The Farce Outside The Ivy Club Part 1

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.