The Rise of the White Lotus

One year later after Rika Song and Jaime Liang's wedding...

"Pass this to Madam Lu and pretend you are useful for once." Lyrick Jiang hissed, his eyes spoke insults at the woman before him as he handed a folder. 

"Mr. Jiang, for your information, I am very useful to Lex — I mean Madam Lu." Stella Du rolled her eyes as she snatched the file from Lyrick Jiang. "Also, this is not how you treat your crush!" She added before stomping her feet away and headed towards the HR department. 

Lyrick Jiang nearly puked blood at her last remarks. Crush?! How did she conclude that assumption?

"That's right. You don't treat your crush like that, man." Chuckling on the side, Jarred Guo shook his head sideways. 

"Me? Wow... all of you are completely losing it." Peering at his colleague with disdain, Lyrick Jiang scoffed. 

Actually, this wasn't the first time Jarred Guo teased him about Stella Du — same with Ethan Lu and everyone around him. However, it was the first time Stella Du mentioned it.

"Rick, let me tell you something. Do you know who was spreading that rumor?" Ignoring the evident displeasure on Lyrick Jiang's visage, Jarred Guo cast him a knowing look. 

Upon seeing that familiar look in Jarred Guo's eyes, Lyrick Jiang's face distorted. "It was Master?!" He asked, obviously in utter disbelief that his boss had become a full-blown busybody!

*****

Meanwhile, at the HR Department, Andy Chang raised her gaze after giving the person outside permission to enter. 

Meek and delicate, Stella Du bowed her head after she closed the door behind her. "Miss Chang, Mr. Jiang handed this to me. He says it's important." She softly spoke, placing the folder on Andy Chang's desk. 

"Thank you, Miss Du." Andy Chang smiled, glancing at the folder. "You know you can deliver this to Madam Lu yourself, right?" She sighed, knowing these files should go straight to the CEO's office and not in this department. 

Upon hearing Andy Chang's last remarks, Stella Du bit her lower lip as she held her hand behind her. Andy Chang let out another heavy sigh, "Stella, it's been six months since you were employed — you should know that Madam Lu is very kind and understanding." 

"That's why I am ashamed to face her." Stella Du hanged her head low, "She's too kind that it's embarrassing for hiring a useless clutz like me." She muttered, admitting how useless she was as an employee. 

It has been six months since Stella Du entered Beauty DR. Her previous company, just like what everyone said, it went bankrupt. It was because of the over expenses for months with low income, and Stella Du ended up owing a huge amount of money. 

But, the worst has yet to happen. The Du Family disowned her — treating her as an embarrassment of the Du family. After all, Stella Du was dragged along with Laurel Wang's scandal on the night where Ethan Lu revealed his marriage with Lexi. 

If not for Lyrick Jiang and Lexi, slapping her with hurtful facts, Stella Du must have ended her life a long time ago. The reason Stella Du was now working as Nico Zhuang's assistant in Beauty DR. 

Yet, during these six months, Stella Du couldn't recall being much of a help to Nico Zhuang. If anything, she often messed things up for him. 

Therefore, Nico Zhuang ended up doing everything all by himself. Actually, he didn't need Stella Du to get things done. He's that efficient and reliable.

So, Stella Du had been avoiding Lexi out of shame. She was getting paid yet she wasn't any of use to Lexi or to her superior Nico Zhuang. 

"Stella, Madam Lu is indeed very kind. However, don't you think you're belittling yourself too much?" Letting out another sigh, Andy Chang slowly rose from her swivel chair, walked over to her and she leaned at the desk. "Madam Lu... I don't think she has the same opinion as you. You won't be standing here now if she thinks you're useless." Andy Chang added, offering a reassuring smile. 

"But..."

"Sister Stella, a year ago, one way or another, I had the same mentality." Staring at her, Andy Chang reminisced about the past with a smile. "But, the longer I work here, the longer I stay around with the people I never knew before this, I realized something: It is not you, me, or anybody else's opinion that matters." Andy Chang paused, pressing her lips together.

"What matters is if there's one person that believes you can be a better person, you shouldn't disappoint them — you shouldn't disappoint your future self. Instead, we have to make our future selves proud of what we had become." Andy Chang shared her words of wisdom. 

It was true that Stella Du wasn't a likable person at first. However, Andy Chang found out that this lady before her wasn't really rotten. 

Stella Du might be an arrogant rich girl. However, despite the money she grew up with, she was just a sad girl with no one to turn to while trying her best to prove her existence to her family. 

Perhaps, Lexi knew this and she wanted for all of them to understand that money wasn't everything. That status and family background didn't matter in her territory. That everyone could redeem themselves and be the better version of themselves.

They all have importance, and this company offered them a fair ground to stand on. Therefore, it didn't matter if Andy Chang was a former escort, or Nico Zhuang was once a squad captain in the Lu Family shadow guards. 

They were all equals and they all have the right to choose and decide for their identity. 

"Sister Andy..." Slowly, Stella Du raised her head as the corner of her eyes welled up while her lips trembled. 

"Now, take this folder to the CEO's office." Shaking her head, Andy Chang picked up the folder and passed it to her. "This is an order." She added, still bearing her kind smile. 

Stella Du pursed her lips, unwilling to execute the order from her superior. Still, she accepted it. "Thank you," she murmured, bowing her head and trudged outside. 

As soon as the door closed, Nico Zhuang's voice was heard through the speaker phone on the desk. "That was a nice speech."