Fake Pregnancy? Oops, It’s Real — and So Is the Husband - Chapter 40

When Shen Lai returned to her room, Pei Jingyan was sitting at the desk, handling documents.

Seeing her come back, Pei Jingyan closed the file in his hand and asked, “Where did you go?”

Shen Lai casually shut the door behind her. “I ran into Bai Hansui outside just now.”

Pei Jingyan raised an eyebrow slightly. “About what happened earlier?”

Shen Lai nodded.

The two of them were widely regarded as the model couple in everyone’s eyes. Now that their relationship had suddenly collapsed, it would be strange if Bai Hansui didn’t react.

However, what surprised her was that Huo Chilin hadn’t shown up, quite unlike his usual style.

Pei Jingyan leaned back in his chair, a faint smirk playing on his lips. “At first, I thought you might help Huo Chilin maintain his devoted persona.”

Shen Lai replied calmly, “He cheated. Why would I help him maintain any image?”

She had already been more than polite by not exposing them earlier. If Bai Hansui hadn’t pushed her luck and tried to pin the blame on her, she wouldn’t have revealed the truth.

Pei Jingyan’s lips curved slightly. “So, you don’t have any feelings for him left?”

Shen Lai shot him a sidelong glance. “If your girlfriend cheated on you, would you still have feelings for her?”

Pei Jingyan lazily replied, “That depends on who cheated on me.”

Shen Lai hadn’t expected Pei Jingyan to be such a romantic fool that he’d even tolerate being cheated on.

Compared to him, she seemed far more rational.

She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but Pei Jingyan seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood at the moment, his eyes and brows radiating contentment.

“Want to go out for dinner?”

Shen Lai paused and looked at him. “Where?”

Pei Jingyan glanced at her, then let his gaze drop to her stomach. “I booked a restaurant nearby.”

Shen Lai pointed at herself. “Just the two of us?”

“Otherwise?” Pei Jingyan raised an eyebrow. “Who else did you want to bring?”

Shen Lai had only asked casually. Since she was hungry anyway, she didn’t refuse his suggestion, and the two of them headed out together.

At the restaurant, the manager led them to a table by the window and handed them the menu.

Shen Lai skimmed through the dishes. Surprisingly, they were all her usual favorites.

She had assumed she’d be stuck eating boxed meals during the filming of the variety show.

Suddenly remembering something, she shot Pei Jingyan a wary look. “By the way, you’re not expecting me to pay today, are you?”

Pei Jingyan replied bluntly, “Do you have the money?”

Though the words were harsh, after half a year of toughening up, Shen Lai’s skin had grown thicker. She calmly sighed in relief. “Good.”

The money she earned from the show was meager, she couldn’t afford to spend it all on food.

Shen Lai agonized over the menu for a long time. She liked everything but couldn’t order it all, so her indecisiveness kicked in.

She slowly handed the menu to Pei Jingyan. “Why don’t you order first?”

Pei Jingyan didn’t take it. “I don’t eat much. You decide.”

“Really?” Shen Lai’s eyes brightened slightly. “Then I’ll just order whatever?”

Pei Jingyan gave a slight nod.

Satisfied, Shen Lai picked a few of her favorite dishes before handing the menu back to the manager.

Then, as an afterthought, she added, “Oh, and please leave out the chili and fatty meat.”

Pei Jingyan’s brow twitched, and he lifted his gaze to study her deeply.

Shen Lai had just averted her gaze when she met his teasing eyes. Her expression turned slightly awkward. “Didn’t you say last time you didn’t like eating these?”

Pei Jingyan’s lips curled. “You remember that so well?”

His words carried a hint of ambiguity. Shen Lai coughed lightly. “You’re my patron, after all. It’s not strange for me to remember these things, is it?”

Pei Jingyan’s lips quirked up slightly. “Miss Shen is quite the quick learner.”

He looked up at the manager and added, “She’s pregnant. Keep the dishes light, not too oily.”

The manager noted it down with a smile. “Of course.”

Shen Lai was taken aback. She had been about to say there was no need to accommodate her tastes, especially since she hadn’t experienced any pregnancy symptoms yet. But Pei Jingyan, as if guessing her thoughts, cut in, “It’s for the sake of the Pei family’s lineage, not for you.”

The rare harmony between them today was instantly shattered by his words. Shen Lai scoffed. “No need to keep reminding me. I remember perfectly well.”

As expected, she and Pei Jingyan couldn’t go half a day without arguing.

After the manager left, Shen Lai glanced around. The filming location was quite remote, yet they’d managed to find such a scenic restaurant.

Curious, she asked, “How did you find this place?”

Pei Jingyan replied indifferently, “Phone recommendation.”

Shen Lai thought that made sense. Someone like Pei Jingyan wouldn’t bother researching nearby restaurants, let alone ones that happened to serve her favorite dishes. It must’ve been a coincidence.

Just then, her phone buzzed in her pocket, a text from an unknown number.

“We need to talk.”

Though there was no name attached, Shen Lai didn’t need to guess who it was.

“What are you looking at?” Pei Jingyan’s voice suddenly sounded in front of her.

Shen Lai put her phone away. “Nothing, just spam.”

She blocked the number without a second thought and acted as if nothing had happened.

Soon, the waiter served the dishes, and the two began their meal in relative harmony.

Then, a sweet voice piped up beside them. “Excuse me, are you Shen Lai?”

Startled, Shen Lai looked up to see two middle-school-aged girls staring at her excitedly.

One of them, wearing a school uniform, gushed, “You are Shen Lai, right? I watched your variety show, I’m a huge fan!”

Shen Lai nearly choked.

She had fans now?

Forcing a smile, she replied, “Yes, that’s me.”

The girl in the uniform squealed, “Ahhh! I knew it! Can I get your autograph? I want to show it off to my friends!”

Under the girl’s eager gaze, Shen Lai couldn’t refuse. This was, after all, the first time anyone had asked for her signature.

She nodded politely and signed her name on the card.

“Is this your husband?” The girl glanced at Pei Jingyan, blushing slightly. “He’s so handsome, like a celebrity.”

Pei Jingyan raised an eyebrow at Shen Lai but didn’t respond.

Not wanting the girl to feel awkward, Shen Lai reluctantly nodded. “Yes.”

The girl gushed, “You two are such a perfect match! The moment you walked in, I noticed you, you’re even more stunning in person than on TV!”

Shen Lai smiled. “Thank you.”

After getting the autograph, the girl cautiously asked, “Um… could I take a photo with you guys?”

Shen Lai instinctively glanced at Pei Jingyan, certain he wouldn’t agree to such a request. She was just about to politely decline when she heard Pei Jingyan say, “Sure.”