Bai Li glanced at the time in the upper-right corner of his phone — 11:45 PM.
Fifteen more minutes until midnight, when the System's daily investment quota would reset.
This meal was actually a perfect excuse to burn through the remaining quota early, so he could come home and lounge around afterward.
"Where are we meeting? Send me the location." Bai Li replied concisely.
Chen Tingting quickly sent over a pin — the most famous snack street in Ping County.
Bai Li got out of bed. At this hour, his parents were already asleep.
He pulled a long black coat from the wardrobe and paired it with a simple white T-shirt underneath, the combination making his already tall, lean frame look even more striking.
He ran a hand through his hair in front of the mirror. His naturally alluring, slightly upturned eyes looked especially deep and captivating under the light.
Satisfied that he looked his best, Bai Li headed out the door.
In the cab on the way to the snack street, Bai Li watched the city scenery blur past the window and turned things over in his mind.
Taking taxis all the time was inconvenient. Once he had a bit more money in a few days, it would be time to get himself some wheels.
The moment Bai Li arrived at the entrance to the snack street, he spotted three conspicuously eye-catching figures in the crowd.
They had clearly put effort into their appearances.
Chen Tingting wore a purple hoodie, her jeans tracing every dramatic curve of her figure.
Li Jiaxin was dressed head-to-toe in a fitted leather jacket and leather pants, showing off her tall, well-proportioned build.
Lin Xiaoshuang was wearing a knockoff high school girl uniform.
A white blouse, a plaid skirt, a bow tied at the collar, and on her straight, slender legs she wore those skin-toned leg warmers paired with white stockings.
"Big Bro, over here!"
Bai Li gave a nod and let his gaze sweep over the three of them.
He had to admit — all three girls had excellent natural looks. Plenty of internet influencers probably couldn't hold a candle to them without makeup.
"Let's go. What do you want to eat?" Bai Li asked.
"Big Bro, tonight's on us — no arguments!"
Chen Tingting stubbed out her cigarette and hooked her arm through Bai Li's with a generous air.
"Just point at whatever you want and your sis will get it for you!"
Li Jiaxin came over and took her place on Bai Li's other side.
"Tonight, Big Bro, all you have to do is eat!"
"Sure." Bai Li didn't argue with them.
He understood perfectly — for people as proud as these three, constant generosity from his side would only create distance. Letting them repay him once would make them feel better about themselves, and that made raising their Affection Values much easier.
Chen Tingting beamed when Bai Li agreed so readily.
She pulled the group along, going from stall to stall.
"Big Bro, want some grilled cold noodles? I've been coming to this stall since middle school — the owner knows me. I'll have him throw in two extra eggs for you!"
"Oh, and this — exploding cheese chicken cutlets! I'm telling you, they're insanely good!"
"What about iron-plate squid? Has to be the tentacles — way more chewy!"
Their enthusiasm was almost more than Bai Li could handle.
By the end, his hands were stuffed with all kinds of street food:
A deluxe set of grilled cold noodles loaded with two eggs and two sausages, a bag of freshly fried chicken strips still fragrant from the oil, and several skewers of sizzling grilled squid.
With the three girls surrounding him, Bai Li found an empty table in a corner and sat down.
"Big Bro, try it quick!" Chen Tingting held a squid tentacle skewer up to his mouth like she was presenting a treasure.
Bai Li leaned in and took a bite right from her hand. It was genuinely good.
"Well? Well?" the three girls asked in unison, staring at him with eyes full of anticipation — as if he weren't sampling street food, but rating a three-Michelin-star meal.
"Not bad." Bai Li swallowed and gave his honest assessment.
Just those two words were enough to make them perfectly happy.
"Hehe, told you it was good!" Chen Tingting laughed triumphantly.
Throughout the meal, the three of them chattered non-stop.
"Big Bro, you have no idea how amazing our nap was this afternoon! The bed was a little firm, but once we shut the door and pulled the curtains, it was so quiet and warm."
"I've never slept that soundly in my whole life," Lin Xiaoshuang added softly, her eyes shining as she looked at Bai Li.
"The best part was the satisfaction!" Li Jiaxin, unusually talkative tonight, chimed in:
"You should've seen the landlady's face when we walked out — she looked like she'd swallowed something rotten."
Their happiness was simple: a good meal, a peaceful sleep, one moment of triumph — that was enough to keep them cheerful for an entire day.
Bai Li listened quietly, chiming in with a word or two here and there.
He found, to his own surprise, that he was genuinely enjoying this.
Watching them light up because of something small he had done — that sense of control and of nurturing something — was far more captivating to him than any number in a bank account.
By now, midnight had passed and the new day's quota had refreshed.
Chen Tingting stretched with a satisfied burp, then proposed:
"Big Bro, we can't just head home after eating, can we?"
"Come on, let me take you somewhere fun — billiards! Let me show you what it means to be the number-one cue in Ping County!"