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

Caught off guard by his little aunt\'s sudden question, Gu Heng nodded.

"I remember Hang City is not far from Shanghai, right? Could you ask your friend if there\'s still room in the car? Could you go to Shanghai and pick up your sister? Whatever your friend charges for the ride is fine.

Your sister is in her junior year of internship, and she said that her company required interns to stay for the New Year, so she didn\'t buy a ticket home. Now they\'ve said she can go home for the New Year after all, but after trying for days she hasn\'t been able to get one. Even the long-distance buses are booked up, and your little uncle is about to charter a vehicle to go get her from Shanghai."

Hearing his little aunt\'s words, Gu Heng fell silent for a brief moment...

Honestly, he didn\'t like his little uncle and little aunt, not one bit.

These two were the kind of people who epitomized snobbery...

His cousin, Gu Xinran, had gotten into the prestigious Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, which was not just top-notch locally but also a mark of excellence nationally.

And him? He went straight to work after high school. Because of that, they felt superior and often mocked his family, always implying he wouldn\'t amount to much. As a result, whenever he called home, he would frequently hear his mother complain about how she regretted not insisting he pursue a university education, and how their family looked down on them for it...

The countryside...

That\'s just how it is...

Having dealt with too many relatives and neighbors before, he knew they always liked to compare and boast about everything.

Although he found his little uncle and little aunt detestable, he had no prejudices against his cousin. After all, he and Gu Xinran were close in age, and she used to follow him around like a shadow when they were kids.

It was only later, after she went to university and he didn\'t make a name for himself or go home much, that they gradually lost touch...

With that thought, Gu Heng decided not to dwell on it anymore. He said to his little aunt on the phone, "I\'ll give Xinran a call first and see what\'s going on over there, okay?"

"Good, good, good, you get in touch with her, and your little uncle will set up a dinner for you when you get back!"

Looking at his little aunt\'s effortless smile, the more Gu Heng saw, the more opportunistic she seemed to him, and unexpectedly, he felt a bit pleased...

This feeling of being sought after by people who once looked down on him was truly satisfying... It really was like the saying, \'Time brings great changes to the world.\'

But he was well aware that this was just the beginning, and the real drama of "The Three-Year Promise at Yunlan Sect" would start once he got home.

....

After ending the video call, Gu Heng scrolled through WeChat for a while before finding Gu Xinran\'s contact.

Without overthinking, he dialed her number right away.

The phone rang for a solid half a minute before she answered...

"Brother?"

Hearing the familiar voice and address on the other end, Gu Heng\'s lips curled into a smile, as the vivacious image of the little girl who liked to follow him around in a skirt came to mind: "Heard you\'re stuck in Shanghai and can\'t get back?"

Gu Xinran: "??!!"

"How did you know?!"

"Your mom just told me. Have you managed to get a ticket yet?"

Without mentioning it, Gu Xinran\'s voice was fine, but once he brought it up, she sounded miserable: "Wuwu~ Don\'t mention it. I\'ve been trying for days without success, and there aren\'t even any rideshares available. I\'m probably going to spend the New Year in Shanghai."

"If there\'s a ride today, can you make it back immediately?"

"Of course, I can. I\'m just an intern, and aside from serving tea and water, there isn\'t much for me to do. I\'ve already got the time off approved; I just need to sign and then I can leave at any time."

Gu Xinran was very smart, and as the conversation went on, she began to guess the purpose of Gu Heng\'s phone call. She hesitated and said, "Brother... you\'re not going to..."

"Stop blabbering; just send me your location."

"Brother!!! You are the best brother in the whole world!!!"

As a piercing scream came through the phone, Gu Heng couldn\'t help but pull the phone away from his ear...

Years hadn\'t changed her; she still loved to make a dramatic fuss over everything.

"I\'m currently in Hang City; it will take me about an hour or so to get to Shanghai. Get ready now, and we\'ll head home directly when I arrive." After speaking, Gu Heng prepared to hang up the phone.

"Wait a second!"

"What now?"

"I have a roommate from Tongcheng; she\'s interning at the same company with me, and she\'s in the same situation. Do you still have room for one more?"

Hearing this, Gu Heng glanced at the back of the car, filled with stuff, and asked, "Is your friend overweight?"

"Not at all, why?"

"If she\'s not overweight, she should be able to squeeze in. Have her get ready as well, then."

"Brother! Love you!"

As the call ended, Gu Xinran in Shanghai leaped up from her desk and rushed to another workstation, shouting, "Miaomiao! We can go home now!!"

After Gu Xinran\'s shout, Tao Miaomiao, who had been quietly working on a spreadsheet, seemed to not hear and remained indifferent, not even batting an eyelid as she continued to type diligently, her eyes wide and her twin ponytails bouncing DuangDuang with every keystroke...

Seeing that Tao Miaomiao didn\'t react, Gu Xinran wasn\'t rushed but instead started to count in her mind...

1...

2...

3...

As the mental count of three ended, Tao Miaomiao, who had been working seriously the second before, suddenly turned around, stood up, and grabbed Gu Xinran\'s hand, her face full of excitement. Her naturally youthful face, coupled with this expression of joyful surprise, was endearingly naive.

Gu Xinran: "..."

Having roomed with Tao Miaomiao for three years, Xinran knew her reflex arc could last up to three seconds when she was fully engrossed in something and didn\'t want to be disturbed.

But anyone else might get a jolt from her sudden movement...

Thinking about this, Gu Xinran couldn\'t help but tease her, "Miaomiao, your reaction time is getting longer and longer. When I first got to know you, it was one second; now it has become three seconds..."

Hearing Gu Xinran\'s teasing, Tao Miaomiao bashfully lowered her head, her cute face gaining a touch of pink...

Gu Xinran had grown used to her roommate and bestie\'s habit of blushing at the slightest thing. Shaking her head, she said, "My brother just called to say he\'s coming to pick me up. Hurry up and pack, we\'ll ask the supervisor for leave, and then head home!"

"Mhm mhm, I... I\'ll finish this spreadsheet and then go..."

After saying this, she turned back to her desk and started typing away at the keyboard with wide eyes...

Listening to her soft, weak voice, Gu Xinran felt helpless and could only honestly return to her own workstation and start packing her belongings into her little bag, then propped her chin waiting for Tao Miaomiao to finish her work...

She knew her best friend all too well. Although she seemed fragile with her delicate and slender appearance, her stubbornness was something not even nine oxen could pull back...