Come in 204
Posted on July 08, 2025 ยท 0 mins read
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Chapter 204

โ€œAre you feeling okay? If not, Iโ€™ll have a doctor take a look at you,โ€ Yannis said as he drove Zinnia home, his concern lingering. Even though theyโ€™d only been in the car for a few minutes, he felt relieved heโ€™d asked about the smoke.

โ€œNah, Iโ€™m fine. I wasnโ€™t exposed to it for long, so I feel okay,โ€ Zinnia reassured. She had held her breath most of the time in the previous car. After parking, they took the elevator home.

After changing her shoes, Zinnia stood expectantly and said playfully, โ€œYannis, you promised to make fish for me todayโ€”and I want barbecue too!โ€

Yannis neatly put her shoes away and said, โ€œI havenโ€™t forgotten. Go do your homework for a bit. Itโ€™ll be ready when youโ€™re done.โ€

Still holding the sunflower, Zinnia asked, โ€œLet me arrange the flower first. Do you have a vase here?โ€

โ€œThere are some in the storage room. Pick whichever you like,โ€ Yannis said, removing his light jacket and leisurely rolling up his sleeves.

โ€œThose are all antiques! And youโ€™re telling me to use them for arranging a flower?โ€ Zinnia looked at him in disbelief, seeing how serious he was. Yannis had a storage room filled with rare antiques and collectibles, each worth hundreds of thousands to millions, or even tens of millions of dollarsโ€”and that was only a fraction of his collection. It was said that in the Perkins residence, he had a basement vault housing even more valuable treasures, where even the cheapest vase could be worth millions. But now he was telling her to take one of these treasures as a vase. Just imagining those exquisite antique vases took her breath away.

Zinnia had a weakness for beautiful thingsโ€”people or objects. Just gazing at them lifted her spirits.

โ€œWhy not? These vases are all quite beautifulโ€”I thought youโ€™d like them. If none of those suit your taste, I can have new ones delivered,โ€ Yannis said leisurely.

โ€œYannis, I might break them,โ€ Zinnia said worriedly. His things are way too expensiveโ€”I couldnโ€™t even afford to pay for one if I broke it, she thought.

Yannis chuckled at her worried face. He gently nudged her shoulder and said, โ€œIf you break one, just grab another. Even if you smash them all, Iโ€™ll just buy moreโ€”it wonโ€™t make a dent in my wallet. Go on, pick whichever one you like.โ€

Zinnia finally chose a simple porcelain vase. It looked like jade, smooth and warm to the touch, with a delicate, refined texture. She unwrapped the sunflower, carefully trimmed the stems, and nestled it in the vase. She set the vase by her desk, where sunlight streamed through the window, casting the golden blooms in a warm glowโ€”a picture-perfect scene.

โ€œAre you done picking?โ€ Yannis asked as Zinnia entered the kitchen where he was cooking. He handed her a bowl of freshly washed grapes.

โ€œYes,โ€ Zinnia nodded. She popped a grape into her mouth, then fed one to Yannis. โ€œItโ€™s sweet.โ€

โ€œYes, it is, but donโ€™t eat too muchโ€”weโ€™ll have dinner soon,โ€ Yannis said, biting into a grape. He glanced at Zinnia. โ€œGo wait outside. The kitchenโ€™s a bit smoky.โ€ He knew she couldnโ€™t handle smokeโ€”from cooking or cigarettesโ€”as it always made her feel unwell.

โ€œThe smoke is floating out of the window,โ€ Zinnia protested.

โ€œEven so, thereโ€™s still smoke. Be a good girl,โ€ Yannis continued.

โ€œIโ€™ve prepared a health-building diet for you,โ€ Zinnia said, taking out a pouch of ingredients. โ€œJust blend it and drink a cup every dayโ€”itโ€™ll strengthen your spleen and nourish your stomach.โ€ She had made extra while preparing a remedy for Bonnie, thinking Yannis could use some too. The medical soup sheโ€™d given him before had helped his recovery, but now that his health had improved, it was better to switch to something gentlerโ€”hence this diet. The ingredients are simple but will nourish his spleen and kidneys.

When Yannis saw her pull out another pouch, he felt a little sickโ€”he thought she was about to make him drink more medicine again. After dutifully taking her concoctions for a whole month, he was truly sick of it. Every time he drank them, his whole body felt uncomfortably hot. But when he heard it was just a diet this time, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

โ€œIโ€™ll make extra so we can share,โ€ he said with a smile. The diet is good for healthโ€”why should I keep it all to myself? She deserves to enjoy the benefits too, he thought.

Zinnia shook her head. โ€œI made this for you. I really donโ€™t need itโ€”Iโ€™m perfectly healthy.โ€ Iโ€™ve had more than enough of this when I was a kid. No way am I drinking anymore, she thought.

Yannis smiled as he took the pouch. โ€œIโ€™ve consulted the doctorโ€”the diet is good for you too. Come on. Prepare another portion so we can drink it together,โ€ he persuaded her. The previous medicinal soup contained potent medicinal herbs that might have been too strong for her, but this milder health-building diet would gently nourish her system. They should share this togetherโ€”he didnโ€™t want to keep it all to himself.

โ€œYannis, this is for your health. Iโ€™m perfectly fineโ€”I donโ€™t need it,โ€ Zinnia protested. Honestly, what sane person actually enjoys drinking herbal concoctions? I certainly donโ€™t, she thought.

Yannis smiled tenderly. โ€œCome on, be good. Iโ€™ll make you something delicious.โ€

Caught in Yannisโ€™s captivating gaze, Zinnia absentmindedly went to prepare a portion for herself. By the time she snapped out of it, he had already dumped the ingredients into the blender.

โ€œYannis, using the beauty card like this is so unfair,โ€ Zinnia grumbled, barred from the kitchen and standing at the doorway, staring at Yannis. Sheโ€™d only ever heard of the โ€œbeauty trapโ€ as one of those classic tricks, but now she was finally experiencing it. With that faceโ€”and those ridiculously soulful eyesโ€”Yannis was dangerously charming. Before she realized it, sheโ€™d already found herself doing whatever he said.

โ€œThanks for calling me handsome, Zinnia,โ€ Yannis chuckled, deliberately missing her point.

โ€œUgh!โ€ Zinnia huffed, shoving two grapes into her mouth. This man is getting more shameless by the day. He used to hate to be called pretty, and now heโ€™s actually bragging about it?

โ€œTry this,โ€ Yannis said, stepping out, his slender, elegant hands holding a bowl and a fork gripping a piece of pork. The pork glistened with rich sauce, steaming hot. Its tender, jiggly layers looked mouthwatering.

Despite herself, Zinnia opened her mouth. Yannis blew on the meat to cool it before feeding it to her. As soon as the meat touched her tongue, she instinctively began to chew, her eyes sparkling with delight.

โ€œIs it good?โ€ Yannis asked.

โ€œItโ€™s delicious,โ€ Zinnia nodded eagerly. Her earlier complaints were gone the moment the tender pork melted in her mouth. A single bite was all it took to win her overโ€”she personally experienced the way to a personโ€™s heart is through their stomach.

โ€œYannis, with skills like yours, itโ€™s a waste youโ€™re not a chef. Just think of all the foodies missing out,โ€ Zinnia sighed with admiration. Wow, his cooking was seriously on another level.

โ€œDidnโ€™t I already become your personal chef? And donโ€™t think I forgotโ€”you promised to save up and support me one day. So youโ€™d better work hard, Zinnia, because Iโ€™m ready to retire early and let you take care of me.โ€ As soon as he brought up the idea, Zinnia thought, With the way he spends, Iโ€™d need hundreds of millions just to keep up with this money pit, I canโ€™t possibly afford that.

Then, with a teasing smile, she said, โ€œYannis, we canโ€™t be so lacking in ambition. Youโ€™re at the perfect age to build your careerโ€”put in some effort.โ€


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