Near the coffee shop, there was indeed a watch store. Jake, carrying the shopping bag, headed over there and waited for Xenia to return.
"Wow, these watches are really expensive here!" Jake glanced casually at the watches in the store and realized even the cheapest ones were worth tens of thousands, with some being hundreds of thousands, or even more. People were wearing watches made of money and gold.
"Jake?" Just as Jake was marveling at the exorbitant prices of the watches, someone suddenly called his name, and the voice sounded somewhat familiar. Jake instinctively looked towards the source of the voice and saw a familiar figure.
Winni was Jake's classmate from college. However, when Jake saw this classmate, he didn't feel any joy. Instead, he furrowed his brow slightly.
"Is that really you?" Winni came up to Jake and said, "I thought you looked familiar but thought it couldn't be you. How could you possibly be in a high-end luxury store like this? Turns out it really is you."
"Hello," Jake said casually, devoid of joy or disdain, as if he were greeting a stranger.
"Do you even know where this is? Have you heard of Guli Watches? It's a world-renowned brand," Winni said with a proud expression. "I must have been mistaken; someone like you couldn't possibly know about these things. Let me tell you, the things here are beyond your affordability. Even the cheapest watch here costs more than your annual salary. You can only admire them from afar."
"Are you an employee here?" Jake asked, glancing at Winni's uniform.
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Winni's face, but she quickly resumed her proud demeanor. "So what if I am? At least I earn more than you."
"Since you're an employee here, is this how your store treats customers?" Jake inquired.
"Customers? It depends on who the person is. Genuine customers are warmly welcomed, but someone like you who clearly can't afford anything isn't considered a customer. There's no need for me to waste my expressions on you," Winni stated.
Winni was Jake's classmate, aware of Jake's family situation. Since they had only graduated a year ago, there hadn't been any significant changes for Jake within this time frame. He was still the same financially struggling student he was in college. Additionally, some past events at university had strained their relationship, leading Winni to naturally harbor no goodwill toward Jake.
Could Jake afford watches from this store? Yes, he could afford them, but even though he had money, he currently only had debt and no cash to make a purchase.
"Am I considered a customer in your eyes?" Xenia's graceful figure approached, a mysterious smile on her face.
Winni looked at Xenia, who was clad in designer clothing from head to toe. Working at the store for a while, Winni could tell that Xenia was a potential customer.
"Sure, you are," Winni's face lit up with a smile. "Please let me know what kind of watch you're looking for. I can help you find something that perfectly suits your style and status."
After saying that, she looked at Jake, her expression turning stern. "Why are you still standing here? Hurry up and leave. Don't disturb the customers looking at the merchandise." Winni displayed completely different attitudes towards Jake and Xenia.
"What's this? Your store is driving customers away now? Don't want to do business?" Xenia questioned.
Facing Xenia, Winni didn't dare to be neglectful. She quickly explained, "Miss, you've misunderstood. I know this person; he can't afford anything here. He's just here to look around, not really a customer."
"You're saying my boyfriend can't afford anything here?" Xenia said with a half-smile.
"Boyfriend...?" Winni was taken aback. Jake was a poor guy, and this beauty was clearly well-off. How could these two be a couple? Was this a joke?
When did Jake manage to find such a beautiful and elegant girlfriend? Not only was Winni stunned, Jake himself was baffled. Since when had he become Xenia's boyfriend?
Jake was about to say something, but Xenia had already taken a couple of steps closer and reached out to link her arm with Jake's, looking at him with admiration. "Darling, the salespeople here actually look down on you. Their service attitude is terrible. Let's go to another store and see."Jake stared at her in bewilderment.
"Sir, miss, I apologize," at that moment, another person rushed over from the side. She was slightly older than Winni. She turned to Jake and Xenia, saying, "I am the manager here. I apologize for my staff's behavior just now. I hope you can forgive us."
After speaking, she shot Winni a stern look and said, "Is this your first day on the job? How could you talk to customers like that? Do you still want to work here? Apologize to the customers quickly."
Winni looked aggrieved. Jake was clearly a poor guy, so how could he be considered a customer? Could he afford anything here? Yet, in front of the manager, she didn't dare to argue. "I'm sorry."
"Where's your sincerity? Darling, let's go to another store. I remember there's a watch shop not far from here," Xenia playfully said to Jake.
"Do you want me to teach you how to do your job? If these two customers leave, you might as well leave too," the manager glared at Winni.
"I'm sorry," Winni apologized again, her tone louder this time. She looked at Jake and Xenia with a mix of trepidation and pleading. "I shouldn't have said those things earlier, Jake. For the sake of our past as classmates, please forgive me."
It's worth noting that Jake and Winni didn't attend a prestigious university, and finding a job wasn't easy. Looking at Jake's experiences over the past year clearly showed that.
Winni's current job was relatively easy, and the salary and commissions were good. She valued her current job a lot. So, even though she still felt aggrieved, she didn't dare to show it, hoping for Jake's understanding.
Xenia seemed to sense Winni's dissatisfaction and was about to say something, but Jake had already spoken up. "It's alright, it's not a big deal."
Though Winni's words had been a bit excessive, getting fired over a couple of remarks seemed excessive as well. Xenia discreetly pinched Jake, clearly blaming him for being too accommodating. If someone else had spoken to Xenia like that, this person would've definitely gotten them fired. However, since Jake had already spoken, Xenia decided not to say anything further, saving Jake's face.
"If you need anything, feel free to tell me. I'll personally recommend something to satisfy you both," the manager said.