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

After all, it's been almost six years since we broke up, we were just teenagers in love back then, now we're all at the age to start families and build careers...

When Li Mengxue dumped him, he truly wanted to make something of himself and then show her, let her realize how wrong she was to dump him.

But once that idea became reality, he no longer felt that way...

It wasn't that he was broad-minded enough to smile away the hurt others caused him...

The main reason was just that too much time had passed...

So much time that Gu Heng no longer felt any desire for revenge over that insignificant romantic relationship...

As Gu Heng hesitated, a female classmate noticed his awkwardness and stood up, saying, "Gu Heng, why don't you come sit over here? My spot's a bit more spacious, there's room for two."

Hearing this, Gu Heng instantly felt that this unimpressive-looking classmate, whose name he couldn't even remember, was exceptionally adorable...

Just as he was about to respond, he saw that Lin Ran had already taken the seat...

Leaving only a spot sandwiched between her and Li Mengxue...

Since Lin Ran had taken a seat, it certainly wouldn't do to leave her and switch places alone, so he could only offer an apologetic smile to the classmate and say, "No need, anywhere is fine to sit..."

With that, he took a seat between the two...

The whole table of more than a dozen people were all silent, not speaking a word...

In contrast to the lively atmosphere at other tables, this one felt eerily quiet...

Lin Ran sat on Gu Heng's left, serene and elegant. Though she made no movements, the poise she inadvertently revealed made it clear she was no ordinary girl...

As for Li Mengxue, well, she was looking down, playing with her phone, with no intention of speaking...

She was afraid that as soon as she spoke, she would be compared with Lin Ran...

Although she also considered herself proud and among the ranks of excellent girls, she still had enough self-awareness...

Lin Ran was not only more beautiful than her, but in every other aspect, she also eclipsed her...

Her previous red BMW was not even worth mentioning; right now, she didn't even have a car for basic transportation.

And that handbag she had, one she had never seen used by anyone around, only caught glimpses of on Xiaohongshu, a Louis Vuitton worth over forty thousand... that was about half a year's salary for her...

Then there were the clothes she wore, all from luxury brands that she could only dream of wearing...

But beyond self-awareness, another feeling started to rise slowly from the bottom of her heart...

That feeling was jealousy...

In her way of thinking, it was only natural for men to give women luxury items...

So she never considered that Lin Ran's car, handbag, and luxury goods were her own, assuming they were all gifts from Gu Heng...

And all of these, she once had the opportunity to have...

...

After an unknown period of silence, someone finally couldn't hold back anymore and started to cosy up to Gu Heng...

"Gu Heng, what exactly have you been doing out there these past few years to make such a fortune?

Show us some of your ways, will you? Ever since the controls were lifted, it's been harder and harder to make money. In two years, I opened three little restaurants, and all three went under.

Not only did I make no money, but I also lost over a hundred thousand."

With this opening, everyone began to commiserate...

The economy was in downturn, and even the wealth of those on the rich list had shrunk; these common folks on the lower rungs, while not to the point of tightening their belts, were indeed not living as comfortably as before, be they wage earners or business owners.

In the past, classmates met to flaunt wealth, but now they compared miseries, and with the sudden appearance of such an odd one out as Gu Heng, it was only natural he became the target of everyone's envy...

Listening to this, Gu Heng just smiled lightly and said, "I'm just making a bit of money by chance and luck. If I really knew a way to get rich, would I not think of you old classmates?"

What good way did he have to show them...

It couldn't be that he suggested they do nothing, indulge tirelessly, and wait for the system to activate, right?

Not getting the answer they wanted, the group of old classmates were a bit disappointed, but quickly began to curry favor again...

Gu Heng had become the absolute center of the table at that moment...

"Gu Heng, I want to eat that."

Saying this, she pointed to two plates in the center of the table...

One had fruit, and the other various kinds of wedding candy...

Upon hearing this, an eager classmate immediately pushed the plates closer to Lin Ran's reach, saying with a smile, "This table is too big, it's normal for girls to not be able to reach."

Lin Ran politely thanked Gu Heng's classmate, but she remained still, her eyes fixed on Gu Heng's face.

Gu Heng: "???"

Something was seriously off with this woman today...

Since I've known her, when has she ever shown such a girlish demeanor?

Has the 'strong woman' persona completely collapsed now?

But though I was thinking this, all I could do was honestly grab a handful of wedding candies from the plate and put them in front of Lin Ran, "Eat."

Seeing that Gu Heng hastily took the candies for her, Lin Ran smiled satisfactorily in her heart, peeled the candy wrapper, and before Gu Heng could react, extended the candy to his mouth and said, "You taste it for me first, see if it's good."

"..."

Gu Heng, not knowing what trick she was playing, could only helplessly eat the candy put to his mouth...

Only after seeing Gu Heng eat did Lin Ran peel another one, put it in her mouth, and even cast a provocative glance at Gu Heng...

The others at the table, unaware of the underlying dynamics between the two, could only envy Gu Heng...

Having money was one thing, but he also had such a gorgeous girlfriend...

Having such a gorgeous girlfriend was one thing, but she was also so understanding...

What was even more maddening was that the second most beautiful girl at the table was his leftover... where the hell do you go to make sense of that?

Suddenly...

Li Mengxue, who had been silent with her head down, saw a fair hand extend in front of her, holding a piece of candy wrapped in red, and before she could react, she heard Lin Ran say, "Have one, it's pretty sweet."

Li Mengxue, in a daze, uttered a thank you and subconsciously accepted the candy...

This scene was not only unexpected by Li Mengxue...

Everyone at the table was shocked...

Including Gu Heng, who was caught in the middle...

He finally understood why Lin Ran had pulled such a stunt...

Clearly, Lin Ran was asserting her dominance over Li Mengxue...

She couldn't really be taking the girlfriend role seriously, could she?

With that thought, two feelings emerged simultaneously in Gu Heng's body...

One was a secret delight, the other was sitting on pins and needles...

The reason for the secret delight was simple, Lin Ran was the most outstanding girl he had met so far; being liked by such an outstanding girl, how could that not be a reason to rejoice?

Sitting on pins and needles was simpler yet...

He had no intention of dating, really...

All he wanted was to maintain this ideal, ambiguous relationship with Lin Ran...

If Lin Ran really wanted to pierce this veil of ambiguity, what was he supposed to do?

Agree?

That was the least likely...

He believed Lin Ran was the kind of woman with an open mind who wouldn't harp about his past as a playboy.

But he did not believe Lin Ran could accept sharing him with other women... He didn't consider himself charming enough to that extent... Discover exclusive tales on empire

But if he refused...

He couldn't bear that either...

Once the nature of a relationship with a woman is exposed, there's no going back...

Knowing Lin Ran's character, if he truly rejected her, she would definitely delete all his contact methods and sever any connection with him...

If this scenario occurred in Wuzhen, Gu Heng might firmly reject her without a second thought...

But now...

He had to admit, he couldn't do it...

A man's possessiveness is a strange thing...

Right now, what he wanted most was to enjoy the intimacy with Lin Ran without having to take responsibility...

The very definition of a playboy...

Just as his mind was a tangled mess, a classmate sitting across from Gu Heng said to him, "Gu Heng, aren't you a groomsman? Hurry up, the host is calling for the groomsmen to give a speech. Li Haibin and Song Hua are already up there."

Glancing at the stage, Gu Heng no longer dwelled on it, told Lin Ran he'd be right back, and headed for the stage...

Let things be as they may...

Being a playboy is too hard...

Just starting out, and already running into problems...