Chapter 416 - I Don't Want To Be Just Friends.

Zoey saw his pair of bewitching russet eyes skim her expression before he nodded in understanding. "I don't think he acts like a butler. But more…" He paused, taking his precious time to think of the right alternative word. "Professional." He remarked in a matter-of-fact tone.

"You may go, Assistant Qian. You've been occupying Miss Ling's mind for a while now." Matthew didn't even glance at Paul as he spoke his first statement. But when he did, Matthew opened his lips again. "I hate it." 

When those cold words reached their ears, Zoey felt her shoulders shivered involuntarily. She couldn't help but glance at Paul's side profile. Paul was staring at Matthew unfazedly before he wordlessly bowed his head.

"My apologies, young master." Out of nowhere, Paul suddenly apologized.

'Mhmm," A soft hum was the only response the poor Paul received. Without further ado, Paul made a slight bow towards Zoey but didn't say a word before he headed out.

Zoey who was witnessing this frowned. Her gaze, although unintentionally, followed the departing figure. She could feel the intense stare coming from Matthew's direction, but Zoey was more intrigued at how different this young Paul Qian was than the assistant she met in her previous life.

"Are you purposely doing that?" When the door shut closed, Zoey snapped back upon hearing the cold voice coming from her side.

"Ah?" Her eyelashes fluttered quickly, her eyes searching for his figure that was still perched on the long sofa. "Doing what?" She asked, cocking her head a little to the side.

Matthew didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stared at her puzzled front for a moment before a faint sigh slipped past his lips. "Making me jealous." Without further ado, Matthew expressed what he meant. 

This time, using more direct words as it seemed, Zoey wouldn't understand through vague words. It was silly how she could read and understand his silence, but not when he was speaking or hinting anything. How odd.

'Did he say he's jealous?' For a second, Zoey had to ask herself what her ears heard. "Huh? You're jealous? Over Paul?" Out of bafflement, Zoey inquired as she peered at him in dismay.

Well, not that Matthew never got jealous over Paul. But that was because Zoey had gone overboard. Thus, knowing she did nothing this time, Zoey was puzzled at how petty this guy in front of her was.

His silence was obviously the answer to her questions. He kept staring at her languidly with his jaw resting on the back of his hand.

"How can you not trust your assistant even when he takes care of you?" Zoey muttered sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she shook her head.

"Did you just call him Paul?" However, his reply was about her first remarks, which was akin to a slap to wake Zoey up.

'Shocks! I accidentally addressed Paul by his first name!' Zoey panicked internally, just realizing she addressed Paul by first name out of habit; a habit from their previous life.

"Uh, I did… I guess." Since she was already exposed, Zoey awkwardly chuckled as she studied Matthew's unchanging front. "You know, I've been studying foreign cultures. Maybe I got a little carried away." Zoey slowly glided to the head seat where she was perched earlier.

"Also, I am a time traveler. So, I had envisioned that I'll be very close with your assistant." In a matter-of-fact tone, Zoey explained, which made him arch his right brow.

"And why is that?" Matthew automatically ignored her first sentence as he focused on the last part. 

"Because we'll be marri…" The rest of her words trailed off, realizing she was about to sabotage her own plans of avoiding him for the meantime. 

"We will, what?" 

"We will become good friends!" Without a second hesitation, Zoey beamed him a wide grin. "Yes! Good friends!" She repeated, hearing her own drumming heart that was beating rapidly, almost ripping her chest apart.

"Friends, huh?" Not sharing the same energy as hers, Matthew scoffed at the 'nonsense' she was spouting.

"Anyway, the food had gone cold...! Oh no…!" Just then, Zoey glanced at the paper bag full of food and dramatically reached for it. Immediately, Zoey took out the food containers out of the paper bag while Matthew watched her.

"Waah! Some look messed up…!" She gasped, shaking her head as she snuck a glance at the culprit why they looked unappetizing now. After all, Matthew carried her like a sack on his shoulder earlier. Thus, it was no surprise that some of the food that she had ordered was almost leaking out from their containers.

'I'll really strangle this guy if he complains and won't eat!' Zoey threatened internally, grinding her teeth secretly as she undid the food containers.

"Hey, are you just going to stare and…!" Just as Zoey got annoyed for getting her hands greasy while he watched, she sassed. However, the second she turned her head, Matthew leaned forward. Thus, she nearly choked by her words coming back in her throat by the distance of their faces.

"I don't plan to be good friends with you, Miss Zhou." Unfazed by how close she was, Matthew stated as a firm resolve flickered across his eyes. "I don't want to be just friends." He repeated, this time stressing each word to clarify his intentions.

Slowly, Matthew inched closer, tilting his head to the side as if his lips were bound to dominate hers. However, he stopped a few centimeters away from her lips as the side of his lips tilted into a smirk. "I don't and never want to kiss my friends, my little wild young miss." He whispered.

His minty breath wafted her nose, causing her lower lip to tremble ever so slightly. Her entire being froze as she forced herself to gulp a mouthful of saliva. Zoey couldn't move, no matter how she screamed at him to back off inwardly.

"But not now." Slowly, Matthew drew away enough to see her surprised front. "I still need to fatten you." He humored, smirking at the sight of her before drawing away completely.

"Let me help you. I can't complain since it was you who brought this for me." Matthew removed his blazer suit and then undid his cufflinks before folding them up to his elbows.

'Holy brocomolly…' Zoey watched him remove the food container's lid and organized them on the surface of the table. As he grabbed a tissue, Matthew wiped his hands and opened the disposable chopsticks — one for her and one for him.

"Wake up." When he was done, Matthew waved the chopsticks in front of her to snap her back from her trance.

"Oh! I need to go to the bathroom!" The second he brought her back to reality, Zoey jolted from her seat and raised her hand to show her hands. 

"There…" Even before he could point the direction, Zoey already turned and trudged towards the restroom that was inside his office. Weird, but Matthew was a boy scout and a human who would need to use the bathroom every day. Thus, since he didn't like sharing and wasting time going in there, he had his own inside his office.

"Hmm…" Matthew hummed, watching Zoey rush towards the bathroom.. "How did she know it was there?" He whispered, narrowing his eyes as the door shut close.