Chapter 423 - I Want To Date You For Real

On their way, Zoey constantly glanced at Matthew, who was silently driving. Lights from outside flashed through the windshield, making her see him clearly under that dim lighting inside the car. 

"You're being weird." Finally, Zoey decided to break the silence. 

"How so?" Matthew, whose gaze fixated on the road, asked. His face was calm and unchanging, as always. 

"Uhm, you're less..." Zoey paused, biting her lower lip as she leaned her back against the front passenger seat. Looking ahead, Zoey cleared her throat. "Never mind." She said, shaking her head lightly. 

In her perspective, maybe, the reason he was less flirtatious or energetic was because he hasn't fully recovered. What does she expect? Not that everyone was in the mood to flirt all the time. 

'Damn, Zhou Zoey! Can you think before opening your mouth?!' She grumbled internally, hoping that she would lose her voice for the mean time so she wouldn't spout nonsense repeatedly. 

"The building," Since she changed her mind with whatever she wanted to say, Matthew didn't probe further and hopped onto another topic. "Paul will send you the price at how much I will sell it to you." 

Zoey knitted her brows, turning her head to his direction. "Hmm?" She blinked her eyes, tilting her head to the side as that was rather abrupt. 

"He will send you the conditions and the extent of the negotiations in three days. Up to you if you take the contract or not." Matthew didn't even bat her an eye as he continued. "Also..." His words trailed off, stopping at the red light before facing her. 

Zoey's heart skipped a beat before it raced. For some reason, her instincts told her he was about to say very bad news. Yet, Zoey kept her mouth shut as she stared back at his solemn front. 

"Forget about the ten dates." Matthew didn't even stutter or stopped as he relayed what he had decided earlier. ��It was a fun days with you. Such a shame I didn't get to experience the best out of it." Unlike his saddening words, Matthew appeared more indifferent as he shrugged his shoulders. 

"What..." His words rang inside her head repeatedly. Zoey watched him lean back as the red light turned green. 

Shouldn't she be relieved that Matthew was the one who offered to forget about their setup? She should be glad that what she had been trying to do was slowly happening. 

However, why does she feel that someone just clenched her heart tightly? A feeling as if a hand was trying to squeeze her heart until it breaks; she couldn't speak. 

Matthew didn't speak anymore as he continued to drive — Zoey as well. Yet, she never moved her gaze away from him, watching his unchanging side profile for a long time. 

"We're here." Soon, Matthew pulled over one block away from Z Image Group. Slowly, he cast her a knowing look while she glanced back before she wordlessly unbuckled her seat. 

"Thanks," The side of her lips curled into a meek smile. When he nodded his head, Zoey didn't waste a second and opened the door. 

'It's alright, Z. Bug him when your problem with Iñigo is solved.' As she hitched outside, Zoey talked to herself internally. 

She needed to raise her inner voice so she wouldn't come back to him. By doing this, she wouldn't need to think about his well-being under the bad omen and the dark path she was about to take soon. 

'Just go... walk! Walk! Continue! Don't look back!' Her subconscious mind cheered, but her every step grew heavier. 

"Don't look back..." Zoey whispered, dragging her feet forward with great difficulty. 

"Hey," Just as she took another heavy step forward, his voice blew along the cold night breeze. 

That instant, Zoey stopped in her tracks. Yet, she didn't turn around because she knew once she did, she'll choose to be selfish and throw herself at him — disregarding all the dangers that would inflict him. 

Matthew stood behind the open door, staring at her back for a while as he contemplated his words. "Will you not ask, why?" 

When he dropped his question, silence dawned between them. The sound of the night breeze blew past them, tickling their ears. 

"No," Zoey didn't look back as she answered. "You're the great Xi Matthew, you decide what you decide and..." Zoey didn't have a chance to finish her sentence as he spoke. 

"I want to date you for real." Without further ado, Matthew expressed himself with a hundred percent transparency. 

His abrupt answer made her suddenly look back. "What?" She asked. However, upon laying her eyes on him, Zoey's heart thumped even louder. 

Matthew had already closed the door, walking slowly towards her. The closer he got, the more Zoey's heart raced as the look in his eyes matched that of her husband. 

"I said..." Matthew stopped three steps away from her, his head leaned closer to her face. "I'll date you for real." He announced, smirking at the sight of her aghast front. 

"So, take a day off tomorrow. I'll bring you to some place." He said, smiling as he slowly drew back. "Anyway," Matthew stroked her hair, playing the tip of her hair with his fingers for a while before raising his gaze back at her. 

"Goodnight, Zoey." His eyes softened, sending butterflies in her stomach. "I'll see you tomorrow, hmm?" His finger continued on playing with the tip of her hair. 

"Uh," Zoey was rendered speechless as she could only watch him look at her lovingly. For some reason, Zoey felt that something was wrong. 

She didn't know why and couldn't point it out, but he was acting a little strange. The reason Zoey didn't say or do anything until he retrieved his hands away. 

"Go. You'll catch a cold." Matthew took a step back, shoving his hands inside his suit. 

Zoey snapped back to reality, nodding speechlessly before she turned her back against him. 'What the heck?' Her brows creased, thinking how this night made her emotions go on a rollercoaster ride. 

Meanwhile, Matthew watched her walk towards the building. "Zhou Zoey.... why are you in those memories?" He whispered, seeing that she glanced back before she began sprinting towards the building as if her life depended on it.