But after pondering for a long time, she still shook her head, forcing a smile and saying, "No, brother-in-law, I don't really like handbags. Even if I buy one, I won't use it. Let's just get something else. Let's go..."
Clara said this because she couldn't bear to let Harry spend money on her. Out of pride, she deliberately claimed she didn't like it.
If it were the old Harry, he might have believed her.
But now, Harry could clearly see the status bar above Clara's head.
[Current Status: Desire, Hesitation, Pain, Excitement, Sadness, Reluctance]
"Salesperson, pack this one up. I'll take it," Harry said with a knowing smile, speaking decisively.
"Of course, sir! I'll pack it up right away."
Watching the salesperson carefully place the handbag into a luxurious gift bag, Clara was completely stunned. Her cheeks turned red, and her eyes filled with emotion and happiness as she looked at Harry.
"Brother-in-law..."
Harry waved his hand with a smile and casually pulled out his phone.
This feeling of revenge shopping, of spending extravagantly without a second thought, was unbelievably satisfying.
Harry had never felt so liberated, so indulgent.
After a lifetime of poverty and frugality, now that he had money, the ability to buy whatever he wanted felt more exhilarating than anything else!
No wonder newly rich people go crazy buying mansions, luxury cars, and high-end goods.
Only by splurging on items they once never dared to dream of could they truly experience the thrill of revenge shopping.
It was like a starving man suddenly finding an oasis—he'd want to dive in and drink every last drop!
Harry had lived in poverty for too long. In the past, even buying a new shirt required careful consideration and price comparisons.
He never wanted to live that way again!
Now, all he wanted was to shop like crazy and unleash all the desires he had suppressed for years!
With a "beep", the payment notification rang at the counter.
"Payment received: 9,999 dollars."
Harry took the LV handbag, smiled, and handed it to Clara. "Now, it's yours."
"Brother-in-law... I..." Clara looked at the luxurious handbag in Harry's hand, too overwhelmed to move.
This was the handbag she and her best friends had dreamed of owning!
And now, she had it so effortlessly!
If she brought this back to school, her friends would be green with envy!
And that dormmate who always flaunted her cheapest LV handbag? Her reaction would be priceless!
Just thinking about it made Clara's heart race.
Her face flushed red, and she was too excited to speak.
She felt even more grateful and appreciative of Harry.
It was as if he could see right through her heart, always giving her exactly what she needed at the perfect moment.
She stole a glance at Harry. Seeing his gentle and thoughtful smile, her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
Before, she had looked down on Harry, wondering how someone as beautiful and outstanding as her sister had ended up marrying such an average-looking and unremarkable man.
But now, she suddenly envied her sister, Wanda.
Compared to Justin, Harry's maturity, kindness, and generosity were incredibly attractive. Clara couldn't help but feel a sense of dependence and a subtle admiration, making her want to get closer to him.
[Current Status: Excited, Thrilled, Proud, Touched, Grateful, Satisfied, Happy]
[Intimacy +10 (Current Intimacy: 84)]
With the system's notification, Harry suddenly had an epiphany—he couldn't believe he had unknowingly become a master at winning women over.
To him, his sister-in-law Clara had always seemed like an unattainable white swan.
And he? Just a lowly toad.
In front of the beautiful, lively, and charming sister-in-law Clara, Harry was always shy and reserved, never daring to take the initiative to talk to her.
No matter how much he liked her in his heart, he didn't dare to get close to her.
It was just like when he was in school—secretly crushing on the class beauty but never having the courage to pursue her.
Even though he longed for her, he could only watch as she was courted by playboys while he stood on the sidelines, feeling miserable and heartbroken.
But now, the goddess-like sister-in-law was no longer an unattainable dream.
In just two days, their intimacy level had skyrocketed.
It had already reached 84 intimacy!
Once it hit 100, he could guarantee a physical relationship and completely conquer the woman he had been dreaming about day and night!
Just thinking about it made Harry excited.
Not to mention that after winning over Clara, the system would reward him with a legendary novel worth hundred thousand average collection.
That was something he had been dreaming of!
With such a reward, not only could he finally achieve his goal of becoming a top web novelist—writing those face-slapping, revenge-filled stories to vent all his years of frustration—but he could also rise to fame and live in the spotlight.
On top of that, he would earn a steady stream of royalties!
At least more than 10 million dollars!!
Even in a big city like Brisbane, that was enough for a comfortable life!
A 160-square-meter luxury apartment, a Mercedes-Benz, and the freedom to spend however he wanted!
Just imagining such a life filled him with excitement and passion!!
After shopping with his sister-in-law, Clara, for a while, Harry couldn't resist her persuasion and let her buy him two sets of casual clothes and a pair of new Adidas sneakers. Only then did the two, feeling a bit tired, return home.
As Harry became more familiar with Clara, he realized that she wasn't as distant and unapproachable as he had imagined.
On the contrary, once Clara accepted him, she was not only easygoing and generous but also somewhat clingy.
Even in the mall, Clara held Harry's arm intimately. Sometimes, Harry would take the initiative to hold her hand, and Clara would only blush and smile sweetly without showing any resistance or discomfort.
Moreover, under Harry's emotional warmth and financial generosity, Clara became more carefree and uninhibited in her conversations with him.
Their relationship quickly deepened, and by the time they left the mall, they had grown as close as real siblings.
Though Clara appeared cold and aloof on the outside, she was actually a little lonely inside. Under Harry's sincere care and attention, she became increasingly dependent on him, acting more and more like a delicate and affectionate younger sister.
"Brother-in-law, it would be nice if you weren't my brother-in-law..." As they walked upstairs, chatting and laughing, Clara suddenly said with a hint of melancholy.
Harry was momentarily stunned, immediately sensing a different kind of emotion in her words. Smiling, he teased, "If I weren't your brother-in-law, then what would I be? If I weren't your brother-in-law, I might not have even met you, silly girl."
"Wouldn't it be better if you were my real brother? Hehe..." Clara playfully stuck out her tongue at Harry, though her smile seemed a bit forced.
"A brother-in-law is just the same. From now on, you're my real little sister, and you can treat me as your real big brother," Harry said with a smile, gazing at the lovely and mischievous face of his sister-in-law, his heart stirring.
"Ah, shopping was so exhausting. I'm all sweaty. I'm going to take a shower," Clara said sweetly before turning and walking into her room.
Harry checked the time—it was already past three in the afternoon. In about an hour, his in-laws and wife would probably return.
He figured that in this short time, there wasn't much chance to deepen his connection with Clara further. So, he returned to his room, turned on his computer, and casually opened an author group chat to see what other writers were discussing.
Kong: "Today's recommendation rankings are out! I advanced again! The competition in the new book selection is fierce, so many talented writers!"
DogMan: "Boss Kong, you're amazing! You actually made it into the Weekly!"
Little Fatty: "God Kong is unstoppable! This book is going to make history!"
…
Harry couldn't help but feel a little envious as he watched a group of newcomers enthusiastically praising an author.
At around 50,000 to 100,000 words, a book would receive its first recommendation.
However, there was a huge difference in how these recommendations were handled.
Books and authors favored by editors would be placed in prominent recommendation slots with cover images, gaining significantly higher exposure.
On the other hand, books that editors didn't have high expectations for would only get a simple text listing with minimal visibility.
In such a system, nearly twenty books from the same period would be competing.
Advancement was determined by metrics such as reader collections and time spent reading.
Those who ranked higher would move on to better recommendation rounds.
Harry had been writing books for two years, but he had never been lucky enough to receive a proper recommendation.
For him, getting recommended felt like an unreachable dream.
If he hadn't persisted in writing until the book reached 400,000 to 500,000 words, slowly accumulating readers, he might have thought his work was just garbage that no one wanted to read.