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

And she's a top executive in the company, holding great power over my life and death. Our statuses are too disparate, I simply didn't dare to refuse... Plus, Director Lin tempted me with a formal contract, and under her carrot-and-stick approach, I just couldn't resist the temptation and agreed..."

"So, you mean to say Lin Ran deliberately didn't want you to tell me?"

"Yes, yes! I swear to the heavens! I wouldn't hide it from you, my adoptive father!"

Watching Gu Xinran pledge his loyalty with a face full of goofiness, Gu Heng couldn't help but shake his head and say, "If you wanted a formal contract, couldn't you have just come straight to me? Do you think your brother doesn't even have that much capability?

We from the Gu family are, after all, a family of anti-Japanese war heroes, everyone with loyalty and integrity. How did we end up with you, a traitor seeking glory through betraying his father?"

"Well, I just thought it would be overkill for you, a multimillionaire adoptive father, to handle such a minor matter... Next time! If there's a next time something like this happens, I'll definitely inform you in advance!"

"Alright, enough with the fooling around, come inside the house, it's freezing out here."

Gu Heng thought about it for half a day but couldn't figure out Lin Ran's reason for keeping things from him. Feeling too lazy to ponder it further, he took Gu Xinran straight into the house.

.....

.....

Entering the house, Gu Heng saw Lin Ran sitting elegantly in the center of the sofa, with his mother Xu Hong and his aunt on either side, chatting and warming up to her...

"Ranran, it's okay if I call you that, right?"

Lin Ran didn't feel the slightest discomfort at the address, smiling sweetly and saying, "It's fine, aunty, my parents also call me that at home, it sounds affectionate."

Although she had only interacted with Lin Ran for a few minutes, Xu Hong's fondness for her was simply beyond measure...

So beautiful...

So well-behaved...

And doesn't scorn their rural family roots...

Unlike Li Lao'er's daughter-in-law from their village, a city dweller by claim, but looking like a big black bear, burly and rugged, always walking around with her nose in the air. Li Lao'er and his wife initially boasted everywhere about their son marrying a city girl, thinking they were set for life.

And the result?

The daughter-in-law, treated like a queen at home, and at the slightest discontent, she would berate the old couple nonstop.

Now, look at Lin Ran sitting before her, as different from Li Lao'er's 'big black bear' as two different species of animal...

"Ranran, how old are you this year?"

"I was born in February 1996, so I'm 28 this year, and after my birthday, I will be 29."

Upon hearing her age, Xu Hong initially was taken aback...

Then, with some surprise, she said, "You don't look 29 at all, you seem to be about the same age as our Xinran..."

Auntie chimed in from the side, "Sister-in-law, that's because you don't understand. Girls from the city like Ranran know how to take care of themselves. By the time they reach our age, they still look like they're in their twenties.

Look at those celebrities on TV, aren't they all like that?

And look at Ranran, isn't she even prettier than a celebrity?"

"Right, right, right, you're absolutely right."

Xu Hong nodded in agreement and then sheepishly smiled at Lin Ran, saying, "I'm a country person, not very knowledgeable, don't take my words to heart, dear."

"Oh Aunty, what are you talking about! You calling me young, I couldn't be happier~"

"'96 is good, our Gu Heng was born in the year 2000, you are just four years older. You know the old saying, 'a woman four years older, a lifetime of good fortune!'"

Standing to the side, Gu Heng listened to his mother's old saying, which she had picked up from who knows where, and felt an inner face-palm...

Seeing Gu Heng standing by the sofa like a block of wood, Xu Hong, who was full of satisfaction seeing the intelligent and sensible Lin Ran, then looked at Gu Heng with disdain and shouted, "Why are you standing there like a wooden stake? Hurry up and come over, I have something to ask you!"

She just couldn't understand how a fine 'cabbage' like Lin Ran ended up with her 'pig'...

If Gu Heng had gotten himself an ordinary 'cabbage', she could have consoled herself...

But the issue was, Lin Ran was too fine a 'cabbage,' and her own 'pig' getting it made her feel a bit guilty...

After speaking, Xu Hong excused herself with a smile to Lin Ran, "Ranran, you chat with Xinran and your aunt for a bit, I have something to talk to Xiaoheng about."

Then she unceremoniously pulled Gu Heng into the bedroom. Enjoy new tales from empire

Having been dragged into the room, Gu Heng still had no clue what was happening when he got thwacked hard on the back of his head...

Xu Hong lowered her voice, urgently saying, "Tell me the truth! Is this Lin Ran someone you paid to pretend?

I didn't know where I had slipped up, but at this time, I certainly couldn't admit it, and could only respond defiantly, "How could that be possible! Don't you believe in your son's charm? If I wanted to, I could immediately have hundreds of girls fighting to be your daughter-in-law. Why would I need to pay someone?

What exactly made you come up with such a dangerous idea?"

Seeing Gu Heng's determined expression, and considering that Lin Ran was indeed quite well-behaved and sensible, which she really liked, Xu Hong could only express her doubts half-believingly, "Really? She's your girlfriend?"

"Absolutely true!"

"Then why does this Lin Ran look different from the one you showed me last time?"

Upon hearing this, a cold sweat ran down Gu Heng's neck...

He had thought it was Lin Ran who had slipped up, but it turned out the problem was with him...

Last time, the photo I showed my mom was of Lin Jiayun, but this time it was Lin Ran...

Although both were beauties, they were as different as heaven and earth. It was natural that Xu Hong could tell they weren't the same...

"The one I showed you last time is my 'little girlfriend'; this one is my 'big girlfriend.' If you want, I can have the girl in the photo come over some day for you to see," he replied.

As one of the people who knew his mother best...

He knew that if he tried to explain it normally right now, it would only make her more suspicious. Only by spouting nonsense could he shift her attention...

And, sure enough, after Gu Heng's ramblings, Xu Hong's slap arrived as expected...

But after this slap, Xu Hong's suspicions gradually dissipated.

"Do you have any cash on you?"

Hearing Xu Hong's abrupt change of topic, Gu Heng couldn't help but be startled...

One second she was questioning whether his girlfriend was real, and the next she was asking if he had any cash...

Seeing his mother's hand about to land on him again, Gu Heng hastily took out all of the more than 1,000 yuan in cash he had on him: "Yes, yes, yes! There's still over 1,000..."

"That's enough, off you go! Go chat with Lin Ran for a bit. I'm going out later," she said.

After taking the money from Gu Heng, Xu Hong started to shoo him out...

Although Gu Heng had no idea what his mother was up to, he obediently left the room...

Upon returning to the living room, he found only Lin Ran and Gu Xinran sitting on the sofa. Gu Heng couldn't help but ask, "Where are my parents?"

"Uncle said he was going out to buy vegetables, and your aunt and uncle went with him. They told Xinran to stay and keep me company," she replied nonchalantly.

Lin Ran gave Gu Heng a glance and responded indifferently.

Now that there was no one else in the hall, Gu Heng couldn't be bothered to pretend any longer. He sat down next to Lin Ran and stared directly into her eyes, "Why did you make Xinran keep it a secret from me, not letting me know you were coming here?"

Hearing this, Lin Ran turned her head to look at Gu Xinran...

Gu Xinran hadn't expected Gu Heng to betray her so directly and started playing ostrich...

"Whether I keep it a secret or not, it shouldn't affect you, right?"

Without Xu Hong beside her, Lin Ran was no longer the obedient and well-behaved girl, returning Gu Heng's gaze with equal sharpness...

"It doesn't affect me, I was just curious, that's all," he said.

After a long stare-down with Gu Heng, Lin Ran picked up a disposable cup from the table, took a casual sip, and casually said, "Just consider it a wicked whim of mine.

I just wanted to see if, apart from being your 'daughter-in-law,' you would bring other women home.

If I had let you know in advance, wouldn't that have given you time to prepare?"

Gu Heng: "???"

Listening to Lin Ran, Gu Heng's mind grew more perplexed...

What was this woman implying?

Hadn't he told her that she would pretend to be his girlfriend, and after the New Year, he would go pretend to be her boyfriend?

A completely fair trade!

So why was she now acting as if she were the main wife catching a cheating husband?

Could it be that she actually wanted to make the charade real, to truly hold sway over him?