How can I justify myself as a Magnate if I don't indulge myself?

"Come on, Ranran, eat more. These king crabs and lobsters were bought by Xiaoheng from outside.

Your uncle and I only know how to make simple home-cooked dishes; we can't cook these things, nor are we used to eating them. I saw on TikTok, just one of these crabs costs several thousand yuan, so hurry up and eat. It would be a waste to leave this good stuff until the next meal."

In the Gu family's dining room, Xu Hong pulled Lin Ran to sit beside her, and Lin Ran's bowl and plate were already filled with food by Xu Hong.

Watching Xu Hong, who was tirelessly serving him more food, Lin Ran raised his hand to block her: "Auntie, that's enough, that's enough, I really can't finish all this."

Xu Hong, upon hearing this, didn't stop her movements and glanced at Gu Heng, who was sitting next to Gu Jianguo, and then said with a smile to Lin Ran: "It's fine, just eat. If you can't finish, we can feed it to the dog."

Gu Heng: "???"

Everyone seated could see the look on Xu Hong's face...

Hearing the words "feed it to the dog" from Xu Hong's mouth, everyone understood that this "dog" referred to Gu Heng...

And Lin Ran, too, covered her mouth, laughing: "Auntie, you really do like small animals, don't you? Willing to feed such expensive lobsters and crabs to a dog."

If it were anyone else agreeing that Gu Heng was a dog, she would definitely not be happy, but she didn't mind the teasing from Lin Ran, who she saw as her future daughter-in-law, and she didn't continue on the subject.

After all, at the table, there were "outsiders" like Lin Jiayun and He Jing.

The matter of not informing Lin Ran was now exposed, and Gu Heng, knowing he was in the wrong, could only keep his head down and eat his rice without uttering a word...

Old Gu thought about how, when Gu Heng was not at home, the one who got scolded every day was himself. Now that Gu Heng was home, there was someone to share the fire, and the number of times he had been scolded in the last few days had decreased. The more he thought this way, the happier he became to the point of laughing out loud...

And Lin Jiayun and He Jing, seeing Gu Heng lose face, actually wanted to laugh, but they still restrained themselves...

In fact, at this dining table, the most awkward were the two of them...

Gu Heng, Gu Jianguo, Xu Hong, the three of them need not be mentioned—they were a real family...

Although the two of them didn't quite understand the relationship between Gu Heng and Lin Ran, from Xu Hong's attitude, it was clear that Lin Ran was the "real deal"...

Themselves, in ancient times, at most could only be concubines; how could they laugh along while the family is enjoying dinner and jokes?

....

Their thoughts were unknown to others and nobody cared.

Xu Hong's attention was entirely on Lin Ran, her prospective daughter-in-law.

"Ranran, how long are you planning to stay this time? Last time during New Year's, our house was too small and we had to trouble you to stay at a hotel in town. Now that the house is built and decorated, you have to stay a few more days.

The master bedroom on the second floor was supervised by your uncle and me throughout the decoration process, and it's beautifully done!

You can stay in the master bedroom tonight, and let that boy Gu Heng roll off to the guest room to sleep."

Lin Ran shook her head upon hearing this, and said in a gentle tone: "Auntie, I probably won't be able to stay here this time. There's a big project at the company that I'm responsible for, and even coming here today, I had to ask for time off. After we finish this meal, I have to rush back to Shanghai immediately."

"Ah?"

Xu Hong's tone was full of disappointment: "So soon?"

"Yes, Auntie."

"Well, work is important. I may not understand, but I know that you young people are under a lot of pressure these days.

If you ever feel stressed, you can always talk to your auntie. I might not be able to help much, but now that this boy Gu Heng is finally making something of himself... The county mayor even came over the other day. I'll make sure Gu Heng helps you out more often."

Lin Ran turned her lightly made-up eyes, with gently curled eyeliner, towards Gu Heng: "That is true.

I've heard that Mr. Gu's business is growing, and just recently, he invested a large sum of money to establish a new conglomerate. But Mr. Gu must be very busy now; I'm afraid I won't have the chance to have a word with him."

As Gaoling Capital is the top financial investment firm in Hua Country, she couldn't possibly not know about something as industry-shaking as IDE Capital's investment of 30 billion in corporatization.

And after Gu Heng sued the entire internet, his identity had already been thoroughly exposed. As the controlling chairman behind IDE Capital, it was no longer a secret.

Gu Heng: "???"

Listening to the slight bitterness in Lin Ran's tone...

Gu Heng couldn't help but have several question marks appear over his head again...

This tone of grievance, coming from the mouth of Lin Ran, a powerful woman?

This Lin Ran, right before his eyes, seemed a bit different from the Lin Ran he remembered...

In actuality...

It was merely a difference in mindset...

What was Gu Heng's identity before?

Merely an ordinary lackey, even if at that time his system was activated, he had some money, but his mindset was still that of a lackey.

And Lin Ran?

A top-degree holder, an executive in a Fortune 500 company.

The stark contrast in their statuses caused Gu Heng to see her through a filter.

Observing those above from the perspective of someone below, the conduct of those above appears filtered and automatically beautified.

In truth, Lin Ran had adopted a young girl demeanor before too, but Gu Heng had subconsciously ignored it, only remembering the strong woman aura that Lin Ran exuded nonstop.

But now it's different...

Gu Heng is now a billionaire with assets worth tens of billions, and his influence in the financial industry is also beginning to show.

The roles of their statuses have been reversed; previously, Lin Ran was the one above, but now, it is Gu Heng who is above.