Fake Pregnancy? Oops, It’s Real — and So Is the Husband - Chapter 93

Shen Lai paused mid-step.

Wu Qi also noticed the person sitting across from Pei Jingyan and asked curiously, “Who’s that?”

Shen Lai swallowed hard, her voice stiff. “Probably a friend.”

Wu Qi caught the odd tone in her words and turned to look at her. “You don’t know them?”

Shen Lai forced a smile. “I don’t know all of his friends. It might be a business associate.”

Wu Qi glanced at the woman opposite Pei Jingyan and couldn’t help but warn, “If a business associate is that beautiful, you should be careful.”

Shen Lai thought to herself, what right did she have to interfere in Pei Jingyan’s love life? They were only married in name. Even if he was seeing other women, it was perfectly normal.

A self-deprecating smile tugged at her lips. She quickly composed herself and said to Wu Qi, “Didn’t you want to shop for clothes? Let’s go.”

Wu Qi blinked. “Aren’t you going to say hello?”

Shen Lai shook her head. “No, I don’t want to disturb his business meeting.”

Wu Qi didn’t press further. She wasn’t close enough with Pei Jingyan to insist, so she continued shopping with Shen Lai.

By the time they returned to the villa, it was nearly ten o’clock. Shen Lai carried bags of all sizes back to her room before collapsing onto the soft bed, as if all her strength had drained away.

She stared blankly at the ceiling, her mind replaying the image of Pei Jingyan smiling at that woman.

In all the time they’d known each other, she had never seen him smile so warmly at anyone.

A sour feeling bubbled up in her chest, though she couldn’t pinpoint why she felt so unsettled.

They were just pretending to be married, after all.

Besides, it would be better if Pei Jingyan really did have someone he liked that way, they could separate sooner.

Just then, voices drifted up from downstairs. Pei Jingyan was back.

Shen Lai’s heart clenched slightly. She stayed motionless on the bed, quietly listening to the sounds outside.

Before long, footsteps ascended the stairs, the crisp sound of shoes against the wooden floor.

The steps grew closer, then stopped at the room next to hers.

Just as Shen Lai thought Pei Jingyan would head straight to his own room, the footsteps resumed, stopping right outside her door.

A knock sounded, followed by Pei Jingyan’s deep voice. “Are you asleep?”

Shen Lai stared at the shadow beneath the door. After a brief hesitation, she got up and opened it.

The door swung open to reveal Pei Jingyan standing there in his tailored suit, the same one she had seen him wearing at the restaurant. A faint trace of scented candles clung to him, likely lingering from his dinner with that woman.

Pei Jingyan casually undid his cuffs. “Butler Sun mentioned you went out today?”

Shen Lai gave a vague hum. “Wu Qi invited me shopping.”

Pei Jingyan didn’t question it. “Where did you go?”

She couldn’t very well say, “The same mall where you were meeting that beautiful woman,” so she kept her eyes down and mumbled, “Just wandered around nearby.”

Pei Jingyan didn’t press further. “The nutritionist said you didn’t eat much tonight. Was the food not to your liking?”

Shen Lai hadn’t expected such a trivial matter to be reported to him. She brushed it off. “I just didn’t have an appetite. It wasn’t the food.”

Noticing her pallor, Pei Jingyan instinctively reached out to touch her forehead.

Yet before she could make contact, Shen Lai tilted her head away. “Um… I haven’t showered yet. I’ll go take a shower first.”

Pei Jingyan’s hand froze mid-air.

Watching Shen Lai’s evasive expression, he narrowed his eyes slightly, sensing something off about her today.

“Do you need anything else?” Shen Lai looked up at him calmly. “If not, I’m closing the door.”

Pei Jingyan studied her for a long moment before replying in a low voice, “No.”

Shen Lai nodded. “Then get some rest early.”

With that, she closed the door, leaning her back against it as she exhaled deeply.

She didn’t know why she was being so awkward. Their relationship was just a pretense, Pei Jingyan could be with whomever he wanted. What did it have to do with her?

Shen Lai shook her head vigorously, trying to dispel the chaotic thoughts, then grabbed her pajamas and headed to the bathroom.

Outside, Pei Jingyan stood in the hallway for a long time. The light cast his shadow long, flickering against the dimness in his eyes as he stood against the backlight.

After a while, he returned to his room, took out his phone, and sent a message to his assistant: “Get Wu Qi’s number for me.”

The assistant acted quickly, sending Wu Qi’s number within fifteen minutes.

When Wu Qi received Pei Jingyan’s call, she was surprised. “President Pei? Why are you calling me all of a sudden?”

Pei Jingyan’s voice was deep. “I heard you went shopping with Shen Lai today?”

“Yeah,” Wu Qi replied, puzzled. “Why?”

His tone gave nothing away. “Did anyone bully her?”

Wu Qi paused. “Bully? No, we just shopped and then went our separate ways.”

Pei Jingyan narrowed his eyes.

Then why was Shen Lai acting so strange today?

“What’s wrong? President Pei, did something happen to Shen Lai?” Wu Qi asked curiously on the other end.

Pei Jingyan’s voice remained indifferent. “No, just asking.”

Before Wu Qi could say anything else, the call ended.

Baffled, Wu Qi was about to put her phone down when she suddenly remembered something and smacked her forehead.

She’d forgotten to mention running into Pei Jingyan at the mall restaurant that evening.

But it was just a small thing, and Pei Jingyan had asked about whether Shen Lai was bullied probably unrelated. Wu Qi didn’t dwell on it and went back to her own business.

When Shen Lai woke up again, it was already morning.

Yawning and rubbing her eyes, she shuffled into the kitchen and saw a familiar figure sitting at the dining table.

Her steps faltered slightly as Pei Jingyan noticed her. “You’re up?”

Shen Lai couldn’t help but recall last night’s events, her expression turning awkward. “Yeah.”

Pei Jingyan acted as if nothing had happened. “Come eat breakfast. The nutritionist prepared it for you.”

Shen Lai murmured an “Oh” and slowly took a seat across from him.

The dining table was unusually quiet, the only sounds the clinking of cutlery. For a while, neither spoke.

Pei Jingyan suddenly broke the silence. “What was wrong with you last night?”

Shen Lai hesitated. She looked up to find Pei Jingyan watching her, waiting for an answer.

After a night’s rest, she felt much better. Calmly, she replied, “Nothing. Maybe I was just tired from shopping yesterday.”

Pei Jingyan studied her expression, it seemed no different from usual, as if nothing was wrong.

Just then, his phone suddenly rang.

Shen Lai instinctively glanced over. From her angle, she could clearly see the flashing caller ID on the screen: Xingyu.