Fake Pregnancy? Oops, It’s Real — and So Is the Husband - Chapter 16

As Shen Lai suddenly froze, Pei Jingyan followed her gaze to the only large bed in the room, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.

An eerie silence seeped into the air. Shen Lai swallowed hard. “There’s only one bed. What do we do?”

Pei Jingyan replied unhurriedly, “What else can we do? We’ll just have to share it tonight.”

There was no telling whether the production crew had installed hidden cameras in the room. If they were caught sleeping separately, their fake marriage would undoubtedly be exposed.

No matter what, they couldn’t sleep in separate beds.

Seeing Shen Lai’s reluctance written all over her face, Pei Jingyan’s eyes flashed with mockery. “Relax, I have no interest in the esteemed Miss Shen. Even if you threw yourself at me, I wouldn’t touch you.”

Then, he leisurely added, “Besides, it’s not like it’s the first time we’ve slept together.”

The sudden mention of that night sent shivers down Shen Lai’s spine. She pretended not to hear and shot back defiantly, “Likewise. I’m not interested in you either.”

If it hadn’t been for the drugs that night, she would never have slept with Pei Jingyan.

With the possibility of the crew pulling a surprise check-in the middle of the night, Shen Lai had no choice but to share the bed with him, no matter how unwilling she was.

At least she knew Pei Jingyan had no ulterior motives toward her. Even if she stood naked in front of him, he probably wouldn’t spare her a second glance.

As the night deepened, Shen Lai stepped out of the shower to find Pei Jingyan already in bed.

He leaned against the headboard, the collar of his pajamas slightly open, revealing well-defined chest muscles. A few strands of hair fell across his forehead, softening his usual sharp, unapproachable demeanor.

Even though Shen Lai didn’t like Pei Jingyan, she had to admit he cut a striking figure.

Too bad he was absolutely not her type, and never would be!

Hearing footsteps, Pei Jingyan glanced up to see Shen Lai emerging from the bathroom in her pajamas. The damp ends of her hair clung to her chest, and without makeup, her skin looked smooth and fair, glowing like a freshly peeled egg.

Noticing his gaze, Shen Lai instinctively touched her face. “What?”

Pei Jingyan closed the magazine in his hands and raised an eyebrow. “Nothing. I just almost didn’t recognize you.”

Shen Lai immediately bristled.

Was he implying she looked completely different without makeup?

Fuming, she snapped, “Sounds like President Pei’s eyesight is the problem. Maybe you should get them checked.”

This was exactly why she couldn’t stand him, his mouth was as sharp as ever, never sparing her an inch.

Shen Lai didn’t bother arguing further and climbed into bed, pulling the covers over herself.

They each took one side, leaving enough space between them to fit another person.

Aside from that night at the hotel, this was the first time they’d ever shared a bed.

A heavy silence filled the air, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Even with the distance between them, Shen Lai could feel the heat radiating off Pei Jingyan, so intense it was impossible to ignore.

She blamed the recent sweltering weather for making her feel so restless.

“Still awake?” Pei Jingyan’s voice suddenly broke the silence.

Shen Lai stiffened but feigned composure. “You’re not asleep either.”

Pei Jingyan scoffed. “What, afraid I’ll do something to you in the middle of the night?”

Caught off guard, Shen Lai retorted, “No, I just can’t sleep.”

Pei Jingyan suddenly let out a low, mocking chuckle. “Or is it because your ex-boyfriend is downstairs, keeping you awake?”

Shen Lai had no idea why Pei Jingyan would suddenly bring up Huo Chilin. She replied flatly, “It has nothing to do with him.”

“Is that so?” Pei Jingyan teased. “I thought you still couldn’t let him go.”

Shen Lai scoffed lightly. “I have no interest in trash from the outside.”

Pei Jingyan raised an eyebrow.

Although Shen Lai’s family had gone bankrupt, she still had her pride. The moment Huo Chilin cheated with Bai Hansui, he became a stranger in her heart.

Who would care about a stranger?

“So, you don’t like him anymore?” A hint of something inscrutable crept into Pei Jingyan’s voice.

“Of course not,” Shen Lai lifted her chin. “Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘A good horse doesn’t turn back to graze on old grass’?”

A faint smile curled at the corners of Pei Jingyan’s lips. “Then should I praise Miss Shen for her wifely virtues?”

His words, unusually free of sarcasm, left Shen Lai momentarily at a loss for a response.

Pei Jingyan didn’t give her a chance to speak, shifting the topic abruptly. “Speaking of which, there’s something I’m curious about.”

“What?”

Pei Jingyan’s dark, ink-like eyes turned leisurely toward her. “That night we were together, was it your first time?”

Shen Lai’s body stiffened instantly. Even without turning around, she could feel the heat of his gaze lingering on her.

Pei Jingyan closed the distance between them unexpectedly. The scent of his masculine cologne mixed with shower gel enveloped her as his cold, arrogant eyes bore into her face. “Miss Shen was with Young Master Huo for so long, yet you never did that sort of thing?”

The sudden proximity of his overwhelming presence, thick with hormones, made Shen Lai’s throat tighten. She instinctively leaned back to put distance between them. “Does being together automatically mean we had to sleep together?”

It wasn’t that Shen Lai was particularly conservative, she and Huo Chilin had only been dating for less than half a year, and she hadn’t been mentally prepared to take that step.

Perhaps that was why Huo Chilin had cheated with Bai Hansui.

Pei Jingyan spoke slowly, “Not necessarily. It’s just that Miss Shen is more innocent than I imagined. After all, the way you threw yourself at me that night didn’t seem like it was your first time.”

Shen Lai felt as if he had struck a nerve. Flustered, she snapped, “I told you, it was because of the drug!”

Otherwise, she would rather die than have slept with Pei Jingyan!

The smirk on Pei Jingyan’s face was unbearably smug, as if she had deliberately faked her virginity to deceive him. Shen Lai didn’t want to explain further. “I’m going to sleep,” she muttered, turning her back to him.

Though she knew Pei Jingyan wouldn’t do anything to her, Shen Lai still felt uneasy.

She had always slept alone. Having someone suddenly beside her felt indescribably strange.

Especially when that someone was Pei Jingyan.

Her most hated rival.

Shen Lai closed her eyes, forcing herself to sleep. Perhaps the exhaustion from the day’s filming caught up with her, because drowsiness soon overtook her, and she drifted into slumber.

In her half-asleep state, she faintly felt a pair of hands tucking the blanket around her, accompanied by a soft, resigned whisper: “Silly girl.”

Just as everyone was deep in sleep, the production team decided to stir up some trouble.

As dawn barely broke outside, Director Miao suddenly appeared at the door of a first-floor room, sneaking around with a mischievous grin.

“Good morning, everyone.”

“I’m sure everyone is quite curious about how all these cute couples and newlyweds behave when they’re alone in their rooms, right?”

“So today, let’s take you behind closed doors to find out whether those rumors circulating online are actually true or just pure fiction!”