Are you going to kiss me?

"Do you remember your first memory as a child?" Zoey asked, the side of her lips tilted a little up. "I do — in the hospital. I don't mean when I was born just so you know." Humoring Matthew Xi, Zoey briefly chuckled. Yet, Matthew Xi remained silent as he perked up and glued his unconcerned eyes on her. 

If he would answer her question, Matthew Xi could vaguely remember anything. Rather, he remembers his first memory, which was nothing different from his childhood journey. That was, he needed to be perfect to be an outstanding leader of the Xi Family. 

"Back when I am around five or six years old, I was in a car accident." Mustering all courage to tell him a story that only a selected few knew, Zoey cleared her throat as she continued. 

"I remembered blood, too much blood and..." Zoey paused, glancing at Matthew Xi who was listening in silence. "And the rotting smell of death — I got trapped inside the morgue too. So, being in the hospital makes me sick, sometimes. It triggers my panic attacks, that's why I hate that freak even more." 

For a moment, Matthew Xi said nothing and kept staring at her. He got the gist of her brief and slightly vague explanation, but he didn't want to probe further. 

However, he had one question in mind. "Does that mean you had panic attacks while I was recovering?" He asked, curious if she had her episodes back then. Still, even without her answer, Matthew Xi seemed he already knew her answer.

Upon hearing his question, Zoey blinked her lids as she slightly bit her lower lip. Should she tell him? But that would make him feel bad, right? So, should she lie about it? However, he would certainly know that she was lying. 

Zoey gravitated which to say. However, she ended up keeping her silence.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why did you accompany me if you hated being in the hospital that triggers some dreadful memory? I am a stranger." In a matter-of-fact tone, he asked straight to the point. For Matthew Xi, her silence was enough to know the answer. 

More reason for him to feel intrigued on what's going on in her mind. After all, Zoey's visits back then were almost every day. 

Although sometimes she would just peek inside the ward, Matthew Xi often checks outside and finds her just dilly dallying around outside the hospital room. Therefore, it was safe to say Zoey stayed in the hospital longer than he thought. 

But, why? Why would she stay in a place she hated the most? Why would she stay and look after a person she didn't know? Was this because of what she claimed? Matthew Xi doubted the latter, though. 

"Because you have no one." After several seconds, Zoey answered honestly. "If someone came to visit you, I wouldn't stay, but no one did. I might be shameless, but I have a conscience... a little." The first half of her statement was undoubtedly true, but Zoey was aware about the partial lie on the last part. 

However, Matthew Xi believed everything — even the last part, somehow. "You..." Slowly, Matthew Xi rose from his seat and took strides towards her. 

"What, me?" Blinking her eyes many times, Zoey watched him approach her which made her instinctively move her head back. 

Placing both his palms on the armrest, Matthew Xi leaned down as he set his pair of russet eyes to her. Normally, Zoey was the one who often started a close distance between them. But right now, Matthew Xi didn't mind the little space between them. 

"Are you going to kiss me? Let me brush my teeth first — I had coffee!" Gulping down, Zoey pursed her lips together and announced. His face was only a palm length away from hers, thus Zoey assumed that he would finally make his move just like in the dramas she had watched. 

"Don't do things that will cost you your peace of mind — especially if its for me or for others." Ignoring her last ridiculous assumptions, Matthew Xi advised. He would be lying if he said he felt nothing upon hearing her reason. 

Of course, he was a little moved, although she misunderstood the situation. The reason no one visited him was because he kept it a secret. If anyone in the company or any Xi family members knew about what happened to him, his mother would surely flip and search for the thieves. 

It was not that Matthew Xi wasn't tracking those people down, but it was the least of his concerns. He just lost a bit of cash and cards, but he already informed the banks about his cards. Therefore, he wasn't prioritizing it. 

He was alive; that was what matters to him. Moreover, he got to meet Zoey. If he wasn't robbed that night, Matthew Xi was certain he would miss this strange lady in front of him. 

"Oh, okay..." Zoey stared at his ever inexpressive front, admiring the beauty of its detail. 

"I'll settle everything for your discharge. Thanks for the meal." Nodding his head a little, Matthew Xi stared at Zoey for a second before he drew his head back and fixed his stance. 

With that, Matthew Xi turned and left without saying another word. His beauty mesmerized Zoey as it rendered Zoey to stare at his retreating back like a fool. She even forgot to tell him that he didn't have to because she already did — earlier that morning.