ASPWL Ch115: Feng Jialan X Huo Jing

The first time Feng Jialan met Huo Jing was at the school’s welcome speech event. 

At that time, Huo Jing had just turned seventeen and was the representative for their class of new students. Feng Jialan, as the outstanding student representative for the senior year, was going to give a speech alongside Huo Jing.

In the backstage area, students were coming and going, and a few girls were gossiping together. Feng Jialan happened to overhear a few sentences and learned that Huo Jing was the eldest son of the Huo family. 

At just seventeen, he had already entered the upper management of the company. Before even starting at the university, Huo Jing had already become a prominent figure at their school.

However, such a prodigy was destined to have no connection with him, so Feng Jialan didn’t pay much attention to this first meeting.

After the speech, he hurriedly left the school because he had an important interview scheduled for later.

Even though Feng Jialan graduated from a prestigious university, his degree wasn’t enough in the competitive job market of Jin City. 

To be cautious, he first submitted his resume to a newly established entertainment company. Although the company was small, it had great potential and didn’t have strict requirements regarding educational background. More importantly, it offered a high salary.

Just after graduation, Feng Jialan was particularly focused on money.

Perhaps it was due to this persistence that he managed to stand out from the ten or so interns and successfully became a regular employee.

After working diligently at the company for about half a year, Feng Jialan received his first promotion opportunity.

He was very excited about this and, after packing his things, went to the top-floor assistant department, where he met Huo Jing for the second time.

Huo Jing was wearing a well-tailored suit and holding an iPad, reviewing documents. The CEO of the company was standing next to him, slightly bowing, answering Huo Jing’s questions patiently.

It was at this moment that Feng Jialan realized that the company he had joined was the entertainment company that Huo Jing had founded. However, Huo Jing usually worked at the parent company and didn’t often visit this branch.

After a brief glance, Feng Jialan withdrew his gaze and followed the secretary to his desk.

Huo Jing didn’t notice him. After a few more words with the CEO, he left.

After this day, Huo Jing didn’t come to the company again. It wasn’t until a month later, at an investment promotion meeting, that Feng Jialan met him for the third time.

Huo Jing was still wearing the same suit, sitting in the main seat, calmly watching the company’s employees perform. He moved smoothly between the various socializing activities, drinking and chatting with others. Though Huo Jing didn’t drink excessively, the alcohol seemed to have flushed his face red because of his young age.

More and more people came to offer him drinks, and his secretary, standing by his side, had already drunk a little too much.

Someone had refilled Huo Jing’s glass, and the noise around him grew louder. Huo Jing frowned, about to speak, when a hand suddenly reached over, took his drink, and subtly pushed him back.

Feng Jialan, though shorter than Huo Jing by half a head, stood firmly in front of him. With a smile, he drank the glass of wine for Huo Jing and continued to chat smoothly with the investors he couldn’t afford to offend.

The secretary gave Feng Jialan a thumbs up.

It was then that Huo Jing noticed that the assistant in front of him looked somewhat familiar.

After thinking for a moment, Huo Jing remembered that he had seen Feng Jialan before, as a senior at the university.

After the event, Feng Jialan was praised by the secretary, who remarked on his quick thinking and good judgment. What surprised Feng Jialan even more was that Huo Jing had specifically instructed the secretary to give him an additional bonus that month.

Soon, the secretary department began to spread the news that Feng Jialan had caught the attention of Huo Jing, and it was only a matter of time before he would rise to great heights.

Feng Jialan had been in the workplace for over half a year and was very familiar with the intrigue and competition in the office. But despite all his precautions, he still fell victim to a rumor. By the time he realized it, the gossip had spread like wildfire, with everyone in the company knowing about it.

Even the secretary couldn’t help but pass the matter along to the office.

With his eyes a little red, Feng Jialan earnestly asked the secretary, “Do you not believe me either?”

The secretary looked at him for a long time before sighing. “It’s not that I don’t believe you; it’s just that words can be very powerful…”

Feng Jialan knew all too well that words could be powerful, especially in the case of Huo Jing. If Huo Jing found out about this, what future would he have?

Feng Jialan didn’t know, but he wasn’t going to quit just because of an unfounded rumor. The only thing he could do was continue to do his job well.

A week passed, and the rumor still hadn’t completely died down. At this moment, Huo Jing returned to the company.

Feng Jialan suddenly felt uneasy. He knew that a person with a clean conscience would remain clean, but this rumor had started because of him. What should he do?

Just as he was feeling anxious, the secretary called out, “Assistant Feng, Mr. Huo is looking for you.”

With those few short words, Feng Jialan took a deep breath and walked into the office.

Huo Jing was sitting at his desk, looking at a document. He glanced up when he heard the noise and said to Feng Jialan, “Sit.”

Feng Jialan didn’t dare sit. He hesitated for a while before saying, “Mr. Huo, I…”

He gritted his teeth and, after holding back for nearly a week, finally spoke, “The rumor in the company… it really wasn’t spread by me, I…”

“I know.” Huo Jing suddenly interrupted Feng Jialan.

Feng Jialan was stunned, and his words got stuck in his throat. He stared at Huo Jing, momentarily stunned, before finally saying, “Then why did you ask for me…”

Huo Jing stared at Feng Jialan for a moment. Feng Jialan couldn’t tell if it was his illusion, but he thought he saw a flash of a smile in Huo Jing’s eyes.

“If the rumor really did spread, it should have been circulating a month ago,” Huo Jing said.

Feng Jialan was momentarily stunned.

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

Only then did Feng Jialan realize that Huo Jing had recognized him long ago. He felt as if the stone weighing on his heart had finally fallen to the ground, and he gave Huo Jing a forced smile.

Huo Jing then explained why he had called Feng Jialan in—not for personal reasons, but for work. 

Feng Jialan’s work ability was outstanding and well-recognized, and recently, there had been a vacancy in the assistant department of the company. Huo Jing had arranged for himself to fill the spot, and the secretary department recommended Feng Jialan because Huo Jing was also impressed by his work performance.

In fact, if the company’s rumors were true, Feng Jialan had been promoted again.

After entering the company, Feng Jialan had more opportunities to meet with Huo Jing.

However, their interactions were still limited to work.

It wasn’t until three years later, when Huo Jing officially became the company’s president, that Feng Jialan, who had been working closely with him, was promoted to the position of president’s assistant.

After that, Feng Jialan’s position remained unchanged. He stayed by Huo Jing’s side for six years.

In the beginning, Feng Jialan always worked with great dedication, afraid of making any mistakes. But as time passed, he gradually realized that he didn’t have to worry too much. Although Huo Jing had high standards, he wasn’t overly harsh.

If a mistake was made, it would usually result in a slight deduction of salary or bonus. To avoid such deductions, Feng Jialan still tried his best to avoid mistakes.

The only change was that, at first, Feng Jialan only discussed work with Huo Jing, but after a few years, he occasionally started chatting with Huo Jing about personal matters during their work hours. Sometimes it was about something happy that had happened recently, and other times, it was about worries or troubles.

Huo Jing was a great listener. Most of the time, he didn’t say much and just listened.

Only when Feng Jialan expressed his frustrations would Huo Jing occasionally offer a few pieces of advice or even step in to help resolve the issue.

It was Huo Jing who helped arrange resources for Feng Ziqi when he entered the industry.

Feng Jialan was very grateful for this but also felt a bit ashamed. He secretly decided that he wouldn’t casually ask Huo Jing for favors concerning Feng Ziqi anymore. It was good to have Huo Jing’s help, but after all, Huo Jing was his superior, and he was getting paid by Huo Jing—he couldn’t keep bothering him.

However, Feng Jialan never expected that he wouldn’t be the one to trouble Huo Jing. His younger brother, whom he had always cared for, would bring him trouble—trouble that was no small matter.

The situation was so serious that even if Huo Jing had fired Feng Jialan on the spot, Feng Jialan would not have complained.

But what surprised Feng Jialan was that Huo Jing didn’t do that. He even gave Feng Jialan a week off to adjust his mood.

Before leaving, Huo Jing glanced at him, took out a clean handkerchief, and handed it to him.

Feng Jialan stared at the handkerchief in front of him, stunned, and didn’t reach out to take it for a long time.

Huo Jing looked at him for a moment, sighed, and suddenly reached out to take Feng Jialan’s hand, placing the handkerchief in his palm. “Take a good rest, adjust your mood, and come back to work when you’re ready. No need to rush.”

It wasn’t until Huo Jing had left for quite some time that Feng Jialan realized he had actually shed tears.

He hadn’t cried when working late into the night with so much pressure, only sleeping three hours a day. So why did he cry now? Especially in front of his boss—how embarrassing!

But despite these thoughts, Feng Jialan couldn’t stop his tears, which flowed down uncontrollably.

In the end, the handkerchief Huo Jing had given him was completely soaked with his tears.

Perhaps it was because he had cried earlier that, when he was scolded by the three elders in the hospital, Feng Jialan remained calm.

When he finally decided to cut ties with them, there was not a hint of reluctance.

Feng Jialan was no longer the naive person he used to be. After six years of working beside Huo Jing, he became decisive and swift in handling matters. It only took him one day to cut ties with his father, stepmother, and Feng Ziqi. He even notified everyone who knew about his relationship with Feng Ziqi, completely severing any future connections for Feng Ziqi.

After doing all this, Feng Jialan lay in his rented apartment, knowing that from now on, he could only plan for himself.

The handkerchief that Huo Jing had given him was washed clean, but since it was something he had used, Feng Jialan couldn’t return it to Huo Jing. Instead, he bought a tie clip of equivalent value and gave it to Huo Jing.

When Huo Jing received the gift, he was a bit surprised, but he didn’t refuse Feng Jialan’s gesture and even told him that the previous matter had been thanks to Ye Leyao’s help.

So, Feng Jialan visited the Huo family again and personally thanked Ye Leyao.

After this incident, Feng Jialan wasn’t sure if it was his illusion, but he felt that his relationship with Huo Jing seemed to have become closer. It was no longer just a simple superior-subordinate relationship, but not an ambiguous one either. Their interactions felt more like two friends who could talk about anything.

Feng Jialan still shared his daily life with Huo Jing, and although Huo Jing didn’t talk much, he no longer kept quiet about everything. They would occasionally talk about Ye Leyao as well.

When Ye Leyao was mentioned, Feng Jialan became happy.

He was even more focused on Ye Leyao’s career development than Huo Jing was.

After the first episode of Ye Leyao’s variety show aired, Feng Jialan specifically reviewed the data for that episode and then re-planned a development path for Ye Leyao.

Huo Jing was very satisfied with the development plan and decided to discuss it with Ye Leyao in detail after some time.

However, what Feng Jialan didn’t expect was that the development plan stayed in Huo Jing’s office for two weeks and was never taken home.

Feng Jialan remembered clearly that it was the last day of August. On that day, Huo Jing didn’t come to the company, and Feng Jialan temporarily handled the business in his place.

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

Therefore, Feng Jialan consolidated these documents and sent them to Huo Jing’s email at noon.

Normally, Huo Jing would handle the emails soon after they were sent, but that day, Feng Jialan waited until after work without receiving a response.

One of the documents needed to be replied to by the next morning, so it was urgent. With no other choice, Feng Jialan called Huo Jing.

The call went through, but there was a lot of noise on the other end, and Feng Jialan even heard a sobbing sound.

His heart suddenly tightened, and he instinctively asked, “President Huo, what happened?”

There was no reply on the other end.

Feng Jialan asked again, “President Huo? What happened?!”

Still, Huo Jing didn’t speak.

Unable to hold back, Feng Jialan asked, “Where are you right now? I’ll come over immediately…”

“…No need,” Huo Jing’s voice sounded hoarse, as if the words were forced out from deep in his throat. He repeated, “No need, do you need me to sign a document?”

Feng Jialan furrowed his brows but didn’t ask further. He only said, “Yes, I’ll bring the documents to you.”

Huo Jing said, “Mm, bring them to the old house.”

The call ended.

Even though Huo Jing had said it was fine, after spending more time together, Feng Jialan could sense something was wrong. He knew something major must have happened, but since Huo Jing didn’t want to talk, as an assistant, Feng Jialan didn’t dare to pry too much.

That day, it was pouring rain. Feng Jialan took the prepared documents and went to Huo Jing’s family’s old house.

Since the documents were needed the next morning, Feng Jialan didn’t leave and waited at Huo Jing’s place for him.

What he didn’t expect was that he ended up waiting until late at night.

It wasn’t until around 1 or 2 AM that Huo Jing finally returned home, looking disheveled.

Upon seeing Feng Jialan in the living room, they were all a bit surprised.

The lights were bright, and Feng Jialan could immediately tell something was wrong. Everyone’s eyes were red, their faces pale, as if they had gone through a great shock.

Including Huo Jing, who usually kept his emotions in check—his usually deep eyes were swollen and bloodshot, his lips pale, his clothes wet and clinging to his body, looking particularly disheveled.

Feng Jialan felt his heart tighten.

He could have asked, but he stayed silent, saying nothing and not probing, just handing over the documents when Huo Jing spoke.

Huo Jing, wet and disheveled, sat on the sofa, quickly flipping through the documents. His face showed an expression of sadness that seemed on the verge of overflowing, but he still glanced at the documents as if nothing was wrong.

The other people in the house had already gone upstairs to rest.

A gust of wind blew in, and Feng Jialan noticed Huo Jing’s fingers tremble slightly.

Unable to hold back, Feng Jialan said, “Actually… we can sign this tomorrow.”

Huo Jing paused for a moment.

Feng Jialan quickly reached out and took the documents from Huo Jing’s hands. “I’ll come back tomorrow morning to see you, President Huo. You should go rest and take a shower.”

Huo Jing lowered his head. His damp eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes, and his throat moved slightly. He hoarsely said, “Sorry, today…”

“No problem,” Feng Jialan smiled at Huo Jing. “President Huo, your health is more important.”

Huo Jing stood up and hesitated before saying, “Stay in the guest room tonight, so you don’t have to make another trip tomorrow.”

Feng Jialan didn’t refuse Huo Jing’s kindness.

The butler took him to the guest room to rest, and just as the door was about to close, Feng Jialan couldn’t help but ask, “Do you know what exactly happened?”

The butler hesitated for a moment, sighed deeply, and shook his head. He wasn’t sure either.

Feng Jialan didn’t ask any further.

The next morning, Feng Jialan woke up early.

However, Huo Jing was already up before him. As soon as Feng Jialan came out, Huo Jing asked, “Where are the documents?”

Feng Jialan handed him the documents.

The chef had prepared breakfast, and Huo Jing told Feng Jialan to eat first while he sat at the table, quickly going over the documents and signing them.

But despite the breakfast placed in front of him, Huo Jing didn’t touch it.

“Do you have any important appointments today?” Huo Jing asked.

Feng Jialan glanced at the breakfast in front of Huo Jing, hesitated for a moment, and replied, “President Huo, aren’t you hungry?”

Huo Jing shook his head.

Feng Jialan then briefly outlined the schedule for the day.

Huo Jing thought for a moment before saying, “The important meeting is postponed… I won’t be back to the company for another three days. It’s been hard on you these past few days.”

Feng Jialan nodded, as this was part of his job.

Three days later, when Huo Jing returned to the company, everything seemed to be as usual, but Feng Jialan could still keenly sense the lingering sadness in Huo Jing’s eyes.

Having worked beside Huo Jing for so long, Feng Jialan had his own channels for information.

So, he heard that the Gu family had gone through a major upheaval. But what did the Gu family’s issues have to do with the Huo family?

Why was Huo Jing so sad that day?

Feng Jialan didn’t know.

It wasn’t until half a month later that Feng Jialan heard some news—Ye Leyao had gone abroad.

At first, Feng Jialan couldn’t understand this news.

Wasn’t Ye Leyao  doing well in the entertainment industry? Why did he suddenly leave the country?

Feng Jialan even asked Huo Jing about it.

Huo Jing had already finished his work and was preparing to leave for the day.
When he heard Feng Jialan’s question, he suddenly froze in place.

After a long while, Huo Jing didn’t speak.

His behavior was too abnormal, so much so that even someone who didn’t know Huo Jing could tell that his expression was filled with sorrow.
Feng Jialan felt his heart tighten as if it had been gripped by something, and he suddenly realized something. His pupils contracted sharply: “President Huo…”

Huo Jing changed the subject: “Let’s go; it’s time to head back.”

Feng Jialan felt as though his throat was blocked. In the end, he said nothing and silently escorted Huo Jing back to his place.

That night, Feng Jialan had a nightmare.

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

It wasn’t until he was kicked out of the Feng family that he woke up, realizing his mistakes.

But by then, it was too late. Not only was Huo Jing disappointed in him, but even the colleagues at the company had some negative opinions about him.

There was no choice but for Huo Jing to transfer him to a different branch.

However, the branch misunderstood Huo Jing’s intentions, and there happened to be a project in Africa. Feng Jialan was sent there.

Feng Jialan felt as though his soul was dead, but he didn’t refuse.
Life in Africa was tough. Feng Jialan followed the routine every day, but life was bland and meaningless, and he couldn’t see an end.

On his fifth time standing on the rooftop, a child who looked very much like Ye Leyao suddenly appeared beside him. “There are no strawberries?”

Feng Jialan was confused. “What strawberries?”

Little Ye Leyao shook his head, then after a long while said, “Looks like the plot has a lot of bugs.”

Before Feng Jialan could ask anything further, Little Ye Leyao suddenly flew up. “There’s not much time left; I’ll go first. Don’t worry, I won’t bring strawberries to Africa in the future!”

With that, Little Ye Leyao disappeared, and Feng Jialan woke up with a start.

He had woken up.

This wasn’t a dream; it was a lost memory.

The disordered timeline was corrected, and Feng Jialan’s heart began to race.

At six in the morning, he called Huo Jing.

The phone didn’t connect.

Feng Jialan grew more and more anxious, and decided to drive to Huo Jing’s place.

As Huo Jing’s assistant, he naturally had the password to his house. After entering, Feng Jialan furrowed his brows.

A strong smell of alcohol filled his nostrils. In the living room, Huo Jing was sitting on the carpet, and when he heard the noise at the door, he didn’t turn around.

Feng Jialan hurried forward and met Huo Jing’s dimmed gaze. His heart suddenly ached. “President Huo…”

Huo Jing stared at him for a few seconds, then said, “You’ve remembered too.”

His tone was declarative.

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

“Mm.” This time, Huo Jing didn’t change the topic.

Huo Jing said, “He’s gone.”

Huo Jing suddenly looked up. His eyes were deep, but because of his cold nature, there was usually little emotion in them.

However, at that moment, they were filled with sorrow.

Ye Leyao had been gone for a month.

During this month, Papa and Mama Huo hadn’t come to the company.
Huo Yan had withdrawn from his variety show and hadn’t joined any new projects, instead resting at home.

Even Huo Ze had stayed at home for more than half a month before returning to the team.

Only Huo Jing, the eldest son of the Huo family and the heir to Huo Group, couldn’t afford to rest.

The night before, it was the first time in his life that Huo Jing indulged himself.

He used alcohol to numb himself, trying to forget the sorrow in his heart.

But how could sorrow be easily numbed by alcohol?

Feng Jialan looked at Huo Jing, feeling his heart ache with every beat. He didn’t even know why he felt such pain for Huo Jing. He was just following his own feelings.

He quickly approached and helped Huo Jing up. “I’ll help you back to your room. Today… no, take a good rest for the next few days.”

Huo Jing was too tired.

He needed a good rest.

For the first time, Feng Jialan overstepped and gave Huo Jing a week off.

Every morning, Feng Jialan would go to the company to handle whatever he could, and for the files that required Huo Jing’s decisions, he would sort them out and wait until the end of the workday to drive to Huo Jing’s place to have him sign them.

For seven consecutive days, Huo Jing’s condition seemed better than before.

Feng Jialan was happy and even decided to discuss with Huo Jing again to let him rest a few more days.

Anyway, the company was not very busy lately. A few days ago, Papa Huo heard about his leave and came to the company to handle matters.

With Papa Huo around, there was no need for Huo Jing to keep working non-stop.

Feng Jialan had been planning this in his mind, happily opening the door to Huo Jing’s study. Then he froze in place.

Huo Jing seemed to have just finished showering, half-naked, wearing only a bath towel. Upon hearing the door open, he slightly turned his head. A drop of water slid down as he turned, flowing smoothly from his sharp and deep brows, across his face, and dripping onto his firm chest.

Feng Jialan stood stunned, staring at Huo Jing for a long time before snapping back to his senses. He quickly stepped back, his face completely red, his voice trembling, “I… President Huo… I wasn’t… I’m sorry, I…”

The more Feng Jialan tried to explain, the more flustered he became. He simply turned around and “bang!” slammed the study door shut.

Although the door was closed, his heart continued to race as though it might leap out of his chest.

At that critical moment, Huo Jing opened the study door.

Feng Jialan was startled and stepped back again, his face red as he looked at Huo Jing in disbelief. “President Huo…”

The next moment, Huo Jing turned around and quickly opened the door to the next room.

“I’ll change, sorry.”

Feng Jialan: “…”

Ahhhh—

What was he thinking just now?!