After the Secrets of the Passerby Were Leaked, He Was Cherished by the Entire Family of Antagonists-Chapter 115

Dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, Huo Jing held an iPad and was reviewing documents.

The company's CEO stood beside Huo Jing, slightly bent over, patiently answering Huo Jing’s questions whenever he asked.

It was only then that Feng Jialan realized the company he had joined was the very entertainment company that Huo Jing had founded the previous year. However, since Huo Jing spent most of his time at the main group company, he rarely came to this branch.

After a quick glance, Feng Jialan looked away and followed the assistant department head to his desk.

Huo Jing didn’t notice him either. After briefly chatting with the CEO, Huo Jing turned and left.

From that day onward, Huo Jing didn’t return to the company for a while.

It wasn’t until a month later at a business promotion event that Feng Jialan saw Huo Jing for the third time.

As always, Huo Jing wore his usual suit, sitting at the head of the table, his gaze indifferent as he watched the company's employees perform, calmly handling social interactions with others.

Though Huo Jing didn’t drink much, perhaps due to his young age, just a few glasses left his face tinged with a faint blush from the alcohol.

More and more people came over to toast with him, and the assistant department head, who had been helping Huo Jing block the drinks, had already had quite a bit to drink.

Someone refilled Huo Jing's glass, and the surrounding crowd egged him on. Just as Huo Jing frowned and was about to speak, a hand suddenly reached out from the side, taking Huo Jing's glass and discreetly positioning him further back.

Though Feng Jialan was half a head shorter than Huo Jing, he firmly stood in front of him. With a calm smile, he drank the glass of alcohol on Huo Jing’s behalf, then continued chatting and laughing with the investors.

The assistant department head gave Feng Jialan a thumbs-up.

It was only then that Huo Jing took notice of the assistant in front of him, realizing that he looked familiar.

After a moment of thought, Huo Jing remembered who Feng Jialan was—the senior student he had shared the stage with during the freshman ceremony.

After the promotion event, Feng Jialan was praised by the assistant department head, who complimented him on his perceptiveness.

What surprised Feng Jialan even more was that Huo Jing had specifically asked the assistant department head to give him an additional bonus that month.

Soon enough, word spread throughout the assistant department: Feng Jialan had caught the attention of CEO Huo Jing, and it wouldn’t be long before he soared to success.

Feng Jialan had been in the corporate world for over six months and was well aware of the various schemes and backstabbing that took place. Despite his precautions, he was still caught off guard.

By the time he realized what was happening, the rumors had already spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the company.

Even the assistant department head couldn’t resist calling him into the office.

With slightly reddened eyes, Feng Jialan earnestly asked, "Do you not believe me either?"

The assistant department head sighed, "It’s not that I don’t believe you, but rumors can be terrifying."

Feng Jialan knew this all too well.

Especially since it involved Huo Jing. If CEO Huo were to find out about this, would he still have a future at the company?

Feng Jialan didn’t know, but he certainly wasn’t going to quit his job over some baseless rumor.

All he could do was continue performing his duties to the best of his ability.

A week passed, and although the rumors hadn’t completely died down, it was around this time that Huo Jing returned to the company.

Suddenly, Feng Jialan felt a sense of unease.

He knew that the truth would clear his name, but since the rumor started because of him, what if Huo Jing misunderstood the situation?

While Feng Jialan was lost in his thoughts, the assistant department head emerged from Huo Jing’s office and said, “Assistant Feng, CEO Huo wants to see you.”

Those six simple words sent a tremor through Feng Jialan.

Taking a deep breath, he mustered up his courage and stepped into Huo Jing’s office.

Huo Jing sat behind his desk, reviewing a document. When he heard the door, he briefly glanced up and said, “Sit.”

Feng Jialan didn’t dare to sit. After hesitating for a moment, he finally said, “CEO Huo, I…”

Biting his lip, Feng Jialan summoned his courage and said what he had been holding back for a week, “The rumors circulating in the company… I didn’t spread them. I…”

“I know,” Huo Jing interrupted him abruptly.

Feng Jialan froze, all his words of explanation stuck in his throat. He stared at Huo Jing in confusion and finally managed to say, “Then why did you call me in?”

Huo Jing looked at him for a moment, and if it wasn’t just Feng Jialan’s imagination, he thought he saw a fleeting hint of amusement in Huo Jing’s eyes.

“If you were the one who spread the rumors, they would have started a month ago,” Huo Jing said calmly.

Feng Jialan was taken aback.

Huo Jing continued, “After all, you’re my senior, aren’t you?”

Only then did Feng Jialan realize that Huo Jing had recognized him all along.

The weight in his heart finally lifted, and he managed to offer Huo Jing a smile.

Huo Jing then explained that the reason he had called Feng Jialan in was work-related, not personal.

Everyone had noticed Feng Jialan’s excellent work performance, and there was currently an opening in the assistant department at the group company. The assistant department head had recommended Feng Jialan, and Huo Jing was impressed with his work as well.

Thus, the company rumor became a reality—Feng Jialan was promoted once again.

After joining the group company, Feng Jialan saw Huo Jing more frequently.

However, their interactions remained strictly professional.

It wasn’t until three years later, when Huo Jing officially took over as CEO of the group company, that Feng Jialan, who had been by his side the entire time, was promoted to CEO’s assistant.

From then on, Feng Jialan’s position remained stable, working alongside Huo Jing for six years.

During the first two years, Feng Jialan was always on high alert while working, fearing that he might make a mistake.

But as time passed, he realized that he didn’t need to be so nervous. Though Huo Jing had high expectations, he wasn’t unreasonable.

If mistakes were made, the worst consequence would be a deduction from his salary or bonus.

But to avoid losing money, Feng Jialan always did his best to avoid mistakes.

The only change over the years was that, initially, Feng Jialan only discussed work with Huo Jing. But later on, during their rare moments of leisure, they would occasionally chat about personal matters as well.

Sometimes they talked about happy moments or frustrations they had encountered recently.

Huo Jing was a good listener.

Most of the time, he simply listened in silence. Only occasionally, when Feng Jialan expressed his troubles, would Huo Jing offer a few pieces of advice.

Or sometimes, Huo Jing would directly help solve the problem.

For instance, the resources that Feng Ziqi had access to after entering the entertainment industry were all arranged by Huo Jing.

Feng Jialan was deeply grateful for this but also felt a bit guilty. He resolved not to trouble Huo Jing with Feng Ziqi’s matters anymore.

After all, Huo Jing was his boss, and since Feng Jialan received a salary from him, it wasn’t fair to burden him with personal

issues.

But what Feng Jialan hadn’t expected was that, even though he tried not to trouble Huo Jing, his younger brother ended up causing a huge problem, one so severe that Feng Jialan wouldn’t have blamed Huo Jing if he had fired him on the spot.

Yet to Feng Jialan’s surprise, Huo Jing didn’t do that.

Instead, he gave Feng Jialan a week off to clear his mind.

As Feng Jialan was about to leave, Huo Jing glanced at him, pulled out a clean handkerchief, and handed it to him.

Feng Jialan stared at the handkerchief in a daze, not reaching out to take it for a long while.

After a moment, Huo Jing took Feng Jialan’s hand and placed the handkerchief in it. “Take some time to rest. Come back when you’re ready. There’s no rush.”

It wasn’t until much later, after Huo Jing had left, that Feng Jialan realized he had been crying.

Even when he had worked late into the night and slept only three hours a day from stress, he hadn’t shed a tear. But now, of all times, he had started crying.

And in front of his boss, no less! How embarrassing.

Even as these thoughts ran through his mind, the tears wouldn’t stop. They kept falling, wetting the handkerchief that Huo Jing had given him.

Perhaps because he had already shed his tears in advance, when Feng Jialan faced his family’s accusations at the hospital, he felt a calmness in his heart.

When he finally made the decision to cut ties with them, he felt no hesitation.

Feng Jialan was no longer the person who could be easily manipulated. After spending six years by Huo Jing’s side, he had learned to handle things decisively and quickly.

It only took him one day to sever ties with his father, stepmother, and Feng Ziqi. He even notified all the people who were aware of his relationship with Feng Ziqi, cutting off all of Feng Ziqi’s potential avenues.

After handling everything, Feng Jialan lay in his rented apartment, thinking that from now on, he could finally focus on living his own life.

The handkerchief that Huo Jing had given him had been washed clean, but after using it, he couldn’t return it. So instead, he bought a tie clip of equal value and gave it to Huo Jing as a gift.

Huo Jing was surprised by the gift but didn’t reject it. He also mentioned that they owed their thanks to Ye Leyao for resolving the previous matter.

So, Feng Jialan made a trip to the Huo family’s residence and personally thanked Ye Leyao.

Afterward, Feng Jialan noticed that his relationship with Huo Jing seemed to have grown closer.

They no longer interacted solely as boss and assistant, but their relationship wasn’t ambiguous either. In private, they were more like close friends who shared everything with each other.

Feng Jialan continued to share his daily life with Huo Jing, and though Huo Jing was still a man of few words, he was no longer as silent as before. Occasionally, they even talked about Ye Leyao.

Whenever Ye Leyao was mentioned, Feng Jialan felt a sense of happiness.

In fact, Feng Jialan was more invested in Ye Leyao’s development than Huo Jing.

When Ye Leyao’s first variety show aired, Feng Jialan even took the time to analyze all the data, eventually planning a new development path for him.

Huo Jing was very satisfied with the plan and decided to have a detailed discussion with Ye Leyao about it in the future.

But what Feng Jialan hadn’t expected was that the development plan he had prepared ended up sitting in Huo Jing’s office for two years without being taken home.

Feng Jialan remembered the day very clearly—it was the last day of August.

That day, Huo Jing didn’t come to the office, so all company matters were temporarily handled by Feng Jialan.

As the CEO’s assistant, Feng Jialan could make decisions on most things, but there were still some documents that required Huo Jing’s approval.

By noon, Feng Jialan had compiled all the documents and sent them to Huo Jing’s email.

Normally, Huo Jing would handle emails promptly.

But that day, Feng Jialan waited until the end of the workday, and there was still no response from Huo Jing.

One of the documents needed an urgent reply by the next morning, so Feng Jialan had no choice but to call him.

The call went through, but the noise on the other end was loud. Feng Jialan even heard the sound of someone crying.

His heart clenched. Instinctively, he asked, “CEO Huo, what happened?”

There was no response.

“CEO Huo?” Feng Jialan asked again, more urgently. “What’s going on?!”

Still no answer.

Unable to contain his worry, Feng Jialan pressed further, “Where are you? I’ll come over right away…”

“…There’s no need…” Huo Jing’s hoarse voice finally came through, sounding as if the words were being forced from deep within his throat. He repeated, “There’s no need. You called because you have documents for me to sign?”

Feng Jialan furrowed his brows, but didn’t push further. “Yes, I can bring them to you.”

Huo Jing replied, “Alright, send them to the old family house.”

The call ended.

Although Huo Jing had insisted that nothing was wrong, Feng Jialan, having worked with him for years, could sense that something was amiss.

He knew that something significant had happened, but since Huo Jing wasn’t willing to talk about it, it wasn’t his place to pry as an assistant.

That night, it was pouring rain. Feng Jialan delivered the documents to the Huo family’s old house.

Since the documents were needed first thing in the morning, Feng Jialan decided to wait at the house for Huo Jing.

What he hadn’t expected was that he would end up waiting until the middle of the night.

It wasn’t until one or two in the morning that the members of the Huo family returned, looking utterly exhausted.

When they saw Feng Jialan in the living room, they all froze in place.

Under the bright lights, Feng Jialan immediately noticed something was wrong.

Everyone’s eyes were red, and their faces were pale, as if they had just experienced a great tragedy.

Even Huo Jing, who was usually composed, had swollen, bloodshot eyes, and his lips were devoid of any color. His clothes were soaked through, clinging to his body, making him look especially disheveled.

Feng Jialan felt a sharp pain in his chest, as though something had gripped his heart.

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He could have asked what happened, but instead, he remained silent. He said nothing and simply handed the documents to Huo Jing when he spoke.

Huo Jing, still drenched, sat down on the sofa and quickly flipped through the documents.

Although the sadness on his face was almost impossible to suppress, his eyes still skimmed through the pages swiftly.

The other members of the Huo family had already gone upstairs to rest.

A breeze blew in, and Huo Jing’s fingers trembled slightly.

Unable to hold back any longer, Feng Jialan spoke up, “You know… you don’t have to sign them right now.”

Huo Jing looked slightly startled.

Before he could respond, Feng Jialan reached out and took the documents from his hands. “I’ll come by tomorrow morning to get your signature. You should take a bath and get some rest.”

Huo Jing lowered his gaze. His damp eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes, and his throat bobbed slightly as he said hoarsely, “Sorry, today…”

“It’s alright,” Feng Jialan gave him a smile. “Your health is more important.”

Huo Jing stood up and hesitated for a moment before saying, “You should stay in the guest room tonight. That way, you won’t have to make another trip tomorrow.”

Feng Jialan didn’t refuse the offer.

As the butler led him to the guest room, just before the door closed, Feng Jialan couldn’t help but ask, “Do you know what happened?”

The butler paused, let out a long sigh, and shook his head. He didn’t know either.

Feng Jialan didn’t ask any further.

The next morning, he woke up early.

To his surprise, Huo Jing was up even earlier. As soon as Feng Jialan walked out, Huo Jing asked, “Where are the documents?”

Feng Jialan handed them over.

The Huo family’s chef had already prepared breakfast, and Huo Jing told Feng Jialan to eat first while he sat at the dining table, quickly reviewing and signing the documents.

But despite the breakfast laid out in front of him, Huo Jing didn’t touch a single bite.

“Any important meetings today?” Huo Jing asked.

Feng Jialan glanced at the untouched breakfast in front of Huo Jing and hesitated for a moment before answering with a different question, “Aren’t you hungry?”

Huo Jing shook his head.

Feng Jialan could only summarize the schedule for him.

After a moment of thought, Huo Jing said, “Postpone the non-essential meetings. I won’t be able to return to the office for another three days. Sorry for the extra work these next few days.”

Feng Jialan nodded. It was, after all, part of his job.

Three days later, when Huo Jing

returned to the office, everything seemed as usual, but Feng Jialan could still sense a lingering sadness in Huo Jing’s eyes.

Having spent six years by Huo Jing’s side, Feng Jialan naturally had his own sources of information.

So he had heard about the turmoil within the Gu family. But what did the Gu family’s issues have to do with the Huo family?

Why had the Huo family been so upset that day?

Feng Jialan didn’t know.

It wasn’t until half a month later that he heard another piece of news—Ye Leyao had gone abroad.

Upon hearing this, Feng Jialan was perplexed.

Wasn’t Ye Leyao doing well in the entertainment industry? Why had he suddenly gone abroad?

Out of curiosity, Feng Jialan asked Huo Jing about it.

At that time, Huo Jing had just finished handling company matters and was about to leave for the day.

When he heard Feng Jialan’s question, Huo Jing froze in place.

For a long while, he didn’t say anything.

His reaction was so unusual that even someone unfamiliar with him would have noticed the sadness on his face.

Feng Jialan felt his heart tighten, and suddenly, something clicked in his mind. His pupils contracted sharply. “CEO Huo…”

Huo Jing changed the subject, “Let’s go. Time to head home.”

Feng Jialan felt as though something was stuck in his throat, but in the end, he said nothing and silently drove Huo Jing back to his residence.

That night, Feng Jialan had a nightmare.

In the dream, he hadn’t severed ties with his family. Not only had he been used by Feng Ziqi, but he had also been drained of every last bit of value by his father and stepmother.

It wasn’t until they kicked him out of the family that Feng Jialan finally woke up to the truth.

But by then, it was too late. Not only was Huo Jing disappointed in him, but even his colleagues at the company looked down on him.

With no other options, Huo Jing had him transferred to a branch office.

However, the branch office misinterpreted Huo Jing’s intentions and sent Feng Jialan to work on a project in Africa.

Feng Jialan was completely disheartened but didn’t refuse.

Life in Africa was harsh. Feng Jialan went to work every day, following the same routine, but life had lost all its flavor. He couldn’t see any hope for the future.

On the fifth time he stood on the rooftop, a child who looked remarkably like Ye Leyao suddenly appeared beside him. “Haven’t you ever grown strawberries?”

Feng Jialan was puzzled. “What strawberries?”

The little Ye Leyao shook his head and, after a long while, said, “It seems like there are quite a few bugs in the plot.”

Before Feng Jialan could ask anything more, little Ye Leyao suddenly flew away. “Time’s running out. I’ve got to go. Don’t worry, you won’t end up in Africa growing strawberries!”

With those words, little Ye Leyao disappeared, and Feng Jialan woke up with a start.

He remembered everything.

It wasn’t just a dream; it was a memory he had lost.

With the timeline now corrected, Feng Jialan’s heart started racing.

At six in the morning, he called Huo Jing.

The phone rang, but there was no answer.

The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became. Without hesitation, he got up, grabbed his keys, and drove to Huo Jing’s residence.

As Huo Jing’s assistant, he naturally had the code to his house. After entering the code and stepping inside, Feng Jialan’s brows furrowed immediately.

A strong smell of alcohol filled the air. In the living room, Huo Jing was sitting on the carpet, not even turning his head when he heard the door open.

Feng Jialan quickly approached, and when he met Huo Jing’s darkened eyes, his heart ached. “CEO Huo…”

Huo Jing stared at him for a few seconds before saying, “You remember too.”

It wasn’t a question; it was a statement.

Feng Jialan nodded firmly, his eyes reddening. “Little Master…”

“He’s gone,” Huo Jing said, this time not changing the subject.

“He’s gone home.”

Huo Jing looked up suddenly. His eyes, usually so deep and emotionless due to his cold personality, were now filled with sorrow.

Ye Leyao had been gone for a month.

During that time, Huo Jing’s parents hadn’t come to the office.

Huo Yan had withdrawn from his variety show and hadn’t joined any film projects. He had been resting at home.

Even Huo Ze had stayed at home for over half a month before returning to his esports team.

Only Huo Jing had taken just three days off before throwing himself back into work.

As the eldest son of the Huo family and the heir to the Huo Group, he was the only one who couldn’t afford to stop.

Last night was the first time in his life that Huo Jing had let go.

He had let the alcohol numb him, trying to forget his sadness.

But sadness couldn’t be numbed so easily with alcohol.

Looking at Huo Jing, Feng Jialan felt as though his heart was being squeezed painfully. He didn’t know why he felt so much sympathy for Huo Jing, but he followed his instincts.

He quickly moved closer and helped Huo Jing up. “Let me take you to your room. You should rest… not just today, but for the next few days.”

Huo Jing was exhausted.

He needed to rest.

For the first time, Feng Jialan took it upon himself to give Huo Jing a week off.

Every morning, Feng Jialan would arrive at the office early and handle all the tasks he could manage. For the documents that required Huo Jing’s decision, he would organize them and bring them to Huo Jing’s house after work for his signature.

For seven days in a row, Huo Jing’s condition visibly improved.

Feng Jialan was pleased and even decided to suggest to Huo Jing that he take a few more days off.

After all, the company’s workload wasn’t heavy, and a few days earlier, Huo Jing’s father had learned about his son’s break and had come to the office to help with things.

With Chairman Huo handling matters, there was no need for Huo Jing to be constantly on edge.

Everything was going according to plan, and Feng Jialan cheerfully pushed open the door to Huo Jing’s study—only to freeze in place.

It seemed that Huo Jing had just finished showering. His upper body was bare, with only a towel wrapped around his waist. When he heard the door open, he turned slightly, and a drop of water rolled down from his sharp, defined brow, tracing the lines of his face before falling onto his firm chest.

Feng Jialan stared at Huo Jing for a long moment before snapping back to his senses. He hurriedly stepped back, his face flushed red, and stammered, “I… CEO Huo… No… um, I’m sorry, I…”

The more he tried to explain, the more flustered he became. Finally, he simply turned around and slammed the door shut behind him.

But even though the door was closed, his heart kept pounding in his chest, as if it were about to leap out.

And just at that moment, to make things worse, Huo Jing opened the door again.

Feng Jialan was so startled that he stepped back once more, his face burning red as he looked at Huo Jing in disbelief. “CEO Huo… you…”

The next moment, Huo Jing quickly walked past him and opened the door to the room next door.

“I’m just getting dressed. Sorry about that.”

Feng Jialan: “…”

Ahhhhhh—what was I even thinking just now?!