Chapter 157 - Naked Truth

Zoey pursed her lips together before those solemn russet eyes. Instead of answering him with words, Zoey shrugged her shoulders. 

"Yep." Unhesitant, Zoey answered, which caused nothing but silence. 

"Huh..." After a minute of silence, a faint scoff escaped his lips. 'I would love that idea, alas...' he muttered internally. 

"You don't buy it, do you?" Seeing his lack of reaction, Zoey wasn't surprised that's why she admitted it. 

After all, whether she denied it or not, Matthew Xi wouldn't believe it immediately. Although she didn't plan to tell him, Zoey thought there was no perfect time to tell him about this incident that happened several years ago. 

It was just too unbelievable and convenient. Years after their one-night stand, they would meet again and currently dating — who would believe such a plot which only happens in dramas?

"Whether it is a lie or not, I want to believe it. However, I can't." Staring at her straight in the eye, Matthew Xi averted his gaze and leaned comfortably against the lounge seat. 

"Why?" Zoey inquired, curious as she knitted her brows. She could prove him by telling the details if he wanted to, or Zoey could do a re-enactment if that would prove her claim. 

"I did tell you it was a stranger... but that was before it happened." Glancing at his side, Matthew Xi uttered. 

Of course he was a man who despised being clueless. Therefore, after that night, after everyone involved felt his wrath, he did a background check on the woman his 'friend' had hired. 

He also met her, sent her abroad, and gave her money to forget the night. If only Zoey knew how grandly that woman was living after that night, she would have dragged her by the hair and gotten her shares. 

"You what?!" Blinking her eyes many times, Zoey asked as she thought her ears were deceiving her. 

"I talked to the woman after that and... apologized." Pausing midway, Matthew Xi thought of the related term of what he did. He couldn't say he gave that woman huge money as part of the apology and his orders, right?

"So, stop lying out of convenience." Poking her forehead, Matthew Xi advised. 

However, Zoey could only stare at him like a fool. "Hey," Blinking her eyes, Zoey muttered. 

"Hmm?"

"That woman... where is she?" Curious, Zoey inquired. She wanted to know who stole her identity that night! How dare she get the credit of sleeping with this man?!

"No idea." Matthew Xi shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. 

He gave the woman money that could make her live comfortably for the rest of her life. Therefore, Matthew Xi didn't think he needed to bother being updated about her. 

After all, what happened that night was out of the drug's effect and other people's ploy. Thus, Matthew Xi wasn't invested in it and tried to forget about it. 

Moreover, Matthew Xi wasn't the type of man who would get aroused easily nor would he get attracted immediately. Only to Zoey, he had the urges of what a normal man has. 

In other words, or what he believed, it was all the drug's effect. Or else, he wouldn't even bat an eye towards the woman just like how he dealt with her emotionlessly. 

"Browny, you know what? I don't think you're that smart." Glancing at him as if she was peering at a stupid person, Zoey shook her head sideways.

"Agree." Alas, instead of contradicting her statement, Matthew Xi nodded his head as he admitted. 

He too thought that he wasn't as smart as he considered himself before Zoey. If only he was, he would have outsmarted her a long time ago. 

Perhaps, Zoey was just smarter... no, actually, she wasn't that smart but wise. That's the term; she's a wise person who knows which card to play in what situation. 

"Now you know why I am against going inside that club — I don't have a good memory to treasure about it. If anything, it was the realization of everyone I trusted plotting against me." Clearing his throat, Matthew Xi went back to the initial point of this conversation. 

At this point, he believed that Zoey would finally understand his reasons. After all, who would want to remind others of their bad experiences? Keeping the minute of pleasure aside, everything was a bad memory to recall. 

"Mhmm," Zoey nodded her head as she hummed a tune. "We'll still go there." She added, cocking her head to her side as she cast him an emotionless gaze. 

Upon hearing her reply, Matthew Xi couldn't believe it for a second. "What?" He asked, displeasure plastered across his face. 

"Three dates means Zoey's day, right? I know why you don't like that place. But I haven't told you why that's a memorable place for me." In a matter-of-fact tone, Zoey checked her wristwatch as she sighed. "It'll open in three more hours. Should we go to a chapel and pray first? Or embalm people to kill time? Your choice." Zoey raised her gaze, asking him what he wanted to do for their free time while spouting nonsensical suggestions indicating she has no idea either. 

"You..." Displeased that she was ignoring his feelings about that place, Matthew Xi's jaw tightened as he ground his teeth. 

"Browny, remember this: only I can con you." There wasn't a single hint of playfulness in her eyes as she looked at him dead in the eye. "I don't hate it when people try to deceive me. However, the game changes when my people are involved."

"Your people?" Matthew Xi furrowed his brows, sensing the aura of a monarch emanating from her. For pete's sake! He wasn't deceived... or so he thought. "Like I said..." his words trailed off when Zoey placed her forefinger in front of her lips, gesturing to him to shut up. 

"People lie for a reason... As for me, I tell the truth for a reason. It's just that the naked truth is hard to face, so people like you tend to believe lies." Low and solemn, Zoey uttered an added insult to wake him up.

"Prove that you're not the same as everyone.." Pleased at his reaction, Zoey nodded her head in satisfaction as she winked at him.