The Rise of the White Lotus

Just like she said, after her morning call with Ethan Lu, Lexi leisurely prepped herself before her call time. Since she was diligently early, she decided to go to the hotel's morning buffet for breakfast. After all, she read Ethan Lu's last message and for some reason, she felt that he had eyes everywhere. Also, she was actually a little hungry.

Looking around the room, Lexi's brows knitted as she was reminded of something. Why does she think that she was missing something… or rather, someone?

"Sissy!" After a second, Lexi finally realized who she was missing since early in the morning: it was Churu! 

Indeed, she hadn't seen Churu ever since she woke up. Since her attention was focused on Ethan and preparing herself before her work, she forgot about the little dumpling.

"Where is she? Did she wander around?" Lexi slightly tilted her head on the side with a questioning look.

"Whatever," Knowing Churu, she'll surely show up if she ever gets exhausted. Also, she's a big girl already hence, there's no need to worry about her, right?

With that set of mind, Lexi shrugged her worries towards the cheerful dumpling and headed downstairs for breakfast.

***

Arriving at the hotel's breakfast buffet, the corners of her lips twitched seeing some of the production staffs having an imaginary dark cloud above their heads. 

"Miss Yang!" Seeing Lexi's unmoving figure, Rika's assistant, Julie Cao approached her.

"Julie, how's Rika?" Turning her head to the assistant's voice, Lexi inquired. Upon scrutinizing the assistant's eased countenance, Lexi guessed that Rika was doing fine which gave her a slight relief which was proven wrong almost immediately.

"Uh, that…" Suddenly, Julie Cao's expression turned sour just when Lexi relaxed. Conflicted, she decided to point a certain table as she could not put up words to explain Lexi's inquiry.

Lexi's gaze followed the direction Julie Cao was pointing. There, she saw the most gloomy person in the hotel's dining area. The invisible clouds above her head were much darker than the rest of the staff present.

'How can these people be so careless?' Lexi thought inwardly as she could not believe her eyes. Moreover, how could these people work appropriately if they were all suffering from a hangover?

Regardless, Lexi shook her head as she resumed on taking soup, pancakes, and tea for her breakfast while Julie Cao filled two plates for a heavy breakfast. 

After that, Julie Cao turned her head to her side where Lexi stood and was looking for her seat. She suggested,

"Sister Lexi, you can join our table."

"Hmm?" Lexi furrowed her brows as she cast Julie Cao a side glanced. After a second, she nodded her head and agreed, "alright."

With that said note, Lexi and Julie Cao wordlessly made their way to where Rika sat. Currently, the culprit from last night's party had it pretty hard. She was lazing around the table with her head and arms occupying half of the table.

"Uhh… my head… I won't drink aga -- uhh!" Rika repeatedly grumbled.

"sister Rika, sister Lexi will join us for breakfast." Julie Cao was the first one to speak as she placed the two filled plates on the square table.

Rika slowly raised her gaze and when she saw Lexi's inexpressive front, she meekly smiled before she unhurriedly straightened her back. "Bestie, how are you? I think they put something weird on our drinks last night."

By the time Rika finished her remarks, Lexi and Julie already took their seat; Julie Cao beside Rika while Lexi opposite them.

"Sister Rika, that's a hangover. You drank a lot, now you're suffering." Shaking her head, Julie Cao gently reminded. By the looks of it, she was used to Rika's antiques and how she pushed all the blame to the alcohol instead of her unreserved drinking habits.

"Julie… how cruel." Frowning, Rika turned her aggravate gaze to her side before averting it back across her -- seeking for sympathy. However, Lexi remained unmoved as she backed Julie Cao's statement.

"You should drink responsibly. Having a heavy breakfast will help." Without looking back at Rika, Lexi uttered before she took a sip from her soup.

"Yes, yes," Sounding dejected, Rika picked up her spoon and started gobbling up her food. The three silently consumed their breakfast as Rika wasn't in the mood to be cheery and Julie Cao was busy eating while tapping her phone from time to time.

Lexi, on the other hand, didn't mind the quietness as she was already used to it. However, the longer Churu wasn't around, her worries towards her little support slowly grew bigger. After all, even though Churu comes and goes at first, she sticks with her like glue as time goes by. Therefore, Lexi could not help but wonder what was the little Churu doing and where she was.

Just then, the gentle voice of Elliot Gong reached their ears. "Good morning, ladies."

Subconsciously, the three of them turned their attention towards the man walking towards them with a light plate of breakfast with him. Rika furrowed her brows the moment she saw Elliot Gong's signature gentle smiling face while Julie Cao courtly bowed her head. Meanwhile, Lexi's eyes widened upon seeing Churu on his shoulder.

"May I join the table?" Tilting his head on the side, Elliot Gong inquired.

"Help yourself," Rika dryly responded before she resumed eating. Elliot Gong then sat beside Lexi with a satisfied smile on his lips. 

Sensing that Lexi was looking at him weirdly, he turned to see her unusual countenance. He then looked at his shoulder where Lexi was staring but seeing that there's nothing in it, he asked, "Is there's something wrong, Miss Yang?"

"Uh, nothing. Sorry." Snapping from her daze, Lexi slightly shook her head and resumed spooning her soup. However, she could not help but glance at Elliot Gong's shoulder with a puzzled gaze.

'Sissy? Why are you surrounded by hearts and pink air?' Asking telepathically, Lexi sipped from her warm soup. Apparently, the instant she saw Churu on Elliot Gong's shoulder -- blushing to top it all off, Lexi was beyond mind-boggled.

'Is he dangerous?' Adding with her inquiry, Lexi was reminded that Churu was attracted to dangerous people and chaos. Hence, she instantly became wary of him.

"We showered together~ he's dangerous and his little friend down there is not little at all~!" 

*bang!*

Churu's response almost made Lexi choked on her soup as she slammed her palm on the surface of their table. Of course, her abrupt action caught the attention of the three. Seeing that Lexi was coughing non-stop, Rika panicked. 

"Omg! What happened? Are you alright?" 

"Hey," Just like Rika, Elliot Gong's brows creased as he heedlessly raised his hand to tap her back. Alas, even before he could do so, Lexi raised his hand gesturing him that it was fine.

"Pervert…" Lexi murmured. However, her words were audible enough to reach the three.

"Oh, sorry." Misunderstanding her words, Elliot Gong awkwardly apologized. He assumed that she spouted those words directly at him as he almost touched her. It was already a miracle that Lexi didn't say anything when he sat beside her but touching her was probably still prohibited; no matter the circumstances.

"Uh, no. Not you -- I was just reminded of something. Ha ha!" Recovering from her shocked from Churu's perverted remarks, Lexi awkwardly excused her action just now.

'Churu!!'

"Wahh~! What~? I was so bored with your conversation with Mr. Main task so I wandered around and see him topless while going through the rooms~!" Sensing the danger from Lexi, Churu justified her action. She added, "It was his abs fault~!"

'Huh, so you showered with him?' Being utterly disbelief, Lexi couldn't stop herself from turning her disgusted eyes to Churu's blushing face which caused another misunderstanding to Elliot Gong.