Chapter 13

The final episode of Peace love had wrapped up filming. Jiang Yehui planned to fly back to London with the production team. The guests, who had come from different places, would soon go their separate ways at the airport.

After nearly a month of filming—seeing each other at their worst, covered in dirt, and even going a week without showers—they had, to some extent, formed a bond through shared hardship. Now that it was time to part, there was a genuine sense of reluctance.

“EE!”

Just as Jiang Yehui finished saying goodbye to the Japanese celebrity she had worked with in the later part of the show, someone called her name.

She turned around and smiled. “Hi, Miss Yu.”

Yu Jiayun was visibly surprised. “You speak Chinese?”

Jiang Yehui nodded, looking apologetic. “Sorry. I’m actually a native of Nanlin, just studying in the UK.”

Throughout filming, everyone had been speaking English. Other than that one private chat by the riverbank, she and Yu Jiayun hadn’t interacted much. Since Yu Jiayun had never asked, she hadn’t volunteered the information about her nationality.

Yu Jiayun looked at her with some thoughtfulness.

Jiang Yehui smiled. “I’ve seen your work. You played that little fairy really beautifully.”

That “little fairy” was Yu Jiayun’s most well-known role.

“Thank you.”

Yu Jiayun had likely heard that compliment many times before and simply smiled politely.

She subtly glanced at the only accessory Jiang Yehui was wearing—a women’s wristwatch peeking out from her sleeve. If she wasn’t mistaken, it was BG’s latest model, which wouldn’t go for less than 500,000 yuan. Definitely not something an ordinary assistant could afford.

Her eyes flickered slightly, and she asked, as if casually, “Where are you headed?”

Jiang Yehui noticed her evaluating gaze but answered honestly, “I’m going back to London to handle a few things, then returning to China in a couple of days.”

“Oh.” Yu Jiayun nodded, then suddenly covered her mouth and gave a weak cough.

Jiang Yehui’s heart stirred slightly. She looked at Yu Jiayun’s pale face and remembered that she hadn’t looked well the past few days. Concerned, she asked, “Have you been feeling unwell? Overworked, maybe?”

Yu Jiayun looked slightly uncomfortable and was about to respond when she suddenly covered her mouth and gagged slightly. After calming herself, she said nonchalantly, “Just a flare-up of my throat inflammation. My stomach’s been a bit off, too.”

Jiang Yehui nodded. “Yeah, with the irregular meals and poor rest lately, you definitely need to go home and recover properly.”

“Thanks for your concern. Why don’t we add each other on WeChat? We can grab tea sometime back in China.”

Yu Jiayun offered the idea.

Naturally, Jiang Yehui didn’t refuse. She pulled out her phone, and they added each other on WeChat.

“I usually stay in Beigang when I’m not filming. If you’re ever thinking of entering the entertainment industry, just come find me.”

Yu Jiayun seemed sincere.

Jiang Yehui nodded. “Sure.”

Entering showbiz? No thanks. But tea? That was possible.

“Hi!”

Yu Jiayun’s agent came over to greet them and turned to her, saying, “I’ve booked the tickets. Your flight’s at eleven. Want to go to the restroom first?”

“Sure.”

Yu Jiayun waved at her. “Bye-bye, EE!”

“Bye-bye.”
Jiang Yehui waved back with a smile, believing they’d definitely meet again soon.

As she watched them walk away, she noticed Yu Jiayun suddenly stop a few steps ahead and clutch her mouth, gagging again.

That… looks a lot like how my sister-in-law acted when she was pregnant…

With that thought, Jiang Yehui noticed there was still time before boarding, so she calmly followed the two toward the restroom.

It was nearby. Once she saw them turn inside, she quietly walked up and stood just outside.

The airport wasn’t busy at the moment, and there wasn’t a fourth person inside the restroom.

Jiang Yehui almost laughed to herself. Since marrying Gu Jingcheng, I’ve done this eavesdropping thing two or three times already…

“You’re lucky we’re in Madagascar where no one knows you. If someone had taken a photo of that, you’d be in big trouble!”

Yu Jiayun’s manager had a naturally loud voice.

Yu Jiayun didn’t respond and went straight into a stall.

Her agent grew anxious and whispered loudly outside the door, “Are you going to tell me the truth or not? This really doesn’t look like just a throat problem!”

After a while, Yu Jiayun’s voice came from inside the stall, listless: “Ugh… fine, it’s what you think, okay?”

Her agent sounded utterly exasperated. “I knew it! Are you stupid? You sleep with someone and don’t use protection? You’re just starting your career!”

After that burst of anger, the stall door opened and Yu Jiayun went to wash her hands at the sink, her voice flat. “I thought it was my safe period.”

“Safe, my ass! How far along are you? You’re out here filming a physically exhausting show while pregnant? Are you trying to kill yourself?!”

“I only found out right before the third episode. What was I supposed to do? The contract was already signed. Would you have let me back out?” Yu Jiayun raised her voice too.

Silence followed for a moment before the agent sighed heavily. “Whose is it?”

Yu Jiayun didn’t respond.

Outside, Jiang Yehui held her breath, desperate to hear the answer that was about to drop.

“Whose is it?” her agent asked again. Then said bluntly: “Mr. Gu’s?”

Another silence. Then Yu Jiayun finally answered, “…who else could it be.”

WHAT THE—?!

Jiang Yehui slapped her hand over her mouth, unable to stop those two crude words from popping into her head.

Because honestly, she couldn’t think of anything else that truly expressed her shock.

Her agent let out a long breath again. “You know who Mr. Gu’s wife is. That woman’s no ordinary figure. If she finds out you’re carrying her husband’s child, you’ll be ruined!

No way. Your career is on the rise, and I’m not going to watch you throw it all away! We’re going to the U.S. to find a private clinic. That girl from the idol group had hers done there too!”

*“No, I can’t bear to.”

“Whether you can or not, you have to! Hurry up and figure out how far along you are!”

“Less than two months, I think. The last time I was with him was two months ago.”

“Then all the better—it’s still early. Just a minor procedure. You happen to have a few days off coming up, it won’t delay anything.”

“No, Fen-jie,”

Yu Jiayun’s voice grew emotional.
“These days, I’ve been thinking every single day about what to do with the baby. If it were before, I would’ve followed your advice without hesitation and gone straight to the hospital. But during this Africa trip, I saw so many poor children, starving and without clothes. I could help them—so why can’t I help my own child?

Besides, my child will be different from them. He has me. He won’t be poor. He’ll have my love. He’ll be a happy child.

I’m his mother. How can I be so cruel as to take away his right to live?”

The manager paced a few steps, clearly frustrated. Finally, she said in a low voice, “This needs to be carefully considered. Let’s go back to China first and talk.”

A door slammed—seemingly her manager giving in for now as she entered a stall.

Jiang Yehui pressed the stop button on her phone’s voice recorder and quietly walked away.

Contestant Number One truly lived up to the name—she hadn’t picked the wrong target from the start.

The game was as good as won. She could hardly contain the thrill and excitement rising in her chest. This Africa trip had turned out to be more than worth it. She was suddenly grateful for Jiang Yinyin’s week-long food poisoning.

If it weren’t for that, how would she have ended up on this bizarre reality show, met Yu Jiayun, confirmed her affair with Gu Jingcheng, and now even discovered she was carrying his child?

And since Gu Jingcheng had made such a huge mistake—one that embarrassed both families—she would have every reason to ask for a separation. With Yu Jiayun pregnant, his mother couldn’t pressure her about having a child anymore.

For the rest of her life, what more was there to worry about?

When Jiang Yehui stepped onto London soil and turned on her phone, she saw multiple WeChat messages from Jiang Ru.

She called back immediately. The young girl picked up excitedly, “Madam, something’s up!”

“What is it?” Jiang Yehui was incredibly calm now. After all, what could be more explosive than Yu Jiayun being pregnant with Gu Jingcheng’s child?

“Lu Mingming came to the office around noon yesterday. Not long after, Mr. Gu left with her in the same car. They were gone until I clocked out and still hadn’t returned.”

“Do you know where they went?”

Jiang Yehui couldn’t help the bitter edge to her thoughts. Mr. Gu’s been busy these past three months—impregnating women, going on dates…

“Hehe, I asked the receptionist. They said they went to a restaurant. But even if it was lunch, it shouldn’t take a whole afternoon, right?”

“Was Assistant Jin with them?”

“That’s the key point—he wasn’t! Assistant Jin stayed in the office the entire time. He hadn’t even left when I got off work.

Madam, if Mr. Gu and Lu Mingming really are… sigh, I actually kind of like her. But if she’s getting between your marriage, what should I do?!”

“Well… that’s something you’ll have to figure out for yourself.”

Jiang Yehui chuckled and curled her lips. It was time to return to Beigang.

Just as she ended the call, the Jiang family’s driver arrived to collect her luggage. Unexpectedly, Gu Jingcheng called at that very moment.

He got straight to the point. “Back in London?”

“Mm.”

Jiang Yehui was a bit surprised. They hadn’t spoken in a while—yet he still seemed to be tracking her movements.

“Happy birthday.”

Jiang Yehui blinked in surprise. Only then did she realize—it really was her 23rd birthday today. How did he remember?

Before she could think more, Gu Jingcheng added, “I have a very capable assistant.”

Ah, of course.
Jiang Yehui came to her senses. So it wasn’t him—it was Assistant Jin’s detailed calendar reminders.

She smiled. “Tell him thank you for me.”

There was a pause of three seconds, then Gu Jingcheng’s voice came back:
“He said there’s no need.”

The driver had picked up her luggage. Jiang Yehui signaled him to wait. The driver tactfully stepped back to a distance.

Now that she had leverage, Jiang Yehui no longer held back. She openly asked, “What were you busy with yesterday?”

Gu Jingcheng paused for two seconds before replying, “Morning at the office. Afternoon, met with a government official.”

Liar.

Jiang Yehui smiled and asked, “Where did you have lunch?”

“Haitang Bay private room, West City Restaurant.”

“So precise?”

“They have good food.”

She couldn’t tell if it was her imagination, but his voice even carried a hint of casual cheer.

Of course he was cheerful—he had a beauty by his side.

Jiang Yehui let out a small sarcastic laugh in her mind, then asked, “Were you alone?”

“With a company artist and the government official I mentioned.”

Turning a date into business talk—so dignified!

Jiang Yehui quietly assessed his reactions to her questions. His answers were calm and articulate, not a trace of guilt. She had to admit—he was truly a man capable of handling big things.

She didn’t press further on yesterday’s events. Instead, she threw out an absurd, soap-opera-worthy question in a light tone:

“Gu Jingcheng, if a woman told you she was pregnant with your child, what would you do?”

Gu Jingcheng replied blandly, “Impossible.”

“Why impossible?”

He seemed to hesitate. “Are you… worried?”

No, no, no! Jiang Yehui screamed in her mind. As long as I’m not the one giving birth, have as many kids as you want!

Of course, Gu Jingcheng couldn’t possibly know what she was actually thinking. He reassured her:

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

So confident?

Jiang Yehui, now holding onto key evidence of his affair, found his words absurdly ironic.

A trace of sarcasm curved at the corner of her lips.
“Mr. Gu, do I get a birthday present?”

“What do you want?”

The low, deep voice came from just behind her. Jiang Yehui was startled and quickly turned around.

At some point, Gu Jingcheng had appeared behind her. Dressed in a suit, tall and handsome, he stood there looking at her calmly and composed.

Even as steady as Jiang Yehui usually was, she couldn’t help the sudden flutter in her heart. She stammered slightly,
“You… what are you doing here?”

Gu Jingcheng put away his phone and said indifferently,
“On a business trip. Just happened to be passing through.”

Jiang Yehui glanced behind him and saw Assistant Jin not far away, holding a briefcase. That convinced her he was telling the truth—otherwise, how could she explain his sudden and oddly timed appearance?

She calmed herself and smiled politely, nodding in greeting to Assistant Jin.

Assistant Jin returned the greeting respectfully, but in his heart, he was silently complaining:
Passing through? My ass. We were headed to New York! But he made a huge detour just to be here when Madam’s plane landed—just because I mentioned offhandedly that today was her birthday.

Jiang Yehui withdrew her gaze and looked back at Gu Jingcheng, giving a faint smile.
“In two more days, I’ll hit the three-month mark. I’ll be returning to the country then. I’ll ask you for my gift in person.”

Gu Jingcheng’s left hand moved slightly in his pocket. Looking at her bright, slightly challenging eyes, he tugged at the corner of his lips.
“Hard to believe Mrs. Gu still remembers to return to Beigang.”

“Of course, I’m a woman of strong contractual spirit.”

Jiang Yehui didn’t shy away from his intense gaze. With a subtle undertone, she added:
“I hope Mr. Gu is the same.”

Next time they met, she would ruthlessly expose his relationship with Yu Jiayun. She was already starting to look forward to seeing whether his face would still look as calm and composed as it did now.

Gu Jingcheng gave her a thoughtful glance, looked down at his watch, and when he lifted his head again, his expression was cool and unbothered.
“I should go.”

Jiang Yehui raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Alright. See you in Beigang.”

Gu Jingcheng turned and walked away. The hand that had been in his pocket was now out.

Assistant Jin followed behind, unable to figure out what his boss was thinking.

Didn’t he go out of his way for several extra hours just to deliver a gift in person? Why didn’t he give it?
They spent all that time circling the airport to find a decent necklace he was finally satisfied with—what changed?