Chapter 24 - Oh, My Heart...

"Darling~ are you mad? Why?" as they were on the way to the parking space, Matthew Xi never said a word to her. Therefore, Zoey coaxed him for the reason she didn't know.

Was he offended that she was working hard for their future? Why so? That statement should be one of many men's dream.

Well, Zoey didn't say that just to impress him. She was being serious though when she said she'll do the providing. After all, she's financially stable and she was more than ready to settle down.

"No, I am not." Without giving her a glance, Matthew Xi responded flatly. "Just keep your tone down, it's annoying." He added mercilessly.

Zoey pouted. Considering her age, acting cute would be a lot more cringy. Fortunately, she's a pretty young looking lad, hence it quite suit her... somehow.

"Darling, let's have lunch first!" Zoey sighed heavily before she pressed her lips together and proposed.

"I'm not hungry,"

"But I am..." Stopping in her tracks, Zoey watched his figure walked a few steps before he stopped as well. "I haven't had anything today aside from coffee." Zoey murmured as she frowned.

Slowly, Matthew Xi turned to face her pitiful countenance. Sizing her up from head to toe, Matthew Xi slightly narrowed his eyes.

"Can we?" Tilting her head to the side, Zoey was confident with her looks as he studied her from top to bottom. She didn't work hard to maintain her figure for nothing after all.

"*sigh...*" Matthew Xi felt helpless. In his eyes, Zoey looked quite unhealthy with how her frame was too small for the size of her bust and hips. Was all the nutrients that she ate goes through those certain part of her body?

"Where do you want to eat?" He asked, granting her request.

"Anywhere is fine. I'm starving y'know." Slowly, a smile was formed on the side of her lips upon his question. To her, Matthew Xi was truly a kind person.

"Alright." Nodding his head in understanding, Matthew Xi looked around to find restaurant that was decent enough.

He haven't went into this kind of place nor have he ate in any restaurants in here. Therefore, he was clueless which is the best place to eat inside the mall's premises.

"Let's go." Glancing at Zoey's glimmering pair of eyes, Matthew Xi perked his chin a little to the side.

"Okay~" Biting her lower lip, Zoey restrained the idiotic smile that was threatening to surface on her lips. She doesn't know where he was taking but wherever it was, she doesn't mind.

Even if he would take her to a cheap fast food chain, Zoey wouldn't mind. Little did she know, even before they could find a restaurant of his choice, she would be really starving.

After some time, Zoey's beautiful visage could not help but distort. They had passed numerous restaurants but that was about it. Matthew Xi didn't even bat them a second glance as if it wasn't worth his time.

How picky!

Now, he had been staring at this certain restaurant for five minutes. Zoey kept on checking his side profile but she could not read what he has in mind.

Turning her gaze to the restaurant he had been staring at, Zoey sighed. 'Was he thinking if he could afford here or not?' She thought inwardly.

The place looks expensive. Not just by what it appeared but the food were truly expensive as she already ate there a few times during meetings. Hence, she sighed as she thought if Matthew Xi thought this was the kind of place she liked.

'How thoughtful of him! Oh, my heart...' Regardless of the time they spent searching for a restaurant to dine, Zoey was moved as she assumed that he was trying to impress the pretty her.

She wasn't wrong though... just not that accurate.

Matthew Xi studied the establishment's front. 'How can they call this fine dining?' He ridiculed inwardly.

In his eyes, it wasn't even near decent. However, compare to the establishments they passed by, this was the most decent among them.

Indeed, the reason he had been staring at the establishment was not because of what Zoey thought. It was because he was judging the place and how ugly its design.

"Is this place fine with you?" Slowly, he turned to Zoey whose lips were stretched from ear to ear. If only he could read her thoughts, Matthew Xi's face would distort for sure.

"Hmm?" Snapping from her daydream — about their wedding — Zoey looked up.

"I said, are you fine with this place?" Matthew Xi repeated seeing she didn't understand him the first time.

"Oh... are you?" Nodding her head, Zoey raised her brows innocently as she didn't mind. But, to be considerate of him, Zoey returned the question.

"..." If only he could be honest and say 'No, this place looks dilapidated', Matthew Xi would have said so. However, he was aware that by this time, Zoey must be truly hungry and it would take them forever to find a decent restaurant nearby.

Therefore, Matthew Xi reluctantly nodded which made her sigh.

"Alright, this place it is. Let's go?" Zoey noticed his reluctance and assumed it was due to money issues.. Despite that, Zoey still agreed because she got his back.