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Shen Qingqiu had been working for the last two years at a fairly renowned jewelry store. He entered the business out of desperation, after losing his teaching job to the machinations of an affronted former student. He needed the money to pay his rent and ended up accepting the first job offer that came to his hands; even if he had absolutely no experience with jewelry, let alone customer service.
Fortunately, soon it was clear that he could use his brains and observation skills to sell even the most expensive pieces of jewelry. He knew what to say to convince an indecisive customer and how to act to transform a one-time customer into a recurrent one. He was so good at what he did, that he soon became the top vendor whose commissions eased most of his economic burdens. He had high hopes for his new profession, but to reach higher heights he would have to find the right customers.
That was why, on a certain Sunday morning, when the wide sliding doors of the store opened to give way to a young couple, Shen Qingqiu knew he hit the jackpot.
As usual, he focused his attention on the man. He had beautiful pale skin, red lips and a stern look that would drive away anyone daring to get too close to him. His posture was perfect and imposing and despite wearing casual clothes, he exuded old money elegance.
The woman was several years younger than him (which was creepy because the man was pretty young too), and stylish despite her scant clothes. Unlike his boyfriend, she was smiling and much more enthusiastic. She immediately turned her attention to the counters as the boyfriend rolled his eyes and waited for her to make a decision.
“Good morning, my name is Shen Qingqiu. How may I assist you today?”
The girl chirped at the attention and she coquettishly played with her earrings as she talked to Shen Qingqiu.
“We’re looking for an engagement ring. Show us the most expensive one you’ve got!”
Shen Qingqiu took a quick glance at the groom to make sure he wasn’t against such a ludicrous demand. The groom remained indifferent, which was the only approval Shen Qingqiu needed.
He showed his commission-winning smile to the bride. “First of all, congratulations on your engagement. Second of all, I think I have exactly what you need.”
He guided the couple through the store and asked them to take a seat in the area reserved for their most special customers. He then disappeared behind the hidden doors that led to the storage room and came out a couple of minutes later with their priciest ring.
“This is a three-stone ring set in platinum. Even though the stones are so close to each other, the design allows a continuous stream of light to pass through. As you can see, this guarantees vibrancy under any light angle.”
The bride put the ring on her right hand. It was one size bigger but it could easily be fitted to her smaller hand. The piece was bulky and not to Shen Qingqiu’s taste, but he wouldn’t be the one wearing it.
“I want this one.”
Finally, the groom decided to speak his mind.
“It’s too big,” which was what normal people would say about the price tag neatly placed next to Shen Qingqiu’s hand and not about the gem size.
“You promised you would buy anything I wanted!”
“I said I would pay for the right ring. This isn’t the one.”
Shen Qingqiu gave credit to the groom. Even though he was willing to spend a huge amount of money on a single piece of jewelry, he would only do so on his terms.
Moreover, Shen Qingqiu wasn’t expecting to sell that particular ring. It simply was a curiosity shown to regulars and the starting bid for the wealthiest customers. Shen Qingqiu knew how to work from there.
“There are, of course, more discreet options,” he once again disappeared behind the hidden door and came out with three more rings. However, he already knew which one would be the winner before placing them over the counter.
The bride was quick to select the ring with the biggest diamond (a piece Shen Qingqiu knew would be dismissed because of how cumbersome it was). However, the groom’s eyes immediately fell upon a thin platinum ring. The man had good taste.
“This model is called willow diamond ring. It also has three stones, but with fewer karats than the first one.”
“That means it’s cheaper,” huffed the bride. Shen Qingqiu disliked her already, which was odd. He usually enjoyed talking to the women, even the obvious gold-diggers, but for some reason, this girl seemed childish and annoying. For the first time in his life, he thought the groom deserved better.
“It’s less pricy, but not for much,” he explained. The groom was focused on the willow ring and Shen Qingqiu dared to wink at the bride. “The diamonds on the first ring were H on the color scale value, which means they are cataloged as almost colorless. On the other hand, this one,” he made his point comparing both rings over a white sheet of paper, “has grade F diamonds, which are considered colorless. They are rare and expensive, raising the price of the ring despite the size of the diamonds.”
It was only after Shen Qingqiu’s explanation that the bride finally paid attention to the willow ring. She tried it on and, after making sure it was only slightly cheaper than the first ring, she made her decision.
“This one.”
The groom nodded and Shen Qingqiu could already hear the sweet sound of the deposit notification.
The payment was quick and efficient. Shen Qingqiu did his best to show his more serviceable side to the people who’ve just spent half a year's worth of his salary on a single ring.
“If the lady allows me, I must get her ring size right to make the proper fitting.”
The girl blinked slowly before giggling.
“Oh! This isn’t for me! It’s for my girlfriend!”
Shen Qingqiu did his best to remain unfazed after the revelation.
“I apologize for the misunderstanding.”
“You thought this was my boyfriend?” she snorted. “He’s my brother-in-law! I would never go out with someone as stuck up as him. He’s the most boring person ever.”
For some strange reason, Shen Qingqiu suddenly changed his mind about the spoiled young woman. Now he saw her as bubbly and clever instead of childish and annoying. So much so, that he lost grip of his salesman persona for a second.
He looked at the not-groom. “Taking the expenses of a girl that so clearly dislikes you… You must really love your sister.”
The man shrugged.
“I want her to be happy.”
Shen Qingqiu didn’t expect such an honest response. Perhaps that was why he allowed himself to reply in kind. “She’s a very lucky woman, then.”
“She is,” said the girl, “and I’ll make her even happier with this ring!”
Shen Qingqiu returned to his salesman persona and reminded the customers about their guarantee policies. He also told them they could adjust the size of the ring in case they needed to, or add an engraving with the date of the proposal.
“Thank you very much for your purchase,” he said as he handed the paper gift bag to the woman, “and congratulations on your engagement.”
The girl took the bag and left the store making happy little skips.
“Thank you too.”
Shen Qingqiu was unsure he heard those words, but when he looked at the not-groom it was clear by the blush on his face that he had said them.
“Excuse me?”
“Thank you for your help.”
“It was my pleasure,” not to mention his job. Wasn’t he aware he was being paid for this?
The cryptic man nodded and left the store.
If it weren’t because there was already another customer waiting for him, Shen Qingqiu would’ve taken a couple of extra minutes to wonder about him.
“Good morning. You’re Shen Qingqiu, aren’t you?”
He’d just finished attending to a customer when the soft voice of a woman called his attention.
“Indeed I am, lady. How can I help you to-” his thoughts were interrupted when he saw that the woman was almost a carbon copy of the not-groom that came the week before. Moreover, the same not-groom was by her side looking extremely bashful and out of place. “Oh, you must be,” a quick glance at the woman’s finger helped him choose his words, “the lucky bride.”
“My name is Liu Mingyan,” she responded with a nod. “Qingge here told me you were very helpful the other day and I was wondering if you could help us once again.”
“Of course, what are you looking for today?”
“I loved the ring, but it gets in the way when I’m writing on the computer. I was looking for a necklace so I could use it as a pendant.”
“Of course, let me show you some options.”
Shen Qingqiu spent the next couple of hours showing chains, necklaces and even bracelets. He suspected Liu Mingyan found exactly what she was looking for in the first fifteen minutes, but for whatever reason, she kept asking for more options.
“What do you think about this one, brother?”
Liu Qingge would simply look down and mutter something incomprehensible.
“This bracelet doesn’t really suit me,” she would say then. “I think it would look much better over a paler skin, like Shen Qingqiu’s. Don’t you think so, brother?”
The man would grunt and pretend he was somewhere else.
Finally, after trying half the pieces of the main counter, Liu Mingyan ran out of excuses to remain at the store. She asked for the necklace she’d picked from the very beginning and proceeded with the payment.
“Can I help you with anything else?” asked Shen Qingqiu as he handed the gift bag to Liu Mingyan.
The woman looked at his brother sidewise and even poked him with her elbow. However, the man remained as silent as he’d been the entire morning.
“I guess that'll be enough for today,” she said with a tired tone. “Thank you for your help, Shen Qingqiu. We’ll be seeing you again.”
The brothers disappeared before Shen Qingqiu could thank them for their purchase. Theirs was an odd family, but he didn’t dislike them. He simply wished he could understand them a little bit better.
He was curious and maybe next time Liu Qingge would venture enough to talk to him once more. As cute as he looked nervous, Shen Qingqiu also liked him when he was serious and grumpy.
Perhaps next time.
Next time came the following week, just as he expected. However, this time Liu Qingge came into the store by himself. He looked as anxious and shy as the last time, and he’d changed his casual clothes for a more formal attire. He looked dashing and Shen Qingqiu thought it would be good for the business to simply have him inside the store.
“Good morning. How can I help you today?”
Liu Qingge’s cheeks were bright red and he was trying very hard not to look at Shen Qingqiu.
“Earrings,” he muttered, “and a pendant.”
That almost sounded like a plan. Almost.
“Are you looking for something in particular? Platinum? Gold? With or without stones?”
“Jade.”
“Jade?”
“Jade and gold,” repeated the man, finally making eye contact with Shen Qingqiu.
Shen Qingqiu nodded encouragingly. “Good. Who would this be for? Your sister? I have-”
“No.”
“It isn’t for your sister?”
At that point Liu Qingge’s face was so red, Shen Qingqiu feared it would activate the store’s smoke detector.
“It’s not.”
Shen Qingqiu suddenly understood why Liu Qingge was so nervous. It wasn’t surprising that the man already had a special someone. He was rich, honorable and handsome. He probably had hordes of people begging for his attention. Shen Qingqiu would’ve been one of them if he hadn’t known it was wishful thinking. He was a modest salesman at a jewelry store. If he was going to get anything from Liu Qingge, it would only be the commissions of his purchases.
“Is this for your special someone?” he teased even though he wasn’t feeling it at all.
“No,” muttered Liu Qingge. Shen Qingqiu arched his left eyebrow. “Not yet.”
Alright. That made sense.
“Could you tell me about them? The more I know, the easier it’ll be to find the proper gift.”
“I don’t know much about them,” he admitted. Shen Qingqiu wasn’t surprised that the man planned to spend a lot of money on someone he barely knew. He seemed like the kind of person that would do anything for those he cared about. “They’re clever and observant. They’re also very hardworking,” he made a very, very long pause, “and beautiful.”
The words were sweet but didn’t help Shen Qingqiu. He did his best to ignore the pang of annoyance he was feeling and decided to simply get over with it.
“I have something they might enjoy.”
The set he was thinking about wasn’t too expensive, something Liu Qingge would appreciate in the future once he wasn’t as love-struck. It was one of their top sellers and it was strategically placed at the main counter.
He took the set out of the counter and showed it to Liu Qingge.
“This is jade embedded in 24 karat gold. The earrings match with the pendant and it comes with an 18 karat golden necklace.”
“It’s bamboo.”
“Clever observation,” he said. The earrings and pendant were bamboo-shaped and gold-detailed. They were simple but elegant. One of Shen Qingqiu’s favorites. “Do you think they would like them?”
Liu Qingge opened his mouth, but he closed it right away. He sighed and tried again.
“I would like to see someone wearing it.”
It wasn’t unusual for customers to ask him to try the jewelry, but this time Shen Qingqiu was reluctant to oblige. However, his commission was on the line and he grudgingly removed his earrings and replaced them with the bamboos.
He was convinced he deserved a reward for putting up with such an uncomfortable situation and he decided to make it even more difficult for Liu Qingge.
“Could you help me with the necklace?”
Shen Qingqiu held back a cackle when he heard Liu Qingge gasp. It was easier to mask his enjoyment by turning around and offering his nape.
It took several tries, but Liu Qingge did manage to lock the necklace. Shen Qingqiu smiled as he looked at the mirror. The stones matched his eyes and the thin golden necklace accentuated the length of his neck. He turned around very slowly (just for show) and forced Liu Qingge to set his eyes upon him. Whoever this man was trying to woo, they would have to work extra time to be more inciting than him.
“What do you think?”
“They’re perfect.”
Of course they were. “Anyone would have a difficult time refusing a date with you after getting these.”
Liu Qingge nodded curtly but remained silent.
“I’ll get these ready for you.”
He removed the earrings and pendant, cleaned and polished them, and placed them inside a velvet case. Once they were paid for, he placed the case inside a gift box and gave it to Liu Qingge.
“Thank you once again for your patronage.”
Liu Qingge held the gift box for a couple of seconds before giving it back to Shen Qingqiu.
“For you.”
Shen Qingqiu took the box back on reflex, but he really didn’t know what to do with it.
“What?”
“It’s for you.”
“You… asked me to pick a gift for myself?”
“It was my sister’s idea,” muttered a very, very embarrassed Liu Qingge.
“I think your sister has read way too many romantic novels.”
“You don’t even know half of it,” something onerous shadowed Liu Qingge’s words, but Shen Qingqiu didn’t think too much of it.
He was too busy cursing himself for picking the bamboo set. If he’d known he was on the receiving end of Liu Qingge’s attention, he would’ve picked something much more expensive!
Oh, well. There was always next time.
“My shift ends at eight.”
Liu Qingge nodded.
“I’ll take you out to dinner, then.”
The man left the store after pronouncing those scant words. Shen Qingqiu was still very confused, but whatever had just happened was certainly in his favor.
Worst case scenario, he’ll get a couple of gifts before Liu Qingge gets tired of him.
Best case scenario, next time he’ll be on the other side of the counter looking for the most expensive engagement ring at the store.