The Rise Of The White Lotus Chapter 389 - I Love The Way You Love Me

"Our dearest friends, family, we thank and appreciate you for giving us time for tonight to celebrate our children: Lara and Evan, despite your busy schedules. We are honored again and again." In the middle of the simple celebration of the twins, Ethan Lu stood and gathered everyone's attention to make a toast. 

Of course, though their few guests were used to his humble gestures and words, it still brought out a genuine smile on their lips. It had been several months since he proposed to Lexi and despite the heights his name had reached in the business industry, he was still the same Ethan Lu who respected and humbled himself to everyone that Lexi considered as friends. 

"So, as a thank you, I, uhmm..." Scratching the back of his head, Ethan Lu glanced at Lexi's direction who was mischievously giggling on the side. 

"Fighting!" Lexi slowly mouthed which he easily read before she resumed on giggling like a little girl. 

'Oh, love...' Sighing helplessly, Ethan Lu was reminded of the favor Lexi asked of him. It was not that he was against it or anything of the sort but, well, for some reason, he felt that if he messed it up— he would be the one to blame for it. 

"I wanted to dedicate a lovely song which my wife insisted I should sing to showcase my talent for this audition." Giving a little humor, their guests chuckled at his statements. 

"So, here it goes..." Ethan Lu cleared his throat as the lights slightly dimmed and only a single not so bright spotlight was on him. Since the place was designed to be a cozy set up, his voice would surely soothe their exhausted soul. After all, Ethan Lu rarely sings and whenever he does, it was to express his feelings to Lexi. 

Soon, Ethan Lu began strumming on his guitar and slowly opened his mouth as his harmonious words gently escaped his lips. 

"I like the feel of your name on my lips

And I like the sound of your sweet gentle kiss~"

Glancing at Lexi, Ethan Lu winked at the mastermind of this event tonight and made him as her accomplice. As he continued to sing, one after another, the guests who have their partners, including Lillian Yang and Frederick Yang stood and danced in the lovely song being sung by Ethan Lu. 

"And I like the way your eyes dance when you laugh

And how you enjoy your two-hour bath..." 

At this time, Lexi unhurriedly strode towards Ethan Lu as she laid her hand on his shoulder as if asking for this chance to dance with him. Ethan Lu smiled as he sang before he accepted the unworded request from his beautiful wife. 

"But I love the way you love me

Strong and wild, slow and easy

Heart and soul so completely...~"

While everyone was now slow dancing with Ethan Lu's singing voice in the background, Rika Song, on the other hand, knitted her brows for this ala proposal act of Ethan Lu. 

Wasn't this supposed to be a baby celebration? Where are the nursery rhymes? Fortunately, Ethan Lu had and would always be this mister romantico hence, Rika Song was quite used to this kind of serenade... though she was a little envious because her partner wasn't as sweet as him nor was he as romantic as Ethan Lu. 

Glancing at the ever shy Jaime Liao, Rika Song exhaled heavily. She knew that despite the fact that Jaime Liao had been exposed to this kind of romantic environment to this perfect couple, he was still a little shy to blend in. 

"Honey, aren't you going to ask me to dance? Don't worry, everyone's shameless here and they don't care if you're not good at dancing. Hmm?" Frowning a little, Rika Song slightly raised her brows as they were the only couple that weren't sweet dancing to this beautiful song being sung by a good man with an eargasm voice. 

"And I like the sound of old R 'n' B

And you roll your eyes when I'm slightly off key

And I like the innocent way that you cry

At sappy old movies you've seen thousands of times~" 

"I... will you give me the honor?" Sounding a little awkward, Jaime Liao forced a smile on his slightly pale lips as if he was nervous about something. 

"I thought you'd never ask." Chuckling a little, Rika Song shook her head sideways as she slid her hands to Jaime Liao. "Your hands are cold and... sweaty." Frowning, Rika Song arched her brow as she was now sure that there's something wrong. 

Jaime Liao was always composed and calm. Moreover, he had never been this oddly quiet and now his hands were cold as if they were preserved in a freezer. 

"Honey, if you feel unwell, you can tell me. Let's not dan—" Worried, Rika Song was about to cancel their dance, alas, just as she was about to finish her sentence, Ethan Lu's singing stopped. 

"Okay, I have a confession to make: Lexi did ask this favor but the person who chose this song was not her— I know you guys already know that but one person." Just as Ethan Lu said his remarks, Rika Song unconsciously turned her head to his direction with a set of knitted brows.

"But one person? But, I'm also not informed." Rika Song heedlessly murmured as she had zero clue about what Ethan Lu was talking about. Her gaze then moved a little to everyone who were now looking in her direction. 

"And I could list a million things

I love to like about you

But they could all come down to only one reason

I could never live without you..." 

Suddenly, the faint spotlight that was in Ethan Lu and Lexi's direction was now on her. Not just that, but Jaime Liao, with his off key tune continuing the song as if he was just reciting a poem. 

Despite that, Rika Song's heart began to race, pounding so loud and fast it was hard to keep up. Without knowing the reason, her gut feeling had already a.s.sumed hence, the forming tears in the corner of her eyes. 

"Rika, I am not a good singer nor was I blessed with the talent of dancing. I am not a romantic person just like your ideal guy.  Our time together was, I can say the perfect example of a 103 hour surgery— a straight four day operation..." After clearing his throat, beads of sweat formed on Jaime Liao's forehead as he expressed his feelings by words. Surely, what he wanted to convey, it was hard to express in words. 

"A long tiring operation but despite how exhausting it was for the success of the surgery, at the end of the day, the fulfillment was beyond words. For others, four days might seem too short— just like our relations.h.i.+p. We haven't known each other for years and it was it's only a good one year, but all of the emotions whether it was happy, sad, draining, or fulfilling, I felt that one year was enough for my heart to know who I wanted to share all those emotions with forever." If everyone were not informed, they would think that Jaime Liao was sabotaging his own proposal and was actually breaking up with the now sniffling Rika Song. 

"I know, it was an odd metaphor to use but, what I am saying is, Rika Song, I love you. Thank you for prancing into my life with your red stilettos. I have never been this happy until you came into my life and I love the way you love me." Slowly, Jaime Liao smiled as his eyes softened. Within his pair of orbs, different scenarios, different times, and places flashed before his eyes from the moment Rika Song came into his office for a check up alone, to the moment they officially got together, and all their ups and downs figuring things out. 

Jaime Liao unhurriedly got down on his knee that had made Rika Song's cry turn into m.u.f.fled sobs as she covered her mouth. 

"Rika Song, I may lack a lot of things and not as impressive in romance but, what I showed you, it's the best kind of love I can only offer to you. I hope you also love the way I love you— will you marry me?" Bringing out a small box, Jaime Liao revealed a grand and elegant ring that perfectly matched Rika Song's personality and wild love. 

"You..." Hiccuping, Rika Song traveled her blurry gaze around her and still saw the bright smile from everyone. "How could you guys plan this without telling me! Yes! Of course! I've been hinting at you for the longest time!" As her eyes were back to Jaime Liao, Rika Song cried like a pampered princess as she nodded her head as a yes to her lover's proposal.