Delicate Beauty in the Palm : Chapter 30 - Little Milk Dog
Chapter 30: Little Milk Dog
After sitting on the bed for a while, the anesthesia began to wear off, and the pain crept back in.
It was numb and prickly—not unbearable, but certainly uncomfortable.
Fang Ruan stepped out of the hospital room to call the company and report the situation. When she returned, she handed the phone to Chen Die. “The big boss wants a word with you.”
Chen Die mouthed silently, “Chen Shao?”
Fang Ruan nodded.
Chen Die took the phone. “Hello?”
“Little sis, I heard you got bullied by the princess?” Chen Shao’s tone was laced with gloating.
“......”
Chen Die couldn’t believe that despite being the chairman of Yiming, he still opened his mouth with “little sis” or “princess” like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“The princess is dumb and wicked. She’s gonna screw herself over sooner or later.” Chen Shao gave his take, then asked, “You at the hospital now?”
“Yeah.”
“Just Fang Ruan with you?”
“No, Director Feng and Director Lu came too. Director Lu called Chen Shuyuan to come as well,” Chen Die paused, not hiding the truth from him, “Wen Liang’s here too.”
Chen Shao gave a long, drawn-out “Whoooa” in amusement. “Not bad. Guess I don’t need to come then.”
“…Oh.”
Chen Die thought to herself, Wasn’t expecting you to come anyway.
Chen Shao chuckled, “By the way, remember—you gotta inform the company before dating. But if it’s with Wen Liang, I’m rejecting it, okay?”
Rejecting it, okay.
Rejecting it, okay.
Okay my ass!
Just hearing his sarcastic tone made Chen Die’s wound hurt even more. She rolled her eyes. “Get lost.”
She hung up and handed the phone back to Fang Ruan.
Fang Ruan felt like she had transcended at this point. Watching Chen Die openly tell their boss to “get lost” didn’t even faze her anymore—especially after watching Mr. Wen carry Chen Die around for X-rays and stitches.
“That breakfast earlier… was really from Mr. Wen?” Fang Ruan asked.
“Uh-huh,” Chen Die blinked, “sort of. His assistant delivered it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“I did tell you,” Chen Die said innocently. “You just didn’t believe me.”
“With the way you said it, only an idiot would’ve believed it was true!”
Chen Die shrugged and didn’t argue.
Fang Ruan sat beside her and leaned in, whispering, “That endorsement deal we got earlier today… it’s not some secret contract for selling your body, right?”
“…Not that extreme,” Chen Die sighed. “He’s kinda my ex-boyfriend.”
Fang Ruan: “???”
“That person Mr. Wen mentioned during Xiao Qi’s fortune-telling session before... that wasn’t you, right?”
Chen Die really didn’t want to admit that she was the “manly girl” Wen Liang had mentioned. “…Seems like it.”
“......”
Shocked beyond words.
The actress she’d scouted not only came with a blockbuster film project and the boss’s attention, but now it turns out she’s Wen Liang’s ex—an ex he clearly hadn’t gotten over.
Fang Ruan felt like she was still too green for this industry.
“By the way, looks like Chen Shuyuan arrived already. Director Lu’s gone to confront her.”
“She won’t admit it,” Chen Die said, knowing her well. Suddenly, her gaze paused. “Why’s Wen Liang been gone so long?”
Fang Ruan eyed her suspiciously. “Don’t tell me you still have feelings for Mr. Wen?”
“I have feelings my ass.” Chen Die didn’t have time to explain. She swung her legs off the bed and stood up, “With his temper, if he ran into Chen Shuyuan, who knows what he’d do.”
Chen Die moved quickly, and in the end, Fang Ruan slapped a mask on her and helped her hobble out of the room.
There was no one near the elevators. Just as Chen Die was about to call Wen Liang, she heard faint noises near the stairwell. Realizing something, she pushed the door open.
And saw—Wen Liang holding the handle of a knife to Chen Shuyuan’s chin, lifting it coldly.
Chen Shuyuan looked like she was about to cry, but Wen Liang’s face showed no expression at all.
He had that ‘I am an emotionless killer.jpg’ look written all over him.
Chen Die almost wanted to applaud him—28 years old and still charging through life like he was 18. Truly a case of ‘never lost his childlike spirit.’
Fang Ruan froze in place, completely stunned—she never expected to witness such an unfiltered display of violent aesthetics in real life.
On the other side, Lu Chuan had tried to talk Wen Liang down earlier, but Wen Liang acted as if he hadn't even heard him.
“Wen Liang,” Chen Die called out.
He remained silent, only turning his head slightly to glance at her.
“Chen Die, it really wasn’t me,” Chen Shuyuan was too terrified to keep up her usual rivalry with Chen Die, her teeth chattering as she pleaded, hoping Chen Die would make Wen Liang back off.
She didn’t even know why, but somehow she just felt that out of everyone here, only Chen Die had the power to get through to Wen Liang.
Chen Die didn’t believe her either. She lifted her gaze and gave her a dismissive look. “Shut up. I’m not interested in anything you have to say.”
She steadied herself against the wall and slowly moved forward, reaching out to grab Wen Liang’s wrist. “Give me the knife.”
“Don’t get involved,” Wen Liang’s voice was calm and cold.
That reaction alone told Chen Die that he was truly angry.
Wen Liang was the kind of person with a bad temper—he usually let his anger out in the moment, never holding back. But when he was really furious, it was like this—quiet, controlled, unpredictable.
There was no telling when he might snap.
And when he did, there was no telling what damage would be done.
He slowly pressed the flat of the blade to Chen Shuyuan’s neck. Chen Shuyuan started sobbing uncontrollably, her head pushing back against the wall like she was trying to disappear into it.
Chen Die clutched his wrist with all her strength, but the difference in strength between them was too great—she couldn’t hold him back.
Just as blood seemed about to rise on Chen Shuyuan’s neck, Wen Liang asked her again in a cold voice, “You gonna do it yourself, or should I?”
Chen Shuyuan could only sob, unable to speak.
Wen Liang lost his patience. He nodded slightly and said, “Alright, then,” dragging her by the collar to the side. The knife spun once between his fingers, then stilled perfectly in his grip.
Chen Shuyuan had never been this humiliated. She screamed, trying to retreat down the stairs, but her legs gave out.
Lu Chuan and Fang Ruan were still trying to catch up to what was happening.
They didn’t know Wen Liang well, had no idea what he was capable of when he lost control. His outer calm only made it harder to read him. After her initial shock, Fang Ruan briefly thought maybe Wen Liang was just trying to use intimidation to force out the truth.
Lu Chuan took a step forward and grabbed the trembling Chen Shuyuan.
Just as he was about to speak, Chen Die raised her voice a little and called out again.
“Wen Liang.”
Wen Liang turned his head, his expression impatient—but at least his movements stopped.
Chen Die sighed and tugged at his sleeve gently, speaking softly: “My leg hurts.”
Wen Liang pressed his lips together, still mostly unresponsive.
“The anesthesia wore off. I don’t want to keep standing. Can you help me sit down?” Chen Die added.
The man’s gaze lowered. He looked tired. A few seconds passed before he finally moved.
Of course Wen Liang knew why Chen Die was suddenly acting so soft and submissive.
That flicker of rage had ignited the moment he found out someone had tampered with the horse Chen Die was riding. The image of her trembling in his arms while getting stitches kept flashing through his mind.
The fact that someone had intentionally caused her that kind of pain made his blood boil.
Wen Liang had a problem when it came to possessiveness.
Anyone who belonged to him—only he could bully them. No one else even got to think about it.
He locked eyes with Chen Die for a moment. Then, finally, the hand holding the knife lowered. He placed her arm over his shoulder and silently wrapped an arm around her waist, helping her walk away.
As he pulled open the stairwell door, Chen Die paused and looked back at Chen Shuyuan.
“Whether or not we ever find proof that you were behind this—I don’t want to see you on set again.”
Wen Liang helped Chen Die back to her private hospital room.
Fang Ruan, who didn’t even know Chen Shuyuan, followed out of the stairwell right after them but didn’t dare go inside.
That scene earlier had shattered every mental script she’d imagined.
This wasn’t one of those cliché “you can have my body but not my heart” melodramas where the powerful CEO falls for a pure, innocent girl.
In hindsight, Xiao Qi’s fortune-telling had been pretty accurate.
Despite the age gap, that moment where Mr. Wen let Chen Die take him away—he was the real soft little milk dog boyfriend.
Chen Die walked into the room and took off her mask, no longer caring if anyone might have recognized her just now.
…Probably not, right?
She was just a fresh grad who hadn’t even released a single project. No way she had that kind of public presence. Plus, she’d worn a mask.
She sat on the bed. She had already changed into the hoodie and loose wide-leg pants that Fang Ruan had randomly picked up from a nearby shop. Her right pant leg was rolled up to reveal the injury.
Maybe it was from walking earlier, but the skin around the wound felt hot and itchy now.
She didn’t dare scratch it for fear of the pain, so she just gently rubbed around the area.
Wen Liang noticed. He dragged a chair over and sat across from the bed, lifting his hand toward her.
Smack — Chen Die slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me.”
“I’ll massage it for you.”
“I said no.” She batted his hand away again.
Wen Liang went quiet, tongue pressing against the roof of his mouth as he let out a heavy breath. “Besides throwing tantrums at me, is there anything else you know how to do? You got three stitches and still let Chen Shuyuan walk away?”
“If there were evidence caught on camera, of course I’d pursue it to the end. But we can’t take justice into our own hands like that. This is a hospital — there’s surveillance everywhere. If you had actually used that knife, it’s you who would’ve ended up in trouble. Don’t you get that?”
Chen Die paused and looked at him, her tone finally softening. “I know you could’ve handled it eventually. But I didn’t want you to waste so much time and energy on this kind of crap. It’s really not worth it. And besides, it’s not like I’m seriously injured. I just don’t know if it’s going to leave a scar.”
“Sigh. Hope it doesn’t. The cut’s kinda long.”
She lowered her head, black hair slipping off one shoulder. She wore a youthful black hoodie with a school-girl vibe, and her makeup was light — in that moment, she really looked like a freshly graduated student.
“I don’t want you to suffer,” Wen Liang said.
Chen Die was momentarily stunned.
“I don’t feel like I’m suffering,” she said softly. “Wen Liang, do you know what really hurts the most?”
“Hm?”
“It’s that both Lin Quan and Chen Ke found out about this, and even if they suspect it really was Chen Shuyuan, they still stood completely on her side… and turned around to blame me.”
Wen Liang’s chest tightened.
Those words made his heart ache even more than seeing her get stitches.
He had always been emotionally distant when it came to family, and Chen Die seemed to be the same.
It was the first time he’d heard her speak so honestly — calm and open.
“I honestly don’t want anything to do with Chen Shuyuan ever again.” Chen Die shrugged, shifting the mood. She pointed at Wen Liang’s shirt and said, “Don’t you want Zhu Qicong to bring you a change of clothes? You look like you just walked out of a slaughterhouse.”
Wen Liang: “Don’t forget whose blood this is.”
Chen Die: “??”
Was this man even human??
She’d just dragged him back from the edge of committing a crime, even gave him a whole emotional speech to calm him down — and now he turns around and calls her a pig??
“Alright, get lost. Don’t you have work to do at the company or something?” Chen Die kicked him out.
“Your leg still hurt?”
“Nonsense. You try getting stitches and then walking around after the anesthesia wears off.”
Wen Liang chuckled, “I’ve gotten stitches without anesthesia before. Didn’t see me crying from fear like you.”
Chen Die glared at him. “Don’t just stand there. Looking at your legs is making mine hurt more.”
She really felt like Wen Liang had been sent by the universe to test her patience.
Soon, Zhu Qicong brought over a fresh dress shirt and suit. Wen Liang changed right there at the hospital.
Meanwhile, the investigation into that nail hit a dead end. Lu Chuan escorted Chen Shuyuan to the hospital entrance, firmly rejected her again, and made it clear she wasn’t welcome on set anymore.
Feng Zhi called and rearranged the filming schedule for the next day. Chen Die was given a few days off to rest and recover.
Fang Ruan drove everyone back to the hotel.
Wen Liang and Chen Die were staying on the same floor. He naturally took responsibility for helping her back to her room — not that anyone dared object. With the tension and chemistry between them, even if someone wanted to comment, it’d come off as tone-deaf.
Fang Ruan was furious but could only suffer in silence.
If it had been any other actor, maybe she’d have spoken up — but this was Wen Liang. With a snap of his fingers, he could turn into a full-blown investor-daddy.
Wen Liang helped Chen Die into her room, set her down on the sofa, then went to boil some water. He turned back and asked, “What do you want for dinner?”
“I’ll just order something later.”
“Order it now.”
A moment later, the water boiled. Wen Liang poured half a cup, mixed in some cold bottled water to cool it down, and placed it in front of her with two anti-inflammatory pills. “Take your medicine first.”
It was the first time Chen Die had experienced this level of thoughtful care from Wen Liang — she felt a little overwhelmed.
Wen Liang did still have work to do. After Chen Die took her medicine, he went back to his room to grab his laptop, then returned and sat on the other end of the sofa, starting to work through emails.
“If you’re busy, you can just go,” Chen Die said after glancing at him. “I’m fine.”
“It’s fine.”
“…Okay.”
The standard single hotel room wasn’t that spacious to begin with. After Wen Liang made some calls, room service now replaced the equipment every day as if she were in a luxury suite.
They even placed a half-leg-high wine fridge next to the desk.
With the two of them sitting at opposite ends of the sofa, the room somehow felt more cramped than ever.
Chen Die couldn’t move her leg, so it was resting on the coffee table, with a towel under her ankle.
With so many people coming and going loudly through the hospital, word inevitably got out.
After finishing the takeout that had been delivered, Chen Die picked up her phone and saw a news notification — and of course, the headline was about her.
— ‘Accident on Set of <Hairpin Flowers>: Chen Die Injured in Fall from Horse!"
Below it was a photo of her in the hospital wearing a face mask. But after scrolling through them, Chen Die couldn’t find a single picture that included Wen Liang. They were either solo shots of her, or ones where she was accompanied by Fang Ruan or Feng Zhi.
“You gave them a heads-up in advance? Why aren’t you in any of these photos?” Chen Die tilted her head and asked.
“Huh?”
She showed him the phone.
“Usually the media won’t use my photo without permission — Zhu Qicong probably handled it.”
Chen Die nodded and opened the comments on the news article. Quite a few fans were expressing concern.
[I just saw this pretty lady on God Qi’s livestream earlier today, and now she’s fallen off a horse? Hope she’s not seriously hurt.]
[The production team really needs to improve their safety measures. Falling off a horse can be really dangerous!]
[Anyone at the hospital know what’s going on? Hope it’s nothing major…]
……
After a pause, Chen Die logged into her account and posted a short update on Weibo to let everyone know she was okay.
Soon, the rest of the cast who hadn’t been on set at the time started reaching out to her, messaging to ask if she was alright. She replied to them one by one, and then got a call from Xia Ying.
“I’m fine, really,” Chen Die said with a smile. “I’m already back at the hotel resting.”
Xia Ying: “I’ll come over tonight.”
“Aren’t you working overtime?”
“What’s work compared to you?”
“It’s really not necessary, don’t trouble yourself,” Chen Die said — she hated inconveniencing people. “Come by on the weekend instead. Right now, I just want to get to sleep early.”
Hearing that, Xia Ying reluctantly agreed: “Okay, but if you need anything, tell me. I’ll bring it next time.”
After hanging up, Chen Die cleaned up the takeout containers and got up to head to the bathroom.
“Where are you going?” Wen Liang looked up from his laptop, still working.
“Bathroom.”
He stood up. “I’ll go with you.”
Chen Die: ???
Are you serious?
“I said I’m going to the bathroom,” she enunciated each word clearly.
Wen Liang raised an eyebrow. “I’ll just help you to the door.”
In the end, she didn’t let him help — it felt way too awkward. She braced herself against the wall and made it into the bathroom alone, shutting the door.
She’d already felt something was off when talking to Xia Ying earlier. Then she did the math and realized — her period was almost due. And now that she checked… yup. Right on time.
Chen Die was instantly filled with despair.
Of course she didn’t have any pads in the room.
When it rains, it pours.
She sighed, made do by wrapping some tissue a couple of times, and walked out of the bathroom. “I need to go downstairs to buy something.”
“With your leg like that? Buy what?” Wen Liang asked. “What do you need?”
“......”
He frowned. “Hmm?”
Hmm your head!
“…Sanitary pads.” After living together for so many years, it wasn’t that hard to say.
Wen Liang paused. “Period?”
“What else?”
“I’ll call my assistant and have them bring some.”
Just picturing that scene made Chen Die’s face burn. “We’re in the suburbs. Traffic’s a nightmare at this hour — it’d take at least an hour.”
She hobbled back to the couch, grabbed her bag, and said, “I’ll just go myself.”
“Sit down.” Wen Liang pushed her back into the seat. “I’ll go.”
“…Huh?”
“I’ll go,” he repeated.
There was a convenience store just across the street from the hotel.
There was also a university branch campus nearby, and since evening classes had just ended, groups of students were streaming out of the main gate.
Wen Liang didn’t think there was anything shameful about a man buying sanitary pads.
But that didn’t mean Wen Liang could calmly stand in front of a shelf full of brightly colored sanitary pads — especially not with a bunch of laughing, chattering college students around.
Why are there so many kinds?!
He had no desire to go up close and examine each package for differences.
So he pulled out his phone and texted Chen Die: [Which kind do I buy?]
At that moment, Chen Die was basically immobile, lying back and playing a mobile game she hadn’t touched in ages. Just as she was about to win, Wen Liang’s message popped up — and boom, game over.
“......”
She sighed and exited the game.
Chen Die: [Night-use, 350mm. Brand doesn’t matter. Just get one pack, no need for more — wouldn’t be convenient to carry.]
She paused, then figured: knowing Wen Liang, he probably never bothered to learn anything about women’s stuff. It was entirely possible that, in all his years of life, he still had no idea what ‘night-use’ versus ‘day-use’ meant.
So she sent another follow-up message.
Chen Die: [Just look for the black packaging — pick one that feels thick.]
Wen Liang stood by the drink cooler, read the message, then slipped his phone back into his pocket. He scanned the shelves again and quickly spotted a section in the corner with black-packaged items.
He walked over, casually grabbed a pack, then picked up a bottle of mineral water and headed to the register.
Since the convenience store was right by a university, the cashier was clearly used to guys coming in to buy pads for their girlfriends — she didn’t even blink.
Wen Liang stuffed the black package into his coat pocket and drove back to the hotel.
Not long after, just as Chen Die had finished another round of her game, she heard the doorbell ring. She hobbled over to open it. “You got it?”
The man stepped inside and nodded. “Yeah.”
“You got the right one?”
For the first time ever, Wen Liang’s suit jacket looked puffed out and bulky — he even struggled a bit getting the package out of his pocket.
He handed the black-packaged item to Chen Die.
She looked down.
…Um. Um. UMMMMM???
“This is it?” she asked.
Wen Liang was completely calm, even looking a little smug. “Didn’t you say one pack was enough?”
“Here,” Chen Die said, shoving the package toward his face. “Read this out loud for me.”
— Extra-Large Baby Wet Wipes.
— 80-count
Wen Liang: “……”
It was the first time Chen Die had seen him look so defeated. Sure, she’d waited all this time and only gotten a pack of baby wipes, but it didn’t stop her from feeling absolutely delighted.
She clapped for him. “Wow. So creative of you.”
Wen Liang’s face darkened. “Shut up.”
Chen Die did… for about three seconds, and then burst out laughing.
She couldn’t stand properly, so she leaned against the wall, shoulders shaking from laughter. Her leg throbbed with pain, but she just couldn’t stop.
The collar of her hoodie was slightly open, revealing the sharp line of her collarbone.
She looked absolutely like someone asking to be smacked — way too pleased with herself.
Wen Liang stared at her for a moment, then sighed helplessly. “…Alright, that’s enough.”
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