Chapter 248: Chapter 248: An Unwelcome Guest

Early the next morning, Ian Summers began packing his things, preparing to return to his unit.

Colin Summers and Grace Sutton quietly helped pack their son’s bags, their reluctance to see him leave evident in their every move.

They packed two large bags for Ian, filled with all sorts of daily necessities and clothes.

But his grandmother still felt it wasn’t enough and packed even more winter clothes for Ian: thermal underwear, cotton socks, gloves, hats... she stuffed them all inside.

As she stuffed clothes into Ian’s luggage, his grandmother pulled him close and rambled, "When it starts snowing in a little while, you put on all these warm clothes. Don’t you dare be lazy... You young people always think you’re invincible with all your youthful energy and wear such thin clothes. Be careful, or when you get old, you’ll get rheumatism and all sorts of aches in your legs. By then, it’ll be too late for regrets..."

Ian quickly agreed to everything, promising he would wear all the clothes he was supposed to.

Melody Summers, for her part, packed many heat packs for Ian, along with a pile of high-calorie snacks like chocolate, beef jerky, and vitamin tablets.

Finally, Melody quietly pulled Ian aside and gave him a thumb-sized pendant. "Wear this! And remember, keep it close to your body at all times!"

The pendant was a tiny bottle. Opening it revealed two "Far Sea Secret Medicine" pills inside.

Melody now had only four Far Sea Secret Medicine pills left; she had given half of them to Ian.

Ian curiously pinched the pearl-like pill in his hand and asked, a little confused, "What is this?"

Melody answered, "It’s healing medicine, for internal use. Keep it with you. If you ever get seriously injured, or catch some infectious disease that doctors can’t treat, you have to take one!"

Ian was going to be following his unit to various disaster relief sites. Thinking of the terrorists who had carried out attacks before, and the epidemic that would follow next year’s torrential rains, Melody was truly worried about him.

To make sure Ian wouldn’t forget, Melody repeatedly warned him, "This is to save your life. You must keep it safe, and don’t let anyone else know about it!"

Ian looked at the tiny pill in his hand and said, amused, "Where did you get this? You make it sound so mysterious. Is this little thing reliable? Don’t tell me it’s some pyramid scheme health supplement. You’re a college student, don’t get tricked by those supplement sellers. The way they talk, they could convince you that brown sugar turns into hematopoietic stem cells in your stomach!"

Hearing this, Melody immediately gave Ian two playful punches. "Do I look that gullible? This is my secret formula, it’s priceless! Just stop asking questions, remember to wear it, don’t lose it, and don’t let anyone else see it!"

Seeing Melody’s serious expression, Ian didn’t dare joke with her anymore. He quickly nodded and said, "Okay, okay, don’t worry. Whatever you found must be a miracle cure. I’ll keep it safe!"

With that, Ian solemnly hung the pendant around his neck.

After breakfast, the family reluctantly saw Ian off at the entrance of the complex. Before he left, his grandmother and Grace Sutton held Ian’s hands again, chattering on and on, telling him to be safe, and Ian nodded in agreement to everything.

Finally, the family stood by the roadside, silently watching the car that came to pick up Ian drive away, growing smaller in the distance, their eyes filled with sorrow.

But Melody knew in her heart that this separation was only temporary. The family would be reunited sooner or later.

By then, the natural disasters would surely be long gone, and this ancient land of Cathaysia would have returned to peace and prosperity.

At that time, people would live and work in peace, crops would thrive in the fields... the entire nation would radiate with new vitality and splendor, and everything would be just as it was before the disasters.

******

After Ian left, Melody’s family comforted each other as they walked back to The Metropolis Residences. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

But to their surprise, they saw an unwelcome guest at the complex entrance.

Under the bright streetlights by the security booth, Elaine Hughes stood with a worried expression.

Like the rest of the Lancaster Family, Elaine Hughes had been blacklisted by The Metropolis Residences during the heatwave last year.

She was currently begging the security guard to let her in, but the guard at the gate had flatly refused her.

Just as Elaine was at her wit’s end, she saw Melody’s family walking back into the complex, talking and laughing.

Upon seeing Melody, Elaine’s eyes instantly lit up with a glint of surprised delight.

Elaine hurried toward Melody, about to speak to her, but unexpectedly, the moment Melody saw her, the smile vanished from her face.

Seeing Melody’s expression turn cold in an instant, Elaine froze on the spot.

Melody saw Elaine staring at her without speaking and felt a flicker of doubt.

She took a few steps closer to Elaine, frowning slightly. "What are you doing here?"

For some reason, seeing Melody’s cold and distant demeanor, Elaine felt a slight pang in her heart.

For the past two days, she had been having strange, fragmented dreams.

In her dreams, Melody was always by her side, cooking her favorite meals, cleaning the house for her, giving her shoulder and back massages, doing her laundry, and obediently calling her "Mom."

But in the dreams, it seemed she herself was very cruel to Melody, who would occasionally look at her with hurt and sorrowful eyes.

After waking up, Elaine would just lie there, staring blankly at the ceiling, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

She didn’t know why she was having these dreams; she only felt that the scenes in them were exceptionally real, as if they had actually happened.

Now, looking at Melody’s icy expression and remembering the tenderness Melody had shown her in the dreams, Elaine felt a tightness constrict from her heart to her throat.

Elaine looked at Melody sadly and said, "Do you have to speak to me like this? No matter what, I am your biological mother..."

Melody cut her off directly. "Don’t give me that. If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving."

With that, Melody turned to leave.

Seeing Melody about to walk away, Elaine quickly called out, "I have something to talk to you about! Can we talk somewhere else? ...I heard you moved. Can you let me in so we can chat?"

Hearing this, Melody understood.

’Looks like Elaine is also after the apartment in 1606.’

’I kicked out Sylvia and Simon Lancaster yesterday,’ Melody thought. ’They couldn’t accept it, so this time they sent Elaine to bother me.’

’Looks like yesterday’s warning to Simon and Sylvia was a waste. They didn’t learn their lesson at all.’

Melody had no intention of giving up the apartment, so she couldn’t be bothered to deal with Elaine.

To Elaine’s expectant gaze, Melody replied, "No. I have nothing to talk to you about."

Then she turned and walked away.

Seeing this, Elaine quickly took a few steps and caught up.

She reached out and grabbed Melody, saying nonstop, "I just want to say a few words to you! No matter what, I’m still your biological mother!"

"I carried you for ten grueling months, I walked through the gates of hell for you, and I almost died on the delivery table from an amniotic fluid embolism! Can you really be this heartless?!"

Hearing the words "amniotic fluid embolism," Melody froze for a moment.

It was true... even the wealthiest woman couldn’t avoid the dangers and pain of childbirth...

As if a needle had gently pricked the softest part of her heart, Melody suddenly felt an uncontrollable wave of sadness, and her steps faltered to a halt.

The rest of the Summers Family, still standing nearby, saw Elaine grabbing Melody and were having none of it.

Grace Sutton rushed over like a gust of wind. She slapped Elaine’s hand away from Melody and shouted, "What are you doing?! Why are you manhandling my girl! Watch it, or I’ll call security!"

Winnie Summers, for her part, pulled Melody into her arms and looked up at Elaine with a wary expression.

Seeing Melody being held in Winnie’s embrace, Elaine’s heart ached with sorrow.

She looked at Melody with pleading eyes. "I... I really just want to say a few words... I’ll leave right after, I won’t bother you."

Under the streetlight, Elaine’s face was unusually pale, her eyes filled with desperation.

Seeing her like this, even Grace Sutton, who had been aggressively threatening to call security, hesitated.

In the end, Melody nodded and agreed.

She told her family to go home first, then led Elaine to a gazebo in the complex and sat down.

Melody got straight to the point. "Alright, spit it out. What is it you really want?"