Fake Pregnancy? Oops, It’s Real — and So Is the Husband - Chapter 76

Not far away, Huo Chilin watched the scene unfold, poised to step forward and offer his concern. Yet, the image of Shen Lai’s disgusted expression flashed before his eyes, and his feet felt as though they were weighed down by a thousand pounds of lead.

For some reason, he was now afraid of seeing Shen Lai’s rejection.

What Huo Chilin didn’t notice was that his gaze had been caught entirely by Bai Hansui, who had followed him out of the tent.

Seeing Huo Chilin stare unblinkingly in Shen Lai’s direction, Bai Hansui dug her fingernails deep into her palms.

Lately, Huo Chilin had grown increasingly distant toward her. Even after learning of her pregnancy, he no longer treated her the way he used to. Instead, his attention had shifted more and more toward Shen Lai.

Especially last night, after hearing that Pei Jingyan had taken Shen Lai off the island for a check-up, Huo Chilin had been distracted the entire evening.

Just then, Bai Hansui noticed staff members carrying something in the distance.

Curious, she walked over and asked, “What’s this?”

Recognizing her, the staff member explained, “Miss Bai, these are props for the upcoming task.”

Hearing this, Bai Hansui’s heart stirred. She smiled at the staff member and said nothing more.

As she watched them carry the raspberries to the base of a tree and sort them into two baskets: one labeled “normal raspberries” and the other “poisonous berries”, a glint of something unreadable flashed in her eyes.

Under the dappled sunlight of the forest clearing, all the guests had gathered. Director Miao appeared, megaphone in hand.

“Welcome, everyone, to the Poisonous Berry Identification Challenge!”

“Today, your task is to distinguish the ‘toxic berries’ hidden among the normal raspberries. Their secret lies in their mustard-filled centers. If eaten by mistake, they’ll leave you flushed, teary-eyed, and sniffling, but don’t worry, they won’t be life-threatening.”

“Each team will receive twenty raspberries, ten of which are the toxic ones.”

“The task is limited to thirty minutes. You’ll need to identify the poisonous berries through observation, taste-testing, or teamwork. The team with the most surviving berries at the end wins!”

“The winning team will receive a modular water purification system, allowing you to enjoy clean water on this island where even purified water is scarce.”

Someone in the crowd suddenly called out, “Director Miao, these berries aren’t actually poisonous, right?”

“Of course not!” Director Miao declared confidently.

The moment the words left his mouth, everyone eyed him with suspicion, clearly recalling yesterday’s incident with the real snake that had slipped into the task.

Under their distrustful stares, Director Miao nearly choked on his own breath. He immediately raised three fingers in a vow. “This time, I swear there won’t be any issues!”

[At this point, even I don’t believe him, let alone the guests.]

[Same. Yesterday, he swore there were no real snakes, and then Shen Lai almost got bitten.]

[Their skepticism is completely justified. So to prove yourself, Director Miao, why don’t you just eat all the berries yourself? Hahahaha.]

[Director Miao, you’ve lost all credibility with both the guests and the audience. What do you plan to do about it? (Dog head emoji)]

Tong Miaoling chimed in, “Director Miao, maybe you should try one first.”

Frustrated, Director Miao decided to go all out. “Fine, I’ll do it!”

With that, he grabbed a random raspberry from the table and swallowed it, then declared proudly, “Now do you believe me?”

The moment he finished speaking, both the guests on-site and the live-stream audience watched as tears burst from Director Miao’s eyes. He howled for water, sending everyone into fits of laughter and lightening the mood considerably.

This mission was different from the previous ones, it involved teamwork in groups.

After drawing lots, Shen Lai was paired with Bai Hansui, Wu Qi with Tong Miaoling, Pei Jingyan with Huo Chilin, and Dai Jingxuan with Yan Rui.

“Lai Lai, we’re working together again,” Bai Hansui greeted Shen Lai with a smile.

Shen Lai was genuinely curious about what Bai Hansui’s face was made of. Even after her past misdeeds had been exposed, she could still pretend nothing had happened and act like they were the best of friends.

Shen Lai replied coolly, “Miss Bai, we’re not that close. Could you change how you address me? Hearing it makes my skin crawl.”

Bai Hansui’s smile froze on her face.

[Has Bai Hansui been living on a diet of green tea? Her face is thick enough to build the Great Wall.]

[Someone should check Bai Hansui’s family register, she’s probably the reincarnation of the word “shameless.”]

[See, everyone? Don’t learn from Bai Hansui’s shamelessness, or you’ll get called out like this.]

[Shen Lai’s temper is way too good. If it were me, I’d have slapped her twice by now to keep her away.]

Seeing that Shen Lai wasn’t giving her any face in front of the cameras, Bai Hansui clenched the hem of her clothes. “Then I’ll call you Shen Lai from now on.”

Shen Lai didn’t care what she called her, as long as Bai Hansui stayed far away.

Nothing good ever came from being around Shen Lai.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Pei Jingyan was leisurely rolling up his sleeves in preparation for the upcoming game.

Huo Chilin approached him and suddenly asked, “How is Shen Lai’s health?”

Pei Jingyan raised an eyebrow. “Young Master Huo seems quite concerned about my wife.”

Huo Chilin’s expression tightened. “As her ex-boyfriend, it’s only natural for me to care about Shen Lai.”

Pei Jingyan smirked. “I’ll take good care of my wife. Young Master Huo should focus more on Bai Hansui and the child in her belly.”

He added leisurely, “After all, it was gained through cheating, better not lose it again.”

Hearing the mockery in Pei Jingyan’s words, Huo Chilin gripped the edge of the table so hard his knuckles turned white.

As the staff brought out plates of raspberries, the game officially began.

Shen Lai stared at the plate of raspberries in front of her, thinking they all looked identical, how was anyone supposed to tell them apart?

Just then, Bai Hansui suddenly spoke up. “Shen Lai, my stomach isn’t feeling well today. I might not be able to do the taste test.”

Shen Lai frowned and turned to look at her.

Bai Hansui gave an apologetic smile. “So you might have to handle the tasting alone today.”

[Seriously, how can Bai Hansui say something like this with a straight face?]

[If I didn’t know better, I’d think this was a solo task, not a team effort.]

[Don’t be too hard on Bai Hansui, maybe she really isn’t feeling well.]

[But Shen Lai is pregnant too. How can Bai Hansui have the nerve to make her do it?]

[The fact that Bai Hansui still has fans is truly eye-opening.]

Under normal circumstances, Shen Lai wouldn’t indulge Bai Hansui’s antics. But since they were filming, she didn’t want to lose the game because of her.

She picked up the plate of raspberries and examined them closely, but they all looked the same. It seemed visual inspection wasn’t going to work.

Watching the other teams already identifying the “poisoned berries,” Shen Lai decided to just taste one. Surprisingly, luck was on her side, the first one she tried was safe.

With this good start, Shen Lai confidently continued sampling.

Occasionally biting into a few “poisonous berries” laced with wasabi, she was left flushed and coughing from the pungent kick.

As she continued eating, Shen Lai suddenly felt a sharp twinge of pain in her stomach.