Delicate Beauty in the Palm : Chapter 34 - I Don't Want to See You Anymore
Chapter 34: I Don't Want to See You Anymore
Chen Die felt a little dizzy.
As expected, from that bottle of red wine onward, this damn man had clearly been plotting something.
She abruptly stood up from the sofa, looking fierce and ready to confront him, but before she could say anything, Wen Liang bent down and placed her slippers by her feet, saying calmly, “Put these on first.”
“......”
Chen Die slipped on the slippers and pointed at him. “Why are you still here?”
Wen Liang raised an eyebrow.
“Hurry up, go, go,” she started ushering him out.
Wen Liang, however, sat there shamelessly, steady and unmoving like a rock.
So Chen Die stepped forward, grabbed him by the sleeve and started pulling him up. She pushed him toward the door, and Wen Liang actually let her push him, but once they reached the door, he suddenly grabbed her wrist and pinned her back against the door.
Using his height advantage, he looked down at her. “What are you throwing a fit for this time?”
?
“My movie is about to premiere.” Chen Die lifted her chin slightly, acting aloof. “What if I get famous tomorrow? It’s really not appropriate for Mr. Wen to be showing up at my place in the middle of the night.”
After saying that, she took advantage of his distraction to yank her wrist free, and with a loud ‘bang,’ she shut the door.
Then she turned around and leaned back against it, pressing a hand over her chest.
Her heart was pounding wildly.
Chen Die truly was nervous about the reviews for <Hairpin Flowers> once it was released.
But between Wen Liang’s behavior on New Year’s Eve, the red wine, and the snow outside the window, everything had her all out of rhythm. She started feeling drowsy as she stood by the window watching the snowfall.
The sound of fireworks outside didn’t let up. Even with the curtains drawn, the flashes of light from the explosions could be seen, making her sleep uneasy.
Eventually, as the Spring Festival Gala began its countdown to the New Year, the fireworks intensified. The noise woke Chen Die, her throat parched and dry.
She got up to pour herself a glass of water. The fireworks didn’t seem like they were stopping anytime soon.
Holding her water, she shuffled in her slippers to the window to watch.
A sea of lights.
<Hairpin Flowers> officially premiered at midnight, and the film crew group chat was alive with everyone superstitiously forwarding lucky koi memes.
Chen Die glanced at the chat, leaned lazily against the window frame in her robe, and joined in on the forwarding.
After standing there a bit, her eyes caught something outside — in the parking lot, a black Bentley.
She couldn’t see the person clearly, only the faint red glow of a cigarette inside.
He was smoking.
Chen Die found herself unable to look away, quietly watching. Then she saw the car window roll down, and Wen Liang lifted his gaze in her direction.
Chen Die wasn’t sure if he could see her — the lights inside her place were off, and from that distance, it was unlikely he could make out anything clearly.
A moment later, Wen Liang looked away.
Then, Chen Die’s phone buzzed. A message from him.
[Wen Liang: Happy New Year.]
Because of that one message, she barely slept all night.
The next morning, when Chen Die woke up, <Hairpin Flowers> was already trending online.
[Everything Director Feng touches is gold — what a masterpiece!!]
[Cried like a baby in the cinema on New Year’s Day sob sob sob sob sob.]
[God Qi was solid as always, and Chen Die was such a surprise!!! That expression at the end?! Amazing. Beautiful and talented — what’s not to love?]
[I was really worried about a rookie carrying a big female lead movie, but WOW. What a pleasant surprise!!!]
[YES PLEASE, QUEEN, TAKE ME!!!]
[<Hairpin Flowers> was soooo good!!! Go watch it now!!! What a gorgeous love story.]
[Chen Die’s got a bright future ahead. Her acting was incredible — she truly embodied a woman of great courage and righteousness.]
[I’ve already bought tickets to go see it again tonight!!! So good!!!]
……
Fang Ruan called, yelling in excitement.
She had expected Chen Die to become popular, but she didn’t think it would blow up this fast — only a few hours into the premiere, and the praise was already pouring in. At this rate, the box office was bound to soar, and as a newcomer acting alongside Qi Cheng and Director Feng Zhi, all eyes were on her. It might very well be the role that ascended her to godhood in one battle
Chen Die couldn’t help but laugh a little after listening to Fang Ruan’s excited yelling.
With the pressure lifting, she sprawled on her bed and teased, “C’mon, it’s not that easy to become ‘ascended to godhood in one battle.’ I’m already more than happy with the response so far.”
But Fang Ruan clearly had sharper instincts than she did.
As the box office success of <Hairpin Flowers> soared, the buzz around Chen Die’s acting and looks exploded. While it might not yet be enough to say she had ‘ascended to godhood in one battle,’ it was undeniably a stunning victory.
In just five days, the box office surpassed 800 million yuan, leading all other films in the Spring Festival lineup.
Chen Die’s Weibo follower count skyrocketed by six million.
Old videos and photos from various promotional events during the marketing period resurfaced. Since Chen Die wasn’t very active on Weibo and had little content available before, public curiosity only grew stronger.
Even the set of military training photo shoots from her freshman year — which once went viral — reemerged online.
On top of that, someone dug up clips of Chen Die’s final exam performances from drama school.
Reporters even went to her alma mater to interview her former professor, Teacher Ying, who had always been fond of Chen Die and agreed to speak highly of her student days without hesitation.
Chen Die now had her own fan groups: a fandom community, a support team, a voting team, and even an anti-hate team — essentially the full fanbase configuration of a top-tier celebrity.
Her fans even gave themselves a nickname — Butterfly Fans (‘Die from Chen Die’ Fans).
[As a male fan, I strongly object to this name. Telling people I’m a Butterfly Fan is way, way, way, WAY too embarrassing. I can’t even say it out loud!!”]
[AAAAAA I found a video of Chen Die dancing at her high school New Year’s Gala — damn, she’s incredible! I’m electrified!!]
[Is Chen Die’s beauty even human? How can someone look like this?? She’s more stunning than anything from the heavens!!]
[As a career-focused fan, I won’t let you all just focus on her looks. Yes, she’s drop-dead gorgeous, but her talent is also next-level. Hello? Any directors or screenwriters noticing our queen yet?]
[If God Qi is the real-life manga prince, then Chen Die is the real-life manga heroine. Everyday looks like a photoshoot, sob sob sob…]
Suddenly, Chen Die’s schedule filled up — a ton of last-minute work came her way.
Wen Liang was also busy these days. They didn’t talk much, and she didn’t know what he was working on.
On the seventh day of the Chinese New Year, Chen Die attended a special interview event for the film's core cast, alongside Qi Cheng.
When she arrived at the venue, she realized Chen Shuyuan was also there.
Chen Shuyuan had studied directing in university, though she clearly lacked the talent for it. Recently, Lin Quan had arranged for her to intern at this magazine, working behind the camera.
She was assigned to help with Qi Cheng’s interview, while another person handled Chen Die’s.
Host: “Your performance in <Hairpin Flowers> has received unanimous praise from the audience. Everyone’s recognizing your acting skills. We heard you even graduated top of your class in performance from film school, is that true?”
Chen Die: “Yes, I’m really happy to receive such recognition. But the success of the film is thanks to the entire crew’s hard work. The script of <Hairpin Flowers> was amazing to begin with.”
Host: “Everyone also loves your on-screen chemistry with God Qi. They say the two of you have a strong CP (couple) vibe. Did you feel that while filming?”
That was a clear trap of a question.
Chen Die smiled and volleyed it right back: “Well, that’s not really up to me to say, right? If the audience felt the chemistry, I guess that means we were in sync on screen.”
After a few more questions, the interview wrapped up.
Soon after, Qi Cheng’s side also finished.
A coordinator approached them and said, “Could you both please head to the changing room and switch outfits? We’re going to take a group photo together.”
“Sure.”
Chen Die walked into the dressing room and saw Chen Shuyuan bent over, adjusting the camera. When she heard someone enter, she turned around — and locked eyes with Chen Die.
With a cold, contemptuous snort, Chen Shuyuan returned to fiddling with the equipment.
Truthfully, Chen Shuyuan hated Chen Die.
She had always had a smooth ride in life, but now, just half a year after graduation, Chen Die had already made it this far. Everywhere she went, people were talking about her.
And the horse-riding incident had gotten back to her grandfather. Chen Shuyuan couldn’t stand how Chen Die always acted so high and mighty, yet still ran to their grandfather to complain. As a result, she got chewed out, had her allowance docked, and was even forced to work during the holiday season.
Chen Die came out of the changing room, now in a new outfit.
As she passed by, Chen Shuyuan suddenly stopped her.
“Hey.” Chen Shuyuan spoke.
Chen Die paused and turned around, her expression flat.
“You’d better give up on trying to come back to the Chen family. I won’t let that happen. You chose to go with Wen Liang back then, and now that he doesn’t want you anymore, that’s your own problem. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. The world doesn’t work that way.”
What a load of nonsense.
Chen Die neither understood nor cared to.
“Chen Shuyuan, aren’t you tired?” Chen Die looked at her calmly. “From beginning to end, the only one who’s treated me like a rival is you.”
She let out a soft laugh, full of disdain, then tilted her head slightly. “Can you try being a little more confident? Stop worrying so much about me beating you. When did I ever plan on competing with you?”
Chen Shuyuan’s carefully maintained facade was shattered right in her face. Heat rose from her neck all the way to her cheeks — she was practically steaming.
Utterly humiliated.
Chen Die turned and walked away.
Chen Shuyuan clenched her fists and suddenly shouted angrily at Chen Die’s back: “What do you even have to be proud of? Once Wen Liang's engagement is announced, everyone will just laugh at you.”
Chen Die paused mid-step and turned around. “What did you say?”
“You didn’t know?” Chen Shuyuan was momentarily stunned but then burst out laughing. “Wen Liang’s dating a rich heiress — you really didn’t know? Both families are super supportive. Word is, the engagement will be finalized soon. Do you think they’ll invite you to the wedding? After all, you did stick around him for so long.”
Now Chen Die understood why Chen Shuyuan had been so afraid she might return to the Chen family.
Even Chen Shuyuan knew about this — but she had no clue. Wen Liang had never mentioned it.
Just recently on New Year’s Eve, Wen Liang had gone to her place for dinner, watched the first snowfall with her, and sat in his car until midnight to send her a ‘Happy New Year’ message.
But beyond that… nothing.
He hadn’t told her any of this. And judging by how smug Chen Shuyuan was, she probably wasn’t making it up.
Holding on to her last bit of dignity, Chen Die just gave Shuyuan a faint laugh. “You’ve got it all wrong. Between Wen Liang and me, I’m the one who broke it off. If you care so much about us, maybe you should take a look at your own situation — how’s that four-year crush on Lu Chuan working out for you?”
After changing, Chen Die met up with Qi Cheng.
They took a few photos together in front of a backdrop. The organizer thanked them, shook hands, and the event finally wrapped up.
Qi Cheng noticed her expression had been off ever since she’d come out of the dressing room. He tugged her sleeve slightly and lowered his voice, pulling her aside from the crowd. “You okay?”
“Hm?” Chen Die looked up, a bit dazed, then shook her head slowly. “I’m fine.”
Qi Cheng wasn’t convinced. “Are you working too much lately? Want me to call your agent to come pick you up?”
“No need.” Chen Die forced a smile. “I’m really fine. You go on ahead.”
The crowd gradually dispersed..
Chen Die stood alone by the window for a while before finally dialing her brother, Chen Shao.
“Wow, my little sister actually called me on her own for once,” Chen Shao’s voice was as goofy as ever.
Chen Die’s tone was calm and quiet. “I need to ask you something.”
Sensing the seriousness in her voice, Chen Shao paused and replied more seriously, “What’s wrong?”
“It’s about Wen Liang.” Chen Die took a deep breath. “Do you know anything about him getting engaged?”
“Ah, that?” Chen Shao answered. “Well, it’s not exactly that he and that rich heiress from the Ye family are planning it themselves — I heard it’s something both sets of parents are pushing for. Wen Liang never told you?” Then, surprisingly, he added, “Knowing Wen Liang, I seriously doubt he’d agree to it.”
“Got it,” Chen Die said quietly, and hung up.
Early Chinese New Year.
Chen Die stood in front of the building’s glass doors, watching the crowds of people pass by outside.
The snow, which had started falling on New Year’s Eve, had continued on and off until today. A thick layer had piled up on the ground. Now the sky had finally cleared, and the sun reflected harshly off the snow, nearly blinding.
When it came to Wen Liang’s character, Chen Die trusted him.
He wasn’t the type to two-time, and he certainly wouldn’t stoop to it.
He would never be sweet-talking her on one side while secretly arranging a marriage with someone else. She believed what Chen Shao had said.
But what really made her angry… was that Wen Liang had once again left her in this kind of position.
After the college entrance exam, Chen Die had spent her days anxiously waiting for her results.
But before those even arrived, she overheard from Aunt Zhang that Wen Huaiyuan (Wen Liang’s father) was trying to match him with a rich heiress whose father worked in politics.
At the time, Chen Die had no real concept of business marriages. The news had hit her like a bomb.
Her secret crush, her tender girlhood feelings — all of it might be crushed before it even had a chance to blossom.
Wen Liang rarely stayed at the Western Suburb Villa.
Many nights, Chen Die lay awake, tossing and turning, caught in what felt like a hopeless loop.
There were no other women by Wen Liang’s side. She had the closest, most special relationship with him — ambiguous but intimate. She had the right to act spoiled with him, to throw a little tantrum, but she didn’t have the right to lay claim to his emotions.
She was lost. She secretly asked Aunt Zhang, but even she didn’t know much.
She began to treat this woman — this person whose name she didn’t even know — as her invisible rival.
Just hearing the word ‘marriage’ made her chest tighten and ache, her eyes sting with heat and frustration. She felt powerless and defeated.
She sat on her bed, sniffled quietly.
She wasn’t just afraid of Wen Liang actually getting married.
She was afraid of what would happen to her if he did.
Would she have to move out? Chen Die couldn’t imagine any woman being okay with her husband financially supporting an 18-year-old girl — providing for her food, her living expenses, her education.
Of course, she’d have to leave.
But then… what would she do? Where would she go?
This question troubled Chen Die the entire night. In the growing wave of panic and disappointment, she was eventually submerged. She lowered her eyes, and a single tear rolled straight down her cheek.
Until one day later, Wen Liang finally returned to the villa for dinner.
Chen Die casually asked, “Brother Wen Liang, are you getting married?”
“No.” His response was quick, almost perfunctory.
Chen Die gave a soft “Oh.” Although she got an answer, she still couldn't figure out what was going on. Frustrated, she poked at her food, unsure how to bring it up again to confirm.
After a while, Wen Liang chuckled and teased, “What’s a little kid like you asking this for?”
“Who says I’m a kid?” Chen Die pouted, clearly dissatisfied. “It’s just you who treats me like one.”
Even after that day, Chen Die’s uneasiness didn’t go away.
Later on, she heard from Aunt Zhang that Wen Liang’s arranged marriage had already fallen through before it even started.
Aunt Zhang had shaken her head and said, “With the young master’s temper, I really don’t know what kind of woman could handle him.”
Standing beside her, Chen Die thought coldly: Hopefully no one ever can.
She hadn’t thought too deeply about it at the time—just that as long as Wen Liang didn’t get married, everything would be fine.
She never expected her thoughts to become a curse. In the end, even she couldn’t handle him.
Of course, that’s all in hindsight.
After that ‘rival in love’ disappeared, Chen Die still had to worry about whether new ones would show up.
At the time, Chen Die was 18—not even legally old enough to marry. She had no idea how many more ‘rivals’ Wen Liang might bring her in those two years.
So she came up with a stupid plan, but it was the only one her younger self could think of.
She decided to create a bond strong enough to keep her close to Wen Liang—one night, she walked into his room and climbed into his bed.
……
Now, years later, it’s the same issue all over again.
Chen Die pulled out her phone and dialed Wen Liang’s number.
He picked up quickly, his tone upbeat. “Finished with work?”
“Yeah. I’m at Xinqi Tower. Can you come over? I have something to talk to you about,” Chen Die said.
“Okay, wait for me,” Wen Liang agreed without hesitation.
Chen Die put down her phone and stood quietly by the window, watching the view outside before finding a seat and sitting down.
This matter could be big or small.
To Chen Shao, it was just a family arrangement. Even if they met and exchanged a few words, it didn’t matter. In the adult world, sometimes you had to go along with appearances. As long as it didn’t end in marriage, it was fine.
To Chen Shuyuan, what Wen Liang did was playing her for a fool—and the fact that Chen Die didn’t even know about it proved that she meant nothing to him. It gave Chen Shuyuan the perfect excuse to mock her.
But when Chen Die met Wen Liang, she was only 16. Her feelings were insignificant and unworthy of mention.
She had once been so afraid of him getting married. When she found out he wouldn’t, she’d felt a bit secretly gleeful.
Today, in the makeup room, Chen Shuyuan’s words dragged her right back to that bitter place.
But why—when she and Wen Liang had already broken up, and her career was finally taking off—why was their relationship still like this?
Why was she the only one who felt bitter and sad?
Wen Liang soon arrived at Xinqi Tower.
The ground floor was large, and plenty of people were coming and going. He glanced around once and immediately spotted Chen Die.
She wore a mask, chin slightly raised, still stunning and radiant in the crowd.
Wen Liang couldn’t help but smile as he walked over. “Chen Die.”
She turned, stood up, and got straight to the point. “Wen Liang, are you being set up for marriage?”
Wen Liang’s steps faltered. He frowned. “Who told you that?”
“It doesn’t matter who told me. Just answer me—yes or no.”
“That arrangement was orchestrated entirely by Fu Wanmei. It has nothing to do with me. I would never let that happen.”
“You’d never let it happen.” Chen Die gave a small, bitter laugh. “You’re always so confident in yourself. Sure, no one can force you to accept anything you don’t want—but you still let the rumors spread. You only care about the result. Have you ever thought about what kind of impact those rumors could have?”
“Have you thought about how it would feel for me to be blindsided in front of everyone by that news, without even a clue? Have you thought about how I’d feel? Why should I have to follow behind you all these years, catching every burden you throw at me? Why?”
Wen Liang frowned at her.
He had no idea Chen Die had once been haunted by the fear of him getting married.
That fear had buried itself deep, and now the emotions were erupting.
But he didn’t understand why she was this angry over what he considered a baseless rumor.
“Chen Die.”
He reached out to grab her wrist, but she stepped back.
She turned her head away, her eyes red from anger and pain.
Wen Liang's hand fell empty. He drew it back, struggling to suppress his rising frustration. “Tell me what you want. A public denial? A statement? I’ll do whatever you say. No one will dare laugh at you because of this.”
“I just want you to never appear in front of me again,” Chen Die said, looking at him. “And don’t say those careless things to me anymore.”
Wen Liang’s voice was low. “Chen Die, calm down.”
After he said that, the two fell into a temporary silence.
A moment later, Wen Liang sighed and opened his arms to pull her into an embrace.
Chen Die stepped back again, turned her head—and a single tear fell.
Wen Liang froze.
He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d seen her cry.
She hadn’t cried when they broke up, or when Lin Quan bullied her—but now, over something like this, she was crying.
A wave of inexplicable frustration rose in Wen Liang’s heart. Chen Die was crying, and he had no idea how to comfort her.
Even worse, he realized he had no idea why she had almost never cried in front of him all these years.
She wasn’t a strong girl—at least, not when she first came to Yan City. Back then, she used to cry under the covers, thinking about her parents. She cried when Chen Shuyuan bullied her at school.
But Chen Die slowly realized that Wen Liang hated girls who cried—he found it annoying.
She’d realized this as early as when she was 16, and almost never cried in front of him again. Eventually, it became subconscious—until today.
Once the first tear fell, it was impossible to stop. Chen Die bit down hard, trying to suppress the sobs and the mix of anger and grievance, terrified that if she opened her mouth, she’d break completely. All she could do was quietly call his name.
“Wen Liang… don’t try to comfort me anymore.”
She said, “I don’t want to see you again.”
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