The Rise of the White Lotus

At this time, Lexi and Ethan were slightly intoxicated after the 'Never have I ever' game. 

"Alright, I give up." Chuckling, Ethan Lu downed another drink after her last statement of 'Never have I ever had a naughty fantasy about you.' On the other hand, Lexi was only giggling as her cheeks were slightly flushed.

"My gosh, Ethan… what naughty fantasy is that? Hah, you better be careful, Mr. Lu." Since they were on it since earlier, Lexi was more laid back and cool about every question she blurted out that was being accepted by him through a drink.

"Miss Yang, you don't want to know." Shaking his head, Ethan Lu humored as he knew she'd have the shock of her life after knowing what kind of dreams he had in mind—romantic and steamy hot. 

He added in an attempt of a whisper but failed miserably, "I am a man who's head over heels about a woman named Lexi Yang—it's normal." 

"Hah, try me." Taunting, Lexi's brows raised while her chin laid on the back of her hand as she challenged him to expose himself.

"No can do," Knowing what she was trying to do, Ethan Lu chuckled even more as he shook his head in defeat. Indeed, even if he was slightly drunk, he would never, ever rat himself out.

After all, everything he had in mind after their 'marriage' was to make love with her every day—perhaps whenever he had the chance in a day.

"You will know after I change your surname to Lu." He winked as a knowing smirk formed on the side of his lips. 

Lexi gave up upon hearing his last remarks with a giggle. Her gaze then shifted on the side and spotted the lone guitar that was kept untouched since she boarded the ship. 

Raising her brows as her index finger pointed to the direction of the guitar, she inquired, "Is that yours?"

Following the direction of what she was pointing at, Ethan Lu smiled seeing his guitar that was waiting to be strummed. "Right—thank you for reminding me." With that said note, he abruptly stood up and strode towards the spot where the acoustic guitar rest. 

He effortlessly picked it up and clung the strap across his shoulder as he slowly walked back to the table and dragged his chair to her side. 

"Let me serenade you, Miss Yang." He declared. 

Although Ethan Lu was far from being drunk, his face still showed a pinkish blush on his cheeks that added to his already charming and dashing looks.

"How can I refuse, Mr. Lu?" Shrugging before she sipped a small amount of wine, Lexi accepted without a second hesitation that made Ethan Lu's heart fluttered with hearts and roses.

Clearing his throat, Ethan Lu checked its tone before he smiled in satisfaction. Raising his gaze to meet her anticipating pair of eyes that was unhurriedly blinking, while her lips were curled upward, he began. 

"You're just too good to be true

Can't take my eyes off you~" Ethan Lu started singing as he professionally strummed the guitar without showing any difficulty.

"At long last love has arrived

And I thank God I'm alive~" Back when Ethan Lu stumbled upon this old song, although he liked it, however, he didn't appreciate the lyrics as he hadn't felt the feelings that it was emphasizing. But now, he could finally say that he was thankful that he got the chance to live and meet her in this lifetime.

"Pardon the way that I stare

There's nothing else to compare

The sight of you leaves me weak

There are no words left to speak~" As he sang this part, he winked at her that made her faintly giggled.

"...But if you feel like I feel

Please let me know that it's real~" Ethan Lu stopped as a huge grin plastered across his face. 

Standing up, he took off the strap of the guitar and leaned the instrument on the table. Ethan Lu then offered his hand to her which made her arched her brows. 

"May I have this dance?" He asked in a tender tone.

Although skeptical, she still accepted his offer to dance despite not having background music—by reaching out her hands to him.

Ethan Lu escorted her to the open space as their dance floor near the table where they dined and played a silly game 'never have I ever' game. 

Turning to face each other, Ethan Lu smoothly traced her left arm down to her slender hands and guided it to his shoulder. He then smoothly moved his right hand and fixed it on her upper back while he gently grasps her right hand and holds it up about his shoulder level.

"I am not surprised—literally not," As she let him guide her from the beginning and helped her with the right positioning, Lexi giggled as she actually didn't expect him to know this obvious etiquette in a slow dance.

"Hehe, you're really not." Chuckling back, Ethan Lu nodded in agreement as if he didn't catch the sarcasm behind it. 

He cleared his throat as he continued the song where he left off; and as he sang, he led the slow dance and savored every moment.

"I love you, baby

And if it's quite alright, I need you, baby~" Eventually, as she was being guided with the slow dance and his acapella song as their background music, Lexi rested the side of her head on his chest as his voice was really soothing. She thought that if Ethan Lu started a singing career, he'd make it big!

"Oh, pretty baby

Don't bring me down, I pray, oh pretty baby

Now that I found you, stay

And let me love you, baby…~" As he continued to sing, Lexi felt the sincerity on every word of the lyrics as if it were his own utterance that he was delivering.

'How can you be so sweet?' She inquired inwardly as her heart was filled with nothing but warmth. After the coldest treatment from her past love that she prepped her life to be with, Lexi could easily discern the difference.

Indeed, it might be ridiculous for her to have a thought about Morris Liu at this time, however, with Ethan Lu being extra warm and gentle, she could not help but compare. 

Unaware of it, as the sudden thought of her former fiance flashed across her mind, her heart didn't ache just like it used to be. It was as if Ethan's strong feelings protected it from those horrible memories that regularly attacked her out of nowhere.

On the other hand, Ethan Lu's happiness was hard to describe with words. His heart was filled with strong emotions that he felt like exploding. He wanted to love her more. He wanted to protect her even if it means he'd go against the entire universe. He wanted to shout to the whole world the name that monopolized his heart. He wanted to do tons of things, adventures, and spend the rest of his life with her. He had countless wants that he wanted to do with her but if he stated all of it—they would have to spend another week.

'Aiya, this is so beautiful—I don't want this to end just yet.' He murmured inwardly as he rested his cheeks on her head that was resting on his chest.

When he was done singing, Lexi and Ethan Lu kept on their slow pace and when they stopped, she raised her now flushed face to meet his gentle ones. At that very moment, even the howl of the autumn breeze was silent as their beating hearts pound louder and louder. They stared at each other for a minute and the powerful emotions surrounding them intensified. 

Slowly, Ethan Lu leaned closer as his instinct overwhelmed him. Seeing him get closer and closer with every millisecond that was passing by, Lexi knew what he would do. However, she didn't turn her to the side or pulled away. Instead, her eyes slowly closed—welcoming what was coming in a few more milliseconds.

*****

[Liu Empire: Main Office]

Morris Liu glanced at numerous photographs of the earlier events at the Yang Mansion. On the particular photo he was holding, a picture of Lexi with a subtle, unobvious smile as Ethan Lu hold on the open door for her. 

He knew her since childhood, hence, he could discern if she was uncomfortable just looking at her eyes.

And in this photograph, she was more than comfortable with Ethan Lu's company. Slowly, his hand crumpled the photo on his hand as his jaw tightened. He already swore to let her go as the matters in his hands right now was about to end.

However, he could not help but check on her every once in a while and seeing that his friend was firmly pushing his courtship to her—he felt like an utter fool. What's more? The yang parents welcomed him wholeheartedly because of the reports he had about Ethan Lu's ins and outs of the said residence, which gave him inexplicable emotions.

Just then, his phone rang and displayed Elliot Gong's contact number. Seeing that it just him, Morris Liu obviously rejected the call without batting an eye. After he did so, his office door produced a knocking sound from the outside and without further ado, it was opened—revealing Elliot Gong's apathetic figure.

"Brother Mo, did you already know?" Elliot Gong's first words were complex as he perched on one of the sofas and poured himself a wine that was standing in the middle of the small table. 

As usual, he didn't receive any response from Morris Liu as he lit another stick of cigarette.

"Of course, you know about it—why am I even asking." Elliot Gong heavily sighed as he already knows the answer to his question. He just wanted confirmation from him. He continued, "Bro, why don't you just tell her parents and Lexi that it was for their sake that you--"

Before Elliot Gong could finish his sentence, Morris Liu interrupted him midway with a mocking tone, "That I what? That I hurt her and almost killed their daughter?"

"But, that's a miscalculation! She wasn't supposed to return the country 6 months prior and if she only listened to you—everything won't happen and you two were probably married now!" Agitated by his friend's response, Elliot Gong stated facts. He added, "Also, you deeply trusted that she was a strong woman--"

"A strong woman also had a breaking point and I pushed her to the edge—another miscalculation huh… Eli, she was happy with Ethan, let them be." Turning his head to see the city lights of the night, a bitter and melancholic glint flashed across his eyes. 

He didn't want to bother her or find any excuse because the fact that Lexi almost took her life—he could never forgive himself for hurting her more than anyone.

"That's the point! It was Ethan of all people! It's not like I had anything against my friend but what if he dumps her just like everybody else after he had his fun?!" Dismayed, Elliot Gong grumbled as he was well-versed of Ethan Lu's antics and he was afraid that Ethan Lu would do what he had always done to his past exes.

"Then… I'd have to take the whole Lu family down—even if it means losing this company. I already lost my everything after all,"