The matter of my aunt seemed to have come to an end. Since then, Jake and my aunt had gradually grown closer. Jake's humorous and witty chats always made my aunt laugh.
During the break, Jake also received an employment email from his mother-in-law's company, a firm called Shigella.
All the procedures were exactly the same as if Jake had genuinely participated in the interview. After all, this kind of backdoor arrangement wasn't common at Shigella, especially when orchestrated by the company's president himself.
Jake would become an ordinary member of the cosmetics sales department, and the WeChat details of the sales manager would be sent via email.
In the rental house, Jake idly watched the news on Jerathi Channel. The anchor was the popular face of the local TV station—Nadella.
During his break, Jake had seen an interview featuring her. Whether in terms of appearance, figure, demeanor, or professional skill, she truly lived up to her reputation. Once a sensation across the city, she had single-handedly boosted the ratings of the otherwise dull news channel.
Mia had even joked that watching Nadella in the studio dressed impeccably, exuding elegance in every gesture made her heart flutter. She sometimes regretted choosing the civil service path, wishing she had pursued broadcasting instead. Occasionally, she even compared Nadella to her mother.
As a mature woman, Nadella carried herself with grace and poise on screen, effortlessly outshining her male co-anchor. The confidence in her delivery was unmatched perhaps only someone as remarkable as Mia's mother could surpass her.
Jake multitasked, half-watching the news while scrolling through his phone and chatting with Mia, teasing her about slacking off at work as he waited for the sales manager to accept his WhatsApp request.
Ding.
"Mandela has accepted your friend request."
"Hello, I'm Jake."
"Hello, Mandela."
After that, Jake sent a few more messages but received no reply until nearly the end of the workday.
Mandela finally responded, forwarding his contact to someone from HR with a note: For any queries, contact him. And that was it.
Jake sighed. Clearly, Supervisor Mandela was unaware of his connection to the president. But that was a relief. He'd rather not work under his colleagues' scrutinizing gazes.
The HR team acted swiftly. A fellow employee promptly briefed Jake on company protocols and dress code.
"One-inch photo, ID card, graduation certificate..."
"Formal suit, shirt, and tie required..."
Jake exhaled. "Small companies are better. At least they don't enforce suits—just decent attire. Guess I'll buy one tomorrow."
Fortunately, Mia had the day off, so they planned to go shopping together.
It was late July, and the temperature in Jerathi had soared to 39 degrees Celsius, turning the city into a furnace. Yet, Dawn Square remained packed.
Jake and Mia parked and took the elevator from the underground lot into the mall.
Shopping was undeniably in Mia's blood. Though Jake was the one who needed clothes, she was the one buzzing with excitement.
Soon, they entered a high-end boutique specializing in suits. Jake hesitated, but Mia insisted, ushering him inside where two salesgirls attended to him.
Mia picked out two understated yet polished suits, pairing them with white and gray shirts, then nudged Jake to try them on.
When he stepped out of the fitting room, the entire store seemed to brighten even the other sales staff paused mid-task.
Jake had striking features and a tall, athletic build. Back in school, he'd sported eight-pack abs. Though he no longer trained as rigorously, he still ran daily to stay in shape. His physique was impeccable.
The black suit hugged his frame flawlessly, the crisp white silk lining complementing his broad shoulders. His tailored pants accentuated his long legs, giving off a K-drama vibe that made Mia beam with pride.
"Oh my god, your boyfriend is so handsome!"
"This suit fits him perfectly, he looks like a model!"
"..."
Jake flushed under the salesgirls' effusive praise, especially the unspoken thoughts swirling in their minds.
[God, he's gorgeous. I wonder if he's just as good in bed.]
[Ugh, why can't my loser boyfriend look like this?]
[They're clearly loaded. Such a power couple.]
Jake couldn't take it anymore. Following Mia's cue, he retreated to the fitting room to change into the second outfit.
This one was a dark green suit, slightly more relaxed, and it coordinated perfectly with Mia's emerald-green maxi dress.
The salesgirls' chorus of admiration resumed.
Mia was thrilled with her styling. She looped her arm through Jake's and declared, "Let's go! No need to change. We're taking both sets!"
The delighted salesgirls carefully packed Jake's original clothes and the alternate suit.
Jake had to admit Mia had an eye for fashion. He pulled out his phone to scan the payment QR code.
8,999 dollars.
The amount on the screen made his eyes widen. Two suits and a shirt, this expensive?
When Jake changed his clothes, he didn't pay attention to the labels, thinking that a suit costing one or two thousand dollars was a lot.
Unexpectedly, it was nearly 10,000 dollars. Jake broke out in a cold sweat. It was not that he did not have 10,000 dollars, but he felt that it was not cost-effective for him to spend the money on two suits, as he was not from a wealthy family.
What's more, most of his funds were deposited in fixed deposits, and the total amount of money in Mobile Bank and Online Wallet did not exceed 5,000.
Mia saw Jake standing still and seemed to realize the embarrassment. She quickly took out a card and gently handed it to Jake, "Jake, your card, please swipe it."
Jake was still thinking about quitting, but his girlfriend's thoughtful move made him feel a little embarrassed.
Mia had always been a girl with a strong opinion of her own. Jake didn't want to spoil her fun, so he took the bank card and used it to pay the bill. Jake knew the password, but he seldom spent his girlfriend's money.
After leaving the suit shop, Jake immediately told Mia: "I will return it to you later."
Mia chuckled: "What is the relationship between us? Is it necessary to make such a clear distinction?"
Jake said with difficulty: "But this is too expensive, I..."
"Just consider it a gift from me to you. As for returning it, just use my betrothal gift in the future!" Mia looked at Jake slyly.
"Sure!" Jake held his pocket with his right hand and held Mia's small hand tightly with his left hand, feeling mixed emotions.
When they first left the store, even though the saleswomen said welcome back and thank you for your patronage, their "inner voices" revealed that they had different thoughts.
More than one saleswoman said in her mind: "Tsk, I thought he was some rich second-generation guy, but it turns out he's just a gigolo, haha, but he's really handsome, but it's a pity that I don't have the money to support him."
The invisible doubts made Jake feel uneasy, and the "seed of ambition" that had already sprouted in his heart suddenly grew several times.
Jake held Mia's hand and squeezed it subconsciously, but Mia didn't care, thinking that Jake was reluctant to separate from her, so they left with their own thoughts.
On the way back, Jake wanted to make an appointment for a candlelight dinner for the two of them tomorrow, but was rejected by Mia because she had made an appointment with her best friends to go hiking together.
Jake's face was full of black lines.
Jake vaguely remembered that when he was in love with Mia, her group of rich female best friends who had grown up with her were all more aggressive than each other. Although they were all pretty, they were also more extravagant in their play. Jake was afraid that they would lead his girlfriend astray.
"Girlfriends? How can there be such women in the world?" Jake secretly complained.