Austin Hale had recently started working at the Adler Group. Although the salary was considerable and came with company benefits, after paying for utilities and food each month, he still couldn’t make ends meet.

If he could move into this villa with his mother, he could save a large sum on living expenses every month.

Melody Summers followed Grace Sutton downstairs in confusion. When she saw Austin Hale’s face on the security monitor, she was even more baffled.

"Austin Hale, what are you doing here?"

Austin grew excited at the sound of Melody’s voice. He immediately looked at the display screen by the door, frantically neatening his hair and collar. Then, he spoke gently to Melody, "Melody Summers, can you open the door? There’s something I want to say to you."

Melody scoffed and replied, "I have nothing to say to you. Don’t stand outside my house, or I’m calling security."

Seeing this, Austin said anxiously, "Don’t call security! I just want to say a few words. Please, just hear me out!"

Austin knew Melody wasn’t the type to easily go back on her decisions, so he had been agonizing for the past few days over whether to come.

That was until last night, when he woke up from a dream, drenched in sweat from the heat—this month’s electricity bill was too high, and his family could no longer afford to run the air conditioner.

He got up, irritated, intending to wipe himself down with a damp towel, but as soon as he entered the living room, he smelled something sour.

Frowning, he looked around and saw a half-eaten bowl of spoiled noodles on the living room table.

To save electricity, Mrs. Hale had already unplugged the refrigerator. She couldn’t bear to throw away the extra noodles she had accidentally cooked yesterday, so she’d left them in the living room to eat the next day.

Because of the heat, the noodles had already started to ferment, emitting a foul odor.

It was in that moment that Austin decided he couldn’t live like this anymore. He once again recalled what Joanne White had said—he remembered her telling him that Melody Summers was now living in a villa and doing very well.

He knew that if he wanted to win Melody back, he would have to swallow his pride. In the past, he definitely wouldn’t have been willing. He was a handsome student from a prestigious university, a golden boy admired by countless people.

But for him now, pride and dignity were the least important things.

Joanne was right about him. He and Joanne were the same kind of people, willing to give up anything for their own benefit.

Austin had made up his mind. Today, he had taken a meticulous shower, using up all the desalinated water he received as an employee benefit from his company. He styled his own hair and put on his cleanest clothes, trying to look like the young, handsome student he was in college.

No matter what, Austin had to move into this villa today.

He lowered his eyes, gathered his emotions, and spoke to the screen with deep affection:

"Melody, please forgive me. I’ve been thinking a lot these past few days, and I’ve realized you’re the one I love most. I really can’t forget you. Please give me another chance. Let me pursue you again, okay?"

"Melody, I know I shouldn’t have hurt you, but it was all Joanne’s fault for seducing me. I lost control for a moment and made a mistake. But I swear, this is the last and only time in my life I’ll ever make a mistake like this. Just think of it as me not having grown up yet. I just made a mistake that every boy makes."

"Melody, I’m working at the Adler Group now, earning over ten thousand a month. My boss really values me, and my supervisor told me I’m getting a raise next month."

"Melody, let’s get back together. We’re not poor college students anymore. If we work hard together, we can definitely build a good life. I believe that with you by my side, I’m bound to succeed. I’ll give you a better life!"

"Melody, why aren’t you saying anything? Are you still upset about Joanne? Don’t worry, I’ve already kicked her out. She’s just a shallow gold-digger who isn’t fit to hold a candle to you. It’s all my fault for being too young and getting tempted by her. From now on, no matter what temptations are thrown my way, I will always choose you. I won’t let you suffer anymore. Please, just give me one more chance, okay? Let’s start over."

Austin’s rambling was giving Melody a headache. It wasn’t until he mentioned working at the Adler Group that her ears perked up... ’The Adler Group...’

’If it’s the Adler Group I’m thinking of,’ Melody thought, ’then all these annoying people are really flocking together for some reason. Is this what they call birds of a feather?’

Melody didn’t want to waste another word on him. ’This guy really knows how to save face. He actually has the nerve to say he kicked Joanne out. If I hadn’t seen Joanne with Zane Simmons with my own two eyes, I might have actually fallen for his act. He was the one who got dumped, but he’s still trying to pretend he did the dumping.’

No matter how much Austin pleaded, reminiscing about their college days and professing his deep regret, Melody remained silent. She simply called the police.

Before long, Officer Tate arrived with a few security guards.

Officer Tate looked Austin up and down. Seeing how presentably he was dressed, he frowned and said, "Hello, sir. We’ve received a complaint that you’re causing a disturbance. Please come with us."

Austin looked on in disbelief. He couldn’t believe Melody would be so ruthless as to call the police on him.

He yelled wildly at the camera, "Melody Summers! How could you do this? How could you call the police! I’m a man! How could you not leave me with any dignity! Do you really not care about our past at all? How can you be so heartless? Open the door!"

As he spoke, Austin angrily threw a punch at the electronic screen, but Officer Tate quickly intercepted him.

Officer Tate pushed Austin to the ground, took out his handcuffs, and cuffed his hands behind his back. "Alright, that’s enough. Causing trouble right in front of a police officer? You’re coming with us."

Seeing Austin being led away, Melody let out a sigh of relief.

She turned to her anxious grandmother, Miss Lowell, and aunt, and reassured them, "It’s alright now. If you see this person again, just call the police directly. Don’t even bother with him."

Grace Sutton nodded, then said with a worried expression, "Sigh, so many strange people have been showing up lately. I’m afraid to open the door to just anyone anymore."

"That’s how it should be. From now on, don’t open the door for anyone you don’t know. I saw other people in the group chat saying the same thing. They even said that home invaders are using recordings of crying children or the sounds of kittens and puppies to get your sympathy and trick you into opening the door," her grandmother said with a serious look.

As Melody listened, she glanced out at the yard. Suddenly, she noticed two vine-like plants sprouting in the vegetable patch.

Melody walked over for a closer look. Just as she suspected, it was Desert Vine.

"Grandma, Miss Lowell, Aunt, come look at this," Melody called out to them.

As they gathered around, Melody pointed to the two Desert Vines and said, "Whatever you do, don’t touch this plant. It has tiny, transparent thorns. If you touch it, the thorns will get stuck in your skin and cause pain and swelling. The last time I took Sophie Thorne to the hospital, it was because she touched this plant."

"I know, I know," Grace Sutton said, slapping her thigh. "This stuff is growing all over the place outside now. It’s like it sprouted overnight. The property management even organized staff to clear it out, but it grows so fast that new ones pop up every day."

Melody was taken aback. She hadn’t been out in a few days and had no idea the Desert Vine had spread so much.

The group got some rubber gloves from the storage room and carefully pulled out the Desert Vines in the vegetable patch.

Luckily, the Summers family’s villa was enclosed, so there weren’t many Desert Vines. Otherwise, it would have been a real hassle.

That evening, when Winnie Summers and Colin Summers came home, they talked about the trouble caused by the Desert Vine at the dinner table.

"The property management collected a lot of Desert Vine today and turned it all in. The government is collecting it. They say they’re going to process it and turn it into food."

"A child in the neighborhood fell while walking and landed with his arm right on a Desert Vine. By the time he was taken to the property management office, his whole arm was swollen. Thankfully, Melody brought over that special antidote before. One shot, and the swelling went down after a little while."

Melody opened her community group chat. She had been too busy mining these past few days to check it. Sure enough, everyone was talking about the Desert Vine.

"2-1408 Bella Grant: Don’t touch that Desert Vine, everyone! My kid fell on it by accident, and his whole arm swelled up in no time. It scared me to death. Luckily, the property management office had the antidote. He got better after the shot."

"4-2009 Nina: I heard that antidote is really expensive. A lot of people have been stung by the vines these past few days, and there’s a serious shortage. The price has been driven up to thirty thousand per shot. How much did you pay? @2-1408 Bella Grant."

"2-1408 Bella Grant: I didn’t pay anything. Property management said it was donated by a kind-hearted resident. The first shot is free for every household, but you have to pay if you get stung again."

"6-702 The Lover: That’s wonderful! Thank you to our kind neighbor."

"3-1007 Kiki, Mom of Two: Is thirty thousand a shot expensive? A box of crackers costs several hundred these days. I’ve lost all sense of prices. I’ve just been in a daze for the past six months. The only things I feel are that there’s less and less to eat, the weather’s getting hotter and hotter, and my savings are dwindling. Sigh."

"4-1209 Just Slacking: It’s such a shame this thing is poisonous. I’ve had pumpkin shoots before, and they’re delicious. I thought this might be edible too, but I guess not."

’Don’t worry, you’ll be eating it soon enough,’ Melody thought. ’In my past life, I ate it until I was sick of it.’

Melody put down her phone and told Winnie and Colin about Austin pestering her earlier that day. "Mom, Uncle, if he goes to the supermarket to bother you, just throw him out."

Melody deeply regretted ever bringing Austin home. He knew Winnie and Colin, and she was afraid he would go to the supermarket to harass her mother and uncle.

"That little bastard!" Colin cursed angrily. "No wonder when you brought him home all those years ago, I had a bad feeling about him from the start. A grown man, putting on such airs, acting all high and mighty for no reason. I knew he was no good!"

Winnie thought for a moment, then said reflectively, "I remember now. The person Officer Tate arrested for attempted trespassing today was him, wasn’t it? After they dealt with him today, he was put on the community blacklist. He’ll be banned from entering The Metropolis Residences from now on, so don’t worry, Melody."

Melody was relieved to hear that. However, she was still puzzled. How did Austin find out her address? He claimed to be working for the Adler Group. ’Could this have something to do with the Adler Family?’

’Sophie Thorne said the Lawson Family and the Adler Family are related by marriage. Could Austin showing up today be related to me kicking Mrs. Lawson out a few days ago?’