Yannis lowered his gaze, his eyes lingering on Zinniaโs lips. Her lips looked pale, as if all the color had suddenly drained from them, and her eyes werenโt right eitherโthere was a hint of moisture in them.
Yannis' gaze darkened slightly.
Zinnia felt a bit nervous as Yannis' searching gaze lingered on her for too long. She lowered her head and whispered, โYannis, Iโm hungry.โ
โHere you go,โ Yannis said, placing the bowl in front of her. He had made a creamy sweet corn soup that was not only delicious but also good for her health.
Zinnia wrapped one hand around the bowl and gently stirred the steaming soup with a spoon in the other.
Yannis took a seat beside her.
Zinnia blew on the soup to cool it down, then scooped some corn and popped it into her mouth.
โYannis, why do you keep staring at me like that?โ Zinnia couldnโt ignore his intense gaze, no matter how hard she tried. She spoke as she chewed the corn slowly, taking her time.
Yannis smiled and said, โBecause youโre my precious girl.โ
He looked at her, his gaze shifting to the hand holding the bowl. The style of the bow on her wrist had changed.
Yannis remembered tying it for her. The right loop had been bigger than the left, but now the left was bigger than the right.
โSheโs retied it, and the medicinal scent on her hand has grown stronger,โ he mused.
โDonโt say it like thatโas if youโll never see me again.โ Swallowing the bite in her mouth, Zinnia scooped up another spoonful of sweet soup and met Yannis' gaze.
Yannis didnโt want to hear her talk like that. He said firmly, โDonโt say things like that.โ
โAlright, I wonโt say it,โ Zinnia murmured. She ducked her head and focused on her food.
Having drained some blood, Zinnia felt unwell.
She had no idea how much more blood itโd take to get the seed to sprout. โFor now, I need to take care of myself; I canโt let my health fail,โ she thought.
Zinnia had barely eaten anything at lunch today, her appetite completely gone.
But now, as she saw the first signs of progress after such a long standstill, Zinnia felt she could finally breathe a little easier.
Yannis almost instantly sensed the shift in Zinniaโs mood. The tension between her brows had visibly eased.
Yannis glanced at Zinnia and said, โZinnia, about that seedโthe research institute just developed a new growth accelerator. I was thinking of letting them test it.โ
There was only one seedโunique and pricelessโand Zinnia always kept it with her. If anyone from the research institute or any of the experts needed it, they had to request it directly from her.
Zinnia couldnโt bring herself to trust anyone else with the seed. Only when it was in her own hands did she feel secure.
Even in her sleep, she would clutch it tightly, waking up in the middle of the night just to make sure it was still there.
โYannis, Iโm trying a new method with the seed, so I canโt give it to them for now.โ Zinnia lowered her lashes, her fingers pausing slightly on the spoon.
She was still nurturing the seed, so she couldnโt hand it over. And now that the seed was showing changes, Zinnia didnโt need their growth accelerator anymore.
Yannis asked, โWhat kind of experiment is it, Zinnia? Can you tell me about it?โ
Yannis frowned slightly as he glanced again at Zinniaโs bandaged hand, catching a faint metallic scent of blood in the air.
Because of his childhood trauma, he was especially sensitive to the smell of blood.
โZinnia must be hiding something from us,โ Yannis thought to himself.
โNot yet, Yannis. Iโll tell you once I confirm this method actually works.โ Zinnia couldnโt bring herself to meet Yannis' eyes. She quickly averted her gaze.
He was too sharp; Zinnia was afraid Yannis would notice something was off.
Watching Yannis' eyes drift to her hand, Zinnia instinctively pressed her palm against the side of the bowl, trying to hide it.
Yannis acted as if he hadnโt noticed anything amiss. โMm,โ he replied casually.
โDoes it taste good?โ Yannis asked again.
โItโs delicious,โ Zinnia mumbled as she popped some more corn into her mouth, her voice soft and sweet.
Yannis really was an amazing cook. Heโd been the one making all her meals these past few days.
Yannis asked gently, โAnything else youโre craving? Iโll make it for you tonight.โ
Yannis' heart skipped a beat at the sound of Zinniaโs soft, sweet voice. It had been ages since theyโd had a real conversation like this.
Ever since Nathanโs incident, sheโd been weighed down by worry. She spoke little, rarely smiled, and seemed to have no energy for anything, not even meals or daily tasks.
Zinnia took a sip of soup, her thoughts moving sluggishly. โI wantโฆ some meat,โ she murmured as she looked up at Yannis, blinking her big, dewy eyes.
โWhat kind of meat would you like, sweetie?โ Yannis hadnโt heard that drowsy, honeyed tone from her in ages. As he looked at her face, he suddenly noticed a faint pink flush creeping across her cheeks.
Yannis reached out and touched her cheek. โZinnia, are you feeling unwell?โ
Her face was burning hot. It was obvious that something was wrong. Concern instantly surfaced in Yannis' gaze.
โUnwell? No, I guess.โ Seeing the concern in Yannis' eyes, Zinnia tilted her head in tipsy confusion.
She thought she was feeling okay right now. As she spoke, she cradled the bowl in both hands and took a slow sip of the sweet soup.
โItโs so goodโฆ Do you want some?โ Zinnia mumbled.
After she took a sip, her pale lips glistened with moisture. Clutching the bowl with both hands, she offered it to Yannis.
Her eyes sparkled with eagerness to share, her expression that of a good girl seeking praise.
โThank you for sharing, Zinnia.โ Yannis took the bowl and brought it closer, catching the sweet, rich aroma of white wine.
An absurd thought struck him. โCould she really be tipsy from that tiny bit of white wine I added?โ
โDonโt be shy. Drink up! Itโs so good,โ Zinnia giggled. Her cheeks flushed pink at his praise, and she gave his hand a little push, urging him to take a sip.
Under Zinniaโs eager gaze, Yannis took the bowl and sipped from it.
She had already eaten most of the corn, leaving only a little soup at the bottom.
Zinnia hadnโt been getting much rest lately, so Yannis added a little extra white wine to the soup, hoping it would help her relax and sleep better that afternoon.
He had never thought that just a hint of wine would get her tipsy.
Zinnia leaned in close, her face just inches from his. She murmured sweetly, โYannis, does it taste good?โ
Fresh from her sweet soup, her breathโsoft and sugaryโbrushed gently against his skin as she suddenly closed the distance.
Realizing she was tipsy, Yannis steadied her with a hand at her waist to keep her from falling. โItโs delicious. Want some more, Zinnia?โ Yannis lowered his gaze to study the little girl. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were drowsy and innocent. She was unmistakably tipsy.
Yannis had served her a full bowl of soup, and Zinnia had finished almost all of it. There was barely a sip left at the bottom.
She was surely more than a little tipsy by now.
โIโm doneโฆ You have it,โ Zinnia murmured with a tipsy smile. Sheโd had enough.
Seeing she wouldnโt have any more, Yannis finished the remaining soup himself.
He set the bowl aside and looked down at her. โZinnia, you seem a little happier today. Did something good happen?โ
Yannis gazed at her, noticing how her eyes sparkled with excitement. It struck him that it had been ages since heโd last seen that clear, bright look in her eyes. For the first time in a long while, she actually seemed a little happier.
Zinnia took a long moment to process his words, murmuring drowsily to herself, โSomething good, hmmโฆ Something goodโฆโ
Deep down, Zinnia felt a little happy today. She blurted out, her voice sweet and tipsy, โYeah! Something good happened to me today.โ
Yannis continued, โSo, what good thing happened? Will you tell me?โ