Chapter 351

Yannis gazed at the wound on Zinnia’s palm, his eyes filled with raw concern. He gently applied the Moon Scar Cream to Zinnia’s, then took a fresh roll of gauze and carefully rewrapped it. He couldn’t stop her, nor did he have any right to. Deep down, he actually hoped Nathan got better soon, too. If anything happened to Nathan, Zinnia would never be happy again in her life.

Yannis couldn’t help but gently brush his fingers over her bandaged palm, lowering his gaze to conceal the emotions within. He couldn’t really help her. All he could do was clean up the mess. Yannis looked at her gently and said, “Get some rest now.”

“Alright,” Zinnia replied.

Zinnia let another 20 milliliters of blood flow – just enough to submerge the seed. She leaned back on the daybed, feeling slightly dizzy. Her lips were pale, and the bit of color she’d regained that afternoon had faded, leaving her face wan once more.

“At least Nathan’s too weak to leave his bed,” Yannis thought. If Nathan could get out of bed and so much as see Zinnia’s state, there’s no way they could keep it from him.

Zinnia looked at Yannis and pleaded, “Yannis, please don’t tell Jackson and the others about this.”

“Jackson and Nathan must never find out about this. They would definitely be furious if they found out, and this would never work,” Zinnia thought. Nathan would never allow this. He’d rather die than let her hurt herself.

“You’re making me your accomplice in this. When Jackson and Nathan find out later, I’ll be scolded right alongside you,” Yannis sighed and looked at her.

“A few scoldings won’t kill you. I know you won’t mind, Yannis.” Seeing his aggrieved expression, Zinnia’s eyes curved into crescents. She grinned and said, “Well, since you found out, you’re stuck being my partner in crime. If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t be getting scolded.”

“Oh, you,” Yannis sighed helplessly.

He thought to himself, ‘Ever since I got caught up in this girl’s crazy schemes, there’s never been a way out for me. Trouble just keeps piling up, one thing after another.’ For the first twenty-something years of his life, he lived completely carefree and never had to worry about a thing. Ever since he met Zinnia, there hadn’t been a single day without worries.

“Yannis, you’re the best,” Zinnia beamed, her eyes sparkling with affection.

Yannis’ face darkened. “No playing cute with me. You mustn’t hide anything from me." His only demand was that she never keep anything from him. He could help her keep secrets from others, but she must never hide anything from him.

“Okay,” Zinnia replied softly.

She wasn’t feeling well, so she rested upstairs for a bit while Yannis went downstairs to make dinner.

Yannis opened the door to find Jackson coming up from the second floor. Jackson asked with concern, “Is Zinnia still in the home lab?” His worried gaze drifted toward the home lab.

Yannis nodded. “Yeah, let Zinnia stay in the home lab. She’ll feel more at ease there.”

Jackson asked again, “Any updates from the research center? Have they come up with any solutions yet?”

Yannis let out a weary sigh. “Still no breakthroughs for now.”

As Yannis and Jackson made their way downstairs to the second floor, they noticed that Nathan’s door was closed. Jackson asked with concern, "How's Nathan doing?”

Jackson said, “This afternoon, Zinnia prepared a herbal bath remedy for him. He soaked in it for half an hour, and he’s now asleep.” They’ve split the caretaking duties – each tending to one.

Jackson’s eyes clouded with concern as he thought about Zinnia’s condition. “Yannis, keep encouraging Zinnia to take it easy. We’ll definitely find a way.”

“Okay,” Yannis murmured.

Once dinner was ready, Zinnia finally made her way downstairs.

“Zinnia, you look pale. Are you feeling unwell?” Jackson asked with concern as he noticed her wan complexion.

Zinnia managed a faint smile. “Not really. Probably just tired lately. It’s nothing.”

“Don’t worry too much about Nathan. We’ll definitely find a way,” Jackson said gently. He understood how much Zinnia worried about Nathan, but all he could offer were these empty reassurances.

“I know, Jackson,” Zinnia replied softly.

“Here, have some soup,” Yannis said, ladling out a bowl of chicken soup for her.

Zinnia took the bowl and obediently took a couple of sips. “Okay.”

After finishing her soup, Zinnia helped herself to some meat.

Jackson’s eyes lit up with joy as he noticed Zinnia’s improved appetite. “Zinnia, you’re eating much better now.”

Lately, Zinnia had lost her usual enthusiasm for food, no longer picking her favorite dishes with delight. Instead, she’d just nibble enough to stave off hunger, which worried Yannis and Jackson terribly. But with her worries unresolved, Zinnia remained heavy-hearted and couldn’t eat properly. Today, she ate heartily, as if her usual appetite had finally returned.

“Guess I’m a little hungry,” Zinnia said, popping a shrimp into her mouth with a grin.

Yannis lowered his gaze and gently placed more food into her bowl. Zinnia had to make herself eat properly now, whether she wanted to or not. Otherwise, her body wouldn’t be able to take the abuse.

Jackson’s gaze once again fell on the bandage covering Zinnia’s hand. “Zinnia, how serious is your injury? If it’s bad, we should get a physician to look at it right away.” This afternoon, when Zinnia went to check on Nathan in his room, Yannis and Nathan just assumed she’d gotten a small cut while tidying up. They weren’t sure how serious it really was, but when Yannis said it was just a minor injury that had already been treated, they felt relieved. Jackson’s concern grew as he noticed Zinnia’s hand was still bandaged after a full day. ‘That wound must be more serious than she’s letting on,’ he thought.

Zinnia glanced at the wound on her palm, her voice calm. “It’s not that serious. I just couldn’t help picking at it. It’ll heal in a few days.”

Yannis chimed in, “It’s nothing serious. She just tends to accidentally bump or knock it without noticing, so I wrapped it up with some gauze for protection.”

Their perfectly coordinated act finally made Jackson drop the subject. Jackson reminded them, “Make sure you change the dressing on time and be careful not to bump or hurt it again. Yannis, keep a closer eye on Zinnia for me, alright?”

Zinnia rolled her eyes and said with a helpless smile, “Jackson, I’m not a little kid anymore. I can take care of myself, you know.”

Yannis replied, “Alright.”

“Alright, you two take your time. I’m going to bring Nathan his dinner,” said Jackson.

Remembering that Nathan upstairs hadn’t eaten yet, Jackson quickly finished his own meal, then picked up the tray prepared especially for Nathan and headed upstairs. Nathan was currently too weak to even get out of bed, let alone join them for dinner. They always brought his meals up to Nathan’s room.

Once Jackson left, Zinnia finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Zinnia thought to herself, “I rarely lie, to begin with. Especially now that I’m hiding something this huge – I don’t even dare imagine how furious Jackson and Nathan would be if they ever found out.”

Zinnia picked up her chicken soup and took another sip to steady herself. “Phew… Jackson’s questioning really puts me on edge,” she muttered.

Yannis shot her a sideways glance. “So you’re nervous about Jackson grilling you, but you’re not the least bit afraid of me?”

“I can’t help but feel that Zinnia isn’t even a little afraid of making me angry,” Yannis thought.

“Of course, I’m not afraid. I know you’d never get mad at me. You always take my side,” Zinnia said with a playful grin, her brows arching. She wasn’t scared; she knew Yannis would never be angry with her. Even if he did get mad, he’d just end up cheering himself up anyway.

Yannis asked, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll get mad at you?” He thought to himself, a bit surprised, “So she actually trusts me?”

Zinnia looked at Yannis, her eyes dancing with mirth. “I just knew you wouldn’t have the heart to be angry with me.”

Ever since she met Yannis, he’d always had a soft spot for her.