The Rise of the White Lotus

The next day…

As usual, Lexi was being contained by the piles of documents and samples that her company was thinking of launching next. Since Beauty DR's popularity skyrocketed in the market and the masses had proven and tested their products, she has to keep her momentum up by launching another product that everyone would love.

As she was reviewing the presentation files, Lexi heard the telephone on the side of the desk ring which snapped her from the trance of studying their company's new project. Glancing at it, Lexi pressed a button that connected to the caller which was her assistant Nico Zhuang.

"Madam, Miss Chang is here." Composed and stoic, Nico Zhuang directly delivered the reason for the call.

"Send her in." Lexi naturally nodded out of habit despite the person on the other end who could not see her gesture. With that said note, Lexi soon heard a faint knock from outside her office before she responded for her to come in.

Lifting her head and her eyes away from the stack of documents on her desk, Lexi saw Andy Chang silently enter her office before she closed it from behind and slightly bowed her head. Taking a courteous side towards Lexi's desk, Andy Chang stopped in front of her as Lexi's gaze never once left her figure.

"Uhm…" Clearing her throat, Andy Chang still found her a little intimidating and probably, she would never feel relaxed around her. "Madam Yang, about your request yesterday, I luckily got a hold of Cherry and she agreed to meet me under the pretense of catching up." Attempting to ignore Lexi's intimidating aura that she had always felt that it was beyond her reach, Andy Chang focused on the reason why she was in Lexi's office early in the morning so to divert her slight discomfort.

"When?"

"Tomorrow. After work around seven in the evening." Holding her hands together, Andy Chang meekly responded. Well, aside from not knowing why Lexi was so inclined to meet Cherry, she was more anxious that Lexi would go with her if she meets up with Cherry.

How could she hang out with a wild former colleague if Lexi was there? Surely, Cherry would spread her wildness that could smear Lexi's gracious elegance. Just thinking about it. Andy Chang was in a quite distressing situation.

"Thank you, Andy." Sensing her slight aloofness and distance, the corner of Lexi's lips curled into a smile. She knew that even though she helped Andy Chang from her miserable occupation in the past, their first encounter had planted fright into the woman's heart. Hence, she probably thinks that one wrong move, Lexi would snap and lash out at her.

Well, that was possible if it was in the past as she was a spoiled young miss who always thinks the world revolved around her. But now, she could safely say that everything that happened made her more mature and understanding of things. 

"It's nothing— I mean, your welcome, Madam Yang." Shaking her head, when Andy Chang saw the reassuring smile that mildly diverted Lexi's intimidating image to a gentler one, her stiffened shoulders loosened for a bit before Andy Chang responded and corrected her friendly tone.

"Can I ask one thing?" Still bearing her mild smile, Lexi slightly raised her brows which affected Andy Chang and does the same as she waited for her question to be delivered. "Cherry did something and one of my artists in AL entertainment was the one who's paying the price. Me, tagging along with you tomorrow night could mean that it might affect your relationship with her. I don't mean to cause harm to your friendship, so I am having second thoughts if I should really come with you or not." Slowly, Lexi leaned her back against the chair as she heavily sighed.

When coming to Andy Chang yesterday, Lexi didn't think about ruining their friendship if there was one. But, after thinking it overnight, she didn't want to be the cause of someone hating Andy Chang because of her selfishness. She wasn't that kind of person anymore which only thinks about herself.

"Madam Yang…" Upon hearing Lexi's vague explanation and the possible outcome for her, Andy Chang scrutinized Lexi's front for a second before she whispered her name. "I didn't know what she did," Pursing her lips on a thin line, Andy Chang was conflicted as she fiddled her fingers that were below her waist.

"You might not have seen it yet but Hannah Gan, an artist in my agency has an alleged ongoing scandal. Unfortunately, it was your friend who was the woman in the film but another woman is suffering for her deeds." Studying the conflicted look plastered across Andy Chang's front, Lexi didn't restrain herself from further explaining why she was inclined to meet Cherry.

It was not that Lexi was trying to control Andy Chang's decision in life and she was very well versed that her choice of friends was none of her business. However, since she took her in and was still under her care, it wouldn't harm anyone if she speaks the obvious: to choose her friends wisely.

After all, it was better to have no friends than having nothing but bad ones. Speaking from experience.

For a moment, silence dawned on across Lexi's office as neither of them talked after Lexi's statement. Andy Chang hanging her head low while contemplating a decision while Lexi, on the other hand, rested her temple by the back of her hand as her elbow rested on the chair's armrest.

"If she's responsible then, I think it's just right for her to be responsible for it and not other people. We are friends and I think this is how a real friend should be— correcting her… right?." After the minute of silence, Andy Chang lifted her head as an apologetic expression plastered across her face.

She knew that her previous line of work was one of the dirtiest jobs in the world and a scandal leaking out was inevitable even though they should be "protected" by their agency. After all, their clients were nasty to the extent of sometimes hurting them and all worst cases— a leaked video scandal was included obviously.

But, Andy Chang, although turned a new leaf and was now occupying herself from work as the new HR Director in Beauty DR, she still has some leisure to watch movies and Hannah Gan's name was one of the rising stars nowadays. Hence, she recalled that the said celebrity has some resemblance to Cherry. 

Andy Chang might have missed the recent scandal as Beauty DR's operation had been quite hectic. Still, if this was true which she was sure that Lexi wasn't lying, then, how could she let another person suffer if she was innocent in the first place? Andy Chang and Cherry, they had accepted the industry they worked in and they admitted that their dignity was close to nonexistent.

Regardless, that doesn't mean they were bad people despite that. They were only cornered by a tight situation to swallow such a disgraceful job. Thus, Andy Chang knew that Cherry would understand her side.

"Are you sure?" Arching her brows, Lexi never once left the woman's figure and witnessed her apologetic look transformed into a firm resolve.

"Yes,"

"Alright, thank you, Andy." Along with Lexi's faint exhale, she offered a gentle smile as if her countenance was reassuring Andy Chang that everything would be well.

"Madam Yang?" Andy Chang bit her bottom lip which made Lexi tilted her head to the side waiting for whatever the woman wanted to say before she resigned to her duties.

"If ever, you might think I am a bit shameless but, is it possible to help Cherry and take her in under Beauty DR?" Mustering her courage, Andy Chang had contemplated deeply enough to think what would happen to Cherry if she comes out and takes the responsibility of the said scandal?

Aside from degrading her already degraded existence, letting the world know that the bare body they had seen was on a whole different level. A whole new level of shamelessness and whether they wanted it or not, the masses would only think about how dirty she was and ignore the other side of the story.

For a second, Lexi blinked her eyes as she was rather amused that Andy Chang was indeed a smart and caring lady. She didn't bother to know the details why she ended up as a prostitute aside from the fact that she needed money, but surely, Lexi didn't expect that she would have thought about this now.

"If she's qualified for any job in the company then, do your job as the HR Director. I didn't appoint you in your position just because I feel like it. You deserve the title and I trust that you'd screen Cherry properly." Lexi mildly nodded her head as she agreed to her request that brought a relief smile on Andy Chang's lips.

"Thank you, Madam!" Grateful for Lexi's kindness, Andy Chang made a deep bow as she expressed her gratitude. Lexi only meekly smiled then nodded once again before Andy Chang finally left Lexi's office with a relieved heart.

To Andy Chang, at the very least, she could help her friend find a decent job that pays a good amount of money even to the lowest position in the company. Moreover, she knew that whatever Lexi's plans were to resolve Hannah Gan's case, it would certainly affect Cherry. Thus, the agency would surely ask her friend to lay low for a while and refuse all requests that wanted Cherry to accompany them.

On the other hand, Lexi watched Andy Chang's figure leave her office with a relieved aura surrounding her. As soon as the door closed, the meek smile on Lexi's lips stretched into a smirk.

"Being good despite being bad is truly amusing in a way." Lexi lightly scoffed as she slightly shook her head sideways. Picking up her phone, Lexi searched for Abigail Fan's contact number and pressed the call button.

"Hello?" It only took three rings before Abigail Fan picked up the call and the line connected afterward which immediately followed by Abigail Fan's voice.

"Abi, release an article along via an anonymous person with the attached photos that I just sent you tomorrow at midnight. Also, release a statement today and deny all the accusations against Hannah." Without further ado, Lexi finally began to make her move despite not meeting Cherry just yet.

Well, it was not that she needed Cherry's permission to drag her into this as she was already involved. Yet, Lexi also doesn't need the said woman to come out in the open to be publicly shamed because what she wanted was beyond what it seemed.

"Oh, alright…? I'm checking the mail— oh wow, who is this?" On the other end of the line, Abigail Fan immediately checked her mails and upon clicking the attached files on it, she abruptly was in awe as the woman was gorgeous with all the revealing clothes that perfectly fitted her image. However, what caught her eyes was that the resemblance of the woman with Hannah Gan, especially her side profile was astoundingly similar.

"Don't ask the obvious. Anyway, I am waiting for the profiles of the newly signed trainees in the agency. I am looking forward to it today." 

"Wait—" Knowing that Lexi would hang up on her again after saying what she wanted to say, Abigail Fan suddenly halted her for a moment. "About the press confe—" Just before Abigail Fan could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by Lexi.

"No need for a press conference as the media will only add pressure to Hannah and to you. Also, it is not moneywise. Instead, file a complaint against the anonymous writer of the blog that kept on slandering our company." At this time, Lexi unhesitantly ended the call as she gave out her orders.

After placing down her phone on the desk, Lexi crossed her leg over the other as she mildly chuckled. "I can imagine my husband's expression after this." Shaking her head, Lexi was quite excited to see Ethan Lu's expression in a few days as she was certain that she would shock him to the core.

Little did she know, not only Ethan Lu but also Lyrick Jiang would gasp on how destructive her retaliation could be.