The Rise of the White Lotus

The moment Ethan Lu hanged up the call, a wide grin plastered across his face. It's as if his courage and nonchalance on his emotions gained a huge benefit to him. Now, he had a reason to hang out with her.

Unbeknownst to him, his harmless offer would bring a phenomenon to his mental state and his ignorant heart.

"Young Mast…"

Just then, Lyrick Jiang abruptly came back as another news should be relay to Ethan Lu. The instant he saw his smiling boss, Lyrick Jiang was a little taken aback. 

"...er," For a second, he thought that Ethan's office had some glitters and flowers from his boss' aura. He had to blink a couple of times to see that it was just an imagination from the spring-like smile of Ethan Lu

"Oh, Rick! What is it?" Hearing his assistant's voice, Ethan Lu turned around with a smile on his lips. 

By the looks of it, Ethan Lu seemed he was refreshed and was ready to work like a normal person. There wasn't a slight clue of his exhausted countenance earlier as if he never felt distress in the first place.

"Uh, young master… are you alright?" Cautious, Lyrick Jiang warily strode inside and stopped several steps from Ethan Lu's desk.

Granting that Ethan Lu was always cheerful and mischievous, however, his actions earlier were the cue that he wasn't in the mood to play around like usual. Furthermore, he was only this gracious if he's out of work or away from the tiring Lu family affairs.

Yet, right now, his boss was smiling as if he almost didn't turned mad earlier. Just what happened when he left?

"Alright? Of course I am! How about you? You don't look fine to me." Peering at his trusted assistant with dismay, Ethan Lu honestly commented on Lyrick's behavior. 

In Ethan's perspective, his assistant was becoming more odd by the day. Forget about his outdated style and the damn one sided hairdo, Lyrick was too workaholic that he's never in a relationship! How can he relate to him if he never felt butterflies in his stomach?

"Tsk tsk tsk, want me to set you up on a date?" Pitying the man before him, Ethan shook his head as he made an offer out of the goodness of his inexperience heart.

Letting out a series of coughs, Lyrick Jiang almost puked blood as he couldn't believe of his shameless employer. Did he really offered him that? Why does he wanted to play cupid if he could instantly snatch the woman with just a wink of his tantalizing eyes?

When Lyrick Jiang got a hold of himself, he spoke. "No, thank you young master." He added,

"Young Master, I came back to tell you that chairman Lu was on his way here."

The news that Lyrick Jiang uttered cracked Ethan's jovial atmosphere. As the data processed on his mind, Ethan's jaw slowly dropped as panic slowly enveloped in his heart!

"G-- Grandpa, you say?" Stuttering, he inquired to confirm. 

At the same time, Ethan's office was forcefully opened by bulk and muscular men then shamelessly intrude. When the two bodyguards entered his office, an elder man in a striped tuxedo and a cane was revealed.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, what about me? Ha, brat! I finally cornered you!" Looking straight at Ethan's shocked front, the old man mocked in triumph.

Lines and wrinkles was evident on his face but it didn't cover his original charming looks. His hair blanched with little black stand of hair brushed along with it, and his mustache complimented his sharp, hooded eyes.

Despite his age that seemed to be in his mid 70's, Edward Lu emitted a dignified yet intimidating aura. However, the way he smirk towards his filial grandson, one could tell that it's Ethan's doomsday.

-----

Lexi slowly looked at her phone with a dumbfounded expression on her face. Did she, and Ethan just became workout buddies just like that? It's not that she was the one to complain but, why does she feel like her task was being completed by Ethan without exerting much effort?

"Uh, Madam, is working out could be considered finding work?" Shifting her curious gaze to Churu's appeased profile, Lexi humored.

Since Lexi and Churu both calmed down, their vexed heart earlier died down as well. Hence, both seem they didn't had an argument moments ago.

"Hmm, it's not chu~!" Churu meekly smiled as her mood brightened after that phone call. At least, she could rely more on Ethan Lu than her current host.

Also, his timing was always perfect! Therefore, Churu felt more reassured that Ethan's aggression this time would help a lot in the process.

"Should I apply to my father?" Since it was Lexi's initial plan, get a position in the Yang Holdings, Lexi slacked by fattening herself. 

Just as Lexi decided on that, her phone rang once again. Glancing at it screen, Lexi's brows arched seeing her manager's number calling her.

"Why is she calling me?" She mumbled with a questionable tune.

"Hmm, who's that chu?" 

"Apparently, it's my manager." Gravitating whether she should answer and receive bad news or ignore and die from thinking the reason why is her former handler calling her.

"Duuh, pick it up so I'll curse her and her ancestor." Churu rolled her eyes by Lexi's reluctance. For some reason, Churu felt that when Lexi decided to change for good, Lexi seemed she become a little coward which slightly tilt Churu. She added,

"Why are you being coward chu? Just answer chu!"

"Coward? Me? Why did you say that?" Letting her phone ring non stop, Lexi tilted her head as she looked at Churu.

"Then why are you hesitant to answer?" Frowning, Churu pointed out.

"Because I have to sacrifice my IQ when talking with her -- should I really pay a huge price? Nope, not worthy." Shrugging as she answered in a matter of factly tone, Lexi muted her phone without a care in the world.