After the Fake Young Master Betrayed the Australian Farmer - Chapter 29

“Han Yan, have you finished considering it yet?”

Since Han Yan had agreed to “think about it,” this was the countless time he had heard Adams ask this question. He glanced at the “Golden Retriever” whose eyes were sparkling as he virtually wagged his tail. Han Yan placed his palm on top of Adams’ head, ruffling his hair as he spoke offhandedly, “Not yet. Wait a little longer.”

The emerald green pupils dimmed with visible disappointment. Adams’ ears drooped listlessly, and his expression turned sullen. Han Yan curled his lips into a silent smile, pinched Adams’ chin, and gave him a quick kiss.

“Be good. Good things come to those who wait.”

The Easter break in April happened to coincide with the mid-semester recess; therefore, Han Yan and the others had over a week of vacation. Since the hourly wage for working during the holidays was 2.5 times the usual rate, Han Yan would have loved to spend the entire three-day Easter public holiday soaked in the restaurant. Unfortunately, the boss planned to close the shop for those three days to spend time with his wife and children, so Han Yan was forced to take a break.

Usually busy with either part-time jobs or classes, Han Yan found himself suddenly idle and was not quite sure what to do with himself. He lay across Adams’ lap, scrolling through his phone boredly while enjoying being hand-fed by the other man.

His screen happened to show a photo Chris had uploaded to Instagram ten minutes ago. The background was a sea of people, with the corner of a Ferris wheel faintly visible. A sudden spark of inspiration hit him, and he sat up abruptly, giving Adams a start.

“What is it?”

Adams held a peeled grape to his lips. Han Yan took it into his mouth, lingering on Adams’ fingertips to suck away the stray juice. Adams’ breathing grew heavy. Releasing him, Han Yan met Adams’ darkened gaze and squinted his eyes with a mischievous grin.

“Adams, do you want to go to the Easter Show?”

The Easter Show is Sydney’s annual carnival. It is built every year before Easter and completely dismantled afterward, waiting to be rebuilt the following year. Han Yan classified the Easter Show as a massive amusement park; after all, it was the only place in Sydney where one could find thrilling rides.

Normally, Sydney only had Luna Park, which did not even have a decent roller coaster. It was strictly for kids and could not compare to the theme parks back home. Han Yan had gone once in high school, but later, he grew tired of the crowds and the way those wealthy young heirs would clutch trash cans and vomit after every roller coaster ride, so he had not joined the hype since. Admittedly, he was feeling a bit restless now.

“If you want to go, we go,” Adams said in a low, husky voice. He was always one to grant Han Yan’s every wish.

A carnival is always better with a crowd, so Han Yan reached out to Fang Jianan and Han Jue. Han Jue, of course, had no objections. Having only been in Australia for a short time, he was full of curiosity about local events. Fang Jianan was more hesitant; after all, even after buying the entry ticket, the rides inside were charged separately. It would not be cheap.

“This thing only happens once a year. If you miss it now, you have to wait until next year. University is only four years long, and we are already sophomores. In two years, we might have graduated and gone back home. Once we are back home and busy with work, when will we ever have the chance to play like this?”

Under the persuasion of Han Yan’s silver tongue, Fang Jianan felt it made more and more sense and finally decided to join. After hanging up, Han Yan was too lazy to create a new group. Instead, he simply added Fang Jianan to the existing group with Han Jue.

Han Yan: [Come, come, let us get to know each other.] Han Yan: [@Fang Jianan, the top student. We only passed before because of him.] Han Jue: [Hello.jpg] Fang Jianan: [Hello, hello.] Fang Jianan: [Handshake.jpg] Fang Jianan: [Wait, why is your name so similar to Han Yan’s?] Fang Jianan: [Are you two brothers?]

Han Yan was amused by the message and was about to reply when Adams snatched his phone away. He lifted his eyelids to see Adams’ hurt expression. He pinched Adams’ chin and asked lazily, “What now?”

“Are you going back home after graduation?”

Ah, so that was the issue.

“Maybe. I am not sure.”

Truthfully, Han Yan had not decided whether to stay or go back. He was still quite lost regarding his own future. Staying would be nice, of course, but it was not just a matter of whether he wanted to stay. Adams pursed his lips, his face full of sincerity.

“Why don’t you just marry me instead?”

Wait, he had not even agreed to be an FWB yet. How did they skip straight to marriage? Han Yan’s eyes widened in shock. It took a long time for him to find his voice. “What did you say?” he asked, his tone sounding strange.

Adams seemed to realize his words were ambiguous and explained with reddened ears, “I mean, we could have a sham marriage. Once you get your permanent residency, we can get a divorce. Or we could apply for de facto status. I can sponsor your PR (Permanent Residency).”

De facto relationships are recognized in Australia as common-law marriages. Even without a marriage certificate, they enjoy legal protection, including the division of assets after a breakup. However, to apply for a de facto visa, one must submit evidence proving the couple has lived together for at least twelve months. In other words, if Han Yan really intended to stay this way, the two years left until graduation would be more than enough time to prepare.

He twirled a lock of Adams’ hair around his finger, looking thoughtful. “I recall this method usually involves paying the sponsor about a hundred thousand dollars? I really have no money; I am just a pauper.”

Adams grew anxious upon hearing this and immediately defended himself, “I do not want your money. I am sponsoring you voluntarily. If you are worried, we can sign an agreement.”

Han Yan’s pupils were like deep pools as he gazed into Adams’ earnest eyes. He let out a very faint “tsk.” Idiot.

“Adams, I am serious. Why don’t you try liking someone else instead? I am really not as good as you think. Aside from this face, there is nothing special about me. And I cannot give you what you want.”

Adams reached out and firmly pulled Han Yan into his embrace, burying his face in Han Yan’s neck. “You are trying to push me away again,” he said gloomily. “Han Yan, you are always like this.”

Han Yan chuckled softly and patted his head. “As long as you know. So, what do you say? Are you going to take my advice?”

“No.”

Han Yan glanced at him and rubbed his earlobe a few times. “To be honest, I still do not understand what you like about me. If you say it is the face, I admit I am good-looking, but it is not like there are not people more handsome than me. What? Is it that you just have a taste for scumbags?”

Adams turned his head in annoyance and nipped at the soft flesh of Han Yan’s neck, leaving a neat ring of teeth marks.

“I like everything about you. Even if you play me, I will accept it.”

He rubbed against Han Yan’s neck, his hair brushing against Han Yan’s jaw like a soft feather. “Grandmother always said I am as stubborn as Grandfather. Once I set my mind on something, I will not stop until I hit a brick wall.”

Adams stalled for a moment on the idiom, making Han Yan burst into laughter. “It is ‘not turning back until you hit the southern wall.’ You never learn until you hit a brick wall.”

Adams leaned in to kiss his cheek, his gaze burning. “Han Yan, give up. You cannot push me away.”

Could there really be someone you cannot push away or get rid of? Han Yan and Adams sat nose to nose, staring at their own reflections in each other’s eyes. Suddenly, Han Yan tilted his head and laughed. He leaned in to kiss Adams’ lips and arched an eyebrow.

“Then keep working hard.”

Adams and Han Yan drove to pick up Fang Jianan. The buses near Fang Jianan’s place were on strike that morning, and it would take at least forty minutes to walk to the train station. Hearing him complain piteously over the phone, Han Yan felt sympathetic and told him to wait at home while they drove over.

When Han Yan saw the address Fang Jianan sent, a sense of foreboding rose in his heart. Although the guy lived in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Sydney, surely nothing would go wrong in broad daylight? As it turned out, he was too naive.

By the time the car entered the neighborhood and they encountered their fifth drunk or addict stumbling around in the middle of the day, Han Yan almost could not stop himself from getting out of the car to curse them out. Adams held him back.

“Do not get out. It will not be good if they go crazy.”

Han Yan felt a wave of frustration. When he finally saw Fang Jianan, he scolded him relentlessly the moment he got in.

“Fang Jianan, are you crazy living in this district? Do you know how many addicts we ran into just now in broad daylight? Five! Five of them! When you come back from tutoring at night, the streets must be crawling with them! This is way scarier than teenagers!”

Worried that Han Yan’s throat would get dry from all the shouting, Adams silently unscrewed a bottle of water and handed it over. Han Yan took it and downed half the bottle in one go.

Fang Jianan scratched his head and said sheepishly, “I do not have the money. The rent here is cheap and includes bills. Besides, I have lived here for a year and have not run into any major issues. Do not worry too much; I have a clever plan.”

“What plan?”

Han Yan looked him up and down skeptically. He clearly did not believe that someone as physically weak as Fang Jianan could take on an addict. Fang Jianan pulled a piece of black cloth from his bag and skillfully wrapped it around his head, leaving only his eyes exposed. He then took out a thermos from the side pocket of his backpack, rolled his eyes back, and started swaying his upper body like a twitching zombie.

“Using magic to defeat magic. How about it? Do I look more like an addict than the addicts themselves?”

Han Yan and Adams looked at each other, both sharing a moment of silence. Han Yan gave the smug Fang Jianan a thumb’s up. “Fine. You are the man.”

Adams stepped on the gas to leave that godforsaken place. As the desolate scenery gradually turned into a bustling cityscape, Han Yan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Han Jue was already waiting for them at the entrance of the Easter Show. Seeing them from afar, he waved his hand.

Fang Jianan had only ever chatted with Han Jue online, and now he was finally seeing him in person. He looked at Han Jue’s delicate and pleasant features, then turned to look at Han Yan’s face which was attractive enough to charm anyone regardless of age or gender and clicked his tongue.

“You two really do not look alike. You really are not brothers.”