Fake Pregnancy? Oops, It’s Real — and So Is the Husband - Chapter 51

Perhaps because she had woken up like this for several days in a row, Shen Lai almost found it unsurprising.

Indeed, habits were terrifying things.

Pei Jingyan was still asleep. Shen Lai tried to break free, but his arms clamped around her like iron pincers, making escape impossible.

Left with no choice, she had no option but to stay in that position.

Outside, the wind rustled through the courtyard, sunlight filtering through the curtains and spilling into the room. The air was filled with the drifting scent of flowers, and for a moment, the world seemed utterly serene.

Bored, Shen Lai studied Pei Jingyan’s face, his disheveled strands of hair falling over his deep-set brow, the upward curve of his eyes, his fair skin, and the shadow cast by his high nose bridge under the light. Even in sleep, he exuded an air of careless, unrestrained arrogance.

Shen Lai had to admit, Pei Jingyan was actually quite handsome.

It was just that in the past, she had viewed him through the lens of being her sworn rival, so no matter how good-looking he was, all she could see was “annoying.”

Suddenly, Pei Jingyan’s lashes fluttered, and his deep eyes slowly opened.

Shen Lai jerked her gaze away as if electrocuted, pretending she had just woken up.

The moment Pei Jingyan opened his eyes, he saw Shen Lai’s strange expression. Without overthinking it, he raised a brow. “Awake?”

Shen Lai feigned surprise at his awakening and gave a soft hum. “Just now.”

Noticing her slightly awkward glance at his arm, Pei Jingyan followed her line of sight, his brow lifting slightly before he finally withdrew his hand.

Seizing the opportunity, Shen Lai immediately pulled away from his embrace, pretending nothing had happened. “How did I end up on your side again?”

Pei Jingyan sat up against the headboard, his voice lazy with sleep. “You don’t know?”

Shen Lai frowned, about to retort, when Pei Jingyan added, “Didn’t your camera capture everything that night?”

Her body stiffened, and she looked up at him. “You knew?”

A mocking smile tugged at Pei Jingyan’s lips. “The camera was placed so obviously, it was impossible to pretend not to see it.”

Shen Lai swallowed.

If Pei Jingyan already knew, why hadn’t he exposed her? Why had he played along?

As if reading her mind, Pei Jingyan said flatly, “I didn’t call you out to avoid you blaming me later.”

Shen Lai suddenly felt like she’d been caught red-handed. Flustered, she quickly changed the subject. “I’m going to brush my teeth and wash up.”

With that, she grabbed her phone, scrambled off the bed, and fled to the bathroom like a fugitive.

Watching her retreating figure, Pei Jingyan’s lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

Just then, the sudden ring of a phone shattered the silence. Pei Jingyan glanced at the caller ID and answered indifferently.

Whatever was said on the other end, his expression remained unchanged. “Got it.”

In the bathroom, Shen Lai finished washing up but didn’t hurry out. Feeling awkward about-facing Pei Jingyan now, she sat on the edge of the bathtub and scrolled through her phone.

But what she saw next made her freeze.

Overnight, the trending hashtag #ShenLaiBullying had transformed into #ShenLaiVindicated.

Upon clicking in, I saw a post from this morning by a user named [Tonsils Never Speak]: “Everything Bai Hansui said on the show yesterday was a lie. In reality, Shen Lai not only didn’t bully Bai Hansui, but also bought her many designer clothes and bags.”

To add credibility, the user even shared a video.

In the video, Shen Lai was celebrating Bai Hansui’s birthday. Far from the domineering demeanor shown in Bai Hansui’s photos, Shen Lai even gifted her a designer bag worth 500,000 yuan.

[If this is bullying, please, sister, bully me too!]

[Bai Hansui’s expression doesn’t look like someone being bullied at all. She seemed pretty happy accepting that bag, didn’t she?]

[Shen Lai is the real victim here. She treated Bai Hansui so well, only to be falsely accused of bullying and have her boyfriend stolen.]

[Ugh, how can someone like Bai Hansui be so despicable? I actually feel bad for Shen Lai, losing her boyfriend to her so-called friend and then getting slandered!]

[This is just tragic. If no one had come forward to clarify, Shen Lai would’ve had to swallow this injustice in silence.]

It wasn’t just this post, many from high society circles also spoke up for Shen Lai. The public opinion shifted almost instantly, and Bai Hansui’s Weibo was quickly flooded with angry comments.

Shen Lai’s jaw dropped in shock.

Pei Jingyan moved so fast, he’d already found people to help resolve the issue. She had thought it would take at least two or three days to settle.

At the same time, Shen Lai’s entertainment company, Polai Entertainment, also issued a statement, vowing to hold the rumor-mongers accountable and protect their artist’s reputation through legal means.

When Shen Lai stepped out of the bathroom, she happened to see Pei Jingyan hanging up a call. Clutching her phone, she hesitated before walking over. “How did you act so quickly?”

Pei Jingyan had heard her footsteps the moment she emerged. He turned to her, raising an eyebrow. “Weren’t you worried it wouldn’t be resolved?”

Shen Lai had indeed been worried, but she hadn’t expected Pei Jingyan to fix things so swiftly.

She had no idea what method he’d used to get those people to speak up and cautiously asked, “You didn’t spend a fortune bribing them, did you?”

Pei Jingyan leisurely slipped his phone back into his pocket. “What, feeling sorry for me?”

Shen Lai’s face warmed. “Who’s feeling sorry for you? I’m just worried you spent too much and might ask me to pay you back!” She muttered under her breath, “I don’t have the money to compensate you.”

Pei Jingyan’s lips curled faintly. “With the little you’ve got, hoping you’d pay me back is a stretch. I’d have better luck deducting it from your salary.”

Shen Lai choked on her words.

Noticing her expression, Pei Jingyan said lightly, “I just asked them for a favor. Didn’t take much effort.”

Even so, Shen Lai knew Pei Jingyan’s actions would inevitably mean owing favors. He didn’t have to agree to help her in the first place.

A strange feeling welled up in her heart, like something sprouting from the earth, breaking through the surface.

She thought to herself, Forget washing Pei Jingyan’s clothes for a month, she’d do it for a year without complaint.

While Shen Lai’s troubles were resolved, Bai Hansui’s side was in complete chaos.

Just days ago, her company had issued a statement defending her. Now, less than two days later, she’d landed herself in another scandal and this time, even the Pei Corporation had gotten involved.

The agent on the other end of the phone spoke in a grave tone, “The production team just contacted me. ‘Rumors End on the Journey’ has been forcibly suspended for rectification because of you. Not only does the company have to clean up your mess now, but we also have to pay hefty compensation fees!”

All artists sign contracts before participating in variety shows. If the program is affected or suspended due to their own actions, they are required to pay ten times the penalty fee.

When Bai Hansui initially took on this show, her fee per episode was three million. Ten times the penalty amounted to thirty million.

Bai Hansui’s face paled instantly. She never expected things to escalate this badly, even the variety show had been suspended.

“The company can’t help you now. You’ll have to figure out how to handle those thirty million yourself.”

With that, the agent hung up. When Bai Hansui tried calling back, the line was already unreachable.

Panicked and desperate, she called Huo Chilin, but no one answered.

Frantically, she kept dialing.

After what felt like countless attempts, the call finally went through.

Before the other person could speak, Bai Hansui blurted out in distress, “Chilin, the production team is demanding thirty million in penalties from me. What should I do now?”

Huo Chilin’s voice on the other end was icy. “Didn’t you bring this on yourself? If the production team wants thirty million, then pay it as demanded.”