Fake Pregnancy? Oops, It’s Real — and So Is the Husband - Chapter 75

Time seemed to freeze in that moment. That feeling of a racing heart surged over her again, this time tinged with a few more threads of tingling numbness.

Seeing Shen Lai staring blankly at him, Pei Jingyan raised an eyebrow. “You don’t believe me?”

Shen Lai swallowed, snapping out of her daze as she shook her head. “Of course I believe you.”

Though she didn’t know why she had such faith in Pei Jingyan, she simply felt like there was nothing he couldn’t accomplish.

At some point, Pei Jingyan’s image in Shen Lai’s mind had already shifted from that of a detestable rival to something else entirely.

It was as if with Pei Jingyan around, any problem could be effortlessly resolved.

Hearing her soft, murmured words of “belief,” the corners of Pei Jingyan’s lips curled imperceptibly. “Then let’s go. Leave this matter to me.”

Shen Lai finally stopped hesitating and followed Pei Jingyan out, ignoring Han Xinjie’s shouts behind them.

As they stepped out of the warehouse, the night enveloped the earth, the distant croaking of frogs mingling with the rustling of grass swept by the wind.

Once they were back in the car, Pei Jingyan suddenly asked, “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

Shen Lai didn’t understand. “Tell you what?”

Pei Jingyan’s gaze fixed on her eyes under the dim car light. “About your father’s situation.”

At this, Shen Lai bit her lip. “At the time, the matter was already set in stone. I wasn’t sure if it could be overturned.”

After a pause, she added, “Besides, you’ve already helped my family so much. I didn’t want to trouble you.”

Pei Jingyan teased, “Was it that you didn’t want to trouble me, or that you were afraid of owing me a favor?”

Shen Lai clenched her hands slightly. “We’re not really married. I can’t just come running to you with every little thing, can I?”

Her voice dropped lower. “And who knows, maybe you’d just find me annoying.”

Even real spouses might not be willing to take on each other’s troubles, let alone her and Pei Jingyan, who were merely in a contractual relationship.

“Who said I find you annoying?” Pei Jingyan suddenly countered.

Shen Lai froze as his lazy, unrestrained voice sounded in her ears. “Before I married you, I’d already considered the consequences. Do you really think something like this would affect me?”

Shen Lai’s throat moved slightly.

Was Pei Jingyan saying… he didn’t find her a bother?

Streetlights flickered past the car window as Pei Jingyan studied her eyes in the dim light. “Shen Lai, once you married me, you became part of the Pei family. Even if ours is just a contractual relationship, if you ever run into trouble you can’t solve, you can come straight to me.”

Shen Lai felt her chest tighten, as if wrapped in a waterlogged cotton ball, sour yet sweet.

She lowered her head, and after a long while, finally murmured a soft, “Mm.”

There was still some distance to the dock, so Shen Lai decided to catch up on sleep in the car. After sending a message, Pei Jingyan turned back to find her curled up in the seat, fast asleep.

Her eyes were closed, her lashes thick and curled like delicate fans, her breathing slow and even.

An unconscious smile flickered in Pei Jingyan’s eyes as he reached for a blanket from the backseat and draped it over her.

Moonlight spilled across Shen Lai’s face, stray strands of hair falling over her forehead, her skin glowing with a soft, porcelain-like radiance, like the first snow of winter.

Instinctively, Pei Jingyan raised a hand to brush the hair from her forehead, but just before his fingers could touch her, they curled back abruptly, hesitating mid-air.

A few seconds later, he withdrew his hand, turning to gaze out at the dark night outside the window, his fingers in his pocket unconsciously rubbing together.

When Shen Lai woke up again, she was already on a speedboat. The edge of the sky was outlined by a soft glow, dyed a gentle shade of pink.

She looked around at the endless expanse of sea and suddenly realized something, glancing down at herself.

Wait, how did she get on the boat if she was asleep?

Could Pei Jingyan have carried her onto the boat?

At this thought, Shen Lai turned her head to look at Pei Jingyan beside her, ready to question him, only to find his eyes closed, arms crossed as he leaned against the side, seemingly asleep.

The words on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back.

The morning light fell on Pei Jingyan’s straight nose bridge, his sharp and handsome features softened slightly. His cuffs were loosely undone, his well-defined fingers resting naturally on his abdomen, making him appear less imposing than usual, with a touch of roguish charm.

Shen Lai couldn’t help but study his sleeping face.

Even in sleep, he looked this unfairly handsome.

Just then, Pei Jingyan’s phone beside him buzzed. Shen Lai instinctively glanced at the lit screen and saw a text message.

She was about to look away when her eyes inadvertently caught the words “Shen Corporation.”

Why was her family’s company suddenly mentioned?

Hesitating for a moment, Shen Lai took the phone from Pei Jingyan’s hand and read the full message:

“President Pei, I’ve already begun searching for the missing factory employee from Shen Corporation as you requested. I’ll contact you immediately once there’s news.”

An employee from Shen Corporation?

Could it be Qin Qifeng?

Shen Lai couldn’t hide her surprise as she looked up at Pei Jingyan.

Had Pei Jingyan acted this quickly, already sending someone to look for Qin Qifeng?

Remembering what Pei Jingyan had said in the car earlier, “If you ever face an unsolvable problem, just come to me directly.” her heart suddenly burned, as if scorched by fire.

So, Pei Jingyan hadn’t been lying. He really intended to help her.

At that moment, the person steering the speedboat turned around. “President Pei, Madam, we’ve arrived.”

As the words fell, Shen Lai saw Pei Jingyan’s eyelashes flutter. Her heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly stuffed the phone back into his pocket, pretending to admire the sea view as if nothing had happened.

When Pei Jingyan opened his eyes, he saw Shen Lai leaning against the side, looking at the scenery with an unnatural expression.

His gaze swept over her reddened ears as he casually remarked, “Why are your ears so red?”

Shen Lai acted as though she’d just noticed he was awake. She instinctively touched her ears and stammered, “Oh, maybe it’s just too hot?”

Pei Jingyan glanced at the sea breeze blowing relentlessly around them and raised an eyebrow.

Noticing his reaction, Shen Lai cleared her throat and quickly changed the subject. “Well, we’re here. Let’s get off the boat.”

Without waiting for Pei Jingyan to respond, she stepped off first.

Watching her slightly flustered retreat, Pei Jingyan smirked faintly. He lowered his head and only then noticed the new message on his phone.

Unlocking the screen, he skimmed the content briefly before replying with a simple, “Understood.”

By the time the two returned to the island, the other guests were already awake.

Wu Qi, spotting Shen Lai, immediately approached with concern. “Director Miao told me you two went to the hospital for a checkup last night. Are you okay?”

Shen Lai didn’t mention that their departure had nothing to do with that and simply shook her head. “I’m fine.”

Wu Qi sighed in relief. “That’s good. You really scared me yesterday. I’m glad you’re alright.”

Shen Lai lowered her gaze slightly. If Pei Jingyan hadn’t suddenly rushed over and grabbed that snake, she might already be in the hospital by now.

As if seeing through Shen Lai’s thoughts, Wu Qi nudged her with a shoulder and smirked, “I told you, instinctive reactions don’t lie. Now do you believe me?”

Shen Lai looked at Pei Jingyan with a complicated expression, yesterday’s scene of him charging forward without regard for his own safety replaying in her mind.

But then she reconsidered and shook her head firmly.

Pei Jingyan had made it clear, he was only worried about the child in her womb, not because of her.

Shen Lai raised a hand to her chest, her eyelids drooping as the light in her eyes grew sparse and fragmented.

Yet even though she knew the truth, why did her heart ache with this unbearable feeling?