The Rise of the White Lotus

Several hours later…

As Lexi was on her way to meet up with Aubrey Ning to have a dinner meeting with her, she received an email from Abigail Fan that she requested. Normally, these profiles and their entry to showcase their talent: whether it was singing, acting, or dancing was attached along with each file and was kept by the authorized person of the company only.

But, since Lexi owned half of the company, she has all the rights to review everything and Abigail Fan was more than willing for her participation in AL entertainment. After all, not only did Lexi understand the industry, she was also a wise businesswoman.

Shifting her tab, Lexi skimmed through each file of names and unfortunately, Avah Tong's name wasn't included. Lexi arched her brows as she thought for a second that Avah Tong didn't push through to enter the lion's den. However, for some reason, Lexi was still bugged and her instinct tells her that Avah Tong would be crazy enough to play with a blazing fire. Thus, with that thought in mind, Lexi decided to waste her time and checked each file.

There were approximately sixty people currently trying their luck to be managed by AL entertainment but, well, Lexi has a short half an hour to waste and wouldn't mind using it to reduce the files she would check after work. One after another, Lexi clicked each file and then closed it upon seeing an unfamiliar face— rinse and repeat.

"Madam, we've arrived." Parking their vehicle to the restaurant's parking space out of habit, Nico Zhuang glanced through the rear mirror as Lexi was immersed into the laptop that was placed on her lap. Usually, he doesn't need to announce it because Lexi was rather attentive about her surroundings. But now, she didn't notice the change of their car's speed and even when he came into a full halt she was still oblivious.

Lexi didn't immediately respond to Nico Zhuang's obvious announcement but she clearly heard him. However, she wanted to check one more file before she stopped and proceeded to her appointment. 

Upon clicking on the file name: Clarisse Fei, Lexi wasn't expecting anything as she just wanted some confirmation. Little did she know, what welcomed her eyes was Avah Tong's photo along with her 'information'. Upon seeing her familiar face, Lexi arched her brows as the corner of her lips curled into a smirk.

'Found you.' She thought inwardly as Lexi was glad that Avah Tong was indeed crazy enough to sneak inside her den. Since these were only the initial profiles and unlike what Avah Tong claimed back in their first encounter with each other, she didn't sign a contract under AL entertainment but still in the process of being screened.

"Madam?" Three minutes had already passed when Nico Zhuang told her that they had arrived. Alas, every second counted to someone such as Lexi and Aubrey Ning, they could not waste their time such as waiting. Moreover, three minutes felt like three full hours to Nico Zhuang as he sensed a different aura that emanated from Lexi within that span of minutes.

"I heard you." Closing her laptop, Lexi placed it back on the side before she picked up her handbag and hitched out even without Nico Zhuang opening it for her. Well, this had already become the two's habit as Lexi preferred doing the small things she could do instead of obliging the reliable Nico Zhuang.

****

"Lexi! It's good to see you again, dear." The moment Lexi arrived at the private room inside the Japanese restaurant, Aubrey Ning, as gorgeous and seductive as ever with her cleavage showing with her deep v-neck smart casual, her curly hair that has more volume than other people's lives, and long claws she used to waved at Lexi.

"Hey, I'm sorry for making you wait." Smiling, Lexi headed to the cushion placed across Aubrey Ning and sat in a proper seiza style before she apologized.

"No worries. I just arrived as well." Waving her hands off, Aubrey Ning didn't mind the few second delay as she was also late for several minutes as well. Now, both of them were at a draw and no need to apologize.

"I already ordered our food, is that fine?" 

"That's fine." Nodding, Lexi as the smile on her lips never once left her. Of course, this unusual smile would never be missed by Aubrey Ning's keen eyes as she narrowed her lids in suspicion.

"I know, it's none of my business but Miss Yang, you're unusually happy." Commenting about the things she noticed, the moment Lexi came in up until now.

"I am though the reason was quite weird." Shrugging, Lexi and Aubrey Ning didn't start off on the important things as they chit chatted for a while. Upon hearing Lexi, Aubrey Ning slightly gaped her mouth as she slowly nodded her head in understanding. 

After a beat, the side of Aubrey Ning's lips curled into a smirk as she was before she spoke; "Sometimes, I also get happy whenever trouble comes. Well, happy is not the word I'd say but rather, thrilled." Since Aubrey Ning already showed Lexi how low she could get in the business world to reduce competition, she was unhesitant to spout such a statement which only a few were granted to see and hear directly from her mouth.

"I agree, thrilled is the word." Raising her brows, Lexi faintly chuckled as Aubrey Ning would be the former Lexi's best friend if she knew her earlier. However, she was not like that anymore but some people were triggering her and she must take extreme actions to make them back away.

"Ohh…" Amused at the momentary glint and vibe Aubrey Ning got from Lexi, she slightly gasped as she covered her mouth with the back of her hand. From the time she met Lexi and became her business partner, Aubrey Ning had this image of Lexi as a kind yet a wise person.

But now that she had a glimpse of something more of her, Aubrey Ning was quite surprised to see it without any short notice. Regardless, she liked her more after seeing some dark side of her. Well, no one was perfect and one could never settle into the illusion of the person you thought they were. There would and always will be changes happening every single day.

"Now you triggered my inner gossip girl. Who is this lucky person? Want me to join the fun?" As usual, Aubrey Ning humored Lexi as she hinted that she also wanted to know if Lexi wasn't too stingy about her personal affairs. 

"I'd rather not say, I'm sorry." Feigning apologetic, Lexi chuckled as she politely refused the voluntary offer from Aubrey Ning's helping hand. 

"Stingy." Pouting, Aubrey Ning exhaled heavily. Granted that she wanted to know about some details behind Lexi's thrilling affairs, she didn't expect that Lexi would just lay everything in the open just because she asked about it. 

After all, although they quite knew each other, still, they were considered as friends but not that close kind of friends. Moreover, almost all of their interactions were ninety percent about business. It was rare that they would share this kind of conversation which would always leave a cliffhanger to the lucky one, and the lucky person today was Aubrey Ning.

"Don't worry, it's a personal issue and Beauty DR is out of it." Lexi slightly diverted their subject as she reassured her that Beauty Dr's name would be left untouched. Well, it was not that she didn't know that Aubrey Ning's concern was that, still, just to make a diversion, Lexi said so.

"Of course, everything is personal because business conflicts are stressful and not thrilling at all. Talking about business conflict, I heard that Mr. Shao would be launching a new product— he's really extra for wanting to be the first one to launch products." Rolling her eyes, Aubrey Ning uttered in a matter of fact tone. Surely, Lexi's diversion for bringing Beauty DR's name made the conversation move to the subject of business gossip.

"Mhmm…" Chuckling, Lexi hummed a tune and the two proceeded to talk about the current meta of skincare and possible products that Beauty DR would launch in a few months. Nevertheless, the dinner meeting actually turned into a real one as both businesswomen strategized what would be Lexi's innovative products.

****

[Heavenly Realm]

"Bang bang bang~" As Churu, who was now in a form of her fallen angel self named Alvah that very much looked the same as a normal human, sang her words as she gestured a gun sign by her hand and then aimed it to the still unconscious body that was laying on the white floor without a speck of dust though no one dares to touch it.

"How I miss Lexi~

my child adorable Ethan~

Wren Wren~ when will you die so you can be with me~

Eli please be bad because I am not in heaven~

Rika is still the illegitimate president of the LexiXEthan ship~

La la la~" As if she hadn't done something to the angel that welcomed her back, Churu spouted her words with an odd tune that she just came up with. Perhaps, it was her boredom for being in this place for a minute now.

Well, she could have had company if she didn't snap the life out of the angel lying on the floor. However, she would rather not have one if she's her only choice. Churu began compassing her scarred hand in the air that now has added flesh wounds in her skin. Regardless, Churu didn't seem as if she was bothered by the open wounds with no blood seeping out from her flesh.

"Mommy Yang, Mommy Yang, Alvah missed your egg tarts~

Daddy Yang, Daddy Yang, I want to hear your snoring~

Maya Chan, Meymey Choi, what's your name again~? I don't care, I don't care, just go to hell—" Just as Churu continued her self composed song, she caught sight of the woman's finger that was lying on the plain white floor had slightly moved.

Hence, within a span of a millisecond, Churu appeared on the side of the woman's body as her piercing silver pair of eyes covered by the shade of the facial mask that she carried from the mortal world stared down onto the woman's figure. Seeing that she began to move again after incapacitating her, Churu mercilessly stomped on her neck producing a cracking sound of bones being crushed.

"I am not done yet with my song, dearie. Don't disturb me." Lifting her foot up, Churu spat with a poker face as if she felt no remorse for incapacitating the woman again. Seeing that the woman was immobilized again, the corner of her lips slightly curved into a smirk.

"Where am I again? Oh... Chris kiss you, I kiss him~ oh a happy ending~

Morris Liu, Morris Liu..." Just as Churu reached the part of the people she stumbled upon back when she was Lexi's guide mother, particularly Morris Liu, her lively tune gradually turned sullen until it went into a long silence.

"I wonder if he already moved on from Lexi… he better not be that foolish to win her back and break my ship." Instead of saying it in the same tune as the rest of her self composed song, Churu heavily sighed as she recalled the time when Morris Liu was drowning himself with sorrow.

For some reason, although she hated him at first and would never root him for Lexi, still, she pitied his poor soul. After all, what happened between him and Lexi, although there were people involved, alas, their fate had already been set in stone. It was just a matter of time in their world to see "God's plan" for themselves.

"Whatever." Churu slightly shook her head sideways as she cleared her mind and diverted her focus on the song she was singing. "Lucifer, Lucifer, where's my welcome back party~? Oh, it's in hell, I'm not there, please fetch me~" In an instant, Churu's mood returned to the languid behavior and repeated her song over and over again until she had enough of it and waited for the woman to wake up again.