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

Chapter 44 - 43: You have your refined elegance, Ill stick to my plainness.

As night fell, the ancient town was illuminated by lamp lights, appearing exceptionally serene and beautiful.

The reflections in the water, lanterns on the bridges, and the signs of the shops all emitted a soft glow.

On the cobblestoned paths, many people hurried along toward the distance, including both tourists and vendors carrying an assortment of goods...

A mother and daughter walked past Gu Heng, each holding a large bouquet of various flowers...

"Mommy, after we sell these flowers tonight, can you really buy me a Kulomi?"

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"Mmm-hmm, I’ll buy it for you."

The two conversed in Wu dialect. Having lived in Hang City for so many years, Gu Heng could barely understand their conversation and could clearly sense the mother’s perfunctory tone. But upon hearing the promise, the little girl’s eyes brimmed with anticipation...

.....

Lin Ran, who was walking ahead, had changed out of her favorite red dress and into a pure white winter dress. Her usually bold red lips were now bare, and her white shoes tap-tapped along, adding a dreamlike quality under the soft lights...

They had been out for who knew how long, both maintaining a silent companionship...

Gu Heng simply walked slowly behind her, feeling the damp and cold air following the rain...

Suddenly, Lin Ran turned back and stood beside Gu Heng.

"Aren’t you curious why I know about your bad intentions toward Fang Xun?"

Hearing her sudden change of topic, Gu Heng was taken aback, but only for a moment before he shook his head indifferently, "Not curious."

"Why not?"

Now it was Lin Ran’s turn to be curious...

"Didn’t you say it before? We’re all adults. Knowing is just knowing, it’s not something to be ashamed of; there’s no need to be curious."

Gu Heng spoke frankly.

He never claimed to be a paragon of virtue.

Why bother pretending to be something he wasn’t? Wasn’t it exhausting?

Besides, he hadn’t done anything terrible like forcing someone into prostitution; wasn’t it just like those rich people who keep mistresses? Now that he had money, what was wrong with wanting to use it to buy the love that was once out of reach?

No wrong at all, right?

As for whether such acts would be condemned by morality, it no longer mattered. All that mattered to him was that he felt comfortable with his life.

Hearing Gu Heng’s self-assured words, Lin Ran’s gaze flickered, "You really are interesting."

"Hmm?"

Lin Ran quickened her pace again, soon walking ahead of Gu Heng, her pleasant voice once more reaching him.

"I’ve seen many men ruled by their lower halves like you, but without exception, once their dirty thoughts are exposed, they either vehemently deny it or become so embarrassed they wish they could disappear. You’re the first to be so shameless about it."

Hearing Lin Ran’s words, Gu Heng chuckled, pulled out a cigarette pack from his pocket, took out a cigarette, and lit it...

Huanghelou 1916, at a hundred yuan a pack, does smoke more smoothly than the sixteen yuan pack of Puwan.

The smoke, mixed with the moisture, billowed from his mouth...

"That’s because you and I interact with different types of people; in other words, we’re from different circles.

I’m just what netizens call a ’bottom-dwelling loser.’ Naturally, the friends around me are the same. They boast proudly about spending a few hundred on prostitutes the previous night and laugh as they share the details with me.

But the people you know, well, they must be what’s considered upper class, right? Of course, they need to maintain their grandiose and virtuous images. It’s perfectly normal for them to be prim and proper...

When my thoughts rise to their level one day, just so you know, I’ll be just as hypocritical as they are."

Upon hearing this, Lin Ran looked back curiously at Gu Heng, retorting, "You call yourself a loser? A loser who drives a car worth millions and stays in villas that cost nearly ten thousand a night?"

Gu Heng had anticipated Lin Ran would raise such a question, and he shrugged unpretentiously, "Then you might as well consider me a nouveau riche who hits the jackpot every day. It’s more or less the same thing."

Ever since he acquired the system, Gu Heng had never thought to hide his past from anyone.

There was no need to.

Being from the lower class, why would he force himself to pretend to be some kind of noble just because he’d become rich? It didn’t make sense.

Besides, even if he tried to pretend, it would be like Dong Shi imitating Xi Shi’s frown, quite unconvincing...

The noble air of those born into wealth isn’t something that can be cultivated overnight. There’s a saying, "It takes three generations in public service to learn proper etiquette," so unless the system could come up with a "Behavior and Temperament Cultivating Instrument," change was impossible.

Unfortunately, the system didn’t grant him such a thing.

.....

.....

After about a ten-minute walk, Lin Ran excitedly turned on his camera and said to Gu Heng, "This is the place!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Heng lifted his head to look at the lit-up signboard.

[Nanhe Ballad Tavern]

Seeing the tavern’s name, Gu Heng couldn’t help but laugh, "Nanhe Tavern, that’s quite a catchy name, ’difficult drinking tavern’..."

Hearing Gu Heng’s commentary, Lin Ran immediately retorted, "What do you know? Nanhe Tavern is pretty famous, okay? A lot of folk singers perform here for free; it’s one of the top places to check in on social media in Wuzhen!"

Gu Heng shrugged, "I don’t appreciate folk music, I still prefer those edgy internet celebrity songs on TikTok. Talking about this to me is like playing the lute to a cow—no difference."

While saying that, he even hummed the tune from the recently popular song [Big Pendulum]BGM.

"Tsk! Vulgar!"

"What do you mean ’vulgar’? You have your elegance and your coffee, and just because I like garlic, I’m vulgar?"

"Okay, okay, I can’t argue with you! Let’s get inside quick, I don’t know if it’s full yet."

With that, she pulled Gu Heng inside...

As soon as he entered, Gu Heng could immediately feel the difference between the tavern and a nightclub...

It lacked the loud and noisy atmosphere of a nightclub; instead, there was just the quiet singing of the performers on stage, and instead of the smoky smell of tobacco and alcohol, there was the distinctive fishy scent of the Jiangnan water towns...

"Are there any tables available now?"

As soon as they entered, Lin Ran eagerly asked the bartender.

The bartender, who was mixing drinks, shook his head, "You’re a step too late. Just a moment ago, the last table was taken. However, you can wait at the bar, and I’ll let you know when a table becomes available."

After hearing the bartender’s response, Lin Ran replied regretfully and then turned to glare at Gu Heng with displeasure, "It’s all your fault! Dilly-dallying at the hotel, now we have no table, see?"

Gu Heng couldn’t be bothered to argue.

If she hadn’t been strolling along the road with that broken camera, stopping here and there to get a shot, they would’ve probably been on time...

But women, no matter what kind, will only admit to marrying the wrong person in their lifetime; they will never confess to any other mistake. Arguing with her was pointless.

"Since there are no seats, let’s just go back. Aren’t you tired after walking around all day?"

Gu Heng was pleased with the situation, as he would rather go back and ponder the mysteries of life with Fang Xun...

"Don’t think I don’t know what’s on your mind. I’m telling you, no way!

We’ll sit at the bar first, and once two hours are up, we’ll head back."

Gu Heng could only sigh helplessly, "I hope after this there will never be any intersection between our lives ever again. You are indeed a nuisance."

Lin Ran, listening to Gu Heng’s grumbling, wasn’t angry. Instead, she playfully fluttered her eyelashes.

"Whether our paths cross again, well, that’s something we can’t be certain of~"