A few minutes later, Xu Lu returned with two ties, a clutch, and a long wallet.
"These are all good. Ring it up."
Xu Lu blinked. "You're serious?"
"You said your taste is better than mine. I meant it."
〖 Affection +5 — Current: 5 〗
〖 "That's about ¥310,000 total. My commission tonight is going to hit ¥15,000." 〗
〖 "Handsome and rich. If I could be his girlfriend, I'd wake up smiling every morning." 〗
Chen Qi caught that last thought. He kept his face neutral.
"Actually — could you help me pick out a women's bag too? Something expensive."
Xu Lu called over to her colleague. "Zhang-jie, can you pack up his items?"
She led Chen Qi to the women's handbag display.
〖 "This handsome and this rich — he definitely has a girlfriend who matches his level." 〗
"What style does she like? I can narrow it down."
"Honestly, I don't know her that well yet. She's elegant. Refined." Chen Qi shrugged. "Just pick what you'd pick."
"Girls have very different tastes — wrong gift and she might actually get upset."
"Then go expensive. If she doesn't like it, I'll just buy another one tomorrow."
〖 "A boyfriend like that and I'd eat plain rice every day for the rest of my life and never complain." 〗
Xu Lu selected carefully. After a few minutes, she realized she'd somehow ended up with a bag she personally loved.
"This pink mid-size tote — what do you think?"
"Perfect. Ring it up."
Tonight's commission: over ¥20,000. Her usual monthly take-home was ¥20,000 to ¥30,000.
"Add me on WeChat — next time you come in, just message me directly."
Standard practice for building a loyal client base. Xu Lu assumed he had a girlfriend. Nothing more to it.
Chen Qi had been trying to think of a reason to ask for her contact. She beat him to it.
"Sure."
He scanned the payment QR code at the register. Over a dozen shopping bags — both hands completely full.
Xu Lu was folding up the clothes he'd walked in wearing — his old Li-Ning shirt and Anta sneakers.
Chen Qi set his bags down and walked to the associate near the entrance.
"Hey — could you give this to Xu Lu for me?"
The associate looked at the bag. "Sir, is there a problem with it?"
"No problem at all. Just give it to her."
The associate carried it over. Xu Lu frowned and walked out.
"Is something wrong with it?"
"Are you upset?"
"Upset? About what?" She stared at him.
"You said girls get upset when they receive a gift they don't like."
〖 She thought: "Wait — is this bag for me?" 〗
"Didn't you say you were buying this for your girlfriend?"
"When did I say I had a girlfriend? I just said I wanted a women's bag."
"You don't like it?"
〖 "How could I not like it? I picked it myself." 〗
The two associates nearby immediately understood. This low-key rich kid had come in here for Xu Lu from the start.
"We only just met. Something this expensive — I can't accept it."
"It's already bought. Pretty sure your store is exchange-only, no refunds." Chen Qi glanced at the associate beside her. "If you don't want it, she can have it."
Zhang-jie's eyes went wide. A ¥100,000 bag just landing in my lap?
〖 "Absolutely not. I'm not keeping it — but I'm not giving it to someone else either." 〗
Xu Lu had worked at LV for over two years. She'd seen plenty of wealthy clients, plenty of rich kids. The middle-aged ones with money never appealed to her. The young rich kids talked a big game.
But someone this good-looking, this direct? That was a first.
"I helped you pick your clothes today — you were patient with me, and your taste is genuinely good." Chen Qi's tone was easy, unhurried. "Think of it as making a friend. I'll be back next time I need to shop — hope you'll help me out again."
Zhang-jie jumped in. "That is so generous — making friends with a ¥100,000 bag."
"I'll be in often. Since we're all friends now—" Chen Qi nodded toward the other two associates. "—you two should pick something too."
Silence.
Zhang-jie and Xiao Jing both froze.
A stranger. Just handing out ¥50,000 handbags to people he met ten minutes ago.
〖 Xu Lu thought: "Wait — if they both get one, then I have to keep mine." 〗
"Well then." Xu Lu straightened up. "It'd be rude not to. I didn't catch your name."
"Chen Qi. The qi in 'ignite.'"
"I'm—"
"Xu Lu." He pointed at the name badge on her chest. "It's right there."
〖 Affection +5 — Current: 10 〗
Zhang-jie and Xiao Jing both knew — Chen Qi had come in here for Xu Lu. They were just the lucky extras who got pulled along for the ride. Neither picked anything over ¥50,000. The sales went under Xu Lu's name anyway, netting her another ¥5,000 in commission.
"Are you working tomorrow?"
"Day off," Zhang-jie answered before Xu Lu could open her mouth. She leaned in close and whispered: "I'll cover your shift. A guy like this — don't let the moment pass."
"I'm off tomorrow," Xu Lu said.
"Then — any chance you'd want to come with me? I need to pick up a few things nearby."
"Shopping? Sure, I can help you choose."
He was planning to buy a car. A proper Freeloader God needed the full package.
Chen Qi gathered his shopping bags and headed for the exit.
Behind him, Xu Lu slipped back inside the store, grabbed something off a display shelf, and said quietly to Zhang-jie:
"Ring this up for me. Employee discount."
Then she ran out.
"Chen Qi!"
He turned around.
She held out a small gift box, barely the size of her palm.
"A return gift."
[ SYSTEM ] ────────────────────────────── Cashback triggered! FL Coins received : 2,280 Converting to CNY... Deposited : ¥22,800,000 ─────────────────────────────────────────
Chen Qi nearly dropped every single bag.
Twenty-two million, eight hundred thousand yuan.
From a gift box.
"People actually do return gifts," he said quietly, mostly to himself.
Before Li Ting, he'd dated one other girl. Same story — the guy pays, the girl shows up. That was just how it worked, apparently.
He set his bags down and opened the box.
Inside: a small silver clip. He had no idea what it was.
〖 She thought: "Why isn't he saying anything? Is it too cheap? Of course it is — a few thousand yuan is nothing to someone like him." 〗
A tie clip. He'd only ever seen them in TV dramas.
"It's beautiful. I love it." He meant it — Xu Lu had just put ¥22,800,000 in his account. He'd have loved a paper clip from her at this point.
"You bought a suit and ties today — I figured a tie clip would complete the look."
"Very thoughtful. Thank you."
〖 Affection +5 — Current: 15 〗
The clip was originally ¥2,850. With her employee discount: ¥2,280.
A difference of ¥570 — which Chen Qi's system had just turned into ¥5,700,000.
If he'd known, he'd have cried.