"Ding~! Zhao Xiangjun detected as a qualifying individual. Activating the Opposite-Sex Reward Mechanism."
[Opposite-Sex Reward Rules:
1. For any amount of money a system-recognized individual of the opposite sex voluntarily spends on the Host, the system will reward an amount calculated as: [Amount Spent] x [Individual's Diligence Point] x [Host's Daily Basic Stipend Level]. This reward will be deposited into a personal expense fund for that individual;
2. Each individual's personal expense fund can only be used for that specific individual and cannot be repurposed;
3. The Host may not, in any way, request or guide the individual to spend money on them. Doing so will result in the forfeiture of the entire reward.]
'Huh? What the heck is this? A new system feature?' Chen Xiao opened the system interface:
[Opposite-Sex Reward Fund: Zhao Xiangjun (Diligence Point: 96)]
[Profession: Yirui Business Men's Clothing - Gold Medal Salesperson]
[Diligence Fund: 28,800 yuan]
After reading it a few times, he more or less understood what this "Opposite-Sex Diligence Reward Fund" was. It was a special fund earmarked for this woman, which could only be spent on her. What he couldn't figure out was why it was Zhao Xiangjun.
'Was she the first woman willing to spend money on me?' Looking at the 28,800 figure, it was easy to calculate that it came from the 300 yuan phone top-up x her Diligence Point x his own daily basic stipend level.
'So can this money be used to pay off debts?'
"The Opposite-Sex Reward Fund can only be used for expenditures on the designated individual. This fund cannot be used to pay off debts!"
Having received the system's reply, Chen Xiao more or less understood. At the same time, he was dumbfounded by Zhao Xiangjun's Diligence Point of 96. That meant she had been working hard at her current job for four years, but she looked like she was only in her early twenties.
Besides, they were just strangers who had met by chance. He had no opportunities to spend money on her, so this fund seemed to be a complete waste.
After dinner, he parted ways with Wang Jing. He mulled over what Wang Jing had just said about his clothes being too casual and athletic. Before, his low income meant he had no money to spend. Now that he wasn't short on cash, and since he was already at a mall today, he figured he might as well pick up a few new things.
He wasn't the type to chase after luxury brands, so he decided to browse the men's clothing floor of Wansheng Mall. Just as he got on the escalator, a saleswoman from a men's clothing store smiled and called out, "Welcome to Yi Rui!"
Yi Rui was considered a mid-to-high-end brand for business menswear. Chen Xiao looked around inside for a bit before a saleswoman came forward to offer her assistance. Chen Xiao picked out a few items and went into the fitting room. When he came out, he found a different person waiting for him. The woman saw Chen Xiao and broke into a grin. "Well, look at you, handsome. You followed her all the way to the store, huh? Did you fail to get her WhatsApp?"
Chen Xiao froze for a moment, then realized this was the saleswoman who had been eating with Zhao Xiangjun. This store also happened to be where Zhao Xiangjun worked. No wonder the brand name sounded familiar; he had just seen it on the system interface.
He shook his head. "I didn't."
The saleswoman said, "I figured as much. So many people hound her every day trying to get her WhatsApp, but I've never seen her add anyone. Even customers only get to add her business account!"
"Want me to call her over? Give you another chance?" the saleswoman chuckled.
'Call her over?' Chen Xiao thought that was a good idea. He could finally give her back the money and clear up the misunderstanding!
"You'll have to wait a moment, then. She's tied up with a customer! Someone offered to buy ten thousand yuan worth of clothes if she'd just add his personal WhatsApp!"
Chen Xiao was speechless. 'That's not about buying clothes at all, is it?'
"I'll go get her. This will be a perfect excuse to rescue her!" The saleswoman said to Chen Xiao before heading off to find Zhao Xiangjun.
Chen Xiao waited in the fitting area and picked out two items of clothing totaling 2,500 yuan. He planned to pay Zhao Xiangjun back in a moment and, while he was at it, have her ring him up.
A moment later, Zhao Xiangjun arrived, her face a mask of irritation. Seeing Chen Xiao, she said helplessly, "Buddy, what are you doing now?"
Chen Xiao said, "Zhao Xiangjun, my internet is working now. I can pay you back!"
Zhao Xiangjun rolled her eyes. 'This guy is broke but too proud to admit it.' She said despairingly, "I know you have money. I don't need you to pay me back right now, okay? Just give it to me whenever you get your commission, alright? I'm begging you!"
"No, listen to me, I really do have money! Look, I'm even planning to buy a new outfit!"
Zhao Xiangjun stared at him with a look of utter despair. "Chen Xiao, you're something else. Are you determined to fleece me and only me? Fine. I'll sponsor you an outfit, too."
She reached out, snatched the clothes from Chen Xiao's hands, and turned to walk away. Chen Xiao quickly followed.
"Cashier, put these clothes on my tab! Bag them up for this gentleman to take with him!"
Chen Xiao's head throbbed. 'Am I really that kind of person? How could she think I'm such a scoundrel? And for someone with such a standoffish personality, why are you so quick to hand out pity?'
'Thinking back from last night to now, she's been like this the whole time. The moment there's a disagreement, she pays for things. What kind of person is she?!'
"I really do have money! I'll pay for it right now!"
"Just do me a favor! Can't you see we're busy? Just take them and go, will you? I have to get back to my customer!" After saying this, she went back to helping the other male customer.
Chen Xiao turned helplessly to the cashier. "Miss, I'll pay for these clothes!"
The cashier looked at him curiously. "Who are you to Xiangjun? She's giving you clothes for free? This is the first time I've ever seen something like this!"
"No, I don't need her to give them to me. I'm paying!"
"Xiangjun already said so. Who would dare take your money? Besides, she already used her employee purchase slot on this!"
The cashier then explained that each employee gets one employee purchase slot per season, which gives them a 20% discount.
Now he couldn't even pay if he wanted to. He was about to go find Zhao Xiangjun when the cashier said, "Don't go making more trouble for her right now. That customer who wanted to add her personal WhatsApp in exchange for a ten-thousand-yuan purchase went to the store manager to complain because she refused!"
Chen Xiao was taken aback. "She won't get into trouble for that, will she?" he asked, concerned.
The cashier snorted with laughter. "What trouble could there be? We once had a customer who offered to spend 100,000 if she added his WhatsApp. She didn't add him, and nothing happened. It's been happening for so long, everyone's used to it!"
"Just to buy some clothes? Do they have to go that far?" Chen Xiao said, exasperated.
"You should just get going. She's busy from morning till night and has no time to entertain you. Besides, you should know her personality by now. Once she decides on something, she almost never goes back on her word!"
'Know her personality, my ass!' The misunderstandings had been piling up one after another since last night, leaving Chen Xiao completely bewildered. Back when he was actually a poor slob, people on the street would mistake him for a rich man!
Now that he actually was a rich man, he was being treated like a poor slob pretending to be one.
"Ding~! Target individual Zhao Xiangjun has voluntarily spent 2,000 yuan on the Host. Rewarding the Host with 192,000 yuan for the Zhao Xiangjun-specific Diligence Fund! Current fund balance: 220,800 yuan!"
'Well, I guess I'm just saving up money for her at this point!' Chen Xiao thought as he walked out of the Yi Rui clothing store, the system's reward notification having just arrived.
That evening at the apartment, Chen Xiao resolved to wait for her to come home and explain everything clearly. This misunderstanding had gotten out of hand. As he was mulling this over while leaning over the sink to wash his hair, his phone accidentally fell into the water. And then it wouldn't turn on...
'This is just fucking magical,' Chen Xiao thought, thoroughly dejected.
And the crucial part was, right at that moment, he heard footsteps and the sound of the door opening across the hall. He peeked through the peephole—Zhao Xiangjun was back!