Chapter 240
Hearing Zinniaโs words, Yannis couldnโt 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 didnโt need to hold back. Zinnia would never overthink his actions.
Zinnia truly didnโt overthink it. At home, Yannis often shared food with her, and sometimes, when she found something delicious, sheโd offer him a bite.
Zinnia was beautiful, and so was Yannis. Whenever they were together, people couldnโt help but shower them with compliments. Zinniaโs heart swelled with joy. โI must be really pretty if everyone keeps saying so,โ she thought.
โI think youโre beautiful, too,โ 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 oneโs vision. She hardly resembled Maelis anymore; Yannis suspected she must take after her father now.
Zinniaโs eyes lit up. โReally? I think Iโm pretty too!โ As a young girl, Zinnia naturally enjoyed compliments about her looks. Truth be told, she did consider herself quite attractive.
Sheโd 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 Zinniaโs beaming face, his eyes soft with affection. โWhat flavor of candied apples would you like?โ
Zinnia looked over the flavors and picked two she liked. โCaramel and marshmallow,โ 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.
โHere, try this,โ Yannis said softly, holding a candied apple to Zinniaโs lips.
โDelicious,โ Zinnia said as she took a bite. โThese are really good! Here, try some too,โ she offered, holding out the treat to Yannis.
Yannis took a small bite. It tasted okay.
โI want more,โ 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 Zinniaโs eager gaze, the corners of his lips curling into a smile. โWhich flavor would you like?โ he asked gently.
โCaramel,โ 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 cafรฉ.
โAfter eating all that, you still have room for coffee?โ Hearing Zinnia order a jumbo-sized cup, Yannis raised an eyebrow, his skeptical gaze drifting to her waistline. Sheโd already eaten half a sweet potato and stuffed the rest into Yannisโs hands, and then some candied apples. Now she was eyeing a cup of coffee. Yannis worried sheโd overeat. Theyโd 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 sheโd just eaten, Yannis asked, โArenโt you getting full?โ
Zinnia swallowed the candied apple before speaking. โYannis, havenโt you heard? Girls have two stomachs. One for snacks and one for meals. Snacks totally donโt count as eating.โ
โIs that so?โ Yannis asked, looking genuinely puzzled. โIโve never heard that before.โ
โYeah.โ 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. โI got a huge coffee,โ she thought. Just looking at it made her feel instantly happy.
Watching her, Yannis felt a pang of guilt. He hadnโt had much time for her lately and knew sheโd felt neglected. For once, he didnโt stop her from having sweets today.
โYannis, letโs skip the routine and head back,โ Zinnia suggested sweetly. She was already content with her roasted sweet potato, candied apples, and a jumbo cup of coffee.
โGetting more food would be too tempting. Iโve already had more than enough sugar today,โ Zinnia thought. Even though Yannis hadnโt said a word, she knew he was worried, so she decided on her own to call it a day.
โWhy not?โ Yannis asked.
โIf you buy more food for me, I just wonโt be able to stop myself from eating. Iโve already had way too much sugar today.โ
โThen Iโll get you something else instead,โ Yannis said. Truthfully, he was worried she was eating too much sugar, but seeing her beaming, excited face, he couldnโt bring himself to spoil her mood.
โMm?โ Zinnia hummed, curiosity in her eyes.
โCome with me,โ Yannis said, taking her by the wrist as he led her toward a stall.
โHi, could I buy one 3-foot-long stick?โ 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, โYannis, what do you even need that for?โ
โJust come with me and youโll find out,โ 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.
โWatch your step,โ Yannis said gently, steadying Zinnia.
โAre we buying flowers?โ 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 crowdโs jostling.
As soon as they entered, a shop assistant came over and greeted them, โHello! How can I help you today?โ
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. โWhat kind of flowers do you like?โ
โYouโre buying me flowers?โ Zinniaโs face lit up with surprise.
โMm,โ Yannis responded gently. โPick a flower you like.โ
Zinnia looked at the exquisite ice blue roses.
โI want this one,โ Zinnia said decisively, knowing full well Yannis could afford it. Without a hint of hesitation, she pointed to the roses.
โCould you please get me a bouquet of these, trim the blooms, and wrap them around this stick?โ Yannis said, handing the stick to the shop assistant.
โOf course, just a moment,โ 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.
โWhy cut the flowers off?โ Zinnia asked, puzzled.
Yannis leaned in close to Zinniaโs ear and murmured, just loud enough for her to hear, โItโs a surprise.โ
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 โ exploring here and there โ stirring up an indescribable sensation.