Xu Ze took the phone the saleswoman had carefully presented—the 8800 Supreme Edition—and examined its crystal-clear screen. He couldn’t help but smirk. He was familiar with this model; a classmate had once flaunted it. Rumor had it that its functionality and build quality were mediocre, but the sapphire glass display made it a perfect toy for people who loved showing off.
He took the phone, winked at Sun Linfei, and subtly glanced behind him before sighing softly. “Sapphire glass… so elegant. Holding this just screams class.”
Sun Linfei, seeing Xu Ze’s mischievous expression, immediately knew he was up to no good. She glanced at the show-off nearby—a man in his thirties with a thick gold chain around his neck, accompanied by a heavily made-up girl barely older than herself. The girl was eyeing Sun Linfei with undisguised jealousy.
Ah, so that’s his game. Suppressing a laugh, Sun Linfei played along, putting on a serious face. “Wow, it really is gorgeous! Should we get this one?” She then subtly shot the other girl a glance.
“This one…” Xu Ze feigned excitement but hesitated, turning to the saleswoman. “Miss, is this the only one of this limited edition in stock?”
“That’s right! Just this one, so if you want it, you’d better act fast!” The saleswoman, noticing Xu Ze’s apparent familiarity with the model (and thus its price), grew hopeful. Selling this phone would net her a commission of over a thousand yuan.
“Hmm…” Xu Ze examined the phone, pretending to deliberate.
Sun Linfei, noticing the other girl’s growing interest, nudged him. “A-Ze, there’s only one left. What’s there to think about?”
“Well… I’m just wondering if I brought enough cash…” Xu Ze frowned, his lie delivered flawlessly.
Hearing this, the made-up girl’s eyes lit up. She tugged at her companion’s arm and whined, “Wu-gege, didn’t you promise to buy me a nice phone? I want this one! This exact one!”
The man, Wu-gege, hesitated. He had assumed the phone cost six or seven thousand yuan—a stretch, but manageable. Still, he tried to deflect. “Sweetheart, they’re looking at it first. Let’s pick something else, okay?”
“Wu-gege!” The girl pouted, shaking his arm. “They can’t even afford it! Buy it for me, please? It’s so pretty! We’re not broke, are we?” She shot Sun Linfei a haughty glance.
Wu-gege, noticing Sun Linfei watching them with an envious expression, suddenly straightened his back. Fine. Six or seven thousand it is. Can’t lose face in front of a beauty like her.
With newfound confidence, he cleared his throat and called out to Xu Ze. “Hey, kid. If you can’t afford it, step aside. Let a real man handle this.”
“Ah…” Xu Ze put on a reluctant face, though his eyes sparkled with amusement as he exchanged a glance with Sun Linfei. With a theatrical sigh, he handed the phone over.
The saleswoman, catching the mischievous glint in Xu Ze’s eyes, suddenly understood what was happening. A knowing smile flickered across her lips before she turned to Wu-gege. “Sir, this is the most prestigious model in our store. You have excellent taste!”
Between the saleswoman’s flattery and his companion’s pleading, Wu-gege puffed out his chest. “Alright, if it’s top quality, we’ll take it!” He shot Sun Linfei a smug look that practically screamed, See how generous I am? This is how a real man treats his woman.
As the saleswoman happily rang up the purchase, Wu-gege grandly handed his card to the girl. “Password’s 654321. Go ahead and swipe it.”
The girl gleefully took the card and skipped off to pay, leaving Wu-gege to preen in front of Xu Ze. “You gotta spoil women these days. Let ‘em swipe your card, buy whatever they want—that’s what makes a real man.”
He then turned to Sun Linfei with a condescending smirk. “Sweetheart, you should choose your men more carefully.”
With exaggerated chivalry, he offered her a business card. “If you ever need help, just call me. Wu-gege’s got your back.”
Sun Linfei ignored him, instead turning to Xu Ze with a playful glare. “Darling, did you hear that? His girl gets to swipe his card freely. If you don’t step up, I might just reconsider my options!”
“Uh… fine, here.” Xu Ze played along, pulling out a card and handing it to her. He then nodded at the saleswoman. “Miss, could you ring up this N97 for me? My girlfriend can pay for both together.”
“Right away, sir!” The saleswoman beamed, her attitude warmer than ever. Xu Ze had just earned her a fat commission—first by tricking Wu-gege into buying the overpriced 8800, then by effortlessly purchasing a nearly 5,000-yuan N97.
Meanwhile, Wu-gege stood frozen, his outstretched business card ignored. Flushing with embarrassment, he awkwardly retracted it, inwardly cursing. Little tease! She was eyeing me earlier—what’s with the act now?
As the saleswoman handed Xu Ze the receipt, he passed it to Sun Linfei with a grin. “Be a dear and handle the payment for me?”
Sun Linfei’s eyes gleamed as she took the card. “Oh, so you’re just using me as an errand girl? You’re such a jerk.”
“Hah! Feel free to buy something for yourself too. It’s not my money anyway,” Xu Ze whispered back.
“Wait—really?” Sun Linfei’s voice dropped to a hushed excitement. “The old man gave you this card… and he doesn’t expect it back?”
“Why would he? He gave me a car and an apartment. You think he’d ask for a credit card back?” Xu Ze blinked innocently.
“He gave you an apartment too?” Sun Linfei gaped. “Where? Please don’t tell me it’s in Qingyuan Complex—that’s the nicest neighborhood near campus!”
“Yep. Right across from yours. My balcony faces your window,” Xu Ze said casually.
Sun Linfei fell silent, but a strange light flickered in her eyes. “…He arranged all this for you?”
“Yup. The apartment, the car, the card—all from him, all today.”
A delighted smile spread across Sun Linfei’s face. “Well then! Since you’ve got a new home and a new car, we’ve got plenty of shopping to do today. With the old man’s card… hmm, you might even have enough left for another Maserati.”
“Wait—this card has that much on it?” Xu Ze’s eyes widened slightly before he shrugged. Eh, whatever.
Just then, the made-up girl returned, waving the receipt triumphantly. She planted a kiss on Wu-gege’s cheek. “Wu-gege, you’re the best! You didn’t even blink at spending over ten thousand on me!”
Wu-gege’s proud grin faltered. “Ten… thousand?” Snatching the receipt, his face paled at the number: 14,800 yuan.
“Th-this must be a mistake!” he sputtered, rounding on the saleswoman. “How is this *14,800*?!”
“Sir, the 8800 Supreme Edition has a sapphire crystal display. That’s the correct price. Didn’t you check earlier?”
Wu-gege’s mouth opened and closed like a fish. Under the stares of everyone around him—including his now-confused companion—he forced a laugh. “Hah! J-just kidding, of course I knew! Who doesn’t check prices?”
Grabbing the phone box, he hurriedly dragged the girl away, his pained expression belying his “money is no object” act. As they passed Sun Linfei, he even lifted his chin and waved the box at her, as if proving his generosity. Sun Linfei barely held back her laughter.
Once he was out of earshot, she finally burst out giggling, shoving Xu Ze playfully. “Xu Ze, you’re evil!”
“Hey, that phone is a status symbol,” Xu Ze chuckled, transferring his SIM card to his new N97. *”Just… a *14,800-yuan* status symbol.”*
The saleswoman, now fully grasping Xu Ze’s scheme, grinned gratefully. “Thank you both! That phone’s been sitting here forever.”
“No problem,” Xu Ze said cheerfully. “You’re in the business of selling phones, right?”
Laughing, he and Sun Linfei headed upstairs for more shopping—with a certain platinum card now burning a hole in Sun Linfei’s pocket.
