Chapter 315

“Zinnia, dinner’s ready. Come on out,” Nathan called gently, and he walked into the pharmacy, carrying a tray of food.

For the past few days, Zinnia had locked herself in the pharmacy, desperately searching for an antidote. Nathan had tried repeatedly to persuade her, but Zinnia refused to place all her hopes on that single remedy.

‘What if we never find Florivive?’ Zinnia thought anxiously. ‘Does Nathan just have to wait to die?’ Zinnia never pinned her hopes on illusions.

In the annex, Nathan had specifically built a pharmacy. Inside the room, she was surrounded by piles of ancient books and scrolls and was carefully poring over them. “Almost done, Nathan. You go ahead and eat first,” Zinnia called out.

These were rare ancient tomes that had been passed down through the Moore family for generations. Many of them were destroyed in the great fire, but thanks to Nathan’s photographic memory, he managed to rewrite most of them from recollection.

To outsiders, these were priceless rarities. With hundreds, even thousands of years of heritage, Zinnia couldn’t believe they lacked even the slightest trace of antidotal ingredients.

Hearing the reply, Nathan gently pushed the door open. Inside, Zinnia sat cross–legged among a pile of rare books; treasures others would die for, yet she flipped through them idly, tossing one aside to pick up another.

The pharmacy had an entire wall lined with thick, weighty books; most dense and difficult to read. Yet in just six days, Zinnia had already finished a third of them.

At her normal pace, it would have taken her half a year to finish these books, even if she skipped meals and slept. Seeing Zinnia so engrossed in her book, Nathan sighed with gentle concern.

He stepped in and placed the tray on the table in front of her. The food was still steaming, but Zinnia no longer cared about meals the way she used to.

Nathan crouched down and gently tidied the ancient books scattered beside her, smoothing and stacking them one by one. “Zinnia, eat first. Don’t neglect your health just because of me.”

After tidying up some things, Nathan noticed the food was getting cold. He reached out and gently pressed his hand over Zinnia’s.

“You eat first. I’ll join you once I finish this; it won’t take long,” Zinnia said, pulling her arm gently. She wasn’t clever and had a poor memory; some things required hundreds of repetitions to remember.

Zinnia knew Nathan didn’t have much time left, so she dared not relax. Since their return, she buried herself in the pharmacy. If Nathan hadn’t strictly insisted she rest at night, she would have stayed up all night reading.

“Eat first, and then you can continue reading,” Nathan said firmly. “I’ll mark your page. If you keep neglecting your health because of these books, I’ll be really disappointed.”

Nathan held her hand tightly. He took the book from her, folded the corner of the page she was reading, set the book aside, and placed the steaming food right in front of her. He would never let Zinnia sacrifice her health for his sake.

Hearing his firm tone, Zinnia lowered her eyes and looked at the fragrant and delicious meal he handed her.

Zinnia picked up her fork and asked, “Have you eaten yet?” She realized it was a pointless question; there were two sets of cutlery and he couldn’t have eaten without her, nor would he leave her to eat alone.

“Here,” Zinnia insisted, pressing the fork into Nathan’s hand. In just a few short days, Nathan looked visibly thinner.

“This soup is really delicious. Drink it up. We can’t afford to neglect our health,” Nathan said, holding out the bowl to her.

Zinnia had been engrossed in study since waking up and hadn’t had a single drop of water all morning. Thus, she was truly thirsty now. Lowering her head, she obediently took small sips of the soup from the bowl.

Even though she had little appetite, she had to eat. Skipping meals would weaken her body, and if her health failed, she wouldn’t be able to properly continue her research on the formula.

So even if Zinnia didn’t want to eat, she forced herself to. She drank half a bowl of soup and then ate the other dishes. Perhaps she no longer cared about what she ate; even disliked dishes didn’t show on her face.

Zinnia ate quietly, though her gaze kept drifting toward the books. If Nathan hadn’t closed them, she would’ve tried reading while eating.

“Focus on your meal. If you keep looking at those books I’ll put them all away,” Nathan said firmly, tapping her forehead lightly.

“Don’t you dare take them away,” Zinnia blurted out in a panic. She thought, ‘I know Nathan meant every word he said; he’d really do it.’

When Zinnia first expressed her desire to access the ancient tomes, Nathan had already guessed what she was after. He stubbornly refused to give her the key. However, her teary eyes melted his resolve, and he finally allowed her to enter.

Nathan’s worries were well–founded. Once inside the pharmacy, Zinnia got immersed in a feverish routine. She pored over ancient texts, searched for remedies, tested combinations, and brewed medicinal concoctions with unwavering focus.

A few days ago, while researching a remedy, Zinnia tried it on herself first. It made her head spin and her vision blur. Nathan took care of her until she recovered.

Nathan looked at her and added more food to her bowl. “If you eat well, I won’t take them away. After you finish eating, take a nap. And don’t think I don’t know you’ve been sneaking books into your room at night.”

Zinnia still pleaded, “I don’t want to sleep, Nathan. There are still so many books I haven’t read.” To be honest, sleep was the last thing on her mind. Zinnia looked back at the shelves, which were still filled with thick rows of unread books.

Zinnia had already contacted Raymond to send over the classics he had collected for her to examine. She refused to believe that those ancient texts held no solution at all.

Even if it only suppressed the poison, it was enough. Nathan’s body couldn’t afford to deteriorate any further; otherwise, even if they found Florivive, his physical damage would have been irreversible.

Nathan neither refused nor agreed with her. Instead, he said gently, “Let’s focus on eating first.” Zinnia lowered her head and ate her meal.

“I’m full,” Zinnia said. She couldn’t finish the rest. Lately, her appetite had dwindled significantly, and she was eating much less than she used to.

“Have some more soup,” Nathan said, holding out the bowl to her. The soup was rich and flavorful; just the way Zinnia liked it.

She slowly finished the remaining soup. Just as she put the bowl down, the phone on the table buzzed.

Zinnia had rarely used her phone these days. Hearing the special notification sound, she paused briefly. Reaching out, she unlocked it and saw the calendar reminder: Yannis’s birthday was tomorrow.