“He said last night, to stay…”
When Huo Kairan woke up, Huo Lin was already gone. Even though he felt he had risen quite early, he still hadn’t managed to catch up with the other man.
Before falling asleep last night, he had reviewed the day and realized he had once again failed to control his temper. So today, he had intended to salvage his image, but unexpectedly, Huo Lin had left even earlier.
Eight o’clock!
“Is he treating the company like home? Why not just live there?” Huo Kairan muttered quietly to the empty room.
With the target of his “conquest” absent, the young master rubbed his eyes, hesitating between going back to sleep for a while and taking action.
With less than a week left before the real young master returned home, he had to win over Huo Lin within this time and make him personally ask him to stay.
In the end, a sense of urgency triumphed over drowsiness. Huo Kairan took out his planning notebook, chewed on the pen cap for a long while, but couldn’t come up with any good ideas. In the end, he scribbled down:
First: Stay alert, don’t slack off. Huo Lin is only nice to me now because of blood ties. Once the real young master returns, everything will change.
Second: Make Huo Lin willing to be good to me even after finding out I’m a fake, and personally ask me to stay as the Huo family’s adopted son.
Hmm, the goals are clear.
Huo Kairan closed the little notebook.
But how exactly could he make Huo Lin develop feelings for him beyond blood ties?
Having zero experience in the art of “pleasing others,” the young master carefully combed his long hair straight after washing up, then slapped his overly pale face in the mirror until it looked rosier and more spirited.
He put on the longevity lock Huo Lin had given him nothing fancy, just the most ordinary and plain style, without even any patterns. Only five thin tassels hung below, adorned with rubies.
An identical lock, Huo Lin gave him one every year. He had accumulated a whole stack in his drawer, and in the past, he would toss them in without even looking, letting them gather dust at the bottom.
It was only yesterday, while packing his luggage, that he suddenly remembered and casually pulled one out.
Only then did he notice that on the back of the silver lock was engraved a string of incomprehensible letters.
His slender, pale fingers lightly touched the silver edge as he tilted his head in confusion. What language was this?
Never mind, it wasn’t important.
Huo Kairan changed his clothes and prepared to go out, tucking the keys from the entranceway into his pocket. As soon as he pulled open the door.
A man wearing frameless glasses stood outside, frozen in a knocking posture, as if he had been waiting for who knows how long, his nose tip red from the cold.
” Young Master, I am Assistant Sun, Mr. Huo’s assistant.”
Huo Kairan tilted his head slightly. “Assistant Sun, are you here to pick up my brother? He should have already gone to the company.”
Assistant Sun quickly smiled in response. “No, no. Mr. Huo instructed me to deliver breakfast your favorite from Chen Ji.”
Huo Kairan glanced at the food container in his arms. “Oh, then come in first.”
Once the container was opened, there was quite a variety, filling the entire table.
Assistant Sun sat down opposite Huo Kairan, his glasses fogged up slightly, hands resting on his knees, looking somewhat awkward and motionless as he stared at him.
Huo Kairan: “…”
“Did Huo Lin send you to supervise me while I eat?”
Assistant Sun seemed startled. “No, no, Young Master!”
Huo Kairan bit into a crab roe bun. “Why do you seem so afraid of me? You were standing outside for a long time just now, weren’t you? Why didn’t you knock? It’s not like I eat people.”
Assistant Sun whispered, “Afraid of getting my legs broken.”
When the secretary department received this assignment, no one dared to take it. After all, Huo Kairan’s notorious reputation ahem, formidable reputation was well-known to everyone.
In the final vote among the male secretaries, the tally was four to one out of five votes, and the unlucky Sun Jiajia was “honorably sacrificed.”
“Oh~ you heard about it.” Huo Kairan chuckled, narrowing his eyes as his gaze swept over him, deliberately trying to scare him. “Then you better be careful.”
Sun Jiajia shuddered, on the verge of tears.
Huo Kairan burst into laughter, clapping his hands in satisfaction. “I’m done eating. Let’s go, take me to the company.”
Sun Jiajia trembled as he pulled out his phone and opened the memo app. “Boss Huo is very busy today and asked me to accompany the young master. Today’s schedule is: visiting Qianshan Temple in the morning for prayers, lunch at Horita, afternoon at Baiyuan Academy, dinner on the Yajiang Ferry, and enjoying the night view at Waijiang in the evening.”
“What do you mean?” Huo Kairan frowned, his beautiful brows furrowing.
Sun Jiajia could only lower his head and repeat, “Boss Huo is very busy today and asked me to accompany.”
Huo Kairan stared at him. “Is he really busy, or is he just pretending?”
Sun Jiajia didn’t dare to speak.
Huo Lin dared to brush him off! Reaching this conclusion, Huo Kairan’s temper flared instantly. He slammed the table only to look up and remember he was at Huo Lin’s house. Realizing he needed a favor, he forced himself to calm down.
Fine. Living under someone else’s roof, he could endure it.
Huo Kairan asked, “What time do you usually start work?”
Assistant Sun quickly replied, “Nine o’clock.”
“Nine o’clock, but he left before eight.”
Clearly, he was avoiding me.
Huo Kairan’s heart tightened could Huo Lin already know?
He forced himself to stay calm. “Take me to the company.”
Mission failed. Assistant Sun drove the little troublemaker to the Huo Group building, his head hanging low in defeat.
Huo Kairan looked up at the towering skyscraper and suddenly realized that this seemed to be his first time visiting the company in over twenty years.
In the past, he had resented Huo Lin for taking full control of the company, never allowing him to learn or get involved in the group’s affairs. But in reality, he had never taken any initiative himself, spending his days indulging in leisure and only learning the company’s address today.
Huo Kairan lowered his eyes. He had indeed been too immersed in pleasure-seeking in the past. If he were to lose the “Huo” surname, what would he even have left?
In the bright and grand lobby of the Grade A office building, the receptionist instinctively looked up. “Hello, do you have an appointment?”
She paused mid-sentence, her gaze involuntarily drawn to the long-haired young man behind Assistant Sun.
Seeing Assistant Sun gesture, indicating “no need,” and respectfully ushering the young man into the VIP elevator, the receptionist keenly sensed gossip in the air. She narrowed her eyes and opened the internal slacking-off forum, “Huohuo Gossip”:
【Main Post: Just saw an absolutely stunning little beauty! So beautiful… hehe so beautiful… hehe…】
At ten in the morning, the peak time for slacking off, the post instantly received replies:
1L: 【What does he look like? Send a pic to see.】
Reply to 1L: 【Didn’t dare to take a photo, but let me describe him briefly. He has the fragile aura of Sister Lin and the delicate features of a doll, cold yet enchanting, seemingly delicate but actually dangerous. He totally hit me right in the heart!】
2L: 【Such an abstract description, OP. Is he the female celebrity the company recently hired to endorse the SY series phones? I think her surname is Qin, and she’s been quite popular lately with a hit drama.】
Reply to 2L: 【No, although he has long hair, he’s clearly a boy, and a hundred times more beautiful than any celebrity! If he ever debuts, I’ll follow him to the ends of the earth!】
4L: [Don’t believe it.JPG]
5L: [Don’t believe it.JPG]
6L: [Don’t believe it.JPG]
Reply to 6L: [Stay jealous, you lot! The beauty was personally brought in by Assistant Sun no appointment, no registration, straight up the VIP elevator!]
8L: [! Munching popcorn.JPG]
9L: [! Munching popcorn.JPG]
10L: [! Munching popcorn.JPG]
11L: [Which floor did they go to? I need to see if they’re really that amazing.]
Reply to 11L: [I saw them heading to the 18th floor!]
13L: [I’m on the 18th floor! Let me investigate.]
18L: [Waiting eagerly.]
19L: [Waiting eagerly.]
20L: [Holy crap! wipes drool.jpg Frontline reporter here I’m the one from 13L earlier. The elevator doors just opened. I made eye contact with him… I’m swooning so beautiful. Also, I saw him enter the CEO’s office!]
This instantly drew out numerous lurkers, all curious about who could barge into the CEO’s office without an appointment.
100L: [Who is this, really? Even the most important people need an appointment to see CEO Huo, right?]
101L: [Fun fact: The CEO has always been icy and indifferent to women. Could it be he’s into this type?]
102L: [That makes it even more interesting (sinister grin)]
103L: [That makes it even more interesting (sinister grin)]
On the day Huo Kairan stepped into the company, the entire staff was secretly buzzing with gossip, thoroughly enjoying the drama.
Unaware of all this, he pushed the door open with a burst of anger.
The metal door slammed against the wall with a loud “bang,” then bounced back, trembling pitifully.
The interior layout was clear at a glance.
Naturally, the CEO’s office was the largest in the company, divided into a work area, a reception area, and a rest area.
The air carried a faint scent of cedarwood, mingling with the smell of old book pages and high-quality leather to create a steady, unique atmosphere.
Huo Kairan looked toward the work area: the furnishings were minimalistic a massive black ebony desk with only a slim laptop, a bronze paperweight, and a document awaiting signature, showcasing an almost austere tidiness.
Behind the desk was a spacious high-backed leather chair, where Huo Lin sat upright, typing on the keyboard as he handled business.
Hearing the commotion, he frowned and looked up, the imposing aura of someone in authority hitting Huo Kairan head-on. But the coldness in his eyes vanished instantly upon recognizing the visitor.
He paused, then spoke calmly, “Not satisfied with the itinerary Assistant Sun arranged?”
Assistant Sun at the door felt crushed by this undeserved blame and couldn’t help thinking: Boss, wasn’t this the cheesy one-day tour you arranged?
Huo Kairan stared at Huo Lin, his tone sharp. “If you didn’t want me here, why did you let me stay last night?”
You spoke so sweetly yesterday, but today you’re wearing a different face.
Huo Lin gestured for Assistant Sun to close the door and leave.
Only then did Assistant Sun snap out of it, feeling as if he’d been granted a reprieve. He closed the door and turned around, only to meet the gleaming, gossip-hungry eyes of several colleagues from other departments.
Everyone simultaneously lowered their heads, fingers flying across their keyboards, but their eyes sparkled with excitement.
Assistant Sun: ?
Inside the office, the air grew slightly tense.
It felt like a battle whoever spoke first would lose.
Finally, Huo Lin broke the silence. “How did you come to that conclusion?”
He rose from his chair, but unlike the indulgence of the previous night, there was no trace of leniency now.
Morning light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling window, illuminating his stern profile and making him appear somewhat unapproachable. His tone was neither distant nor overly familiar, like that of an elder, as he said, “I was worried you’d be bored staying at home.”
Huo Kairan stared at him. “Is that really all?”
“What else do you think it could be?” Huo Lin retorted.
Huo Kairan secretly breathed a sigh of relief thank goodness. Although he didn’t know what Huo Lin was sulking about, at least he didn’t know he was an imposter.
“Nothing else,” he said, his expression softening as he placed the food container on the table. “I wanted to keep you company while you work, and I brought you something delicious.” It was as if the person who had barged in earlier, looking as if he had suffered the greatest injustice, slamming the door with a thunderous noise, was not him at all.
Hearing such gentle words, the walls Huo Lin had built up quickly crumbled. He turned away slightly unnaturally, walking almost stiffly to the lounge area.
Looking at the food container Huo Kairan handed him, he had intended to maintain his cold expression. But upon seeing only a few scattered pastries left inside, he couldn’t help but smile helplessly.
Huo Kairan said, “Well, they were so delicious. I ate a few on the way.”
Huo Lin raised an eyebrow. “Just a few?”
Huo Kairan nodded firmly.
While “brotherly affection” was unfolding inside the office, outside, many employees’ faces were flushed, and the sound of furious keyboard typing filled the air.
On the slacking-off forum
“He said last night, staying over.” “Tsk tsk, no wonder the little beauty could barely walk.” “The boyfriend came to demand answers, President, hold strong!” “Warning: a crematorium-level chase is imminent!”
Rumors were flying everywhere, and the ship was sailing at full speed.