A Vengeful Ex-Wife
Chapter 79 A Housewife

Colby leaned against his chair and said, "Don't worry. It's not a big deal. If you make it, I won't only take you for shopping. I can even buy a shopping mall for you."

"Wow! That sounds great! Okay, then. I won't take much of your time, Mr. Zheng. I'll get back to work now." Maria took the document and the black card before she stood up and left.

While Colby stared at her receding back, shrewdness flashed across his eyes. It seemed that she was doing everything for his money. But he didn't think she was that simple. So he couldn't help warning himself to be on guard at all times.

The sun was already starting to set outside, but James was still busy in his office. He was signing a document when his phone vibrated. It was a voice call on WeChat. He put down his pen for a moment and pressed the answer button.

As soon as his phone touched his ear, Maria's soft and gentle voice came in. "I have my second condition now. I want to go to Fairview Villa tonight."

He didn't say anything.

She continued, "I'll drop by the supermarket to buy some fresh meats and vegetables. Then I'll cook dinner for you at Fairview Villa tonight. You should be there." "Maria Song, what are you up to this time?" James thought that she was acting so weird.

Maria chuckled. "Don't worry, James. I don't intend to play any tricks on you. Maybe I'm just being nostalgic that I suddenly miss those days we had in Fairview Villa. Besides, you haven't tried to eat something I cook, right? Perhaps you don't know that I'm a good cook. Arthur used to like my corn paste the most. And John has also tried the Chinese and Western dishes I've cooked. You'd been busy with your work and had no time to join us in meals. You've never tasted the dishes I've cooked. But tonight is your chance, so you shouldn't miss it, okay?"

Maria was right. James never had meals with them. Most of the time, he came home late. And he never informed her ahead of time, so she couldn't get a chance to prepare some food for him.

"Don't worry. I won't drug you. If you want, you can even bring some bodyguards with you."

James' brows furrowed as Maria kept on blabbering. He felt like she was a bored housewife nagging on her workaholic husband.

At the thought of it, he couldn't help but smile. Since his mood lightened up all of a sudden, he replied, "Okay."

Maria was so delighted to hear his positive response. She couldn't conceal the happiness in her voice when she asked, "What do you prefer, Chinese or Western food?"

"Anything will do." When the image of Maria's slender hands flashed in his mind, James wasn't expecting that much. He was not that convinced that she could cook well.

"All right. So you have to be self-willed today and knock off on time, okay? No overtime today! " James was a well-known workaholic. He never got off work early. Most of the time, he worked until midnight. Tha was why Maria didn't forget to remind him.

It seemed like there was some kind of irresistible charm in her voice that made him difficult to refuse.

"Hmm," he replied nasally. It was enough for Maria to understand that he agreed to all that she said.

After hanging up, Maria tossed her phone on the bed and picked out a dress from her wardrobe. She then took her bag and walked out of her hotel room.

It was too late to go to the wet market at this time, so she decided to go to the supermarket and bought all the ingredients that she needed. She intended to cook several Chinese and Western dishes to satisfy James. After all, she also believed in the saying, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." When Maria arrived in Fairview Villa, it was already dusk. She surmised that James had informed the security guards that she was coming, so she wasn't worried. As soon as she got out of the taxi, the two security guards greeted her, "Good evening, Ms. Song."

She nodded at them in response, then asked them to take the two big bags of ingredients from the trunk.

While standing and watching the security guard open the gate, Maria looked so calm. But deep inside her, she was very excited. She could even feel that mice were racing inside her chest.

Before, she promised to herself that she would come back to Fairview Villa aboveboard. Now, she felt like she was on the starting line of fulfilling that promise. This time, she could enter the villa without climbing the high walls.

The moment she stood in front of the electronic lock, she excitedly keyed in the passcode she had set six years ago. However, it was incorrect. She tried a few times, but the door couldn't be opened at all. She took out her phone to send a message to James. It was only then that she noticed a new message that was sent to her a few minutes ago. Perhaps she was too exhilarated that she didn't hear her phone. When she opened the message, it was a six-digit number.

The set of numbers were not familiar to her. They were too complicated that if James had not given them to her, she could never figure them out all her life.

Maria typed in the passcode, and the door opened at once. She felt so good that she didn't need to break in like a robber this time.

She pressed the switches in the living room, and it was brightly lit. Looking around, she noticed that everything looked the same as the last time she was here.

Maria couldn't help smiling happily. She took a deep breath and thought inwardly, 'Arthur, Mommy is here to accompany you again.'

James arrived at eight o'clock, driving by himself.

The moment he pushed the door open, he saw Maria, wearing an apron, put a bowl of soup on the table. She heard the sound of the door, so she looked up. Seeing that it was him, she smiled and said, "I knew that you'd come late, so I took a rest before cooking."

Maria untied her apron and hung it on the wall beside the sink.

She then tied up her long hair on the top of her head with a few strands hanging loose on her temples. With her simple burgundy silk strapless dress and a pink scarf she used to cover the bandaged wound on her arm, she looked so enchanting in a unique way.

She walked to the fridge, took out some bottles of cold beer, and put them on the table.

James changed into his house slippers, put his jacket aside, and walked towards the dining room.

He noticed that there were six different dishes and a bowl of soup on the table. They were a combination of meats and vegetables, and they all looked really mouthwatering.

It was his first time to see the dining table of the villa set with cuisines from different countries. It was as if they were having a feast.

Maria picked up a shrimp using the chopsticks, walked up to him, and put it in front of his mouth. "Shrimp seasoned with lime and lemongrass. Try this one first." It was a Thai dish in which she made the fresh lime and lemongrass sauce by herself.

James didn't open his mouth. Instead, he just stared at her with his deep eyes for a long time, motionless.

Maria didn't insist. She withdrew the chopsticks and was about to put the shrimp in her mouth when he suddenly said, "I'll eat that."

James grabbed her hand and ate the shrimp. While chewing, he said, "I'll just wash my hands.

Maria gave him a sullen look. When she offered the shrimp to him, he didn't even react. But when she was about to eat it, he just snatched it from her. Would the food taste better that way?

After swallowing up the shrimp, he finally uttered, "Good!" He then turned around and went to wash his hands before Maria could even react.

She watched his tall back, still stunned. She was wondering if he appreciated her cooking.

When James returned to the dining table, Maria had already sat down and filled the two bowls with soup. He saw a set of tableware opposite her, so he took that seat casually.

"This is chicken soup with matsutake mushroom.

I cooked it in a clay pot, so it has a special taste. Have some," Maria said as she put the bowl in front of him. She was like a dutiful wife serving her husband.

James picked up a soup spoon. He was about to taste the soup when she reminded her in a soft tone, "It's still hot. Be careful not to scald your tongue."

He looked at her and said lightly, "Thanks."

Maria put her soup aside and started putting some dishes on James' plate. "This is Chinese yam with osmanthus syrup. I soaked it in Sprite for two hours and then sprinkled it with the osmanthus syrup. This is Cooper's favorite dish."

Cooper Xi was James' favorite younger brother, who was now studying in the US.

Upon hearing his brother's name, James' hand holding the spoon froze in midair. He suddenly remembered that Cooper got along with Maria very well. They were so close that even Judy had thought that something was going on between them. She even snitched on Maria to James.

James lowered his head and drank the soup, trying to hide the complex emotions in his eyes.