The Rise of the White Lotus

When he was near her reposing figure on the meticulously made lounge chair— that was under the shade of the huge umbrella, Ethan Lu stopped in his tracks as he mildly slapped his cheek and sandwiched them by his hands to get himself together.

"Miss Lexi Yang!" After a few slaps, Ethan Lu stumped his steps towards her. Stopping on her side, Ethan Lu could not help his eyes but scan her exposed with droplets of seawater on her skin.

After a gulp, Ethan Lu suddenly collapsed on his knees with both of his hands up in the air. "My baby love, whatever you saw is not what you think it is."

As expected, Lexi didn't respond as her eyes remained closed while her left knee was scrunched up. "I swear to heaven and to all deities that Loreen is not important. I am not flirting or anything of the sort." Sounding like a guilty boyfriend, Ethan Lu clarified in one go.

"Hmmm… I don't mind, really. You shouldn't leave your friend alone— she might get lonely." Despite sounding benevolent and indifferent, Lexi's words were like sharp daggers of a triggered girlfriend. Still, she didn't open her eyes to see Ethan Lu who gasped being brutally misunderstood.

"Urghh! Please love love, hear your servant out…" Pleading desperately, Ethan Lu panicked as he didn't know what was on her mind. 

Granting that Lexi didn't mind his long list of exes, however, it still bugged him about this horrible past. Therefore, Ethan Lu kept his distance from any woman so that Lexi wouldn't misunderstand him from flirting with them. But, for the love of Christ, she had to see him with a beauty like Loreen.

"Mhmmm," Humming a tune, Lexi let him explain whatever reasonable rationale he has to be that close to a woman. She wasn't jealous, really, she was just concerned about him… or that was what she kept saying inside her head. 

Still, despite convincing herself with her own lie, Lexi felt like pinching his ear while slightly twisting it for some reason.

Clearing his throat, Ethan Lu slowly lowered his hands that were held high, but he put them back up in the air when she said, "Keep them up there,"

"Alright! Loreen, that woman earlier was a business partner before in my small company..."

"Mhmm…" 

"Love, baby, your majesty, don't judge yet, alright? As I was saying, even though I was a flirt back then, I don't mess with my business affiliates, alright? I kept our relationship professional and clean— she can attest to that! Also, she might be a hugger—"

"Mhmm, a hugger." Repeating that she could use against him later, Lexi interrupted him midway as she could not help not to. 

This only made Ethan Lu ghastly expression turned even worse. Anyhow, he must salvage himself and clean his name to her. "Yes! She was raised in a western country and she's really friendly! But, her husband is my good friend!"

With his last remarks, Lexi slowly opened her eyes before she unhurriedly turned her head on her right to see his distress expression. "She has a husband, you say?"

"Yes! They even invited me to their wedding last year! He's probably somewhere here as well!" Seeing a sliver of hope, Ethan Lu profusely nodded his head. Lexi scrutinized his countenance first before she uttered,

"Put your hand down." Lexi then sat and leaned her back against the lounge chair as she slightly shook her head.

Seeing that he was half absolved and half not, Ethan Lu gulped a mouthful of saliva as she was punishing him by flaunting her honed tummy, flawless fair legs, her lean shoulders, and enticing collarbones. This heavenly scene almost made his nose bleed and just swoon over her. However, Ethan Lu was just there, kneeling as he awaits her verdict.

"Love… w- will you cover-up, please?" Mustering all his courage, Ethan Lu stammered. No matter how he adored being showered with her boundless sexiness, the bottom line was, he didn't like other men to see too much of her skin.

"Cover-up?" Arching her brows, Lexi narrowed her eyes to Ethan Lu who looked away from her. Yet, seeing how red the tips of his ears were, the corner of her lips curled into a smirk.

Lexi then pivoted her position to face him while her feet touched the sand beside him. Slowly leaning forward, she asked in a whisper, "Why?" 

Even with the distance between him and Lexi, he felt her feverish breath touched the side of his neck, which made him stiffened in an instant. Trying to respond to her, but to no avail, his words were stuck on his throat.

"I-- I…"

Seeing him like this, Lexi bit her lower lip to suppressed her chuckles. Yet, in the end, she could not hold it in. "Pftt--!"

When Ethan Lu first heard her giggles before her loud laughs, he frowned. He already knew she was teasing him, but what could he do? Every time she does this, he just falls for her even more.

Covering his face with his huge palms, he thought while blushing,: 'So cute…'

After some time, Ethan Lu unhurriedly uncovered his face as he looked up to her. She was staring at him with an entertained countenance while her chin was supported by the back of her hand that was resting on her now covered legs.

"Love, do you like revealing clothes?" Frowning helplessly, Ethan Lu honestly inquired. He resumed, "I know everything you wear— I might see them all revealing but, even if I don't want others to have a glimpse of even the tiniest of your skin, I don't want to restrain you from being confident with your body, I can compromise."

"Hmm?" Raising her brows, Lexi anticipated on how would he compromise. She wasn't surprised that he bluntly blurted out that he found whatever she wears revealing because of Churu.

"I can fight." Smiling, Ethan Lu simply spouted his resolve. His words were complex but reassuring. He meant to say that Lexi could wear whatever she wanted because he could fight— might not physically but he now has power.

Hearing his response, Lexi chuckled as she never heard someone telling her those, or rather, in retrospect, everything Ethan said— he uttered them with an extreme conviction that they sounded different.

"Hey, I heard there was a good hot spring here, want to come?" Diverting their subject as she didn't have any response to it, Lexi softly invited. 

Although she sounded like she was giving him a sign, Lexi wanted him to relax as well. After all, since he was already here and he had been pulling all-nighters to finish a project, Lexi thought he needed a break as well.

"Love, stop teasing me… I might misunderstand." Frowning, Ethan Lu perceived it as another challenge for his self-control. 

Well, no one could blame him as the hot spring she was talking about was a very private place. Thus, being there with her would be exceptionally challenging.

"Please, don't. But, Mr. Lu, aren't we here to unwind? You also deserve to loosen up a little." Still, with a subtle smile, Lexi reasoned out. 

****

Churu watched the two and eavesdrop on their conversation. Upon hearing Lexi's invitation, a satisfied smile formed on the side of her lips.

To her, it was just a matter of time before Lexi would accept him as she already reached 90/100 allure points based on the system status. Thus, Churu knew that sooner or later, her mission would be completed.

After all, after this task: Accept Mr. Main task— there would be only one more task and after that, she must bid her farewell. The reason why she was slowly reducing her presence around Lexi.

"This is frustrating…" Churu whispered before she flew far away from Lexi and Ethan.