The Rise of the White Lotus

428 Continue being a leech to my riches

"Shocking, isn't it? I bet it is to you but well, what can I do? I've been with him before, it's just that my stupid heart, beat for your husband which is the biggest mistake of my life. Now tell me, how can I protect myself if I didn't make you notice me? Would you even be sitting here right at this moment and be willing to listen to me? Will your husband even bat an eye when he sees me? No. He would get rid of me as well. How can I remain sane, tell me, Lexi Yang! Tell me!" From ridiculing how things were too messed up, Avah Tong's manner escalated as her voice raised to the top of her lungs. She ground her teeth as her grip on the armrest tightened, digging her nails into it.

Indeed, although her initial plan was to stay low after scaring Ethan Lu for her come back, she never thought that she would meet Lexi the same day she was accepted in AL Entertainment. After all, she truly thought that Lexi never bothered in the affairs of the said agency and never visited even once. Thus, she was confident.

However, it just so happened that she already made her comeback known to Ethan Lu. Therefore, she had no choice but to resort to her plan B: make Lexi Yang notice her. Whether it was to harass her or calmly talk to her, she doesn't care because Lexi was the closest person to Ethan Lu who has access to the Lu family— specifically, to Dennis Lu.

"You will understand what I am saying once you've become a mother. The despair of having my child taken away from me. He owes me that— Ethan owes me that." Keeping everything together, Avah Tong was near her breaking point again. Lexi hit her hard when she mentioned her child and how she has to live every single day being a cursed mother. However, she didn't want that to happen.

"If I told him to meet me back then, will he come? No. He hated me because I deceived him but I needed him— me and my son needed help. If he truly cared, even if it was not to me just for my child, he should have arrived at that time! I hate him and everyone in the Lu family. If you refuse to help me, I swear you won't like what I will do." Letting out all the accumulated grudges in her heart through the years, Avah Tong's gaze never once left Lexi. Now that everything was laid in the table, she would not go home crying. She must benefit in any way, even though she knew full well that her threats were nothing but empty words. After all, she wanted her child back and to forget the bad memories that happened.

Lexi absorbed all Avah Tong's sentiments; whether they made sense or not. She didn't respond immediately as she stared at the woman across her. Her pair of eyes didn't give any hint of what was currently going on inside it. After a good one minute of silence, Lexi finally broke the quietness.

"Have you ever been lied to? It's one of the worse feelings in the world. Still, you have the gall to blame everything on him? Huh, funny aren't you?" Feeling little to no empathy, Lexi criticized how Avah Tong rationalized things to make it reasonable. She hated it when she was being lied to many times in the past. Thus, she could totally understand her husband not because she loves him but because it's a natural response for a normal human being with feelings.

Does she think that Ethan Lu was a mindless robot? In her eyes, Avah Tong was nothing but a selfish woman who refused to accept that the root of her dilemma was herself.

"Regardless, the information you gave me is quite interesting… even though I don't fully trust them. Nevertheless, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt." Staring back at Avah Tong, Lexi added as she habitually tapped her finger on the armrest. "Say, Miss Tong, shall we negotiate? For the peace of our lives? I want your full detailed side of the story back then." The corner of Lexi's lips stretched into a smirk as a glint flashed across her eyes.

"Fine!" Staring back at Lexi's sneering eyes, Avah Tong hesitated for a second before conceding in the end. She began detailing the occurrence she remembered that night, plus how she initially approached Ethan Lu, and the whole schemed.

"I see. Well, if that's the case, I have another demand..." Studying Avah Tong's determined front, Lexi nodded her head as she absorbed every little detail of the other side of the coin. Hence, she began spouting her conditions.

"What…?" Upon hearing her latter demand, Avah Tong's eyes slowly widened while Nico Zhuang, on the other hand, knitted his brows.

"Hmm? Aren't you a loving mother as you claim you are? Then, I don't think this is something you'd be unwilling to do." Feigning innocence, Lexi indifferently shrugged her shoulders as her sneer was hidden under her downturned lips.

"You're cruel… you really suited for each other." Avah Tong could only scoff at Lexi in disdain. Yet, it didn't give any impact to Lexi as she has the upper hand. Moreover, she was the one who needed her and not the other way around. Thus, she doesn't have any other choice even if Lexi would trash talk her.

"Well, as I said, you brought everything to yourself, didn't you?" Still bearing the same nonchalance, Lexi was unbothered by the glares of the woman opposite her. Well, since she doesn't fully trust her, she wouldn't mind using her like cannon fodder to have an eye to the side of the Lu's that they were unable to see.

"That's it for today. You can continue being a leech to my riches but, don't forget what I am asking of you." Diverting the subject, Lexi finally ended this meeting as she benefited a lot of unexpected information. Without further ado, she picked up her handbag and was about to leave the room. However, just as she reached the door, Lexi turned around as if she had forgotten something.

"By the way, don't try doing something funny— you already made me notice you so, I'm watching your every move. Enjoy your upcoming days!" With that said mocking note, Lexi resumed on exiting the office while Nico Zhuang followed from behind.

****

Inside Ethan Lu's car, the coldness of the inbound breeze coming out from the air conditioner could not be compared to the dreaded chilliness emanating from Ethan Lu in the back passenger seat. Lyrick Jiang constantly glanced through the rear mirror as he was somewhat bothered by his master's silence.

After all, he could freshly remember the occurrence earlier as his master, for the first time, beat someone that bad. It didn't stop there as he was harassed by Jarred Guo which was his forte by the way. Nevertheless, Lyrick Jiang's fright towards his master had taken to another degree.

Although he knew full well that Ethan Lu was merely doing that as his way of retaliation, still, what if another Lu member tried to physically harm Lexi or the twins? What kind of transformation would he be like then? Thus, Lyrick Jiang was afraid and at the same time, worried.

"Master, about Sir Dennis—" Clearing his throat, Lyrick Jiang could not take this silence anymore. They haven't planned yet which was the most crucial part of all of this. Ethan Lu hadn't talked about what he has in mind and what he wanted to do to Dennis Lu.

"Lyrick…" Without averting his eyes away from the flashing side of the road via the window, Ethan Lu emotionlessly called. Lyrick Jiang had instantly shut his mouth, swallowing the rest of his words down to his throat.

"Drive me to the main residence. I need to meet grandpa." Still staring outside, Ethan Lu meekly ordered.

"Yes," Nodding his head along with his response, Lyrick Jiang immediately executed the orders while Jarred Guo wordlessly made a turn and drove towards the main residence.

Meanwhile, as the two busied themselves, Ethan Lu slid his hand inside his suit and picked up his smartphone. Speed-dialing Lexi's contact number, he placed the device in front of his ear as he waited for the call to be picked up.

"Hey love, have you arrived at our parent's place?" The moment the line connected, Ethan Lu was graced with Lexi's lovely voice which slightly calmed his muddled mind.

"Mhmm, not yet. I'll be there a little late— meeting with grandpa tonight." Humming a tune, Ethan Lu meekly replied after a sigh escaped from his mouth.

"Something wrong?" Noticing his odd tone, Lexi slightly creased her brows as she instantly distinguished his current mood by the tone of his voice.

"No, I mean, yes. I will tell you the details later okay? I just called to say that I'll be home late."

"Okay, I also have something to tell you. Take care, okay? I love you." Not pressing on the matter anymore, Lexi mildly nodded her head a little even though he was not seeing her gesture.

"Alright, I love you more." With that said note, the brief call came to an end. Her genuine care and bottomless understanding was enough to bring a little smile on his lips. God… she was his haven, indeed. Just hearing her voice soothed the tangled strings in his head.

"Lyrick, what's your deduction for the information we gained today?" As Ethan Lu placed his phone back in his pocket, he glanced at the back of the seat of the front passenger seat where his assistant perched.

"Huh?" Lyrick Jiang was a little in trance hence, it took him five seconds to absorb the question thrown at him. Clearing his throat, Lyrick Jiang rummaged his mind as he kept his thoughts about earlier to the side. "Based on my observation, David Choi is mostly telling the truth as the investigations our men did earlier matched that Mr. Choi had been recently going out with Charlie Mao, Sir Dennis Lu's assistant." Giving out the confirmation he received earlier, Lyrick Jiang unfalteringly reported.

"No, not that." Shaking his head sideways, Ethan Lu let out a faint sigh as he turned to look at the window again. "Do you think Uncle Den is really the person behind it? It just doesn't make sense that everything was being pointed at him. He might be ambitious and stupid but he's not reckless. His ways were old fashioned and he would rather take things slowly than letting his scheme backfire on him." Finally opening his mouth, Ethan Lu gave him the details of what Dennis Lu was in his eyes.

Indeed, Dennis Lu might not be that likeable but, he wouldn't survive in the Lu family if he was that stupid. All his schemes would be laid out on the table the moment Ethan Lu took over but so far, all the people he caught doing corruption in the company ended up with them. They were never linked to Dennis Lu nor has it been proven he was associated with him. Hence, he was still free.

Regardless, that just means to say that all the efforts Dennis Lu did to conceal his involvement in any shady business inside the company, would all be for naught just to scare Lexi. It never made any sense— no matter which angle he looked at it— and he wouldn't benefit in many ways.

The very reason why Ethan Lu needed his grandfather's advice. After all, even though Edward Lu was the father of Dennis Lu, he was never biased. Well, one way or another, he was but in this case, Ethan Lu believed that his grandfather would be fair and just.

'That… I overlooked that part.' Murmuring his thoughts inside his mind, Lyrick Jiang pursed his lips into a thin line as his brows creased. What his master's thoughts made was a clear point which was quite fascinating. He overlooked that part as his patterns were always going forward but, he was amazed that Ethan Lu took a step back to think and rationalize things.

It was not that Lyrick Jiang wasn't as keen as he was supposed to be but, it just so happened that he was well-versed about Dennis Lu's greed to conquer the whole Lu Corporation. Furthermore, he only knew that side of Dennis Lu. Therefore, his perspective was slightly different from Ethan Lu.