[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260322F482CA-412":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},412,64,"Chapter 64: \"If Only I Could Take the Pain For You\"","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The brown sugar water sat in her own mug, radiating a steady, stifling heat. The sweet, heavy scent clung to the air.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell set the mug down in front of her. \"It’s scalding. Let it cool a bit before you drink.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Okay.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">As he moved away, Arianna noticed a large, dark shadow on the back of his shirt. When he’d first stood up to fix the drink, she’d assumed it was just the dim lighting in the room playing tricks on her eyes. But now, as he paced, the patch remained perfectly still, unchanging as he moved through the shadows.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When he sat back down, she reached out and touched the spot.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The fabric was damp. Her fingertips came away slick.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You're drenched,\" Arianna blurted out, her voice filled with sudden alarm.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The words were barely out before she felt like an idiot. It was a humid summer evening, well over ninety degrees, and the room was stifling. They hadn’t turned on the AC, and the only ventilation came from a tiny window crack, letting in a whisper of night air that did nothing to cut through the oppressive heat. The steam rising from the kettle on the table only made the room feel heavier.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna started to stand up, but Maxwell caught her hand. \"Where are you going?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"To turn on the AC.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Are you hot?\" Maxwell looked up at her, his voice softening. \"You said you were freezing just a moment ago.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna nodded. \"I'm... I'm a bit warm now.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell didn't answer. He stared at her, his dark eyes searching, as if trying to dissect her expression to see if she was lying. His gaze was deep, ink-black, and swirling with hidden currents—the kind of look that could pull you under if you weren't careful.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna forced herself to hold his gaze.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The silence hung between them for several seconds, stretched thin and taut, until the doorbell cut through it. Without a word, Maxwell rose from the sofa to answer it.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When he returned, he was carrying a heavy takeout bag with a familiar receipt stapled to the corner. Arianna blinked. She had completely forgotten about the delivery she’d ordered earlier.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She opened her mouth to say, *Oh, that must be my food,* but then her gaze caught the size of the bag. It was far too big. She’d only ordered a single bowl of porridge, not this mountain of containers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Did they get the order wrong?\" she asked tentatively. \"I didn't order all this.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell placed the bag on the table and began unpacking it with calm, deliberate movements. \"I did.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"When did you order this?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna was baffled. He had been right in front of her since he arrived; she hadn't seen him touch his phone.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"On the way over,\" Maxwell said, uncovering a flurry of dishes. \"Eat first. We’ll turn on the AC after.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Seeing her bewildered expression, he smiled. \"You've been starving yourself for hours. You need real food to keep your strength up. If you turn on the AC right now while you're this run-down, you'll catch a cold.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She had always been struck by his thoughtfulness, but this was on another level. She murmured a quiet \"okay\" and pulled herself to the table.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">What followed was even more overwhelming. The table was filled with steamed sea bass, blanched shrimp, steamed pork ribs with taro, beef pot roast... The dishes were incredibly fresh and aromatic, yet refined—no heavy scallions or hot chili oils. They were cooked to highlight the natural flavor of the ingredients.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna sat there in a daze until Maxwell slowly unwrapped a pair of chopsticks, handed them to her, and then grabbed his own. \"Eat, Arianna. While it's hot.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He placed two small bowls in front of her: red date and tremella soup, and a bowl of silkie chicken broth. At this moment, Maxwell felt like a magician, and the unremarkable takeout bag was his bottomless hat. Finally, he pulled out a bowl of rice and a serving of pumpkin porridge.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Rice or porridge?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Porridge,\" she whispered. \"I want something warm.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Done.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He handed it to her, peeling back the lid so the sweet, earthy aroma of the pumpkin wafted out, before turning to his own meal. He didn't forget to carefully pick the bones out of the center of the steamed bass, placing the tenderest pieces into her empty bowl. \"Eat up.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">His actions were fluid, natural, and utterly effortless.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna couldn't find the words to describe how she felt. It felt like a dream—the warmest, most surreal dream she’d ever had, one she was terrified to wake from. The scent of the food served as a tether to reality, reminding her that she really was married to this man. And perhaps, they might actually spend the rest of their lives together.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The thought didn't fill her with the usual dread or confusion. Instead, it stirred a flicker of excitement. A quiet, budding hope.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Halfway through the meal, the doorbell rang again. Maxwell looked at Arianna.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"That might be my order,\" she said, slow to react.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Your order?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I placed it before you got here,\" she explained awkwardly. \"I checked the app earlier, and it said it was still across town.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell let out an 'hmm' and stood up before she could move. \"Stay put. I'll get it.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The bag was transparent, and the contents were visible at a glance: a plain bowl of watery porridge and a side of bland pickles. Maxwell’s expression darkened.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You were going to eat *this*?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"What?\" Arianna blinked.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell pulled the containers out and tossed the plastic bag into the trash. \"You're on your period, and you're just eating plain porridge?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"What's wrong with that?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"You should be eating something nutritious, not this garbage.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"How do you even know...?\" She trailed off, realizing. \"Did you look it up online?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell nodded.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna couldn't help but laugh softly. \"It’s fine. Eating like this once in a while isn't going to hurt.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Don't eat it,\" Maxwell said, pulling the porridge toward himself. He caught her staring and offered a small, crooked smile. \"If you think it’s a waste, I’ll finish it.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"No, I didn't mean it like that.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Hmm?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna kept her gaze fixed on him for a long time. Finally, she spoke. \"Thank you. I mean it. Really, thank you.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell’s lips quirked upward, his eyes softening into a deep, intense warmth. \"If you really want to thank me, then just get better quickly.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">To him, that was the only reward that mattered.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna would never know just how heartbreaking she had looked when he first arrived—a tiny, shivering ball of misery curled up on the sofa, her hair damp with cold sweat, her brow furrowed, her knuckles white as she gripped a pillow. She had looked so pale, her lips drained of all color, as if the life were draining right out of her.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">At that moment, the only thought in Maxwell's mind had been a desperate, silent plea: *If only this pain could be transferred.* He would have taken it all for her—double, triple the amount—if it meant she could be spared a single second of this suffering.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The helplessness was agonizing. All he could do was watch her hurt, unable to do a single thing to make it go away.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272907840]