Fake Pregnancy? Oops, It’s Real — and So Is the Husband - Chapter 39

Those chat logs were indeed a bit cringeworthy. Shen Lai cleared her throat awkwardly, stubbornly retorting, “Isn’t this how everyone acts when they’re in love? Don’t you and your girlfriend do the same?”

Pei Jingyan slid his hands into his pockets and replied nonchalantly, “Never had a girlfriend.”

Shen Lai paused, turning her head to look at him in surprise. “You’ve never had a girlfriend?”

That didn’t make sense. With a face like Pei Jingyan’s, he should have had a steady stream of girlfriends.

Honestly, it wouldn’t even be surprising if he’d had boyfriends instead.

Seeing Shen Lai’s disbelief, Pei Jingyan remained unfazed. “Problem?”

Shen Lai hesitated. “Why haven’t you dated anyone?”

Pei Jingyan answered breezily, “Too busy studying before, too busy working now. No time.”

Shen Lai thought to herself, Then how do you have time to join a variety show like this?

But she didn’t voice that out loud. Pei Jingyan was only here for the so-called heir position, otherwise, given his personality, he’d never willingly appear on camera.

Come to think of it, Shen Lai had never actually heard any rumors about Pei Jingyan being involved with anyone.

People in their circles often said Pei Jingyan was disciplined, never fooling around with women casually. Others claimed he had high standards, ordinary women couldn’t catch his eye.

No one knew the real reason.

Just then, Shen Lai suddenly realized something crucial. If Pei Jingyan had never been with anyone before… didn’t that mean he was a virgin?

At that thought, she shot him a complicated look, one that Pei Jingyan immediately noticed.

Pei Jingyan raised a brow slightly. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Shen Lai swallowed. “So… that night at the hotel was your first time?”

Pei Jingyan’s expression shifted almost imperceptibly. Seeing her staring intently at him, he replied coolly, “Wasn’t it yours too?”

Shen Lai choked.

Well, she wasn’t any better off, losing her virginity while drugged, no less.

Her first time had been with her sworn rival. What kind of twisted joke was that?

Noticing her silence, Pei Jingyan’s lips curled slightly. “What, feeling guilty now?”

Shen Lai gulped, instinctively refusing to show vulnerability in front of her nemesis. She lifted her chin defiantly. “You got my first time too, so it’s not like you lost out.”

But she had briefly entertained that thought. Even though it was her first time as well, given their strained relationship, Pei Jingyan could’ve easily left her to suffer and she wouldn’t have been able to blame him.

Yet not only had he helped her, but he’d also sacrificed his own body in the process.

Pei Jingyan scoffed. “You didn’t have to put in any effort. Of course you didn’t lose out.”

Shen Lai’s face flushed crimson. “The cameras are still rolling! Watch your mouth!”

Pei Jingyan’s expression relaxed, clearly in high spirits.

“But if you’ve never had a girlfriend, how were you so… skilled in bed?” Shen Lai eyed him skeptically. “Are you lying to me?”

Pei Jingyan’s eyes glinted with amusement. “You still remember how I was in bed?”

Though she’d been drugged, Shen Lai hadn’t been completely unconscious. As Pei Jingyan leaned closer, she shoved him away. “It’s not like I got amnesia. Of course I remember.”

Besides, even if she had blacked out, the bite marks covering her body the next morning would’ve been proof enough of how intense things had gotten.

Pei Jingyan said lazily, “Haven’t you seen a pig run even if you haven’t eaten pork? Even if you haven’t done it, surely you’ve watched videos?”

Shen Lai felt something was off about his words, was he implying she was the pig?

“Unlike some people,” Pei Jingyan glanced at Shen Lai, “who throw themselves at others and still can’t manage to please.”

Shen Lai gritted her teeth, her dignity wounded. “If I hadn’t accidentally run into you, do you think I’d have wanted anything to do with you?”

Pei Jingyan smirked without warmth. “Lucky for you it was me. Anyone else would’ve tossed you out halfway through.”

Shen Lai took a deep breath, reminding herself that Pei Jingyan was now her financial backer, she couldn’t afford to lose her temper.

Because of this sudden incident, Director Miao had to cancel the evening’s tasks and let everyone do as they pleased.

Meanwhile, the show had already broken its highest ratings since airing.

In no time, trending searches were flooded with topics related to Rumors End on the Journey.

Many viewers dug through Bai Hansui’s past Weibo posts and discovered that a year ago, she frequently posted photos with Shen Lai. Back then, Bai Hansui hadn’t even entered the entertainment industry, and most of her followers were there because of Shen Lai’s striking looks.

But after the Shen family’s downfall, Bai Hansui never posted about Shen Lai again. Instead, her photos with Huo Chilin started appearing more frequently around that time.

[So Bai Hansui cut ties with Shen Lai after her family’s collapse?]

[Bai Hansui’s got no conscience. Without Shen Lai, she wouldn’t have gained so many followers in the first place.]

[Exactly! And she even hooked up with Shen Lai’s boyfriend. Huo Chilin’s no saint either—trash deserves trash! Lock them up together!]

[I used to ship them, but now I realize how blind I was!]

Soon, Bai Hansui and Huo Chilin’s comment sections were overrun with criticism. The few fans who tried to defend them were quickly drowned out.

Just as Shen Lai stepped out of the restroom, a figure blocked her path.

Bai Hansui’s face was pale, clearly affected by the online backlash. She clenched her fingers, her voice tinged with resentment. “Lai Lai, why did you have to say those things on camera?”

Shen Lai found it amusing. Leaning against the wall behind her, she countered, “Was anything I said untrue?”

Bai Hansui bit her lower lip.

“You cheated with Huo Chilin while he and I were together, didn’t you?” Shen Lai spoke slowly. “And after my family’s downfall, you cut me off, right? Tell me, which part of what I said was a lie?”

As Bai Hansui’s face grew paler, Shen Lai scoffed. “But there is one thing I’m curious about, did I ever wrong you in any way? If you really thought I wasn’t worth your time after my family went bankrupt, you could’ve just deleted my contact info. Why spread rumors in the industry that I bullied you?”

Bai Hansui’s eyes flickered slightly, her throat bobbing. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Shen Lai smiled faintly. “Whether you understand or not doesn’t matter. You know whether you said those things or not.”

She took a step forward, staring straight into Bai Hansui’s face as she enunciated each word. “Since we’re no longer friends, stop pretending to be close in front of me. Otherwise, don’t blame me for exposing everything you’ve done.”