After the Fake Young Master Betrayed the Australian Farmer - Chapter 18

“Surprise, puppy.”

Adams froze, lowering the sandwich he was about to bite into. He pursed his lips and asked softly, “Are you still going to school in New South Wales?”

“Yeah, right in the Sydney CBD.”

Han Yan glanced toward Adams. He saw the man’s tense, squared shoulders slowly drop as the worry on his brow vanished. Adams let out a visible sigh of relief.

“That’s actually not far from here. It’s only a three-hour drive.”

“I could drive to see you every day after work. On weekends and holidays, I can just stay there with you.”

Nearly seven hours of round-trip driving every day just to be with him in the city?

What a load of rubbish.

The words sounded sweet, but shouldn’t he draft a realistic script before sprouting such honeyed lines? Han Yan wanted to mock him, but meeting the earnest gaze in Adams’ eyes, the words felt glued to the back of his throat. He couldn’t force them out.

Tsk. Annoying.

He simply closed his eyes, leaning against Adams’ shoulder and muttering, “Adams, I’m tired.”

He didn’t want to offer any opinion on Adams’ words.

Adams assumed Han Yan was just genuinely sleepy. Without thinking much, he pulled him into his embrace, adjusting his posture to make it more comfortable for Han Yan.

“If you’re tired, why don’t you go back inside and sleep? I’ll watch things here.”

“No, I have to watch Aurora and Lunetta,” Han Yan said unclearly.

Adams didn’t say another word, leaning down to kiss the top of his head. A breeze brushed past them, briefly lifting Han Yan’s bangs before they settled back, a slight, fleeting frown crossing his brow.

Lunetta’s birth gave Han Yan his first taste of the joys of “parenting.” Although Lunetta was tiny, her appetite was immense; every time she nursed, her belly ended up bulging.

Adams would always stand by, timing the feedings. When it seemed like enough, he would gently pull Lunetta away, fearing the newborn lamb wouldn’t know when to stop and might overstuff herself. Aurora, the new mother, would “baa” in protest. Han Yan would then have to grab a handful of feed and distract her with coaxing and deception.

Only when Lunetta was fed and half-asleep with squinted eyes would Adams carefully place her back in Aurora’s embrace. Seeing the two sheep sleeping so cutely, Han Yan couldn’t help but smile, pulling out his phone to snap a flurry of photos.

Last time he posted a photo of the lamb on IG and WeChat, he received quite a few likes. On IG, even strangers congratulated him on the “birth.” After all, “bub” is a term more commonly used by Australian mothers for their children.

As for the WeChat likes, there were plenty, but mostly from inconsequential people he rarely contacted. For several of them, he couldn’t even remember why he’d added them in the first place; the names and faces didn’t match at all. The only familiar one was the boy with the same surname.

Han Jue: [The little lamb is so cute.]

As a new “sheep dad,” Han Yan felt a sense of pride when others praised his kid. In a good mood, he replied: [Thanks.]

While picking blueberries, Chris noticed Han Yan’s eyes and brows were brimming with joy. He leaned over, slinging an arm around Han Yan’s shoulder with a lewd, gossipy grin. “Yan, look at that glow on your face. Any good news lately?”

Han Yan glanced at him, shook his head, and shrugged. “I can’t explain it to someone without kids like you.”

He patted Chris’s hand away, picked up his basket, and wandered off to another section of the field. Chris was left standing there, eyes wide with shock.

God, when did Han Yan have a kid?!

Wasn’t he single before the holiday?

What kind of kid is born in half a month?

Wait, isn’t Han Yan gay?!

While Chris was lost in his spiraling thoughts, Julie spotted Han Yan and gave him a friendly greeting.

“Yan, I haven’t seen you at the dorm lately. I thought you quit.”

Han Yan set his basket down beside her and crouched to pluck berries. “No, I’m staying at a friend’s place now. I wouldn’t dare quit at this point. School starts next month; if I quit, I won’t even be able to pay my tuition.”

Julie, Chris, and Han Yan were all working at the farm for the holiday to save up for school, so Julie empathized deeply. Especially since Han Yan was an international student; his tuition was several times higher than that of the locals.

“Yeah, tuition went up again this year. My subsidy hasn’t come through yet, and I don’t know how much it’ll cover.”

In Australia, some parents stop supporting their children once they reach adulthood. Everything from then on is the child’s responsibility. Julie had a friend who took out loans for university and still had to pay rent to their parents while living at home.

When Han Yan first heard of this, he was quite surprised. But then he thought of his own current situation. Sigh. Instead of pitying others, I should pity myself first.

With school season approaching, he had to start looking for a place. The longer he waited, the harder it would be to find a high-value apartment. During his lunch break, Han Yan browsed rental listings. He skipped the apartments near the university immediately; at four to five hundred dollars a week, he simply couldn’t afford them.

His budget only allowed for a single room about ten train stops away from the university—the kind where the bathroom had to be shared. Han Yan was truly not used to living with strangers, let alone sharing a bathroom. The mere thought of it made his skin crawl.

However, since his wallet wasn’t thick enough, Han Yan had to bow to reality. Ultimately, he picked a house that was a fifteen-minute walk from the train station and required one transfer to get to the university. It was a standalone house with two bedrooms and one living room; utilities would be split with a roommate.

He sent a message to the agent, scheduling a viewing for the weekend and a chance to meet the future roommate. Han Yan didn’t have high expectations; he just hoped the person was somewhat clean and wouldn’t leave the common areas a mess.

On the weekend, Han Yan caught a ride with Chris to the city. Adams had wanted to drive him, but Han Yan flatly refused.

Are you joking? In a month, they would be going their separate ways. If Adams knew where he lived, that would be a disaster. What if Adams turned out to be like a piece of stubborn medical tape that wouldn’t peel off, staking out his front door every day? He’d have nowhere to go to cry.

Adams stared at Han Yan with a pitiful expression, looking like a big dog cruelly abandoned by its owner.

Tsk. True, I will be abandoning you in a month.

Despite the thought, Han Yan reached out to pinch his chin, kissing the corner of his lips. “Be a good boy, puppy. Watch the house this weekend. I’ll bring you something delicious when I get back, okay?”

The obviously “child-coaxing” tone made Adams’ gaze even more resentful. He stiffly forced out: “I’m not a child.”

Han Yan pressed his body against him, rubbing suggestively. Sensing a pleasing change, he raised an eyebrow. “Mm. Definitely not small.”

Adams’ breathing grew heavy. He cupped Han Yan’s face and leaned in to kiss him. His tongue swept through Han Yan’s mouth, greedily drinking in the taste. He restrained himself, pulling away from Han Yan’s lips and leaning his forehead against the other’s. “I’ll wait for you to come back,” he said hoarsely.

Han Yan’s eyes flickered. He gave him a deep look, kissed his lips, and patted his cheeks twice. “Such a good boy.”

When Han Yan got into the car, Chris immediately noticed his glistening lips. He looked him up and down and gave a teasing laugh. “Yan, you seem to be living quite a ‘moist’ life.”

Han Yan buckled his seatbelt and snorted. “When you get to eat delicious ‘dishes’ every day, how can life not be moist?”

Chris’s eyes lit up instantly, and he pestered Han Yan the whole way about that delicious “dish.” However, Han Yan remained silent throughout, even closing his eyes to feign sleep, making Chris curse him for being a disloyal friend.

Han Yan had Chris drop him off at the train station. After getting out, he searched for the address the agent gave him for ages without finding it. Frustrated, he called the agent, told him his location, and asked to be picked up.

Before long, he saw a tall Caucasian man in a sharp suit and bowtie walking toward him. The moment their eyes met, the man put on a classic “Westerner” fake smile.

“You must be Yan? Hello, I’m Luca. Here is my card.”

Han Yan took the card, glanced at it, and shoved it into his pocket. As Luca led him to the house, he gave a brief introduction. The landlord was currently living in Brisbane and had entrusted the property to them; any issues should be reported to the agency. Additionally, the master bedroom was already rented to a local studying at TAFE.

After walking for about eight minutes, Luca stopped in front of a house. The exterior was the most common Australian style: a dark roof paired with brownish-yellow brick walls. The interior renovation was relatively new, though the space was slightly smaller than it looked in the photos. It was acceptable. The stovetop in the open kitchen looked clean, without a trace of grease or grime.

Han Yan silently gave the place extra points. But then he turned around and saw a pile of fast-food packaging and unfinished food on the dining table. Crumbs were scattered everywhere, and there were colorful stains from various sauces; the table looked like a painter’s palette.

Han Yan’s brow furrowed instinctively, and all the extra points were immediately wiped out. It seems the kitchen is clean not because the roommate is tidy, but purely because they don’t cook and live off takeout.

Just then, the bathroom door opened, and a burly, blonde Caucasian man walked out, shirtless and wearing only a towel around his waist. His bare chest was covered in marks, making it immediately obvious what kind of intense, wonderful night he’d had.

Luca had informed the tenant beforehand, but he didn’t expect the man to be so improper. The smile on Luca’s face almost faltered. “Yan, this is the tenant, Jack.”

Han Yan’s first impression of Jack was not good. He gave a perfunctory greeting and went to see the room. It was the second bedroom and wasn’t large. To the left of the door, a single-door wardrobe stood against the wall. Opposite the wardrobe was a single bed, about the same size as his old farm dorm bed—the kind where you’d worry about falling out if you rolled over.

Next to the bed was a desk facing a window. The sunlight at this hour was pouring in, so bright he instinctively squinted. The room had no air conditioning and faced west, making it so stiflingly hot that Han Yan immediately docked it into the negative points.

He followed Luca to see a few more houses. Either they were too far from the station or the price was way over budget. He thought about it; aside from school, he’d spend most of his time working part-time. The room was essentially just a place to sleep at night. There was no need to be too picky.

As for the roommate? He’d be out all day and would fall asleep the moment he got home. He probably wouldn’t even see the roommate often. He could endure it. If it was truly uncomfortable, he could just move out once he saved more money.

Ultimately, after some haggling with Luca, he secured the house with the negative points for a price lower than his initial expectation.

With a major worry resolved, Han Yan felt light, and even his steps were cheerful. Originally, the plan for the weekend was not to return to the farm but to stay at Chris’s place. Chris happened to be doing errands in the city today and could pick him up afterward, driving him back to the farm on Monday.

He called Chris, and as he waited for him to pick up, the words “I’ll wait for you to come back” suddenly echoed in his ears. He was momentarily dazed.

“Yan, I’m almost done here. Should I pick you up where I dropped you off?”

Han Yan steadied himself. A “Yes” was on the tip of his tongue, but it suddenly changed to: “No need to pick me up. Something came up last minute.”

“Thanks for today. I’ll treat you to a meal later. Give my best to your family.”

He hung up the phone, staring at the screen while pinching the bridge of his nose.

He queued for an hour to buy two trendy cakes. Then he took a train to a light rail, a light rail to a bus, and by the time he got back to the farm, it was nearly midnight. He wasn’t sure if Adams was asleep, but he went up and knocked on the door.

The moment the door handle turned, Han Yan’s whole body relaxed. The fatigue and irritability from the long journey vanished instantly. He looked at the “big dog” in front of him, whose pupils had shrunk and who was staring at him like a fool. Han Yan opened his arms, his lips curling upward.

“Surprise, puppy.”