How am I Being a Gigolo When I'm Doing Door-to-door Sales?

74: Laughing for the first time everEvery second felt like a year.

”Ding—”

Finally, the elevator reached the second basement level of the parking garage.

The moment the chime sounded, Lin Chao felt as if he had been saved.

The elevator doors slid open slowly, and the cool, spacious air of the parking garage rushed in, instantly dissipating the suffocating atmosphere inside the cabin.

”I’m leaving first.” Shen Zhixia took the lead and stepped out, her cool voice echoing faintly in the empty parking lot.

She didn’t even cast a glance back at Lin Chao, walking straight toward her car.

Her high heels clicked against the smooth epoxy floor—clack, clack, clack—as she walked further away.

Lin Chao stood where he was, watching her back until her slender figure opened the car door and sat inside.

Only then did he let out a long, long sigh of relief.

Good lord, the pressure was just too much.

He hurried over to his flying fox SUV, yanked the door open, and practically threw himself into the driver’s seat.

”Vroom...”

Not far away, the engine of the white porsche let out a low roar, and its headlights flickered on, cutting through the dimness of the parking garage.

Leaning against his seat, Lin Chao remained motionless, watching as the car made an elegant turn, merged into the flow of traffic at the exit, and finally vanished from sight.

It wasn’t until the white blur was no longer visible that he completely relaxed, slumping into his seat.

”Sigh!” He raised his hand and rubbed his face vigorously. ”Living in the same building as my direct boss is such a pain!”

Lin Chao started the car and slowly drove out of the parking lot.

Night had fallen, and the city lights were beginning to glow.

As a top-tier luxury residential area in the city, the surrounding amenities of Qinglan Garden were naturally world-class.

French restaurants, Kaiseki cuisine, high-end clubs... everything was brightly lit, with greeters at the doors more beautiful than the last.

Lin Chao drove around the vicinity, looking at the glittering signs and sighing silently.

He felt awkward about going into places like these to eat by himself.

It felt a bit silly.

He turned the steering wheel and decided to drive further away, heading toward the most bustling commercial district in the city center.

Ten minutes later, the Volkswagen stopped at the entrance of a snack street filled with the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Lin Chao found a noodle shop that looked reasonably clean and ducked inside.

”Boss, a large bowl of braised beef noodles! Extra meat!”

As the steaming noodles hit his stomach, the warmth rising from within finally dispelled all his previous tension and awkwardness.

He slurped his noodles while browsing on his phone.

This won’t do, he secretly resolved.

From now on, he had to stock up on frozen dumplings, self-heating hot pots, and other such rations at home.

Otherwise, it would be too much trouble to go out for every meal.

Especially since he kept running into that female devil Shen Zhixia in the elevator—it was pure mental torture.

The bowl was soon empty, and he even finished every drop of the soup.

Lin Chao let out a satisfied burp and leaned back in his chair.

He looked down at the clothes he was wearing.

A plain grey hoodie, a pair of slightly faded jeans, and some casual shoes on his feet.

He had bought these back when he first graduated.

Wearing this to the office today, interacting with wealthy people like Xie Mengya and Lan Yanran, and then running into the perpetually elegant and proper Shen Zhixia... Lin Chao’s brow furrowed involuntarily.

Although he had bought one decent outfit, he couldn’t just keep wearing the same one over and over, could he?

Now that his performance was improving, his personal image had to keep up as well.

Thinking this, he stood up and scanned the code with his phone to pay.

Full and satisfied, he figured he might as well head to the mall across the street to buy a few decent pieces of clothing.

Across from the snack street was the Wanlong Mall.

It was brightly lit, its massive glass curtain walls reflecting the city’s neon lights in a kaleidoscopic display.

Lin Chao savored the last lingering taste of the noodle soup and walked out of the shop.

The evening breeze carried a hint of chill, blowing against his face which was still slightly flushed from the hot soup; it felt wonderful.

He took a deep breath, crossed the pedestrian walkway, and walked straight through the mall’s main entrance.

The air conditioning hit him instantly, cutting off the noise and the atmosphere of the streets outside.

The first floor was the domain of international luxury brands, with shop windows displaying the latest bags and apparel, each piece shimmering with the luster of wealth.

Lin Chao walked past these stores without a second glance and headed straight for the escalator.

Even though he had over a million in savings sitting in his card, spending tens or even hundreds of thousands on a single outfit?

He was truly reluctant to do that.

His goal was clear: something to look the part but not go overboard. Around ten thousand would be enough.

He wandered through the mall at a leisurely pace, like a real customer, examining the styles of different brands.

Eventually, he stopped in front of an accessible luxury menswear store.

A mannequin in the window was wearing a dark grey casual suit.

It had a sharp cut and a slim fit, looking both professionally appropriate and youthfully energetic.

This was the one.

Lin Chao entered the store and, under the enthusiastic greeting of the sales assistant, tried on the suit.

The person in the mirror made even him do a double-take.

Fine feathers make fine birds—the saying was certainly true.

In a hoodie and jeans, he still looked somewhat green, like a fresh graduate.

But after changing into this suit, he instantly appeared much more upright, and his aura became significantly more composed.

”Sir, you look so handsome in this!” The sales assistant’s praise was perfectly timed and sounded genuinely sincere.

”I’ll take this one.”

Lin Chao was very satisfied and made the decision on the spot.

He also picked out two versatile solid-colored shirts and a dark blue patterned tie.

The total was 11,800.

It was within his budget.

Carrying the shopping bag printed with the brand’s logo out of the store, Lin Chao’s mood was better than ever.

It was a sense of satisfaction that came from tangibly improving himself through consumption.

However, this good mood lasted for less than ten seconds.

Just as he turned a corner and prepared to take the down escalator, two people approached him.

Almost subconsciously, he looked up.

In the next second, Lin Chao froze in his tracks.

Shen Zhixia!

His head buzzed, and he started cursing in his mind.

Holy shit!

Did I stumble into a nest of Shen Zhixias? How do I keep running into her everywhere!

However, his gaze quickly shifted from Shen Zhixia’s face to the person beside her.

It was a man, appearing to be in his early thirties, wearing a well-tailored beige shirt.

He had handsome features and a gentle, jade-like temperament.

The two were walking very close, almost shoulder to shoulder.

A gentle smile played on the man’s face as he leaned down to say something to her.

And Shen Zhixia was actually smiling—for the first time ever.

It wasn’t the polite yet distant smile she wore at the company, nor the cold and indifferent expression she had in the elevator.