Even to her own ears, Qing Yue's voice sounded breathless.

She blushed. She couldn't help it. Tang Fang had that effect on her.

As the only male she knew in this world, the gentle and refined aura he gave off made her feel comfortable and at ease.

His polite manners, gentle demeanor, and reserved aura resembled that of the noble young masters she grew up with.

"Yue'er, are you not feeling well? Do you want me to help you to the medical cabin?" Tang Fang frowned upon seeing her huddled form and red face.

"May I?" He sat on a corner of the couch and tentatively placed his hand on her forehead, checking her temperature.

Qing Yue cringed, his cool hand making her shiver.

Looking around, she noticed the girls sitting beside her were absent, the couch empty on either side.

Traitors.

Sighting them on the dance stage, she couldn't help but feel resentment as her muscles tensed.

How was she going to interact with Tang Fang alone?

Even though she felt comfortable around him, she wasn't that close to the guy as he was Yei Yi's senior in Junior High.

Moreover, they only met last year at Yei Yi's birthday gathering.

And even then, their interaction was brief and boring, taking place among a group of spectating acquaintances. Following that, their every meeting happened at a party arranged by Yei Yi.

But an incident like now, being all alone with no one else around, never occurred before.

Therefore, the girl felt unsettled and anxious as her gaze continuously swiveled around the wide room, seeking Yei Yi's figure.

Only she could rescue her from the current predicament...

"No fever. You're also not cold. But why is your face so pale?" Tang Fang worriedly asked and ran his fingertips on her forehead.

"I am fine, Brother Tang. Don't worry." Embarrassed, Qing Yue shyly removed his hand and folded her hands on her lap.

She couldn't think straight with him touching her. Nor could she tell him that he made her nervous.

All she could do was nervously stare at her hands.

Tang Fang looked at the hand that was on her forehead and naturally placed it on his lap. His gaze remained soft and his expression unchanged as he picked up a drink from the side table.

"I am glad you're okay. But your complexion still seems off to me. Once this party ends, remember to go and see a physician. It's always best to be safe than sorry."

"Hmm...thank you for your concern. Brother Tang, how did you get here? Did Yei Yi invite you?"

The room resounded with a soft melody that slowly relaxed her nerves.

As her racing heart cooled down and her breathing evened, she straightened her posture and serenely focused on the young man.

"Do you even need to ask? That girl just needs a reason to drag me out for fun. Now that it's your birthday, she has all the right reasons to invite every acquaintance of hers. Be ready to be hounded by more people." Tang Fang gently smiled as he threw her a sympathetic glance.

Smiling in response, Qing Yue's eyes twinkled and she glanced at the crowded dance stage and sighed.

"It can't be helped. Birthdays come only once a year and she wanted to celebrate my 18th birthday. If I don't let her do as she wishes, then I'll have to face her cold treatment for a week."

Even if she knew none of the youths on stage or those cuddling on the corners, for Yei Yi, Qing Yue was willing to suffer a night of hounding.

And as if on cue, right at this moment, the disappointed voice of the said individual resounded from the side.

"Well, what was I expecting? I searched all over for you two when, at the end just like always, you're sitting in a corner by yourselves. Tang Fang, Qing Yue, you two are the most boring people in our group. How can you just sit and chat when you are at a club?" Hands-on hips with the two girls that sat beside Qing Yue earlier now standing on either side of her, the red-faced Yei Yi snorted and glared disapprovingly at them.

Qing Yue blushed and lowered her head.

What could she say?

Tang Fang and her always seemed to stand out from the rest.

Maybe that's why she felt so comfortable around him.

Because their similar nature and manner of conduct made her not so out of place.

After all, as close as she was to Yei Yi, she couldn't tell her she felt out of place with her and her group of friends.

And it wasn't because she was embarrassed, but that she didn't know how to answer the questions that would follow.

What was she supposed to say if the outspoken girl asked her why she felt left out?

Tell her that she came from a different world?

That their manners of conduct didn't conform with the teachings of her first life?

That even after living in this world for 18 years, she couldn't forget her original home?

And how would she react to such an explosive exposure?

Heh...probably consider her crazy and call the help center...

Sighing dejectedly, Qing Yue twisted her fingers and remained silent.

"Yei Yi, you know Yue'er doesn't feel comfortable with loud music or crowded places. Don't force things on her." Tang Fang saw her quiet and still and assumed she was upset.

Not wanting Yei Yi to forcibly drag her on the dance stage, he hardened his expression and spoke up.

"Tang Fang, you are just as boring as Qing Qing. What would you know about how important a girl's 18th birthday is? And I'm onto both of you, so why are you explaining for her but not yourself? Or is there something going on between the two of you that I should know?"

"Yi'er!"

"Yei Yi!"

On hearing Yei Yi's words, Qing Yue and Tang Fang shouted at the same time, their faces flushed red and expressions agitated.

They were alarmed and angry at the girl's irresponsible remarks, but in the eyes of the spectating crowd, their reaction was perceived as more of a guilty conscious and embarrassment at getting caught than a reproachful act.

Qing Yue's face flushed beet red.

Her gaze didn't miss the flicker of interest and curiosity in the girls' eyes. With Tang Fang and her speaking at the same time, the over-imaginative girls were bound to come to their own conclusions.

And just as she expected, five seconds hadn't even passed when exclamations of surprise and remarks of understanding sounded out.

"Sigh, so it's like that. I was wondering why you didn't have any interest in my suggestion, Qing Qing. It seems you have someone else in mind." The make-up girl covered her mouth and giggled, her playful glance filled with meaning.

"My cousin's luck is bad. He missed such a good girl!" The other agitatedly stomped her foot and crossed her arms, her expression dark and fierce as she glared at the culprit, Tang Fang.

Qing Yue felt chills down her spine, her ears resounding with the ambiguous remarks of her and Tang Fang. 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.