Going home for Chinese New Year, I squeezed onto a bus with three energetic young women.

Bai Li put away her phone and waved happily:

"Alright, mission accomplished, let's retreat."

Although Chen Tingting and the other two felt they hadn't had enough, they also knew that their eldest brother's plan was even more ruthless, so they chuckled and prepared to follow along.

Only Zhang Qian stood still.

Her short skirt barely held up against the wind, and her long, white legs trembled from the cold as she looked pitifully at Bai Li.

"Um... Big brother..." Zhang Qian bit her lip, her voice trembling, "Could I... come and play with you guys?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Tingting immediately pulled back the leg she had just stepped out with.

She turned around, crossed her arms, and looked at Zhang Qian as if she were a fool:

"Hey blue-haired monster, are you sick in the head? Why are you constantly bothering us?"

Li Jiaxin added sarcastically, "What, don't you have any other friends? Do you have to follow us around like this?"

Zhang Qian sniffed her nose, which was red from the cold, and whispered:

"After I broke up with Wang Fei, I deleted all my old friends... Now, I really have nowhere to go."

"If you have nowhere to go, go home and ask your mom. Don't play the victim here." Chen Tingting rolled her eyes, her gaze sweeping over Zhang Qian before finally settling on her collar, which revealed a large portion of her chest.

"Besides, dressing so provocatively in this freezing weather, who are you trying to seduce? We're respectable people, we don't associate with people like you."

Upon hearing the words "dressed so provocatively to seduce someone," Bai Li subconsciously raised his hand to touch his nose, his gaze drifting towards the telephone pole.

These clothes... were picked out by him.

Surprisingly, Zhang Qian wasn't angry after being scolded. Instead, she looked at Bai Li with a wronged expression and said weakly:

"This...this outfit was bought for me by my older brother..."

"Who asked you... uh?"

Chen Tingting's mouth, which was about to continue speaking, froze instantly. Li Jiaxin's Dao Heart shattered, and Lin Xiaoshuang's eyes widened like copper bells, her mouth agape in an "O" shape.

Three pairs of eyes, filled with disbelief, shock, and a sense of betrayal, all turned to Bai Li, who was looking at the telephone pole.

That look clearly said: We charged into battle, fought tooth and nail with those scheming women for you, and then we turned around...

We, your subjects, are ready to fight to the death; why has Your Majesty defected to the enemy?!

"Big brother!" Lin Xiaoshuang couldn't hold back any longer, grabbing Bai Li's arm and shaking it, "You...you bought her clothes? And these...the kind that show off her thighs?"

Chen Tingting was so angry that her hair almost stood on end.

"Tell me! Are you doing something shady behind our backs?"

Her loud shout drew the attention of passersby.

Bai Li felt a chill run down her spine.

"Stop, stop, stop!" Bai Li quickly raised his hands in surrender. If he didn't explain, these three ladies would probably eat him alive on the spot.

"That's for work! Don't you understand work?" Bai Li said with a straight face, spouting nonsense. "It's a sugar-coated bullet to deceive the enemy!"

"I don't care!" Chen Tingting ignored her completely, pointing at Zhang Qian and continuing, "You like this kind, right? I have one too! I'll get it for you when we get back!"

Li Jiaxin silently pulled her collar up to cover the slightly pilling sweater underneath, her eyes dimming slightly.

Seeing their expressions, Bai Li finally realized how difficult it was to treat them all equally.

"Alright, stop wailing." Bai Li sighed and waved his hand. "I'll buy some for you too, okay?"

Chen Tingting's crying stopped abruptly, her expression changing faster than turning the pages of a book: "Really?"

"Really." Bai Li nodded helplessly, "But this time you have to listen to me. No sequins, studs, skulls or anything like that."

"It's winter now, can't we buy some warm clothes? How can you work with me if you get sick from the cold?"

"I'd be happy to wear a burlap sack if my brother bought it!" Lin Xiaoshuang immediately stopped crying and started rubbing against Bai Li's arm.

Seeing this, Zhang Qian also tried to join in: "Big brother, then I..."

"You'll carry my bags." Before Bai Li could speak, Chen Tingting glared at her fiercely. "If you want to come along, fine, but you'll have to be a laborer. Otherwise, get lost."

Zhang Qian glanced at Bai Li, and seeing that he didn't object, she could only nod reluctantly, "Oh."

The group of five headed in a grand procession toward the pedestrian street in the county town.

The cost of living in a small place like Pingxian is truly astounding.

There aren't many high-end brand counters; instead, there are plenty of boutique women's clothing stores with fairly cozy decor.

Bai Li led them into a shop that looked quite pleasing to the eye.

"Welcome!" The proprietress, a woman in her thirties, brightened up instantly when she saw four colorful girls and a handsome young man enter.

"Bring down a few of those down jackets over there," Bai Li said, pointing to several long down jackets hanging on the wall.

When Chen Tingting saw the clothes, she frowned: "Brother, this is so tacky! There isn't even a logo. It's not classy at all."

"You don't know anything." Bai Li picked up a long white down jacket and put it directly on Chen Tingting: "Can society be used as a heater? Put it on!"

To be honest, Chen Tingting's red hair paired with this pure white down jacket actually created an extremely strong visual impact.

The cheap, vulgar air she originally exuded was greatly reduced, revealing a youthful and girlish charm.

"Me too! Me too!" Lin Xiaoshuang picked out a beige bread-shaped shirt. After putting it on, she looked round and chubby, like a freshly baked custard bun.

Bai Li then picked out a black workwear-style cotton jacket for Li Jiaxin, paired with a pair of fleece-lined straight-leg jeans.

When Li Jiaxin wore it, her cool and aloof temperament became even more stunning. With her hair tied back, she was simply the epitome of the current so-called sweet and cool style.

As for Zhang Qian...

Bai Li glanced at her still trembling thighs and casually tossed her a gray lambskin coat:

"You should change out of that outfit too, it looks cold."

Zhang Qian was flattered, never expecting that she, an unofficial member, would also get a chance. She quickly and eagerly went to the fitting room to change.

When the four of them came out after changing their clothes and stood in front of the mirror, they were all stunned.

Those exaggerated tattoos were covered by thick clothes, and cheap ripped jeans were replaced with decent fleece-lined jeans or sweatpants.

Although their hair was still multicolored, they no longer looked like delinquents hanging out on the streets, but rather like a group of college students who were into art.

The feeling of being enveloped in warmth, in particular, allowed their tense bodies to completely relax.

"Big brother...this coat is so warm..." Lin Xiaoshuang touched the fluffy fabric on the sleeves, her eyes sparkling.

"As long as it's warm, that's fine." Bai Li walked to the counter: "Boss, please settle the bill."

"Oh my, young man, you have a good eye! The total is six hundred and eighty, but I'll round it down to six hundred and fifty!" The proprietress couldn't stop smiling.

Six hundred and fifty.

Four coats, plus three pairs of pants.

If this price were in a big city, it probably wouldn't even buy the sleeves of a down jacket.

Bai Li took out her phone and readily paid the bill.

After doing some mental calculations, I realized that I had a 1000 yuan credit limit for today. I used 300 yuan to send red envelopes this morning, and just transferred 200 yuan to Zhang Qian. So I had exactly 500 yuan left.

Of the 650 yuan, 500 yuan will trigger a rebate, and the remaining 150 yuan will have to be paid out of my own pocket.

However, looking at the genuinely satisfied smiles on the girls' faces, the 150 yuan was well spent.

Just then, the system notification sounded on time.

[You purchased clothing for Chen Tingting, Li Jiaxin, Lin Xiaoshuang, and Zhang Qian, totaling 650 yuan.]

[Valid rebate amount: 500 yuan.]

[Lin Xiaoshuang's affection level detected > 60, triggering a 15x bonus!]

[The remaining targets will trigger a 10x return!]

[Congratulations, host, you have received a cash rebate of 6000 yuan!]

[XX Bank: Your savings card account ending in 8868 has received a deposit of 6000.00 yuan...]

Bai Li glanced at his balance and a smile crept onto his lips.

Spend a little money, make a lot of money, and incidentally tidy up these girls so they're presentable enough to take out in public.

perfect.