After the Secrets of the Passerby Were Leaked, He Was Cherished by the Entire Family of Antagonists-Chapter 119

Feng Sheng’s family had returned to Jin City and partnered with several major enterprises, so they decided to throw a banquet to celebrate. Naturally, the Huo family was invited.

Knowing that Huo Yan had a good relationship with Feng Sheng, Huo Yan’s mother called him the day before to ask if he was planning to attend.

Without hesitation, Huo Yan declined.

Surprised, his mother asked him why.

Not one to hide things, Huo Yan briefly explained the awkward meeting he’d had with Feng Sheng.

Hearing this, his mother didn’t press the issue further.

Unexpectedly, on the day of the banquet, Feng Sheng called Huo Yan himself.

Seeing the caller ID, Huo Yan hesitated for a moment before answering.

As soon as he picked up, he heard Feng Sheng’s slightly agitated voice, “Seriously, Huo Yan, you’re not even going to attend our family’s banquet?”

Huo Yan’s brows furrowed deeply. Feng Sheng’s passive-aggressive tone irked him, so he coldly replied, “Why should I attend when your invitation lacks sincerity?”

With that, he hung up and promptly blocked Feng Sheng’s number.

Finally, peace and quiet.

Huo Yan picked up the script in front of him, but before he could even read two lines, another call came through—this time from an unfamiliar number.

Sighing, Huo Yan answered.

It was Feng Rui’s voice on the other end, “Huo Yan-ge, it’s me, Feng Rui.”

Unlike his brother, Feng Rui wasn’t to blame for the situation, so Huo Yan remained calm and asked, “What’s up?”

Feng Rui seemed relieved that Huo Yan wasn’t angry and laughed softly, “I just saw Uncle Huo and Aunt Lin at the banquet, even Jing-ge is here. Why didn’t you come, Huo Yan-ge?”

Ah, so it was the same question.

Huo Yan replied, “I rarely attend these kinds of events, and I had something else to take care of today.”

Feng Rui sounded a bit disappointed. “I see... Well, I won’t bother you then.”

After the call ended, Huo Yan decided to save Feng Rui’s number, then put his phone on silent and finally settled down to read his script.

---

The Feng family’s banquet passed, and soon after, it was the Lunar New Year.

That year, Qin Hongxi came to the Huo family’s New Year celebration, and Huo Jing brought along Feng Jialan. Huo Ze, however, had flown overseas with Ning Xu.

As they sat down to enjoy their New Year’s Eve dinner, conversation eventually shifted toward Huo Yan.

Qin Hongxi asked with a chuckle, “Is Second Brother still single this year?”

Huo Yan smiled wryly, “Uncle Qin, it’s New Year’s—can’t we talk about something more cheerful?”

The others couldn’t help but laugh.

Huo Yan’s father, initially not planning to say anything, eventually couldn’t resist and asked, “You’re not still hung up on Su Rui, are you?”

At the mention of that name, Ye Leyao couldn’t stifle his laughter, and the rest of the family struggled to keep straight faces.

Huo Yan’s expression darkened. “Dad! That was years ago! I wouldn’t even remember his name if you all didn’t keep bringing him up!”

The whole family burst into laughter.

Finally, Huo Yan’s mother gently said, “If you’ve truly forgotten, then maybe it’s time to stop closing yourself off from love?”

As the evening drew to a close, the warm atmosphere lingered.

It was then that Huo Yan spoke a rare moment of truth, “It’s not that I’ve closed myself off—I just haven’t met the right person yet.”

Hearing this, the others didn’t push him further.

After all, finding love depended on fate.

After dinner, Qin Yao took Ye Leyao outside to set off fireworks.

Before they left, Ye Leyao asked, “Second Brother, are you coming?”

Qin Yao glanced back at Huo Yan, “Do we really need a third wheel?”

Huo Yan deadpanned, “...You two, just get lost already.”

And with that, Qin Yao promptly took Ye Leyao outside.

Even from afar, Huo Yan could still hear Ye Leyao’s laughter echoing in the distance.

Feeling slightly tipsy from the wine, Huo Yan massaged his temples and decided to take a walk in the garden to clear his head.

But as soon as he stepped into the backyard, he saw Huo Jing standing behind Feng Jialan, holding him in a warm embrace, their heads resting together as they whispered sweet nothings to each other.

Huo Yan: “...”

Well then, it seemed like he was the one who needed to “get lost.”

That year, there was no snow on New Year’s Eve, so unable to stay in the house, Huo Yan left the villa for a walk.

The villa district was peaceful, with bright streetlights illuminating the paths.

Not long after he started walking, Huo Yan heard the sound of firecrackers behind him. When he turned around, he was surprised to see a familiar figure.

Their eyes met across the distance, and Huo Yan was the first to speak, “Feng Rui?”

Feng Rui smiled brightly and skipped over to him, “Huo Yan-ge!”

Only then did Huo Yan remember—the Feng family’s villa was in the same district as the Huo family’s old home. Since Huo Yan rarely stayed there after becoming an adult, he hadn’t run into Feng Rui before.

“Are you out here alone?” Huo Yan asked.

Feng Rui nodded, still smiling. “Yeah, we had some guests over, and it got a little noisy, so I decided to go for a walk.”

Huo Yan nodded in understanding. “I’m out for a walk too.”

With the cold wind blowing, standing around wasn’t exactly comfortable, so the two decided to walk together.

As they strolled, an uninvited guest appeared in the distance.

Even from afar, Huo Yan recognized Feng Sheng.

Feng Rui noticed Huo Yan’s sudden pause and looked in the same direction. When he saw his brother, his face changed slightly. “That’s... my brother.”

Huo Yan gave a barely noticeable nod, but he had no intention of going over to greet Feng Sheng. He turned to Feng Rui and said, “It’s getting late—I should head back.”

Feng Rui opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, no words came out. He could only watch as Huo Yan turned and walked away.

Once Huo Yan’s figure had disappeared, Feng Sheng strolled up to his brother, his tone indifferent. “See? He doesn’t want anything to do with you, but you keep chasing after him...”

Before he could finish, Feng Sheng glanced down and saw his little brother’s face covered in tears.

Startled, Feng Sheng asked, “Why are you crying?”

Feng Rui, his voice thick with sobs, glared at Feng Sheng. “Do you really not know why Huo Yan-ge won’t talk to me?!”

That night, a major family dispute erupted in the Feng household.

The cause? Feng Sheng had made Feng Rui cry, and their entire family turned against him for it.

Feng Rui sat on the sofa, eyes red and puffy, while their mother sat beside him, gently wiping his tears and soothing him, “It’s okay, don’t cry anymore, alright?”

Meanwhile, their father glared at his eldest son. “See? I warned you before to stop meddling in Xiao Rui’s business, but no, you had to interfere! Now look what you’ve done—Huo Yan’s blocked your number!”

Feng Sheng, equally furious, retorted, “And you think I don’t have a problem with him? It’s already generous of me to let Xiao Rui keep seeing him!”

Hearing this, Feng Rui cried even harder.

“Feng Sheng!” Their mother’s patience finally snapped, and she scolded, “What exactly do

you think you’re doing?”

Seeing his brother so upset, Feng Sheng felt a twinge of guilt and looked away. “I just don’t think Huo Yan is good enough for my brother...”

“Since when is it your place to decide that?” their mother shot back, full of anger.

Their father added, “Relationships are between two people. What right do you have to interfere?”

“But Huo Yan is ten years older than him...” Feng Sheng muttered.

“So what if he’s older? As long as he’s a good person, truly loves Xiao Rui, and treats him well, isn’t that all that matters?” their mother reasoned.

Of course, Feng Sheng knew this, but it didn’t change the fact that he felt Huo Yan wasn’t worthy of his little brother.

“Enough,” their mother said, her tone icy. “You are not to interfere in Xiao Rui’s love life from now on. And make time to apologize to Huo Yan.”

Feng Sheng’s eyes widened. “What? Why do I have to apologize?”

Their father shot him a glare. “He refused to even attend our banquet, and you still don’t know why?”

Feng Sheng fell silent.

When he looked back at his brother, he saw that Feng Rui was still crying.

It wasn’t like Feng Rui to cry, especially not in front of the whole family.

Seeing his little brother like this, Feng Sheng couldn’t help but feel bad.

After a long pause, he asked softly, “Xiao Rui, do you really like Huo Yan?”

Feng Rui rubbed his eyes, trying to stop the tears, but they just wouldn’t stop.

“If I didn’t like him... do you think I’d be this upset?” Feng Rui’s voice was hoarse from crying.

Feng Sheng sighed. Even though he still struggled to accept it, he couldn’t stand to see his brother so heartbroken.

After a long silence, he finally said, “Alright. I’ll apologize to Huo Yan tomorrow.”

Only then did Feng Rui stop crying.

---

The next morning, on the first day of the new year, Feng Rui woke up with swollen eyes.

Their mother had already prepared New Year’s gifts for them to bring to the Huo family, and she handed them to Feng Sheng.

With gifts in hand, Feng Sheng and Feng Rui made their way to the Huo family’s house.

Since Huo Yan had stayed up late the night before, he naturally slept in that morning.

He hadn’t expected to be woken up so early by a knock on his door.

From the other side, he heard Ye Leyao’s voice, “Second Brother, are you still asleep?”

Qin Yao added, “Looks like he is.”

Then Huo Jing’s voice chimed in, “Still not up yet?”

“There’s no sound coming from inside,” Ye Leyao reported.

Huo Jing, not one for patience, reached out and turned the doorknob.

Huo Yan sighed heavily. “I’m awake. What’s going on?”

Hearing that he was finally awake, Ye Leyao laughed mischievously, holding Huo Jing back, “You’ll find out when you come downstairs, Second Brother!”

With that, Ye Leyao led the others downstairs.

Visit freewebnoveℓ.com for the best novel reading exp𝒆rience.

Huo Yan knew that if it weren’t something important, they wouldn’t have come to wake him. But Ye Leyao’s strange chuckle made him feel a bit wary.

Not one to dawdle, Huo Yan quickly got ready and headed downstairs.

When he entered the living room, he was met with two unexpected faces.

His gaze first fell on Feng Sheng, but he only spared him a brief glance before his eyes shifted to Feng Rui, whose eyes were swollen and red.

Huo Yan’s brow furrowed slightly.

Seeing Huo Yan come downstairs, his mother waved him over, “Second Brother, come here. Xiao Sheng and Xiao Rui have come to visit.”

Huo Yan walked over and sat beside his mother.

Feng Sheng, who had managed to suppress his anger earlier, found it flaring up again. But he took a deep breath, reminding himself not to upset his brother again, and forced a smile. “Why are you up so late?”

But Huo Yan didn’t even look at him, instead turning to Feng Rui. “What happened to your eyes?”

Feng Rui, surprised that Huo Yan had asked him directly, blinked in shock before hurriedly covering his eyes in embarrassment. “I... I had an allergic reaction.”

“You were fine last night,” Huo Yan pointed out.

Feng Rui mumbled, “It started when I got home...”

Whether Huo Yan believed him or not was unclear, but he didn’t press further. He glanced briefly at Feng Sheng before standing up.

It wasn’t until Huo Yan walked away that Feng Sheng realized he had been completely ignored.

The Feng family had always been on good terms with the Huo family, and Feng Sheng had grown up under the watchful eyes of Huo Yan’s parents, so he felt no discomfort in the Huo household. When Huo Yan left, he simply stood up and followed him.

“Hey, Huo Yan, wait up!” Feng Sheng called after him.

Huo Yan’s mother watched the two men walk away, then exchanged a knowing glance with Ye Leyao.

Ye Leyao blinked at her, clearly signaling that something was up.

Her smile widened as she pulled Feng Rui to sit beside her and began to gently probe him about his feelings toward Huo Yan.

But she hadn’t even finished her first question before Feng Rui’s face turned bright red.

Perfect. There was no need to ask anything more—everyone in the room understood.

Ye Leyao leaned over to Qin Yao and whispered, “No wonder Feng Sheng can’t stand my Second Brother!”

Qin Yao grinned, as if he had just realized something.

Curious, Ye Leyao asked, “What’s so funny?”

Qin Yao leaned in close and whispered back, “Your Second Brother couldn’t stand me at first, either. It’s only natural.”

Unable to contain himself, Ye Leyao burst out laughing.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the house, Feng Sheng had followed Huo Yan into a storage room, where he found him rummaging through a medicine cabinet.

Confused, Feng Sheng asked, “What are you looking for? Wait, don’t tell me you’ve got some hidden illness or something?”

He even considered suggesting that Huo Yan get a check-up.

But before he could continue, Huo Yan turned around and said coldly, “Why are you following me, Feng Da-gongzi?”

Feng Sheng: “...”

Alright, this was clearly payback for the sarcastic remarks he had made before.

Taking a deep breath, Feng Sheng said, “I was wrong the other day.”

Huo Yan scoffed, “Oh, how rare—Feng Shao actually knows how to apologize.”

Feng Sheng: “...”

“Fine! I admit it! I was wrong! Can we just talk like normal people now?” Feng Sheng grabbed Huo Yan’s arm in frustration.

Huo Yan shook off his grip and pulled out a box of allergy medicine.

Feng Sheng stared at the red-and-white box. “What’s that for?”

Without answering, Huo Yan strode back to the living room and placed the box in front of Feng Rui. “Did you take any allergy medicine?”

Sitting beside Huo Yan’s mother, Feng Rui’s heart started to race as he looked down at the medicine box in front of him.

Feng Sheng, standing nearby, wore a complicated expression.

Everyone in the room turned to look at them, but as experienced observers of drama, no one said a word.

Feng Rui’s ears turned red, and he mumbled, “I... I already took some.”

Of course, his red eyes had nothing to do with allergies and everything to do with crying.

But Feng Rui had no intention of admitting that he had cried because of Feng Sheng.

Huo Yan didn’t question it. “Hold onto this. Your eyes are still swollen—take another pill after lunch.”

Feng Rui nodded, quickly taking the medicine box.

Feng Sheng watched the interaction, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he struggled to find the words to say.

As his parents had told him, relationships were a matter between two people.

If Feng Rui liked Huo Yan, and if Huo Yan was a good person who treated him well, that should be enough.

Coming to terms with this, Feng Sheng let out a long sigh and tried to convince himself that it wasn’t such a bad thing. After all, Huo Yan was someone he had grown up with, someone he knew well. That was better than some stranger from the outside world.

After exchanging New Year’s greetings, the Feng brothers didn’t stay long. It really did seem like they had just come to pay their respects.

But for some reason, Huo Yan felt that something was off after that day. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but in the days following the New Year, it seemed like his entire family was acting a little strange.

Every time he caught them whispering, they would just laugh and insist it was nothing when he asked what they were talking about.

After being brushed off a couple of times, Huo Yan decided not to ask anymore.

---

After the New Year, Huo Yan returned to filming.

His fans were thrilled to see him back on set after a year-long break. On the first day of filming, they not only came to support him but also prepared gifts for the entire crew.

Not wanting his fans to go to such trouble, Huo Yan had his assistant distribute red envelopes to all the fans who came to the set.

The assistant had just finished handing out the red envelopes when he returned, looking slightly surprised.

Huo Yan raised an eyebrow

. “That was fast...”

“Uh, Huo-ge, there’s someone here to see you,” the assistant said.

Looking up, Huo Yan’s eyes met Feng Rui’s bright, shining gaze.

“Huo Yan-ge!” Feng Rui waved at him with a big smile.

Surprised, Huo Yan asked, “What are you doing here?”

Carrying a carefully wrapped gift, Feng Rui walked over quickly and said, “I heard today was the first day of your new project, so I came to visit the set. And I brought you a gift.”

Huo Yan didn’t reach for the gift. “You didn’t need to bring anything...”

But before he could finish, Feng Rui smiled shyly and said, “It’s a return gift!”

Huo Yan blinked in confusion. “Huh?”

Still a bit embarrassed, Feng Rui clarified, “For the allergy medicine.”

Realizing what he meant, Huo Yan chuckled. Since Feng Rui had gone out of his way, it would be rude to refuse, so Huo Yan accepted the gift and thanked him sincerely, promising to treat him to dinner sometime.

Feng Rui happily agreed, then asked if he could stay and watch the filming for a while.

Huo Yan saw no reason to refuse.

But what he hadn’t expected was for Feng Rui to stay the entire day.

By the time Huo Yan wrapped up filming and returned to the dressing room to remove his makeup, he found Feng Rui fast asleep in a chair.

Looking to his assistant for an explanation, the assistant whispered, “I tried to get him to leave, but he wouldn’t go.”

Huo Yan sighed, but still went over and gently woke Feng Rui up. After making sure he had already eaten, Huo Yan had a driver take Feng Rui home.

He thought that would be the end of it, but the next day, Feng Rui came back.

Not only the second day—he returned on the third day, and the fourth, and continued visiting the set for seven days straight.

It was only after a week of this that Huo Yan began to sense that something was amiss.

Feng Rui’s timing was always impeccable—he would arrive just before Huo Yan’s first scene of the day, greet him, and then quietly settle in to watch the filming.

Sometimes, during breaks, Huo Yan would catch glimpses of Feng Rui chatting with his assistant or the crew members.

At lunchtime, Feng Rui would eat with them, sharing the same boxed meals as the rest of the crew.

If he got tired, he would ask the assistant for permission to nap in Huo Yan’s dressing room.

There was a lounge chair in Huo Yan’s dressing room that Huo Yan never used because he was always filming. Despite Huo Yan telling Feng Rui several times to sleep on the chair, Feng Rui stubbornly refused.

One evening, they were shooting a night scene.

Before filming began, Huo Yan instructed his assistant to make sure Feng Rui was sent home early.

But to Huo Yan’s surprise, when he returned to his dressing room at 4 a.m. after wrapping up, Feng Rui was still there.

Winter hadn’t fully passed yet, and although the dressing room was heated, it was still chilly.

This time, Feng Rui wasn’t sleeping at the desk. Instead, he had curled up on Huo Yan’s lounge chair, a thin blanket draped over him as he slept soundly.

Huo Yan instinctively walked over quietly, his eyes falling on Feng Rui’s sleeping face.

His long eyelashes cast delicate shadows under his eyes, his features refined, his skin pale.

Feng Rui had only been visiting the set for a week, but the director had already asked Huo Yan several times if he could convince him to do a cameo in the show.

The director had said, “With a face this good-looking, it’s a shame he’s not acting.”

Remembering this, Huo Yan couldn’t help but smile softly.

When Feng Rui had first started visiting, Huo Yan hadn’t given much thought to why he was coming to the set.

But now, as he watched Feng Rui sleep, he finally understood.

From the beginning, he had always seen Feng Rui as a younger brother. He had never considered the possibility that Feng Rui might see him as something more.

Perhaps it was time to have an open conversation with him.

But today wasn’t the right time.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Huo Yan gently woke Feng Rui.

Still groggy from sleep, Feng Rui sat up, his soft hair tousled from his nap. It wasn’t until Huo Yan called his name again that he fully woke up. “It’s so late... I can’t go home now...”

Huo Yan watched him.

Feng Rui’s face flushed slightly. “Could you... drop me off at the nearest hotel?”

Huo Yan sighed internally.

All the nearby hotels had been booked out by the production crew, and paparazzi were lurking around every corner.

Huo Yan was sure that if he dropped Feng Rui off at a hotel tonight, they’d both be on the front page by tomorrow morning.

“Come to my place,” Huo Yan said.

Then, he explained, “There are too many paparazzi around the hotels, and my house isn’t far from here.”

Feng Rui’s face turned even redder, and he quickly nodded.

Huo Yan added, “I’ll have the housekeeper prepare a room for you. You can head home tomorrow morning when you wake up.”

Feng Rui understood. “You’re not staying at home?”

Huo Yan replied, “I have a shoot out of town tomorrow.”

His flight had been scheduled for the next morning, but to avoid any misunderstandings, he could fly out tonight instead.

Feng Rui stared at him for a moment, then nodded slowly. “Oh.”

Huo Yan watched him for a few seconds longer but didn’t say anything else.

He arranged for the driver to take Feng Rui to his house and then headed to the airport himself.

Once at the airport, Huo Yan sent a quick message to Feng Sheng, asking him to pick up Feng Rui from his house the next morning.

The next day, when Huo Yan woke up and arrived at the shoot location, he turned on his phone to find dozens of missed calls and messages—all from Feng Sheng.

“?”

“You bastard!”

“You’re done for!”

“Wait... You just left my brother at your place?”

“Huo Yan—”

“Are you even human?!”

Huo Yan finally replied, “Are you okay?”

As soon as he sent the message, Feng Sheng called him.

Huo Yan hesitated for a moment before answering, “What’s up?”

“What’s up? WHAT’S UP?! Do you even know what my brother—”

“I know,” Huo Yan interrupted, adding calmly, “I found out yesterday.”

Feng Sheng, frustrated, yelled, “And yet—”

“Didn’t you say you didn’t want me hanging around your brother?” Huo Yan interrupted again, now fully understanding everything that had happened before.

Now that he knew what Feng Rui’s intentions were, all the pieces fell into place—why Feng Sheng had been so cold toward him, why he had been so angry during that phone call, why he had reacted so strongly when they first met after Feng Rui returned.

Hearing Huo Yan’s words, Feng Sheng’s anger evaporated. “I... okay, fine. I admit I was being a jerk back then, but—”

“Feng Sheng, your brother is ten years younger than me,” Huo Yan said, his voice calm and serious.

“I know that!” Feng Sheng snapped. “But he likes you! What do you want me to do about it?”

Huo Yan fell silent for a long time before finally saying, “I’ll talk to him.”

“That’s not going to change anything,” Feng Sheng muttered through gritted teeth.

Huo Yan replied, “We still need to talk.”

He knew that this kind of situation couldn’t be dragged out.

Every day he let things continue without addressing them was another day wasted for Feng Rui.

So, after finishing his shoot, Huo Yan took two days off and arranged to meet with Feng Rui.

Feng Rui, not expecting Huo Yan to ask him out, was so excited that when they met the next day, Huo Yan could immediately tell he had put a lot of effort into his appearance.

Not just that day, either.

During the past week, Feng Rui had shown up to the set every day with a carefully styled look.

At the time, Huo Yan hadn’t thought much of it and hadn’t considered the deeper meaning behind Feng Rui’s grooming.

But now, meeting him again, Huo Yan understood.

His eyes met Feng Rui’s bright, eager gaze, and he took a moment to look him over.

Truth be told, Feng Rui was exactly Huo Yan’s type.

But did that mean they were truly right for each other?

Across the table, Feng Rui sat nervously.

Huo Yan stared at him, once again getting lost in those warm, pure eyes.

A wave of emotion stirred within him, rippling across his heart.

All the carefully planned words he had prepared were suddenly thrown out the window.

In that moment, Huo Yan found his own behavior from the past two days almost laughable.

What had he been thinking, making such lofty excuses about their age difference?

He had to admit—he had been putting on a bit of a show.

Now that he had gathered his thoughts, Huo Yan looked at Feng Rui and, instead of saying, “We’re not a good match,” he asked, “What is it about me that you like?”

Feng Rui’s eyes widened like a startled deer, his face flushing with embarrassment. After a long pause, he finally lowered his head and whispered, “I... I’ve liked you for a long time.”

Just

as Huo Yan had been straightforward, Feng Rui had never intended to hide his feelings.

That’s why, the moment he returned to China, he had sought Huo Yan out.

Even their “chance meeting” on New Year’s Eve had been orchestrated—Feng Rui had stood out in the cold for an hour, waiting for the moment he’d finally run into Huo Yan.

When had these feelings first started?

Meeting Huo Yan’s gaze, Feng Rui answered earnestly, “Five years ago.” He quickly clarified, “It wasn’t because of your work—I got to know you through my brother.”

From Feng Sheng, Feng Rui had heard stories about Huo Yan—how he was funny, considerate, and even more charming than his on-screen persona.

So, in the early days of his teenage crush, Feng Rui had already given his heart away.

And then he had spent five years confirming those feelings.

Luckily, Feng Rui had been more fortunate than most. Even though he had arrived late, he still made it to Huo Yan’s side.

He and Huo Yan were well-matched in every way, and his older brother was one of Huo Yan’s best friends. That’s how he managed to stage that first “coincidence” after returning to China.

And, fortunately, Huo Yan wasn’t entirely unaffected by Feng Rui’s charm.

Feng Rui had come into Huo Yan’s life to love him.

He had knocked on the door of Huo Yan’s long-shut heart, casting a stone into the still waters of his soul and sending ripples across the surface.

Their story had only just begun, but it was far from over.

**[End of Huo Yan’s Side Story]**

---

Thank you for reading!