Fake Pregnancy? Oops, It’s Real — and So Is the Husband - Chapter 71

Huo Chilin frowned deeply, completely unaware that Bai Hansui had come looking for him.

Before he could speak, Bai Hansui suddenly emerged from the woods behind him.

“Where did you go?” Huo Chilin asked, looking at her.

Bai Hansui stood beneath a tree, the shadows swallowing half her face, making her expression flicker between light and dark. Her tone was unreadable. “I went to fetch some water.”

Huo Chilin glanced down at her hands and indeed saw a water bottle.

“Miss Tong told me you were looking for me earlier?”

Huo Chilin unconsciously tightened her grip on the bottle’s handle, her smile flawless. “Yes, I was going to find you, but then I saw a water source, so I brought some back.”

Huo Chilin didn’t dwell on it and replied dismissively, “Mm, you’re not in the best condition. Don’t overexert yourself.”

In the past, Bai Hansui would have been overjoyed by his concern, but now she couldn’t muster a smile.

She cast a deep glance in Shen Lai’s direction, recalling the words she had overheard Huo Chilin say to Shen Lai. Her fingertips dug into her palm until it hurt.

After lunch, the group headed to the next task location.

Still distracted by Huo Chilin’s earlier words, Shen Lai was absent-minded the entire way so much so that even Wu Qi noticed.

“What’s wrong? You don’t look well,” Wu Qi asked, sidling up to Shen Lai with concern.

Shen Lai hesitated before finally voicing her thoughts. “What do you think of Pei Jingyan’s feelings toward me?”

“President Pei?” Wu Qi paused, then answered almost without hesitation, “He’s great. I’ve never seen a man so devoted to his wife.”

She wasn’t just flattering Pei Jingyan. His behavior on the show had been evident to everyone. Even the famously affectionate couple, Huo Chilin and Bai Hansui, couldn’t compare.

Shen Lai fell silent for a moment. “What if it’s all an act?”

Wu Qi thought they might have had a fight and chuckled. “That’s impossible. Instinctive reactions don’t lie.”

Shen Lai paused. “Instinctive reactions?”

Wu Qi nodded. “Those are the most revealing. Even actors can’t fake them, let alone ordinary people.”

Shen Lai’s mind grew even more chaotic. If even Wu Qi thought so, did that mean Pei Jingyan had genuinely liked her all along?

This realization was harder for her to believe than the collapse of the Shen family.

Shen Lai lifted her gaze to Pei Jingyan walking ahead. He was chatting with Yan Rui, hands in his pockets, exuding his usual carefree and unrestrained aura.

The turmoil in her heart only grew stronger.

After what felt like an eternity, the group finally arrived at the next task site.

Director Miao appeared out of nowhere again.

“This challenge is called the Poisonous Snake Zone Purification Test.”

“Each of you must clear medical waste from the marked poisonous snake habitats. During this time, mechanical snakes will emerge and move around. Successfully clearing all the waste without being detected by the mechanical snakes means victory. Otherwise, it’s a failure.”

“Winners will receive a premium seat arranged by the production team for the ride back to camp. Losers will have to walk.”

“So, whether you ride or walk back tonight depends on your skills!”

[The production team is so sneaky. A reward like this would be ignored on any other show, but here it’s a hot commodity.]

[Director Miao is brilliant, maximizing impact with minimal cost.]

[Forget the guests, if I had to walk all day, I’d want that reward too.]

[Honestly, even if Shen Lai lost, she should still get a seat. She’s pregnant, after all.]

[What’s the big deal about being pregnant? If pregnant women don’t have to follow the rules, then everyone can just claim they’re pregnant.]

[Haters need to chill. Shen Lai has never used her pregnancy to ask the show for special treatment. Stop pinning baseless accusations on her.]

The four teams of guests were assigned to the east, south, west, and north zones, each working independently without interference. With a shout of “Begin,” the game officially started.

Shen Lai and Pei Jingyan were assigned to the eastern zone, where weeds ran rampant. If not for knowing the show had set up the scene in advance, one might have mistaken it for a real venomous snake area.

As Shen Lai bent down to pick up medical waste, Pei Jingyan suddenly spoke up, “Go sit down. I’ll handle this.”

[I was still slaving away at the office six months into my pregnancy. CEO Pei, don’t spoil her too much.]

[CEO Pei has plenty of strength and skills. Shen Lai, just let him take care of it.]

[How did I get so lucky to watch a domineering CEO do manual labor for me? Director Miao is truly a saint!]

Shen Lai didn’t want people to think she was exploiting her pregnancy for special treatment. She lifted her head and said, “I’m fine. It’s only been three months, it doesn’t affect me.”

Pei Jingyan raised an eyebrow. “Weren’t you just saying you were tired?”

Shen Lai coughed lightly behind her hand. “I’ve rested enough. I’m not tired anymore.”

No sooner had she spoken than the stick in her hand was snatched away by Pei Jingyan. “Hey!” she protested.

Pei Jingyan cut her off. “Go keep an eye out for snakes.”

When Shen Lai just stood there, frozen, Pei Jingyan’s voice took on a teasing lilt. “Do you want us both to keep working and end up bitten to death?”

Only then did Shen Lai remember the mechanical venomous snakes the show had prepared. She stopped arguing, muttered an “Oh,” and obediently found a dry log to sit on.

Watching Pei Jingyan’s busy figure, Shen Lai couldn’t help but recall what Huo Chilin had said earlier.

She glanced around, noticing the cameras had moved to film another team, and deliberately asked in a casual tone, “Pei Jingyan, do you have someone you like?”

The tongs in his hands froze abruptly, rustling the grass as they stopped.

After a moment, Pei Jingyan resumed his work without turning around. “Of course not.”

Hearing his answer, Shen Lai couldn’t tell if she felt disappointed or relieved.

Just then, she heard movement beside her. Turning her head, she saw a mechanical snake slithering toward them.

Startled, she quickly warned Pei Jingyan, “Snake!”

Pei Jingyan calmly glanced over, showing no particular reaction, standing perfectly still.

The mechanical snake lingered for a moment but, detecting no movement, eventually twisted away.

Shen Lai exhaled quietly in relief, thinking the show’s snakes were pretty easy to fool, they left so quickly.

Over time, more mechanical snakes appeared intermittently, leaving whenever they detected no sound and only reappearing after a while.

Before long, most of the medical waste in the area had been cleared.

Feeling guilty just sitting around, Shen Lai helped pick up nearby trash. At one point, she thought she heard faint rustling in the grass, unusually distinct in the quiet surroundings.

She looked up and saw a silver-ringed snake approaching.

This one looked incredibly realistic, from a distance, it could almost pass for the real thing.

Shen Lai instinctively froze, intending to wait for the mechanical serpent to leave once it detected no sound. But as the snake drew closer, she suddenly sensed something amiss.

The scales of the silver-ringed snake model were oozing sweat.

It was alive!

Realizing this, a cold sweat instantly drenched Shen Lai. She instinctively tried to retreat, but it was already too late, the silver-ringed snake had swiftly coiled around her wrist, its forked tongue nearly brushing her skin.

“Don’t move!” Pei Jingyan’s voice exploded from a meter away. His dark, fathomless eyes were locked onto Shen Lai’s direction, a vein faintly pulsing at his temple.