Nathan also saw the reminder on her phone. “Zinnia, do you want to go back? I can manage on my own. You don’t need to worry so much about me,” Nathan said softly, his voice gentle and sincere.

Zinnia stared at the reminder on her phone in silence for a few seconds before closing it. “No, go to rest. I’ll keep reading.” She helped him clear the dishes and gently guided him outside the medicine room.

Nathan’s body couldn’t endure hard work anymore, so Zinnia prepared nourishing medicine for him. Though it couldn’t detoxify his body, it could gradually help a little.

“Let’s stop for now and rest,” Nathan said, standing outside the door and grabbing her wrist, unwilling to see her keep overworking.

“Nathan, we don’t have much time left. I refuse to believe that none of these books contain a cure for the poison.” Zinnia turned and headed back inside.

“Zinnia…” Nathan sighed helplessly. He had already gone through these books hundreds, even thousands of times–if a cure existed, he would have used it by now.

“All right, just go now. I’ll prepare a medicinal bath for you this afternoon. It’ll help you sleep better at night.” Zinnia pulled away from his hand, pushed him outside, and then closed the door behind her.

Nathan stood outside the door, watching it close before sighing. He knew he couldn’t persuade her anymore, and she simply wouldn’t listen, fearing he might deceive her.

Nathan carried the dishes slowly downstairs. Feeling unwell and low on energy, he sank onto the sofa, resting one hand against his forehead as he closed his eyes to rest.

The phone on the table rang. Nathan opened his eyes, saw the message, and a cold smile curved his lips. He thought, ‘There’s actually someone pulling the strings behind this.’

Upstairs, Zinnia sat back down at her desk but didn’t rush to read. She unlocked her phone, still showing calendar reminders, along with numerous messages from Maisie and Lydia.

Since Zinnia’s return, she rarely appeared or replied to messages. Every day, she immersed herself in searching for herbs, preparing medicines, reading, and studying them repeatedly. She blocked out all outside noise.

Zinnia brushed her fingers over her phone. Yannis’s birthday party must be in full swing. Right now, Yannis was probably caught up being styled by Layla and Devin. He’d likely been swamped these past two days.

Just a few days ago, Zinnia would get messages from him every day. Even if her replies were slow or brief, Yannis still kept texting. But these past couple of days, his messages had dwindled. She wondered what he was so busy with.

Zinnia lowered her gaze, pushing the thought aside. One glance at the towering shelves reminded her how much she still hadn’t read. She set her phone down and picked up the book she’d been reading, diving back into its pages.

Even though she’d read these books before, it had been so long that most of it had faded from memory. Holding the book, she re-studied them one by one with focused intent, each word carefully.

But her mind suddenly grew foggy. Zinnia’s vision blurred as drowsiness crept in. She shook her head, trying to chase away the sleepiness clawing its way out.

Before she could fight it off, her head dropped onto the book. Her brows were tightly furrowed, and even in sleep, exhaustion was etched across her face.

The door creaked open quietly. Nathan stepped inside, moving slowly. Seeing her fast asleep, her head resting on an open book, he let out a barely audible sigh.

He walked over, his steps light as a whisper, and gently bent down to lift the exhausted girl into his arms. Since Zinnia refused to rest, Nathan had no choice but to give her a mild sleeping remedy.

Her body couldn’t handle such intense strain. Her complexion visibly worsened; her face looked sharper and thinner. Only when she stopped did the exhaustion truly show; with her eyes open, she always forced a facade: “Not tired, not sleepy.”

Nathan carried her to the couch by the window, where warm sunlight poured in, making the spot cozy. Nestling on the soft couch, Zinnia almost instinctively curled up. Nathan sat nearby and gently draped a light blanket over her.

Gentle, soft sunlight bathed her, casting a bright and tender glow on her face. Feeling the warmth, her furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

Seeing that, Nathan’s tenderness showed plainly in his eyes as his fingertips gently touched her soft, delicate skin.

He said gently, “Zinnia, what should I do with you? Knowing it’s a lost cause, why are you still so persistent?”

If it were possible to save himself, Nathan would have done so already. However, after over twenty years of medical practice, he fully understood his condition–it was nearly beyond cure. As for Florivive, he held little hope.

When Zinnia woke up, dusk had already fallen outside. Vast stretches of colorful clouds filtered through the sky, and at that moment, her previously tense mind finally felt clearer. The heaviness in her body also lessened considerably.

These past days, Zinnia got up before dawn every day to read and only returned to her room near midnight. She had never been this diligent before. Her health was not great, and such intense exhaustion was too much for her body to handle.

Zinnia could actually feel her body protesting, but after this sleep, she felt much more refreshed. She instinctively wanted to reach for a book, but looking around, she realized she wasn’t by her desk. Instead, she was lying on the couch in the pharmacy.

The couch belonged exclusively to Zinnia. Sometimes, when she and Nathan grew tired from studying in the pharmacy, she would curl up there to rest. The couch faced the window, which looked out onto a vast, vibrant sea of beautiful flowers.

Birds rested on the utility pole under the lingering pink–purple sunset sky. The scenery was beautiful. Zinnia stared blankly for a long moment; she realized it had been ages since she truly took the time to appreciate the view outside her window.

When in Jinston, Zinnia always longed to return; she missed the small town’s scenery, its sunsets, and the sea of flowers. But now that she was back, she hadn’t had a chance to truly enjoy it. For a moment, she just stood there, stunned.

A sweet fragrance drifted into the room. She turned her gaze toward the door. Nathan pushed it open, carrying a wooden tray with two drinks, cookies, and sliced fruit.

This scene felt so familiar–just like when Nathan hadn’t left and they lived together in their small town. In the afternoons, Zinnia always read in the pharmacy, and when she got tired, Nathan would prepare snacks and drinks for her.

But they both knew things had changed, and they couldn’t go back to the past. With Nathan’s health worsening day by day, those old days were gone forever.

“Awake,” Nathan said gently as he saw her, a smile on his face.

“You’re up to something,” Zinnia said, glaring at him. She glanced down at the blanket wrapped around her and instantly realized it must have been Nathan’s doing. Otherwise, how else could I have fallen asleep so suddenly?

“Sorry for that,” Nathan quickly admitted.