After the Fake Young Master Betrayed the Australian Farmer - Chapter 42

“Yan, when did you switch to liking roses?”

Han Yan had not expected Adams to move so quickly. He had only revealed his address to the man yesterday, and today, Adams had scurried over to become his neighbor like a piece of adhesive plaster. Noticing the flicker of guilt in the other man’s eyes, Han Yan arched an eyebrow with amusement. “Oh, what a coincidence. So, what is the deal? Do you have class this afternoon?”

Adams nodded subconsciously.

“Then let us head out together. Any later and we will be late.”

Han Yan spoke nonchalantly, but Adams froze for a moment, a look of pleasant surprise gradually surfacing in his eyes. He had originally thought his self-assertion would make Han Yan angry, but the other man did not seem dissatisfied. In fact, he seemed to tacitly approve of the move. Adams rushed home, grabbed his bag, and ran back to Han Yan’s side with sparkling “puppy eyes,” naturally reaching out to take Han Yan’s bag.

“Let me carry that for you.”

Han Yan was happy to be unburdened and let him have his way. Han Jue watched their interaction, tapping away on his phone to report the latest developments to their mother. Along the way, Adams followed Han Yan in silence, his gaze never leaving him. Han Yan did not feel uncomfortable; instead, out of Adams’ line of sight, the corners of his lips curled up in a pleasant smile. Han Jue saw everything clearly and could not help but click his tongue inwardly. It was obvious his brother was quite enjoying this current state of affairs.

The professor for the afternoon class was famously good-tempered, and Han Yan had planned to just coast through. Unexpectedly, the “Evil Old Man” walked into the classroom, laptop in hand and wind in his steps. When his eyes met Han Yan’s, he flashed a wrinkled smile that made Han Yan’s heart tremble. A premonition of disaster instantly flooded his mind. The old man stood at the podium, adjusted his glasses, and announced that the original teacher had taken leave for a family matter; he would be taking over the course for the semester.

“I see many familiar faces in this room. Certain students left a deep impression on me in my class last semester. I believe we will have a very pleasant time together this term.”

The old man’s gaze swept over Han Yan and his group. Han Yan lowered his head like an ostrich, while Han Jue’s face crumpled into a bitter expression. Compared to them, Adams was much calmer, even remembering to cup Han Yan’s head with both hands, fearing his neck would get tired from hanging so low. Han Yan’s vision went dark. He had a feeling this four-hour session was going to be excruciating. He wondered if it was too late to swap classes.

Sure enough, Han Yan’s presentation at the end of last semester had left such an impression that the old man called on him to answer questions every chance he got. Han Yan had to stay highly focused, without a single moment to slack off, until his throat felt like it was smoking. Adams thoughtfully unscrewed a thermos and handed it over. Han Yan took a few sips to soothe his throat and whispered a complaint. “I cannot do this. I need to check if I can still swap out later. If it is like this all semester, I will go crazy.”

“Yan Han, do you have any thoughts on this question?”

The old man’s voice rang out like a death knell. Han Yan closed his eyes, took a breath, and when he opened them again, a fake smile was plastered on his face. “Regarding this question, I think…”

Listening to Han Yan’s eloquent answer, Han Jue silently lit a candle for him in his heart. He wished his brother good luck. By the time class finally ended, Han Yan had lost his temper entirely. Exhausted, he poked at his phone screen, staring wide-eyed at the course swap deadline. It was yesterday! The heavens really wanted him dead.

Han Yan felt as if all the strength had been drained from his body. If Adams and Han Jue had not caught him at the same time, he probably would have rolled straight down the stairs. Actually, rolling down would not have been so bad; at least he would have a legitimate reason to skip class. That evening, Han Yan ate four bowls of rice in a row to vent his frustration. Han Jue watched in horror. Xie Yu, who had dropped by for a meal and did not know the context, quipped, “Yan, were you reincarnated from a starving ghost today?”

Han Yan gave him a hollow look, mechanically stuffed more rice into his mouth, and muttered, “If only I really could be reincarnated.” He suddenly thought of something and stared at Xie Yu until the latter’s scalp went numb.

“Yan, if you need something, just say it. You are scaring me.”

“Little Yu, do you think there is a substitute student who looks exactly like me?”

“What?”

Xie Yu was baffled. After Han Jue explained the situation, Xie Yu’s eyes filled with sympathy. He patted Han Yan’s shoulder and shook his head. “Yan, you are really unlucky. Even if you found a substitute, that old man remembers you from last semester. He would definitely tell it is not the same person. This problem is unsolvable, Yan. Unsolvable.”

Han Yan rubbed his full belly, his mood stabilizing slightly as he listlessly tapped his phone. “Fine. Since I cannot swap, can I not just drop the course? I see the Census Date is at the end of this month.”

However, this course accounted for 20 credits, and some other courses required this as a prerequisite. It might not even be offered next semester, which meant dropping it could delay his graduation. Fine, so be it. He was not short on money or time anyway. Han Jue took a sip of soup and pulled out his phone too. “If you are dropping it, brother, then I am dropping it too.”

After some maneuvering on his phone, Han Yan saw the “Drop Successful” interface and put his phone down with satisfaction. “I dropped it. I will just take it later. I refuse to believe I will run into that damn old man next time!”

If he did, he really ought to go to a temple to burn some incense and get rid of the bad luck. Just as he finished speaking, the doorbell rang.

“Might be the milk tea I ordered. I will get it.” Han Jue stood up and opened the door. He froze for a moment, then saw the bouquet in the visitor’s hands, and realization dawned in his eyes. He turned and shouted toward the dining table, “Brother, someone is here for you!”

“What? For me?” Han Yan looked puzzled, but then thought of a certain “dog” living across the hall and understood. He walked slowly to the door. Han Jue tactfully retreated to his room, dragging a nosy Xie Yu along and closing the door behind them. Han Yan looked at the bright, delicate roses in Adams’ hands and raised an eyebrow. “For me?”

Adams handed the bouquet over, pressing his lips together. “If you do not like roses, I will change them for something else tomorrow.”

Han Yan used to think roses were cliché, but now he suddenly understood why people liked sending them when pursuing someone. They truly were the best symbol of one’s feelings. Though, this guy’s routine for chasing him was exactly the same as before; he only knew how to send roses. He took the roses into his arms, the rich fragrance swirling around his nose. He chuckled softly. “Thanks. Roses are fine. I like them very much.”

Adams watched Han Yan’s crinkled eyes, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Are you free tomorrow?”

“I have class in the morning, but I am free after that.”

“Then can I ask you out after class tomorrow?”

Han Yan tilted his head, looking at him with a half-smile. “A date?”

“Yes.” Adams’ jaw was tense, his hands clenched at his sides. He was clearly nervous. Han Yan wondered if he was afraid he would say no. But he did not really have a reason to refuse.

“Then I will head out with you after class tomorrow?”

Adams visibly relaxed, his eyes shining like clear gemstones. “Okay.”

After Adams returned across the hall, Han Yan closed the door and suddenly realized he forgot to mention he had dropped the class. He decided to tell him tomorrow, as the deadline was not for a while. As soon as he turned around, he bumped into four eyes gleaming with gossip. Xie Yu looked at the fiery red roses and teased, “Oh, Yan, when did you switch to liking roses? How come I did not know? Did you not used to complain they were tacky? Every time a suitor gave you roses, did you not mock their poor taste to their face?”

Look at him now, holding them with both hands like they were treasures, with a smile he could not even suppress.

“I changed my taste, alright?” Han Yan shot him a look, pulled the old flowers out of the vase on the coffee table, and meticulously arranged the roses one by one. Once finished, he clapped his hands, admired his handiwork, and commented, “The color is quite nice. Very festive.”

Xie Yu was completely speechless at Han Yan’s double standards. Han Jue had seen through it all long ago. It was not about the flowers being tacky; it was just that the person had not been right before. Han Yan ignored them, took a photo of the flowers to send to Adams, and without waiting for a reply, went to his room to pick out an outfit for tomorrow.

The next morning, Han Jue was eating breakfast with bleary eyes. Hearing the door open, he looked up and immediately went wide-eyed, his sleepiness vanishing. Han Yan was wearing a black slim-fit turtleneck under a white shirt, with the top buttons left open and only a few fastened near the waistband. He wore black jeans that tightly hugged his long legs, with the shirt hem tucked in, emphasizing his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His hair, usually loose over his forehead, was carefully styled, and the red mole above his eyebrow was faintly visible.

As Han Yan sat down opposite him, a subtle scent of orange blossom drifted into Han Jue’s nose. “Brother, you look pretty handsome today,” Han Jue stared.

Han Yan replied lazily, “What? Am I not handsome usually?”

“That is not it, but you are exceptionally handsome today!” He looked like a peacock spreading its feathers.

Seeing his carefully chosen outfit get approval, Han Yan bit into a piece of bread in high spirits. “I will not be having lunch with you. I have things to do.”

Han Jue leaned his chin on his hand and grinned. “With Adams, right?”

Han Yan arched an eyebrow. “Pretty smart.”

“Are you coming back for dinner? Actually, I should ask if you are coming back at all tonight.”

In response to Han Jue’s suggestive teasing, Han Yan tapped him on the head and snorted. “That is enough. Since when did you become such a gossip?”

Han Jue immediately shifted the blame. “Probably picked it up from Xie Yu.” Given how much Xie Yu loved drama, it was a reasonable explanation. In his sleep, Xie Yu sneezed, smacked his lips, and fell back into a deep slumber.

After breakfast, Han Yan put on a leather jacket, grabbed his bag, and opened the door, only to run straight into the man from across the hall. Han Yan scanned the other man discreetly, looking intrigued. Adams had also chosen a black slim-fit turtleneck, paired with well-draped black trousers that made his legs look perfectly straight, topped with a dark overcoat reaching below the knees. The all-black ensemble made his emerald-green eyes and the obsidian necklace reflecting colored light the only pops of color.

Usually, Adams’ style was more athletic. Aside from New Year’s Eve, Han Yan could not remember him wearing this style before. It suited Adams well. Han Yan liked it. Han Jue’s gaze darted between the two “male peacocks,” then down at his own hoodie, wondering if he should change to fit in.

“Quite handsome, Adams,” Han Yan teased with a smile as they waited for the elevator. Adams’ eyes brightened when they landed on the obsidian stud in Han Yan’s earlobe.

“You too.”

The ambiguous atmosphere swirling around them made Han Jue feel like a glaring lightbulb. He wondered if it was too late to call in sick. Fortunately, Fang Jianan was in class today. Fang Jianan whispered to Han Jue, “So, what is the situation with them?”

“Exactly what you see.”

Han Jue typed notes into his document as Fang Jianan sighed. “If they really get together, we will be the ‘Lightbulb Duo’ from now on. What a hard life.”

Actually, it should be a “Lightbulb Trio.” He would have to introduce Xie Yu to Fang Jianan sometime. “Do you want to be in a relationship that badly?”

Fang Jianan shrugged realistically. “I do not have money; what is the point? If my partner wanted a gift and I could not afford it, how embarrassing would that be?”

Han Yan remembered the dropped class and nudged Adams’ arm. “Han Jue and I dropped the old man’s class last night. We will take it later. If you do not like it, drop it soon; the deadline is the end of the month.”

Adams immediately opened his laptop, went to the website, and dropped the course with one smooth, decisive motion.

“You are not even going to think about it?”

“No. If you are not taking it, I am not taking it.”

Han Yan stared at him for a moment, a light chuckle escaping his throat. He propped his head on his hand and started fiddling with the necklace on Adams’ chest. “But dropping this might delay your graduation.”

Adams looked down at the obsidian being turned over in Han Yan’s fair hand. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he said hoarsely, “It is fine. I am in no rush to graduate.” Han Yan lifted his gaze to him and let his lips curve into a smile.

After class, Han Yan packed his things and stood up slowly. A large hand appeared in front of him and took his bag. “Let me take that.” Han Yan did not mind. He turned and waved to Han Jue and Fang Jianan. “We are leaving first. Han Jue, call me if you need anything.”

Han Jue acknowledged him and went to lunch with Fang Jianan. Adams gripped Han Yan’s wrist and led him toward the parking lot. “I parked my car here last night. We will drive to lunch.”

He certainly came prepared. Han Yan looked at the hand gripping his wrist, gave it a casual glance, then looked away, letting the man lead him. Once in the car, Han Yan buckled his seatbelt and asked, “What are we eating?”

Adams started the car, propped his hand on the back of the passenger seat, and looked back to reverse. The turtleneck shifted slightly with the movement, revealing his prominent Adam’s apple. Han Yan’s gaze darkened. He tapped his thigh with his index finger.

“Brunch. By the seaside. Online reviews say it suits Chinese tastes.”

“Sure, I will follow your lead.”

At a red light, Adams suddenly unbuckled his seatbelt, reached into the back seat for a blanket, and spread it over Han Yan. “If you are tired, sleep for a bit. I will wake you when we get there.”

The familiar scene made Han Yan laugh. “In your eyes, do I do nothing but sleep in cars?”

The syllable for “Yes” almost escaped Adams’ lips, but catching the look in Han Yan’s eyes, he tactfully swallowed it back down. “No. It is an early class today; I was just afraid you did not get enough sleep.”

Han Yan pulled the blanket closer, adjusted his position, and closed his eyes. “I will nap for a bit then. Wake me when we are there.”

“Okay.”