Chapter 150 - I Want My Wallet Back

'Gosh... I want the long walk to end but not in this way!' Zoey complained internally, grinding her teeth as they were going back to the town where they 'first' met. 

Glancing at the adamant ice sculpture who was driving, Zoey shook her head in disbelief. Although she was suspicious because of knowing a few 'sketchy' people, that doesn't mean she was involved in illegal stuff. 

No matter how profitable the black market was, Zoey wasn't suicidal enough to build her own business in it. After all, she just knew a few people in the underground community to sniff around other businessmen's dirty secrets. 

Alas, Matthew Xi wouldn't believe her! This was just the worst!

"Which way?" Suddenly, Matthew Xi asked in his monotone voice. He didn't even look at her as he kept his gaze on the road. 

"Err... turn right." Reluctantly, Zoey pointed her finger as a deep sigh escaped her lips. "Browny, we are on a date and this isn't romantic at all!" Zoey complained through a murmur that was audible for him to hear. 

"..." Yet, Matthew Xi decided not to respond to her. He took her for a walk to let her know a bit of himself. However, he didn't expect Zoey to be involved in something dangerous. 

Even though Zoey never did any deals with any of the cunning people of the underground, yet if they knew her, they would come at her whenever they felt like it. Therefore, he wanted to get to the bottom of it and have a list of people who knew Zoey in that rotten community to keep an eye on them. 

He couldn't say all that to her, right? She would start to question what he'll do and all other things. Also, it would be good that Matthew Xi would have to deal with the people that robbed him. After all, his wallet that time was his favorite. Maybe he could take it back. 

"Pull over. We'll walk." Sighing once again, Zoey shook her head as they were near an establishment. 

Just like what she asked, Matthew Xi pulled over near a closed bar without a word. Zoey watched his unfaltering actions as if he wasn't afraid to face the people who'd robbed him. 

"Browny, we need to think twice about this alright? You have to believe m—" 

"I believe you." Stopping her midway, Matthew Xi turned towards her as he unbuckled his seat. "I know you're not a fool to risk the Z Image that you've worked hard to establish. However, you're reckless and I need reassurance that they won't have silly thoughts of dragging your name for their convenience." His monotonous tone, brave russet eyes, and lack of fear plastered across his face made Zoey's lips stretch into a thin line. 

"But what if they recognize you?" She frowned, not moving a muscle. 

"That's better." Without further ado, Matthew Xi unbuckled her seat and glanced up at her. "They might return my money." He added an obvious lie. 

"You're so weird sometimes." She murmured, casting him a brief glance before Zoey hitched outside the car. Matthew Xi let out a faint sigh as he watched her exit the car before he followed. 

'She always thinks I am the weird one and not her.' He thought internally. Matthew Xi could not help but wonder if Zoey thought that she was the most normal and sane person in the world as she often acted as if she was. 

*****

Standing at the back door of a cheap backdoor, Matthew Xi knocked on it which made Zoey roll her eyes. 

"Darling, you don't knock —" Just as she was about to instruct her that common courtesy didn't matter in here, Matthew Xi opened the door with force. 

"Hmm?" Turning to her with his right brow arched, Matthew Xi hummed a tune. 

"Nothing." Zoey shook her head profusely. At the very least, he didn't kick the door open. 

With that, the two entered the back entrance of the bar. Scanning the hallway, they were not surprised to find it almost empty. Well, it was afternoon, hence there were no people around. 

Just as they were about to exit the hallway going through the main quiet bar, a petite young looking man suddenly went out of the restroom on the side of the hall. 

Zoey and Matthew Xi's presence startled the man, while Matthew Xi remained unfazed despite seeing the familiar underdog. On the other hand, Zoey blinked her eyes as she studied the man from head to toe in pity. 

The unhealthy looking young man was wearing a dirty loose shirt, ripped jeans, disheveled hair as if he hadn't washed his hair for a long time. In short, he looked like a total loser who'd experienced a series of misfortunes. 

"You—" Seeing the familiar man they encountered almost a month ago, the man's words halted upon shifting his gaze behind Matthew Xi. 

The moment he set his gaze to Zoey's eyes that bore pity and disdain, he almost choked. Aside from the shock that the two were together, he could clearly read Zoey's thoughts by the way she looked at him. 

"Oy, dog! What's taking you so long?" Just as they shared a moment of shock with the underdog, they heard a man's languid and annoyed voice coming from the main bar. 

"Ah! Yes! I'm unclogging the toilet and will clean it as well! I'll buy some detergent and bleach!" The man snapped, shouting back a lie. "What are you doing here?!" Through his gritted teeth, his eyes sharpened as he alternated his gaze from Matthew Xi to Zoey. 

"I want my wallet back." Unlike the panic-stricken man before him, Matthew Xi's cold stature didn't change.

"I need proof that I'm not doing illegal things." At the same time, Zoey gave her own reasons, which confused the person before them. 

"Jeez! You're going to get me in trouble!" Regardless, the man clenched his teeth as he dragged the two back outside the establishment. 

"Blame him," Zoey indifferently pushed the blame to Matthew Xi whose facial expression never changed. 'Is he that fearless or just weird, really? Damn... I sometimes don't know what he's thinking..' Zoey muttered internally as she frowned.