The moment Qing Yue entered the dimly lit club, rows of black-uniformed females greeted her at the door.
"Mistress, welcome."
"Your friends have already arrived. They are waiting in the room reserved for you." The manager stepped forth and politely gestured in a welcoming manner.
"Thank you, Manger Hua. You ladies go and do your things. No need to concern yourselves with me." With a slight nod, she walked past them and proceeded towards the private elevator.
The female manager and waitresses reflexively bowed as she passed them, backs bent straight with hands on their belly.
Once her steps left their sight, they straightened their posture and turned, sending off the young lady with awe-filled eyes and envious sighs.
"Sigh, our young mistress turned 18 only a week ago, but she already radiates the aura of a noble heiress."
"She is the only daughter of Chairman Li. I would be more surprised if she didn't give off a noble presence."
"That's true. In the entire New World Formation, there is no other lady with status as high and noble as Miss Li."
The dazed manager returned to her senses once Qing Yue entered the black elevator. Hearing the waitresses' conversation, she turned and gave them a stern look.
"Alright, enough with the chat. Get back to work." With a curt flick of her black skirt, she turned on her heels and headed to her cabin.
The Mistress had already left. There was no sense in standing around and wasting time.
Qing Yue exited the black elevator, white walls with familiar paintings entering her sight.
Yei Yi and the others liked to gather at the Ivy Club for any kind of celebration, and as the daughter of the Club owner, an entire hall was always reserved for her entertainment.
Due to her frequent visit to the club, the ancient ink paintings on the walls became as familiar to her as the paintings on the Li Mansion walls.
Qing Yue smiled and increased her pace.
Her soft boots thumped dully on the marble floor as the rhythmic sound raised her spirits and took the unpleasant incident off her mind.
The room they gathered was on the far end of the building, its steel door and golden knob gleaming under the radiance of the lights. A few seconds later, she stood before the cold metal.
"Here goes nothing!" Taking a deep breath, she steadied her heart and turned the knob.
"Veerm! Veerm! Yeah! Yeah!" The blaring music blasted in her face, exploding in her ears like a thunderous boom. Covering her ears, Qing Yue hurriedly backed out of the room.
"Oh, Heavens! What in the world is going on here?" Her head throbbed like the beating of her heart; fast, furious, and loud, causing her to feel dizzy. With pulsing temples and unsteady steps, Qing Yue drew back again, wanting to distance herself from the crushing noise.
"Qing Yue, you are finally here! Do you know how long we've been waiting for you?" Sighting her retreating figure, Yei Yi disengaged herself from the mindless group of friends and ran towards her.
"Hurry along! Everyone's been waiting!"
She grabbed the unsettled Qing Yue's arm and pulled her back into the booming room.
"Yei Yi, turn down the volume! You know I don't enjoy such loud music!" Qing Yue shouted over the deafening music.
"Yes, yes! Our princess's ears are too delicate for this sort of noise!" Shouting just as loudly, Yei Yi waved her hand in a downward motion towards a grey screen on the side. The wireless control of the room's settings were programed with her Bio Stats.
"Volume down..." A robotic voice resounded.
A second later, the music turned down, the volume barely above a silent hum. In the ensuing quiet, an enraged shout reverberated.
"Da**! Who the he*ll turned the music down? I was enjoying that!"
"I did, what about it, Jeong Kim?" Yei Yi snorted.
"Yi'er, tone down. There's no need to start an argument." Qing Yue, seeing Yei Yi cross her arms in a familiar roguish stance, good-naturedly intervened before the two began cursing at each other.
Upon hearing the delicate voice, the group of youths in the middle of the room froze and turned. Qing Yue's ethereal figure and outstanding features filled their vision and an instant later, an enthusiastic cheer and joyous holler filled the room.
"Qing Qing, what took you so long?"
The youths noisily left the center stage and gathered around her like fans around their favorite celebrity.
"Did you get here okay? Nothing happened, right?"
"We were waiting for you."
They spoke over each other, racing to be the first, competing for her attention. The girls held her hands in turns, inquiring about her drive to the club in worried tones.
While the males fervently watched her from a distance and glared at their clasped hands, itching to replace them.
Qing Yue internally sighed and forced a stiff smile on her face.
She didn't know most of the girls surrounding her, a few being Yei Yi's acquaintances rather than hers.
To put it plainly, she knew none of the girls.
In the entire room, Yei Yi was her only friend while the rest were either Yei Yi's friends or Yei Yi's friends' acquaintances.
But they crowded around her familiarly and, with great anxiety, asked about her safety because she was Li Qing Yue, Li Chen's only daughter.
"Everyone, calm down. I got a little held up in a tricky situation. Sorry for being late."
"It's fine, Qing Yue. We aren't blaming you. We were just a bit worried, that's all."
"Yeah, Qing Yue. You don't need to apologize. We were only worried. Come, let's have a sit."
The moment she heard the invitation, her body involuntarily tensed up. Qing Yue turned to Yei Yi and pleaded the latter with her eyes. She hoped the assertive girl would come up with an excuse to rescue her from the impending misery.
Because as much as she wanted to bond with the girls, their topic of conversation wasn't her cup of tea.
However, in the face of her pleading eyes, Yei Yi only smirked and waved her off with an entertained look that said enjoy your time.
With friendly smiles and bright eyes, they grabbed her arms and dragged her to the couch. Seeing her wretched smile, Yei Yi burst out laughing...