After the Fake Young Master Betrayed the Australian Farmer - Chapter 22.1

“Han Yan, keep being my FWB.”

Adams was visibly stunned. He thought he had misheard and asked in a raspy voice, “What did you say?”

“I said call it quits. Do you understand?”

Han Yan had taught Adams this phrase before, so he believed the other man understood even without an explanation, but he felt it was necessary to emphasize it again.

“Why? Did I do something wrong?” Adams looked dazed. He reached out to grab Han Yan’s arm, his tone urgent. “If I did anything to make you unhappy, I am sorry. I will change.”

“I know I am boring. Maybe I am not a very good lover, but I will really work hard to make you satisfied.”

Adams was actually a very good lover; anyone who dated him would be exceptionally happy. It was just a pity that Han Yan did not want to be in a relationship. Even if a perfect lover stood before him, he would not consider it.

“Han Yan, do not break up with me. Please?” Adams squeezed out the last few words through his teeth. His knuckles were white from the force of his grip, as if he were afraid Han Yan would run away the moment he let go.

Han Yan lowered his eyes briefly. When he looked up again, his gaze was dark and unreadable.

“Adams, first, I want to clarify one thing.” As Han Yan spoke, he tried to pry Adams’ fingers off. However, the disparity in strength meant that even with all his effort, he could not move them an inch. He gave up and brushed his hair back. “I am not breaking up with you right now; I am simply calling it quits on our partnership. We were never dating, so how can there be a breakup?”

“What?” Adams’ pupils shrank. He looked at Han Yan in disbelief, his emerald eyes filled with confusion. “You kiss me, you hug me, you call me sweetie, and we sleep together. If this is not dating, then what is it?”

Adams was old fashioned and traditional. He had never been exposed to the playboy world outside, so he naturally did not know that their relationship could have other definitions. Han Yan curled his lips into a smile. Though it looked the same as usual, the words he spat out were exceptionally cruel, completely shattering Adams’ worldview.

“We are fuck buddies, Adams. Friends with benefits. Friends who only sleep together without involving feelings. Can you understand that term?”

The principles Adams had always believed in collapsed at that moment. His body swayed involuntarily, and his eyes began to redden. “But you said it! You said you liked me!”

Han Yan stared at the hurt and grievance in Adams’ eyes. His heart contracted uncontrollably for a split second. His arm lifted slightly but quickly fell back down.

“Adams, I could not possibly sleep with someone I do not like at all. Otherwise, I would not have a physical reaction in bed.”

“I like you, and you like me. Then why can we not be in a relationship?”

Han Yan really wanted to explain the difference between types of liking, but he truly had no patience to haggle over this. Instinct told him that no matter how he explained it, the other man would offer a rebuttal that would leave him speechless. He tugged at his hair, his brow clouded with irritability and impatience.

“By your logic, would I not have to date everyone I have ever slept with?” Even though, currently, he had only slept with Adams.

“What?” Adams’ voice changed pitch. The hand holding Han Yan’s arm was trembling slightly.

“It is exactly what it sounds like. Adams, from the very beginning, I just wanted to play around with you. I never viewed you as a partner, and I never thought about dating you, let alone a future. You can blame me or hate me; I accept it all. Regardless, I will not show up in front of you to annoy you anymore. I will find a way to pay you back the money you spent on me. After that, we will owe each other nothing. Can we just end this with some dignity?”

Han Yan tried once more to pry Adams’ hand away. This time, he did it easily without much force. Several prominent bruises were left on his arm. Tsk. His grip is really strong.

Adams took a few steps back. His eyes, which used to be so bright, turned dull and bloodshot. He turned his head away, his lips pulled tight. Something glistening flashed at the corner of his eye. Han Yan’s heart tightened, and his fingers paused.

“Go. Han Yan, I do not want to see you again.”

Han Yan did not remember how he got back to the rental house. He had not returned to the farm; instead, he had notified the agent, paid an extra half month of rent, and moved in early. He figured he probably would not be going back to work at the farm. Since Adams was the big boss, surely he would understand the intent behind Han Yan quitting directly.

As for his luggage left at Adams’ place, just thinking about it gave him a headache. If he ran into Adams while picking it up, the situation would be incredibly awkward. But not going was not realistic; his important documents were there. Plus, he had to separate the things Adams had bought for him. Thinking about that made his heart ache for his wallet.

Great. Part time jobs must be put on the schedule immediately, or I will starve to death before school starts.

But then again, did he go a bit too far with his words today? As soon as he closed his eyes, Adams’ hurt expression and misty eyes appeared. Such beautiful eyes should not show that kind of look. Han Yan tiredly covered his eyes with the back of his hand.

Forget it. It is better for him to learn a lesson. Otherwise, next time someone beckons, he will run over and offer up everything again. Idiot.

Suddenly, the sound of a door opening came from outside. Presumably, his roommate was back. It had to be said that the soundproofing in this house was truly terrible; everything outside could be heard clearly. Cheap goods are never high quality.

Disordered footsteps approached. From the sound of it, there was more than one person. Suddenly, the bedroom next door let out a loud bang, making Han Yan’s eardrums ring. Damn. Can you not close a door properly?

However, he did not know that the nightmare was just beginning. Soon, suggestive sounds came from next door, accompanied by the kind of talk that only appears in adult films. Han Yan felt so embarrassed his toes curled; he felt like his ears were being defiled. The bedframe next door creaked incessantly. The low panting gradually grew louder until it became nearly a scream.

The veins at Han Yan’s temples throbbed. He could not help but walk to the door next door and bang on it loudly. “Quiet down! It is the middle of the night; I need to rest!”

The noise inside stopped briefly before starting up again. The sounds grew louder as if in defiance, echoing through the whole house. Han Yan kicked the door hard and cursed irritably, “Bogan!”

The noise stopped instantly. Hurried footsteps approached, and the door was pulled open from the inside.

“What are you fucking saying?” Jack panted, his face flushed and his bare chest covered in scratch marks. He had not even had time to zip up his jeans.

Han Yan frowned in disgust. “Bogan.”

He flipped Jack the bird. The other man flew into a rage instantly, shouting and trying to rush out to hit him.

“Hey, calm down, Jack. Do not be mad.” A hand with bright red nail polish wrapped around Jack’s chest from behind. A woman wrapped in a bedsheet stood behind him, trying to calm him down. Han Yan looked at Jack’s distorted, snarling face, rolled his eyes, and walked back to his room, slamming the door shut.

Han Yan did not sleep well that night. The noise from the next room was quieter, but the bedframe kept creaking. It sounded like someone was standing in his head with a saw, making his temples ache. The next day, with huge dark circles under his eyes, he calculated the time when Adams would be out working. After transferring between various modes of transport, he finally returned to the farm just as he felt he might collapse from exhaustion.

He stood at the door of Adams’ dormitory, looking left and right. Realizing he was acting like a guilty thief, he sighed and rubbed his forehead before turning the handle and walking in. The house was quiet and remained exactly as it was when they left yesterday. It seemed Adams was not in the dorm.

His heart relaxed, and he walked upstairs with a light step. When he opened the bedroom door, he was stunned. The curtains were not drawn, completely blocking out the sunlight and leaving the room in darkness. That is not right. Adams usually opens the curtains before going out. He flipped the switch, and the room instantly became bright. The harsh light made him squint.

Once his eyes adjusted, he realized there was a lump on the large bed. He approached carefully and heard a faint murmuring through the quilt. He hesitated for a moment before pulling back the quilt. He saw Adams curled into a ball. He was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday. An unnatural flush was on his face, and a layer of sweat covered his forehead. His eyes were closed, his eyelashes trembling, and his lips were moving as if he were trapped in a nightmare. Dried blood was on his pale lips, likely from biting them.

Han Yan reached out to touch Adams’ forehead. The burning heat startled him.

“Adams, wake up. You have a fever. Adams!”

He patted Adams’ burning cheek twice, but the man did not react. Instead, he buried his face further into a piece of clothing. Han Yan recognized it; it was the pajamas he had changed out of yesterday morning. He looked at Adams, who was curled up like an infant, with a complex expression. He wiped away a bit of moisture from the corner of the man’s eye, leaned down, and touched his lips to Adams’ furrowed brow. “Idiot,” he whispered.

He rummaged through the drawers for ages until he finally found fever medicine. He tried to coax the man into taking it, but Adams was so delirious he did not react to the outside world at all. Left with no choice, Han Yan held the tablet in his own mouth and fed it to him lip to lip. After confirming the man had swallowed, he wrung out a towel and placed it on Adams’ forehead.

He sat on the bed, watching Adams and smoothing his messy hair. His own body temperature was much lower than Adams’ right now. So when his hand touched the man’s cheek, Adams acted as if he had found a source of comfort, unconsciously nuzzling his palm. Han Yan’s expression softened even further.

Once the medicine took effect and Adams’ fever began to subside, Han Yan withdrew his hand and stood up to pack his things quietly. He had only worn two of the outfits Adams had bought him; he planned to take those and leave the rest unopened. He took the earrings Adams bought him since he had already worn them. He also took the small wood carving Adams made specifically for him to avoid the man being saddened by seeing it later.

Han Yan estimated the value of the things he was taking and made a face. Good grief. After paying him back, I will be left with only fifty dollars. I have to make that last until I find a part time job. He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling exhausted. Truly back to square one.

He placed a stack of cash he had prepared on the nightstand. Before leaving, he looked at Adams one last time. Seeing him still clutching the pajamas tightly, Han Yan sighed. He leaned down and gave Adams a parting kiss.

“Goodbye. Take care.”

Han Yan dragged his exhausted body back to the rental house, dropped his luggage, and dove into bed. He pulled out his phone and started searching for poor international student guides. The more he looked, the brighter his eyes became. Finally, he sat up in bed with excitement. Truly, every cloud has a silver lining. I think I know how to survive!

Following an address he found online, Han Yan went to a church with the intent to try his luck. There were long tables at the church entrance piled with various foods like bread, drinks, fruits, and vegetables. He even spotted some underwear and clothes from a distance.

He queued at the end of the line. An Asian boy in front of him kept looking back at him. Han Yan frowned slightly. When the boy looked back for the thirteenth time, he finally spoke up. “Is there something on my face?”

The boy was startled. Realizing his behavior was offensive, he hurriedly apologized. “Sorry, sorry! I just thought you looked familiar.”

From the accent, it seemed they were fellow countrymen. “Chinese?”

“Yes! You are Han Yan, right? We were in the same class last semester. I sat right next to you.”

Huh? Did that happen? Han Yan stared at the boy’s face for a long time. Fair skin, neat features; he looked quite good. Reasonably, he should not have forgotten him. The boy seemed to remember something. He pulled a pair of heavy black framed glasses from his pocket and put them on. His large, bright eyes instantly turned into two slits. Han Yan could not help but curse.

“Holy shit! It was you? I did not recognize you without the glasses.”

Han Yan had a deep impression of this person from last semester. Not just because of those unforgettable tiny eyes when he wore glasses, but more importantly, the guy was a top tier student! During the group presentation at the end of the term, this person had saved the day single handedly, leading the group of members who could barely read the script to pass the course with a high score.

At the time, Han Yan had looked at his own group members, who were only interested in playing with their phones, and felt incredibly envious. Who would not want to cling to a boss and just coast through?

“I remember your surname is Fang. Fang Jia… what was it?”

“Fang Jianan. Jianan with the wood radical. It is normal that you did not recognize me. My prescription is one thousand; the lenses are so thick a bullet might get stuck in them.”

Fang Jianan took off his glasses and put them back in his pocket. Han Yan asked suspiciously, “With a prescription that high, are you sure you are okay without glasses?” At that level, surely everyone at this distance looked the same to him?

“It is fine; I am wearing contacts today. By the way, is this your first time getting free food? I have not seen you here before.”

“Yeah. Does that mean you come often?”

“Yes. I am here on a scholarship, so naturally, I save wherever I can. I am telling you, the pizza here is delicious, but they do not have it every day. You came at the right time today; they have pizza every Monday and Saturday. Also, the bread here has a short shelf life of about three days. But it is fine even if it is a day or two past the date. I have even eaten it a week past the date. It did not kill me; at most, I had a bit of a stomachache.”

Fang Jianan spoke with a dry sense of humor. Han Yan thought the guy was quite interesting.

“But are you having some trouble lately? You do not look like someone who is poor enough to need free food.”

Despite Han Yan wearing cheap, ordinary clothes, his height and the focus of attention face meant he did not look destitute at all.

“I am in trouble; big trouble! Let me ask you, how can someone survive on fifty dollars for over half a month?”

Fang Jianan looked at him with an unreadable expression. “Is that it? You call that a big trouble? I have lived on twenty dollars for a week before. Half a month only needs forty dollars; I can even save you ten dollars for a treat. Trust me, you can definitely eat and drink your fill!”

Han Yan was silent and gave him a thumbs up. Fine, he admitted defeat. During the wait, Fang Jianan shared many tips, such as which Asian supermarket had the cheapest instant noodles and which supermarkets had discounts.

“Actually, if you cook for yourself, a large bag of Coles pasta is only one dollar; it lasts a long time. If you really have a big appetite, just eat a few more packs of instant noodles. Or do you want some from me? My friend went to Melbourne and brought me back over seventy packs of Lao Tan Pickled Cabbage noodles for only twenty dollars!”

Fang Jianan’s eyes sparkled as he spoke about his survival hacks, looking incredibly proud of himself.

“Alright, thanks man. Tell me how much it is, and I will pay you back.”

“No need! We are fellow countrymen. It is only natural to help a brother out when he is in trouble abroad.”

Fang Jianan waved his hand dismissively. He looked quiet and refined, but his personality was unexpectedly generous. Han Yan exchanged WeChat contacts with him. When the interface opened, his fingertips stiffened at the sight of his pinned contact. After adding Fang Jianan, he promptly blocked the pinned account, along with the associated Instagram and phone number.

New South Wales is a huge place. If I do this, we probably won’t run into each other again, right?

When it was Han Yan’s turn at the line, he specifically chose foods that did not require cooking and could be eaten directly. The truth was, he really did not know how to cook; he was the type who could burn the bottom of a pot just making instant noodles. He did not want to trigger a fire alarm while cooking; if the fire truck came out, it would cost him thousands of dollars. How would he even survive then?

Over the following days, Han Yan moved between various free food distribution points with Fang Jianan while applying for jobs online. Eventually, he landed part-time positions as a waiter in a cafe during the day and a busboy in a Chinese restaurant at night.

By the end of a single day, he would have several blisters on his fingertips and the back of his hands from hot plates. Han Yan did not even flinch, maintaining a smiling service throughout. It was only when he returned home at night and used a needle to pop the blisters that his brow would furrow slightly.