Fake Pregnancy? Oops, It’s Real — and So Is the Husband - Chapter 1

“Hot…”

The hotel suite was dimly lit.

The wall lamp in the bathroom cast a warm glow, illuminating two entwined figures against the floor-to-ceiling window.

Shen Lai frantically tugged at the man’s Armani tailored suit.

Instead, he gripped her waist and pressed her against the cold glass of the window, his breath heavy with the scent of alcohol and cedar as he loomed over her. “Stop moving.”

Shen Lai’s eyes were rimmed with red, her gaze hazy with intoxication. “Give it to me…”

The man’s low, husky voice rumbled from his chest, sending shivers down her spine. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

The heat seared through her body, making Shen Lai unconsciously rub against the crisp fabric of his suit pants.

Her dark lashes were damp with tears. “I feel awful…”

“So you’d sleep with just anyone when you’re feeling awful?”

His fingers traced the lace at her waist, sending tremors through her, then gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. His voice was a seductive whisper.

“Shen Lai, look closely. Who am I?”

Her watery eyes were unfocused, barely able to make out his sharp features in the dim light.

Her rationality burned away by the drug, she writhed in discomfort. “I don’t know.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed with a cold laugh beneath his shirt. “You don’t know, yet you’d let just anyone touch you? Since when has Miss Shen become so reckless?”

The drug had her trembling uncontrollably, a whimper escaping her lips. “Anyone… just give it to me…”

The suit jacket was already disheveled in the chaos, breaths growing ragged.

He yanked off his tie and bound her restless wrists, his voice strained and hoarse. “Are you sure you want me to take you?”

Shen Lai slumped weakly against his shoulder, her voice trembling. “Yes…”

The next second, silk tore with a sharp sound.

He bit down on her scorching earlobe, the metallic click of a buckle unfastening echoing in the dark.

“Shen Lai, you’ll regret ever provoking me.”

—

Boom!

Outside, thunder split the sky, its light flickering into the disheveled apartment.

On the couch, Shen Lai slowly opened her eyes, her temples throbbing.

That dream again.

Her stomach still churned with nausea. Her phone had fallen to the floor at some point, its screen glowing with a trending hashtag:

#ShenLaiMorningSickness
#ShenLaiPregnant
#WhoIsShenLaiSugarDaddy
#ShenLaiReportedlyPregnantWithSugarDaddysBaby

The live comments below were refreshing by the hundreds every second.

During tonight’s 48 Hours with the Stars live broadcast, just as Shen Lai was about to speak, her stomach suddenly twisted violently, as if a rod were stirring inside.

Unable to hold back, she covered her mouth and rushed offstage.

The next moment, the sound of retching came clearly from backstage.

The live chat exploded.

[Is she pregnant or something?]
[This nobody is faking a pregnancy for clout now?]
[Is this some new marketing stunt? She’ll do anything for attention!]
[Didn’t Shen Lai only join the industry because her family went bankrupt? Half a year in and she’s still a D-list nobody… no wonder she’s desperate.]
[Wait, wasn’t she caught with a sugar daddy two months ago? Could she actually be pregnant?]
[I remember that scandal! There were photos, but no one ever figured out who the guy was apparently, he’s someone big!]

By that night, #ShenLaiMorningSickness had already topped the trending list.

As an obscure eighteen-tier celebrity who had been ignored in the entertainment industry for half a year, she never expected her first trending topic to happen this way.

Not only that, but netizens also transformed into ace detectives, digging deep into the scandal from two months ago.

Although the paparazzi had deleted the report shortly after it was published, many netizens had saved the photos.

[Obscure Actress Shen Lai Caught Escorting! Late-Night Hotel Visits with Sugar Daddy for Resources: Confirmed.]

In the photo, Shen Lai leaned drunkenly against a man’s shoulder, her cheeks flushed. The lace dress hugged her slender waist and long legs, her delicate, boneless posture easily stirring dark desires.

Due to the angle and dim lighting, the man’s face wasn’t captured… only his long legs, clad in tailored trousers.

The sensational headline and photo reignited the forgotten scandal, sparking a new wave of gossip.

[I wouldn’t have known about this report if netizens hadn’t dug it up!]

[It was taken down within an hour of being posted, only night owls got to see it!]

[Truly, the internet never forgets. But who has the power to make a reporter delete a story so fast? This outlet even dared to expose A-list actors!]

[Definitely someone big… otherwise, why wasn’t his face shown? I don’t buy it.]

[Could it be Shen Lai’s rumored boyfriend? The height and silhouette look similar.]

[Shen Lai’s fans, stop trying to ride coattails! Young Master Huo never acknowledged her as his girlfriend. Besides, he and Bai Hansui are deeply in love… don’t drag them into this.]

[Exactly. Shen Lai’s family is bankrupt, yet she still dreams of marrying into wealth? Hilarious. Who knows which sugar daddy she’s clinging to now? The photo’s so heavily edited… probably some greasy, ugly old man she’s too ashamed to show.]

Bai Hansui’s fans had always despised Shen Lai. Seeing their idol dragged into the mess, they launched a barrage of attacks in the comments.

Shortly after the post went viral, Bai Hansui tweeted:

The pure need no defense.

Accompanying it was a photo of her and Huo Chilin holding hands, their matching couple rings engraved with each other’s initials.

Though she didn’t address the rumors directly, the message was clear, she was refuting claims about Shen Lai’s pregnancy.

Emboldened, Bai Hansui’s fans escalated their harassment, even flooding Shen Lai’s social media with vitriol.

[How dare you compete with our queen? She’s a wealthy, educated beauty with a heart of gold. What do you have? A father in prison? A bankrupt family?]

[Damn, that’s harsh… but I like it. No mercy for shameless women like her.]

[Why is the daughter of a criminal even allowed in the entertainment industry? The police should arrest her too… spare the next generation from her influence.]

[Like father, like daughter. I heard she and Bai Hansui used to be best friends. Stealing your bestie’s man? Disgusting. A dung beetle wearing a mask, utterly shameless.]

Overwhelmed by the vicious comments, Shen Lai exited the app just as her Meituan order notification popped up: Delivered.

Barefoot, she crept to the door and cracked it open slightly.

A pharmacy bag hung from the hook outside.

After confirming no paparazzi were lurking, she snatched it inside swiftly.

Opening the bag, she found a single box inside.

The glaring words “Pregnancy Test” were printed boldly on the box.

Since entering the entertainment industry, Shen Lai had been the subject of numerous rumors, and she had grown accustomed to them. But this time, she knew all too well the report was true.

The dream she had tonight was about that night in the hotel.

That evening, Shen Lai had been taken by her former agent to accompany higher-ups for dinner. But the drink she was given had been spiked, and by the time she realized something was wrong, it was already too late.

She fled the private room, but her body grew increasingly feverish until she stumbled into the arms of a man just as the drug took full effect.

The events that followed were hazy in her memory.

When she woke again, it was already the next day.

Shen Lai’s body ached all over, covered in telltale marks. The clothes scattered on the floor were a disgrace, and a small pool of bright red stained the bedsheets.

Anyone could guess what had happened.

Just as the face of the man who had taken her virginity was about to surface in her mind, Shen Lai violently shook her head. She tore open the packaging and pulled out the pregnancy test.

Following the instructions, she began the test.

As she waited for the result, Shen Lai clasped her hands together, praying silently. She had eaten something bad the day before it couldn’t possibly be pregnancy.

But as time passed, the test began to react.

Shen Lai’s heart leaped into her throat.

One line…

She waited for a long time, but the test showed no further change.

Her pounding heart slowly settled back into place. Of course, it was just stomach trouble, nothing to do with pregnancy.

But before she could fully relax, she suddenly noticed a faint red line beginning to appear beside the first.

Then, two unmistakable lines emerged on the test.

Shen Lai felt as though she had been struck by lightning, her mind going completely blank.

How?

She was really pregnant?!

She refused to believe it, convinced the test was faulty, and took another one.

But the result was the same.

As Shen Lai stood frozen in shock, the shrill sound of the doorbell suddenly pierced the air like a sharp blade slicing through the silence.

Her heart lurched, and she jerked her head toward the door.

Who could be visiting her at this hour?

Then she remembered after the show ended, her agent had contacted her, saying she would come by to talk.

Clutching the pregnancy test tightly, Shen Lai hurried to open the door.

“Sister Chen, I…”

The rest of her words died in her throat when she saw the man standing outside.

He held an umbrella, his dark suit damp with night dew. His features were sharp and cold, his aura restrained yet profound, exuding an undeniable air of nobility from head to toe.

Shen Lai’s eyes widened slowly, her heart racing.

Pei Jingyan?

Why was he here?

Pei Jingyan, the sole heir of the powerful Pei family in the capital, CEO of a globally renowned multinational corporation, a man who could practically move mountains with a single word.

Anyone in the upper echelons of society knew that Pei Jingyan and Shen Lai were infamous rivals.

From kindergarten to high school, the two had never gotten along.

Until two years ago, when Pei Jingyan went abroad, and six months ago, when the Shen family went bankrupt overnight, reducing Shen Lai from a privileged heiress to the daughter of a disgraced criminal, someone everyone could trample on.

Their connection had ended there.

No… not entirely.

After all, just two months ago, the two of them had engaged in some… intimate exchanges.

Shen Lai clenched her fingers beneath her sleeves, forcing herself to remain composed. Her expression was cool and detached. “President Pei, what brings you here?”

Pei Jingyan looked down at her, his gaze dark and unfathomable. “Miss Shen,” he said, his voice low. “I heard you’re pregnant?”