The Rise of the White Lotus

"I see Miss Yang is here to look for a jewelry piece?" Bearing a magnanimous tone, Laurel Wang smiled. 

"No, I am looking for a pair of socks." Slowly, Lexi's lips stretched from ear to ear as she humored. "Kidding, obviously I am." Although she was the only one who found her joke funny, Lexi still chuckled as she glanced at the jewelry display. 

"Hey, Lexi Yang! This is not a place for you to act high and mighty. Keep your manners in place!" Stella Du ground her teeth as she scorned, displeased at Lexi's obvious sarcasm. 

"I am just sharing my liberties with Miss Wang. I didn't think you'd mind such a harmless joke." Lexi marginally raised her brows and stared at Laurel Wang, completely ignoring the blabbering Stella Du. 

"Did I offend you, Miss Wang?" Tilting her head to the side, Lexi harmlessly inquired which Laurel Wang answered by a warm smile. 

"Of course not." Laurel Wang mildly shook her head sideways before taking a step forward, stopping at Lexi's side while her gaze on the piece of jewelry in the clerk's hands. 

"Miss Yang, will you mind if I ask you to accompany me for a while? You see, I am the client who reserved this necklace so..." Just as Laurel Wang could finish her sentence, Lexi gave her an immediate "Sure," reply.

With that, even though Stella Du hated the idea of Lexi tagging along with Laurel Wang, she didn't complain. After all, Laurel Wang was the one who invited Lexi, which Lexi shamelessly accepted, knowing she was just being asked out of politeness. 

Hence, the three were assisted by the manager in their VIP rooms. As expected of a luxury retail shop, the room didn't disappoint them. 

By the looks of it, Stella Du and Laurel Wang were regular clients in this place. On the other hand, Lexi was considered new. 

After all, Lexi had stopped shopping for herself because she has a husband that shopped for her in his own volition — his way of spoiling her on top of showering her with love. Not to mention, her parents- and grandfather-in-law had taken up the obligation for shopping for the twins. 

Therefore, Lexi, though a little ashamed, the gifts she bought for the twins could be counted by her fingers. Still, she would rather save her money for the twins' future than go on a shopping spree since the twins had enough supplies. 

Surely, being a mother changed her perspective on so many things, including the way she spent her money, and so on, so forth. 

"What do you think, Miss Yang?" Staring at the mirror, a satisfied smile formed on the side of Laurel Wang's lips. The necklace suited her fair complexion, showcasing her slender neck and collarbones. 

"It looks good," Lexi commented genuinely. It looked good on her, as if they customized it for her to wear. Hence, Lexi didn't have to lie about it. 

"Really?" Glad to hear her response, Laurel Wang's smile grew brighter. "Do you want to try it?" She offered, brushing her hair to her shoulder and gestured the manager to take it off of her. 

"But Sister Laurel..." Obviously against about the idea, Stella Du frowned. In her eyes, Laurel Wang was too kind that she was being taken advantage by it. 

After her humiliation back in Ethan Lu's event, Stella Du held a grudge on Lexi, especially to that pampered Evelyn Lu. Fortunately, Laurel Wang was there to save her and the whole Du family from being crushed by the Lu family. 

Therefore, she owed Laurel Wang a huge one. The reason she always tagged along with her and even curry favor to her, to be her friend and also to benefit from the Wang family influence. 

After all, Laurel Wang's father was a senator. Or to be exact, the whole Wang Clan was in the line of politics. Thus, being friends with Laurel Wang out of the blue was one of Stella Du's achievements — absolving her from her father's wrath for almost angering Ethan Lu. 

"No, it's fine." Lexi faintly chuckled as she waved her hand. "It is indeed pretty but, I don't have the intention to covet things from others, Miss Wang," Lexi explained in a low, understanding tone. She specifically used the word 'covet', giving another meaning to her statement. 

"Besides, it's just a piece of jewelry, not a person," Lexi added, still bore the smile on her lips but Laurel Wang's brow slightly twitched, understanding what she was referring to. 

"Can you leave us alone for a moment?" Laurel Wang turned to the puzzled Stella Du and then shifted her gaze to the manager. 

"Sure, Miss Wang." The manager courtly abided without question. On the other hand, Stella Du's sullen mood grew worse as it showed on her face. 

"Stella, will you?" Still sounding gentle, Laurel Wang inquired yet, it was more like an instruction instead of cajoling. 

"Alright," Though disappointed by the sudden call for privacy, Stella Du obediently abided and dragged her feet out of the VIP room. 

Soon, the room was filled with nothing but silence. Lexi was calm as she sipped a cup of tea while Laurel Wang arched her brows when Stella Du closed the door. 

"Miss Yang, I see that you want to talk to me about something? Although, I must admit that I don't know if I deserve your poor treatment." Laurel Wang confronted. Her tone sounded the same, yet her aura was entirely different from earlier. 

Lexi just arched her brows as she picked up a small envelope from her handbag. She then tossed it on the table, in front of her, as Lexi gestured for her to see it for herself. 

Knitting her brows, Laurel Wang slowly reached for the envelope and opened it. It only took her several slow seconds for the pictures — from the clip, Lexi received earlier — graced the eyes of the woman.

"Miss Wang, are you my Ethan's mistress?" Lexi's lips curled into a scornful smirk, deliberately using the word mistress for a better result.