Chapter 528
“Eat smore, Nathan said gently as he placed a peeled shrimp on Zinnia’s plate.
£85 Richers
Zinnia noticed Nathan's plate was empty. He hadn't eaten much, while she was the only one eating. “You should
eat more, too, Nathan.”
Then Zinnia picked up a piece of lamb chops with her fork and placed it on Nathan's plate. “Con. Eat more
of this,” she said. Looking at Nathan's gaunt frame, she lowered her gaze.
Ever since Nathan's health started deteriorating, his appetite had significantly decreased.
“Alright, Ill eat more. You should eat more, too, Zinnia.” Nathan lowered his head, gazing at the meat on his
plate. His eyes narrowed slightly as he picked it up with his fork and forced himself to take a bite.
Nathan picked up the glass of orange juice and took a small sip, trying to suppress the nausea rising in his
throat. Then he asked gently, “What would you like for a Christmas gift this year?”
Zinnia shook her head. “I don’t want any Christmas gifts,” she replied. What she truly wished for was for Nathan
to get well.
Zinnia used to look forward to Christmas, but not anymore. Now, its arrival only reminded her that Nathan's time
was running out.
Nathan said casually, “It’s Christmas Eve, Zinnia, Con. Let's have sholiday cheer! With all this tasty
food, you can’t find a single dish that makes you happy? If that’s the case, then | guess all this food is pretty
pointless, huh?”
“Seriously? They can’t even talk. How could they possibly cheerup?” Zinnia chuckled at his playfully
disappointed tone.
Just as they were chatting, there was a commotion outside the yard. “Hey, Nathan, are you and Zinnia home?”
someone called from outside.
“Hey, Zee. Are you guys home?” Chandler asked.
“I'll go check who's at the door,” Zinnia said, rising to her feet and heading outside.
Nathan stood up as well, following closely behind her.
“Hey, Nathan, Zee, are you home?”
“How cZee didn’t set off any fireworks this year? Did they leave again?”
“I don’t think so. | haven't seen them go out. Maybe something happened to Nathan and Zee? Zee doesn’t seem
her usual cheerful self.”
“I haven't seen Zee and Nathan since they got back. Nathan looks so much thinner now.”
The voices outside were a jumble, but every word was filled with genuine concern for Zinnia and Nathan.
11:25 Thu, Oct 16 m
Chapter 328
Zinnia and Nathan reached the yard door together, and Zinnia opened it.
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“Chandler, Tessa, Noreen, Fiona, and Giselle. What brings you all here?” Surprise flickered in Zinnia’s eyes as she
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtrecognized the familiar faces outside.
Chandler, Tessa, and the others were carrying a steaming homemade dish. All of them are neighbors from the
small town.
Seeing Zinnia, Fiona stepped forward, playfully pinched her cheek, and grumbled, “Zee, you were hall
along. We kept calling you to hang out, but you never came.
“What's wrong? Did going back to your parents make you look down on us now? You didn’t even tell us you were
back.”
She was holding Zinnia’s favorite potato salad in one hand and dragging a suitcase with the other.
Zinnia’s eyes lit up with surprise. “Fiona, you're back!”
Fiona shot her a playful glance. “I had to cback, or you two might've forgotten all about me.”
Right then, Zinnia beamed with joy as a group of children swarmed around her, chattering away. Sslipped
candies into her hands. Others offered her fruit, and a few even pressed small presents into her palms.
“Zinnia, Merry Christmas! Wishing you lots of happiness in the coming year.”
“Zinnia, will there be fireworks this year? | want to see the sparkly ones that shoot up and burst into patterns in
the sky!”
“Merry Christmas, Zinnia! Here's a present for you. | hope you stay happy all year long.”
“Zinnia, more fish and shrimp are in the creek this year. When you have time, let's go catch stogether.”
Surrounded by the excited children, Zinnia laughed and said, “Yes, there will be plenty of fireworks this year! I'll
bring them out for you later, and once I'm done here, I'll cplay with you all.”
Zinnia had an adorable face and a warm, generous personality, making her the favorite playmate of all the
children in the small town.
Watching Zinnia suddenly liven up, Nathan's expression softened with warmth.
“Giselle, take it easy,” Nathan said, hurrying over to support her as she walked in.
Balancing a dish in her hands, Giselle beamed at him. “Don’t worry about me. I'm still strong. | invited you to my
place for dinner, and you wouldn't come, so here | am, bringing the food to you!”
“Nathan, you've lost weight again, haven't you?” Giselle looked at the slender young man beside her, her kind
eyes brimming with concern.
“No, Giselle. You always say that every tyou see me,” Nathan replied gently, helping her carry the dish and
steadying her.
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Chapter 528
“Nathan, we're here to join you for dinner today. Hope you don’t mind us,” Tessa said with a grin.
“Not at all! Tessa, Chandler, and everyone, please cright in. Nathan replied warmly.
Noreen peered into the yard and asked, “Zee, do we have enough tables? Can everyone fit in?”
“Absolutely! Zinnia nodded eagerly. “Plenty of tables. There's room for all of us.”
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“Con, everyone. Grab the tables and chairs. We're all eating together tonight.” Alfred bustled into the yard,
calling out to the people behind him.
It was a lively bunch that showed up,
everyone bringing a dish they had
made at home. Eveq 6g lite dred
wha pahre@iong packed pistachios,
sweets, cookies, sodas, and
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“After all, a family reunion dinner is meant for the whole family. This year, let's all eat together,” Chandler said
with a cheerful grin.
Zinnia and Nathan grew up in this small town, where the villagers treated them like their own children. Over the
years, various families had welcomed them to their Christmas dinner tables.
Last year, they had Christmas dinner at Chandler's place. This year, however, Nathan politely declined their
invitation.
After talking it over, Chandler and the
neighbors all agreed to show up at
: : )
Zinnia and Nathan's door VaththElr
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homemadeXdishes. They couldn't let
the two of them spend Christmas
dinner alone. After all, this meal was
meant to be shared with family. The
content is on novelenglish.net! Read
the latest chapter there!
In the spacious yard, tables were pushed together to form a long table. It was covered with dishes brought by
every family.
“Zee, you haven't grown any taller this year! Eat up. At your age, you might still shoot up a few inches. So have
a bit more, okay?” Fiona said.
Zinnia was seated at the kids’ table, with Fiona beside her.
Fiona’s brow furrowed in concern as she looked at the petite, thin girl Zinnia beside her. She thought, ‘Zinnia
must have suffered while she was out. Her cheeks have lost their plumpness.
“Fiona, if you're expectingto grow as tall as you, that’s probably not happening,” Zinnia said, turning to look
at Fiona beside her.
With her striking and elegant features and standing at 5’9“, Fiona had developed an assertive demeanor from
years of working at the law firm.
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Fiona pinched Zinnia's thin cheek and
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teased, “Why not? Eat more, and you
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“I'm doing okay,” Zinnia protested, not feeling like she'd lost any weight.
Right then, Simon, Giselle’s grandson, stood up and ladled a bowl of soup for Zinnia. He said warmly, “You've
11:25 Thu, Oct 16
Chapter 328
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gotten so thin. Zinnia Before you left, your cheeks were all round and full, but now, after just half a year. they're
all gone
“This is my grandma’s homemade chicken soup. She started simmering it early this morning with carrot and
celery stalks. Eat up. Zinnia
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