The Rise of the White Lotus

When Lexi left the lab with a bright aura beaming around her, she slightly flinched the moment she stepped out of the lab. There, Nico Zhuang was leaning on the side as if he was waiting for her. 

Lexi looked down and saw that he was still carrying their samples and seemed as if he didn't submit them yet, which made her brows furrow. Alas, just when Lexi was about to inquire as to why he was there, Nico Zhuang spoke first. 

"You don't usually go that far." Referring to the fact that Lexi uttered more words than usual to Stella Du's group that might trigger something inside the unreasonable miss. 

"Well, our class will be completed after the last exhibit of our products so, I just thought to tease her as a gift." Nonchalantly shrugging her shoulders, Lexi grinned mischievously that made the ever worried Nico Zhuang shake his head and he heaved a heavy sigh. 

Unbeknownst to her, Nico Zhuang has his own reason behind his sigh. 

'Lady boss, please behave or the Master will kill me.' Nico Zhuang let out another heavy sigh. Her journey had been running smoothly mainly because no one could make her bother with other things or people aside from her products. 

However, now that they were already near their certifications, Lexi upgraded her mischief and took notice of Stella Du's nonsense. 

"Anyway, why didn't you submit them yet? Shall we submit then together?" Brushing their discussion to the side, Lexi diverted the subject with an important one. 

"Uh..." Gazing down at the two small tubs, Nico Zhuang pondered what excuse he should come up with. After a beat, he raised his gaze to meet her natural sharp eyes. "I thought I forgot something and only realized it's in my pocket when I had arrived here." 

Nico Zhuang could not even convince himself with his lame excuse, however, he knew she would buy it. After all, he had implanted this personality to everyone so he wouldn't look weird when he gave such a lie. 

"Tss... so clumsy for a smart guy like you." Lexi clicked her tongue and slightly shook her head upon hearing his excuse. Just as what Nico Zhuang said, Lexi didn't doubt him as he was always this clumsy ever since she met him. Hence, this was always a normal occurrence that others might think Nico Zhuang was just a weird lad. 

After that, Lexi and Nico Zhuang headed to their respective lockers to have a change of clothes before they submitted their products to another department to get it examined and approved. 

****

"Nico, I haven't asked this before but, don't you have a car?" As Lexi buckled up her seat, she turned her head to the front passenger seat where her lackey perched comfortably. 

He had been hitching a ride with her whenever he could, especially when they had to go to a certain place because while they were classmates, Nico Zhuang also applied to be her assistant to the company she wanted to establish. 

As usual, his reasoning was silly: "I need a job." It was an unconvincing excuse but with his skills, he would be a great help for him to be on her side. Therefore, she allowed him to tag along wherever she goes. 

Still, the fact that Nico Zhuang could afford to attend such classes as her, would need a load of money to shell out. Thus, Lexi was confused with this weird fellow as he seemed as if he was raised with a decent family with considerable wealth. 

Even so, Lexi scratched the possibility that he might like her as Nico Zhuang never gave that kind of interest and she was actually comfortable with him around as if his presence felt familiar— like she had known him for a while or rather, his presence had been around her all this while. 

"I do but you can drive— saves me from exhausting myself and money." Leaning comfortably against the backrest of the leather interior seat, Nico Zhang shamelessly responded. Although that was indeed true, his task was to keep her secure and keeping her closer was the best way to execute that. 

 "*sigh* I can't believe my chemist will be like this." Lexi only breathed a heavy sigh as she shook her head once again. She then decided to start the car's engine and sped away towards their destination. 

****

Soon, her car reaches a certain building not too far away from the main city of country X. Lexi slowed down as she parked her car in the parking space of the establishment. 

Upon turning off the car's engine, Nico Zhuang fiddled with his seatbelt and without a word, he hitched out and scanned the surroundings. Seeing that no suspicious being lingering around, he turned and looked at her over the car's roof. 

"What?" Arching her brows as she locked her car by pressing the button on her key, she asked as Nico Zhuang had this unreadable countenance. 

"Uhm... will your boyfriend also drop by today?" 

"Ohh, I'm not sure. He said he will try to drop by since he has a meeting nearby. Why? Afraid of him?" Smirking by his sudden inquiry, Lexi humored as Nico Zhuang and Ethan Lu met a few times when Ethan Lu was visiting her while she was doing projects with Nico Zhuang and a few dinners. 

However, even though Ethan Lu had been the same, for some unknown reason, Nico Zhuang was unusually quieter whenever he was around. 

"Of course not— just curious." Nico Zhuang profusely shook his head as he denied without batting an eye. "Let's go." With that said note, Nico Zhuang took small strides towards the building while Lexi chuckled at him before following him but ended up brushing past him as his steps were slow and small— as if he was purposely letting her go first so he would follow behind her. 

From the ground floor, both of them headed to the 8th floor of the building. There were builders around finishing some unfinished areas and they had bowed to them when they saw Lexi, then quickly resumed working double time. 

The 8th floor was specifically made to be a lab where they could experiment on products that Lexi wanted to launch. Since the whole building was rented out from Lexi's lifetime savings and the renovations came from her own pocket, it was safe to say that she was the sole owner of the company that she had registered. 

As they arrived at the said floor, Lexi and Nico Zhuang were then welcomed by a middle-aged engineer that was expecting their arrival and had a few people with him. 

"Miss Yang!" The moment the engineer saw the two figures approaching, he turned his focus towards their direction and heartily greeted them. 

"Engr. Choi," When Lexi came close to the group of men, she smiled and greeted back. "How was it?" She asked with a glint of excitement that had flashed across her pair of nut-brown eyes. 

"Hehe, why don't you check it out for yourself?" Grinning widely, Engineer Choi giddily boasted as he gestured her towards the direction where the lab was located which Lexi agreed to with a nod. 

With Engineer Choi's lead, Lexi and Nico Zhuang silently followed him from behind along with the rest of the men that were with him earlier. The moment the middle-aged man slowly opened the entrance, Lexi was rendered speechless and in awe of the bright lab.