Delicate Beauty in the Palm : Chapter 24 - Young Handsome Guys are the True Source of Happiness!!
Chapter 24: Young Handsome Guys are the True Source of Happiness!!
Is this guy crazy?
Saying she looked ugly and still messing with her hair!
And even waiting outside the restroom door!!
Chen Die was annoyed. She raised her hand and slapped his away. “Then why are you still looking?”
She turned to leave, and Wen Liang let out a low chuckle and followed behind her.
When Chen Die got back to the filming area, they were in the middle of shooting a scene between Qi Cheng and Wang Yunxi. A nearby makeup artist turned her head, took one look at her, and gasped, “Did you go to the restroom or chop wood?”
“......” Chen Die silently cursed Wen Liang again in her head and raised a hand to fix her bangs. “Can you redo it real quick?”
“Yeah, we’ve got time.” The makeup artist took a step back to look at her, then laughed. “Honestly, this hairstyle is kinda cute. Like you just woke up—kinda adorable.”
“......”
Adorable, my ass, Chen Die grumbled to herself.
The makeup artist grabbed some styling spray, fixed up Chen Die’s hair, and touched up her makeup.
Meanwhile, Director Feng called ‘cut,’ and it was time for Chen Die’s scene with Qi Cheng.
“Don’t worry, just relax. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself,” Qi Cheng reassured her.
“Mr. Wen, have a seat.” A crew member soon brought over a chair for Wen Liang.
Chen Die glanced over.
“......”
He actually sat down.
Is his schedule really that empty?
Wenyuan Group must be on the verge of collapsing or something.
Wen Liang sat there like a Buddha statue, and no matter how Chen Die tried to act, she just couldn’t shake the discomfort. Unfortunately, this scene was a really important one, and Director Feng had high standards—she couldn’t get it right.
If she hadn’t been performing so well up until now, people would probably be grumbling about how much time she was wasting.
Director Feng appreciated her, though, and didn’t scold her. Instead, he said, “Chen Die, take another break and try to find the feeling again. We’ll shoot scene three first!”
Chen Die apologized to the crew, grabbed her script, and walked off by herself to regroup.
She was definitely feeling a bit down.
Standing in a corner, she read her lines over and over. Even Fang Ruan didn’t come over to bother her.
Until, a pair of black leather shoes appeared in front of her. Wen Liang was standing there.
What is with this guy today? So annoying.
Chen Die really didn’t feel like dealing with him, so she immediately turned her back to him—only to hear a soft laugh from behind.
Wen Liang: “What are you sulking for?”
“Mr. Wen,” Chen Die glanced at him, “there are so many people over there. If we’re seen standing this close, it’ll be misunderstood.”
Wen Liang smirked and casually took the script out of her hands.
Chen Die thought he was going to mess around again and instantly reached out to grab it back.
Wen Liang caught her wrist with one hand, bent it slightly upward to restrain her, and then leisurely glanced through the script.
She had highlighted a bunch of lines with a fluorescent pen and written notes in the margins—it was clear she’d put a lot of effort into it.
“Give it back!”
“You’ve done how many takes and still haven’t nailed it. What good is this?” Wen Liang sneered.
Chen Die was both anxious and frustrated—it was already taking the whole day to get this shot right, and now this guy was here messing around again. “Wen Liang, can you stop being so annoying?!”
Her tone was sharp, with a hint of pout.
Whether it was from anger or the heat, her cheeks were flushed.
Wen Liang’s gaze drifted to her lips.
His Adam’s apple shifted, and he suddenly felt thirsty.
While he was distracted, Chen Die finally wrenched her wrist free, jumped up to snatch the script back, and continued scolding him as she did.
Wen Liang chuckled, “You’ve got such a sharp tongue when yelling at me, but in front of the camera, you just freeze up.”
Chen Die had never been told she lacked presence on camera—not since freshman year. She shot back, “Who says I freeze up? If you’re so good, why don’t you go act!”
Wen Liang clicked his tongue, irritation flashing across his face. He lowered his eyes and gave her a sideways glance. “Say one more word, and I’ll take back what you people wanted.”
“…You’re the worst.” Chen Die instantly lost her momentum.
“You were running your mouth pretty well last night. Just channel that when you’re acting.”
Without thinking, Chen Die snapped, “What do you know?”
She snatched her script back and turned to leave—but after a few steps, she suddenly realized what he had just said.
That feeling... it seemed to be exactly the emotion Lu Chuan had told her to convey.
Chen Die walked back toward the camera, deep in thought.
Director Feng glanced at her. “How’s it going?”
Chen Die hesitated. “I think I found the feeling, but I’m not sure.”
“You have to trust your instincts. That’s the only way the character will come across as real,” Director Feng said. Soon, another scene was cut, and he picked up the walkie-talkie to announce a retake of Chen Die’s scene.
Chen Die took a deep breath and stepped back into the frame.
As soon as she started speaking her lines, she finally understood what Lu Chuan meant when he talked about ‘restrained emotion.’ There was no longer a trace of exaggeration or pretense.
A two-minute scene took dozens of takes.
This time, when it ended, Director Feng finally smiled and called ‘cut.’
Qi Cheng walked over to her and said, “You just suddenly leveled up? You almost had me crying.”
Chen Die let out a long breath of relief.
Everyone applauded and cheered—except Wen Liang, who stood quietly in the distance. He didn’t clap, just had the faintest curve at the corner of his lips.
Their eyes met for a few seconds in mid-air. Chen Die looked away first and went over to thank everyone who had worked hard on the scene.
Fang Ruan came running over, too. “That was amazing, Chen Die! Absolutely killer! You’ve totally got a bright future ahead!!”
Director Feng said, “Alright, the lead actors can wrap early today—go get some rest. We’ve got another big day tomorrow!”
Even so, since they’d just snuck out for a late-night snack together yesterday, and it wasn’t even dinnertime yet, no one left. They stayed on set to hang out and watch the others shoot.
Chen Die went to take out her updo. Her originally straight hair now had soft waves from being styled, and with her good hair quality—thick, black, and shiny—it draped down her chest like seaweed, making her face look even paler and more delicate.
She peeled off her false lashes and walked out of the makeup room.
Qi Cheng waved her over. “Chen Die! Over here!”
“What’s up?” she asked as she walked over.
“Wanna play this?” A crew girl nearby held up some cards.
Chen Die pulled over a chair and sat down. “What is it?”
She blinked. “Tarot cards! Super accurate.”
Chen Die didn’t really believe in this kind of thing but didn’t want to kill the mood. “How do we play?”
The crew girl shuffled the deck dramatically, squinting like she was summoning spirits. “Do you have a question you want to ask?”
“......” Chen Die actually couldn’t think of anything specific.
Qi Cheng teased, “The classic—love life.”
Chen Die: “......”
She never would’ve guessed Qi Cheng believed in this stuff. She leaned in and whispered, “You believe in this too?”
“Nope,” Qi Cheng chuckled, “just for fun.”
Fair enough.
“Okayyy—” the crew girl was getting excited now. “Let’s divine the future love life of our female lead! Let’s see what kind of man is waiting for you!”
She did a bunch of shuffling and spread the cards out in front of Chen Die. “Pick three.”
“You’re really good at this, huh,” Chen Die said as she picked.
“To be honest, this is my side hustle,” the girl grinned.
She took the three cards and studied them with great enthusiasm, chin propped on her hand. Then she declared, full of drama, “Chen Die’s future man is—”
“A gentle, clingy Aquarius! About three years younger! Whoa, total baby boy energy!”
Chen Die couldn’t help but laugh. That kind of guy had never even crossed her mind. “How’d this turn into a younger-man romance?”
“Those are great!” the crew girl got bold. “Younger guys have stamina, they’re young, hot, and sooo satisfying!”
“......”
From behind, Director Feng’s voice rang out. He knew these crew members well, having worked with them several times. “Xiao Qi, what are you up to now?”
Chen Die turned around—and Wen Liang was standing beside him.
“Tarot cards!” the crew girl chirped. “Director, wanna try?”
“No, no, not for me. This is young people’s stuff.” Feng Zhi waved it off with a smile. “So, what did you guys draw just now?”
“We drew our female lead’s future love match! The cards say it’s a clingy Aquarius, three years younger! A total puppy!”
Wen Liang gave the faintest scoff beside them.
Director Feng found it amusing and asked Wen Liang, “Mr. Wen, wanna give it a try?”
As if he’d be into this. He’s probably silently judging us all as idiots right now.
Chen Die thought to herself.
But then Wen Liang nodded. “Sure.”
“......?”
The crew girl was thrilled to have landed a ‘big client’ and eagerly reshuffled the cards, then asked Wen Liang to draw three. “Mr. Wen, what would you like to ask about?”
Wen Liang: “Same as before.”
“Let’s see...” She rubbed the cards together, furrowed her brows briefly, then smiled. “Mr. Wen’s future partner... gentle, mature, family-oriented—a soft, sweet girl.”
Wen Liang replied bluntly, “Inaccurate.”
“What do you mean, inaccurate? I did this for my friends before, and they all said it was spot on!” The crew girl, caught up in the fun, argued back.
“That’s where you’re missing the point,” Director Feng chuckled. “If Mr. Wen says it’s not accurate, it must be because he already has someone in mind. Right, Mr. Wen?”
Wen Liang smiled faintly.
“So quick to deny it—sounds like this person must be the total opposite of the description,” Director Feng teased.
“Not gentle, not mature, not domestic—basically like a guy.”
Chen Die: ?
Why did that feel like it was aimed at her??
What the hell is wrong with Wen Liang lately?!
The crew girl looked a bit disheartened at having her beloved tarot dismissed so harshly. Chen Die linked arms with her and said, “Don’t worry, I think your reading was super accurate.”
“Really?!” The girl’s eyes lit up. She paused, then, recalling Director Feng’s logic from earlier, asked, “Wait, you don’t already have a baby-faced younger boyfriend, do you?!”
“No,” Chen Die lied smoothly, “but I really like that type.”
“Me too! Baby boys are the best! Why should only men get to chase young, pretty girls? Our Chen Die’s gorgeous and talented—she deserves a hot younger guy!”
The crew girl had clearly found her kindred spirit. She declared with passion, “Youthful bodies are the source of all joy!! Seriously, once you’ve dated an old guy, you’ll really appreciate how amazing baby boys are!!”
Chen Die looked intrigued. “Is that so?”
Wen Liang’s face turned completely dark.
Filming continued into the evening. Only when night had fallen did the lead actors who weren’t shooting that day start to pack up and prepare to leave.
Everyone said “thank you, Director,” and began collecting their things.
Fang Ruan had more than just Chen Die under her management and wasn’t staying on site that night. When Chen Die came out with her things, Fang Ruan was standing by the steps, on a call.
“One sec,” Fang Ruan said, covering her phone.
Chen Die waited. From where she stood, she could see Director Feng chatting with Wen Liang in the distance.
Fang Ruan finished her call. “I drove this morning, I’ll give you a ride back to the hotel.”
“No need, I could use the walk. It’s not far anyway.”
“Alright,” Fang Ruan didn’t push. “You’ll be filming the horseback scenes soon. You haven’t forgotten what you learned, right?”
“Nope. Just need a little review when the time comes.”
Fang Ruan nodded. Another call came in, and after a quick goodbye, she left.
Chen Die was holding the box from Yunshuzhai she got that morning. Scanning the area, she saw Wen Liang surrounded by people and decided to walk to the parking lot.
She pulled out her phone, opened WeChat, and scrolled for a while before finding Wen Liang.
They hadn’t messaged each other since their split—not that they had texted much even while they were together.
[Chen Die: Mr. Wen, could you come to the parking lot for a moment?]
He didn’t reply, but after a few moments, she saw him walk in from the parking lot entrance.
Chen Die walked up and handed him the Yunshuzhai box.
Wen Liang looked down. “What’s this?”
“Breakfast box,” Chen Die said. “No need to send breakfast again. It’s too much trouble.”
Wen Liang didn’t take it. “I didn’t send you breakfast.”
Chen Die: “?”
What kind of nonsense is that?
“That was from Zhu Qicong this morning.”
Wen Liang raised an eyebrow, then chuckled after a beat. “Then tell him to stop. Why are you telling me?”
“......”
So it was Zhu Qicong taking it upon himself?
Chen Die had just made a fool of herself. In front of Wen Liang, no less. Her face started heating up rapidly—she’d probably be blushing any second now. She didn’t want to linger.
With a cold “oh,” she pulled the box back and turned to leave.
She had only taken a few steps when a nearby business van door slid open—and out stepped Wang Yunxi.
“......”
Chen Die was just about ready to cry. What is even happening with this day?
Was their relationship about to be discovered?
Wang Yunxi had her eyeliner winged upward, her eyes filled with disdain. With a mocking smile tugging at her lips, she swayed her hips as she walked over to Chen Die and sneered, “You really just cling to anyone you see, huh?”
Ah...
So she thought Chen Die was trying to cozy up to someone powerful again.
Fine—so long as she didn’t guess the truth about her and Wen Liang, it was whatever.
Chen Die didn’t care about being misunderstood. In Wang Yunxi’s eyes, she was already a scheming little white lotus clinging to Lu Chuan’s coattails while having a suspiciously close relationship with Chen Shao.
Adding Wen Liang to that mix made no difference.
“What a shame—so overconfident.” Wang Yunxi glanced at the box in Chen Die’s hands with disdain. “As if someone like him would care about your little gift.”
?
Sure. Go ahead and guess all you want. If you guess right, I’ll admit defeat.
“I’m warning you, don’t get any bright ideas. Still trying to get in Mr. Wen’s car? Looking to stir up a scandal? The more you expose yourself, the uglier it’ll get—you’ll be crying before you know it.”
Chen Die rolled her eyes.
As if nobody knew about her little affair with that idol.
Chen Die had no interest in arguing. Anyone who let their temper explode so publicly that every collaborating artist knew about it clearly wasn’t very smart.
She ignored her and brushed past, walking straight ahead.
But then a voice behind her called out.
“Chen Die.” It was Wen Liang.
Chen Die paused but didn’t look back.
Wen Liang spoke in a low voice, “Get in the car. I’ll take you back to the hotel.”
Chen Die turned around and gave him a fake, sugary-sweet smile. “No need, Mr. Wen. Senior Yunxi here just reminded me not to let my thoughts run wild.”
Wang Yunxi’s heart skipped a beat, her chest tightening with panic.
But Chen Die walked away as if nothing had happened.
Wang Yunxi knew that Mr. Wen was someone you absolutely couldn’t afford to offend. She hadn’t expected him to speak up for Chen Die. Panic rising, she hurried over to him.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Wen, I didn’t mean it like that.”
Wen Liang didn’t even look at her. His gaze remained fixed on Chen Die’s receding figure.
Wang Yunxi bit her lip and couldn’t help protesting, “Chen Die isn’t as innocent as she looks. I even saw her acting all close with the Chairman of Yiming.”
The Chairman of Yiming was Chen Shao.
Wen Liang knew him.
For the first time, he looked at Wang Yunxi and said calmly, “If you go out of your way to cause Chen Die trouble again, I guarantee you’ll never appear in front of a camera again.”
His voice was cold, carrying a clear and undeniable warning.
Wang Yunxi was so frightened she stumbled back a step, not daring to say another word.
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