The Rise of the White Lotus

One hour before the said meeting time…

The rest of the day, Lexi was unconsciously observing Victoria Tang. Based on her late night talks with her favorite person in the world named Ethan Lu, He described Victoria Tang as a confident feisty woman.

However, the woman before her doesn't seem like it. It was more like Victoria Tang had lost all her confidence and what was left was a humble and insecure lady… Yet, a strong and loving mother of her child. Perhaps, it was due to the fact that her child was sick and cutting ties with her somewhat wealthy family made her suffer a little. 

Not just that, through the years, Victoria Tang was labeled as a single mother whose child's father was unknown. Therefore, in this cruel reality, criticism was inevitable. So, it wasn't a surprise that despite Victoria Tang's beautiful face, her aura was too dark and exhausted.

"Say… do you really like Lou?" Currently, they were already back in Ethan Lu's villa and Victoria Tang was the one who was preparing their dinner. Hence, as Lexi watched her guest busy herself while preparing all the meals, she could not help but ask. After all, Vincent Tang was already napping in the guest room and there was not anyone to hear this question but them.

For a moment, Victoria Tang paused on mixing the veggies on the cooking pan before she lowered the heat to the minimum degree and then turned to face Lexi that was leaning on the kitchen counter.

"Uhm, to be honest, I don't know myself— maybe, maybe not." Shrugging her shoulders, Victoria Tang meekly smiled as a deep, heavy exhale escaped her mouth. "Me, Ethan, Louis, and Dylan, we are all good friends with each other. Though for me, those cousins were all weird in their own way, Lou was probably the weirdest."

"I know right?" For a second, Lexi raised her brows as she agreed to what she just said. Although Lexi hadn't met this Dylan Lu and Ethan Lu rarely mentioned him, she already perceived that this Dylan Lu was bad news just like his father Dennis Lu. Still, Dylan Lu being a good friend with Victoria Tang, maybe, he wasn't as bad as she thought he was.

"But, as we grew up, I sort of understood that Lou's thought process was too sharp that it makes him look weird. He won't explain things but if you ask him, he will surely clarify things with you." As Victoria Tang reminisced the past, her gaze softened with the particular thought of Louis Lu. "The Lu family, you might have known that their family was rather complicated but Lou, he's the kindest among the Lu family. No offense." 

"Well, that's your opinion." Taking no harm, Lexi just shrugged her shoulders because, in her own opinion, no one could beat her man.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I will ever like any of the Lu cousins because all I thought was that they were my brothers. But, one fateful night, I was having drinks with Lou— family drama— and then, it happened." Chuckling that sounded like a mockery to herself, another heavy sigh escaped Victoria Tang's mouth.

"We agreed that we'd pretend that nothing had happened between us the next morning but, it's actually hard not to think that way. Maybe he can but I can't… I ended our friendship and Lou never talked to me ever again after that. I didn't know I was pregnant at that time, I only knew about it two months later." Victoria Tang had never detailed what happened that night to anyone but, because it was Lexi, she willingly shared this long-overdue story.

Meanwhile, as Lexi listened, she lightly tapped her fingers on the surface of the kitchen counter. To her, thinking in Ethan Lu's position, Lexi thought that he would surely say that Louis Lu was probably hurt or something of the sort. After all, the said weirdo had his odd ways of dealing with things and no one would know what he was thinking or feeling with that stone-cold face of his.

"At first, I thought about abortion… silly me." Shaking her head once again, Victoria Tang mocked that silly thought of her past, selfish self. "But when I heard the child's heartbeat for the first time, for some reason, I decided not to. I tried to reach Lou and tell him about it. But, it seemed that he really wanted me out of his life so, here I am." Summarizing the agonizing journey while she was pregnant, Victoria Tang avoided the story where she was crying her heart out to sleep and how stressful her pregnancy was and the days after giving birth to a wonderful son.

"I see…" Nodding in understanding, Lexi refrained herself from saying reckless promises and unsure comforts to her, afraid that she'd give false hope to the poor woman.

In her point of view, maybe Victoria Tang was denying her feelings for Louis Lu that unconsciously bloomed within her, alas, it was evident that deep down in her heart, there was a special place that was meant only for Louis Lu.

Surely, sometimes, a person's fate was cruel. Just like Lexi, she spent countless agonizing nights fighting for her first love before tasting the perfection of her newfound love. Therefore, one way or another, Lexi could relate as to why Victoria Tang made such a foolish action in the past and now, lowering all her pride for her selfless love for her son. 

Just at that thought, Lexi commended and respected Victoria Tang's strong heart, Little did Lexi know, it was like Victoria Tang has a choice, because as a mother, giving up her own life and succumbing to her depressing state will only make the child suffer even more. She would only realize that fact when the time came that she would be able to meet her children.

****

Unbeknownst to the two, Louis Lu had already arrived at the villa without a sound. Luckily, Ethan Lu hadn't changed the password in his house hence, he entered without any disturbances. As usual, Louis Lu remained silent and heard Lexi's voice from the kitchen. 

"Say… do you really like Lou?"