Chapter 252 - Chu~

"You know she wasn't telling the truth, right?" On their way back to the hotel, Matthew Xi arched his brows as he gave her a side eye. 

"Well, prevention is better than cure. Even if she tells me to prevent you from cheating by making you drink a love potion, I'll do it!" Sounding as if she was even proud about getting fooled, Zoey grinned as she winked at him. 

"I won't." Frowning, Matthew Xi was dismayed that Zoey was still at it. 

"Hehe~ I know." Acting sweet and clingy, Zoey beamed the grumpy old baby a smile. "But it's just six hundred. We can say we just helped her get by for weeks or so. Also, I like her marketing strategy... I'm considering being one if I get bankrupt." Zoey giggled, humoring him while he shook his head sideways. 

"Anyway, it's not that bad. I actually like it although it is quite overpriced considering the materials..." Checking the jade bracelets that were around her wrist, Zoey checked it closer which made her knit her brows. 

It didn't look like a real jade nor it appeared it has redeeming materials in it. Still, Zoey was curious what kind of materials used as it seemed it was something she had never seen before. 

"Well, I think it doesn't look cheap upon closer look. I can even wear it everyday since it can match any outfits plus the colors won't fade even if I'm wearing it in the shower. I want to try if granny is telling the truth." Shrugging her curiosity off, Zoey raised her gaze as she smiled at Matthew Xi. 

"It's a dishonest business and those types of businesses shouldn't be tolerated." Shaking his head once again, Matthew Xi commented about her sentence earlier. 

"Darling, you will be surprised at all the dishonest business I did before Z Image." Zoey clicked her tongue, shaking her head as she forgot that although Matthew Xi had a rough idea of her past because of her track records, he didn't know about the full details of it. 

"Did you sell drugs?" Arching his brows, Matthew Xi's eyes grew solemn as he scrutinized her reaction. 

Upon seeing that her expression changed in dismay, he secretly sighed in relief. "You think I sold... drugs?!" Scanning around, Zoey's distorted face could not help but bore disbelief as she didn't expect that from him. 

Was that the first thing he thought she meant? Heck, just how worse did he think she was in the past?

"Well, I don't mind whatever monkey business you had in the past. However, with drugs involved, it'll be a problem." Matthew Xi shrugged his shoulders as he responded nonchalantly. 

"Being involved in the illegal drug business, it is akin to putting your one foot in the grave. You might think you can walk away from it anytime you like, but that was naive. Once you step your foot in the business, you can never have real freedom." Matthew Xi summarized the reason why he mentioned it was troublesome if Zoey was involved in drugs before. 

There might be people coming after her without her knowledge. Worst? Someone might push a failed transaction on her that would endanger her life. 

Matthew Xi was never associated with it, but knew people who were from an acquaintance and also from his cousin's information that were on the political fields. Thus, Matthew Xi had knowledge about a thing or two about these types of businesses going around on the darker side of the world. 

"Hehe. Don't worry about it, I am not involved in drugs." Zoey laughed, shaking her head as she reassured him. "Although... I smuggled weapons before." Leaning closer, Zoey whispered her confession which dawned a minute of silence. 

"What?" Turning his full attention to her, Matthew Xi narrowed his glinting eyes as he waited for her answer. 

"It's just a few transactions and no one knew I'm a girl." Although Zoey just confessed one of the craziest things she had done in the past, Zoey was confident that she was safe. 

After all, they knew her as a boy named Joey. Also, she was still a kid back then. So, no one would even know that the Joey they knew was actually a woman now. 

Moreover, thanks to Nikolai Silvestri, that secret remained until now. Only a few members from the Silva Family knew that she was a girl and was still alive till date. 

"Zoey..." Still, despite her unhesitant confession, Matthew Xi's menacing front didn't change. Smuggling drugs or weapons were just the same for him. Regardless if they didn't know her real identity or not, Zoey would be surprised at the intelligence gathering of some underground organizations. 

"Darling, I'll protect you!" Trying to coax him, Zoey exclaimed. However, his expression changed so she added, "Also, I have you to protect me! We'll protect each other if worse comes to worst." As soon as she backed up her words, Matthew Xi sighed. 

"Z, tell me everything... I mean everything once you're ready." Staring at her straight in the eye, Matthew Xi requested as he kept on getting surprises whenever she revealed something about her past. 

Not that he hated Zoey or that his view towards her would change. It was just that, Matthew Xi had information about the old illegal business the Silva Family had decades ago before they stepped into the legal business. 

If his intuition was correct, Zoey's past was back when she was a child. Was this perhaps when she disappeared under the Kwan's hospital? Connecting the dots, Matthew Xi was convinced Zoey was in the Silvestri's wing during those times. 

However, one of the biggest question marks were: HOW and WHY?

How did Zoey get entangled with an European Family? And why did they take her under their wings? No matter how hard he racked his brains, Matthew Xi could not have a solid conclusion as it was questionable on a different angle. 

Still, he didn't want to force Zoey. He wanted her to be emotionally and mentally ready to tell him details. 

"Yes," Putting up a meek smile, Zoey felt bad that she had been keeping Matthew Xi in the dark and couldn't reveal everything to him in one go. 

"I'll tell you soon." Zoey added. She's still preparing herself to admit her past to him, not for his sake but for her. After all, thinking of the tragic past always felt fresh to her. 

"I'll wait." Smiling back, Matthew Xi patted her head gently as her answer was good enough for him. 

*****

Meanwhile...

"650?" Behind the old granny, a tall, refined man in his dashing suit knitted his brows. 

"Hehehe. How gullible~" Unlike the granny's solemn expression when talking to Zoey, she was rather hyper as her eyes twinkled at the earnings she received. 

"Is that all?" Ignoring the grandma's giggling, the refined, elegant man bore his poker face. "If that's all, let's go." Still bearing the same indifferent tune, the man turned his back against the old granny and walked away. 

"Tsk, still and always a scumbag." The granny clicked her tongue, looking at the man's broad shoulder in dismay.. "Wait for me chu~!" Still, the granny just jolted from her seat as she carried her old, shaking knees to catch up with the man.