"Escort?"
Forgive my ignorance, but I've never heard of such a thing before...
Zhou Wang pondered for a moment, then casually tapped the search bar on his short video app. The definition that popped up made everything clear in an instant.
So it's just a more comprehensive version of "playmate"!
According to the summary, these escorts offered companionship for all kinds of leisure activities—eating, drinking, and entertainment—and could even provide customized service packages tailored to individual clients' needs.
Hmm, plenty of room for imagination.
Zhou Wang glanced at a few comments. The industry seemed to have a rather poor reputation.
While Zhou Wang was silently absorbed in his phone, Ranran asked hesitantly, "Brother, why aren't you talking to me?"
Ranran assumed Zhou Wang didn't find her appealing and wanted to switch to someone else. Though such rejections were rare for her, she understood that tastes varied. Someone was bound to find her style unappealing.
She felt a pang of disappointment. The man before her was undeniably handsome and quite to her liking—clients with such striking looks were rare.
Ranran wasn't too disappointed. As a veritable luxury-brand human scanner, she could instantly tell that this young man wasn't well-off.
Apart from his brand-new iPhone 15 Pro Max, his entire outfit consisted of cheap, street-market clothes. This meant that taking this job wouldn't earn her any extra tips.
Hmm, he might even try to haggle...
Zhou Wang looked up, about to explain that she had approached the wrong person, when he noticed the small Prada shoulder bag she had placed on the table.
He remembered that Prada was a luxury brand, and her outfit was quite stylish—at least, he found it aesthetically pleasing. Her fashion sense was definitely better than his own.
Zhou Wang quickly changed his mind.
"Sorry, I was just thinking... Ranran, right? How do you charge?"
"Oh, didn't Brother Xiao Mao tell you?" Ranran asked, surprised. "It's a thousand yuan per day, from now until nine tonight. Or you can pay by the hour, but there's a three-hour minimum at 150 yuan per hour."
Zhou Wang calculated the cost. It was indeed much more expensive than hiring a game companion, but it suited his current situation perfectly.
Paying four or five hundred yuan for professional advice that could potentially raise his evaluation score even slightly would be a huge win.
"Can I ask you to do anything?" Zhou Wang inquired.
"Uh... Brother, we offer strictly wholesome services. We must maintain mutual respect throughout the process—no lewdness allowed," Ranran replied quickly, clearly taken aback by the directness of his question. She then winked playfully at him, adding, "But perhaps if we meet more often and get to know each other better, if we really click, we could unlock... other possibilities!"
Zhou Wang knew she had misunderstood his intentions, but he didn't bother correcting her. Ranran's subtle manipulations barely registered.
Click? More like throwing money at her...
Though he hadn't actively pursued women much in the past, during his peak, he had been surrounded by attractive women of all types. He'd seen it all.
He simply lacked practical experience.
"Here's the thing," Zhou Wang said. "I need to buy some new clothes and would like someone to help me choose. Are you available? I'll pay by the hour."
"Buying clothes? Of course! That's easy!" Ranran nodded with a smile.
"We're a bit pressed for time, so let's get going."
With Ranran as his advisor, Zhou Wang lost his desire for coffee. He stood up and gestured for her to follow him to the elevator.
Most of Henglong's clothing brands were concentrated on the first and second floors, with the largest selection on the ground floor. Zhou Wang decided to start his shopping there.
"Where should we go? How about Nanping Street? It's not far from here, and there are plenty of clothing stores there," Ranran suggested thoughtfully as they stepped out of the elevator.
She hadn't asked about Zhou Wang's budget, but Nanping Street offered a mix of brands like Uniqlo, Jack & Jones, Semir, and Metersbonwe. Ranran figured that would surely meet the needs of a young man his age—at least his budget-conscious needs.
Zhou Wang was about to reply when Ranran's phone suddenly rang. She gave him an apologetic glance and moved aside to answer it.
"Hello, Brother Xiao Mao!"
"Ah, the client canceled the order at the last minute? What happened...? Oh, I see. Okay, I'll be right there!"
Ranran hung up the phone in surprise, suddenly realizing that Zhou Wang wasn't the client who had placed the original order.
Another customer had just placed an order, specifically requesting her after seeing her photo. Brother Xiao Mao, who had dealt with this client before, assured her that he was quite influential and that if she used her charm, she was guaranteed a generous tip.
This sounded far more promising than escorting a young man on a shopping trip. Though she was drawn to Zhou Wang's good looks and found the accidental nature of their encounter amusing, Ranran reluctantly chose to prioritize reality after a brief moment of hesitation.
She returned to Zhou Wang's side, but before she could speak, he pointed to a row of shops ahead and asked, "Any suggestions? Which store should we go to first?"
"Huh?"
Ranran was bewildered. Zhou Wang was pointing at the flagship brands on the ground floor of Henglong Plaza, their logos a sea of English: Balenciaga, Dior, BV, Celine, GUCCI, LV...
"You... you're actually planning to buy clothes from these stores?"
"Why else would I be at Henglong Plaza?" Zhou Wang replied, looking genuinely confused.
"...Avoiding the summer heat?" Ranran asked cautiously.
"So, do you have any suggestions or not?" Zhou Wang vaguely understood Ranran's surprise, but he was too pressed for time to delve into it, so he impatiently pressed her for an answer. He was truly in a hurry.
"Um, yes, I do... How about Balenciaga first? Their style is relatively youthful and might suit you better," Ranran stammered again, but finally offered a suggestion.
"Lead the way," Zhou Wang said, tilting his head to indicate that Ranran should go first.
Biting her lip, Ranran hesitated briefly before guiding Zhou Wang toward the Balenciaga boutique.
Her curiosity had been piqued. She wanted to see if Zhou Wang was playing dumb or was simply a clueless newbie with no grasp of luxury brand prices.
As they entered the Balenciaga boutique, a professionally dressed saleswoman immediately greeted them with a polite smile. "Good afternoon, and welcome to Balenciaga at Henglong Plaza in Mingcheng. May I introduce our collections?"
"We'd like to browse on our own first," Ranran interjected quickly before Zhou Wang could speak, waving her hand dismissively.
"Why do you seem so nervous?" Zhou Wang glanced at Ranran with amusement.
Ranran forced a smile, of course she was nervous. Though she was well-versed in luxury goods, she had barely any experience shopping in physical stores.
Now, unsure if Zhou Wang genuinely intended to buy anything, she was already starting to feel awkward.
It was a common feeling—the irrational fear that browsing without buying in such a place would be somehow embarrassing.
Zhou Wang, however, didn't share her concerns. In the past, he would never have dared set foot in such a place. Now, armed with financial confidence, he felt perfectly at ease.
To his surprise, Zhou Wang found his first visit to a luxury boutique unremarkable. The staff were surprisingly polite and professional, avoiding any cliché of snobbery. After Ranran spoke to them, they simply trailed at a respectful distance, maintaining courteous smiles, only interrupting to offer two bottles of Evian water.
In today's fiercely competitive luxury market, service standards have risen dramatically. Most luxury sales associates hold bachelor's degrees and undergo rigorous training, their professionalism far exceeding expectations. Ironically, it's often sales staff at ordinary brands who deliver disappointing shopping experiences.
Of course, you definitely don't want to encounter a salesperson who's been wasting time with indecisive customers all day. If they're under pressure to meet their sales targets, anything could happen.
"What do you think of this T-shirt?" Ranran asked, pointing to a garment as they browsed the men's section.
She had quickly resolved her inner turmoil. Instead of agonizing inwardly, she decided to test Zhou Wang's true intentions immediately. If he wasn't serious about buying, she'd drag him out of there promptly.
To test the waters, she deliberately picked a relatively inexpensive T-shirt for Zhou Wang to try on.
Zhou Wang glanced at it. The T-shirt Ranran was pointing to was an off-white, vintage-style piece with a minimalist design—no obnoxious logo—that looked quite decent.
"You decide," Zhou Wang said. "Better yet, just pick out a whole outfit for me to try on."
He waved over a sales assistant and asked her to bring him the T-shirt in his size to try on.
Ah, a whole outfit?
Ranran froze for a moment, resisting the urge to ask Zhou Wang, "Did you even see the price tag on that T-shirt?"
Zhou Wang seemed to anticipate her question. "Of course I saw it. It's just 6,300 yuan..."
While the price was undeniably outrageous, truth be told, it was far lower than Zhou Wang had initially expected.
.....
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