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

"Work hard?" Zhang Yan laughed heartily. "Work hard at what? Work hard to save up half a year's salary to buy this outfit?"

Her eyelids were practically rolled back to the sky, and her fingernails were tapping loudly on the table.

"Xia Qing, you're getting more and more out of touch with reality. You actually believe this kind of superficiality?"

Xia Qing stood there, her chest heaving violently.

Looking at Zhang Yan's vulgar face, and then glancing at Zhao Gang who was picking at his crotch with a disdainful expression, her anger surged.

These bumpkins.

They had no idea what they were facing.

"Shut up, all of you!" Xia Qing slammed her hand on the table, her voice drowning out the whispers in the private room.

"I really don't know where you get your confidence from, driving a beat-up A4 and acting all high and mighty!" Xia Qing pointed at Zhao Gang's nose, spitting as she spoke.

"What do you know! Bai Li would never stoop to showing off to you; that's just his low-key nature! Do you think everyone is like you, wanting to plaster their bank account balance on their forehead as soon as they have a little money?"

Zhao Gang felt a pang of sadness watching this scene.

He pursued Xia Qing relentlessly without success, but Xia Qing ended up throwing herself at Bai Li.

"Xia Qing, are you crazy?" Zhao Gang's face turned a deep shade of liver, but he still suppressed his anger, after all, she was his former goddess.

Although Bai Li got the first blood, it was then handed over to Lao Wang.

But the power of the "white moonlight" (ideal love) is irresistible.

As for Zhang Yan?

If he could win Xia Qing's heart, he would never even glance at Zhang Yan.

He put on what he thought was a deeply affectionate expression, leaned forward, and whispered:

"Qingqing, why are you still protecting him? Look at me, I'm a boss now, how am I not better than this Bai Li? Look at his womanizing ways..."

"Screw you!"

Xia Qing didn't give him a chance to finish speaking, her face full of disdain:

"Zhao Gang, can't you take a piss and look in the mirror? Your beat-up A4 isn't even worth a wheel next to Bai Li's car!"

"Panamera! Did you hear me?" Xia Qing enunciated each word clearly, her voice echoing in the hall: "What they left behind was a Porsche Panamera! It costs over a million!"

She looked smug, as if the car belonged to her.

The entire room fell silent.

The only sound was the whirring of the central air conditioning.

After Xia Qing finished speaking, she still had to take credit for it.

She turned her head, and her previously harsh face instantly switched to a tender and affectionate mode, winking at Bai Li.

See, Bai Li, I'm still on your side when it matters.

Zhang Qian just cowers in your arms, trembling. Only I can stand up for you.

Be moved, beg me to get back together.

However, Bai Li didn't even glance at her out of the corner of his eye.

He was whispering something in Zhang Qian's ear, making her blush to the roots of her neck. She punched him lightly in embarrassment and annoyance.

After a long while, Zhao Gang finally managed a dry laugh, his lips twitching.

"Palamera?"

"Xia Qing, have you been turned into an idiot by Bai Li?"

"Exactly." Zhang Yan also came to her senses and added sarcastically, "Rented, right? Or did some rich woman lend it to him?"

"Oops~"

Just then, a soft, sweet exclamation broke the deadlock.

Li Mengmeng was playing with her phone when, as if her hand had slipped, the phone fell onto the spinning wheel, its screen facing directly in Zhao Gang's direction.

"Sorry, my hand slipped." Li Mengmeng blinked her innocent big eyes, leaned forward to pick up her phone, but "accidentally" clicked on a video.

The screen displays a high-resolution photo of the vehicle registration certificate, with the name "Bai Li" clearly visible in the owner's name column.

The video then started playing automatically.

The background is a GUCCI boutique.

In the video, Bai Li casually swiped his card and signed the document with one hand in his pocket, his movements fluid and effortless, without even blinking.

The receipt printer at the cashier spit out a long receipt. Although the string of numbers on it is a bit blurry, the five-digit total starting with "5" is visible to anyone who isn't blind.

"Oh dear, why did you let this out?" Li Mengmeng covered her mouth, looking like a child who had done something wrong, but her eyes gleamed with cunning.

"Some people just refuse to accept reality."

"We bought those clothes together yesterday. Bai Li looked so handsome when he swiped his card."

This silenced even the classmates who had been fawning over him.

Buying clothes worth over 50,000 yuan is as casual as buying a bunch of scallions at the market?

And he was driving a Panamera worth over a million?

Those mocking words they had just hurled at Bai Li now felt like invisible slaps, striking their own faces hard.

Look at others, then look at yourself.

To save a few dollars on parking fees, you have to drive around on the side of the road for ages; and if you want to buy clothes that cost more than 500 dollars, you have to wait for the discount season.

acid.

It's too sour.

The entire private room was filled with a strong lemon scent, mixed with the burning embarrassment on everyone's faces.

Wang Wei was the first to react; he slammed his hand on the table.

"Holy crap! You're awesome, Brother Li! I knew you were a hidden dragon in the abyss!"

"This...how is this possible?" The veins on Zhao Gang's neck bulged, and he frantically scratched the itchy area under the table.

Zhang Yan stared intently at the dress Zhang Qian was wearing, her eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

Fifty thousand yuan... fifty thousand yuan!

The leopard-print dress she was wearing was bought for eighty yuan after haggling for half an hour at a street stall.

And Pamela...

It turns out the clown was herself.

The immense sense of disparity drove her to the brink of madness with jealousy.

Seeing that the atmosphere was just right, Bai Li put down her teacup.

"I didn't want to say it."

He leaned back, his lazy and casual posture a stark contrast to Zhao Gang, who was sitting opposite him, looking restless.

He turned his head and his gaze gently fell on Zhang Qian, who was standing beside him in a daze.

"I've been lucky lately and made some money."

Everyone's ears perked up.

How can something make so much money?

Bai Li reached out and gently grasped Zhang Qian's slightly cold hand:

"This is all thanks to my girlfriend, Zhang Qian."

"I've been writing online novels for the past few years."

Bai Li's money came from these "spiritual girls" like Zhang Qian, but the system couldn't reveal that, so it was just another way of putting it:

"I was never really successful until I met Qianqian."

"She inspired me. I used her as the model for a modern female-oriented novel. I never expected it to become such a hit. With the copyright fees and royalties, I made a little money."

"Buying a car for transportation shouldn't be too much to ask, right?"

Bai Li turned to look at Zhang Qian, his eyes so sincere they seemed to overflow with tears:

"Qianqian, you deserve half the credit for this car and all this money."

"Without you, I wouldn't be who I am today. I'm sorry for keeping this from you all this time; I wanted to surprise you."

"Huh?" Even Xia Qing and Li Mengmeng were stunned.

Zhang Qian raised her head and looked at Bai Li with a blank expression.

Those eyes, which had been somewhat evasive due to their inferiority complex, were now filled with disbelief.

A novel? A real-life prototype?

"Big...Big Brother?" Zhang Qian's voice trembled slightly. "You mean...really?"

Bai Li looked at her with utmost sincerity, even a hint of gratitude in his eyes:

"Of course it's true. I'm sorry I haven't told you yet, I wanted to surprise you."

boom--

Zhang Qian felt as if something had exploded in her head.

Since dropping out of school, she has always felt like a useless person, a piece of scum at the bottom of society.

In front of Bai Li, she felt utterly insignificant, like a mere tool for venting her frustrations, a plaything that could be discarded at any time.

But now, her older brother is telling her that she is useful.

She was his muse and the cornerstone of his success.

So, I am useful after all!

I can help you, brother! You made money because of me!

A warm current surged from the bottom of her heart, washing away the high wall of inferiority she had built up over the years.

This confidence doesn't come from expensive clothes or that Panamera; it comes from within.

This is her own value!