Delicate Beauty in the Palm : Chapter 58 - As You Wish
Chapter 58: As You Wish
Chen Die truly couldn’t understand how her relationship with Wen Liang had somehow morphed into this in the eyes of fans—how this bastard had actually become some kind of tragic, lovesick leading man.
There were tons of cameras in the venue, and some were directly linked to live streams.
She didn’t dare look anymore and turned off her phone screen, placing it face down.
Qi Cheng noticed her reaction and leaned over to ask, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
After seeing that trending post, Chen Die not only didn’t know how to act around Qi Cheng anymore, she wasn’t even sure where to direct her gaze. If she so much as glanced in Wen Liang’s direction, it might spark yet another wave of fan overanalysis.
But despite herself, her peripheral vision still wandered over—and sure enough, Wen Liang appeared to be looking her way again.
Chen Die couldn’t resist. She pulled out her phone and sneakily opened her chat with Wen Liang to send him a message.
[Chen Die: Stop looking at me!!]
[Wen Liang:?]
See? This was the real him. Cold and aloof, using a single question mark to get through life.
What tragic romance, what humble longing—these words slapped on Wen Liang were like something out of a horror movie.
Chen Die glanced up at the nearby cameras to make sure none were aimed at her before forwarding the trending post to Wen Liang.
[Chen Die: If you keep looking at me like that, my fans are gonna worry themselves into a frenzy.]
[Wen Liang: A few guys behind you are looking at you too.]
Chen Die froze, then casually pretended to fix her hair and turned to take a look.
From Wen Liang’s tone, she’d thought it would be guys his age—but when she turned around, she saw it was a newly debuted boy group, all fresh-faced idols. Some were born post-2000, and they’d recently gained popularity after appearing on a hit variety show. Tons of fans.
The boys noticed her looking back and politely nodded and greeted her with, “Sister Chen Die.”
Chen Die smiled and nodded in return.
After turning back around, she picked up her phone again and sent Wen Liang a little intro about the boy group—handsome, talented.
[Wen Liang: What even is that outfit you’re wearing? Your back’s completely exposed. Sit up straight.]
“......”
Ah. So that’s what this is about.
Chen Die didn’t bother replying to him anymore and just tucked her phone into her clutch.
This year’s Film Night also included an awards ceremony. Not long after, both Qi Cheng and the boy group behind them went onstage to accept awards—he for ‘Most Commercially Valuable Actor,’ and they for ‘Most Popular Group.’
There were tons of celebs at this gala, and as a relative newcomer, Chen Die didn’t really expect to win anything, so she sat rather lazily.
Until the host began: “Next up, the award for ‘Most Promising Actress.’ The recipient gave a breakout performance in a film released earlier this year, earning widespread praise and acclaim for her acting. She helped propel the film into the top ten highest-grossing movies in history.”
Chen Die froze.
That… sounded like her?
Qi Cheng leaned over and, half-hiding his mouth, said, “Congrats.”
At the same time, a camera zoomed in on her.
Then the host called out her name.
Chen Die practically walked up in a daze. Her agent, Fang Ruan, had mentioned she might win something and told her to prepare a speech, but she had only vaguely thought about it.
She’d never expected to actually win, so she hadn’t seriously written a full acceptance speech, resulting in a slightly awkward and stilted delivery.
But since it was her first award, it was understandable.
The cameraman controlling the live feed was clearly also a drama-loving gossip, frequently cutting to reaction shots of actors Chen Die had worked with before—and especially lingering on Wen Liang’s face.
Fans in the livestream went wild.
[Mr. Wen’s expression watching our girl win is way too soft!!!]
[Why do I suddenly feel like I’m watching a CEO x rising star slow-burn romance?]
……
Chen Die finally finished her speech—nervously and not even sure what she’d said—and bowed to the camera with her award before stepping offstage.
Of course, winning was an incredible feeling.
Back at her seat, Chen Die took out her phone, wanting to snap a picture of her trophy. Just then, Qi Cheng leaned over and placed his trophy into the frame too.
“Perfect timing, let’s take a shot together. I haven’t posted any original Weibo content in ages,” Qi Cheng said with a smile. “It’s all ads lately—my fans are hounding me.”
“Sure,” Chen Die replied. She didn’t post often either.
So the two of them took a photo of their trophies, then snapped a few selfies together, each choosing one to post to Weibo.
In occasions like this, it was completely normal for celebrities to post a photo with an industry friend—especially since both she and Qi Cheng had just won awards for the same film, <Hairpin Flowers>. A celebratory photo was just human nature.
What’s more, since <Hairpin Flowers> had finished its theatrical run, there were barely any CP (couple pairing) fans left for Chen Die and Qi Cheng. The ones who used to ship them had mostly switched over to Wen-Die (Wen Liang and Chen Die), while others—more devoted solo fans—stuck to the belief that their idol was too good for anyone.
So when Chen Die posted that photo with Qi Cheng, she expected the comments to be all about how heartwarming the <Hairpin Flowers> team bond was.
But apparently, Wen Liang’s pitiful trending topic had stirred the waters again, and now, with Chen Die posting a photo with Qi Cheng, it was almost like confirming the WenDie ship had sunk for good.
[How did it come to this? I’ve given up inside the pit. This year’s unresolved regret.]
[I respect Chen Die’s choices, but I’m really so heartbroken…]
Some fans even posted heartfelt essays—
[I've been shipping WenDie since those videos of Chen Die at the start of the year. It’s been nearly half a year. I’ve always shipped other celebrity CPs, but never thought I’d fall this hard for a pair who rarely even appear together. And yet, despite the emotional rollercoaster—more angst than sweetness—they seem to have this kind of magical pull. A perfect match, made for each other. Even in this situation now, I don't think I can ever leave this ship.]
Chen Die: “......”
Well… no need to be that sad.
She and Wen Liang were actually doing just fine.
Soon, the WenDie supertopic was flooded with fans posting their own emotional journeys and even organizing repost-for-a-prize giveaways.
The more Chen Die scrolled, the more confused she became. How did she and Wen Liang come across as so tragic?
It actually made her want to go public with their relationship, just to comfort the fans…
Once the award ceremony ended, it was time for the After Party, a gathering for all the invited guests of the gala, where all cameras would be turned off.
Though called an After Party, it was actually a chance for celebrities to network with investors—a place full of subtle scheming and hidden competition.
Ye Chuqing, as the Chairwoman of the Film Industry Association, naturally came to attend. But she arrived late, so Chen Die hadn’t seen her earlier.
After the ceremony, Ye Chuqing came over and handed Chen Die a glass of champagne.
Their glasses clinked softly as Ye Chuqing offered her congratulations: “Not bad, showing up once and walking away with a trophy.”
Chen Die smiled and asked, “When did you get here?”
“Not long ago. Just snuck in,” Ye Chuqing replied casually, leaning lazily nearby. She glanced around and lifted her chin toward Chen Die. “Hey, heard anything about Chen Shuyuan lately?”
“No, what about her?”
“I went to a dress-up party a while back.”
That line alone made Chen Die laugh. “You? At a party like that?”
Ye Chuqing waved her hand in exasperation. “Don’t even bring it up. My mom thinks I’m not feminine enough and keeps introducing me to rich heirs. I wasn’t interested in any of them, so she forced me to go to this god-awful party to ‘encounter my true love.’ Tell me—what kind of legitimate ‘true love’ shows up at a dress-up party?”
Chen Die nodded seriously. “Okay, but now I have to know—what were you wearing that day?”
“Is that really the point!?” Ye Chuqing glared at her. “I’m trying to tell you about Chen Shuyuan!”
“Fine, fine. What about her now?”
“Not much, really. But I overheard some rich girls gossiping. Seems like Old Master Chen doesn’t favor her much anymore. You know the heiress circle—if they’re good at anything, it’s dissecting rich family gossip.”
“You remember that video of you slapping her for plagiarism that got uploaded? In that clip, Chen Shao clearly implied that Chen Shuyuan wasn’t the real Chen family heiress. That, plus some older rumors, got some people digging.”
Chen Die was surprised. “Someone actually investigated?”
“Some people do it out of boredom, others for profit. Imagine their sons marrying into the Chen family, only to bring home some impostor who can’t do anything. That’s a huge loss.”
“What did they find?”
“Apparently, back when the Chen family first suspected Chen Shuyuan wasn’t their biological daughter, they secretly had a DNA test done at the hospital. And now, someone managed to dig it up. There were whispers a few years ago, but since you didn’t go back then, everyone thought it was just gossip. Now? Everyone’s pretty much convinced you’re the real Chen family heiress.”
Chen Die didn’t say anything.
Ever since she returned from Wuxi, she hadn’t cared all that much about it anymore.
She took a sip of her drink and asked calmly, “Did Chen Shuyuan try to defend herself?”
“She did. But no one listened. At that last party, even people who used to be close to her didn’t want to talk to her. Honestly, I felt kind of sorry for her.”
“......”
Ye Chuqing clicked her tongue. “Those heiress types, they’re all incredibly pragmatic. And now that Chen Shuyuan looks like an imposter who stole someone else’s life, you can imagine how much they’d resent her.”
Chen Die looked around the room.
This—this was the heart of the fame and power game.
Even though the award she won came from her own hard work, the reason no one looked down on her now or treated her differently definitely had to do with how the world saw her: Chen Shao was her brother, Wen Liang had a mysterious, ambiguous relationship with her, and Ye Chuqing was her friend.
The entertainment industry is just a vanity fair—everyone’s driven by fame and profit, and people are realistic about it.
Chen Die had risen from nothing. When she first joined the crew, Wang Yunxi had even dared to bully her over trivial matters, using filming as an excuse. But now? No one would dare.
Chen Shuyuan, on the other hand, was probably experiencing the opposite—going from having everything to having nothing.
"Now that I’ve calmed down, sometimes I do think Chen Shuyuan is kind of pitiful,” Chen Die said. “All those years she was so guarded around me, scheming nonstop, terrified I'd take her place in the family.”
Ye Chuqing raised an eyebrow. “Girl, do you know what you sound like right now?”
Chen Die had a bad feeling. “…What?”
“A dark and scheming final boss villain.”
“…” Chen Die gave her a sidelong glare.
Before she could speak, Ye Chuqing bumped her shoulder and motioned with a tilt of her chin.
Chen Die followed her gaze.
She saw that a woman had appeared next to Wen Liang, who had been sitting on the far side the whole time.
The woman was wearing a deep V-cut gown with sheer fabric draped over it, showing off her slim waist and full chest—very sexy. It matched exactly the kind of ‘rag’ Wen Liang had once described.
Her dewy eyes looked up at him with a mix of sweetness and timidity. She was holding two glasses of champagne.
They were too far away to hear what she was saying, only able to see her lips moving.
Wen Liang, however, sat motionless in his seat, calmly exhaling a puff of smoke.
Ye Chuqing asked, “Who’s that?”
“No idea. Never seen her before,” Chen Die replied.
“And you’re okay with this?” Ye Chuqing gave her a shove on the back. “Go get 'em, Pikachu!”
Chen Die: “???”
The heck is Pikachu supposed to mean?
Pei Xingyu had just turned 20 this year. She’d signed with a small agency that only managed a few minor modeling gigs for local magazines. The agency didn’t offer any training, instead lumping together a few girls of similar age into a makeshift girl group. They weren’t well-known at all, and most of their public appearances were just performing dances at mall openings.
Among the group, Pei Xingyu had the best looks and figure. She often posted stylized photos on Weibo and had around 100,000 followers—mostly nerdy guys.
Her eyes were particularly striking. One day, a fan noticed her eyes looked somewhat like Chen Die’s, and started calling her ‘Little Chen Die’ in the comments.
Pei Xingyu was young and a bit prideful. While she didn’t love the nickname, she also didn’t mind the association with a trending actress—after all, it gave her exposure.
Today’s event required fan votes for participation, which she didn’t qualify for.
But her small agency, seeing her potential and cleverness, pulled some strings and managed to snag her an invite. If she could connect with some influential people, it would be a win-win.
She chose Wen Liang after seeing the trending topic earlier.
It was clear from his gaze that he had feelings for Chen Die. Add in the old rumors, and Pei Xingyu remembered how fans called her ‘Little Chen Die.’ She figured she’d give it a shot after the ceremony—maybe even just making an impression would help.
She didn’t know anyone at the event, so she nervously grabbed two glasses of champagne from the tower and walked over to Wen Liang. But the closer she got, the more overwhelming his presence felt. Her voice was shaky as she spoke.
“Mr. Wen, would you have a drink with me?”
She was too young—and the line came off way too direct and naïve.
The guys sitting around Wen Liang turned to look, amusement flickering in their eyes as they checked out the scene.
They all knew about Wen Liang’s WeChat post and his thing with Chen Die. The fact that Chen Die was also here tonight made this feel like someone walking right into a landmine.
They snickered among themselves.
Wen Liang looked up, eyes narrowing into sharp slits under the light, his expression cold and condescending.
Pei Xingyu felt his gaze linger on her for three seconds.
She had even done her makeup to mimic Chen Die’s, especially her eyes—elongating the corners with eyeliner to look more like her.
And yet, despite his flat expression, his gaze felt like a dagger. Her heart pounded faster and faster.
When he didn’t respond, she bent slightly to offer him a glass of champagne. Her dress was so sheer that the motion exposed most of her chest.
Wen Liang didn’t take it. Pei Xingyu bit her lip, placing the glass gently on the table in front of him.
“Mr. Wen, don’t you drink?” she asked, her voice soft and timid.
Wen Liang gave a faint smile. “If you want to copy Chen Die, you’d better grow a spine. She wouldn’t come up to me tiptoeing around like this.”
Pei Xingyu froze. She hadn’t expected Wen Liang to call her out on mimicking Chen Die—especially not so bluntly, in front of everyone.
Her face flushed with embarrassment.
She was completely at a loss for words. Forgetting why she’d even come over, she just muttered, “I wasn’t…”
“Then go wipe off that makeup,” Wen Liang said, out of patience. “You think someone like you is worthy of copying Chen Die?”
Pei Xingyu stood there, frozen and humiliated, until Xiao Shi, who was sitting next to Wen Liang, waved her away. “What are you standing there for? Didn’t you hear him? Don’t make him lose his temper.”
Pei Xingyu didn’t even know what had just happened. All she did was slightly shape her eyeliner to resemble Chen Die’s, and he lashed out at her without any reason.
She had never experienced anything like this before. It even drew a lot of attention from the people around. Finally, she covered her mouth and ran off sobbing.
Wen Liang finished off the glass of red wine in his hand, his Adam’s apple moving as he swallowed. Then he turned to glance toward Chen Die.
He had always been a free-spirited man, unrestrained even at formal occasions like this, and he looked at her openly and unabashedly.
Others followed his gaze.
Chen Die wore a black spaghetti strap gown with an off-shoulder neckline—not as revealing as Pei Xingyu’s, but she still stood out dazzlingly in the hall, drawing the eye with ease.
She held a champagne glass loosely, leaning against the table in a relaxed manner, and met Wen Liang’s gaze calmly.
Everyone could see clearly then—no matter how much Pei Xingyu mimicked her, she could never replicate Chen Die’s innate pride and poise.
And it was precisely that pride that made people all the more eager to conquer her.
Wen Liang had one arm draped over the back of his chair. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top, and his gaze cut through the kaleidoscope of lights, landing on Chen Die. Then he suddenly chuckled, looking utterly roguish.
Chen Die didn’t move at all. Her face was expressionless as she calmly accepted his stare.
Beside her, Ye Chuqing could feel the tension in the air and gave Chen Die’s shoulder a pat before slipping away.
Three seconds later, Wen Liang got up. His long legs stepped out from behind the table as he walked toward Chen Die under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
“Heading home?” he asked in a low voice once he was in front of her.
Chen Die lifted her eyes. “Hell no. You can go home with someone else.”
Wen Liang, completely lacking any sense of self-preservation, chuckled again and reached out to pinch her cheek—only to have his hand slapped away.
“What are you mad about? I already sent her away.”
Chen Die hadn’t even heard what was said earlier—she only saw him smiling at another woman, and that was enough to make her furious.
“You looked pretty happy to me. Smiling at her like that. How come I never knew you were such a cheerful guy?”
Wen Liang had once been jealous over Jiang Xian when Chen Die got close to him. Now, the tables had turned and it was his turn to explain.
“I was smiling because she had her makeup done to look like you. What’s funny about her otherwise?”
Chen Die sneered. “So you think she looks like me?”
Shouldn’t a decent boyfriend believe his girlfriend is one of a kind and irreplaceable? That no one else could compare?
But this guy? He skipped that and went straight to “she looks like you.”
Chen Die thought to herself, My beauty is unmatched.
Wen Liang paused. “Just the eyes. And they’re not even nice.”
Chen Die narrowed her eyes. “She looks like me, but not nice?”
“......”
Wen Liang was utterly defeated by her logic.
When Pei Xingyu had approached earlier, Wen Liang was actually hoping Chen Die would storm over and drag the girl away.
After all, he’d been saddled with this whole tragic romance narrative all night, while his girlfriend was off smiling and taking selfies with another man. He was not in a good mood.
But after standing there awkwardly with Pei Xingyu for ages, Chen Die never came. In the end, he was the one who had to go and coax her back.
“Alright, let’s go home, okay? You can yell at me all you want.”
“I told you, I’m not going home with you.” Chen Die brushed off his hand and turned to leave.
Wen Liang clicked his tongue and followed.
Everyone around them, though they couldn’t hear the conversation, could clearly see from their body language who held the upper hand.
Some celebrities who didn’t know the inside story looked at the scene and were even more convinced the rumors were true—that this was a tortured, passionate romance between Mr. Wen and his stubborn love.
She even slapped him in public and walked away. Definitely someone with real backing—no wonder she’s Chen Shao’s sister.
Meanwhile, the young elites who did know what was really going on were even more shocked.
Their mental image of Wen Liang was completely shattered. And now they fully understood what he meant earlier when he said, “If you want to copy Chen Die, you’d better grow a spine.”
Chen Die—truly, a more terrifying existence than Wen Liang.
Respect.
Chen Die walked straight through a dark corridor.
Wen Liang followed behind but didn’t rush to catch up. Instead, he kept exactly three steps behind her.
It made it look like she was the one storming off while he strolled leisurely.
After a while, he finally closed the gap with a chuckle, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her into his arms. Then he wrapped both arms tightly around her waist, fingers interlocked, completely locking her in place.
Chen Die struggled and grew more annoyed. “Let me go!”
“Nope.” Wen Liang lowered his head to kiss the corner of her lips. “If I let you leave now, you’ll just run off and disappear again. I spent six or seven years building this relationship—I’d be ruined.”
“Wait—!”
Chen Die leaned back in a panic, dodging his kiss. “You’re so annoying! Who said you could kiss me here?!”
“Relax. No one’s coming.”
Wen Liang coaxed her gently, pressing her against the wall and leaning down to kiss her again.
The man had been drinking—his lips carried the scent of alcohol, a rich red wine aroma that mixed with the champagne lingering in Chen Die’s mouth, creating a heady, intoxicating blend.
Their mingled breaths made her feel almost drunk.
As he kissed her, Wen Liang murmured against her lips, “That sharp mouth of yours only dares act like this with me. You were chatting with that guy for so long and even posted a photo together—I haven’t even brought that up yet.”
He spoke between kisses, each one falling lightly on her lips, his voice low and hoarse, magnetic enough to make her ears tingle.
Chen Die felt her lips go numb. The fiery anger from earlier had completely vanished, and under his kisses, her lips turned even redder, slick with moisture.
Wen Liang looked at her, his eyes darkening. “Still mad?”
Chen Die was a little dazed, the mix of two types of alcohol swirling in her mouth, her breath warm and tipsy. She looked at him, delayed in reaction, tilting her head and letting out a soft “mm.”
Wen Liang chuckled. “You like it when I kiss you this much?”
“......”
“One kiss and you’re not mad anymore.”
Chen Die was speechless. “...Have you no shame?”
“It’s getting late. Zhu Qicong’s already waiting outside. Let’s go home?”
Chen Die thought going home with him just like that was a bit embarrassing, so she picked a fight on purpose and punched him lightly. “I haven’t forgiven you yet.”
“Still, let’s go home first.” Wen Liang kissed her again, then bent down so they were eye to eye. “Once we’re home, you can do whatever you want with me.”
“......”
How does this man even manage to make those four innocent words sound so suggestive?
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