Chapter 283

Nathan shook his head and said, "No, I haven't." Then, as they headed toward the checkout, Nathan took Zinnia's hand with one hand while steering the cart with the other.

Nathan thought, "Love has never been a part of my life. As a child, I only felt hatred. As an adult, my only wish was for Zinnia to be safe and happy. I never thought about myself. I just wanted to protect Zinnia."

"Nathan, have you ever thought about finding someone you love to spend this boring life with?" Zinnia asked.

Zinnia thought, "Nathan's world shouldn't just be about me. He deserves his own life, someone to cherish, and true happiness. Now his vengeance is mostly fulfilled; it's time for him to think about himself. Life won't feel so empty with someone by his side!"

"Does Zinnia dislike Master now? Don't you want to be with me anymore?" Nathan asked and lowered his eyes to meet Zinnia's.

"No way," Zinnia blurted out without hesitation and thought, "How could I ever dislike Nathan? Nathan saved my life. Without him, I wouldn't even be here today."

"Having you, Zinnia, is all I need. When the day comes that you no longer need me, I'll quietly leave," Nathan said, his lips curving into a tender smile. Zinnia frowned, a wave of unease washing over her. "But what if I need you for my entire life?" Zinnia asked softly, her voice trembling slightly.

"Then Master will stay with you for a lifetime," Nathan said and thought, "For my entire lifetime. At least this way, I won't be breaking my promise."

"Let's go home. I'm starving and craving something delicious," Zinnia said, abruptly changing the subject. For some reason, Zinnia didn't want to dwell on this topic any longer.

"Alright, let's go home," Nathan said tenderly.

"Go and do your homework. I'll call you when it's ready," Nathan said. Nathan stood in front of the refrigerator, methodically organizing the groceries and putting Zinnia's snacks in a dedicated snack cabinet.

"I'll stay with you," Zinnia said and thought, "I simply didn't want to leave your side."

What Zinnia referred to as "keeping Nathan company" meant sitting on a small stool and watching Nathan bustling around the kitchen like a busy bee. This was how it had always been since they were children.

Because Zinnia was sensitive to cooking fumes, Nathan never allowed her into the kitchen. Seeing that Zinnia refused to leave, Nathan indulgently smiled without saying a word. Then he quietly returned to preparing the ingredients.

Zinnia opened a bag of chips and sat on her little stool, munching away like a little hamster.

Hearing the soft crunching behind him, Nathan's eyes softened with tenderness. Each was quietly absorbed in their own activity, not disturbing the other, as a gentle warmth filled the quiet space between them.

Suddenly, a tickle welled up in Nathan's throat. Nathan's pale, slender fingers instinctively tightened around the tomato he was holding, and sticky juice oozed between them. Unable to hold back the irritation, Nathan lowered his eyes and coughed softly.

"Master, why hasn't your cough gotten any better?" Zinnia asked, her voice filled with concern. Hearing Nathan's muffled cough, Zinnia frowned worriedly. "With Master's medical skills, a simple cough like this shouldn't be difficult to cure," Zinnia thought, puzzled.

Nathan paused briefly, lowering his gaze as he replied in his usual gentle tone, "The treatment was delayed for too long. It'll take time to recover." Before Zinnia could ask anything further, Nathan spoke up. "How's school, Zinnia? Are you happy there?"

"Yeah, my classmates are all really kind to me," Zinnia replied with a nod.

Nathan sliced the tomatoes, casting a teasing smile at Zinnia and asking, "Zinnia, what made you suddenly so eager to study hard? Didn't you just want to rely on Master and coast through life?"

Nathan placed the evenly sliced tomatoes on a plate and sprinkled some sugar over them. Then he put a small fork on the plate. Turning around, Nathan walked toward Zinnia and said, "Enough chips. Have this instead."

Zinnia put the chips aside and picked up the plate. "Well, I used to be really lazy and always relied on you for everything. However, I forgot that you could get tired too. From now on, I want to help you," replied Zinnia.

Zinnia popped a slice of tomato into her mouth and met Nathan's inquiring gaze. Zinnia thought, "Back then, I relied on Nathan for everything. As long as Nathan was around, I never had to worry about anything.

"But now I finally understand, Nathan gets tired too. Back then, he was just a little boy, already exhausted from carrying the weight of a little girl like me.

"Now that I know what Nathan went through, losing his parents seventeen years ago and still insisting on raising me, my heart aches for him.

"I hope to become strong enough to help Nathan, so he doesn't face everything alone. Not relying on others, I trust myself and grow stronger, to stand firmly by his side. Depending on others always comes with risks and hidden costs.

"I lived day by day, unsure if my frail body would give out. I never dared to dream far ahead. What if I imagined something wonderful, only to realize I'd never make it that far? The disappointment would be too much.

"But now, if I just push myself a little harder and grow stronger, maybe in the end I can at least be of some use and help Master."

"I don't know how long I can be by your side or how much help I can offer," Zinnia said softly. "I just want to do my best. You only have me now." Zinnia lowered her head and absently prodded at the tomatoes.

"Zinnia, your health is perfectly fine. Can you trust me, Zinnia? You're going to live a long and healthy life. I've examined you, and you're in great condition," Nathan answered.

Hearing the sadness in Zinnia's voice, Nathan's expression turned solemn. Nathan crouched down and gently took Zinnia's wrist, preventing her from poking at things to avoid the conversation.

"Master, we're both medical learners. We know damage in infancy is irreversible. I would've died seventeen years ago without you. The extra years I've lived are beyond my expectation," Zinnia said, smiling softly at Nathan's caring gaze.

Zinnia thought, "I've never needed much to feel happy. I've already been granted so many extra years, found wonderful family and friends, and now he's back. I truly feel blessed."

Sometimes, Nathan couldn't help but ponder, "Was it really the right choice to teach Zinnia medicine when she was little? Now, Zinnia understood her condition only too well. She lived in constant anxiety about her health.

"Knowing that there was something wrong with her body, Zinnia never gave a thought to her future. After all, she never knew when that future might come to an end.

"When Zinnia was two, she almost died. At seven, she was on the verge of death again. At twelve, she narrowly escaped death. Each time, I fought desperately to bring her back.

"Given Zinnia's pattern of experiencing health crises every five years, at seventeen, she was right on track for the next one. Zinnia lived each day as if it were her last."

Because Nathan couldn't bear to see Zinnia suffer, Nathan always gave in to Zinnia's every request.

Nathan said, "Zinnia, trust me. Your health isn't serious. You'll be okay." Nathan gently embraced Zinnia. "You'll live a long, healthy life. I promise. When you're eighteen, we can have the surgery." Nathan rested his chin on Zinnia's head.

Zinnia was born with congenital heart disease.