Chapter 254

Yannis gazed at Zinnia with eager anticipation. His eyes sparkled as he looked at her. Zinnia could tell he was dead serious, so she met his gaze. Her clear eyes mirrored his sharp features—high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and a face that seemed chiseled from stone.

When he wasn’t smiling, he had this cool, aloof vibe. But when he smiled, even just a little, his eyes lit up like a spring garden, and you’d do anything just to see that smile again.

At that moment, Yannis was all focused on getting an answer from her. His usual grin was nowhere to be seen—his brows were sharp, his eyes intense, and his lips were pressed into a thin line.

Zinnia had spent enough time with him to recognize the signs: Yannis was nervous.

Her eyes softened into a gentle smile, and her voice was just as tender. “Honestly… I can’t really tell. You’re both handsome in your own ways.”

It was true. One couldn’t really compare Yannis and Nathan. Yannis was gentle, compassionate, and soothing, while Nathan was bold, radiant, and impossible to ignore.

They were completely different, and if one looked without bias, it was impossible to say who was more attractive. It all came down to who one favored.

“Seriously?” Yannis could hardly believe it. That was a much higher compliment than he’d expected—he never imagined someone would actually think he was just as handsome as Nathan.

Zinnia could see the delight in his eyes—like a puppy with its favorite bone, wagging its tail so hard it looked like it might take flight. It was so infectious that she couldn’t help but smile. Sometimes, she thought he was just like a kid.

“Make a guess,” she teased, avoiding a direct answer.

“I guess you must be telling the truth. Still, I didn’t expect you to think so highly of me,” Yannis said, his face breaking into a radiant, unmistakable smile.

Having lived with Zinnia for months, he might not know every little thing about her, but he had a pretty good grasp of her character—he knew she wasn’t lying.

Yannis thought to himself, ‘I really didn’t expect her to think so highly of me. I always assumed she only had eyes for Nathan. We’ve only been together a few months, but her opinion of me has already soared far beyond anything I ever imagined.’

Yannis was overjoyed—just knowing he mattered to Zinnia made his heart soar.

‘I’m not usually so easily pleased,’ he thought, ‘but Zinnia can tug at my heartstrings with just a single word. Before I know it, I just want to find out what she really thinks of me.’

“Let’s get out,” Yannis said, his voice brimming with laughter.

Only then did Zinnia realize they’d already arrived at the underground parking garage.

As December rolled in and the temperature plummeted, Zinnia had bundled up like a marshmallow. When she entered the classroom, she yawned and took off her coat—thanks to the heating, it was warm inside. Lethargically, she slumped onto her desk, ready for a nap.

It was Christmas Day, and the classroom was buzzing with decorations. After a month of hard work, everyone finally got the afternoon off to relax and enjoy the holiday.

Since Zinnia was the youngest in the class, her classmates wouldn’t let her lift a finger—so she just lounged at her desk, happily watching the festive chaos unfold around her.

Her desk drawer was already overflowing with Christmas cards and beautifully wrapped gifts.

On her desk, right at the corner, sat two exquisite gifts—a solid gold apple from Maisie and a miniature solid gold Christmas tree from Ethan. Both were just the right size to fidget with between her fingers.

Zinnia was also holding a delicate silver butterfly—a gift from Lydia, crafted from pure silver.

It was Christmas Day, and with the weekend starting tomorrow, William gave everyone the whole afternoon off to relax and celebrate.

The classroom buzzed with activity—some students were stringing up lights, others were decorating the bulletin board or putting up ornaments.

Laughter and chatter filled the air as classmates chased each other, moved desks, drew and wrote together, and discussed how best to decorate. The whole place felt warm and lively.

Zinnia couldn’t help but smile at the scene before her. She loved these lively yet harmonious days—they made her peaceful life feel unexpectedly delightful.

She picked up a blank sheet of paper and her sketching pencil, propping her chin in one hand. With effortless grace, her fair, delicate fingers guided the pencil as fluid lines danced across the page, bringing vivid little figures to life one after another.

“Zinnia, what’re you drawing?” Ethan’s boisterous voice called from behind as he approached, arms full of colorful ribbons.

Noticing Zinnia sketching, Ethan leaned in, craning his neck to get a better look. The moment he realized what she was drawing, his voice shot up in delight, “Whoa, Zinnia! You’re drawing us?”

“It’s not finished yet,” Zinnia didn’t bother to stop Ethan from looking, nor did she deny it—after all, she was only halfway through. With over twenty classmates to sketch, she was making slow progress.

“Zinnia, this is amazing! Can I have it when you’re done?” Ethan gazed at her drawing with hope.

Zinnia looked up at Ethan, surprised he’d ask for her casual sketch. “You want this?”

“Yes! Yes!” Ethan nodded vigorously. “I’ll frame it when I get home.”

“I’m not done yet—let me finish it first, and then you can have it—” Zinnia was just about to agree since she had no reason to say no.

“Wait, what? What drawing? Who’s giving something away? We want one too!” The commotion caught the attention of their observant classmates. Even before Maisie and Lydia—arms full of colored markers—made their way over, their voices were already ringing out.

“Wait. What’s this? I want one too,” Maisie called out as she hurried over.

Lydia walked over, nudged Ethan with her foot to get him to move aside, and practically pressed her head against Zinnia’s shoulder. “What are you guys talking about?” she asked, already peering at the drawing in Zinnia’s hands.

“Zinnia drew a picture, and I said I wanted it,” Ethan said, his eyes still fixed longingly on the drawing in Zinnia’s hands.

“Wow, what a gorgeous drawing.” Maisie’s eyes lit up as she caught sight of the unfinished yet vivid picture in Zinnia’s hands. She teased, “Ethan, how dare you try to hog it all for yourself? We want one too.”

“I called dibs. It’s mine,” Ethan insisted, jumping in.

“No way. I want it too,” Maisie insisted, refusing to back down.

“Maisie, first come, first served. My face is on the drawing, so it should be mine,” Ethan protested urgently.

“I’ll just have Zinnia add me to the drawing, and then it’ll be mine too,” Maisie said.

“I was drawn first, so it should be mine,” Ethan insisted.

Maisie countered, “But there are other classmates in the picture too.”

Zinnia immediately noticed Ethan and Maisie’s childish fight.

“Zinnia, I’d like one too,” Lydia said softly, lifting her gaze to meet Zinnia’s.

“Lydia, you want one too?” Zinnia hesitated. It was rare for Lydia to ask her for anything, and she couldn’t bring herself to say no.

“What’s all the fuss about?” The commotion drew a crowd as the rest of the class gathered around.

“Zinnia, we want one too,” the whole class chimed in.

“Fine, one for everyone,” Zinnia conceded with a smile.