Fake Pregnancy? Oops, It’s Real — and So Is the Husband - Chapter 61

Shen Lai’s ears burned as if she were a thief caught red-handed. Flustered and annoyed, she retorted, “Who wants to sleep with you? I just accidentally walked into the wrong room!”

With that, she quickly retreated to her own room, berating herself for making such a foolish mistake.

Unbeknownst to her, Pei Jingyan’s lips curled into a faint smile behind her, his expression carrying a hint of something deeper.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. After showering, Shen Lai lay on the spacious bed, feeling as though something was missing beside her.

Perhaps it was because they had always slept together on the show to play the role of a loving couple. Now that they were suddenly apart, she found herself unaccustomed to it.

Closing her eyes, she forced herself to sleep.

It wasn’t until the late hours of the night that drowsiness finally overtook her. Unconsciously relaxing, she drifted into slumber.

As the feud between Bai Hansui and Shen Lai escalated, Bai Hansui had no choice but to publicly apologize to Shen Lai on Weibo before disappearing from the public eye for a long time.

As for Huo Chilin, perhaps fearing that Shen Lai would really release the recording online, he had stayed away ever since his humiliating encounter at the hospital.

Shen Lai was more than happy to enjoy the peace.

Thanks to her performance on the variety show, Shen Lai’s popularity soared. Just a month ago, she had been the universally despised daughter of a criminal, but now she had risen to become a third-tier celebrity.

After the show was suspended, the company arranged some new work for her, all relatively light schedules.

It maintained her visibility without affecting the baby in her womb.

Shen Lai didn’t need to guess to know this was Pei Jingyan’s doing.

One day, after finishing a commercial shoot, Shen Lai returned to the villa to find Pei Jingyan still absent.

After dinner prepared by the nutritionist, she headed upstairs. Just as she was about to enter her room, she suddenly heard a crisp sound from the far end of the hallway.

It sounded like something had fallen to the ground.

Following the noise, Shen Lai reached the end of the corridor and looked up at the tightly shut attic door above.

Her steps faltered slightly.

She remembered that when she first moved in, Butler Sun had specifically warned her—no one was allowed in that room except Pei Jingyan.

She had no idea what secrets lay inside, shrouded in such mystery.

Shen Lai hesitated, unsure whether to enter and pick up whatever had fallen for Pei Jingyan. But she also felt it inappropriate to go in without his permission.

Just then, Pei Jingyan’s deep voice sounded behind her. “What are you doing?”

Shen Lai froze. Turning around, she saw Pei Jingyan standing there, his arrival unnoticed.

Pei Jingyan glanced at the attic, his gaze darkening.

“Didn’t Butler Sun tell you? No one is allowed in this room except me.”

His tone was cold, like a panther lurking in the night, devoid of warmth or emotion.

The air around them chilled instantly. This was the first time since their reunion that Pei Jingyan had spoken to her in such a manner.

A pang of discomfort struck Shen Lai’s heart. Pressing her lips together, she said, “I just heard something fall inside.”

Pei Jingyan narrowed his eyes slightly, as if assessing the truth of her words. After a moment of silence, he replied indifferently, “I’ll take care of it myself. You can go now.”

With such a clear dismissal, Shen Lai naturally wouldn’t linger. Without another word, she turned and left.

Watching Shen Lai’s retreating figure, Pei Jingyan glanced once more at the attic before him, his deep eyes unfathomable and inscrutable.

Shen Lai took a shower with a heavy heart. Just as she stepped out of the bathroom, she heard knocking at the door.

She already had a good idea of who was outside.

But suddenly, Shen Lai didn’t feel like opening the door.

Yet the knocking persisted, and the shadow beneath the door showed no sign of leaving.

Left with no choice, Shen Lai walked over and opened the door.

Pei Jingyan stood at the threshold in a dark suit, looking as though he had just come from the attic.

Shen Lai spoke coolly, “What is it?”

Pei Jingyan studied her face. “Are you angry?”

Shen Lai pressed her lips together, her voice flat. “Why would I be angry?”

She was just upset that Pei Jingyan had accused her without even hearing her side.

Did Pei Jingyan really think she was the kind of person who would barge into someone else’s room and rummage through their things?

Or did he believe that because she was down on her luck now, she would stoop to such shameful behavior?

Pei Jingyan observed Shen Lai’s indifferent expression and fell silent for a moment. “I was too harsh earlier.”

Shen Lai paused, lifting her eyes to meet his, a flicker of surprise crossing her face.

Was Pei Jingyan apologizing to her?

She lowered her head, fiddling with a loose thread on her towel, and murmured, “Even though my family has fallen on hard times, I wouldn’t just go through other people’s things. You don’t have to worry about that.”

Pei Jingyan’s brow twitched slightly. “That’s not what I meant.”

He added, “It’s just that there are important things in that room, so no one is allowed inside.”

So that was it.

Shen Lai felt much better—at least it meant Pei Jingyan wasn’t guarding against her specifically.

Her tone was still awkward as she replied, “I understand. I didn’t take it to heart.”

Pei Jingyan studied her expression, a teasing note in his voice. “So you’re not angry anymore?”

Shen Lai lifted her chin. “Who said I was angry? I was never angry to begin with.”

Pei Jingyan raised an eyebrow but didn’t call out her poor acting, his lips curling in amusement. “If you’re not angry, then I’ll take my leave?”

Shen Lai gestured casually for him to go ahead.

As Pei Jingyan turned to leave, Shen Lai watched his retreating figure and thought back to his explanation. A small smile tugged at her lips before she closed the door.

Since Pei Jingyan had taken the initiative to explain, she wouldn’t hold his earlier behavior against him.

The next morning, by the time Shen Lai came downstairs, Pei Jingyan had already left for the office.

She sat alone in the dining room, eating breakfast, when Butler Sun happened to pass by. Remembering something, she called out to him, “Butler Sun.”

Butler Sun approached. “Yes, Miss Shen? Is there something you need?”

Shen Lai hesitated. “Do you know what’s inside the attic?”

Butler Sun shook his head. “I’m not sure. Mr. Pei has never allowed any of us to go in there.”

To keep it so tightly under wraps, could there really be something unspeakable hidden inside?

Maybe it was evidence of tax evasion, which was why Pei Jingyan had been so tense when she tried to enter?

Shen Lai thought to herself, they were married now, would she really report him?

Pei Jingyan really underestimated her.

But the matter didn’t leave much of an impression on her. She quickly put the incident out of her mind and threw herself into her work.

In the blink of an eye, Shen Lai had been pregnant for over three months. One day, she received a call from her agent informing her about a variety show called Wilderness Survival that wanted to invite her and Pei Jingyan to participate. The lineup consisted of the original guests from their previous show, Rumors End on the Journey.