Chapter 466 - Take Responsibility

"Thanks, Darling! I love you!" Out of habit, Zoey threw herself at him to express her gratitude. However, she had forgotten that Matthew was not her husband in this lifetime just yet. That's why...

*SMOOCH*

Zoey's clock stopped, her eyes widened at the touch of her lips against his. She felt his shoulders stiffen as he froze that instant without blinking his eyes.

'Uh…" Immediately, Zoey skipped back, blinking her eyes full of shock as the realization of what she had done dawned on her. "I…" Her words trailed off as her mind seemed to have malfunctioned, disabling her to speak the right words at that moment.

The moment their eyes met, both didn't speak as they only stared at each other in shock. 'Damn you, Zoey! How can you forget that you've returned eight years in the past?!' Yet, her subconscious mind screamed at her, as if any time, her subconscious mind would take a human form just to shake her awake.

"Right!" When she recovered, Zoey snapped. "I need to shower! Haha! Thank you for everything! You've done a great job, hoho!" Zoey clapped her hands, brushing past him and patted his shoulder for a job well done. 

"Laters!" Upon saying her piece, Zoey was about to dash away from the walk-in closet. However, just as she did, Matthew grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

"Where are you going?" His tone colder than ever, sending shivers down her spine. Zoey raised her head, witnessing the menacing glint that flickered across his fiery eyes.

"Sho -- shower." She stuttered, feeling her throat clog with words.

"Take responsibility." Without batting an eye, Matthew demanded. 

"Res -- responsibility?!" Once again, Zoey stuttered. But this time, her tone raised as her mind wondered what kind of 'take responsibility' he was pertaining to. "I didn't mean to…" She hesitated, clearing her throat to find the courage to say the words.

"...kiss you!" She added, swallowing a mouthful of saliva as her forehead had beads of sweat rolling down the side..

"You don't want to?" Matthew raised his right brow, his cold visage didn't change. However, the fire in his eyes flamed wider.

"No -- I mean..." At this point, Zoey didn't really know how to respond. She would have replied, 'sure!', but she was afraid he would request something she couldn't do at this moment. Therefore, she felt like what she had done was akin to digging herself a grave where she could rest in peace.

Matthew just stared at her, blinking his eyes ever so slowly as he waited for her response. Shortly after, he saw her smack her lips and heard her clear her throat. 

"How?" She meekly inquired, her eyes cautious.

"Easy," Without a second delay, Matthew dropped her wrist. His hand then sprawled towards her, cupping her cheeks as he leaned down. However, before he could do what he was about to do -- to kiss her, obviously -- Zoey instinctively blocked his lips by her hand.

He frowned, raising his eyes on her. "Take responsibility like a kiss?" She clarified, still covering his lips by her palm. Yet, Matthew didn't respond verbally and his eyes remained glued on her.

"Heh! Easy!" Unlike what he had expected, Zoey snickered as her eyes glinted. His brows knitted together, taking a step back as he cast her a puzzled look.

"You, Mister Xi Matthew!" When there was enough space between them, Zoey pointed her finger at him. "I haven't brushed my teeth! Let me brush them and I'll take full responsibility after that!" Determined, Zoey announced proudly.

"I am a person who doesn't run away from my responsibilities! Stay here! I'll be back!" Without further ado, Zoey rushed outside and headed to the bathroom.

Matthew watched her flee, feeling the excitement in her footsteps and the smug grin on the corner of her lips. "..." Her action obviously rendered him speechless, stupefied at the unexpected response he had received.

He expected her to act differently, like be cautious and defiant. However, this time, she wasn't. She seemed even more excited which sort of alarmed him for some reason.

"Ha… ha… hahaha!" As he realized what was going on and her words repeated inside his mind, Matthew laughed. He shook his head sideways, rubbing his eyes as he could not believe it.

"Ahh… she's really something." Under his breath, Matthew breathed out as he bit his bottom lip. "Now I don't even know if I want her to take 'full responsibility'." As he recovered from the good laugh, Matthew walked outside the walk-in closet and glanced at the door heading to the bathroom.

After staring at it for a while, the side of his lips curled into a smile. "Maybe, not today." He whispered, walking out of the room carrying the good vibes caused by her.

Not long after Matthew left the master's bedroom, Zoey exited the bathroom. "Ha! Ha!" She checked her breath, placing her hand in front of her. When she was certain her breath was fresh, she grinned revealing her even teeth.

"I'm ready~!" Zoey announced, skipping her steps back to the walk-in closet. However, as soon as she reached the said part of the room, Matthew wasn't there. "Huh? Where is he?" She wondered, searching for his figure around the room but to no avail.

"Hah!" In the middle of the room, Zoey scoffed with her knuckles on her hips, "Did my enthusiasm scare him?!" She gasped, her brows twitched. "I knew it! The real me will scare this young one!" Her face distorting, glancing at herself through the vanity mirror not far away.

"I guess he didn't really change." She muttered, recalling how she bewitched Matthew in her previous life. Now that she was thinking about it, she had changed a lot upon her time-travel. She had been cautious -- too cautious and worried that her actions always contradicted her heart's desire.

However, now that she had seen a glimpse of Matthew, Zoey somehow realized that suppressing her emotions most of the time was not necessary. He would be in danger, anyway. Why not enjoy the moment, be herself, and protect him?

"He should watch his back, hehehe…" As her thoughts hovered over her head, a cunning grin resurfaced on her lips as her eyes glinted. "I might not be the one running away but the one chasing… bwahahaha!" Suddenly, an evil laughter resonated across the room.. For some reason, everyone in the mansion felt chills run down their spine as if a strong demon had crawled its way into this mansion.