Fake Pregnancy? Oops, It’s Real — and So Is the Husband - Chapter 90

As expected, Shen Lai wasn’t the least bit surprised when she heard this answer.

She clenched her fingers tightly. “What exactly did he have you do?”

Qin Qifeng shrank back slightly. “He gave me a sum of money to mix substandard impurities into a specific batch of artificial joint materials. Then, he found several patients who had used that batch of products, paid them a large sum, and had them file a collective lawsuit to create a massive wave of negative publicity for the Shen Group.”

What no one anticipated was that one of the patients had unexpectedly died from a sudden heart attack. Han Xinjie seized the opportunity to bribe the family, pinning the cause of death on Shen Lingzhen.

Shen Lai’s breathing grew rapid. No wonder those patients had suddenly come forward, it was all orchestrated by Han Xinjie.

But what Shen Lai couldn’t understand was what Han Xinjie stood to gain from this. If the Shen Group collapsed, he, as the vice president, wouldn’t fare well either.

Her throat felt dry. “Why would he do this?”

Qin Qifeng lowered his voice. “Han Xinjie has coveted the chairman’s position for a long time. But with your father around, he could never be more than second-in-command. So, he secretly struck a deal with an overseas competitor, promising to sell the Shen Group’s core technology at a low price once the plan succeeded.”

Shen Lai’s heart sank bit by bit. Because of Han Xinjie’s greed and malice, not only was the Shen Group ruined, but her family had also been torn apart.

Pei Jingyan watched as Shen Lai stood there quietly, her eyes hollow and pale, like a transparent vase on the dining table, just one gentle push away from shattering into pieces.

Suddenly, a hand rested on her shoulder. Shen Lai felt the familiar warmth and slowly turned her head, meeting Pei Jingyan’s calm and steady gaze. “Are you okay?”

Her eyelashes trembled slightly. She shook her head and whispered, “I’m fine.”

Pei Jingyan studied her face, his voice carrying a reassuring steadiness. “With this evidence, your father can finally clear his name.”

Shen Lai’s nose tingled with suppressed emotion as she nodded.

She had waited for this day for over half a year. At last, it had arrived.

After the assistant led Qin Qifeng away, Shen Lai looked up at Pei Jingyan, her expression slightly awkward. “Thank you.”

Without Pei Jingyan, she had no idea how much longer it would have taken her to find the evidence on her own.

Pei Jingyan placed a large hand on her head and ruffled her hair, his tone teasing or perhaps mocking. “You being so polite all of a sudden is making me a little uncomfortable.”

Shen Lai shot back irritably, “Are you saying I’m usually impolite?”

Pei Jingyan raised an eyebrow playfully. “Have you ever been polite to me? As far as I remember, every time you saw me, you’d just roll your eyes and walk away.”

Brought back to the past, Shen Lai felt a twinge of embarrassment. “And didn’t you treat me like air too? You have the nerve to criticize me.”

Pei Jingyan smirked. “If someone clearly couldn’t stand me, was I supposed to go out of my way to talk to them?”

Shen Lai choked on her words, but she couldn’t deny that Pei Jingyan was right.

In the past, if Pei Jingyan had ever tried to speak to her, she would have ignored him outright.

She cleared her throat softly. “That’s all in the past.”

A hint of amusement flickered in Pei Jingyan’s eyes. “Does that mean, Miss Shen, that you don’t dislike me as much now?”

Shen Lai stiffened imperceptibly. Slowly, she lifted her gaze to meet his. He was watching her too, those unfathomable pupils of his seeming capable of pulling her in.

Her heart inexplicably raced, and she quickly averted her gaze, fingers nervously tugging at the hem of her clothes as she whispered, “I stopped disliking you a long time ago.”

Pei Jingyan raised an eyebrow playfully, deliberately leaning closer. “What did you say? I didn’t hear you clearly.”

Her ears burned. She was certain Pei Jingyan was doing this on purpose. Annoyed, she pushed against his firm chest. “If you didn’t hear, then forget it. It’s not important anyway.”

The next second, her wrist was tightly grasped.

Shen Lai froze, looking at Pei Jingyan in confusion.

Pei Jingyan’s gaze locked onto her eyes, swirling with unfathomable emotions. “So you really don’t dislike me anymore?”

Shen Lai pursed her lips, silent for a few seconds before replying, “You’ve been so good to me. If I still disliked you, wouldn’t that make me heartless?”

A deep, muffled laugh rumbled in Pei Jingyan’s throat, sounding genuinely pleased.

Only then did he release her wrist, giving a slight nod. “Shall we head to the police station now?”

Shen Lai nodded. They had finally caught the mastermind behind everything, there was no way they could let them escape.

When the two arrived at the police station, Han Xinjie had also been brought in. The moment he saw Qin Qifeng, his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground.

He knew there was no hiding his past deeds now.

That night, the hashtag “The Real Culprit Behind Shen Corporation” trended on Weibo.

Netizens finally learned that the incidents surrounding Shen Corporation had all been orchestrated by Han Xinjie, the vice president, and that Shen Lingzhen had been framed.

[Damn, so Shen Lingzhen was wrongfully imprisoned?!]

[What kind of monster is this? Someone castrate this scumbag!]

[I remember Shen Lai was bashed when she debuted because of this. Can those who insulted her come out and kneel in apology now?]

[Shen Lai’s had it so rough, her father was framed and jailed, her family went bankrupt, and her best friend stole her boyfriend. Who’s had it worse than her?]

[I can’t take it anymore. My heart aches for Shen Lai. I’ve never seen a celebrity with such bad luck, it’s like even breathing is a crime for her.]

[I want to apologize to Shen Lai first. I once bashed her over the Shen Corporation scandal. Looking back, I was such a jerk!!!]

The revelations about Shen Lingzhen caused an uproar, and Shen Lai’s past experiences of being cyberbullied resurfaced. Public opinion shifted overnight. Shen Lai’s Weibo gained hundreds of thousands of followers, all flooding her page with supportive messages.

Early the next morning, Shen Lai waited outside the prison gates.

She paced restlessly, her eyes fixed on the entrance, her face tense with anticipation.

Before long, the prison doors opened, and a familiar figure emerged.

Shen Lai’s eyes lit up as she rushed forward. “Dad!”

Shen Lingzhen barely had time to react before she threw herself into his arms. Staring at her, he almost didn’t recognize her. “Lai Lai?”

“It’s me, Dad.” Shen Lai’s nose stung, but she fought back tears. “You’re finally out.”

In just half a year, Shen Lingzhen seemed to have aged over a decade, his hair had turned white, wrinkles creased the corners of his eyes, and none of his former vigor remained.

A pang of sorrow struck Shen Lai’s chest. “Dad, you’ve grown so thin.”

Shen Lingzhen smiled, gently stroking her hair. “Silly child, it’s all in the past now.”

Shen Lai sniffled. “You’re right. It’s all over.”

She steadied herself, forcing a smile. “By the way, you must miss Mom, right? I’ll take you to see her at the hospital now.”

“Mom doesn’t know you’re out of prison yet. If she finds out, she’ll be overjoyed.”

Shen Lingzhen smiled and nodded. “Good.”

On the way to the hospital, Shen Lingzhen said, “By the way, Lai Lai, I heard you were the one who found the evidence this time.”

At his words, Shen Lai paused. Seeing her father’s curious expression, she hesitated for a few seconds before stammering, “It wasn’t me who found the evidence, it was Pei Jingyan.”