The Rise of the White Lotus Chapter 96 – You mean this is important?

As Ethan Lu waited for her answer from his unusual demand, his grip on the steering wheel tightened and his jaw clench. He expected that Lexi wouldn’t utter a single word or worse, suppress her cries which he doesn’t want to happen with his selfish request. Hence, regretting his decision in an instant.

After a second, Lexi unhesistantly agreed then picked up the call, Ethan was shaken to the core when she responded in a polite yet firm tone. He almost gasped in disbelief by her audacious and taunting words that would surely displease Morris Liu.

After she calmly said her last piece on the line, Ethan felt the ominous aura that began to emit from her before she yelled that nearly deafened him that made his jealousy be thrown on the side.

“Are you a pushover?!”

“Ehhh?!” Hearing her insulting question with a touch of accusations, Ethan was filled with questions marks. Never in his life he was called a pushover or anything near that word. After all, he’s dauntless enough to break all the strict family rules and live with his life the way he wanted it.

Moreover, aside from his long dating list, Ethan Lu’s reputation towards his fellow businessmen was well respected because of his capabilities as an individual; being the Lu family’s heir turned out to be a plus in the end. Hence, how did Lexi came to a conclusion that he’s a pushover? Just what did his best buddy Morris Liu told her in a fraction of seconds for her to get mad this way?

“What ‘eh?’ If he told you to get there this instant, will you fly there no matter what it takes?” Still furious on Morris Liu’s overbearing tone that irked her to the maximum level, Lexi’s eyes became more sharp as if one wrong word from him, she’ll kick him out that instant.

“Did he said I should meet him now?” Guessing the usual dialogues of Morris Liu, Ethan’s face twitched. Didn’t she get used to him all these years? After all, Morris was always like that.

‘Wait, does this mean she would fly even if she’s a mile away if she received a sudden call from him just like the last time?’ Suddenly, this thought hovered on his mind which made Ethan pull over on the side of the road near her destination.

Turning his disbelief eyes on the fuming Lexi, he frowned as he asked. “You think I’m a pushover because of that?”

“Uh huh, if you’re not here, will you go?” She instigated, unappeased as she crossed her arms around her chest. Lexi didn’t realized it yet but how she was acting right now was akin to an aggravate girlfriend from the unjust treatment of her boyfriend. Furthermore, Lexi didn’t know why she was vexed and overreacting but to her, that’s not important because she wouldn’t accept someone treating him this way.

“Well, of course yeah…”

“See?” Dismayed after hearing his honest response, Lexi retorted in an instant.

“I mean, I will, since I asked him an important favor but if I’m doing something important, we would have to push back the time!” Ethan explained feeling defeated by her hot headedness. However, part of him was touched with her unusual concern about him.

Lexi was slightly taken aback when Ethan explained the situation even further. She arched her brows as the fury inside her heart was reduced by an inch. “You mean, this is important?”

“Of course! It’s your first project after a while.” Relieved that Lexi calmed down, Ethan didn’t gave thought about his words as he spoke his mind.

Lexi: “…”

Upon hearing his blunt yet touching words, Lexi was rendered speechless. From the time she joined the entertainment industry, aside from the support of her parents, no one ever thought that what she was doing, whether for herself or for her unrequited love, was important to her.

Hence, having him saying those words as if it held much importance than what she thought it was, ripples of emotion circled inside her untouchable heart. Not to mention, he actually claimed that it was her ‘first’ project as if he was certain that she’d get the role.

“Okay? I am not a pushover, and I will never be. But, I certainly know how to acknowledge my position — it will still benefit me in the end.” With his last reassurance, Ethan gently smiled at her speechless countenance before revving up his car and resumed on driving her to the back entrance of the establishment.

—-

“Off you go,” Stopping at the said destination, Ethan announced with a smile. Turning his head in her direction, he raised his brows as he watched her unbuckle her seat and fixed her simple yet elegant dress. He added,

“Are you sure, I shouldn’t wait for you?”

“Hmm, yeah. Abi will drive me home.” After her brief ritual, Lexi glanced at him and immediately looked away. For some reason, Ethan was dashing with his unruly hair matched with a genuine smile.

“I can’t move chu…” Churu who didn’t budged on her lap since earlier unenergetically spoke which distracted Lexi from whatever thought she had in mind about Ethan. Looking down on the 50/50 life of the adorable, always cheerful dumpling, Lexi felt bad for her.

Hence, Lexi came up with a ridiculous idea to help her best friend. Finding her phone from her shoulder bag, Lexi held it on her palm then picked up Churu and placed her over it before laying her other palm beside the other.

Witnessing her being this weird while holding her ‘phone’ as if it was the most precious thing in the world that would be gifted to God, Ethan knitted his brows, puzzled. “Err… what are you doing?”

“Uh, getting in character! Yeah, this is how I do things. Ha ha.” Lying without batting an eye, Lexi awkwardly found an excuse. After all, she couldn’t say she was carrying an invisible dumpling over her phone. She resumed in a bashful tone,

“Uhm, will you open this door?”

“Ohh… alright,” Ethan bought her excuse as Lexi had different side of her and thought that this was one of them. Therefore, though he found it silly, he didn’t dwell on it as he sprawled his body to open the door for her.

As he does so, Lexi leaned back and slightly raised her hands keeping it together. Somehow, when his faint natural fragrance wafted her nostrils, she blinked her eyes numerous times as she could not express her compliments into words.

She never took notice about his looks and his usual light fragrance thus, Lexi was confounded why her mind was being extra today. Was this because of Churu’s ‘silence’ that her subconscious mind automatically point these things out in the little dumpling stead?

“There you go.” After slightly opening the door for her, Ethan didn’t lingered near her and surprisingly managed to keep his heart at bay. Seeing that she was in a daze with her palms still laid open with her phone on top of it, Ethan waved his hand.

“Hey?”

“Ah, right. Thanks!” Snapping back to reality, Lexi hastily exited.

“Psst!” Just as she stepped her foot outside, she heard Ethan that made her looked down on the gape of the opened window with a confused gaze. There, Ethan was smiling to her as he uttered,

“Congrats!” He then winked. To her dismay, he had been winking at her all the time yet this time, why was she affected now?

“Thanks, take care on your way.” Managing to throw her ridiculous thoughts at the back of her mind, Lexi shook her head as she spat her thanks of claims on his congratulatory greetings before resuming on going inside the establishment.

Ethan watched her entered the establishment while she kept holding on her phone in a silly way. Chuckling, he murmured.

“That silly girl… she really fits the role.” He then went on his way with a subtle smile on his lips.