After the Fake Young Master Betrayed the Australian Farmer - Chapter 33

“Happy nineteenth, Adams.”

The moment Han Yan received his medical certificate, he sent an email to the school. He explained that he and his roommate, Adams, had contracted acute gastroenteritis after accidentally consuming expired food, which was why they had missed their exams yesterday. He requested a make-up exam and attached the two medical certificates as proof.

After clicking send, his strength suddenly vanished, and he let out a long sigh of relief against the back of his chair.

“That should settle it. Now we just wait for the school to schedule the make-up exam.”

“Good.”

Adams unscrewed his thermos and handed it over. “Drink some water. You were wailing so loudly earlier that your throat must hurt.”

Han Yan took it and sipped the warm water, sounding exasperated. “Why do you carry this thermos everywhere you go?”

For a mixed-race man, he was more health-conscious than Han Yan, who was full-blooded Chinese.

“Your stomach is weak right now. Warm water is better for your recovery.”

No wonder Adams had been skimping on the spices lately and switching to bland dishes; it turned out it was all for him.

Tsk, he is quite thoughtful.

Han Yan checked the time. He had three hours before his part-time shift began. Heading home would waste half an hour on the road, and after resting for just an hour, he would have to head out again. Since they were not far from his workplace, Han Yan opened an app to check nearby movie showtimes.

“Adams, do you want to catch a movie?”

It was a horror film with a duration of less than two hours. It would end at the perfect time for him to go to work.

Clutching a large bucket of popcorn and their ticket stubs, Han Yan and Adams found their seats. They sat in the back row, and by the time the movie started, they were the only two people there. Since it was a weekday, everyone else was likely busy with school or work. Han Yan liked the situation; he had essentially booked the whole theater for the price of two tickets.

The theater lights dimmed. Accompanied by eerie visuals and horror sound effects, Han Yan gave a bored yawn.

Suddenly, the hand he had resting on the armrest was gripped by someone. He turned his head, looking toward his side in the glow of the screen, and his eyes met the other man’s.

“What is wrong?” he leaned in and whispered into Adams’ ear.

Adams pursed his lips and spoke in a low voice, “I am scared.”

Feeling the warm, dry palm of the other, Han Yan raised an eyebrow and proactively interlaced their fingers.

“Big brother is holding you. Do not be afraid.”

Between the clichéd plot and the stereotypical characters, Han Yan’s eyelids began to feel heavy. Before long, his head tilted, resting on Adams’ shoulder as he drifted off to sleep.

Adams remained motionless throughout the entire film, maintaining his posture. He turned his head to quietly gaze at Han Yan’s sleeping face, reaching up to gently stroke his cheek a few times.

When the movie ended, Han Yan stretched. Looking at the nearly untouched popcorn in Adams’ arms, a look of embarrassment crossed his face for the first time.

“I am sorry. I did not expect to fall asleep.”

He had not even checked the ratings before buying the tickets; he had simply picked the closest showtime. Who knew it would be this bad? This film definitely deserved a spot at this year’s Golden Raspberries.

“It is okay. It is my fault for going so long last night. You did not get much sleep.”

Han Yan froze for a moment, then let out a low laugh and pinched Adams’ chin.

“Then you probably did not sleep either, right? How was the movie?”

Adams hesitated for a moment before offering a rating of “It was okay.”

Fine. Since he thought it was okay, then it was fine.

That evening, Adams followed Han Yan to the Chinese restaurant as usual.

During a lull in service, Han Yan sat down beside him and began devouring a table full of dishes he had specifically ordered.

“You come to work with me every day and sit here for hours. Are you not bored?”

Seeing him pick only the meat, Adams used his chopsticks to put some vegetables into Han Yan’s bowl. He then poured a cup of tea and pushed it toward him.

“I am not bored. I am doing serious business.”

Han Yan lifted his eyelids to glance at him and let out a snort.

A few more tables of customers arrived. Han Yan wiped his mouth with a tissue and was about to get up when Adams pressed down on his shoulder, seating him back down. Adams pulled the apron from Han Yan’s waist, tied it on himself, and rubbed Han Yan’s head.

“I will go. You finish eating.”

Watching the figure skillfully taking orders from customers, Han Yan rested his chin in his palm. His lips curled up unconsciously.

The school soon scheduled their make-up exams. Walking out of the exam hall, Han Yan led Adams toward lunch with a light step.

“The exam went okay, right? Everything on the paper today felt like the material we reviewed last night.”

“Yes, we should pass.”

As a struggling student, he did not ask for much; a passing grade was enough.

The two of them had studied late last night. This morning, Adams had tried to get up to cook as usual, but Han Yan dragged him back into bed. Han Yan told him to sleep a bit longer to recharge. They could just grab something from the canteen for lunch. Though Adams truly found the canteen food unpalatable, he could not win against Han Yan, so he simply pulled him into a hug and went back to sleep.

“Do not eat the five-dollar lunch boxes. They are really not good.”

Fearing Han Yan would try to save money by eating what he considered to be “slop,” Adams gripped his hand and walked straight past that stall without looking back.

Han Yan could not stop the laughter in his heart, finding the way Adams avoided the stall like the plague quite a novelty.

“Is it really that bad? It saves money and it is a balanced meal. What is not to like?”

“Everything about it is bad.”

Han Yan’s palate had been spoiled by Adams, so he did not actually want to mistreat himself either. He nodded toward a stall. “Over there, let us have that Vietnamese Pho. I heard the taste is decent.”

Adams breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to pull out his wallet, a hand pressed it down.

Han Yan handed the money to the cashier and turned to smile at him. “I eat your cooking all the time, and you will not take money for groceries. Today, it is my treat.”

“The vegetables and meat are all sent from my grandfather’s farm. They do not cost anything.”

Han Yan thought to himself that produce from a farm meant for export and profit still had value. He did not bother arguing and gave Adams’ face a squeeze.

“I said it is my treat, so it is my treat. I am older than you, so you have to listen to me.”

Adams felt helpless but obediently put his money away.

The two of them carried their trays, searching for empty seats. The canteen was packed at noon. Looking around, they could not see a single vacancy.

“Han Yan!”

A familiar voice called out from behind. Han Yan turned and saw Fang Jianan waving at him. Another person was sitting opposite him. That person turned around, met his eyes, and then quickly looked away awkwardly.

Han Yan walked over naturally with Adams and took the empty seats beside them.

“Does Adams not usually make lunch boxes? Why did you guys decide to eat at the canteen today?”

Fang Jianan looked at them curiously. Han Yan explained, “We had the make-up exam today. We studied until 3:00 AM last night, so we did not cook this morning.”

He used his chopsticks to drop some raw bean sprouts into his soup and squeezed a lemon wedge. He looked at the food in front of Fang Jianan, his eyebrows arching. “Oh? Why are you not eating the ‘poor man’s lunch box’ today? Did you strike it rich?”

“Where would I get rich? I am so poor I am almost eating dirt! Han Jue comes to ask me questions when there is something he does not understand in class, so he is treating me to lunch as a tutoring fee.”

Seeing that Han Jue had not spoken, Han Yan nudged his arm with his elbow.

“Han Jue, are you trying to secretly leave the ‘failing students’ club behind our backs? That is not very loyal of you. I thought we were brothers.”

Han Jue looked up sharply at Han Yan, his expression dazed. Seeing the other man raise an eyebrow at him, his tense shoulders slowly relaxed.

“There is a presentation at the end of the term. I just did not want to hold you guys back, so I thought I would study more.”

Han Yan’s hand, which had unknowingly tightened into a fist, quietly relaxed. He picked up his chopsticks and said while stirring his noodles, “I am good at presentations. I will help you practice later.”

“Okay, thank you. I will treat you to a meal then as well.” Han Jue crinkled his eyes and smiled sincerely.

Ever since Han Yan discovered that Han Jue looked like the old matriarch of the Han family, he felt the other’s smile carried a strange sense of familiarity. In the past, aside from Mrs. Song, Han Yan’s favorite person had been the old matriarch.

He unconsciously stared at Han Jue’s face a bit too long until a large hand suddenly covered his eyes.

“Han Yan, is he really that good-looking?”

The tone was so resentful that anyone who did not know better would think he was cheating.

“Stop it. I am hungry and I want to eat.”

Han Yan pulled Adams’ hand away and turned back to eat his noodles. The noodles, soaked in beef broth and paired with the delicious soup, indeed tasted good. Noticing Adams’ pitiful expression from the corner of his eye, he blurted out instinctively:

“Do not tell me you timed it again!”

“One minute and twenty-three seconds.”

Fine. This person’s patience was getting shorter and shorter.

Fang Jianan’s gaze moved back and forth between the two of them. Finally, he could not hold it in and asked the question that had been bothering him for a long time.

“Are you two dating?”

“No,” Han Yan replied quickly.

Adams’ face instantly darkened, and a gloomy aura radiated from him. Fang Jianan shrunk his neck and exchanged a look with Han Jue, who simply shrugged back.

If this was not dating, then what was? Had he fallen behind the times?

Han Yan lowered his head to continue eating, reaching out to rub the back of Adams’ head.

“Keep working hard.”

The light voice fell into Adams’ ears, and his gloomy expression cleared instantly. His eyes even lit up. Fang Jianan and Han Jue almost expected to see a tail wagging frantically behind the man.

They seemed to finally understand what was going on between these two.

The May weather in Sydney was starting to turn cool. Han Yan pulled his denim jacket tighter around himself, and Adams reached out to pull him into his arms.

“Are you cold?”

“No, the wind is just a bit strong.” It had messed up his styled bangs, which was annoying.

With their bags slung over his arm, Adams walked toward the teaching building with Han Yan in his embrace.

“It is that old man’s class again. We cannot even slack off.”

Han Yan grumbled as he took his seat. Han Jue, who was slumped on the table, lifted his head from his arms and greeted them with a weak voice.

“You guys are here.”

Han Yan was startled by his dark circles. “Han Jue, did you go out moonlighting as a thief last night?”

Han Jue gave a tired yawn and slumped back onto the table. “No, it was Xie Yu’s birthday yesterday and I could not miss it. They made a scene all night. My head hurts from the noise. I came straight here this morning without sleeping.”

Xie Yu was famous in their circle for being a party animal. Every birthday had to be a massive production with various ways of causing trouble, never ending until dawn. Han Yan could still faintly smell alcohol on Han Jue.

“Poor guy. But you are still standing after drinking until now; that is quite impressive. You have a good tolerance.”

With Xie Yu’s rowdy personality, they would switch venues several times to drink. Even someone with the best tolerance would usually crash the moment they hit a pillow.

“I only had a little bit. I secretly poured the rest out. Everyone was so excited that no one noticed me.”

Han Yan gave Han Jue a thumbs-up. Knowing how to dodge drinks was quite clever.

“By the way, when Xie Yu was drunk last night, he mentioned you.”

“What did he say about me?”

“He said there was not a single person there who could drink. He said it had to be you. He was shouting about calling you over for a drinking match.”

Han Yan’s lip twitched for a moment. That sounded exactly like something Xie Yu would do.

In the past, Xie Yu was his best friend in that circle. They were childhood friends who shared the same habits. After they grew up, they both became heavy drinkers who loved to challenge each other to drinking matches. Of course, Xie Yu was always the first to pass out.

To this day, Han Yan still had a video on his phone of Xie Yu hugging a toilet and vomiting.

“Forget it. What is the point of having been close in the past? He is just like everyone else.”

Adams saw a flash of emotion in the depths of Han Yan’s eyes that he did not understand. He could not help but reach out and take hold of the hand Han Yan had hanging beneath the table.

 

“What is wrong?”

 

Han Yan returned to his senses and met Adams’ worried gaze. He lightly scratched the palm of Adams’ hand.

 

“It is nothing. I just thought of some things from the past.”

 

Adams wanted to say something more, but the old professor walked in carrying his laptop. Han Yan lightly patted Adams’ cheek.

 

“I am truly fine. It is all in the past. I was just feeling a bit sentimental for a moment.”

 

“Focus on the class. Do not let the old man catch you slacking off.”

 

On Thursday, Adams told Han Yan that he had to return to the farm the following day and would not be back until Sunday evening. He prepared two days’ worth of food and placed it in the refrigerator, telling Han Yan to simply use the microwave to heat it up whenever he was hungry.

 

As for why he did not suggest using the stove?

 

Han Yan had once had a sudden whim to cook noodles. If Adams had not discovered it in time, the smoke alarm would have gone off a moment later. Fearing that Han Yan might blow up the kitchen while he was away, Adams repeatedly instructed him to use only the microwave and stay away from the stove.

 

Han Yan, the notorious kitchen hazard, waved his hand dismissively. He indicated that he understood and told Adams to head back without worry.

 

“Enough. I am not a child. Besides, fire trucks are very expensive. I would not take the risk of using the stove.”

 

After saying that, he asked as if he were being casual, “Where will you stay when you go back? Will you stay in the dorms or at your grandparents’ house?”

 

“I will stay in the dorms on Friday. On Saturday, I will go back to the house with my grandfather.”

 

Han Yan nodded and did not ask further questions.

 

“Fine. Just be careful on the road tomorrow. I saw the weather forecast said it would rain these few days.”

 

“I will.”

 

Early the next morning, Adams kissed Han Yan on the forehead, took his car keys, and left. Han Yan went about his day as usual, attending school, eating lunch, and working his part-time shift at the restaurant in the evening.

 

“Han Yan, why did your friend not come today?” The owner, sporting a beer belly, teased Han Yan with a smile.

 

“He has some business to attend to for a few days. By the way, Boss, may I request tomorrow off?”

 

A flash of white light streaked past the window, briefly illuminating the room. Deafening thunder followed, along with the dull sound of rain hitting the glass.

 

Adams tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. He picked up the phone on his nightstand to check the time. It was 11:52 PM. He opened his chat with Han Yan. The last message was from earlier when he had asked if Han Yan had eaten dinner. Han Yan had sent a photo of his meal, and Adams had replied with a dog emoji.

 

His thumb brushed over the background image of the chat, which featured Han Yan’s sleeping face. He hesitated over whether to send a message. As if they were telepathic, a voice call invitation suddenly popped up, causing him to freeze in surprise before he pressed answer.

 

“Adams, you are not asleep yet, are you?”

 

Although Han Yan’s voice sounded slightly distorted through the receiver, it caused Adams’ suppressed emotions to vanish instantly.

 

“I am not.”

 

“Then why don’t you stand by the window and take a look right now?”

 

Adams held the phone in confusion, rolled out of bed, and walked to the window. Through the rain-splattered glass, he could faintly see a black sedan parked by the side of the road. A strong thought surged in his heart, and his breathing grew heavy.

 

“Han Yan, you are…”

 

The window of the sedan rolled down. Although the other man’s features were blurred by the rain, Adams’ pupils constricted at a single glance. He turned and ran downstairs.

 

Han Yan watched the figure in thin pajamas charge foolishly into the rain, and his heart gave a heavy thud. Adams opened the passenger door and sat inside. Han Yan was about to tease him, but his face was immediately cupped as Adams leaned in for a kiss.

 

Adams’ hair was completely soaked, and the wet ends brushed against Han Yan’s forehead. A cool tongue pushed inside forcefully, but the coldness was quickly replaced by the heat of the mouth. The kiss was urgent and fierce, as if Adams could not wait to consume him.

 

Han Yan pulled back slightly. “Adams, wait.”

 

His remaining words were blocked once again. His back was pressed against the car door, and Adams supported himself with his hands on either side of Han Yan’s thighs, trapping him in the small space. The dampness of the rain and the scent of the other man completely enveloped him. A helpless, light laugh escaped Han Yan’s throat. He wrapped his arms around Adams’ neck and began to respond actively.

 

After an unknown amount of time, Han Yan could no longer handle the intensity. He raised a hand to block the lips that were trying to move closer again, gasping for air. “Can we do the main business first?”

 

Adams caught his wrist and pecked his palm. “This is the main business.”

 

Han Yan patted his cheek and laughed. “That is enough. I did not drive all this way just so you could hold me and gnaw on me.”

 

He pushed Adams away and sat up. He pulled a box from the back seat and untied the ribbon, revealing a cake with a design that was difficult to describe. The cream was not smooth; it was clumped here and there, and the words “Happy Birthday, my puppy” were written crookedly on top.

 

Han Yan inserted a candle and lit it. He gave a light cough. “I made it myself. It is a bit ugly, so just make do with it.”

 

“Do not worry. I did not make it at home. I made it at Fang Jianan’s house. He is probably still busy cleaning up the kitchen right now.”

 

At the time, Fang Jianan had watched him write the word “puppy” on the cake with a very strange expression.

 

Adams stared blankly at the cake and spoke with difficulty. “Thank you. How did you know?”

 

“I saw it from your ID. Why? You are allowed to see my birthday on my student card and remember it, but I am not allowed to remember yours?”

 

Seeing that Adams still looked dazed, Han Yan flicked his forehead.

 

“Enough. Blow out the candle quickly. It will go out on its own if you wait any longer.”

 

Adams stared at the small flame and awkwardly folded his hands together. He had not celebrated a birthday in a very long time. If he had not helped Han Yan celebrate his birthday recently, he would have forgotten that one is supposed to make a wish before blowing out the candles.

 

He looked past the flame at the beautiful face behind it and made a wish in his heart. He blew out the candle, and Han Yan’s smiling voice rang in his ears.

 

“Happy nineteenth, Adams.”

 

Han Yan used his finger to scrape a bit of cream and smeared it on the tip of Adams’ nose. He then leaned forward, licked it away, and kissed Adams’ lips. The sweet taste of the cream spread between them, and Han Yan’s eyes crinkled.

 

“The taste is not bad, right?”

 

Adams’ Adam’s apple bobbed as he pressed Han Yan’s head back to return the kiss. Han Yan held the cake with one hand and supported himself on Adams’ thigh with the other. Feeling a change in the other man, he pulled back a little.

 

“Not today. This is a rental car, and I have to return it tomorrow.”

 

Adams panted softly, the desire in his eyes growing stronger. “Are you going to stay today?”

 

Han Yan rubbed Adams’ lips and shook his head. “Probably not. I just wanted to celebrate your birthday. I have to work tomorrow night.”

 

Adams took Han Yan’s fingertip into his mouth and gave it a light bite.

 

“I will drive you back tomorrow afternoon. You can go to work in the evening, and I will return the car for you.”

 

Han Yan stared at him for a long while before letting out a low laugh. “You want me to stay that badly?”

 

“Yes. I want you to stay with me.”

 

Han Yan could not resist Adams’ blunt way of speaking. His heart softened completely, and all his reason flew out the window. He kissed the corner of Adams’ mouth.

 

“Fine. You are the birthday boy today, so you are the boss. However, if I go to your house in the middle of the night, will your grandparents mind?”

 

“They will not mind. My grandmother has been talking about you lately.”

 

Han Yan carried the cake out of the car, and Adams pulled him into a hug. The two of them rushed back into the villa through the pouring rain. As soon as they entered, Adams took the cake from him, set it on the table, and urged him upstairs to take a shower.

 

The hot water poured down from above, dispelling the chill brought by the rain. Seeing that the shower head did not reach Adams, Han Yan pulled him closer until their skin touched. He hugged Adams’ waist and rested his chin on his shoulder.

 

“By the way, Adams, can you tell me the names of your parents?”

 

“What?”

 

Han Yan kissed his earlobe. “I want to donate some money in your parents’ names today. It is not a huge amount, but it is a meaningful thing to do.”

 

Adams’ body stiffened, and he asked in a raspy voice, “Why?”

 

Han Yan nibbled gently on his earlobe. “Have you seen the movie Coco?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then we can watch it together another day. There is a line in it that goes like this.”

 

Han Yan let go of his earlobe and moved his lips close to Adams’ ear. Adams suddenly tightened his grip. He buried his head in Han Yan’s neck, and warm liquid flowed down Han Yan’s neck, over his chest, abdomen, and thighs, finally dripping onto the tiles to join the rest of the water.

 

“Death is not the end of life. Forgetting is the end of life.”