He carried the two laptops upstairs. They were very light—only 998 grams each!
Back in his apartment, he put the items down and went to knock on Zhao Xiangjun's door.
She opened the door, saw it was Chen Xiao, and said, "Come on in. Have a seat, dinner will be ready in a minute!"
Wow, it smelled amazing! She had stewed beef brisket with potatoes, steamed some white shrimp, and also prepared a vegetable dish and a soup.
"Xiangjun, I'll have to show you my skills sometime!"
"You know how to cook?"
"Who are you looking down on? Back in high school, I rented a place off-campus and cooked all my own meals. I was practically famous for it—tons of classmates used to come over to freeload!"
Zhao Xiangjun asked, "Were they really that desperate to save a few bucks on a meal?"
'The hell? What's that supposed to mean?' Chen Xiao was instantly fired up. 'That does it. I'm not letting this go until I show you my skills!'
Seeing him all fired up, Zhao Xiangjun asked what dish he was planning to make.
"How about shredded potatoes with green peppers? It's my specialty!"
"Fine, you're on. I'll take a break."
"A break? What break? I'm only responsible for the actual cooking. You don't expect me to do the peeling and shredding too, do you?"
Zhao Xiangjun stared at him in shock. 'This is how you cook?'
She gave up. It's not like she was expecting much from him anyway. She just sat down on a small stool and started peeling.
Such a stunning beauty, sitting there looking like a total pushover.
He really did only handle the stir-frying; Zhao Xiangjun even had to add the oil and salt for him.
She was too speechless to even complain. When he finally declared his masterpiece complete, he presented it to her like a trophy, asking her to taste it and give it a score.
"Mhm, it's great. Don't ever make it again."
'What's that supposed to mean?' Chen Xiao was not pleased.
"Why are you stripping me of my right to cook? Are you jealous of my culinary talent? Trying to suppress me? What if my skills get rusty?"
"Dude, is it even possible for your skills to get any worse? Besides, you making one dish is more exhausting for me than it is for you!"
'Forget it. Let's just eat.' She was too exhausted to complain. 'This guy is so lazy, he probably needs someone else to wipe his ass for him.'
Zhao Xiangjun really was an excellent cook. He ate with great gusto; not once since leaving home for school and then work had he enjoyed dinner so much.
"Here, eat some more."
"This view is a feast for the eyes. I'm already full just from looking at you."
"Speak like a normal person!"
"I speak to people like a person and to ghosts like a ghost. So, what does that say about who I'm talking to?"
"Bullshit. Are you done eating? As soon as you are, get out of here. You're so annoying!" Zhao Xiangjun said, pouting.
"You talk so much. Can't food even shut you up?" she grumbled again.
'Bantering with her is a lot of fun,' he thought. It felt warm and happy, and his heart filled with tenderness.
"Why aren't you eating the shrimp?"
"It's a bit of a hassle," he said.
"You're hopeless!" Despite her words, she began to peel the shrimp one by one, placing them in his dipping bowl.
"Xiangjun, I got my bonus today. Let me pay you back!"
"Oh, so you struck it rich, Your Majesty! No wonder you personally graced the kitchen today."
She tapped "Accept" on WhatsApp. It was the 2,000 yuan she'd fronted him, so she didn't hesitate.
After they finished eating, Zhao Xiangjun brought over some fruit and saw Chen Xiao just sitting there.
"Aren't you going to have some fruit? What are you doing?"
He pointed at a banana. "It has a peel. How am I supposed to eat it?"
She rolled her eyes in exasperation, picked one up, and peeled it for him in a few swift motions. "How have you not died from laziness yet? How did you even manage to grow up?"
'Heh heh. It's because you spoil me.' Of course, he didn't dare say that out loud. This special treatment would end the moment he did.
"Xiangjun, I noticed your phone is pretty old. Want to get a new one?"
"Why should I? It works just fine."
"Last time I was at your store, I noticed all your coworkers have the latest iPhone."
"What's that got to do with me? Mine isn't broken."
"..." She was a master of killing the conversation.
"Hold on a second, I'm going to get something."
Chen Xiao went back to his room and returned with the pink MateBook X Pro.
He handed it to Zhao Xiangjun, who looked at him with a puzzled expression. "What's this for?"
"I got my bonus today, so this is a gift for you. You helped me out with clothes, so I'm helping you out with a laptop!"
"Have you lost your mind? Why would you buy something so expensive? I'm just a sales associate; I don't deserve this! You use it!"
"You deserve the best. Besides, I already have one for myself. A grown man like me definitely isn't going to use a pink laptop!"
"Then you should return it. A clothing salesperson using such an expensive laptop is ridiculous!"
"Zhao Xiangjun, I just got my bonus, and this is the first gift I've ever given you, and you're rejecting it? You're completely embarrassing me. If you're going to be like that, you can just spit out those potatoes I cooked for you..."
"Are you trying to be disgusting?" He made her laugh.
"Chen Xiao, I know you made money on this deal, but you have to learn to save it. You'll have a lot of things you need money for in the future! A house, a car—those are all major expenses."
"Mhm, I know. Are you planning to buy a house?"
Zhao Xiangjun said, "I can't afford it. I earn such a pitiful salary each month, but my expenses are anything but pitiful. I give 5,000 to my family, my brother's kids visit often and I give them a little something, and I also have to buy nutritional supplements and medicine for my grandma. The little bit that's left over is peanuts. What can I possibly do with that?"
"My deal was for 15 million, and the commission was 750,000. How about I help you out?"
"Just save it. You should take care of your own business first."
She was happy for him when she heard he'd closed a 15-million-yuan deal, but in Jiangzhou, a 100-square-meter apartment cost at least 3 million. In that context, 750,000 yuan really wasn't much.
"Hey, let me tell you. I'm a multi-millionaire. I'm not pretending anymore, it's time to lay my cards on the table!"
"Are you sleepy? You're already talking in your sleep. Hurry up and go back to your own place and sleep."
She chased Chen Xiao out, but he stubbornly insisted on leaving the laptop behind.
He took a shower, and as he lay down on his bed, he saw a new WhatsApp message.
He opened it to find it was from Zhao Xiangjun. She had sent him a 5,000 yuan transfer.
"What's this for? Are you really trying to be my sugar mama?"
"Mhm, I am. I'm short on cash myself lately, so I'll give you a monthly allowance. If you think it's too little, just give me three months' notice before you quit!"
Chen Xiao knew this was her way of paying for the laptop. She was probably afraid he wouldn't accept it otherwise, and since she likely didn't have much money on her, she couldn't pay the full amount at once.
"Only an idiot would quit. Being kept by my dear Xiangjun is a once-in-a-lifetime honor!"
"Disgusting. Go to sleep!"
Chen Xiao accepted the transfer. On one hand, he knew Zhao Xiangjun really might not keep the laptop if he refused. On the other, he could always find other ways to pay her back later. Besides, this 5,000 yuan...
"DING! Dinner provided to the Host by Zhao Xiangjun. Cost: 50 yuan. Activating the Affinity Blessing Fund. Rebate: 9,600 yuan!"
"DING! Detected that Zhao Xiangjun has voluntarily paid the Host 5,000 yuan. Awarding 960,000 yuan to Zhao Xiangjun's dedicated Affinity Blessing Fund. Post-award fund balance: 1,180,000 yuan."
'Damn, Xiangjun, if only you knew. You're a natural at saving up money for yourself. Just what I'd expect from a top sales champion!'
His daily basic stipend level had risen to Level 2, and the rewards had increased dramatically!
By now, he had become a special figure at the company. His department manager didn't dare boss him around, people from other departments were unfailingly polite whenever they saw him, and even Feng Feifei was at his beck and call.
As a result, his office life was quite laid-back. He'd drink tea, listen to music, and do a little stroking and fondling.
Don't get the wrong idea—I'm talking about fondling the mouse, not Ma Jing's small hand that was frequently beside him, offering snacks!
That girl Ma Jing had been completely corrupted. She spent her days observing Chen Xiao's screen, even demanding that he not "play" by himself, but let her "play" with him.