Chapter 3813

Most women gain weight during pregnancy, but look at Serenity. She only has a baby bump—there’s not much extra weight on her,” Grandma commented, expressing her concern.
Zachary chuckled lightly, saying, “Grandma, as soon as you see Serenity, you point fingers at me.”
Grandma could be quite unreasonable at times.
Serenity stepped in to defend him, saying, “Grandma, don’t blame Zachary. I haven’t lost weight; I just haven’t gained much. I don’t want to put on too much weight—it’ll be tough to lose later.”
Serenity was aware of her sister Liberty’s struggles after giving birth to Sonny. Liberty had not managed her weight well and ended up gaining more over time.
Serenity was determined not to let that happen to her. Even though Zachary assured her he’d never act like Hank, she still preferred to stay fit.
“Regardless, you’re not overweight. Eat more if you can. Go on and have something now; don’t stay hungry,” Grandma urged, worried Serenity might skip eating due to the conversation. Turning to others, she added, “Young Master Bucham, Miss Caron, please excuse me for a moment.”
Kiera smiled and nodded as Zachary led Serenity to the dining table.
He sat across from her, watching her eat. There was also a bowl of nourishing soup, but Serenity only drank a single serving before stopping.
“You should at least have another half bowl of soup,” Zachary coaxed. “Otherwise, Grandma will scold me again, thinking I’m mistreating you.”
He tried to pour more, but Serenity quickly pulled the bowl away, declining, “No, I’m full. If I eat any more, I’ll feel too bloated to have dinner.”

“Don’t take Grandma’s words too seriously,” Zachary reassured her. “She doesn’t mean any harm and doesn’t really blame me.” Grandma genuinely cared for Serenity, and since Serenity had joined their family, Grandma’s affection had noticeably increased.

“Grandma dotes on you more than me now,” Zachary teased, pretending to be jealous. “When the baby arrives, I might be completely sidelined.”

Serenity laughed. “Jealous, are you? My sister is coming back soon. She’s always so nice to you; won’t that make me jealous?”

“Impossible! Your sister adores you the most and treats me well only because she wants me to be good to you. She understands our relationship—any disagreements we have are just minor.”

Serenity playfully warned him, “Just don’t go complaining about me to her.”

Zachary chuckled, “Well, even if your parents are gone, I still have your aunt to talk to when I need to vent.”

Serenity rolled her eyes, speechless.

“It’s because you sometimes ignore my advice and do risky things,” he added, prompting another sigh from Serenity. Why had she married a man who liked running to her family to complain?

“I’ll only talk to your sister when you leave me feeling completely misunderstood,” he said with a grin. Serenity shook her head, speechless once again.

Serenity shook her head, once again at a loss for words. “Are you sure you don’t want more food, darling? I made all of this just for you,” she said. “How can I eat all of this?” she replied. “You prepared so many dishes that I’m already full after sampling a bit of each and having some soup.”

When Serenity stood to clear the dishes, Zachary stopped her. “Leave it to me. Go and chat with Grandma. Josh and Jasmine are joining us for dinner tonight. Since you made this nourishing soup, let’s share it with Jasmine.”

The thought of her good friend’s visit brightened Serenity’s mood. At least someone else would help finish the healthy meal she had been trying to avoid!