Delicate Beauty in the Palm : Chapter 35 - What exactly is your relationship with Chen Shao?!
Chapter 35: What exactly is your relationship with Chen Shao?!
After Chen Die finished speaking, she didn’t look back at Wen Liang and walked straight out of the Xinqi Tower.
The cold winter wind hit her in the face, sharp and biting. Chen Die pulled her coat tighter around herself and flagged down a taxi.
“To Lifan Xinyuan,” she said.
She turned her head to look out the window. There weren’t too many cars on the road, and the scenery outside the car flew by quickly. Her earlier intense emotions slowly began to settle.
She lifted her hand to press lightly on her eyelids and let out a soft sigh.
When she opened her eyes again, she was caught off guard by locking eyes with the taxi driver in the rearview mirror. Startled, she then heard him cautiously ask, “Are you Chen Die, the actress from <Hairpin Flowers>?”
“Ah, yes.” Chen Die pulled down her mask.
“It is you!” The taxi driver looked genuinely delighted. He instinctively reached out for a handshake, then realized he was driving and quickly returned his hand to the steering wheel. “The moment you got in, I thought it was you. Can’t believe my luck today—driving a big star!”
The taxi driver looked to be in his early forties, with a few strands of gray in his hair.
He chatted with Chen Die the entire way. Her mood had been low, but the driver’s warm, animated conversation somehow brought her back to a more grounded, human state.
The taxi pulled up steadily in front of Lifan Xinyuan.
Chen Die pulled a bill from her wallet, but the driver refused to take it. “Can you give me an autograph instead? My daughter loved your movie. If I can bring her your autograph, she’ll be over the moon.”
Chen Die smiled and agreed.
There wasn’t any paper in the taxi, so she signed her name on a tissue.
Back at her apartment, Chen Die climbed into bed. Her mind was a mess of jumbled thoughts and overlapping images. She couldn’t make sense of any of it.
She lay there for a long while before sitting up and sending a message to Fang Ruan, asking if the payment for <Hairpin Flowers> had been deposited yet.
Fang Ruan replied quickly.
[Fang Ruan: The company has received the payment. It was supposed to be transferred to you, but with the New Year holiday, finance delayed it. If it’s urgent, I can push them.]
[Chen Die: It’s kind of urgent. Sorry to trouble you, Sister Ruan.]
[Fang Ruan: ? Something happen? You suddenly called me ‘Sister’, I’m a little scared.
Chen Die smiled and replied: [It’s nothing.]
She had signed the contract for the female lead in <Hairpin Flowers> before joining Yiming Entertainment, so she didn’t need to split her earnings with the company. The final amount she would receive was quite substantial.
Meanwhile, Wen Liang had stood outside the Xinqi Tower for a long while before finally calling Zhu Qicong.
“Reach out to all the finance magazines and newspapers—make it clear that if anyone dares publish those false reports about the Wen and Ye families, they can prepare to shut down,” Wen Liang said.
Zhu Qicong paused, then understood: “Got it. I’ll contact them right away.”
After that first meeting, Wen Liang and Ye Chuqing had met once more, at a work event. They didn’t interact much.
Ye Chuqing had seemed quite angry after what he said back then. She hadn’t approached him again and had even taken jabs at him during work discussions.
Wen Liang hadn’t paid it any mind. As far as he was concerned, the matter between him and Ye Chuqing had ended there.
Even if their families tried to stir things up again, it wouldn’t change the outcome. Wen Liang was never one to waste effort on something already decided.
He hadn’t expected the things Chen Die said.
And he couldn’t understand why she was so angry.
He had no ambiguous relationship with Ye Chuqing. She had lost interest long ago. Other than the baseless rumors, there was no actual change.
From his perspective, he hadn’t done anything wrong. In the business world, people come and go; social appearances are inevitable. He had already made things clear the first time he met Ye Chuqing.
But Chen Die still cried.
Wen Liang didn’t know if he had done anything wrong, but Chen Die cried nonetheless.
He didn’t know what to do.
A moment later, his phone vibrated. Chen Die had sent a transfer.
Wen Liang’s eyes darkened. His heart started racing for no apparent reason. He suddenly realized what the transfer meant—Chen Die wanted to cut ties completely and return everything she owed him.
He quickly tried to refund the transfer, but the attempt failed.
—Message sent, but was rejected by the recipient.
She had blocked him.
The little leopard cub he raised… this time, she was really drawing the line.
The next morning, Chen Die had another work engagement.
Because of her sudden surge in popularity, Fang Ruan had to keep working through the Spring Festival. Fortunately, with the company paying her eight times the regular rate, she was more than happy to do it.
Fang Ruan drove to Lifan Xinyuan early in the morning and rang the doorbell for a while without any response from Chen Die.
She finally dug out the spare key Chen Die had given her and let herself in.
“Why are you still sleeping?” Fang Ruan burst into the bedroom and yanked Chen Die out of bed. “Did you forget there’s a meet-and-greet for the Gourmet Food Plaza endorsement today?!”
Chen Die sat on the bed, still dazed.
God knows how poorly she slept last night. She felt foggy and sluggish. The blanket slipped off her shoulders, revealing a slender, well-defined collarbone—so deep-set it looked like you could raise fish in it.
The bedroom’s heater wasn’t on, and the cold winter morning air slowly brought her back to her senses.
She lifted her head in confusion and looked at Fang Ruan. “Hmm?”
“…Seriously?” Fang Ruan was exasperated. “What’s going on with you? You act like you time-traveled. Do you even know what year it is?”
Chen Die gave her a half-lidded glance, threw the covers off, and draped a thin blanket around her shoulders as she walked into the bathroom. “Why are you here so early?”
Fang Ruan had to repeat what she just said.
Chen Die had just squeezed out some toothpaste when she froze, then slowly turned to look at her. She said, enunciating each word: “Gour-met Food- Plaza.”
“You didn’t forget, did you?”
Chen Die: “Good question. I forgot completely.”
When the Wenyuan Group first approached her about the Gourmet Food Plaza endorsement, Chen Die had been reluctant. But after a thorough evaluation, the company believed the endorsement had great long-term value and hidden benefits. Later, as her relationship with Wen Liang slightly thawed, she didn’t firmly refuse, and eventually, the company signed the deal on her behalf.
“Can I still back out?” Chen Die asked sincerely.
Fang Ruan immediately looked at her with suspicion. “Wait—asking me about the payment yesterday, was that so you could cover a breach-of-contract fee?”
“......”
Okay, fair point—Fang Ruan just reminded her.
That payment barely had time to warm her wallet before it landed right in the hands of Wenyuan Group’s president. No point even thinking about breaching the contract. She was completely broke.
“I was joking, geez.” Chen Die sighed.
Anyway, there was no reason she’d run into Wen Liang at an event like this.
Fang Ruan was still a little worried. She walked over and asked in a lowered voice, “It’s not because of that Mr. Wen, is it?”
“…No.”
Fang Ruan was relieved. She patted Chen Die’s shoulder. “Then finish getting ready and come out. We’re leaving soon.”
Gourmet Food Plaza placed a lot of importance on this meet-and-greet event.
At first, some of the company heads didn’t understand why Mr. Wen insisted on signing only Chen Die. But now, in hindsight, they had to admit that Wen was truly visionary—achieving maximum economic value at minimum cost.
<Hairpin Flowers> was a female-led film, and after it went viral, Chen Die naturally became the focus of attention.
On top of that, as a fresh face, people’s curiosity and excitement about her talent only increased. Unsurprisingly, once the meet-and-greet was announced, Gourmet Food Plaza was packed with fans early in the morning.
It was everyone’s first chance to see Chen Die up close.
After washing up, she headed downstairs and got light makeup done in the car by the stylist.
The business van took her directly to the VIP entrance of Gourmet Food Plaza, avoiding the crowd. She walked into the lounge and changed into an outfit that matched the theme of the event.
“All set?” The event organizer walked in from the front desk, clearly already sensing the event’s success, wearing a beaming smile. “We can head over now.”
“Mhm.” Chen Die stood up, nodded politely, and accepted the event rundown from a staff member.
With bodyguards on both sides, Chen Die made her way toward the stage, passing through a long emergency corridor.
Up ahead, the crowd’s cheers could already be heard.
Chen Die lifted her head.
The emergency corridor was dimly lit. Staff members bustled on either side, managing logistics. The glowing green emergency exit signs glimmered faintly on the walls.
As they kept walking, the shouting grew louder, and the outside light began to seep into the corridor.
It felt like driving through a long, dark tunnel.
And finally, she emerged from that tunnel—into a stunning, dreamlike venue. Balloons floated near the ceiling, fans packed all three floors. Banners stretched across the balconies, and an enormous portrait of Chen Die hung down from the top floor.
Deafening cheers erupted as the crowd shouted her name.
Chen Die’s palms began to sweat.
She had become popular so quickly that she hadn’t truly grasped the reality of it—not even during the entire Spring Festival.
Since <Hairpin Flowers> was released on the first day of the New Year, it had received wave after wave of glowing reviews. The Douban score hit an impressive 9.5, and top film critics and influencers began releasing reviews and reaction videos about the film.
Chen Die had always thought her popularity was just riding on the movie’s success—that people were only paying attention to her because of the film. Once the buzz faded, she assumed she’d quickly return to anonymity.
Until now—
First floor, second floor, third floor… everyone was holding banners with her name.
These were her fans.
The screams, the chants—these weren’t just digital fanfare or exaggerated online compliments. The sheer physical volume shook her to her core.
These were all people who liked her.
Chen Die suddenly remembered what Professor Ying had asked her before graduation—why she had chosen acting in the first place.
Back then, she had answered: because she wanted to stand in front of the camera, to hear praise from others, to be liked.
When she was sixteen, her adoptive parents didn’t like her enough, so they ‘sold’ her to the Chen family. After arriving in Yan City, her biological parents didn’t like her enough either, which led to her current situation.
But now?
Chen Die stood there silently, staring ahead. Her eyes suddenly felt a little damp.
The event itself was pretty simple.
All she had to do was follow the host’s lead, introduce the various features and activities of Gourmet Food Plaza, then play a few games, and that was it.
By the time they were leaving, Fang Ruan’s hands were full with gifts and letters from fans.
Fang Ruan was just as stunned by the whole thing, now so overwhelmed she was nearly speechless.
She had been in the industry for several years, managing various artists. Either the artists weren’t good enough, or just as things started picking up, another team would poach them. She’d never successfully managed a truly promising star—until Chen Die.
“You really made it, Chen Die,” Fang Ruan said, her voice trembling a little. “This is the first time I’ve seen a female star’s endorsement event draw a crowd like this.”
Most idol fans are female, and male celebrities typically have the upper hand in fan numbers.
Chen Die pulling this off—despite the boost from the film—was still no small feat.
Chen Die smiled and patted her on the shoulder. “Got any work tonight?”
“Yep.”
“Huh?” Chen Die really started to wonder if she had amnesia. She didn’t remember having any work scheduled.
Then Fang Ruan grinned and said, “We’re going to have a big celebratory meal!”
Chen Die laughed. “Alright.”
Back in the lounge, Chen Die changed out of her event outfit and handed it to the event manager. “Excuse me, where’s the restroom?”
“Oh, just head out and turn right—it’s at the end of the hallway.” The manager, finally done with their biggest task of the past few days, had relaxed and smiled warmly. “Thank you so much for today. The event was a huge success.”
“Not at all. Thank you,” Chen Die responded immediately.
She let Fang Ruan know. Since the lounge area was tightly secured, there was no safety concern, so Fang Ruan went ahead to load all the fan gifts into the car while Chen Die headed to the restroom alone.
But before she even got there, she ran into Wen Liang and Zhu Qicong in the dim corridor.
Wen Liang clearly saw her before she noticed them. A cigarette dangled from his lips, his expression unreadable, but his gaze didn’t waver from her face.
Zhu Qicong was reporting something to him. When he noticed her, he quickly wrapped up his report, gave Chen Die a polite nod, and said, “Miss Chen,” before leaving.
Chen Die kept walking, but as she passed, Wen Liang reached out and grabbed her arm.
“Chen Die.”
“Mr. Wen.” Her expression was calm and composed, with no trace of the tears from yesterday.
Wen Liang paused mid-movement with his cigarette, trying to soften his tone. “I want to apologize about that matter. I handled it poorly, didn’t think it through, and didn’t consider your feelings.”
Chen Die pressed her lips together.
“I’ve already explained everything to the media outlets and magazines—no stories will come out, and no one will dare bring it up around you again.”
“No need, Mr. Wen. You don’t need to apologize to me,” she said. “We no longer have any personal relationship. I’m still here only because I took this endorsement job.”
Wen Liang tightened his grip on her wrist and pinned her against the wall, completely unsure what she still wanted from him.
“What exactly are you mad at me for?”
“I just don’t want to like you anymore, okay? I’ve liked you for so many years, and now I’m not interested. I don’t want to play this game with you anymore. Alright?”
She pried his fingers off and didn’t even bother going to the restroom—just turned and walked straight back to the car.
Fang Ruan was still basking in the joy of having discovered a ‘superstar in the making.’ When Chen Die returned, she was on the phone, sounding quite excited.
When the call ended, Fang Ruan turned to her eagerly. “A director just contacted me—he’s got a new project and wants to discuss a possible collaboration!”
“Really?” Chen Die asked. “Which director?”
“Fan Zhen, a new face in the scene,” Fang Ruan replied, typing on her phone. A moment later, she added, “He’s already reached out. We’ll get the script tonight.”
“Got it,” Chen Die nodded. “So what are we eating?”
“Hot pot, of course! It’s winter—you have to eat hot pot in winter. I haven’t had it in forever,” Fang Ruan said.
The car pulled up outside the hot pot restaurant.
Fang Ruan had reserved a private room in advance. Since they arrived early, the place wasn’t crowded yet, and they walked in without issue.
With the icy weather outside, the warmth of the hot pot restaurant felt even more comforting.
Fang Ruan ordered several plates of meat and two bottles of beer. She popped the cap off one bottle against the edge of the table and handed it to Chen Die.
Outside the curtain, more and more diners arrived, and the room buzzed with lively chatter.
Fang Ruan raised her glass. “Come on, cheers! We’ve started the year with a bang—things are only going to get better from here.”
Chen Die picked up her glass, too.
The two clinked their glasses above the steaming hot pot. The beer, filled too full, spilled over and splashed into the bubbling broth, letting out a loud sizzle.
They chatted about everything under the sun. Fang Ruan’s face turned red from the heat and food. Partway through, her parents video-called her. She turned the camera toward Chen Die, who also exchanged a few polite words.
“Alright, Mom, Dad, I’ll finish dinner first and call you again when I’m home,” Fang Ruan said into the phone.
On the other end, her elderly parents reminded her to stay safe, dress warmly, and eat well.
Chen Die sat across from her, quietly listening with a faint smile, and continued eating.
Just after hanging up, Fang Ruan suddenly cursed. “Shit!”
Chen Die looked up. “What’s wrong?”
“Wang Yunxi is actually dating Zhan Xiao? That guy from that fan-voted talent show, he came in third, and he’s a few years younger than her, right?” Fang Ruan looked completely shocked.
Chen Die, on the other hand, was calm. “Yeah, you didn’t know?”
“You knew?”
“I saw them kissing in a car once, really early in the morning around five or six, when we were on set. I figured you already knew.”
“Know my ass! Wang Yunxi and Zhan Xiao are both idols built on fan-driven marketing. Wang Yunxi’s situation is slightly better, but Zhan Xiao’s fans? They’ll rip her to shreds! If the company finds out, they’ll definitely ban it.”
“How did you find out just now?” Chen Die asked, suddenly realizing. “It got leaked?”
“Yeah.” Fang Ruan shoved her phone in Chen Die’s face.
#WangYunxiZhanXiaoRelationshipExposed was now trending at number one, marked with the big red ‘Hot’ symbol.
[What the hell??? Fans spend money and vote like crazy to debut you, and you go off dating a senior??]
[I’m done. I tolerated Zhan Xiao’s past scandals, thinking he could start over, but nope—once trash, always trash. He peaked at debut. The company better shelve him ASAP.]
[Didn’t Zhan Xiao always act like the ‘boy-next-door boyfriend’ in front of fans? What a joke. Desperate for money, huh?]
[And Wang Yunxi? Doesn’t she know how old she is? Dating a Gen Z kid? Shameless. People call her a sexy goddess on stage and she really thinks being flirty is a skill?]
[I’m out. I used to be a fan. Their skills were average at best and they go behind fans' backs to date each other?]
[Just a passerby here, but aren’t they both single adults? What’s the big deal?]
[If you’re just a casual observer, shut it, okay? Do you know how fans stayed up all night, raised money, voted like crazy for Zhan Xiao during the show? It’s only been two months since it ended and he released his debut single—fans pushed him to the top of the charts. With all that pressure, how dare he spend fan money while secretly dating??]
[As a career-focused fan, I’m honestly disgusted. Zhan Xiao and Wang Yunxi have zero regard for us.]
……
[Ugh, just supported Wang Yunxi’s movie <Hairpin Flowers> the other day, and now just thinking about her role makes me sick.]
[Wait a minute. Didn’t Zhan Xiao post a picture of a <Hairpin Flowers> movie ticket on Weibo? I thought he was friends with God Qi. Turns out he was showing off his damn girlfriend??]
[Gross. Absolutely disgusting.]
[PR team, don’t even bother. The leaked photos are clear as day—this scandal is confirmed. Just shelf them both. No saving this now.]
Chen Die didn’t like Wang Yunxi. Although she didn’t think dating someone warranted this kind of backlash, she didn’t feel any sympathy either.
She absentmindedly scrolled through the comments while eating shrimp paste, until she started noticing something odd.
Chen Die frowned. “These comments… something feels off.”
“Huh?”
Fang Ruan leaned in to look. They were all comments calling for a boycott of <Hairpin Flowers>.
They were posted in a dense cluster, many with half-hearted responses, often fewer than five characters long. Yet their like counts were rapidly climbing, pushing them up to the top of the comment section.
Fang Ruan caught on immediately. “Some rival film studio is trying to sabotage <Hairpin Flowers>.”
<Hairpin Flowers> had been doing exceptionally well—both box office and word of mouth—far outperforming all other Spring Festival releases.
No one had expected a tearjerking tragedy like this to completely dominate over all the comedy films during the holiday season.
“Who do you think it is?” Chen Die asked.
“No idea.”
Fang Ruan immediately contacted the film’s PR team, who had also already taken note and were investigating the source.
“You need to be extra careful these next few days. Don’t let anything slip that people could turn into gossip.”
The backlash quickly snowballed and lasted several days.
Every little clue about Wang Yunxi and Zhan Xiao’s relationship was dug up by internet sleuths. Even fans who were in denial at first ended up with hard proof.
Wang Yunxi didn’t dare leave her house. She tried not to look at the online chatter, but couldn’t help it. She thought the storm would pass after a few days and that at least some fans would stick by her. But new dirt kept surfacing, and the heat never faded.
What made it even more infuriating was that Wang Yunxi couldn’t get in touch with Zhan Xiao at all now.
He had never even considered facing all this together with her.
“Have we figured out who’s behind this?” the manager asked the programmer nearby.
The programmer looked distressed as he clacked away at the keyboard. “The IP address is encrypted. So far, we haven’t been able to crack it.”
The manager jabbed a finger at his forehead and shouted, “What the hell am I paying you people for!?”
It was Wang Yunxi, who had been sitting silently to the side, who suddenly turned and said, “I know who did it.”
She had been a mess these past few days, unable to sleep at night. Her makeup hadn’t been removed in two days, the dried tears had made her skin feel tight and rough, and her repeatedly bleached, uncared-for hair was tied up like straw, with messy strands falling everywhere.
The manager asked, “Who?”
Wang Yunxi replied, “Chen Die.”
“Why?”
“After this happened, everyone from the crew reached out to comfort me—except her. She didn’t react at all. You already know she and I don’t get along.”
The manager frowned and thought for a moment. “But she has no reason to do this to you right now. Technically speaking, this film is hers—she’s the lead. More than anyone, she wants the movie to succeed to pave the way for her future. Exposing your scandal now doesn’t benefit her in the slightest. If this had happened at another time, I might’ve believed you.”
Wang Yunxi hadn’t slept in ages. Her mind was a jumble, and she didn’t have the energy to pick apart the logic of her manager’s words.
She looked up, stared at the manager coldly, and said, “Whether it was her or not, right now, she’s the only one who can save me.”
Chen Die was at the peak of popularity. To divert the public’s attention away from Wang Yunxi, they needed to drop a scandal about Chen Die.
Fans had already dug up a lot of Wang Yunxi’s past dirt, but everything about Chen Die so far had been clean and pristine. If any negative news broke now, it would instantly attract massive backlash and shift the fire toward her.
The manager immediately understood her meaning. His mind started working, and he moved a chair to sit across from her, lowering his voice: “Do you know any dirt on her?”
“She’s very close with Chen Shao, the chairman of Yiming Entertainment. I’ve overheard their conversations before. If we dig from that angle, we’re bound to find something,” Wang Yunxi said. “And aside from that, there’s also Wenyuan Group’s Mr. Wen…”
She paused slightly, recalling how Wen Liang had openly said on set that he was pursuing Chen Die.
“No, for now let’s just focus on the angle with Chen Shao. If Mr. Wen finds out about this, he might even help us take down Chen Die. If he doesn’t, we can release information bit by bit, eventually making it seem like she used unspoken rules tactics to rise to the top—or even played two men at once.”
The manager was quiet for a moment, then started to smile. “Alright. I’ll look into it.”
These past few days, Chen Die had been closely monitored by Fang Ruan.
Because <Hairpin Flowers> had become such a breakout hit, it was also the first to attract backlash. And as the film’s biggest beneficiary, Chen Die had the most eyes on her.
Fang Ruan was worried that even the slightest slip-up would be twisted into a scandal, so she stayed by Chen Die’s side almost every day to avoid any chance of her being photographed alone with a man.
That morning, Fang Ruan arrived early at Lifan Xinyuan.
“Oh right, did you finish reading that new script I sent you?” she asked while changing shoes at the entrance.
Chen Die was lying on the sofa with a face mask on. “Yeah. It’s a slice-of-life drama. The script is pretty good.”
“Then tonight let’s go have dinner with the director and screenwriter. Strike while the iron’s hot. If it looks promising, we’ll lock in the contract early,” said Fang Ruan.
Chen Die gave a simple “Mm.”
Fang Ruan had gotten used to being in Chen Die’s apartment these days. After changing shoes, she went straight into the kitchen. “Did you eat breakfast yet?”
“Nope,” Chen Die sat up. “You gonna make something?”
“Just something quick. I’m starving—I’ll fry a couple of eggs.”
Chen Die slipped on her slippers and followed into the kitchen. Fang Ruan’s cooking was much better than hers, so she didn’t try to help and just leaned against the counter, watching Fang Ruan prepare breakfast.
“This Wang Yunxi thing is insane. It’s been going on for days,” Fang Ruan said as she fried the eggs. “If this doesn’t get resolved, her company is definitely going to drop her.”
“She and Zhan Xiao are with the same company?”
“Yeah. And if the company has to choose one, it’ll be Zhan Xiao. His fanbase has stronger buying power.”
Fang Ruan scooped the eggs onto a plate, drizzled some soy sauce over them, and grabbed two sets of chopsticks.
“Come on, let’s eat outside.”
Chen Die was scrolling through her phone, just casually browsing—until she suddenly saw a headline about herself.
—— More Scandals Hit <Hairpin Flowers> Cast: Lead Actress Chen Die Allegedly Close With Yiming Entertainment’s chairman Chen Shao, Spotted Visiting Night Venues Late at Night—Suspected Unspoken Rules Scandal.”
The photos were taken on the third day of the Chinese New Year. That day, Fang Ruan had gone home, and Chen Die had attended a group event with her film crew. When she was about to leave, she happened to run into Chen Shao, who offered her a ride home.
Chen Die: “…”
The news was so shocking that she didn’t even know where to begin.
She handed the phone to Fang Ruan, utterly drained.
Of all things, after taking so many precautions—even keeping her distance from Qi Cheng— the man at the center of the scandal ended up being Chen Shao.
“What exactly is your relationship with Chen Shao!?” Fang Ruan exploded.
Chen Die replied, “He’s my boss. I’m his employee.”
Fang Ruan glared at her. “You think I’m going to believe that?!”
“…” Chen Die sighed. “Go ask Chen Shao yourself. It’s hard to explain, even for me.”
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