Chapter 711 - Vivian On The Move

When Zoey arrived in a restaurant where she'd met Vivian as both businesswoman, Zoey glanced at Matthew. He didn't seem to mind meeting her "former" mom.

"You and mom are weird to really take cutting ties to a whole new level." Zoey commented as they headed inside the restaurant.

"Because we're the Xis. We rarely go back on our words." Matthew shrugged nonchalantly. "Not that anything changes, anyway."

Matthew added and he sighed. He looked up momentarily and recalled the snippets of the past two years.

[Hello, my former son. I called to check on my little Z.] - Vivian's usual greeting when Zoey was recuperating in the hospital.

[Hi, assistant Xi. I have sent a business proposal to my little daughter. It is urgent. Please, send this immediately.] - Vivian's email to him whenever she thought of a good business proposal for the XI Corporation and the Z Image Group.

[Assistant Xi! I heard you're getting married? I didn't know you had creativity in you! What a unique proposal!] - Vivian back when Zoey told her about how Matthew proposed and their engagement.

[Did you know? I started a lending business for couples who don't have a budget for a wedding?] - Vivian's promotional method for the past year since Zoey and Matthew got engaged.

Thinking about that time, Matthew shook his head in distress. Ever since Vivian disowned him, ironically, they had more time to talk to each other unlike when he was the CEO of their XI Corporation.

Not that Matthew was displeased about it. However, Zoey and him agreed to focus on Z Image Group first and save money. After a year, Z Image Group now had a solid footing in the business industry and they had more time for a wedding.

They're already content. They spent almost twenty four hours together. Also, they already had a civil wedding. So, this wedding was just for formality.

"That's right." Zoey nodded as Vivian had been very active for the past year.

"Little Z!" As Zoey approached the table where the staff led them, she heard Vivian's cheerful voice from a distance.

"Mommy!" Zoey grinned, skipping her steps towards where Vivian was perched.

When Zoey reached Vivian, the latter stood up to give her daughter-in-law a hug. She might've disowned Matthew, but not Zoey. Hence, the two of them became like bestfriends and their bond was not any less than a real mother and daughter.

As they parted, Vivian gasped, studying Zoey from head to toe.

"Goodness! Did you lose weight?" 

Vivian then shifted her attention to Matthew who was standing behind Zoey.

"Assistant Xi, are you not watching over my daughter's diet?"

Matthew just shrugged nonchalantly as he walked towards the chair. "This is a real business meeting. Not a reunion, Madam Xi."

He then beckoned Zoey to sit, who was chuckling as the three of them sat down. Matthew and Zoey sat beside each other while Vivian perched across Zoey.

"Little Z, I already ordered food for us to eat! You should eat a lot and watch your health!" Vivian enthusiastically advised.

"Mom, I've been eating a lot already. I used to eat once a day, but my husband slash assistant slash housemate makes me eat four times a day." Zoey frowned as her complaints came out as a mumble.

"Four times? Make it five!" 

"I think six is the best. Breakfast, snacks, lunch, afternoon snacks, dinner, midnight snacks." Matthew chimed in, rubbing his chin as he reconsidered Zoey's diet.

"Please don't compete with this." Zoey sighed as she shook her head after darting her gaze from Matthew to Vivian.

"Ahem!" Vivian cleared her throat as she sported a smile. "Little Z, I have already sent the revised business project to Director Qian. He told me you'll get into it after the wedding! So, let's just talk about your wedding, alright?"

Vivian excitedly proposed. Both Zoey and Matthew had seen this coming, but both of them said nothing. 

"So, the wedding is in three days. Are you planning to fly tonight? I can offer you our family jets, if you like!" Vivian suggested as she leaned forward. Her eyes were brimming with excitement.

"Uh…" Zoey bit her lower lip as she glanced at Matthew. "We actually planned to fly the day before the wedding."

"What?" 

"There are things that need to be done in Z Image." Matthew explained, keeping it short and direct.

Vivian gasped, darting her eyes full of disbelief from Matthew to Zoey. The two of them raised their brows as they couldn't understand Vivian's dismay.

In their previous life, Zoey and Matthew had a civil wedding first. And then in this lifetime, it was the same.

"No, no!" Vivian shook her head. "Your wedding is already a simple wedding. How can you two work the day before your wedding? Are you kids out of your mind?"

"But we're already married." Matthew answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

"A woman only gets married once. Don't you want it to be memorable?" 

'We have already gotten married twice.' Zoey answered internally as she looked at Matthew, who seemed to have the same thought.

"No. You two, you're flying after this lunch." Vivian sighed and firmly ordered.

"We can't do --"

"I don't take no as an answer, Assistant Xi. I already tried not to meddle with the kind of wedding you two planned, but this is too much. Don't worry about your company, I will take care of it." Vivian reassured as she placed her palm on her chest.

"But our guests…" Before Zoey could finish her sentence, Vivian spoke once again.

"Right!" Vivian clapped her hand. Without wasting a second, she took her phone out and dialed Butler Yi's number.

It only took one ring before the line was picked up. "Butler Yi, please collect the distinguished guests of Matty and Zoey's wedding. We'll all be throwing them to the island so they can all prepare for the wedding."

"Yes, Madam." As soon as Butler Yi agreed, Vivian cut the line short and shot the two a smile.

"Collect?" Matthew scoffed in disbelief. "Mom, this is no --"

"Shh…" Vivian suddenly placed her finger in front of Matthew's lips. Shaking her head calmly as she clicked her tongue.

"Just trust your mom, okay?" Vivian darted her eyes from Matthew to Zoey. The two were so out of words that they could only stare at Vivian in shock.

****

[ Z IMAGE GROUP

"Director Qian, even if we spend a day and night without a wink of sleep to finish the project, we can't. Can you extend our deadline for a week?" Melanie pleaded, along with her team inside Paul's office.

"No." Paul didn't even budge at their award-winning act of unity. "This pro…"

"Director Qian?" Paul didn't finish his sentence seeing unfamiliar men standing in front of the door of his office.

"You are…?"

"Madam Xi said you need to come with us for the wedding." 

"But --" Before Paul could argue, the guard looked at him in intimidation as he cocked his head, gesturing him to go now.

"Oh…" ]

[ KWAN CLINIC

"Doctor Kwan, you have a visitor." A nurse opened Zion's office and announced.

Zion was writing something on his desk. Slowly, he raised his head and furrowed his brows.

"A visitor?"

Just as his query escaped his lips, a man appeared behind the nurse.

"Doctor Kwan, Madam Xi asked us to pick you up." The man informed him flatly.

"Madam Xi? Pick me up?"

"For the wedding." The man paused seeing Zion not moving. "Now." ]

[Cora's Apartment

*knock knock*

Cora furrowed her brows upon hearing a knock from outside her door. Her hands that were busy typing all day stopped, finally.

"Is it an online delivery? That soon?" She muttered, thinking about the only purchase she did online days ago.

*knock knock*

"Wait…" Cora pushed herself away from the desktop and put her glasses down. As she walked towards the door, she tied her hair up.

*knock knock knock*

The knockings grew impatient as Cora approached the door. "Wait!" She muttered calmly.

"Can't you see I'm --" Just when she opened the door, complaining. However, she halted as she slowly raised her head.

The man outside just offered Cora a subtle smile.]

****

One after another, every important guest of Zoey and Matthew's wedding arrived in the Xi Family's private business class plane.

"I didn't bring clothes…" Cora muttered as she moved her head to Zoey sitting beside her.

"No one did." Zoey helplessly replied as she turned and looked at everyone who was in utter shock at what happened.

Even Matthew who sat behind with Zion just blinked his eyes. He couldn't believe that Vivian still had her cards ruining their schedule.

"I still have patients…" Zion whispered.

"We have meetings." Matthew mumbled.

Owen and Carter were also there as they were invited. But even the two of them found this shocking. They were just forced to fly away without anything with them.

Meanwhile, the only person who wasn't shocked by all this was Paul.. Instead of dwelling in Vivian's antics, he remained on the phone as he was trying to finish all business affairs before they took off.