Servant's Daughter Part 2

As the girls around her gasped in shock and astonishment and made even more ridiculous claims, her heart fell to the bottom of her stomach.

Fury, hot and blinding, filled her heart and blinded her sight. With barely restrained anger brimming off her figure, she pushed herself to her feet and snapped.

"Enough! That's enough! I don't want to hear any more nonsense!"

The room instantly fell silent as everyone froze and gaped at the furious Qing Yue. Her sudden outburst and cold anger caught them off guard.

"There is nothing going on between me and Brother Tang. There is nothing between us. So please, refrain from making unfounded claims in the future. Is that understood? Making such remarks without confirmation is slanderous and disrespectful!" With a cold glare and disgusted scoff, she turned, picked up her purse, and went out the door.

Bang!

The moment the metal door slammed behind her, Qing Yue's earlier rage deflated and she weakly leaned against the white wall.

Pale and unsteady, her figure crumbled to the ground as tears streamed down her face.

Ah, I did it again...

Qing Yue felt depressed.

Habits died hard, but here, her habits seemed bent on sticking with her even after her death.

She lost her cool when her name was stringed with another.

Born and raised in a family of military generals and literate scholars, Qing Yue had lived 19 years of her life strictly adhering to the customs and teachings ingrained into her.

The teachings she received, Qing Yue hadn't just learned or memorized them.

She had embraced them with her heart and soul...

As her vacant eyes blankly stared into space, the dull sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the room behind.

Qing Yue blinked and got to her feet. She hurriedly straightened her skirt, ran her fingers through her hair, and wiped her eyes, regaining her composure just as the door banged open.

"Qing Qing! Qing...there you are."

Yei Yi loudly sighed in relief when she saw her standing in the hall. Walking over, she clasped her hand and worriedly scanned her face.

"Qing Qing, calm down. There's no need to get so serious. They were only joking, okay? This is your birthday party, so chill, will you?" Her eyes were filled with questions as she looked at Qing Yue, seemingly asking why she reacted so strongly to mere comments.

But Qing Yue was still sensitive and was no longer in the mood to party. Moreover, at this moment, she didn't want to see Yei Yi.

Unintentional it might have been, but Yei Yi had grouped Tang Fang and Qing Yue without seeking her permission. She grouped them together by saying their name in the same sentence, completely disregarding her feelings.

If she hadn't started the topic, then things wouldn't have progressed so far.

She didn't mean to lash out at the girls and speak rudely to them because she knew they meant no harm. But knowing and believing were two different matters.

Born and raised in a world where a woman's reputation meant everything, the remarks Yei Yi and the girls made, in her original world were enough to ruin a girl for life.

And even though Qing Yue no longer lived in such a world, her clean reputation still meant a lot to her.

Because the values and principles she was raised with stuck with her.

They were buried in the deepest corner of her heart and soul.

"Excuse me, but I'm going home. Whether you want to come along or not, you can decide it yourself." Coldly withdrawing her hand, Qing Yue turned and walked away.

"Qing Qing! Qing Qing! Oh, heavens! They were merely joking. And even if they weren't, what's your problem? Tang Fang is kind, gentle, and handsome. Moreover, his personality and nature are similar to yours. If the two of you get together, you won't be losing out. So why are you mad!?"

"Yei Yi, enough! I don't want to talk about this topic anymore. Can you please leave it? And are you coming or what?"

Yei Yi stared at Qing Yue for a long time, trying to find what had triggered the girl.

But no matter how closely she scrutinized her, Yei Yi couldn't find anything.

Normally, no matter how exaggeratedly or unpleasantly one behaved with her, Li Qing Yue never lost her cool.

She always carried a detected and natural aloofness about her that separated her from everyone else.

At times, Yei Yi even wondered if it was because she was Li Qing Yue, the noble daughter of Li Chen, that made her so different and noble.

Today, however, she saw a different side of Li Qing Yue. A side she never saw or knew existed in the past 17 years.

It was a side that both frightened her and piqued her curiosity.

Because as cold, uncompromising, and oppressive as her other persona was, it felt more real and was more expressive than her usual kind and gentle façade.

"I am coming." Yei Yi sighed and complacently said.

"Hmmm."

With a nod and a hum, Li Qing Yue turned and continued towards the private elevator.

As Yei Yi watched her receding back, her conflicted eyes narrowed into a sharp glare.

'Li Qing Yue, who in the world are you?'

An hour later, the two girls hopped out of Qing Yue's purple hover and entered the enormous glass mansion.

"Aunt Li, we're back!"

"Mom, we're back"

Qing Yue and Yei Yi called out at the same time, causing the head kitchen servant of the Li Mansion to come running out to greet them.

"My dears, welcome back." Aunt Li, Yei Yi's mother, welcomed the two girls with a bright smile.