Chapter 238: Chapter 238

"Nana, would you mind if I speak to Jiaojiao?" Zhou Yang asked, turning to the girl whose arm he was holding.

Her expression wasn't very pleased, but she nodded nonetheless.

"Jiaojiao, would you mind if I speak to Nana?" Liu Banxia also asked, turning to Jiaojiao.

Jiaojiao was inwardly ecstatic. Whatever Liu Banxia wanted to do, she just nodded with a big smile.

"What are you trying to do?" Zhou Yang asked, looking at him warily.

"Nothing much, just making new friends," Liu Banxia said, maintaining a serious expression despite his mischievous words.

"I'm sorry, but my Nana doesn't want to meet strangers," Zhou Yang said, his face stern.

"I'm sorry, but my Jiaojiao also doesn't want to talk to strangers. It's dangerous," Liu Banxia replied in an equally serious tone.

"Don't worry, I've already forgotten about him. I just consider myself to have been blind," Jiaojiao said lightly.

Liu Banxia gave a thumbs-up. "That rhymes quite well. Very poetic."

"Sir, are you still going to try on these shoes?" the salesclerk subtly reminded him.

They couldn't just stay quiet. With such a complicated group dynamic playing out here, how could they possibly do business? What if a fight broke out? Sure, it might be entertaining to watch, but it would definitely affect sales.

"I won't try this pair. The ones from before, the pair that cost over a thousand, will do. They're quite comfortable," Liu Banxia said hastily.

He felt somewhat relieved. Good thing the shopping had just begun. Now that he'd already clashed with Zhou Yang, there was no need to waste any more money.

The shoes the salesclerk had just brought out cost two thousand four hundred. Even with the usual discount, they weren't much cheaper, still several hundred more than the first pair he had tried.

"I think this pair is nice. Try it on. If it fits, buy this pair," Jiaojiao said.

"There's really no need to waste money, right, Yanzi?" Liu Banxia said, looking at Wang Xiaoyan.

"Oh, it's okay! It's just a small gift for you anyway. Just pick what you like and what feels comfortable. Um... Jiaojiao isn't short on money," Wang Xiaoyan, who had been enjoying the spectacle, almost let the cat out of the bag but managed to redirect at the last moment.

Liu Banxia had no choice but to try them on. However, from his aesthetic perspective, he couldn't see how this pair was any better than the previous one.

"Still not quite right. The pants you're currently wearing don't work; you can't really see the effect with the shoes. Let's go buy a shirt and trousers first," Qiaoqiao said after observing him for a moment.

Wang Xiaoyan nodded. "That does seem to be the case. He's wearing sweatpants now, so it looks awkward no matter what."

Zhou Yang, standing nearby, was somewhat baffled. Even if he knew Qiaoqiao, Jiaojiao, and Yanzi usually had a great relationship, why would the other two help out Jiaojiao's new boyfriend , acting as advisors?

"Actually, this pair of shoes is quite versatile; they go well with both casual trousers and dress pants. And this gentleman is tall—a natural clothes horse. Anything he wears will look good," the salesclerk said with a smile.

"You're not actually planning to buy clothes first and then come back for the shoes, are you?" Liu Banxia said with a wry smile.

"We're not bothered, so why are you? Go ahead and ring these shoes up. I think he looks great in them. Actually, never mind, just wear them out. Saves changing again," Qiaoqiao, the commander-in-chief, declared.

Liu Banxia genuinely had no say in the matter. Jiaojiao could be really domineering sometimes.

As for Zhou Yang, he was completely ignored by them. The initial skirmish had been a success; even if Zhou Yang was still confused, the girls knew what was what, and that was enough.

This shopping spree certainly didn't lack purchases, and the decision-making power was definitely not in Liu Banxia's hands. They bought three shirts, a full suit plus two extra pairs of trousers, two pairs of shoes, three ties, and one bag.

And now, Liu Banxia was completely transformed. Although he was still a bit unshaven, he looked much more energetic.

Fine clothes make the man, just as a good saddle makes the horse. Dressed in an elegant shirt and trousers, paired with good shoes, even the young women were amazed by the transformation.

"They say a girl changes dramatically by eighteen, but I didn't expect guys to be like that too! Honestly, what do you usually wear? You're a spirited young fellow, yet you make yourself look so sloppy," Qiaoqiao said delightedly after carefully admiring him.

"What can I afford with the little money I earn? Now look at this, all this spending. Even if you all aren't pained by it, I am," Liu Banxia said with a wry smile.

"Besides, who am I dressing up for? When I go to work, I'll have to change out of these anyway. T-shirts are so much better; just slip them off and you're done." Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novel⚑fire.net

"I still feel like something's missing. What do you guys think?" Qiaoqiao asked, studying him for another moment and then tapping her chin.

"It's probably his hair and beard. Actually, if he cleans up a bit, he should be fine," Liang Xiaolin said.

"Good point. My hotel isn't too far from here. Shall we get him cleaned up first?" Qiaoqiao asked.

"I think that's a good idea. His hair is easy to manage. Actually, his hair was pretty good before, but it got singed by fire last time, and that's why it ended up ," Liang Xiaolin said.

"Can you guys please have mercy? Are you treating me like a dress-up doll or what?" Liu Banxia said with a wry smile.

"Oh, come on, you have to get cleaned up eventually anyway. Besides, you still need to support Yanzi. Be good," Qiaoqiao coaxed.

"Sigh... alright, fine. I'll sacrifice myself this one time. Since I've already agreed, do whatever you want. Let me carry all the bags. It's not right for you all to carry them while I walk empty-handed," Liu Banxia said.

"Jiaojiao, why must you debase yourself ?" Just as Liu Banxia finished speaking, Zhou Yang's voice came from behind them.

Liu Banxia frowned. He already had a poor impression of Zhou Yang, and it was even worse now.

"You scumbag, aren't you annoying? What does Jiaojiao's life have to do with you, you pest?" Qiaoqiao glared at him.

"Qiaoqiao, this is between me and Jiaojiao. And you're Jiaojiao's good friend; you should be thinking about her. He's just a cook, and you're going to let Jiaojiao pay for him? Can she even support him?" Zhou Yang sneered, glancing at Liu Banxia.

In fact, he had been following them the whole time and had seen the young women taking turns paying for Liu Banxia. This confirmed his suspicion that Liu Banxia was indeed a freeloader.

A cook who manages to singe his own hair while cooking—what kind of cook is that? Even an apprentice wouldn't be that incompetent.

Liu Banxia scratched his head sheepishly. "See? He found out. What do we do now?"

"What's there to do? He's just a stranger. We don't even know him well," Jiaojiao said dismissively.

"Congratulations," Liu Banxia said sincerely.

"Then you can't go back on what you promised me, alright?" Jiaojiao said, hooking her arm through Liu Banxia's and glancing at Zhou Yang.

Zhou Yang's sneer deepened. "Brother, you're a man, after all. Why stoop to this? If you focused on learning to cook, at least you'd have a way out. That's better than living off women, isn't it?"

As he spoke, Zhou Yang raised his voice slightly, intending for the nearby passersby to hear that this was a pretty boy who lived off women.

He was genuinely furious now, especially seeing Jiaojiao link her arm with Liu Banxia's. That action truly provoked him.

Liu Banxia frowned. "Zhou Yang, you're a scumbag, always chasing the new and discarding the old. You've had so many girlfriends, but you've never been truly sincere with any of them."

"In your own eyes, you might think you're amazing, very charming. But in my opinion," Liu Banxia chuckled dryly, "you're really not all that. Since we're at this point, I'll just be blunt with you."

"Young ladies, I don't want to strive anymore! What should I do?"

At first, Liu Banxia spoke in a normal volume, but towards the end, he shouted.

The effect of this was truly shocking. Not just the people passing by, but even the young women were stunned.

Qiaoqiao was the quickest to react. "You silly thing! Your Sister Qiaoqiao will take care of you!"

"Mmhmm, count me in too," Wang Xiaoyan chimed in.

"He promised me, after all," Jiaojiao added, acting cute and coy.

"You can come back to Russia with me. We'll eat delicious caviar!" Qing Kewa was the most proactive, immediately taking Liu Banxia's other arm.

Then the gazes of the four young women focused on Liang Xiaolin, waiting for her to state her position.

"And... and me too," Liang Xiaolin mumbled, pursing her lips.

Liu Banxia had suddenly remembered Qiaoqiao's absurd plan from the previous night and impulsively decided to play it out.

The young women were now thoroughly immersed in the fun, especially when they saw Zhou Yang's expression shift from astonishment to fury. That made their mood even more wonderful.

They were just playing around, but they all gathered close to Liu Banxia, creating the impression that these young ladies truly meant he didn't need to strive anymore.

The onlookers were dumbfounded. They didn't understand why society had become so crazy. Why were all these girls fixated on this one guy? They should spare a thought for others too; there were plenty of people who didn't want to strive!

"See? You wouldn't be able to handle it, right? They're very clingy, impossible to shake off. It's quite a headache," Liu Banxia said, shaking his head with a look of mock disdain.

"Be good now. We'll go get your hair done first, and then we'll go eat," Qiaoqiao said, getting into the spirit of the game, and reached out to playfully pinch Liu Banxia's nose.

Then, their group walked out swaggering like victorious generals.

Even Liang Xiaolin let go and joined in. Being rebellious for once felt quite thrilling. People taking photos? Let them. As long as we're having fun, that's all that matters.

"Haha! Did you see Zhou Yang's face? Wow, I'm so happy! Today was totally worth it!" Qiaoqiao exclaimed excitedly once they were in the car.

"We might become the top story in our social media feeds tomorrow. I saw several people taking pictures," Liu Banxia said with a wry smile.

"What's there to be afraid of? Let them take photos if they want. Anyone with half a brain will understand what's going on. Hey! You're not actually thinking about not striving anymore in the future, are you?" Qiaoqiao asked, pinching his chin and raising an eyebrow.

Liu Banxia rolled his eyes. This girl was really getting carried away with the act.