Chapter 332
“What is it, Zinnia?” Nathan gently placed the peeled orange segments in her palm.
“Nathan, let’s go see Giselle,” Zinnia said, looking at him with purpose in her eyes.
Nathan looked puzzled. “Why should I see Giselle?”
With that, Zinnia and Nathan left their courtyard and headed to Giselle’s place.
Nathan didn’t really believe in such things, but seeing the worry in Zinnia’s eyes, he finally agreed to accompany her to see Giselle.
When they arrived at Giselle’s courtyard, she was lounging on a recliner beneath the tree, soaking up the afternoon sun. Simon was sitting beside her, munching on fried cheese. Giselle was getting on for years and often low on energy, so she hadn’t gone out to socialize with the neighbors that afternoon.
Only Giselle and Simon lived at the Polley residence. His parents were always too busy to come home, even during the holidays.
As soon as Simon saw Zinnia and Nathan arrive, he immediately jumped up and called out, “Zinnia, Nathan!”
“There you are! Come and sit,” Giselle said to them with a warm, affectionate smile.
Zinnia responded warmly, “Merry Christmas, Giselle!”
Giselle beamed and urged warmly, “Merry Christmas! Zinnia and Nathan, come sit down.” Giselle turned to Simon beside her and said kindly, “Simon, go get some fried cheese for Zinnia and check if the mussels in the steamer are ready. If they are, pack some up for her, too.”
“Okay!” Simon chirped, scampering off to the kitchen.
“Come here, you two.” Giselle beckoned warmly, motioning for them to sit.
Zinnia and Nathan walked over and took their seats beside Giselle.
“Giselle, we came to ask for your help,” Zinnia said urgently, her voice trembling. She could barely contain her anxiety. Just thinking about Nathan’s condition made her eyes well up with tears.
Seeing Zee’s eyes turn red with tears, Giselle gently stroked her cheek and said kindly, “Zee, you mustn’t cry on Christmas Day. I’m here, so don’t be afraid.”
Hearing Giselle’s words, Zinnia paused for a moment and then pouted, her lips trembling with a hint of grievance. “Giselle…”
Giselle gently patted Zee’s back and soothed her, “Don’t cry, sweetheart. If you cry now, you’ll cry all year. Don’t worry. I’m here.”
Nathan watched from the side, feeling a pang in his heart.
Only after comforting Zinnia did Giselle finally release her. Then she looked at Nathan, her kind eyes brimming with tenderness and sorrow. “Nathan, when you left five years ago, I told you that you would face a great trial, but you wouldn’t listen to me.”
Zinnia listened to Giselle and turned to Nathan in surprise. ‘How could I not have known about this?’ she thought.
Nathan knitted his brows and said firmly, “Giselle, I can’t let my parents’ murder go unavenged even if it costs me my life.”
Within five years, Giselle performed divination for Nathan and warned him, “If you leave home, you will surely encounter a life-threatening calamity.” But Nathan would never give up avenging his parents’ murder even if it meant sacrificing his own life.
Giselle sighed deeply, her heart aching for the heavy burden Nathan carried, yet she knew well she could do nothing to stop him.
“Let me see your hand,” Giselle said, studying Nathan intently.
Nathan extended his hand, and Giselle’s aged, dry yet warm fingertips came to rest on his wrist.
After carefully checking Nathan’s pulse, Giselle looked up, her eyes wide with shock. “Your body…”
Giselle knew Nathan would face a calamity, but she never imagined it would be this severe. Giselle had some medical knowledge. She was not an expert, but it was enough to easily assess Nathan’s physical condition.
Her eyes flashed with rare anger as she scolded, “Nathan, you let your body get this bad, and only now you come back? Don’t you care about your life at all?”
Giselle looked at Nathan, the boy she’d watched grow up, with a mix of frustration and affection.
Nathan gave her a gentle smile. “Please don’t be upset, Giselle. Your health comes first.”
Giselle glared at Nathan, her voice trembling with anger. “Your condition is this bad. Your senses are already fading, and only now do you come back? If you really don’t care about your own life, how can I possibly not be angry with you?”
Nathan had left home in perfect health, but he came back barely alive. Giselle was naturally angry about it.
Zinnia’s eyes lit up with hope. “Giselle, does this mean there’s still hope for Nathan?”
Seeing Zinnia, Giselle’s expression softened. “There’s still hope for now.”
“Giselle, Nathan’s condition is critical right now. We have a universal antidote formula, but one crucial ingredient is still missing. I’m afraid he may not hold out until we find it,” Zinnia said.
“Is there any other way? We’re not even sure if that antidote will work,” Zinnia added, her eyes shining with desperate hope.
Giselle rubbed the bracelet on her wrist, a solemn look replacing her usual kindness. She said, “That formula works.”
“Really? That formula actually works?” Zinnia’s heart leaped with excitement as she heard Giselle’s words.
What they feared most was that the formula would prove useless, making all their efforts for nothing. But if it really worked, then there was still hope.
Giselle gave her a reassuring nod. “Yes, it works.”
Zinnia’s eyes dimmed with disappointment. “Giselle, there’s one ingredient we still can’t find. We’re not even sure if it really exists. Could you divine where we might find it?”
Giselle seemed to have anticipated her question. She gently rolled the prayer beads on her wrist, gazing intently at Nathan. “From the southwest,” she murmured, “the fated one will come.”
Zinnia couldn’t make sense of this cryptic answer. ‘What does that even mean?’ she wondered, unable to decipher its hidden meaning.
Nathan fell into deep thought. Zinnia couldn’t help but ask, “Giselle, do you mean the ingredient is in the southwest?”
Honestly, neither Zinnia nor Nathan dared to pin all their hopes on it. If they couldn’t find it, then everything would be in vain.
“Don’t worry too much, Zee,” Giselle gently stroked her head. “Everything will work out just fine.”
“Hold out your hand,” Giselle said. She reached into the embroidered vintage pouch at her waist, took out a small wooden vial, uncorked it, and tipped out a tiny emerald-green snake. It was no bigger than a pinky finger.
Nathan held out his hand. The moment the tiny snake was released, it darted onto his palm and sank its fangs deep into his wrist. A sharp pain shot through him, and Nathan’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Nathan!” Zinnia cried out in alarm, instinctively reaching to pull the snake away.
Giselle said firmly, “Zee, let the snake inject its venom into Nathan. This venom is potent enough to counteract the toxins in his system. It should temporarily stabilize his vital functions and slow the deterioration of his organs.”
Giselle stopped her and explained gravely, “Otherwise, even if you find the antidote in the end, by then Nathan’s body will be too far gone. He’ll die regardless.”
Hearing Giselle’s words, Zinnia bit her lip hard. She forced down the anguish in her eyes as she wrung her hands desperately in her lap.
Zinnia bit her lip anxiously, worried that Nathan would end up poisoned all over again. She turned to Giselle and asked, “Giselle, can this venom really be cured in the end?”
Zinnia was well aware of Giselle’s venomous creatures. Giselle often ventured into the mountains to catch small creatures and then experimented on them with her own secret concoctions. Every single survivor became deadly poisonous.
“Don’t worry, Zee,” Giselle patted her back reassuringly. “The venom will be neutralized along with the poison already in Nathan’s system.”
The moment the venom entered his system, Nathan’s lips turned deathly pale. Seeing the worry etched on Zinnia’s face, he steadied his voice to assure her, “It’s okay. Don’t worry.”