After the Fake Young Master Betrayed the Australian Farmer - Chapter 31

When Fang Jianan and Han Yan met up, what he saw was Adams clingily holding Han Yan, clinging to him almost like a koala. He and Han Jue exchanged a glance and simultaneously rubbed the goosebumps on their arms.

“How did you two enjoy yourselves?”

Han Yan raised an eyebrow in a good mood and reached back to ruffle the back of Adams’ head. Looking at him, he did not seem to plan on hiding anything at all; he might as well have used a megaphone to shout, “We have a thing going on.”

Fang Jianan thought back to his own previous wailing and howling. To save his crumbling image, he cleared his throat and pretended to be disdainful. “It was all just stuff for kids. It was alright.”

Han Jue gave him an indescribable look and ruthlessly exposed him. “You just dragged me onto the carousel three times in a row. I even have photos of you sitting on the wooden horse with your teeth baring in a silly grin. Do you want to see them?”

Han Yan’s eyes lit up instantly, and he quickly took out his phone to open WeChat. “Come, come, come! Han Jue, send them to me quickly!”

Seeing that Han Jue really opened his album to select photos, Fang Jianan could not hold it together anymore. He turned around, hugged Han Jue’s leg, and started crying out for mercy. Han Jue’s hand shook, and he accidentally tapped send.

Those silly, embarrassing pieces of history naturally earned Han Yan’s ruthless ridicule and were even set by him as their chat background.

“Han Yan, you have no heart! Waaaah!”

Han Yan was laughing at his phone when the hands around his waist suddenly tightened. A resentful gaze came from his side. He patted the man’s cheek and hummed with a smile, “What is it now?”

“You have not changed our chat background.”

Wow, this jealousy really was never-ending. Han Yan lifted his phone and, before Adams could react, took a quick photo of the two of them and set it as the background. He shook the phone at him.

“Satisfied now?”

In the chat background, Adams’ chin was resting on Han Yan’s shoulder. His lips were pressed into a straight line as he looked at Han Yan gloomily. Han Yan was making a peace sign by his face, his eyes curved into crescents, smiling brilliantly.

Adams stared at the phone screen for a long time before his lips finally curled up, his eyes sparkling with starlight.

“Yes.”

On the way back, the four of them happened to pass a haunted house. Han Yan looked at Fang Jianan meaningfully and pointed with a smile. Fang Jianan almost collapsed on the spot. He deeply suspected that Han Yan was out to get him; otherwise, how could he accurately find the things that made him look foolish every single time?

Inside the pitch-black haunted house, accompanied by eerie horror sound effects, Fang Jianan’s legs trembled as he death-gripped Han Jue’s arm. Han Yan walked behind, watching Fang Jianan’s cowardly behavior and looking at the low-quality props around them, unable to stop himself from laughing.

That sound reached Fang Jianan’s ears distorted; it sounded ethereal and inhuman. In an instant, a sharp blast echoed through the haunted house.

“Mom, save me! I want to go home! Aaaaaah!”

Han Yan watched as Fang Jianan, while belting out a high tenor scream, dragged Han Jue along and sprinted forward at a hundred-meter dash speed. They disappeared in the blink of an eye. He and Adams stood there looking at each other.

“I really did not mean to scare him…” Han Yan was speechless. Was he really that scary?

Adams pursed his lips and took his hand, hesitating as he spoke. “Actually… I am a little scared too.”

Han Yan blinked. The dim light made it hard to see Adams’ expression. “Scared? Then I will walk in front of you.”

He gripped Adams’ hand back and led him slowly forward. Along the way, NPCs played by staff members appeared one after another. Every time, Han Yan gave a very perfunctory “Wow,” followed by a theatrical “So scared.”

The NPC’s face twitched for a moment before they retreated sullenly. Eventually, the NPCs stopped trying to scare Han Yan and focused on the group further ahead that was constantly screaming.

As soon as they exited the haunted house, Han Yan saw Fang Jianan kneeling on the ground without any regard for his image, gasping for air, and Han Jue standing aside with his hands on his hips, his chest heaving, his face flushed red as he coughed.

“Are you two okay?”

Han Yan gave Adams a look and nodded toward the vending machine. The latter received the signal and went to buy two bottles of water. After handing the water to them, he retreated and quietly took Han Yan’s hand again. Han Yan glanced quickly at their joined hands and looked away without saying anything.

Han Jue gulped down most of the bottle, choked, and coughed a few more times. He said through gritted teeth, “Fang Jianan, if I ever play in a haunted house with you again, I am a dog!”

He did not expect someone with Han Jue’s personality to say such a thing, which made Han Yan look at him several times.

Fang Jianan made a face, looking aggrieved. “It was not intentional! Those two NPCs insisted on chasing us, I just was not careful!”

Han Yan listened for a while but could not figure out what exactly happened between them. After that one argument, they both tacitly refused to mention anything about the haunted house. Well, they were probably just scared out of their wits by the NPCs.

After watching the parade and the fireworks display, the group struggled through the crowd toward the exit. Adams held Han Yan to prevent him from being bumped into. Fang Jianan and Han Jue were not as lucky, being pushed around by the crowd.

“Wait for me! My shoe got stepped off again!”

Once they were back in the car, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Han Yan buckled his seatbelt and turned to ask Han Jue in the back seat, “Han Jue, which area do you live in?”

“I live in the City Center. I can just take the train back; it is only a few stops.”

“Forget it. It is quite late, and the trains will definitely be packed now. Just let Adams drive you.”

Han Jue nodded and smiled at him. “Then I will trouble you both.”

Han Jue gave an address. Han Yan’s fingers paused as he typed it in, his brows knitting together imperceptibly. Adams noticed his abnormality and reached out to smooth Han Yan’s hair that had been ruffled by the wind.

“What is it?”

Han Yan looked up and met Han Jue’s gaze in the rearview mirror. They both looked away in a tacit understanding. “Nothing, just a bit tired.”

Adams turned and asked Fang Jianan to hand him the blanket from the back seat. He spread it over Han Yan and rubbed the man’s cheek with his thumb. “If you are tired, sleep for a while. I will wake you when we get home.”

Han Yan gave a soft “mm,” wrapped himself in the blanket, leaned his head against the car window, and closed his eyes tiredly.

Adams drove very steadily. No one spoke for the entire journey, and the car was exceptionally quiet, save for the light music playing from the speakers. Fang Jianan felt the atmosphere in the car was strangely eerie. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Han Jue staring thoughtfully at Han Yan in the front seat, and an unbelievable thought arose. He took out his phone and tapped out a string of characters.

Han Jue felt the vibration in his pocket. He took out his phone, looked at the WeChat message, and looked at Fang Jianan in bewilderment. The latter made a “look at your phone” gesture.

Fang Jianan: [Bro, stay calm! You cannot go after a friend’s partner!!!]

Han Jue: [???]

Han Jue looked at Fang Jianan, who was winking at him, feeling completely lost. Fang Jianan, seeing he did not understand, sent another message.

Fang Jianan: [Bro, think twice! Look at Adams; he is at least three times your size. Do you want to lose your life trying to steal his person??!]

Han Jue finally understood. The corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably, and he felt utterly speechless.

Han Jue: [I am not gay!!!]

Ah? Oh, not gay. That is good. He was scared to death; he thought he was going to witness a bloodbath inside the SUV today. Fang Jianan felt relieved, exited WeChat, and settled down to scroll through short videos.

By the time they dropped Han Jue off at his destination, Han Yan did not seem to have woken up; he had not even changed his position. Han Jue waved to them and turned toward the apartment.

“I could not tell, but Han Jue is actually a rich second-generation! This apartment is a famous influencer building; I heard the rent is incredibly expensive!” Fang Jianan whispered.

A nonchalant voice suddenly rose from the front. “How do you know he did not buy it?”

His eyes widened as he saw Han Yan slowly sit up in the front seat. “Damn, you were awake?”

“I was woken up by your voice,” Han Yan said lazily, his eyes clear, not looking at all like he had just woken up.

“Ah? Then I am really sorry. I thought my voice was quite soft.” Fang Jianan scratched his head in embarrassment. Remembering what Han Yan said, he leaned forward curiously. “Hey, how do you know Han Jue bought the apartment? Did he tell you?”

Han Yan glanced at the familiar scenery outside the window and said casually, “Just a guess.”

Adams glanced at Han Yan out of the corner of his eye and pursed his lips. After Fang Jianan got out of the car, Adams finally could not help but speak. “Are you… unhappy?”

“No? I had a great time today. I am just tired.” Han Yan shrugged, his expression normal.

Adams parked the car by the side of the road, unbuckled his seatbelt, propped his hand on the back of the seat, leaned over, and kissed Han Yan’s cheek. “Han Yan, if something is bothering you, just tell me. Do not keep it bottled up inside; it will be very exhausting.”

Han Yan gazed into Adams’ eyes, which were full of worry and heartache, and reached out to pinch his chin. “It is not a big deal.”

“You can tell me even the smallest thing. I will be a very good listener.” Adams caught Han Yan’s wrist and kissed it.

A hint of helplessness appeared between Han Yan’s brows, and he tilted his head up to peck the man’s lips. “I will tell you later. I need to confirm some things first.”

Although Adams felt a bit disappointed, he lowered his head to return the kiss and responded with a “good.”

As soon as they entered the door, Han Yan took off his dust-covered shirt and bent over to unbuckle his belt and kick off his pants. His long, straight legs swayed in front of Adams’ eyes.

Adams’ eyes darkened. He stepped forward and hugged Han Yan’s waist from behind, burying his face in the man’s neck and taking a deep breath. “Let us shower together,” he said huskily.

“Sure. Want me to help you wash ‘Little Adams’ while we are at it?” Han Yan joked.

The breathing next to his ear suddenly grew heavy, and he was abruptly lifted into the air by Adams. The man looked up to ask for a kiss, and Han Yan laughed softly, cupping the man’s face and kissing him.

Adams’ lips moved from Han Yan’s mouth down to his chin, neck, and collarbone. A suppressed groan escaped Han Yan’s throat, and he pressed his palm against the back of the man’s head.

“Gentle. Why do you like to use your teeth everywhere?”

Adams looked up at him with moist eyes and said indistinctly, “You said I was a puppy.”

Han Yan’s cheeks gradually turned pink, and he raised an eyebrow. “And?”

“This is how a puppy shows love to its master.”

A dog’s light biting represents affection. It is said that some possessive dogs also use this method to declare their dominant status; in a sense, it can be called marking.

Han Yan’s eyes darkened. He pinched the man’s cheeks and used two fingers to catch the tip of his tongue, pulling it outward.

“Puppy, who is your master?”

“You.”

Han Yan curled his lips, leaning down to entangle his tongue with the one that had not yet retreated. He licked across the man’s sharp canine teeth, but the other party quickly took control, entwining with him and forcefully drinking in his oxygen.

He pulled back slightly, and the other man lifted him onto the sink, kneading his earlobe before leaning in to kiss him again.

Water splashed everywhere in the bathtub. Fingertips pressed against the tiles turned white, and knuckles flushed red. A large hand with bulging veins pressed down on the back of his hand, fingers forcing their way between his and locking them tight.

His abdomen was squeezed by a hot, rough palm. He arched his neck high, looking like a swan on the verge of death.

“I am here, babe.”

Han Yan was carried to bed with drooping eyelids. He instinctively curled into the arms of the person beside him, burying his head against the man’s solid chest and rubbing against it.

Adams pulled the quilt up and wrapped an arm around his waist.

“Nighty-night, puppy,” Han Yan murmured dizzily. A flash of a smile crossed Adams’ eyes, and he kissed Han Yan’s forehead.

“Nighty-night, babe.”

When they returned to school after the Easter break, Han Yan planned to talk to Han Jue during the lunch break. He did not make a special excuse to send Adams away; he simply pinched the man’s chin.

“I have something to ask Han Jue at noon. Is it okay if you eat by yourself today?”

Adams nodded obediently and handed him a lunch box. “Remember to eat lunch. Do not worry about Han Jue; I did not make a portion for him.”

“Oh?”

“He made you unhappy.”

Hearing the solemn explanation, Han Yan burst into laughter, reaching up to ruffle the man’s neatly styled hair into a bird’s nest. “You are quite the one to hold a grudge.”

Adams caught his hand and rubbed it against his cheek. “I do not like what you do not like. I am on your side.”

Tsk, quite the sweet talker.

Han Yan playfully messed with Adams’ face for a while. Seeing that time was almost up, he stopped and gave it two light pats. “Alright, I am going. I will send you a WeChat message when we are done talking.”

Han Yan had arranged to meet Han Jue in a school conference room. When he pushed the door open, Han Jue was already inside waiting for him.

He did not bother with pleasantries and went straight to the point: “Han Jue, you know who I am, do you not?”

Han Jue was not surprised. He knew Han Yan had guessed his identity, so he simply nodded frankly. “I know. You are the person I was swapped with.”

“When did you find out? The time I saved you?”

“Yes. Xie Yu and Ye Zi mentioned your name.”

Han Yan fell silent, suddenly feeling as though he had been toyed with. He looked at Han Jue expressionlessly and sneered, “Since you know who I am, then why do you follow me around all day?”

“I thought we were friends.”

Han Jue’s expression was calm. Han Yan only now realized that the man’s usual shy appearance was nothing more than a carefully crafted facade.

Impressive. He hid it well enough to fool even me.

“Friends? You, the true young master of the Han family, do not go out and socialize with those wealthy heirs. Why be friends with a fake young master like me?”

“What? Or are you curious about how miserable my life has become?”

Han Yan’s face was full of irony. Ever since his true parentage was revealed, those wealthy heirs had undoubtedly been gossiping about him behind his back. Before, everyone had to flatter him; now that he had no backing, they were likely all waiting to see him fail.

Han Jue froze, his brows knitting together involuntarily. “Han Yan, I have never thought about laughing at you, and I have no hostility toward you.”

“The fact that we were swapped was not your fault. That was the resentment of the previous generation. They will solve it themselves; there is no need to involve us.”

“I admit, at first I approached you out of curiosity because I felt you were different from how they described you. You are a good person, very loyal. Spending time with you is easy and comfortable. I truly want to be your friend.”

Han Jue paused and sighed softly. “You know that the so-called friends in that circle are just about the exchange of interests. Once you lose your value, they can kick you out at any time and step on you twice for good measure. I hate that feeling.”

Han Yan indeed had deep experience with this. His shoulders slowly slumped as he stared at Han Jue’s face, trying to find any trace of a lie.

This stare gave him a sudden epiphany. He finally understood why he had felt the man’s features were so familiar from the very beginning. Han Jue’s face was almost identical to the young Han family matriarch who had passed away when Han Yan was ten years old.

He vaguely remembered that wrinkled face, always smiling kindly, with the same two dimples at the corners of the mouth. Well, the Han family probably did not even need a paternity test; they could confirm the bloodline just by looking at his face.

“Do they know you are in contact with me?”

“No. Actually, I do not care if they know; I am just afraid of causing trouble for you.”

Han Yan pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly and shook his head. “Better not tell them. By the way, is Moth… is your mother’s health okay?”

“She is doing well. She goes for regular check-ups.” Han Jue hesitated for a moment before speaking tentatively, “Actually… she misses you too. When I was at home before, I often saw her looking through your childhood photo albums.”

Han Yan was stunned for a moment, then said lightheartedly, “Perhaps you saw wrong.”

If Mrs. Song truly missed him, how could she have not contacted him once in the past ten months? Even in the era where people could only communicate by writing letters from overseas, the letters should have arrived by now.

Han Jue wanted to say more, but Han Yan raised a hand to stop him. “Alright, the lunch break is almost over. Let us end it here.”

Seeing him turn to leave, Han Jue hurriedly asked, “Are we still friends?”

Han Yan’s hand on the doorknob froze. With his back to him, he did not notice the expectant gaze behind him. He said coldly, “Our identities are not suitable for being friends.”

The lunch break was nearly over, and Adams had not yet received a message from Han Yan. Feeling anxious, he was about to make a call when he saw Han Yan walking toward him, carrying the lunch box.

“Han Yan!”

Adams strode over. Han Yan finally seemed to snap out of it, looking up at him and pulling a corner of his mouth into a weak smile.

Adams took the lunch box, and the heavy weight made him instinctively knit his brows. “Why did you not eat?”

“I am not hungry.”

Looking at Han Yan’s pale face, he reached out to touch the man’s cold cheek. “What happened? Are you feeling unwell? Or did Han Jue make you unhappy again?”

Thinking of that possibility, a flash of hostility crossed Adams’ eyes. Just as he was planning to find an opportunity to catch Han Jue and give him a beating, Han Yan suddenly reached out to hug his waist, burying his head in his chest.

“Adams, I want to go home.”

Adams asked for leave for both of them and drove Han Yan home. Seeing that he had still not touched the bento, Adams reached into the storage box during a red light and found a bag of crackers. He opened them and held one to Han Yan’s lips.

“Eat something.”

“I am really not hungry.”

“Han Yan, be good.” Adams’ tone was deep, carrying an air of refusal.

Han Yan could not argue with him, so he had to open his mouth and chew the dry crackers. Adams unscrewed the thermos and handed it to him. Seeing him swallow the crackers with water, he reached out to ruffle Han Yan’s head.

“Good boy.”

Han Yan glanced at him with amusement, finally showing his first sincere smile since the talk with Han Jue. “Adams, I am older than you.”

“Only by two months.”

The red light turned green. Adams looked ahead and stepped on the gas.

“Even twins have to call the one born a minute earlier ‘brother’.”

“Oh? Then, brother, can you eat some crackers yourself to tide you over? You did not eat lunch, and I am afraid your stomach will hurt.”

Crap.

Han Yan turned his head away, clenching his hand into a fist against his lips, and cursed in his heart. That “brother” was really… quite alluring.

Adams caught a glimpse of Han Yan’s reddening ear tips out of the corner of his eye. He rested one hand on the steering wheel and propped his head with the other, pursing his lips.

When they got home, Adams placed the lunch box on the table and asked Han Yan what he wanted to eat. The latter nodded toward the box. “Just heat up the bento; I just ate half a bag of crackers.”

Adams kissed his cheek. “Heated food is never as good as fresh food. I will cook a bowl of noodles for you; it is easy to digest.”

Well, since this man had already decided, why bother asking for his opinion?

After eating the hot noodles, Han Yan felt warm all over, and his complexion became visibly rosier. Adams took the dishes to the sink to wash them, and a pair of hands suddenly wrapped around his waist from behind.

“What is it?”

Han Yan took his earlobe into his mouth and rubbed it gently with his teeth. The body beneath him instantly tensed. He casually felt the man’s rock-hard abs.

“Han Yan, wait until I finish the dishes…”

Han Yan took a light bite of his earlobe, and his hands returned obediently to the man’s waist.

“Do you want to hear a story while you wash the dishes, Adams?”