Chapter 332
โWhat is it, Zinnia?โ Nathan gently placed the peeled orange segments in her palm.
โNathan, letโs go see Giselle,โ Zinnia said, looking at him with purpose in her eyes.
Nathan looked puzzled. โWhy should I see Giselle?โ
With that, Zinnia and Nathan left their courtyard and headed to Giselleโs place.
Nathan didnโt really believe in such things, but seeing the worry in Zinniaโs eyes, he finally agreed to accompany her to see Giselle.
When they arrived at Giselleโs 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 hadnโt 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, โZinnia, Nathan!โ
โThere you are! Come and sit,โ Giselle said to them with a warm, affectionate smile.
Zinnia responded warmly, โMerry Christmas, Giselle!โ
Giselle beamed and urged warmly, โMerry Christmas! Zinnia and Nathan, come sit down.โ Giselle turned to Simon beside her and said kindly, โSimon, 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.โ
โOkay!โ Simon chirped, scampering off to the kitchen.
โCome here, you two.โ Giselle beckoned warmly, motioning for them to sit.
Zinnia and Nathan walked over and took their seats beside Giselle.
โGiselle, we came to ask for your help,โ Zinnia said urgently, her voice trembling. She could barely contain her anxiety. Just thinking about Nathanโs condition made her eyes well up with tears.
Seeing Zeeโs eyes turn red with tears, Giselle gently stroked her cheek and said kindly, โZee, you mustnโt cry on Christmas Day. Iโm here, so donโt be afraid.โ
Hearing Giselleโs words, Zinnia paused for a moment and then pouted, her lips trembling with a hint of grievance. โGiselleโฆโ
Giselle gently patted Zeeโs back and soothed her, โDonโt cry, sweetheart. If you cry now, youโll cry all year. Donโt worry. Iโm here.โ
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. โNathan, when you left five years ago, I told you that you would face a great trial, but you wouldnโt listen to me.โ
Zinnia listened to Giselle and turned to Nathan in surprise. โHow could I not have known about this?โ she thought.
Nathan knitted his brows and said firmly, โGiselle, I canโt let my parentsโ murder go unavenged even if it costs me my life.โ
Within five years, Giselle performed divination for Nathan and warned him, โIf you leave home, you will surely encounter a life-threatening calamity.โ But Nathan would never give up avenging his parentsโ 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.
โLet me see your hand,โ Giselle said, studying Nathan intently.
Nathan extended his hand, and Giselleโs aged, dry yet warm fingertips came to rest on his wrist.
After carefully checking Nathanโs pulse, Giselle looked up, her eyes wide with shock. โYour bodyโฆโ
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 Nathanโs physical condition.
Her eyes flashed with rare anger as she scolded, โNathan, you let your body get this bad, and only now you come back? Donโt you care about your life at all?โ
Giselle looked at Nathan, the boy sheโd watched grow up, with a mix of frustration and affection.
Nathan gave her a gentle smile. โPlease donโt be upset, Giselle. Your health comes first.โ
Giselle glared at Nathan, her voice trembling with anger. โYour condition is this bad. Your senses are already fading, and only now do you come back? If you really donโt care about your own life, how can I possibly not be angry with you?โ
Nathan had left home in perfect health, but he came back barely alive. Giselle was naturally angry about it.
Zinniaโs eyes lit up with hope. โGiselle, does this mean thereโs still hope for Nathan?โ
Seeing Zinnia, Giselleโs expression softened. โThereโs still hope for now.โ
โGiselle, Nathanโs condition is critical right now. We have a universal antidote formula, but one crucial ingredient is still missing. Iโm afraid he may not hold out until we find it,โ Zinnia said.
โIs there any other way? Weโre not even sure if that antidote will work,โ Zinnia added, her eyes shining with desperate hope.
Giselle rubbed the bracelet on her wrist, a solemn look replacing her usual kindness. She said, โThat formula works.โ
โReally? That formula actually works?โ Zinniaโs heart leaped with excitement as she heard Giselleโs 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. โYes, it works.โ
Zinniaโs eyes dimmed with disappointment. โGiselle, thereโs one ingredient we still canโt find. Weโre not even sure if it really exists. Could you divine where we might find it?โ
Giselle seemed to have anticipated her question. She gently rolled the prayer beads on her wrist, gazing intently at Nathan. โFrom the southwest,โ she murmured, โthe fated one will come.โ
Zinnia couldnโt make sense of this cryptic answer. โWhat does that even mean?โ she wondered, unable to decipher its hidden meaning.
Nathan fell into deep thought. Zinnia couldnโt help but ask, โGiselle, do you mean the ingredient is in the southwest?โ
Honestly, neither Zinnia nor Nathan dared to pin all their hopes on it. If they couldnโt find it, then everything would be in vain.
โDonโt worry too much, Zee,โ Giselle gently stroked her head. โEverything will work out just fine.โ
โHold out your hand,โ 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 Nathanโs brow furrowed slightly.
โNathan!โ Zinnia cried out in alarm, instinctively reaching to pull the snake away.
Giselle said firmly, โZee, 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.โ
Giselle stopped her and explained gravely, โOtherwise, even if you find the antidote in the end, by then Nathanโs body will be too far gone. Heโll die regardless.โ
Hearing Giselleโs 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, โGiselle, can this venom really be cured in the end?โ
Zinnia was well aware of Giselleโs 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.
โDonโt worry, Zee,โ Giselle patted her back reassuringly. โThe venom will be neutralized along with the poison already in Nathanโs system.โ
The moment the venom entered his system, Nathanโs lips turned deathly pale. Seeing the worry etched on Zinniaโs face, he steadied his voice to assure her, โItโs okay. Donโt worry.โ