After the Fake Young Master Betrayed the Australian Farmer - Chapter 32

“We still have plenty of time, babe.”

Han Yan shared the story of his and Han Jue’s background with Adams. As for how wealthy he once was or how miserable he became later, he glossed over those details with a light touch.

Even though he did not describe the disparity in detail, Adams could still see it. He noticed the prime real estate where Han Jue lived and recalled Han Yan’s hands when they first met—hands that clearly had not seen much manual labor.

Adams looked down at the faint burn marks on the back of Han Yan’s hand. After washing his own hands, he rubbed Han Yan’s fingertips, which were now covered in a thin layer of calluses, and carefully brought them to his lips for a kiss.

“Does it hurt?”

Hearing this, Han Yan could not help but laugh. “How could this hurt? I am thick-skinned now. I got used to it long ago.”

Gazing at his indifferent smile, Adams reached out, pulled him into his arms, and rubbed his head.

“You have worked hard during this time.”

Han Yan froze for a moment. In an instant, his nose felt a bit prickly, and his heart felt as if it were soaking in lemon sparkling water—sour and swollen. He blinked his dry eyes, and his voice, which he tried to keep light, took on a heavy nasal tone. “What is so hard about it? It is just waiting tables. There are plenty of people who have it much worse than I do.”

Adams rested his chin on the top of Han Yan’s head and nuzzled him.

“Han Yan, you have done a great job. You are truly amazing.”

The strength he had forced himself to maintain for so long came crashing down at that moment.

Han Yan had lived a smooth life since childhood, only for his world to hit rock bottom at eighteen. He had no one to talk to and could only grit his teeth and persevere on his own. The massive drop in status occasionally made him wonder if taking a shortcut would be a better choice. He could have continued living a glamorous life without worrying about food or clothing. All he had to do was sell his body and his looks, and he could easily get everything he wanted.

However, the pride and self-respect bred into his bones would not allow him to do so. If the day came when even that pride was ground away, he would no longer be Han Yan.

Was it bitter? It certainly was.

In the beginning, it was unspeakably miserable, but as the bitterness accumulated, he grew accustomed to it. But now, with Adams’s words—”You have worked hard, and you have done great”—he suddenly realized that he was not “used to it” at all.

Han Yan hugged Adams back, his fingers tightly gripping Adams’s clothes. He buried his face in the crook of Adams’s neck, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Feeling the wetness on his neck, Adams supported Han Yan’s backside and lifted him up. His palm slid down Han Yan’s spine, soothing him with rhythmic strokes.

Leaning on Adams’s shoulder and clutching his neck, Han Yan murmured, “It is all your fault. Why do you have to be so sentimental?”

Adams turned his head and kissed his ear.

“I am just speaking the truth, babe.”

He sat on the sofa holding Han Yan, who curled up in his arms with his head resting on his shoulder. Adams tilted Han Yan’s chin up and lowered his head, using the tip of his tongue to whisk away the stray tears at the corners of Han Yan’s eyes.

Han Yan felt a bit itchy from the sensation, and his clumped eyelashes fluttered.

Adams kissed his slightly swollen eyelids, pressed his forehead against Han Yan’s, and whispered, “Do you feel better now?”

Han Yan gave an indistinct “Mhm,” and Adams pinched his cheek.

“So, can you tell me now what Han Jue actually said to you? It should not be just about the identity issue, right? You already guessed that part a while ago.”

It had to be said that Adams truly understood Han Yan. Given Han Yan’s personality, it was impossible for him to be this distracted simply because it was confirmed that Han Jue was the “real” young master. Moreover, he had already prepared himself mentally before deciding to have a heart-to-heart with Han Jue.

Meeting Adams’s eyes, which seemed capable of seeing right through him, Han Yan’s heart shivered, and he lowered his gaze.

“He said he had no ill intentions. He genuinely wants to be friends with me.”

“What do you think?”

“I occupied his identity for so many years. All the suffering he endured during those years should have been mine. I do not understand why he does not hate me and even wants to be friends. I cannot bring him anything.” Han Yan’s tone was filled with confusion.

Even though Han Jue had said that spending time with him was comfortable, could that point alone really allow someone to set aside past grievances and become friends without any reservations? Should they not be in an adversarial relationship?

At this moment, he was like a lost child who could not find his way, confused and hesitant.

Adams ruffled his hair and chuckled. “Han Yan, have you noticed one thing? You are not actually agonizing over whether you want to be friends with him. In fact, you also really hope to become friends with him, do you not?”

Han Yan’s pupils contracted. Adams’s words were like a pair of large hands parting the clouds, letting the sunlight shine straight through.

In an instant, all his thoughts became clear. Whether it was the previous conversation with Han Jue or his confession to Adams just now, the root of all his troubles was simply the matter of their identities.

“But our identities…”

“If Han Jue does not care, why do you?”

It was true. If anything, Han Jue should be the one feeling uncomfortable, yet he clearly did not care at all. So why was Han Yan here overthinking it?

Han Yan’s shoulders slumped as he leaned lazily into Adams’s embrace.

“Do you think Han Jue really wants to be friends, or does he want to play me just to kick me while I am down?”

“Kick someone when they are down?”

“Kick someone when someone is down.”

“Do you think he would?”

Seeing the wavering look in Han Yan’s eyes, Adams understood. “Actually, you already have the answer in your heart.”

Fine. Then he would try one more time. He would see if there would be a different result this time. If the outcome was the same as before, he could only blame his own bad luck.

The frustration blocking his chest dissipated. Feeling refreshed, Han Yan held Adams’s face and gave him two kisses.

“Adams, you really do understand me.”

Seeing the joy in the corners of Han Yan’s eyes and brows, Adams could not help but curl his lips as well. He leaned in and kissed his cheek.

“I am very happy today.”

“Hmm?”

“This is the first time you have proactively told me about your past. I have been waiting for you to speak up.”

Adams had not refrained from testing Han Yan, but unfortunately, the other always chose to avoid it. He did not want to force Han Yan because he knew Han Yan had not truly opened his heart to him yet. He could only stay by his side quietly, hoping that one day in the future, he could soften all the thorns on Han Yan’s body and let him safely show his soft, vulnerable side.

Han Yan stared at Adams for a moment, then suddenly chuckled. He raised his arms to hook around Adams’s neck and tilted his head up to press against his lips.

His tongue skillfully slid into the gap of the lips, searching for that source of warmth. Adams supported his head and pulled his waist upward toward his lap. There was no starting slow; there was only a head-on collision, lingering and deep.

The two slowly pulled their lips apart. Their deafening heartbeats rose and fell, composing a grand symphony.

“Adams.”

Han Yan’s voice was hoarse, his eyes churning with an indescribable emotion.

Adams’s expression suddenly softened. He leaned in and kissed the corner of Han Yan’s mouth.

“Tell me everything slowly in the future. We still have plenty of time, babe.”

At the dinner table, Han Yan looked at his course schedule and blurted out a curse.

“F*ck!”

Adams, who was making dinner, turned around at the sound. “What happened?”

“Adams, did you not know there was an exam today?”

Han Yan desperately needed a heart-saver pill right now. His vision went dark, and he nearly fainted. That was an offline quiz worth 15% of the total grade!

Adams froze, seemingly genuinely unaware of the matter. Two bad students together, and neither could even remember the exam time. Han Yan closed his eyes; he could not see a future for the two of them at all.

He took a deep breath, opened his phone, clicked an app, and quickly booked a GP appointment for tomorrow.

“Adams, quick, quick, quick! Give me your information, and I will book a GP for you too!”

“Why book a GP? I am not sick.”

Adams paused, his brow furrowing suddenly. He dropped the spatula, strode toward Han Yan, and felt his forehead with a worried look.

“Where do you feel unwell? Do you have a headache? Or a sore throat? The flu has been pretty bad lately. Let me take your temperature first.”

Adams was about to go look for the first-aid kit when Han Yan grabbed his arm.

“I am not sick, but for the sake of a retake, we must be sick, understand?”

Seeing that the other did not get his meaning, Han Yan explained patiently, “We did not take the exam today. If we want a retake, we must have a legitimate reason to pass the school’s requirements. So we have to see a GP and have them write us a medical certificate. We tell the school we could not attend today because we were sick. That way, the school will let us do a makeup exam. Actually, there used to be people who could issue fake medical certificates, but they are checking strictly now. If I get caught, I might be deported.”

Adams’s heart tightened, and he squeezed Han Yan’s hand.

“Okay, let us go see the GP.”

“But will the GP give it to us? We do not exactly look like we are sick.”

Han Yan patted his hand and raised an eyebrow. “When the time comes, just do exactly as I do.”

Han Yan booked the appointment for the following afternoon, scheduling them back-to-back with the same doctor. When it was his turn, he led Adams into the consultation room together.

The doctor in the room was typing on a computer and only looked up at them when he heard the noise.

“Which one of you is seeing the doctor?”

“Both of us. We both have appointments with you, one after the other.”

The doctor happened to be Chinese, so Han Yan spoke directly in Mandarin.

Han Yan handed his passport and Adams’s ID to the doctor. After recording the information, the doctor asked, “What seems to be the problem?”

Adams instinctively looked at Han Yan. The latter clutched his stomach, his face screwed up in pain, and his voice was weak. “Doctor, my stomach hurts. I have had diarrhea since yesterday. I do not know what I ate, and now my stomach is killing me too. Doctor, am I going to die? Oh, no!”

Adams watched Han Yan’s wailing in silence. He was crying hard verbally, but his eyes were not even slightly red.

Seeing him standing there like a statue, Han Yan nudged Adams with his elbow, gave him a look, and whispered under his breath, “Quick, do what I am doing.”

Hearing this, Adams clutched his stomach, squeezed his facial features together into a grimace, and said dryly, “Doctor, me too.”

The doctor looked at the two of them and sighed helplessly.

“You want a medical certificate for school, right? How many days?”

Han Yan’s face instantly relaxed. He stopped pretending and gave the doctor a cheerful thumbs-up.

“Thanks, Doctor! Give us two days. I do not really feel like going to class tomorrow either. Oh, and Doctor, please make the illness sound a bit serious. We are relying on this for the makeup exam!”

Adams: “…”