The Rise of the White Lotus

When Ethan Lu arrived at the town where Lexi was working, it was already past midnight. Staring at the hotel where she stayed, he hesitated to give her a call as he didn't want to sound needy and greedy since she accompanied him throughout the evening last night. Hence, Ethan was left with a great dilemma.

"Aish…" Ruffling his now unruly hair in annoyance, Ethan Lu grumbled through his gritted teeth. For some reason, he stayed outside the premises, afraid that he'd be seen just in case she was in the lobby. After all, destiny sometimes liked to play.

Furthermore, she already told him not to bother to pick her up in the morning as her manager could drive her home. Yet, due to his restless radar that didn't go off until he reached this town, Ethan Lu ignored that matter.

After walking back and forth outside the hotel, Ethan Lu mustered his courage and composed a message which he immediately sent with his eyes closed.

[Goodnight *1000 winks*]

However, minutes had passed and Ethan Lu didn't receive a response from her which left him conflicted even more. 

'Was she asleep? She won't wander around the hotel's lobby at this hour, right? And even if she was and saw me... maybe, she won't get mad and won't think that I've become annoying, right?' Ethan Lu spoke to himself as he bit his thumbnail in distress.

After some time, Ethan Lu's face brightened up being reminded about someone. "Eli!" 

Upon recalling that Elliot Gong was also working with her, he quickly went through his contacts and without a moment's hesitation, he called him.

Several rings had gone by before the line connected. "Urgh, Ethan Lu! Do you know what time is it?!" Elliot Gong's hoarse voice that sounded as if he was disturbed in the middle of his sleep growled. However, Ethan Lu was unfazed as he couldn't care less if he interrupted his exhausted friend.

"Answer me, where is she?"

"Haa?! Who's she? Oi, I haven't dated any of your exes." Frowning, Elliot Gong forgot his last conversation with Ethan Lu as his mind was still half asleep.

"I mean… do you think everyone was asleep?" Conflicted, Ethan Lu for some reason worded his question that could divert his inquiry about Lexi.

"What do you think?" Elliot Gong dissed as if his question shouldn't be asked in the first place. He added, "Everyone suffered a hangover the whole day so… don't disturb me." With that said note, Elliot Gong abruptly cut off the line.

"Hangover… she had a drink!?" Repeating his friend's words, Ethan Lu's eyes widened in disbelief as he was reminded of Lexi's drunken state -- momentarily forgetting that they were on a voice call last night.

"Sh*t!" He cursed out loud before he entered the hotel's entrance.

***

In the reception, a woman in-charge of welcoming the guest smiled sweetly seeing the dashing Ethan Lu. 

"Good evening, Sir. Welcome to xxx hotel. May I have your name, please?" The receptionist was extra sweet as she greeted the new guest. Even though the hotel was packed with celebrities because of the filming for the upcoming movie: Taming Hearts, the receptionist was still excited seeing another good looking man entered the premises.

"Ethan Lu." Ethan constantly looked around as if his life was being targeted by someone as he answered all the needed information before he could check-in. 

Normally, he didn't need to undergo such a bother as his assistant, Lyrick Jiang could just call the owner of the said establishment and Ethan Lu would be treated with extra care. However, since he went there in a hurry, he didn't want to bother people this late -- not Lexi or the owner of the hotel, or so he thought.

"Here are your keys, Mr. Lu…" The woman uttered all the necessary information and pleasantries a receptionist required to remind.

Since he already knew all this kind of stuff, Ethan Lu nodded without listening to the receptionist. After she muttered her last remarks, he said. "Got it, thanks!"

Just when he took several steps towards the lift, Ethan Lu instantly took several steps back to the front desk. 

Leaning his arms on the edge of the desk, he inquired, "By the way, Miss… Deng," Ethan Lu paused for a moment as he traveled his eyes on the receptionist name tag before he returned his eyes on her and smiled.

Surely, this sudden attention from this dashing, stunning guy made the receptionist blushed. His tantalizing eyes, his perfectly sculptured jaw matched with an unruly hair that made his appearance a beautiful mess.

"Yes, Sir?" Thank you to her years of experience, she could still able to respond despite getting his sudden noticed.

"May I know Miss Lexi Yang's room floor?" Depicting innocence, Ethan Lu smoothly asked as he tapped his fingers on the desk.

"Miss Lexi Yang? I'm sorry, sir but we can't disclose other guests' information." Sounding surprised and sorry, the receptionist was too engrossed indulging herself with the man's oozing sex appeal as she was truly captivated with his smile.

"Uh, right… you can't do that." He frowned, dejected by the heartless refusal which disheartened the receptionist as well. But, even if she wanted to tell him, it might cost her to lose her job if something happened because of it.

"Well, I think… " Ethan Lu didn't finish his sentence as he speed-dialed Lyrick Jiang's number before he placed his phone in front of his ears.

As usual, Lyrick Jiang answered with just one ring which made Ethan Lu's brows twitched. 'Does he even sleep?'

"Yes, Young Master?"

"Can you give Mr. Tao a call, tell him I'm staying the night with his hotel and I have a request. I'll owe him this one." Ethan continued the rest of his sentence through a whisper before Lyrick Jiang affirmed, "Copy," and then the call was cut short.

Ethan Lu then turned his smiling eyes back to the receptionist. It only took a minute before the telephone on the front desk rang and the receptionist snapped from her daze.

Answering the call, the receptionist cleared her throat and glanced at Ethan Lu's grinning countenance before she responded, "Understood, Ma'am."

"Mr. Lu, what was your request again?" Turning her attention back to the dashing man, Ms. Deng the receptionist still had a tone of sweetness but distant at the same time; probably after knowing the man's identity, she knew that it was impossible to reach his status and a person she shouldn't offend.

"Transfer me to a vacant room near Lexi Yang's room." Ethan Lu grinned from ear to ear as he uttered his request that was immediately granted without further questions.

Minutes later, the receptionist gave him another key, nearest Lexi Yang's room. Though it was a lower floor than his original suite, a downgrade, in other words, Ethan Lu was much happier to accept and he almost skipped his steps towards the lift.

"Hehe," He giggled as he tried to justify his action inside his head.

'I'm just going to check if someone's making a move on her… for her safety, yes, that right. She won't get mad if she won't see me... I'd be more careful.' He repeated these words over and over again in his head.

Although staying at the same hotel, the same floor with her seemed riskier, however, how would he know if there's someone suspicious in front of her door if he'd stay in a room a floor above hers?

Unbeknownst to Ethan Lu, he would receive a shock of his life and the maximum of his jealousy meter the next day.