The Rise of the White Lotus

When Richard Si explained everything and left the two, Lexi forced a smile on her lip as she turned her gaze to Ethan Lu's feigning innocent front. Although she was smiling, it was evident on her face that she was displeased at some point.

"What?" Pretending not to know the meaning of her gaze, Ethan Lu looked at her innocently.

"No secure partitions, really?" Trying to control her brewing anger, Lexi sweetly smiled at him.

"Baby…" Slowly covering his chest, Ethan Lu warily looked at her as if he was trying to protect his innocence.

"Ethan Lu…" with a warning tone, Lexi had the urge to bite him. Why was he acting that he was worried that she would take advantage of him?

"Love, calm down. There's a partition for women and men section alright? Just not, you know… secure— but at least, there is, that's what important, right?" Carefully uttering his words, Ethan Lu implied that there was nothing to worry about. Scrutinizing her profile, he heavily sighed before he added, "If you don't approve then, we can always go back to the hotel."

"Tsk," Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Lexi glared at him before she began taking strides towards the changing area. Brushing passed at him, she warned firmly. 

"No peeking." Lexi then resumed on her strides— leaving him.

"Hehe, I should tell that to you." Ethan Lu murmured as he giggled. This time, he was certain that he would get her attention.

"Time to flaunt my manliness~" He giggled as he went on the men's locker room.

****

After taking off her clothes, Lexi wrapped her body with a towel without anything underneath. She put her hair into a bun and took off any accessories she had on and placed them inside the locker.

"He's really confusing me…" Thinking about Ethan Lu's gentleman persona and now, this… Lexi could not discern if he agreed because she urged him to or because he really liked the idea of bathing with an unreliable partition between them.

Going inside the spring, apparently, the only thing that separated them was a clumsily arranged bamboos. However, she could see the person and what he was doing on the other side without exerting much effort. Regardless of this fact, Lexi still agreed because she trusted Ethan Lu. After all, he never took advantage of her and even if he did now, she'd really beat him to a pulp with no way she would complete the task.

Fortunately, she saw Ethan Lu chatting with Richard Si earlier, hence, she came first into this incredible hot spring first. Indeed, aside from the flimsy bamboo partition that she could not understand why Richard Si didn't bother to get it fixed— still, the view was incredible. 

With the help of the hot water, Lexi didn't mind the slightly cold breeze that was touching her face. After bathing herself, she hurriedly headed to the steaming spring while taking off her towel— hot spring rules: one must completely naked as Richard Si followed the Japanese Onsen's etiquette. Well, Lexi already had that experience back when she was traveling hence, she truly understood this fact.

She peered at the view of the island and Lexi calmed down. Truly, she didn't regret going there despite the hassle of reaching this place. Moreover, even though the establishment's front was simple, the interior especially where she was currently at was superb; which reminded her of the saying: One must not judge the book by its cover.

'This is relaxing…' Lexi thought inwardly as she leaned her back and indulge at the mesmerizing view while her tensed muscle gradually relaxed. Surely, one would not know if their hard work was worth it or not if they didn't try— that was her sudden realization.

After some time of tranquility, Lexi was startled when she heard the door from the other side opened. Subconsciously, she turned her head to see the person who came in. That very instant, the person she was seeing through the huge gap of the flimsy partition was Ethan Lu.

There was a small towel around his waist to cover his private area, yet, seeing him almost naked for the first time, Lexi's eyes traveled to his perfectly sculptured chest, down to his honed six-pack abs. Lexi was momentarily stunned as her gaze was fixed on him. Since she never had such naughty thoughts about herself and Ethan, Lexi didn't expect him to have such great shape.

Lexi didn't notice that she was intently watching him as he poured himself with normal water and quickly bathe himself before he strode towards the other side of this muscle-relaxing spring. Before Ethan Lu could jump in the spring, he raised his gaze to meet the mischievous lady who was watching him.

The corner of his lips curled into a smirk while droplets of water dripped down from the tip of his hair that almost reach his ear which made him look enchanting and seductive than ever. "Love, I'm taking this off…" slowly loosening the towel that barely hanging on his V-line, he bewitchingly teased.

Upon hearing him and witnessing what he was about to do, Lexi instantly looked away as the tip of her ear flushed. She could hear her heart race which made her breathe frantically as the atmosphere felt heated even more. 

'What am I doing? Lexi Yang! I am ashamed of you— you're not a pervert, never!' Reprimanding herself inwardly, Lexi wanted to slap herself as Ethan Lu would surely use this to tease her; maybe not now but in the future… or so she thought as the man on the other side of the useless partition was grinning from ear to ear.

"Hehe, I actually don't mind gracing you with—" 

"Shut up!"

"Haha! Kidding," Bursting out laughing despite being shushed down, Ethan Lu unconvincingly spouted his words in between his laughs. His smile was priceless as he had been secretly observing her the moment he entered thus, he was beyond delighted to see her face slowly flushed as she heedlessly watched him. 

"Tsk," Clicking her tongue, Lexi glared at him before she hastily returned her gaze to the wonderful view to forget the view that she adored earlier. 

'This view is much better, yes, better. I am Lexi Yang, not a talking dumpling, alright? That's right.' Inside Lexi's mind, she could not relax just like earlier as Ethan's abs, the droplet of water dripping from the tip of his hair, his lean v-line kept on flashing before her eyes. Therefore, to conceal the redness complexion that was slowly building on her face, Lexi soaked half of her face as she didn't dare turn her head anywhere else.

****

After some silence, Ethan Lu didn't tease her further as he didn't want to overdo it. After all, he could bring this up in the future when she was officially his. Ethan Lu peered at the view as the sun was about to set.

"How nice…" He mumbled that was audible enough for the lady on the other side of the partition to hear.

"Hmmm," Mildly recovering, Lexi hummed a tune as a response. After that, another moment of silence enveloped between them yet, it was not awkward at all. But rather, it was still relaxing and comforting.

"Love, let this be our second official date." Proposing out of nowhere, Ethan Lu had a subtle smile on the corner of his lips. He didn't notice that it has been four months since their first official date as both of them had a busy schedule. Despite that, he would always drop by at the Yang mansion or to the Taming Heart's set to spend some time with her.

"You mean now?" Furrowing her brows, Lexi didn't have anything against the idea as the interval of their dates was actually too long.

"Hmm, now." Slowly nodding his head even though she wasn't looking, Ethan Lu hummed. Since the things in the Lu family was getting serious by the day, he knew that he must tell her the critical things about him.

"Love… do you want to meet my family?" 

Lexi pursed her lips on a thin line as she had the urge to look at him by his question. However, even though his body was hiding under the spring, she didn't for her safety.

"If you asked me, I don't want you to meet them just yet." After a minute of no response from her, Ethan Lu bitterly said his opinion. He added after a beat,

"You see, our family is very chaotic especially now that I came into the picture— all who wanted to be the next family head were all coming after me… I don't want them to disturb your peace— those people are really troublesome to deal with." He bitterly uttered as he felt ashamed. After all, her parents welcome him with warm opened arms and even let him tag along in their family outing. 

However, to him, he actually didn't mind introducing her now or later. But, if he was to choose, he would rather introduce her if he had full control over the Lu Family. In that case, the people who would bother Lexi would be reduced which he could easily keep an eye on.

"Ethan…" As Lexi attentively listened to his statements, she already got the gist where he was coming from. She wasn't dumb, not to know those obvious things. Considering that Ethan Lu had always play around all these years then suddenly, he came back to their family— reclaiming what's rightfully his that he had given up in the past. 

However, that was not her major concern at the moment; meeting his family, entangling herself with their family drama, and the conclusion if she stepped her foot inside the Lu family household... she wasn't ready yet.

"I… I think I'm starting to like you— I mean, my heart sometimes raced like crazy with you around. I was pissed seeing you conversing with another woman, I don't know. Maybe, it is safe to say I like you, not as a friend but I see you as a man."