Chapter 28: Gifting the Wristwatch

Drinking, dancing, and Brother Tao Yong being the life of the party! He was the designated comedian for the evening; while others sang for two hours, he danced for two. Perhaps exhausted from his performance or simply over-served, he announced he was going to settle the bill.

The tab only covered the tips for the few hostesses present. It was a rare moment of generosity—800 per person, totaling 4,000. For a working-class guy, that was no small sum. Less than three minutes later, the manager walked in with a mournful expression. Since Chen Xiao had just settled the main bill at the front desk, the manager came looking for him.

"Boss, look at your friend. He’s holding a membership card from the foot massage parlor next door and trying to pay with it! We’re at our wit's end. Could you please cover the girls' tips?"

The guy was truly a marvel. A foot massage membership card—not even a prepaid cash card—to pay at a KTV? Chen Xiao questioned his own reality. Was this clown really his classmate? Since he was the one paying, Chen Xiao didn't bother with such small change.

With that little episode, the night came to an end. As he left with Meng Jianshu and Liu Bo, he discovered that Tao Yong had already headed home on his own. They exchanged farewells and agreed to visit the farmstead the day after tomorrow. Chen Xiao had no desire to waste more time with these people, but he hadn't made excuses to decline because he had finally managed to secure a date with Zhao Xiangjun. If he backed out now, he would lose his pretext for seeing her. He hailed a taxi back to his apartment, having left his car behind since he planned to drink.

The next day at the office, he heard that Feng Feifei had been looking for him. Just as he was about to head to the General Manager’s office, his mother called again.

"Chen Xiao, why haven't you reached out to that young lady yet? Your Aunt Wang has been asking about it several times!"

He had completely forgotten. Scratching his head, he replied, "Mom, can I skip it? I promise I’ll bring a girlfriend home, okay?"

"Then bring one back right now!"

"Things haven't even started yet, how could I? Give me some time!"

"That won't do. Your Aunt Wang had good intentions. Whether it works out or not, you should at least meet the girl. Of course, if you already have someone you like, your father and I will certainly respect your choice."

Fine. He had no choice but to go through the motions. He added the WeChat contact his mother had sent. The screen name read: "More Beautiful Than a Flower." Judging by the name alone, she couldn't be all that great—not a hint of humility. He thought of Zhao Xiangjun’s WeChat nickname, "Little Chubby Girl," and her cartoon avatar.

It’s such a strange world. Some beautiful women are terrified of others knowing they are beautiful, while some unattractive women are terrified that others won't mistake them for beauties.

Feng Feifei wanted to see Chen Xiao for the same old reason: to ask if he would consider managing a business unit independently. He flatly refused, of course. That would be cutting off his own financial lifeline. He had finally reached a professional dedication rating of 10 and a subsistence level of LV2. Anyone trying to change his position now was sabotaging his wealth.

"You can't force a melon to be sweet," Feng Feifei thought with regret. It was a shame someone with such strong business acumen refused to lead a team. She genuinely wanted to groom him—manager, director, vice president. She was heartbroken that by refusing to be a department head, he was cutting off his own future, which was why she was trying to persuade him for the second time. She had no idea that in his current position, he was earning far more than she was as the General Manager. She was truly worrying for nothing.

At Wansheng Plaza during lunch hour, Zhao Xiangjun finished eating with some colleagues and, having time to spare, they wandered over to the high-end cosmetics and digital area on the first floor.

When they reached the Apple store, a colleague smiled at Zhao Xiangjun. "Manager Zhao, this phone of yours doesn't match your status at all. You should change it, or get your 'big brother' to buy you a new one!"

They loved gossip. In their minds, a beauty like Zhao Xiangjun must have a wealthy benefactor supporting her, otherwise, she was wasting her youth. Calling her "Manager Zhao" was an inside joke because she had invested 10% into the store, though she remained a gold-medal sales associate at heart. Much like Chen Xiao, she didn't care for leadership roles.

Zhao Xiangjun laughed. "No, no, I'm not worthy!" Everyone burst into laughter.

They soon wandered into the Huawei digital experience store and saw the MateBook X Pro. Qin Xiaomin remarked, "Xiangjun is using such a luxurious laptop, but she won't change her phone. Which benefactor is so unobservant?"

Little did they know, when Zhao Xiangjun saw the price tag of 15,888, her only thought was that Chen Xiao was a spendthrift. Wouldn't a 4,000 or 5,000-yuan laptop do the same job? She didn't realize that Chen Xiao simply wanted to give her the best.

After the digital store, they visited the watch section. At the Omega counter, the group tried on several women's watches, unable to put them down but unwilling to commit to the price. While Omega wasn't exorbitantly expensive, it was still a luxury for sales associates. Looking was fine, but buying? Only if someone else bought it for them.

The sales clerk held up an Omega Constellation series watch and said to Zhao Xiangjun, "Beauty, try this on. It would look stunning on you!"

Instead, Zhao Xiangjun pointed to another display. "Let me see that watch."

"This men's watch from the Seamaster series?"

As the clerk handed it over, Zhao Xiangjun inspected it and felt satisfied. "I'll take this one."

"Wow, so bold?"

"Did you have a change of heart? You usually pick the cheapest clothes, but you're really splurging this time!"

"Xiangjun, you bought a men's watch. Is it for your 'big brother'? Shouldn't a big brother be wearing a Rolex Submariner?"

Zhao Xiangjun rolled her eyes, not bothering to respond. A Submariner? Chen Xiao didn't deserve that! Chen Xiao was out there doing business and needed to look the part. She had noticed he didn't wear a watch, and this one seemed perfect, so she bought it.

The watch cost 51,800, wiping out half of her savings in one go. Even the sales clerk was surprised. She had only offered the women's watch because she thought the girl was exceptionally pretty and wanted to see how she looked wearing one. She never expected a sale, especially since the girl was wearing a store uniform and had no other accessories, suggesting she wasn't a high-spender.

Their lunch break was short, so they had to return to the shop after the purchase. Along the way, they teased her:

"Oh, Xiangjun, you're so generous! Which 'big brother' is so lucky?"

"Exactly, Xiangjun! How much has that guy spent on you for you to be so willing to shell out this much?"

"Big brother?" She didn't deserve that. Zhao Xiangjun couldn't help but chuckle as she thought of Chen Xiao—the guy who could barely afford his property management fees. He had only received a small bonus these past two days; he was hardly a nouveau riche.

They didn't understand her. Her philosophy was to spend where it mattered and not waste a cent where it didn't. It was all about what she deemed necessary. Just like her salary—she earned a modest amount, and between supporting her parents, her grandmother, and her niece and nephew, she spent very little on herself. She didn't crave material luxury, so money, for her, wasn't all that important.