was stunned. I hadn't expected them to give up so easily. "Dad, I'm really sorry. If I had the ability, I'd fully support Leo…"

"No need to say more," my father waved his hand. "We'll find a way to solve your brother's problem. You just focus on your work."

My mother chimed in. "Yes, it's not easy for you being so far away. We shouldn't put pressure on you."

This sudden understanding and leniency felt off, but I couldn't find any flaws in it.

Maybe they really did understand my difficulties?

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