Although the sales assistant looked polite on the surface, her eyes told a different story. Inwardly, she was full of contempt, convinced Kobe Gray was just putting on an act. Still, professionalism forced her to comply with their request.
With a faint roll of her eyes, she reluctantly took out a few pink bags from the display case and placed them carefully in front of them, as if worried that Kobe, a "poor student," might accidentally damage them.
"Hello… may I try this one?" Sophia Laurent asked softly, pointing to a bag, her tone almost timid.
The sales assistant didn't respond immediately. She let out a quiet sigh, removed the stuffing from the bag, zipped it up, and handed it over with clear impatience.
Sophia slipped off her Luigi Veyton handbag and replaced it with the Channel bag before hurrying toward the mirror.
The moment she stood in front of it, even Kobe Gray's eyes lit up.
The bright pink bag complemented her perfectly. Against her slender figure, it added a playful elegance that made her look even more lively and radiant. The craftsmanship, the texture, the design—everything about it screamed luxury.
Kobe finally understood why so many girls were obsessed with high-end brands. Sometimes, it really wasn't just about the item itself. It was what it did to the person wearing it.
Sophia stared at her reflection, unable to look away.
She loved it.
Not just because it was beautiful, but because it was Channel. Just imagining herself walking across campus with it slung over her shoulder, drawing envious glances from every direction, made her heart race.
She knew she was a little vain. But then again, what girl wasn't?
Turning slightly left and right, she admired herself from every angle, clearly reluctant to take it off.
"Madam, this bag costs $7,200.0," the sales assistant said flatly.
Her tone was calm, but the intent was obvious. She wanted to remind them of the price, and more importantly, to discourage them. There were other customers in the store, after all. She had no intention of letting someone try things endlessly without buying.
The moment Sophia heard the price, her body stiffened slightly. Even her reflection seemed to freeze.
'Seven thousand two hundred…'
All the gifts she had ever received from her admirers combined didn't even come close to that amount.
Embarrassment crept across her face. She quickly took the bag off and handed it back.
"I… I'll look at something else…"
The sales assistant gave her a knowing look, as if everything had gone exactly as expected, and rolled her eyes again.
Sensing the shift in attitude, Sophia suddenly felt too self-conscious to try on anything else.
At the end of the day, she was just a college student. This price was far beyond anything she could comfortably accept. Yes, she cared about material things, but she still had her limits. She wasn't the type to manipulate someone's feelings just to get what she wanted.
"What's wrong? Don't you like it?" Kobe Gray asked, a hint of urgency in his voice.
'That's $7,200.0! If the cashback goes through, that's insane money! And if her favorability breaks 50… this is basically guaranteed profit!'
Sophia shook her head gently.
"I like it… but it's too expensive…"
"We don't have to buy it here…"
"It's already nice just being able to see it…"
Her voice dropped to a soft whisper as she spoke.
Kobe frowned, completely confused.
'Wait… what? You were clearly hinting before. Why back out now?'
'No way… at least let me buy this first before you change your mind…'
'Don't ruin this cashback that's practically in my hands!'
Seeing his expression, Sophia misunderstood immediately. She thought he was upset that she had even looked at such an expensive item.
Panicking slightly, she grabbed his arm and leaned closer, acting coquettish.
"I didn't know it would be that expensive…"
"Don't worry, I won't be unreasonable…"
As she spoke, she held onto his arm tightly, her body brushing against him.
The sudden closeness made Kobe's face flush instantly.
'So this is what 45 favorability feels like…'
Compared to his past relationship with Isabella Sinclair, which had barely gone beyond holding hands, this felt like a completely different world.
But he quickly steadied himself.
'Focus. Cashback first. Everything else later.'
He looked at Sophia seriously.
"Forget the price. I'm asking you one thing. Do you like it?"
His firm tone caught even the sales assistant off guard.
'What is wrong with this guy? He's clearly broke, the girl is giving him an out, and he's still acting tough?'
'Is this some kind of delusional dominance?'
Sophia hesitated, then nodded slightly before shaking her head again.
"I like it… but it's too expensive…"
She wasn't pretending. She genuinely liked it, but she also feared what might come with accepting something so expensive.
'If he buys this… what will he expect in return?'
That thought alone made her uneasy.
But Kobe didn't care about any of that.
The moment he heard the word "like," he waved toward the sales assistant.
"Wrap it up."
Everything happened in a blur. Payment, packaging, confirmation— done in one smooth motion.
Before Sophia could even react, the bag was already placed into her hands.
The decisiveness left both her and the sales assistant stunned.
[This cashback recipient spent $7,200.0, and the recipient's favorability score is 45.]
[The cashback multiplier is currently being randomly generated…]
[Generated, cashback multiplier is 36 times.]
[Congratulations, host, you have received a cashback of $259,200.0!]
Kobe Gray's smile stretched uncontrollably.
'Over a quarter million!'
'I'm so close to being a millionaire now!'
'Hahahaha!'
In many smaller cities, that amount was enough to buy a luxury apartment outright.
Watching his reaction, the sales assistant finally realized her mistake.
'There's no way this guy is poor…'
'Who spends over $7,000 and looks happier afterward?'
Her attitude shifted instantly. A warm, flattering smile replaced her earlier indifference as she handed over her business card with both hands.
Sir, this is my card. If you need anything after your purchase, feel free to contact me.
If there are any new styles you like, I can reserve them for you in advance.
As she spoke, she even gave him a subtle wink behind Sophia's back.
Kobe couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
'So this is what money does…'
The same woman who had looked down on him moments ago now treated him like a VIP.
Turning his attention back to Sophia, he noticed something.
Her favorability had risen again.
45… now 49.
'Still one point short?'
'After all this… you're still not fully moved?'
'Or… was it because that saleswoman just flirted with me?'