Chapter 240

Hearing Zinnia’s words, Yannis couldn’t help but curve his lips into a helpless smile. She had lightning-fast reactions, yet always managed to miss the point entirely. By now, he was thoroughly accustomed to her. She had an extraordinary immunity to subtle hints.

So sometimes, Yannis didn’t need to hold back. Zinnia would never overthink his actions.

Zinnia truly didn’t overthink it. At home, Yannis often shared food with her, and sometimes, when she found something delicious, she’d offer him a bite.

Zinnia was beautiful, and so was Yannis. Whenever they were together, people couldn’t help but shower them with compliments. Zinnia’s heart swelled with joy. ‘I must be really pretty if everyone keeps saying so,’ she thought.

“I think you’re beautiful, too,” Yannis said, his eyes gentle and a relaxed smile at the corners of his lips.

Zinnia used to have that childlike roundness in her face, with clear, innocent eyes that gave her a sweet, delicate look, quite like Maelis.

But now, having shed her baby fat, her features had sharpened into striking beauty: more refined, vivid, and practically burning themselves into one’s vision. She hardly resembled Maelis anymore; Yannis suspected she must take after her father now.

Zinnia’s eyes lit up. “Really? I think I’m pretty too!” As a young girl, Zinnia naturally enjoyed compliments about her looks. Truth be told, she did consider herself quite attractive.

She’d been praised for her looks since childhood, but for some reason, when Yannis called her beautiful, a sweet thrill bubbled up in her heart.

As they chatted, it was soon their turn to order. There were plenty of choices. Yannis lowered his gaze to Zinnia’s beaming face, his eyes soft with affection. “What flavor of candied apples would you like?”

Zinnia looked over the flavors and picked two she liked. “Caramel and marshmallow,” she said cheerfully.

After paying the bill, they made their way to their next stop. Yannis juggled roasted sweet potatoes in one hand and a bag of candied apples in the other. Zinnia walked beside him, happily eating bites of sweet potato with her spoon.

“Here, try this,” Yannis said softly, holding a candied apple to Zinnia’s lips.

“Delicious,” Zinnia said as she took a bite. “These are really good! Here, try some too,” she offered, holding out the treat to Yannis.

Yannis took a small bite. It tasted okay.

“I want more,” Zinnia pleaded, gazing at Yannis with expectant eyes. Her left hand clutched a roasted sweet potato larger than her palm, so there was no way for her to take the candied apple herself. She could only rely on Yannis to feed her.

Yannis looked at Zinnia’s eager gaze, the corners of his lips curling into a smile. “Which flavor would you like?” he asked gently.

“Caramel,” Zinnia replied.

Yannis kept feeding Zinnia as they strolled along, while she occasionally offered him bites of roasted sweet potato in return. Soon, the two of them were queuing at the café.

“After eating all that, you still have room for coffee?” Hearing Zinnia order a jumbo-sized cup, Yannis raised an eyebrow, his skeptical gaze drifting to her waistline. She’d already eaten half a sweet potato and stuffed the rest into Yannis’s hands, and then some candied apples. Now she was eyeing a cup of coffee. Yannis worried she’d overeat. They’d just finished dinner not long ago.

Her tummy bulged slightly under the fitted top. It was not that obvious. But thinking about her usual small appetite and all those snacks she’d just eaten, Yannis asked, “Aren’t you getting full?”

Zinnia swallowed the candied apple before speaking. “Yannis, haven’t you heard? Girls have two stomachs. One for snacks and one for meals. Snacks totally don’t count as eating.”

“Is that so?” Yannis asked, looking genuinely puzzled. “I’ve never heard that before.”

“Yeah.” Zinnia nodded vigorously.

In the end, Zinnia triumphantly got her hands on a jumbo-sized cup of coffee. Hugging it tightly with both hands, she pressed her face against the cup. ‘I got a huge coffee,’ she thought. Just looking at it made her feel instantly happy.

Watching her, Yannis felt a pang of guilt. He hadn’t had much time for her lately and knew she’d felt neglected. For once, he didn’t stop her from having sweets today.

“Yannis, let’s skip the routine and head back,” Zinnia suggested sweetly. She was already content with her roasted sweet potato, candied apples, and a jumbo cup of coffee.

‘Getting more food would be too tempting. I’ve already had more than enough sugar today,’ Zinnia thought. Even though Yannis hadn’t said a word, she knew he was worried, so she decided on her own to call it a day.

“Why not?” Yannis asked.

“If you buy more food for me, I just won’t be able to stop myself from eating. I’ve already had way too much sugar today.”

“Then I’ll get you something else instead,” Yannis said. Truthfully, he was worried she was eating too much sugar, but seeing her beaming, excited face, he couldn’t bring himself to spoil her mood.

“Mm?” Zinnia hummed, curiosity in her eyes.

“Come with me,” Yannis said, taking her by the wrist as he led her toward a stall.

“Hi, could I buy one 3-foot-long stick?” Yannis asked the clerk.

The clerk looked puzzled but sold him the stick anyway.

Zinnia and Yannis left the stall carrying a 3-foot-long stick. Zinnia tilted her head and asked curiously, “Yannis, what do you even need that for?”

“Just come with me and you’ll find out,” Yannis said with a mysterious smile, gently taking Zinnia by the hand. He led her, weaving through the bustling crowd of the commercial street. Not far ahead, a flower shop came into view, its bright windows alive with customers inside.

“Watch your step,” Yannis said gently, steadying Zinnia.

“Are we buying flowers?” Zinnia asked, clinging to his arm as they made their way through the packed flower shop. Yannis kept her protectively close, shielding her from the worst of the crowd’s jostling.

As soon as they entered, a shop assistant came over and greeted them, “Hello! How can I help you today?”

Yannis surveyed the dazzling array of flowers in the shop, and then turned his head to look at the curious Zinnia with a gentle smile. “What kind of flowers do you like?”

“You’re buying me flowers?” Zinnia’s face lit up with surprise.

“Mm,” Yannis responded gently. “Pick a flower you like.”

Zinnia looked at the exquisite ice blue roses.

“I want this one,” Zinnia said decisively, knowing full well Yannis could afford it. Without a hint of hesitation, she pointed to the roses.

“Could you please get me a bouquet of these, trim the blooms, and wrap them around this stick?” Yannis said, handing the stick to the shop assistant.

“Of course, just a moment,” the shop assistant replied obligingly, ever ready to fulfill his requests. She took the stick, gathered up the bouquet, and headed to the flower arrangement station.

“Why cut the flowers off?” Zinnia asked, puzzled.

Yannis leaned in close to Zinnia’s ear and murmured, just loud enough for her to hear, “It’s a surprise.”

Amidst the noisy crowd, Zinnia stood before him as his cool, magnetic voice brushed against her ear. The gentle tickle seemed to travel straight from her ear to her heart, and Zinnia felt as if a tiny ant had crawled inside – exploring here and there – stirring up an indescribable sensation.