73: Pocket money

For the next two days, Jiang Ye temporarily shifted his focus from "flirting for cashback" to "studying and furthering his education."

To complete the monthly task for the 【Cross-Border Etiquette Consultant】, he transformed into a diligent student, diving headfirst into the ocean of knowledge about the Cosplay and Otaku dance circles.

The reason he chose these two circles wasn't because Jiang Ye had any ulterior motives (well, maybe a little), but mainly due to practical feasibility.

Given his current situation, the offline activities he could relatively easily and affordably access were only various Comic conventions.

Higher-end circles like Wine tasting or Antique collecting had too high a barrier to entry and were temporarily beyond his reach.

As his "studies" deepened, the content pushed to him on TikTok completely changed.

The algorithm ruthlessly captured his new interests, and his homepage quickly went from a mix of "Cow hoof trimming," "Wilderness building," "Forging competitions," and "voice chat rooms" to being completely overrun by Suggestive Cosplay, otaku dance streamers, and various "Benefit girls."

Every time he opened TikTok, it was filled with sexy Cosplay outfits, long legs wrapped in stockings, short skirts, white stockings, black stockings, fishnets... The visual impact was intense. He found his study materials, but his ability to focus was severely tested.

"This knowledge... it just won't stick in my brain!"

Jiang Ye often found himself zoning out while watching and had to force himself to exit TikTok, open League of Legends, and vent his restless energy in the game.

A perfectly good MOBA game was turned into Dance Dance Revolution by him—keyboard clattering loudly, teammates' family trees repeatedly rising and falling in the chat box.

Time flew by, and it was already December 14th, Hug Valentines Day.

Jiang Ye wandered over to the delivery boxes at the neighboring Hanting Hotel, bending down to search for this week's "Tribute" while complaining irritably into the phone:

"I really can't believe you, Ye Cheng. I already told you today is Hug Valentines Day, such a great meaning? We could have dinner together, set the mood, and then you could take this thing off and hand it to me in person, full of ceremony, how nice? Why bother with a courier? You have no sense of romance at all!"

"Want me to take it off in person? Tsk tsk... Too bad, I have plans with my girlfriends tonight~"

On the other end of the phone, Ye Cheng snorted lightly, her tone a bit gleeful: "And my period came, Classmate Xiao Ye, so don't get any ideas."

Jiang Ye immediately raised an eyebrow, his tone instantly switching from complaint to disdain: "Oh. Anything else? If not, I'm hanging up, busy."

Ye Cheng: "..."

She stomped her foot in anger at his lightning-fast change of expression: "Damn! Jiang Ye! I really can't believe you! Your face changes faster than flipping a book, doesn't it?! I can't come, but my 'Tribute' arrived! What about my pocket money for next week?! Hurry up!"

Jiang Ye curled his lip and pulled out the familiar small package from the delivery box.

He opened it and glanced inside—it was a good-quality, thick pair of tights, exactly the one he had sent Ye Cheng the link to earlier.

Almost simultaneously, a new system notification popped up in his consciousness space:

【Received a gift from Ye Cheng: one pair of high-end Thick tights, system-evaluated value: 3,200 yuan. Triggered 1000% cashback, obtained 32,000 yuan!】

Jiang Ye nodded in satisfaction and said cheerfully into the phone: "What's the rush? You won't miss out."

As he spoke, he operated his phone and directly transferred 12,000 yuan to Ye Cheng's WeChat.

"Huh...?"

Ye Cheng, who received the transfer notification, was clearly taken aback: "It increased again?"

"Isn't it good that it increased?"

Jiang Ye chuckled, stuffed the package into his down jacket pocket, and said casually: "You're in a special condition this week, so I'm giving you a bit more pocket money. Buy some red dates, brown sugar, or donkey-hide gelatin cakes, take good care of yourself."

Hearing this, Ye Cheng felt inexplicably sweet inside and softly "mm-hmm"ed.

Holding her phone, she hesitated for a moment, her voice lowering slightly: "Jiang Ye, um... Christmas Eve... are you free that night?"

"What, want to ask me out?" Jiang Ye replied casually as he walked home.

"Mm-hmm..."

Ye Cheng responded: "Our dorm is having a gathering, and they said everyone should bring their boyfriends... Can you come?"

Jiang Ye immediately perked up: "Oh, a Dorm mixer? I haven't been to a gathering in ages, sure, I'll go!"

Hearing him agree so readily, Ye Cheng felt a surge of joy, but then she stammered:

"Then... then I'll buy you a few clothes? Um... I know you don't care much about dressing up, as long as it's comfortable. But... that night... the occasion might be a bit... I mean..."

Jiang Ye immediately raised his eyebrows.

He certainly understood Ye Cheng's subtext.

At this kind of dorm gathering with obvious competitive undertones, where everyone brings their boyfriends, dressing too shabbily would definitely make him a background character.

He himself didn't really care—at most, people might look down on him in their hearts, and no idiot would actually confront him. But Ye Cheng would inevitably be compared, openly or subtly, by the other girls afterward, which would surely be embarrassing for her.

However... Jiang Ye's attention was no longer on "whether he'd lose face."

His deeply ingrained "cashback" mindset instantly kicked in, putting him five steps ahead!

He pretended to be nonchalant, speaking in a completely indifferent tone: "Sure, whatever, you decide. I don't care, I'll wear anything."

Ye Cheng clearly relaxed on the other end, her tone becoming lighter: "Don't worry! I have great taste! I'll definitely dress you up handsomely..."

Before she could finish, her phone suddenly chimed twice with WeChat notifications.

She opened it to see two transfers: one for 50,000 yuan and another for 50,000 yuan, totaling 100,000 yuan!

Ye Cheng's voice cut off abruptly as she said in astonishment: "Jiang... Jiang Ye? Why did you transfer another 100,000 yuan?!"

Hearing her shocked tone, Jiang Ye grinned: "No reason. It's a Christmas Eve gathering, right? Don't you need to buy some clothes and shoes for yourself? Worried you might not have enough, so I'm giving you a bit more pocket money."

This was his fifth-layer plan.

If he transferred this 100,000 yuan, as long as Ye Cheng used 10,000 or 20,000 of it to buy him clothes, he'd come out ahead;

If Ye Cheng got carried away and spent 50,000 or 60,000 yuan dressing him up, that would be a huge win;

If Ye Cheng lost her mind and spent all 100,000 yuan on him... well, Student Ye Cheng, you're in for a rough time on Christmas Eve~

On the other end of the phone, Ye Cheng was clearly stunned by this sudden, far-beyond-normal huge amount "pocket money."

She was dumbfounded for a long time before subconsciously clicking to accept the money, her mind in a whirl, only able to stammer: "Oh... oh... okay... got it..."

Then, as if afraid Jiang Ye would change his mind, she quickly hung up the phone.

Before, with the small amounts of a few thousand or ten thousand yuan, since it was still far from the "one million yuan" goal, she didn't have a real sense of it.

But with this 100,000 yuan in cold, hard cash suddenly hitting her... Ye Cheng felt, for the first time, with crystal clarity, that she seemed... really close to being devoured by this big pervert.

Holding her warm phone, her heart inexplicably raced, and two blushes spread across her cheeks—whether it was panic, anticipation, or something else, she couldn't tell.