The Rise of the White Lotus

On their way to the said venue where the audition would be held, Lexi tried to get in character while Ethan kept his silence as he drives.

"He's not edible… uhh, no, no, that doesn't sound right." Lexi shook her head in disappointment as she repeated the same dialogue over and over again. Breathing in and out, she repeated in a drawled;

"He's… not edible," Face palming, Lexi was frustrated as she sounded coquettish this time. She grumbled,

"How can this be funny? It's not comedic at all!"

"It's funny because it's not… woah, the irony." Raising his brows without turning his head on the complaining woman perched on the front passenger seat, Ethan spoke for the first time. After hearing the same dialogue over and over again, for some reason, he found silly for someone to say "he's not edible" in the midst of war.

Looking unenthusiastically at his smiling side profile, Lexi frowned with his unhelpful comment. "You try -- 'he's not edible." 

Ethan cast her a quick glance before smirking into a mischievous one, "I am edible… wanna have a taste?"

"Thumbs up chu…" Though she was exhausted as she already was, Churu still chimed in when she heard Ethan's lowkey letting out his flirtatious side while erecting her little thumb.

"Ah no, you're not edible." Sounding disappointed with a little seriousness in it, Lexi murmured as if gravely dissatisfied at one point. However, when her statement slipped from her mouth, Lexi's brows slightly raised as she finally got the right tone she wanted.

"You're not edible." Repeating the dialogue again, Lexi stared at him to see his response. "Ehan, you're not…"

"Stop it godamnit!" Vexed by her last address, Ethan grinded his teeth in annoyance. That's like insulting his perfect muscular body right in front with how she delivered it. Moreover, he's a very charming guy that… or that's what he believed until he met her.

"Don't attack me if you're frustrated alright?" He let out a heavy sigh, as he forced a smile on his face and kept his heart at bay. His ego and confidence was already crushed by her unaffected countenance by his teasing before. Hence, this dialogue was automatically being translated as 'you're not my type.' which embitter him.

"Hehe, thanks." Lexi muffedly giggled when Ethan snapped. That was the reaction she needed for the scene as the character she needed to portray would need to be sounded to be a little disappointed and honest at the same time.

Letting go of the fact that she needed to be funny, but, what would make it comical is the reaction of the person she was referring to, which is the main villain of the said movie.

Ethan shook his head as he realized that he was her test subject that was a real pain. After all, he was taking it to the heart. As he grumpily drove, his phone rang all of a sudden. Since his duffle bag was in the back seat where he's phone was kept, Lexi volunteered to get it for him.

"I'll get it." She then unbuckled herself and reclined her seat to reach for his phone.

"It's in the side pocket." Glancing through the rear mirror, Ethan instructed which she followed. Unconsciously, his right hand let go of the steering wheel as he placed it in front of the passenger seat; palm length away from Lexi's back because of the road bump ahead.

"Got it -- aw!" Just when Lexi found his ringing phone, a sudden turbulence occured that abruptly caused her to jolt from the back to the front. Fortunately, Ethan's hand was already there thus, he stopped her from the sudden impact.

Unbeknownst to her, the moment his hand came in contact with her back, Ethan felt a brief electrifying shocked that made him retract his hand from her. Though he deliberately slowed down knowing the road bump ahead, Ethan unintentionally stepped at pedal because of the shocked he received. For some reason, he almost thought that he was being used of the sight of Lexi but just a slight touch, he was slapped by reality that he wasn't!

"Thank… you," Lexi heaved a sigh of relief but when she turned her gaze back on the driver's seat, her brows knitted as Ethan was akin to a person who saw a ghost. She added while repositioning herself, 

"Are you… okay?" 

"No…" He heedlessly confessed still focusing his attention on the road yet, his expression was a little pale and disturbed.

"Ohh… yeah! Here's your… phone." Lexi awkwardly responded as she buckled her seat again. When she remembered that his ringing phone earlier was on her hand, Lexi held out. However, at the same time, the phone rang again that displayed Morris Liu's contact number.

"Who is it?" Without any interest to see it for himself, Ethan flatly asked -- not sensing the odd tone on her last sentence. Hearing no response from her, Ethan added;

"Hmm?"

"Ah, sorry. It was CEO Liu." Snapping from her momentary daze, Lexi informed him of who was the caller -- trying to be unaffected as she looked away. Ethan didn't replied for a few seconds before he flatly uttered,

"Answer it." Though he was utterly mind-boggled earlier with his physical contact with Lexi, her, having this obvious reaction with just seeing Morris Liu's name displeased him. He had never been this annoyed with his buddy but right now, whether it was her reaction or not, Ethan might not admit it himself but deep down, he was jealous.

After all, all Morris Liu did to her didn't benefit her, not the slightest bit yet, her she was, still affected by those lingering feelings she was so determined to let go or what she had told him that night.

"Huh? Why would I?" Puzzled by his sudden change of mood, Lexi's brows arched as she turned her head back to his inexpressive side profile.

"If you're really moving on, answer it… for me." Keeping his flat tone, Ethan insisted with his eyes fixed on the road. She let out a faint humped as Lexi couldn't understand his unreasonable demand.

It's not like she was avoiding Morris Liu because of those so-called 'lingering feelings', but, she just wanted to keep herself away from him! For god sake, she was going to an audition and she doesn't want to spoil the light mood that Ethan built for her.

"Fine, whatever." Lexi clicked her tongue before she unhesitantly tapped the green button that soon connected the line.

"Meet me at the LAB now." As usual, the moment the line went through, Morris Liu's overbearing personality was too intense that even Lexi could not help but cringe in annoyance. Without Ethan's permission, Lexi still courtly responded like what an assistant should say.

"My apologies, CEO Liu. However, Director Ethan Lu was handling some personal matters and was unable to get there 'now' with a very short notice. Still, rest assured he'll be there, just a little late." 

Morris: "..."

For a while, Morris Liu kept his silence when he heard Lexi's familiar voice before he spoke again, "Why are you with him?"

"CEO Liu, if you understood Director Lu's dilemma, then, I will be hanging up. Thank you." With that said note, Lexi cut the line short with a mocking smirk on the side of her lips. For some reason, she felt annoyed that Morris Liu was always commanding Ethan like he was his boss.

However, in her knowledge since she was raised knowing how the business world moves, the Lu family and the Liu family were on the same ground. Hence, how dare he demand everyone like they were all below him! This simple fact alone surely irked Lexi to the core as she glared at the innocent Ethan.

"You! Are you a pushover?"