Chapter 361 - The Magic Trick

"Huh?" Suspicious, Zoey narrowed her eyes, peering at him from up and down. "Why?" She cautiously asked, holding her hands closer to her chest.

"Just give it to me. I won't break your hand, I promise." He offered her a gentle smile, reassuring her that he wasn't planning anything that could hurt her. 

However, Zoey wasn't buying his words, which made him chuckle. "Trust me this once, young miss." Matthew nodded his head encouragingly.

Zoey stared at his harmless front for a minute. Slowly, she gave in as she reluctantly extended her hand to him. Soon, the back of her hand was atop his palms, which made him chuckle that slightly confused her. 

"Why?" She asked.

"I won't read your palms. I'm not a fortune-teller, Miss Zhou. I'll show you a magic trick." In between his deep chuckles, Matthew shook his head but held her hand still as it was.

"Not like you're asking my hand for a slow dance." Zoey murmured, rolling her eyes as she felt like a clown. Matthew often laughs at whatever she says and does. Hence, she was conflicted whether to feel achieved or feel insulted.

With that being said, Matthew stared at her palm. His index finger trailed her palm lightly which made her slightly shiver. This brief reaction, he glanced up, smiling upon seeing her feigning poker face before looking away.

He then returned his attention to her palm, shaking his head lightly as the side of his lips were curled up. "Too rough." He muttered in a low tone. Her palms were the complete opposite of his.

It was rough, a sign that she had worked physical hard jobs. There were small scars, even a few new scratches that were too tiny for her to feel. Since Matthew ran a background check on her, he knew that she had taken odd jobs before — juggling between managing to put food in her stomach and her studies.

Her palms were the proof of her hard work. No, actually, Z Image Group was the fruit of her hard work. It might be small and struggling, but it was commendable how she wasn't drowning in debt. For some reason, his heart clenched just by looking at her hand; it ached, but at the same time, he felt proud for her.

Slowly, Matthew flipped her hand. Good thing she was letting him do what he pleased in silence. He could feel her stare, wondering what he was doing wordlessly. When Matthew laid his eyes on the back of her hand, his eyes softened.

The veins beneath her skin protruded, showing how stressed her hands were. Be it paperworks or her extreme activities, it didn't matter to him as he felt bad. While his hands were flawless, hers were full of little scars.

His thumb caressed her hand — particularly the long yet thin scar on it. 'She must've grazed it before.' He thought internally. He silently traced the scar by his thumb as if soothing the remaining pain if there was.

"Uhmm…" After a long silence, Zoey pursed her lips before making a sound to break the silence. Although this was quite weird, her heart was pounding loudly and she could hear her heartbeat. Especially when he caressed her scars — big or small — she was moved.

His gentle touches were soothing, relaxing even. However, before Zoey would succumb to this harmonious atmosphere around them, she felt the need to break the ice. This couldn't continue or else, she might end up saying the words she longed to tell him: I love you and I miss you so bad.

Just then, Zoey froze upon feeling his soft and moist lips on the back of her hand. In an instant, Zoey instinctively pulled her hand away from him. She held her hand, that he had kissed, by her other hand, hiding it closer to her chest. "Are you crazy?!" She asked out of surprise, her heart racing like crazy, however she couldn't do anything.

Slowly, Matthew raised his head. His face was neither blank nor playful, like usual. It carried a deep emotion which was hard to point which was what. "Maybe." He shrugged, sighing as he actually lost his mind for a second.

If she didn't retract her hand away from him, Matthew wanted to leave soft pecks on her hand, arms, and then up to her lips. Actually, his plan wouldn't stop there as he had a sudden urge to shower her with affection.

It was crazy. But, the urge was too strong that he could not help but stare at her slightly dry lips. "Put on some lip balm and stay hydrated, if you don't want me doing it myself." Matthew advised, causing her to cover her lips by her hands.

"Haha. You're really something, Miss Zhou." He chuckled, shaking his head sideways before a deep sigh slipped past his lips. "You now have a reason to charge me — I mean, no, I won't even accept your next monthly rent even if you want to… for the spur of the moment." In a matter-of-fact tone, Matthew informed her before he slowly stood from his seat.

When he was on his feet, Matthew looked at her and smiled. "Just to let you know, I'm not sorry for the kiss — neither the first nor the second." He said, extending his hand that patted her head. Zoey drew back away out of instinct, but his arm was long enough that it reached her head and patted it lightly.

"Anyway, it's late." Matthew ruffled her hair gently, the side of his lips curled playfully. When he had his fill of teasing her, he shoved his hands back into his pockets and trudged away. 

When he was by the door, he stopped in his tracks as he looked back at her, "Have a goodnight, Miss Zhou.." He winked, before resuming in his tracks and closed the door, leaving Zoey dumbfounded at another roller coaster of emotions for her third night since her time-travel.