The Farce Outside The Ivy Club

Grabbing her diamond purse, Qing Yue hopped out of her hover and pressed the purple button on her blouse sleeve.

"Have a wonderful time, Master!" The hologram screeched robotically as the hover blinked twice and went dark.

Diamond purse clutched in hand, Qing Yue smiled and walked towards the revolving glass doors. As she passed a group of four descending from their own hover, her bracelet caught in her purse. Then, an unexpected gust of wind blew and her black hair flew in her face, blinding her vision.

"This wind just had to blow at this time!"

She stopped in her tracks, her fingers flailing around her face as she tried to remove the troublesome curls.

"Maybe it's time to have a haircut!" She turned while grumbling under her breath, her fingers entangled in the long strands.

Bang!

Right at this moment, a powerful force collided with her, causing her to lose her balance and fall backward. Stunned and caught off guard, Qing Yue closed her eyes and steeled her heart for the impending crash.

But the expected fall and stabbing pain did not occur as a strong arm wrapped around her waist and supported her falling figure. The warmth in the strong grip calmed her pounding heart.

"Are you okay?" A wave of pine and sandalwood hit her nostrils before the deep, concerned voice of a man drifted into her confused mind.

"Thank you..." Qing Yue felt uncomfortable with the foreign touch and immediately stepped back upon recovering her senses and finding her footing. She brushed her hair out of her eyes, cursing under her breath at her bad luck so early in the morning. Lifting her head, she met the man's gaze.

What entered her sight was an incredibly handsome man. The word handsome didn't come close to defining him, but since she had no better word to describe him, she decided to stick with handsome. The man was tall, about 6 feet, with black hair and dark-blue eyes that were so deep she felt her soul get sucked into its dangerous depths.

She felt light-headed and her surroundings blurred.

"Hey, what are you trying to pull? Get away from my man! I know girls like you very well. You just need to see a handsome, well-dressed man, before you throw yourselves in their arms. Move away!"

It was only when a figure appeared in front of her and unceremoniously pushed her back that she returned to her senses. The man's beauty captivated her to the point where she forgot to breathe.

Qing Yue's mind was still swirling with the man's mesmerizing blue eyes. Thankfully, she returned to her senses at the woman's shove, otherwise, she might have died from lack of oxygen. Gently patting her chest, she sighed in relief.

"Lu Jin, that was completely unnecessary. The girl didn't purposely fall into Long Tian's arms. He caught her." Fu Ji Ren's expression turned dark. This Lu Jin's behavior and manner of speech at times like this were one of the many reasons he disliked her.

She didn't treat Long Tian like a person, but like a possession she had to guard from everyone.

"Oh? Would Long Tian have bothered to catch her if she didn't purposely bump into him? Fu Ji Ren, you should keep your mouth shut if you don't know what's going on. Look at her clothes, so dull and out of fashion. Poor girls like this look for a chance to trap rich men like Long Tian!"

"How do you know she is trying to trap Long Tian? Do you have experience in the field?"

"Actually, Ji Ren has a point. How do you know she is trying to trap Long Tian?" Ouyang Gu emerged from the side and thoughtfully held his chin as he scanned Lu Jin.

"You...! Hmph! Forget it. Both of you always find me wrong. The girl has hidden intentions, but you don't say anything to her. Long Tian, do you see how your good friends treat me?" Lu Jin moved to Long Tian's side and held his arm, swaying it back and forth as she tearfully pouted. From her expression, it seemed as if she had been bullied.

"Ah, I think you misunderstood. I have no other intentions." Qing Yue innocently blinked and raised her hands, unaware of how her long lashes emphasized her fair complexion and earned her the other woman's ire.

'Trying to seduce my man? Not in my presence!'

"Long Tian, she clearly bumped into you. Say something!" She pulled on his arm again, her expression turning crestfallen when the man remained silent.

Long Tian absentmindedly patted Lu Jin's hand, his gaze drifting to the silent girl that watched their interaction with an amused expression.

He had the strangest notion that he had seen the girl somewhere. But where?

Or maybe she resembled an acquittance?

"Calm down, Lu Jin. Let's not talk about this anymore, okay?" He looked at the pouting Lu Jin and gently coaxed.

"How can we not talk about it anymore?" Seeing no hope in Long Tian, Lu Jin turned back on Qing Yue.

"You, there! Speak! Why did you bump into my man? You are trying to seduce him with your looks, aren't you?"

She crossed her arms and coldly stared down at the other as she aggressively interrogated.

The girl's looks were above average. She had no make-up on and her clothes, though clean and pristine, were a dull grey that girls her age hardly wore these days. But on her, the grey garb radiated a silent and restrained elegance that attracted others' attention.

Combined with her long black hair, snow-white clear complexion, and purple eyes, the girl exuded a graceful and enchanting charm that raised her alarm bells.

'Not good! This wench is too good-looking. How come I never realized long hair can be attractive? Hmph! So what if she's beautiful? At the end of the day, she is nothing but one of those homeless beggars that sell their bodies to fill their bellies!'

Lu Jin was burning with jealously and her eyes continuously flickered with complex emotions as she scanned Qing Yue from head to toe. When she recalled the girl was just a nobody, her gaze restored its peaceful and tranquil outlook.

Qing Yue was silently enjoying the interaction between the group of friends when the woman appeared in front of her and stared her down. Her crossed arms, the condescending tone in which she spoke to her, and the scornful gleam in her eyes instantly brought to mind a long-buried memory.

As if suddenly doused with a bucket of ice, Qing Yue unwittingly shivered and clenched her purse.

"Have nothing to say, do you? What else can you say? Dressing modestly to appear demure when nothing but seducing men is your goal! If it was only Long Tian that came today, you would have definitely succeeded in your scheme." Lu Jin spat at the penniless rant, the disdain and disgust clear in her eyes.

Long Tian frowned. Lu Jin's words and her shrewish behavior caught him by surprise, but he made no move to stop her.

He frequently encountered similar incidents to the one before him. Females, innocent or mature, purposely threw themselves in his arms to strike a connection or seduce him. Whether the girl before him was one of those types of women or not, he wasn't interested in knowing.

Qing Yue stepped back, the spit landing an inch from her feet. Her eyes turned frosty and a cold, oppressive aura radiated from her figure. Lifting her head, she looked straight into Lu Jin's eyes, her purple orbs radiating with power that caused the other woman to instinctively stumble back.

'What's up with her? Is she trying to act fierce and waddle out of this situation? No matter how fiercely she behaves, I won't let her off so easily!"

Lu Jin didn't want to admit she was scared off by the little girl's frightening glare. Holding onto her stubborn pride, she pushed out her chest and raised her head higher. But even then, she couldn't overwhelm the girl, who suppressed her both in might and height.

For a girl, Qing Yue was tall. In her flat, grey boots, her 5'7 height dwarfed over the 5'5 Lu Jin that wore high heels.

Snorting coldly, she swept her gaze over the rest of the group and brushed past them.

She wanted to sincerely thank the man for helping her, but the woman's contemptuous attitude and disgusting behavior poked a hole in the pandora box. That she didn't slap and claw her face was evidence of the impeccable self-control she developed over the years.

Long Tian's eyes widened and he watched the girl leave with a complex expression on his face.

'This is a first.'

Usually, the girls that bump into him cry tearfully or plead innocence. He hadn't encountered one that outright ignored him and brushed past.

Fu Ji Ren saw the lost look on his friend's face and conspiratorially placed his arm on his shoulder and whispered.

"What? Are you interested in her? If you are, as your friend, I am willing to sacrifice my free time and help you chase her. What do you think?" If he could free his friend from the clutches of the demoness known as Lu Jin, he would sacrifice even his sleep time!

Long Tian's expression instantly turned cold, and he roughly shook off Fu Ji Ren's arm.

"Get lost!" Not sparing him another glance, he turned to Lu Jin and grabbed her arm.

"Let's go inside."

Getting startled by the little girl's glare, Lu Jin felt ashamed of herself and angry at the peasant that dared to embarrass and ignore her. When had she ever felt so humiliated? Since she became Long Tian's girlfriend, no one dared to directly confront her.

And yet, a penniless, men seducing girl dared to publicly humiliate her? Unacceptable! She had to teach the sl** a lesson!

"You bi**h! Stop right there!" Angrily stomping her foot, she shrugged off Long Tian's arm and chased after Qing Yue's figure.

"Lu Jin, hold on!" Long Tian and his friends, stunned by her unexpected outburst blankly stared at each other before sprinting after her.

Qing Yue had just arrived before the bodyguards who stood in front of the double rotating doors when a loud shriek resounded from behind her. She turned her head to see the red face of the scornful woman.

'What does she want?'

Sighing resignedly, Qing Yue apologetically smiled at the confused guards. Her earlier frosty glare had waned, replaced by gentle eyes and a soft smile that caught the guards by surprise. They blankly stared at her in a daze, looking like teenage boys experiencing their first signs of love.

"I am sorry about the commotion. I don't know her."

Her soft voice pulled them back to their senses and they instantly blushed and lowered their heads in embarrassment. Their ears and faces flushed red, as they uncomfortably shifted in their spots.

"Must be a crazy woman! Don't worry, we will take care of her." After taking a few deep breaths, their racing hearts calmed down. Lifting their heads, they clenched their fists and glared at the raging madwoman.

"You homeless rat! Did you dare to ignore me just now? Who do you think you are?" Lu Jin immediately started calling names once she arrived before the girl. She planted her fists on her hips, her stance arrogant and overbearing.

Long Tian and his friends arrived behind her and looked apologetically at Qing Yue before pulling on Lu Jin's arm.

"Lu Jin, enough! We came here to have fun not to pick a fight!" Fu Ji Ren fiercely hissed, beyond embarrassed as a crowd began to gather and whisper around them.

"What's going on? Are they fighting?"

"It looks like it. But what is up with that short-hair girl? She brought her friends to gang up on a school-age girl?"

"Absolutely shameless!"

They were standing before the club's door where people continuously streamed in and out. As such, it didn't take long for the crowd to grow and the whispers to intensify. Before long the whispers were loud enough to be heard clearly by the five that became the center of attention.

"Lu Jin, drop this topic. You are creating a scene." Long Tian frowned in displeasure as he looked at Lu Jin. He normally didn't mind when she acted impulsively as that was what he liked about her. Her direct and open attitude was different from the superficial appearance the upper-class women displayed.

But today, he felt that she was going overboard. After all, the girl left on her own, so the matter was close. Why was she still pursuing it? His face turned dark when he heard the crowd's words

Being accused of ganging up on a little girl was a first.

If such a matter spread, his reputation would be ruined.

Lu Jin knew that the matter had blown out of proportion. She wanted to teach the lowly girl an unforgettable lesson, but in her haste, she didn't expect to attract a crowd and become the focus of their malicious remarks.

'How am I picking on a schoolgirl when the said girl was trying to seduce my man?' She felt wronged!

Since a crowd had already gathered and she became the villain, she didn't want to let the wretched girl get off so easily.

"You tried to seduce my man before my eyes, and now dare to act all innocent? Do you think because you are young, you can get away with your disgusting deeds? Your parents mustn't have raised you well to seduce older men. You seduce wealthy men and scheme to cheat them of their money!"