?Chapter 1036:


    Chris remembered the time Maia had been drugged by Vince, and the intense, intimate moments that had followed.


    He couldn’t resist and let out a wide grin. “Maia, I never thought your handwriting could be this beautiful. Just like you—absolutely stunning.”


    Maia shot him a quick look andughed softly. “Cut the ttery. I didn’t think anyone would be sneaking up behind me like that.”<fn972d> The source of th?s content is fι?dnοvel</fn972d>


    Chris gave Maia a sheepish grin and shrugged. “You can’t put this on me… I didn’t mean to. The moment I got near, your handwriting just pulled me in.” He then steered the conversation elsewhere. “By the way, what were you scribbling on that paper a moment ago?”


    Peering at the paper again, he frowned slightly. “Why does it read like a list of ingredients? Do you need me to buy all of them?”


    He noticed that at the bottom of the paper, there seemed to be some cooking methods listed.


    “Congrattions! You guessed right. This is indeed a shopping list for you, Chris,” Maia replied, passing the paper over. “I know you might be tied up for the next few days. I need you to whip up three portions each day, just like my notes and methods suggest.”


    Chris quickly put two and two together—Maia wanted Ethan and Marisa to enjoy these meals too. Maybe putting all these ingredients together would make something truly wholesome.


    “Maia, what exactly are these?” he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.


    “And some of these seem medicinal… like ginseng, right?”


    “Exactly!” Maia’s eyes lit up. “I didn’t think you’d recognize them. I’ll exin then. This is a kind of herbal cooking. It taps into the nutrients of natural nts to boost health and speed recovery. I refined it from medical texts and old manuscripts.”


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    Hearing that, Chris stared at Maia, disbelief written all over his face.


    “So… the meals you had me eat before were this kind of herbal cooking too? Is that why I bounced back so fast?”


    Back then, he had assumed his quick recovery was just his good constitution. He had never realized it was really Maia’s silent efforts behind the scenes. A wave of emotion hit Chris suddenly, and his eyes lingered on Maia more intensely than before.


    “Yeah. This recipe is basically the same asst time,” Maia continued, unaware of Chris’ shift in demeanor. “But I’ve made some tweaks. And your feedback helped fine-tune it. After all, you were the first one to try it.”


    Chris let out a smallugh. “So… does that make me your guinea pig?”


    “Do you mind?” Maia asked.


    “Not at all!” Chris answered with sincerity. “Actually… I feel pretty honored.”


    Midnight came around faster than Chris expected. At Maia’s urging, he headed back to Elysium Apartments. Barely had he stepped through the door when a bill from his subordinatesnded in his hands. The number was staggering, with five zeros trailing behind it.


    Chris’ eyes went wide. “These medicinal herbs cost this much?!”


    And that wasn’t even the full total; several herbs were still missing from the purchase.


    As he thought it over, he realized the herbal meals Maia had cooked for him before must have easily run into hundreds of thousands, too. A swirl of emotions churned inside him.


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