[Photo by Ma Xuejing/China Daily]

It's 11 pm, and all across China WeChat is bubbling and fingers are twitching.

Shall I or shan't I? Shall it be this or shall it be that?

"Hi everybody. Please show your orders."

"I found these boots for 645 yuan ($100), half the price in shops. I'm falling asleep, but I've got to wait until after 12 to pay for them."

"Here's my order for an oven. I'll keep awake until midnight, but I'm really tired."

"I've got to stay up till 1 am to pay for my beauty enhancer (1,438 yuan). There's a really good freebie with it."

"I thought you said you weren't going to buy anything?"

"This really is my last time with this business." (Accompanied by emoticon of a crying face.)

"Just now my mother called me, asking, 'Are you ready for 11-11?'"

"My father has texted saying, 'No more shopping for stuff you're not going to use."

"Are you crazy? It's too expensive. There's no way it's worth that." (Referring to a headband costing 1,580 yuan.)