Wild Young Miss: Mister, Let's Kiss!

"What – what did you say?" Her lower lips shuddering, the corner of her eyes turned watery as it gleamed with hope and brief excitement.

Matthew Xi, who was also surprised by the endearment that slipped out from his mouth, studied her front. The longing, sliver of hope and expectations caused him to purse his lips into a thin line.

"I said, who is Love? You were calling her/him in your sleep." As obvious as it could be, Matthew Xi lied through the skin of his teeth.

He knew that Zoey was calling "Darling" last night and not "love". However, since she would surely not know he was lying, he used this excuse as his escape. Still, what was about this reaction she gave him?

Now, it only made him feel heartless for getting her hopes up before taking it away. Either way, it was his stupid mouth's fault for moving on its own.

"Oh…" Zoey nodded her head slowly, forcing a smile on her lips as she concealed her slight disappointment. "My husband." Without a second thought, Zoey answered.

"You're really married?" He asked, arching his right brow as he tilted his head to the side slightly. For some reason, Matthew Xi felt neutral whenever she mentioned this so-called 'husband', and wasn't that mad for calling him longingly and lovingly last night.

It was weird, but he felt more understanding. Perhaps, it was because deep down, she called the person with pain and longing as if he had already passed. Therefore, there was no competition in the future. Dead people don't come back alive, after all.

"I was." Zoey pushed her hands away from the armrest as she shrugged her shoulders upon standing straight up. "Your head… does it still hurt?" She inquired, changing the subject smoothly but to no avail.

Matthew just nodded his head in response before asking her again. "Is he dead?" He didn't beat around the bush and asked directly to understand her pain and longing.

For a moment, Zoey kept her silence as her gaze fixated on that pair of curious yet cold russet orbs. "He was." After a good minute of silence, Zoey answered truthfully.

Confused by that vague answer, Matthew could not help but knit his brows. What does she even mean by that? So, is he dead literally or not? Matthew blinked his eyes many times as he wondered in silence.

"You won't know the answer if you don't ask." Zoey watched him ponder silently and sighed. "Someone took him away from me. On a normal day when no one expected." She added, answering the question that was hovering inside his head albeit vaguely.

"Funny, isn't it?" Never looking away from him, Zoey's eyes traveled slowly across his face. "That we are so vulnerable. Doesn't matter if you've been good or bad. If it's your time, it's your time… Wealth, will, love, and promises can't stand a chance before death…" Matthew noticed the sadness that glinted across her eyes briefly but disappeared in an instant.

"Mercy, perhaps stand a chance." She added, shrugging her shoulder as she considered herself lucky to receive the dumpling's mercy. She wouldn't be standing here right now if not because of Churu.

She wouldn't be able to cheat death – rather, they wouldn't be able to cheat death if not for that mercy. Hence, Zoey didn't want to take this for granted. She would change her fate, and of everyone's whom she held dear. Even if the cost was not being part of their lives, she would choose that in a heartbeat if that means securing their precious lives.

Matthew Xi studied Zoey's front before she turned her back against him and strode back towards the bed slowly. "Deep." He murmured, still watching her sit on the edge of the bed and lie down on her tummy.

She sounded as if she had been there; she had experienced utter agony, and death itself. Which made him wonder where the roots of her deep solemn words came from. Matthew Xi could discern the sincerity of her tone and without a shadow of doubt, she wasn't just spouting nonsense just to have a depth in her character.

If anything, she sounded as if she was speaking by experience. "Anyway, since we're dating, you have to take care of me, Mister." Just as Matthew analyzed her train of thoughts, Zoey's words suddenly disturbed his state of mind as he snapped from his own train of thoughts.

"You resemble my husband, so he wouldn't be mad at me for taking you as his replacement." Unlike her solemness earlier, Zoey's tone changed completely as she humored him.

However, she soon realized how reckless her mouth was for speaking such thoughtless remarks. She witnessed how the corner of his lips curved down as he slowly stood from his seat. "Matthew." He said, taking feather-like steps towards the bed.

"Ah?" 

"My name is Matthew." When he reached the side of the bed, Matthew Xi squatted down and rested his chin on the soft bed. By doing this, he was facing her from a close distance. "You never asked for my name." He added, a little displeased at the fact that she was calling him Mister as if he was an uncle instead of the fact that she called him a replacement.

After all, Matthew was confident that that title 'replacement' would also change in the future. No rush. For now, she should be more interested in him until she could forget about that 'husband' of hers who had been taken away so easily.

Little did he know, he was insulting his future self inside his mind. If only he did, he would rather waste his time doing more important stuff than insulting his future self. Alas, Zoey was stingy enough to keep everything to herself which was understandable. No one would believe her anyway.

Zoey stared at him, finding his way of introducing himself adorable. "Matt." Biting her lower lip, she called him by his nickname which caused the side of his lips to curl up into a satisfied smile.

"Good girl." He muttered, nodding his head slightly as he liked her soft voice calling out his name.. It was as if it was perfect for her lips to call his name.