The Rise of the White Lotus

Chapter 356 Nightmare

[Decades ago: A fragment of the past]

"Mommy, what are you doing?" Young and innocent, still, despite Ethan Lu's young age, he still looked as if he was a prince wearing a small sweater with an excavator toy in his hand. His pristine gaze looked up to the beautiful woman sitting on a chair in front of the small circular table.

Christina Lu was holding a gun and never once looked away from the handgun on her hand. There wasn't any emotion on her pretty front as if the weapon in her possession doesn't carry any danger.

"Ethan, do you know what's this?" Without looking away on the pistol, Christina Lu coldly asked her bright son. The young Ethan Lu tilted his head to the side as he was unable to distinguish a real gun and not. Still, he answered.

"It's a dangerous weapon, Grandpa told me not to play with guns unless it's a water bazooka."

"Mhmm…" Humming a soft tune that was laced with no emotion, Christina Lu finally broke her gaze away from the thing on her hand and turned to the oblivious Ethan Lu. "Come here, dear." Meekly smiling that didn't reach her eyes, Christina Lu gestured for him to come close which made a bright smile appear on his entire face.

It was rare to him that his mother would like his company and addressing him with a sweet endearment, or so, what his youthful mind thought it was, Ethan Lu skipped his steps towards Christina Lu. His mother then marginally raised the gun in her hand and showed it to him.

"Son, this is not a gun. You don't have to always listen to what your grandpa says because this…" Taking a pause, Christina Lu glanced at the pistol on her hand and a peaceful smile formed on the side of her lips. She resumed, "This is my way to escape. It is not a bad thing, my dear."

"Mommy?" Tilting his head to the side, Ethan Lu felt lost as he could not understand what his mother was saying. Little did he know, Ethan Lu would soon understand what she meant as it would bring him the shock and a forever trauma that would be instilled in him up to the current time.

Slowly, Christina Lu stood from her seat as she picked up the cold, untouched tea that was on top of the table. Kneeling down, Christina Lu offered another meek smile as she rubbed Ethan Lu's soft cheeks by her thumb.

"My son, you know what's this is?" Raising the cup a little, Ethan Lu turned his pair of pure eyes on the tea before he brightly smiled before he answered.

"It's a tea, mommy. Mommy likes tea and Grandpa too!"

"Very good, my dear." Patting his small head, Christina Lu complimented which evidently caused the vacant space of his heart to be filled with happiness. No one could blame him, Ethan Lu was derived from attention and love from his parents as his father was always busy at work while his mother would always want to be alone. Therefore, this little compliment was a huge deal to him.

"Mommy, Tantan is a good boy! Mommy likes good boys so she will play with tantan~!" Displaying his personality that was normal for his age, Ethan Lu happily boasts as he hoped that his mother would finally play with him.

"Hmm, my Tantan has been a good boy." Nodding in acknowledgment, Christina Lu patted his small head again with a smile. "But, mommy will only play with you if you drink this."

"Mommy, it's bitter. Tantan doesn't like what mommy and grandpa drink." Pouting, the young Ethan Lu shook his head in refusal as he only likes sweet juices. After all, his grandpa did a prank on him the last time and made a tea that was served as a juice with ice. God knows that he had started to despise the taste of tea.

"But, don't you want mommy to play with you?"

"I do…"

"Then, you must listen to mommy, okay? Drink this and we will play afterward." Bearing the same smile, Christina Lu adamantly urged.

Frowning, Ethan Lu thought that he should have to listen to what his mother said to get the love and affection she deprived him to have. Putting down his toy, his little hand reached out to the cold tea as he inhaled and exhaled to ready himself to the bitter taste of the tea.

However, just as he held on the tea, Christina Lu let her hand go which made the cup slipped out from his unready grip. Everything happened to fast that the young Ethan Lu was unable to comprehend what happened.

All he could do was stare at the spilled tea on the floor and overlooked the glint that flashed across Christina Lu's eyes. Slowly, the calm and cold countenance of Christina Lu changed as if she turned to an entirely different person.

"What did you do?!" Sounding aggressive, Christina Lu gritted her teeth that snapped the young Ethan Lu from his stupor. Raising his shocked gaze with a pale complexion, Ethan Lu's shoulder instantly trembled as his mother was angry again.

"Mommy, I'm sorry. Please don't get mad…" Rubbing his little palms together as he asked for forgiveness, Ethan Lu was immediately on the verge of crying, as if he was afraid about something.

"You ungrateful child! Don't you know what kind of tea that is? That's your way out of this place! How could you—!" Grinding her teeth, Christina Lu unreservedly scolded as the pretentious gentleness vanished in an instant.

"Mommy… I—" Just as Ethan Lu would continue to apologize, a loud resounding slap landed on his cheek that made his little body be tossed aside. His cheek throbbed from the striking pain that made him hold on to it as his mind was in a complete distraught mess as tears began to form on the corner of his eyes.

"You—!" Christina Lu seemed to lose it as she clumsily got up and sprawled her arms to reach for the pistol. Without further ado, Christina Lu aimed the muzzle in his direction as an unreadable glint flashed across her eyes.

"I hate you! I hate your father and this family!"

*Bang!*

[Present Time]

"Love! Love!" Lexi panicky shook his shoulders to wake him up. She woke up as she sensed Ethan Lu was moving and when she turned to see him, he was sweating a bucket and was murmuring something she didn't understand.

"No!" Abruptly, Ethan Lu's eyes suddenly opened as he gasped for air as a horrible nightmare he hadn't had in recent times since he met Lexi just made him remember his horrible past. When his distracted gaze finally recovered and saw her worried front, a relief sigh escaped his mouth and without a word, his arms wrapped around her waist like a child.

"Love, did you have a nightmare? You made me worry." Sighing in relief, Lexi stroked his head as her worried gaze softened. "It's okay… I am here, always." Patting his still trembling back, her words just came out from her mouth.

This was the first time she saw him like this and that pierced her heart. She didn't know what it was but her heart seemed to understand that it was something that he held deep within his heart.