Delicate Beauty in the Palm : Chapter 56
Chapter 56
Wen Liang had indeed come to Wuxi a day earlier.
He had asked Zhu Qicong to find out exactly where Chen Die used to live and what her adoptive parents were called, then made a trip in advance.
Originally, he hadn’t planned to come early—but seeing how nervous Chen Die was, he knew that if she came face-to-face with her past and the truth turned out just as painful as she feared, she’d end up crying alone again.
Wen Liang couldn’t bear to see her cry.
He wasn’t good at talking to parents or elders either. When he came that day, his initial, blunt approach was to offer Wang Mian and Chen Jianping a sum of money—basically asking them to say something nice when the time came, just to make Chen Die happy.
But Wang Mian, flustered and waving her hands, had instead poured out the whole story to him—just as she did later with Chen Die.
Wen Liang then told them that he’d be coming back in a few days with Chen Die, but whether she wanted to come inside or not would be entirely up to her.
He didn’t overthink it at the time. He just wanted to confirm in advance whether or not Chen Die would get hurt.
After briefly speaking to Wang Mian, he took Chen Die back to her old bedroom.
She still felt it was all surreal, eyes red. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Wen Liang led her to the bed, pulled her onto his lap, and wrapped an arm around her waist, kissing her forehead.
He simply explained his visit the day before.
Of course, he left out the part where, if her adoptive parents had truly abandoned her, he’d been ready to pay them off—just to ensure they’d say something that would spare her the pain of always believing she was unwanted.
After hearing everything, Chen Die sniffled and started crying all over again.
It was like ever since she broke down crying in front of Wen Liang that one time, she had finally returned to the truest version of herself.
She no longer held back tears out of fear he’d find her annoying.
“Okay, enough crying,” Wen Liang coaxed, glancing around her room.
It was clearly a girl’s room—pink curtains with lace trim.
Everything neat and tidy, the bookshelf wiped clean. Even some old schoolbooks were still stacked from tallest to shortest.
Chen Die wiped her eyes, snuggled into his neck, and mumbled a soft “thank you.”
Wen Liang smiled and accepted it with ease. “You should thank me.”
Chen Die shifted on his lap until she was straddling him, arms around his neck, head tilted downward, planting tiny kisses along his face.
Wen Liang propped himself up on one hand, lifting his chin slightly, letting her do whatever she wanted.
He was rotten to the core.
When Chen Die didn’t take the lead, he’d push her around and tease her.
But once she actually did take the lead, he would instantly become passive, indulging her completely.
She was used to being the one on the receiving end. Being the initiator now made her awkward and unsure, but she gently probed forward, lightly slipping her tongue between his lips.
Wen Liang didn’t move.
Chen Die suddenly felt like her kissing skills had just been insulted!
So she gave up on the current territory and moved downwards, kissing along his jawline, his Adam’s apple, and his collarbone.
Wen Liang flinched slightly, the calm broken. He lifted her chin and moved her away, leaning close to her ear and murmuring, “What’s this, throwing yourself at me?”
Chen Die blinked up at him.
The man before her had sharply defined features, his face always carrying a naturally cold edge when he wasn’t smiling. Now, though, his eyes gleamed with amusement, his grin mischievous. His hand slowly kneaded at her waist, the whole vibe suddenly thick with implication.
It felt like he was baiting her.
Chen Die didn’t know how to respond.
She just knew that, in this moment, she really liked Wen Liang. Whatever he wanted, she was willing to give.
Unable to put it into words, she simply hugged him again.
Wen Liang paused for two seconds, then laughed low and close to her neck, teasing, “Didn’t expect my Lingling to be so bold.”
Chen Die didn’t get it.
She’d been out of it ever since overhearing Wen Liang and Wang Mian talking downstairs, her brain still lagging.
Not until Wen Liang started kissing her and pushed her down onto the bed… and the bed creaked with a loud “squeak—”
Only then did she snap out of it.
Holy. Shit.
It was all because this bastard Wen Liang seduced her.
She’d forgotten where they were!
She had nearly thrown herself at Wen Liang in her childhood bedroom.
No wonder that bastard had said “didn’t expect my Lingling to be so bold.”
He knew all along!
And he was just waiting to watch her make a fool of herself!!
“Wa—wait.” Chen Die’s body became stiff after she came to her senses, pushing him with her arms. “Wen Liang!”
He buried his face in her shoulder, laughing nonstop, and his hand slid down as well. Chen Die kept twisting around to avoid his hand.
As a result, the creaking noise continued without pause. The bed had a wooden frame and was already quite old—Chen Die worried it might fall apart.
Before long, she didn’t dare move anymore, afraid of waking Wang Mian and Chen Jianping in the room next door.
“Wen Liang,” Chen Die gritted her teeth as she gripped his wrist tightly, unable to hold back her swearing. “Can you f**king act like a human being?”
“Hm?” He smiled and kissed her reddened eyes. “Don’t you want to?”
“Want my ass!” Chen Die immediately lowered her voice to say.
His palm covered her, fingers curling slightly, and he asked calmly, “Want to move in with me in the Western Suburbs Villa?”
“......”
But it was in this calm, unassuming question that Chen Die felt the threat—if you don’t agree, I’m not stopping.
She immediately said, “Okay, okay, okay.”
“So once we’re back in Yan City, you’ll move over?”
Chen Die had had enough and gritted her teeth. “Fine!”
Wen Liang chuckled, relaxed his hand beside her, and let his full weight fall on top of her.
He was heavy, and Chen Die couldn’t breathe, so she pushed him. Wen Liang, in a great mood, laughed again and finally rolled off her and lay to the side.
Her bed was a true single bed—small even for just one person, let alone two.
The two of them squeezed together, arms pressed tightly.
Wen Liang lifted his arm over her waist and draped his leg across her.
Chen Die frowned and complained, “Don’t crush me.”
Wen Liang shifted lazily, but his arm and leg stayed on her. “The bed’s too small—I can’t even stretch my legs.”
Chen Die laughed softly. “Who told you to squeeze in here with me? Go sleep in the other room.”
They lay there chatting for a bit. Chen Die decided not to kick Wen Liang out anymore, reached over to turn off the bedside lamp, and whispered, “Why don’t you sneak back early in the morning?”
“Why?”
Chen Die hesitated. “Wouldn’t it be bad if they saw us…”
Wen Liang laughed. “You think they don’t already know?”
“......”
“What’s wrong with a couple sleeping together?” he said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The room was quiet. Outside, there was the faint sound of a bicycle bell. Wen Liang held Chen Die in his arms, and after a moment, he asked softly, “Are you happy now?”
Chen Die murmured a response and held his hand back.
In the darkness, emotions began to stir.
Wen Liang lay beside her, kissing her ear gently, and guiding her hand, slowly rubbing her palm.
Chen Die let out a soft grunt, pulled her head back slightly, turned to look at him, and asked in a low voice, “What are you doing?”
Even in the dark, the girl's eyes sparkled. Wen Liang took her hand and guided it lower. “Let me teach you something new.”
“......”
Before, they’d always gotten straight to the point. All of Chen Die’s experience had come from Wen Liang—whatever he taught her, that’s what she knew. But this ‘new technique’ talk…
…was just way too embarrassing.
Only when Wen Liang moved her hand up and down did Chen Die finally realize what he meant by ‘new technique.’
She jumped, gripped tightly, and Wen Liang let out a muffled hiss, whispering, “Easy… you’re squeezing too tight.”
“......”
Chen Die truly didn’t understand how this guy could say things like that with a straight face.
At this point, she couldn’t even speak.
It was like a landmine went off in her brain, blowing apart all her worldview, values, and life perspective. Her mind was filled only with that thing her hand was now intimately engaging with—hot, swollen.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.
WEN! LIANG! IS! FREAKING! INSANE!!
Her heart was racing at 180 bpm, her breathing quickened, and just as she managed to gather her thoughts to speak, Wen Liang leaned down and kissed her, silencing her.
Moments later, Wen Liang let go of her hand, like a teacher stepping back to let the student take the test alone, and said hoarsely, “You do it.”
“......”
Do it my ass.
Chen Die was so nervous, her body trembled slightly. “...I don’t know how.”
Teacher Wen was very patient. He guided her hand again, explaining step by step in a gentle tone, like coaxing a child.
Chen Die was coaxed by him and, after he let go of her hand, actually started mimicking his movements.
Wen Liang was so turned on that his temples throbbed, but he still found time to praise her: “Baby, you’re so smart.”
“......”
She didn’t know how much time passed—only that her hand was sore by the time it finally ended.
Wen Liang sat up. The long-silent room let out a sudden creak again, like a vocal protest against what they had just done.
Chen Die buried her head even lower.
…Because of this beast Wen Liang, she was no longer clean.
But he was calm and composed. He raised his hand to catch what might drip from her right hand, then reached over and pulled a few napkins from the side to clean her hand carefully.
The used tissues were tossed into the trash.
“Go wash up,” Wen Liang said, his voice still hoarse.
Chen Die’s throat felt hoarse too, almost like a stress response. She tried to speak, but after the first sound, she clamped her mouth shut and simply nodded.
Wen Liang pulled out another tissue, cleaned himself, put his clothes back on, and set a pair of slippers down in front of her.
Chen Die got up slowly, slid on the slippers. Her whole expression screamed: Do not talk to me. Do not look at me. Do not engage. Wen Liang stood beside her, glanced at her face, and after a moment, turned his head with a small laugh.
He didn’t tease her for being flustered or embarrassed. He just walked over to the bathroom and turned on the light.
Chen Die stood still, looking at his back, then down at the trash bin.
The bin was spotless—she even suspected it was brand new, used for the first time. And now that was sitting inside it.
…Absolutely shameless.
This man had no limits whatsoever.
In the end, Chen Die stomped her foot in frustration. She crouched down and picked all the tissues out of the trash.
Her face showed total disgust, fingers daintily pinching the corner of a tissue like it were toxic. She stomped into the bathroom, tossed them into the toilet, and flushed them all.
Then she stood there, not knowing how to face Wen Liang, staring into the toilet bowl as if reflecting on her life choices.
Wen Liang understood her little thoughts all too well. He watched her for a while, then couldn’t hold back his laughter. Curiously, he asked, “You’ve been staring for so long… can’t bear to let it go?”
Chen Die: “?”
She snapped her head toward him, furious. All the embarrassment, shock, and unspeakable emotions boiled over and transformed into pure rage directed at Wen Liang.
She glared. “Are you a pervert!?”
Wen Liang was in a bizarrely good mood. He pulled her to the sink, turned on the water, tested the temperature, and brought her hand under the flow casually. “Don’t be sad—there’s plenty more where that came from.”
“......???”
Chen Die realized—Wen Liang’s last shred of decency had officially evaporated.
Wen Liang gently washed her hands and dried them with a tissue.
“You can go out first,” Chen Die said softly. “I want to wipe off… I got sweaty.”
Wen Liang chuckled.
That chuckle was like the last straw breaking the camel’s back. Chen Die’s face instantly turned red again. Luckily, Wen Liang didn’t push it. He left with a simple, “Come out soon, don’t catch a cold,” and closed the door behind him.
Chen Die leaned on the sink, her heart pounding uncontrollably.
She dawdled for quite a while before finally opening the door.
Wen Liang wasn’t on the bed—he was standing in front of her bookshelf.
Chen Die paused and walked over. “What are you looking at?”
“Just trying to get a feel for what your life used to be like,” Wen Liang said, his eyes falling on a stack of textbooks. He frowned. “These materials are different from Yan City’s?”
“......”
Wen Liang really was something else.
Just moments ago, he’d been acting completely shameless, and now he was suddenly talking about studying like a model student.
“Yeah, Yan City uses the People’s Education Press edition.”
Wen Liang turned his head. “Then how did you manage when you transferred to Yan City in your sophomore year?”
“I just started over. Don’t you remember? When I first transferred, my grades were terrible—near the bottom of the class.”
Wen Liang definitely remembered.
At the school Chen Die went to, there were monthly exams and printed score sheets that parents had to sign. Naturally, she had Wen Liang sign them.
At the time, he’d assumed her grades had always been that bad and even teased her after signing.
Chen Die said, “But honestly, the content wasn’t that different. Most of the key topics were similar. Once I got used to it, it wasn’t too hard to catch up.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me that?” Wen Liang asked.
“You weren’t around much,” Chen Die glanced at him. “And I didn’t think you even knew there were different editions. You don’t exactly look like someone who studies.”
Wen Liang laughed, draped his arm loosely over her shoulder, and chuckled, “It’s kinda wild.”
“Huh?”
“Back then, I had to sign all your report cards, and now we’re sleeping together.” He ruffled her hair and looked to the side. “Still on your childhood bed, too.”
“......”
That brought her mind right back to what had just happened on that very bed, so she deliberately changed the subject. “Oh right—why did you give… give my mom your bank card earlier?”
“It wasn’t much money,” Wen Liang said casually.
“When did you get so generous?”
Wen Liang hugged her from behind and said softly, “I’m only generous to people who are good to you.”
“Hm?”
“At the very least, they took pretty good care of my girl for sixteen years. When she ended up in my hands, she was still beautiful and healthy.”
Because of the chaos from the night before, Chen Die completely forgot to make Wen Liang sneak back early. By the time she woke up the next morning, the sun was already high in the sky.
She groggily reached for her phone and glanced at it.
“......”
Ten in the morning.
Wang Mian and Chen Jianping must have already been up for a while. Maybe they didn’t want to disturb them, which was why they hadn’t called them downstairs even though it was already so late.
The day before, Wang Mian had brought her a toothbrush and other toiletries—just one set. Wen Liang went to the room next door and brought the one that had originally been prepared for him.
After quickly freshening up, the two of them went downstairs.
Sure enough, Wang Mian and Chen Jianping were already sitting at the dining table. Seeing them come down together, they didn’t react much, simply said, “You’re up, come have breakfast.”
On the table were soy milk, fried dough sticks, and buns that Chen Jianping had bought earlier from a breakfast stall.
“They’re probably cold now.” Wang Mian got up and felt the bag with the back of her hand. “I’ll go heat them up for you.”
“No, no, that’s okay.” Chen Die hurried to stop her. “They’re still warm. We’re not picky, it’s fine.”
Wang Mian still seemed a little stiff and nervous. “Oh, okay then… You two try them first. If it’s not good, I’ll heat them.”
Chen Die nodded, then glanced at Wen Liang and pulled him over to sit down.
This guy was not a morning person. He often woke up with a grumpy face, which made him look quite fierce.
Chen Die gave him a sidelong glance, then stuffed a bun into his mouth and gave him a light kick under the table.
Wen Liang turned to look at her.
After a moment, he rubbed his brow, let out a breath, and his expression softened.
Wen Liang didn’t act like a typical spoiled rich kid. Maybe it had to do with his time in the military—he wasn’t fussy about food. He ate quickly and efficiently, finishing two buns and the soy milk in no time.
Wang Mian had been worried they wouldn’t feel at home. Now, seeing Wen Liang eat so well, she finally relaxed.
After finishing breakfast, Wen Liang wiped his mouth with a napkin. Chen Die was still eating.
At that moment, the door opened from the outside. A young boy entered, looking around the room. His gaze landed on Chen Die and Wen Liang, and he stared fixedly at them.
Chen Die paused mid-sip of her soy milk, realizing this must be the child Wang Mian had after her.
“Qiqi, why are you back so early? Where’s your uncle?” Wang Mian asked.
The little boy walked over to Wang Mian’s side, still eyeing the two of them as he replied in his soft voice, “I remembered I had homework I didn’t finish. Uncle brought me back.”
Wang Mian looked out the window. “He left after dropping you off?”
“Yeah, he’s taking my sister to her tutoring class.”
The child was still young, but he spoke clearly.
Wang Mian turned to Chen Die. “Qiqi, this is your…”
She hesitated, not knowing how to introduce her.
Chen Die leaned over and waved at him. “You can call me ‘sister.’”
The little boy probably didn’t recognize celebrities. He just thought Chen Die was pretty and seemed out of place in the house, which was why he kept staring at her.
Seeing Chen Die greet him, he shyly avoided eye contact and hid behind Wang Mian, tugging at her sleeve.
Wang Mian handed him one of the extra buns on the table. “Have you eaten? Didn’t you say you hadn’t finished your homework? Go upstairs and work on it.”
The little boy obediently nodded. He gave Chen Die another glance before running upstairs.
Chen Die and Wen Liang didn’t stay long. After breakfast, they were ready to leave.
Before leaving, Chen Die called out, “Mom.”
The word made Wang Mian freeze. Her eyes, still swollen from crying the night before, turned red again as she replied with a soft, “Yes?”
Chen Die hadn’t used that word in a long time and felt awkward saying it. After a pause, she explained, “I never went back to live with my biological parents, so that side... they’re not really family. I’ll just call you that for now.”
Wang Mian had only learned the day before from Wen Liang that Chen Die hadn’t grown up with her biological parents.
Chen Die took out her phone. “Here, save my number. If anything comes up in the future, you can call me.”
Wang Mian nodded repeatedly, trembling a little as she handed over her phone.
Chen Die saved her number into it.
After saying a few more words, Chen Die and Wen Liang said goodbye. Wang Mian wanted to keep them for lunch, but Chen Die politely declined.
With the little boy in the house, he might feel uncomfortable if they stayed longer. And after what happened yesterday, she had let things go. Maybe now, Wang Mian and Chen Jianping could move on too.
Leaving the Chen household, the two of them walked back to the hotel.
The sun was bright, willows swayed gently, and dappled light danced across their faces.
Chen Die had only removed her makeup roughly the night before, and she hadn’t reapplied it that morning. Once back at the hotel, she pulled out her suitcase and squatted down to dig out her makeup bag.
She stepped into the bathroom to do her makeup.
Wen Liang followed her in, hugged her from behind, rested his chin on her shoulder, and asked softly, “Do you still want to go out this afternoon?”
“What’s wrong?” Chen Die turned her head. “Is there something urgent at the company you need to go back for? If it’s urgent, we can head back today.”
After all, she’d already accomplished what she came for.
Wen Liang’s lips curved slightly. “I’ll book the flight now.”
Chen Die rarely saw him act this anxious, so she asked, “Is something wrong at the company? Is it Fu Wanmei?”
“No. She’s no big deal.”
Still hugging her, Wen Liang looked calm as ever. He leaned in and kissed her lightly on the ear, then asked slowly, “Do you remember what you promised me last night?”
“What?”
Wen Liang didn’t answer, as if giving her time to think.
Chen Die remembered—it was that she’d move back in with him once they returned to Yan City.
His arms wrapped around her waist, hugging her from behind, his chest lightly resting on her back. His hair was trimmed short at the sides, and it prickled a little against her face.
With his eyes closed, his voice was soft but pleading. “Come home, baby.”
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