"Bigger than mine?" Cao Xue was taken aback. When she realized what he meant, she angrily pointed at Li Xian's chest. "Y-you... You're really proud of that?"
In other words: your chest is bigger than a woman's, and you're proud of it? She was obviously mocking him.
But trying to get under Li Xian's skin by insulting his figure wasn't going to work.
I've had this body for over a decade. You think I'm going to be ashamed of it?
Li Xian had long since gotten used to his extra weight. He didn't care what people said. In fact, if he suddenly lost it, he might not know what to do with himself.
It had become second nature. His extra weight was practically camouflage. If he could keep from feeling insecure about being fat, he'd clearly developed a pretty resilient mindset.
Besides, Li Xian was only a little chubby. He didn't even weigh two hundred pounds.
He wasn't unhappy with his figure. His thighs and arms were a little thick, but he didn't actually have much of a belly. He just looked sturdy.
The only thing Li Xian didn't like about himself was how much fat he had on his face. He had thick eyebrows, big eyes, and well-defined features. If only his face were slimmer, he'd be a total heartthrob.
Of course, he was pretty handsome already.
Don't call him ridiculously self-confident. Just stand in front of a mirror for a while, and you'll find yourself looking better and better.
"Why shouldn't I be proud?" Li Xian puffed out his chest and shot back. Then he said with confidence, "Not to brag, but I could get in shape if I wanted to. Then..." He pointed at his chest. "These will be the muscles you all drool over. You can dream of licking them. But you, on the other hand, really ought to eat more. Have some papaya or something, and try some lifting and massage. I can work this fat off, but you're not going to grow anything there."
He absolutely wasn't going to start working out, but Li Xian still sounded completely confident. What was the system for if not to use? He just had to put a few points into the relevant stat. All he needed to do was complete more tasks.
With money and a system, he really was getting carried away.
Li Xian's words were pretty infuriating, and he'd hit a sore spot. Cao Xue widened her eyes and snapped, "Who says I won't grow? I'm still developing!"
"Heh..." Li Xian gave her a sidelong look. "How many dishes did you have last night? You really think you're sixteen or seventeen? Want to show me your ID?"
"Y-you... You can still develop a second time!" Cao Xue bit her lip, her chubby cheeks trembling.
"Develop a second time..." Li Xian's gaze roamed over her from head to toe. After thinking it over, he offered his honest opinion. "I think a little cosmetic surgery would be more reliable. There's nothing wrong with adding a bit. It'd still be better than..."
"Ahhhh! Stop talking! Do you even know how to talk to people? You're driving me crazy! I've got such a short temper!" Cao Xue snapped, tossing down the bath towel.
Was that too much?
She couldn't even handle the truth.
Kids these days had no resilience.
"Okay, okay, I'll stop. Let's get to work. Making money is what matters." Li Xian turned to the side, exposing his broad, pale shoulder to her.
"I'm done! I'm not earning money if it means putting up with this!" Cao Xue said, then turned and headed for the door.
Li Xian paused, then quickly asked, "You really don't want to continue? I was going to give you an extra thousand afterward."
At that, Cao Xue stopped at the bathroom door. The corner of Li Xian's mouth lifted as he added, "Two thousand yuan. That's the average monthly salary in Bin City. If you make another two thousand today, you'll have earned four thousand. That's like getting two extra months' pay for nothing... What a shame."
"Really? You'll add another thousand?" Cao Xue asked, turning around.
Li Xian shrugged, beckoned her over, and pointed at his shoulder. "If you do a good job, my hand might slip and give you a few hundred more."
Fine. She'd put up with it!
A woman knew when to bend and when to stand firm.
Cao Xue had never been the sort to turn down money. She couldn't resist those crisp banknotes at all. Without a moment's hesitation, she went back to the tub and picked up the bath towel.
Did anyone in this world refuse to bend for a few coins?
The answer was no!
If someone said money didn't matter to them, then damn it, their family had to own a mine.
"Where should I start?" Li Xian's back was so broad that she didn't know where to put her little hands.
"Start with my neck," Li Xian said, pointing.
"Okay..."
Cao Xue got to work. She actually had some experience. Her small hand moved deftly over his neck, applying even pressure and pressing harder whenever she reached a stubborn spot.
But she wasn't using enough force to satisfy Li Xian. Was she scrubbing his back or tickling him?
"Use more strength..."
"Okay..."
"Harder... Did you skip dinner?"
"You just figured out I didn't eat?" Cao Xue gritted her teeth. She pressed her other hand against Li Xian to brace herself, leaning her whole body forward.
They drew closer and closer. Li Xian could feel her faint breath brushing against his skin.
The sensation was subtle. It tickled and sent a tingle through him, making his mind wander.
I told you to use more strength!
Not to flirt with me.
Li Xian was at a loss. He never reacted this way when he got a scrub.
The big burly men at the bathhouse would have been doing him a favor just by not scrubbing his skin off.
"Phew..." Cao Xue lifted a hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead. Her top was soaked through, though she couldn't tell whether it was from water or sweat. Scrubbing someone down was definitely hard work.
Her pretty collarbones stood out as she panted, and she was too out of breath to bother covering her chest, leaving a glimpse of cleavage.
This money really wasn't easy to earn.
Cao Xue sighed inwardly. But when she thought about how two thousand yuan would pay for a hundred scrubs, she was immediately fired up again.
"All right, all done."
"Huh? No, you're not. You still have to do the front." Li Xian turned around.
"What? The front too? Why don't I just scrub your whole body while I'm at it?" Cao Xue said unhappily. She was already exhausted.
Li Xian grinned. "Just what I was hoping you'd say." He had to get a full-body scrub to complete the task.
"Hurry up. You took over ten minutes just to scrub my back. A full-body scrub will take an hour." As he spoke, Li Xian stood up straight out of the bathtub.
"Splash!" Water sprayed everywhere, soaking Cao Xue's shorts.
Cao Xue's first reaction wasn't to worry about her clothes. She squeezed her eyes shut and cried out, "What are you doing? Sit back down!"
She thought Li Xian wasn't wearing anything and that she was about to see something she shouldn't. She didn't know he had on a pair of tight shorts.
"I'm not stupid enough to let you take advantage of me," Li Xian said as he stepped out of the tub.
Cao Xue slowly opened her eyes. When she saw he was wearing shorts, she snapped, "As if I'd want to take advantage of you!"
Li Xian rolled his eyes at her, took a few steps into the rainforest shower stall, and turned on the shower. "Take a break, then get back to work. Oh, there's a bottle of red wine outside. It should be ready to breathe. You can have it as a reward."
"You opened a bottle of red wine?"
"The butler opened it. It's a ten-year-old Lafite. I have no idea what it tastes like."
"I'll go try it for you..." At the mention of red wine, Cao Xue ran off faster than a rabbit. She'd already decided that once Li Xian was done washing, she'd claim the bathroom for herself and enjoy the wine while admiring the sea view. What could be better?
After she left, Li Xian took a can of drink out of his system inventory. It was a tiny metal can, with a capacity of just one hundred milliliters.
This was the Calming Drink he'd won in the lottery.
He gripped the can with his left hand and gently pulled the tab with his right. Inside was a milky-white liquid.
Li Xian dipped his pinky into it and tasted a little, then muttered, "It tastes kind of like Yakult."
Before you continue