Delicate Beauty in the Palm : Chapter 59 - You Have to Stay With Me Forever
Chapter 59: You Have to Stay With Me Forever
It was already late after the after-party.
The reporters and fans outside had long since left, and the passageways for departing celebrities and businesspeople were different.
Celebrities still returned via the red carpet route they arrived on, while businesspeople left through a more private VIP passage.
Some minor celebrities who had already gotten in with investors were also taken away through the VIP passage.
Chen Die was one of the celebrities using the VIP route—but only because Wen Liang had coaxed and pleaded with her for a long while before she finally agreed to get in the car with him.
Zhu Qicong was already waiting. The moment he saw his boss and the boss’s lady come out looking like that, he immediately sensed trouble. Very tactfully, he got out of the car and went around to open the back door.
Wen Liang directly pushed Chen Die into the car, quickly got in himself, shut the door, loosened his tie, and finally let out a breath.
He had been traumatized ever since Chen Die ran away from home the last time—it had been over half a year before she came back. Now that she was finally home, he couldn’t risk her leaving again.
“Who was that girl earlier?” Chen Die finally couldn't hold it in any longer.
Wen Liang rubbed her palm in his: “You don’t recognize her, how would I know?”
“......”
Fair enough.
“Then how come, out of all those people, she singled you out?”
Chen Die squinted at his face, pinching it side to side. Honestly, it looked like the kind of face that screamed stay away. What kind of girl would be crazy enough to throw herself at him?
“Because you haven’t made us official,” Wen Liang said.
Chen Die: ?
“She probably saw what your fans posted online. Her features are a bit similar to yours, and she did her makeup to imitate you. Maybe she thought it would be easier to approach me that way.”
Chen Die was stunned.
She suddenly remembered a few cheesy romance novels from high school—something about ‘the domineering CEO’s substitute lover.’
She shivered.
Disgusting.
Chen Die snorted, “You sure observed her pretty closely.”
Now that she was in the car, Wen Liang wasn't worried about her running off. He lazily reached over and pinched her neck, giving it a light squeeze: “You could consider making it official.”
Chen Die froze: “Huh?”
Wen Liang didn’t respond. He just draped an arm around her shoulders and started playing with her hair.
“It’s still too early,” Chen Die explained, “Let’s wait and see how my next movie performs. Otherwise, I’ll probably just get slammed by anti-fans accusing me of using this to stir up publicity.”
“I mean—go get the certificate with me,” Wen Liang said in a calm, even tone.
Chen Die’s heart skipped a beat. She asked dumbly, “What certificate?”
“A marriage certificate.”
It wasn’t just Chen Die—Zhu Qicong, who was driving in the front seat, was also stunned by that sentence. He was so caught off guard he missed the turn in the road and had to swerve the steering wheel back quickly.
The sudden shift threw Chen Die into Wen Liang’s arms.
Zhu Qicong didn’t want to be the guy who ruined his boss’s proposal, even if this was one of the most low-key, unceremonious proposals ever. He quickly apologized under his breath and gripped the steering wheel, trying to focus on driving.
Chen Die’s heart was pounding, and she felt a little dazed.
She had always thought Wen Liang wasn’t the type to be associated with something like marriage. It was hard to even imagine what Wen Liang would be like after marriage.
She often felt like he hadn’t changed at all—still the same as when she’d first met him.
But now she was suddenly picturing what he’d be like ten years down the line.
All because of that one sentence.
“You gonna answer me?” Wen Liang nudged.
“...” Chen Die blinked a few times and then said, “I’m only 23. Who gets married this early?”
“I’m almost 30,” Wen Liang replied.
Chen Dieburst into laughter: “Exactly, you’re almost 30.” Then she added teasingly, “Still got it though, Mr. Wen. That little girl who came to find you earlier—was she even 20?”
As soon as she brought that up again, Wen Liang clicked his tongue and lowered his gaze: “Shut up.”
“...” Chen Die raised both hands in front of his face and applauded, “Truly a unique proposal style, Mr. Wen.”
“So, are you accepting it or not?” he asked impatiently.
What, he was threatening her now??
Chen Die: “Not accepting it!”
From the front seat, Zhu Qicong: “...”
The car pulled into the villa in the western suburbs. Chen Die got out first, unlocked the door with her fingerprint, and walked inside.
Wen Liang didn’t bring up the marriage certificate again—it was as if he had just mentioned it casually. He followed her into the house.
Chen Die walked around and stood on her toes to place the trophy she was holding on top of the display shelf.
It was her very first trophy—golden and quite beautiful.
“Wen Liang,” she called, turning around.
Wen Liang was standing in front of the fridge, drinking from a bottle of cold water. He tilted his head back and gulped down more than half of it. “Yeah?”
Chen Die stretched out her arms, fingers spread wide, and pointed at the trophy. “Pretty, right?”
“Very.”
“One day, this whole shelf will be filled with my trophies.”
He gave a faint smile. “Mm.”
Chen Die looked at him for a moment and suddenly recalled a few fan comments she’d read online.
Stuff like ‘spoiled,’ ‘nurtured love,’ ‘indulgent’...
She withdrew her gaze, looked down, and quietly ordered a string of small decorative lights to hang on a Christmas tree—planning to properly decorate the display shelf.
Wen Liang finished tidying up. “Heading upstairs?”
“Yeah.”
Chen Die responded while taking a photo of the trophy, then followed him upstairs. Just then, her phone buzzed—Wang Mian had sent her a message.
Since returning from Wuxi, Chen Die had reconnected with Wang Mian and Chen Jianping.
Neither of them had changed their phone numbers—perhaps holding on to hope that Chen Die would reach out someday. The numbers were the same ones she remembered from her childhood.
Wang Mian would occasionally text her. They didn’t talk much—just simple things like “Are you busy?” or “Are you tired?”
They had been apart for so long, even a little concern felt like too much.
Wang Mian sent another message: [Are you asleep?]
Chen Die stood on the stairs and replied:
[Chen Die: Not yet, just finished an event.]
[Wang Mian: Go to bed earlier. Your body won’t be able to handle it otherwise.]
[Chen Die: I’m home already. About to go to sleep. You should get some rest too.]
Normally, their conversations would end there. Chen Die paused for a moment, then sent the photo she’d taken earlier.
[Chen Die: Got this at the event just now. My first award.]
Wang Mian replied quickly:
[Wang Mian: That’s amazing. I knew you’d do well at whatever you set your mind to. You’ll definitely win more in the future.]
Chen Die smiled, put her phone away, and headed upstairs.
Wen Liang was standing by the bed, facing away from her, taking off his tie and tossing it aside.
The soft light hit his shoulders, making him look unexpectedly lonely.
Chen Die suddenly remembered what he said in the car earlier—“You could consider making it official,” “I’m almost 30.”
She had reconnected with her old parents and filled a piece of the emptiness in her heart, but Wen Liang... both his parents were already gone.
“You should go shower first—”
Wen Liang had just started to speak when Chen Die suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, resting her cheek against his back. “Wen Liang.”
He held her hands and chuckled like it was no big deal. “What is it?”
“I’ll always be with you.”
Out of context, the statement sounded abrupt. But Wen Liang didn’t ask further—he just tugged at the corner of his lips and answered, “Mm.”
Chen Die grabbed her pajamas and went into the bathroom. She had just finished removing her makeup and the bathtub was filled. As she was about to undress, Wen Liang suddenly walked in unannounced.
Chen Die gasped. “What are you doing?”
“I was thinking—”
Wen Liang stepped in front of her, hooked a finger under her strap, and slid it off her shoulder. “If you won’t marry me, maybe I should just get you pregnant.”
Chen Die: “?”
Was that even something a person says?!
She stared at him in disbelief until he reached out again to pull off her dress. Then she smacked his wrist—hard.
“Are you even human?!”
“Hm?”
“Do you know what people online say about scumbags? The number one kind of scumbag is exactly your type—sleeping with a girl without marrying her and not even using protection!”
Wen Liang stared at her for a moment, then suddenly laughed. He lowered his head to rest it on her shoulder and placed the little item he was holding on the sink. “Then we’ll use one.”
“......”
She’d fallen for it.
“Wait—hey, wait a second, I’m in the middle of showering!” Chen Die tried to push him away.
But Wen Liang ignored her protests. He lowered his head and silenced her with a kiss. Steam fogged up the bathroom, the mirror was quickly covered in mist, and the heat thickened in the air. The bathwater was reheated several times before Wen Liang finally pulled the soaking-wet Chen Die out, wrapped her in a robe, and carried her back to bed.
He then returned to the bathroom to take a quick shower himself.
Chen Die lay on the bed. The bathroom door wasn’t fully closed, and through the gap, she could see her black evening gown pitifully tossed on the floor, now damp from the bathwater that had overflowed earlier.
This guy, seriously…
Classic Wen Liang—so petty.
He’d grumbled earlier, “Finally got that rag off you.”
Her company had provided the dress. According to policy, if it got damaged, it had to be reimbursed at full price. Judging by the current state of things, it was definitely a goner.
By the time Wen Liang came out of the shower, Chen Die was already asleep.
The girl had been completely exhausted—wrapped only in a towel, not even having the energy to change into pajamas. Her long hair spread across her shoulders like seaweed, the ends still damp.
Wen Liang grabbed a dry towel and gently dried her hair. Then he unwrapped her from the towel.
Now, Chen Die had developed a reflex to him. Even while asleep, the moment Wen Liang reached for her waist, she instinctively scooted away. Her hand smacked him square in the face, and she made soft, sleepy protests.
Wen Liang took the hit directly to the nose. It stung. He grabbed her wrist and finally managed to pull her into his arms.
“Don’t touch me,” Chen Die mumbled drowsily. “I’m sore…”
Wen Liang chuckled and patted her back. “I’m just holding you.”
After a long while, when Chen Die was fully asleep, Wen Liang held her close and softly whispered, “You have to stay with me forever.”
Chen Die didn’t stay home long before it was time to join the production crew. Thankfully, the shoot was taking place in Yan City—not exactly long-distance.
On the morning she was due on set, Wen Liang carried up her large suitcase. “Pack it yourself.”
Chen Die sat on the edge of the bed and looked up at him. Her conclusion—her boyfriend was throwing a fit again.
He was upset because she had refused his suggestion to keep staying at the villa in the western suburbs during filming.
Even though the set wasn’t far from the villa—both were on the outskirts and the traffic wasn’t bad—Chen Die didn’t want to be treated specially. She didn’t want to be the only one not living in the crew’s accommodations and going home every day like some elementary school kid.
She hadn’t packed much.
It was just a few changes of clothes and shoes, skincare and makeup products, and some cables, all neatly packed into compartments in her suitcase.
Wen Liang still wore a sour expression as he carried the suitcase downstairs and drove her to the set.
They arrived at the hotel booked by the crew.
Chen Die had tried to sweet-talk him into a better mood during the drive, but it hadn’t worked.
She was getting fed up, too.
Everyone has their limits.
She slammed the car door and went to haul her suitcase from the trunk. But the suitcase was heavy, and it wasn’t easy to pull it out gracefully by herself.
Wen Liang got out of the car too. Just as he was about to help her, Chen Die smacked his hand away.
“I don’t need your help,” she said, still angry.
Wen Liang frowned. He grabbed the back of her jacket collar, gave it a tug, then effortlessly lifted the suitcase and placed it on the ground.
Chen Die took the handle, didn’t look back, and walked straight into the hotel lobby.
The crew had already booked rooms for everyone for the next two months. Chen Die handed over her ID for check-in, and just as she was about to take her room card, a hand reached out from behind and pushed it back.
Wen Liang used his index finger to slide the card back and said, “Upgrade this to the executive suite.”
Chen Die turned around, momentarily forgetting she was still mad at him. “Why did you come in?”
Wen Liang ignored her completely.
“......”
Fine. Have it your way.
The front desk clerk silently processed the upgrade and handed over a new card, not daring to make eye contact the entire time.
The two of them went up to the top-floor suite. It was much nicer than the hotel near the film base. The suite had a private pool and a spacious layout.
Wen Liang followed Chen Die inside and inserted the card into the power slot.
Chen Die clearly didn’t plan on talking to him. She took her suitcase into the bedroom and closed the door.
Wen Liang took a deep breath. His tongue pressed against his molars as he slowly let out the air and reached for the bedroom door handle.
…Locked.
Inside, Chen Die unpacked everything and got organized. The crew sent a group message asking everyone to gather for a quick meet-and-greet.
When she opened the bedroom door, she was immediately hit by the smell of smoke.
Turning her head, she saw that Wen Liang was still there—leaning against the wall, smoking.
Chen Die blinked. “Don’t you have to go to work?”
Wen Liang leaned down toward her, the scent of tobacco on him. Without a word, he bit her lip hard. “You lock doors now?”
“You were throwing a tantrum. I didn’t want to talk to you.”
“Chen Die,” he pinched her nose, “who was it just a few days ago that said she’d stay with me forever? Always making sweet promises, calling me a jerk every day—honestly, I think you’re the jerk.”
“Jerk?” Chen Die blinked in confusion. “...I’m just working. It’s not like I’m not going to be with you. I’ll come home when filming’s done.”
“Who works for two months straight like that?”
“I’ll come find you whenever I get time off. And you can come see me too,” Chen Die coaxed him like she was dealing with a child.
Wen Liang snorted.
“......”
What are you snorting for?!
Is there any boyfriend in the world more arrogant and hard to please than this one?!
Wen Liang, in a completely unhygienic move, flicked his ash onto the floor and casually declared, “I’m staying here with you.”
“Huh?”
Chen Die looked up, stunned. Wen Liang was staring right at her, and she could clearly read the challenge in his eyes—And you still have the nerve to call me the jerk?
“Where’s your stuff, then?”
“I’ll bring it tonight,” Wen Liang tapped her on the head. “What, you thought I upgraded your room so you could throw parties here with your male co-stars?”
“......”
Chen Die took a deep breath, reminding herself that this dog of a man had just done something considerate, and she shouldn’t stoop to his level over that one line. Letting bygones be bygones, she asked gently, “Won’t it be too far for you to commute to work every day?”
Wen Liang smiled slightly. “I’m here to keep an eye on you.”
“......”
“So you don’t go around attracting bees and butterflies.”
“......”
Chen Die didn’t stick around to keep bickering with Wen Liang. She grabbed her bag and headed to the set.
Director Huang Sheng was already there. When she saw Chen Die walk in, she greeted her warmly.
Huang Sheng had a lot of affection for Chen Die—not just because she was her daughter’s good friend, but also because he saw a reflection of his younger self in her. Back when she was eighteen, she had already won Best Actress. She saw boundless potential in Chen Die.
“Who are we still waiting on?” Huang Sheng asked the stage manager beside her.
“Just our male lead,” the stage manager replied. “I’ll text her again.”
Just as the stage manager picked up their phone, Xue Mu came rushing in, apologizing as he went.
“No worries, have a seat,” said Huang Sheng. “We made a few changes to the script based on last time’s discussion. Let’s go over them together.”
Xue Mu pulled out a chair beside Chen Die and sat down.
Chen Die took out her script and a pen. Xue Mu nudged her elbow gently. “Sister Chen Die, do you have another pen?”
“Yeah.” She handed him a blue highlighter. “Just call me by my name, it’s fine.”
Although Xue Mu’s character in the film was older than Chen Die’s, in real life he was three years younger and still in college. He had debuted in a family drama right before his college entrance exams.
Huang Sheng clearly explained the changes in the script. Chen Die scribbled notes and made edits with her pen.
After the meeting, Xue Mu returned the pen along with a small slip of paper he’d torn from the blank last page of the script. On it, he had drawn a little blue heart with the highlighter and written “Thank you,” ending with a blushing emoji face: (////).
Chen Die suddenly remembered the tarot card reading Xiao Qi had done for her on the set of <Hairpin Flowers>—it had described a clingy, soft-hearted Aquarius, three years younger, a little puppy-type guy.
“......”
So this is what little puppies are like these days?
After Chen Die left the room, Wen Liang also headed back to his office.
Zhu Qicong was already there. As soon as Wen Liang stepped out of the elevator, Zhu Qicong approached him. “Mr. Wen, we’ve found basic information on Chen Shuyuan’s biological parents.”
Wen Liang responded, “Tell me in the office.”
Twenty-three years ago, Chen Shuyuan and Chen Die were born in the same hospital. Due to a mix-up with bed numbers, the hospital accidentally swapped them. The Chen family—Lin Quan and Chen Ke—ended up taking home Chen Shuyuan, while Chen Die was taken home by Chen Shuyuan’s real parents.
But they didn’t raise her for long. Soon after, they abandoned her at an orphanage, and she was later adopted by Wang Mian and Chen Jianping.
Of all the people involved, it was Chen Shuyuan’s biological parents who were the cruelest and most irresponsible.
That life, with all its hardship, was supposed to belong to Chen Shuyuan. But Chen Die was the one who ended up bearing it all.
Zhu Qicong laid the investigation file on Wen Liang’s desk. After going over the basics, he added, “But I found something strange—although there’s no real contact between Chen Shuyuan and her biological parents, she’s been sending them money regularly over the past few years.”
Wen Liang frowned. “How much?”
"A total of 1.4 million. Just this year, she’s already sent 200,000."
1.4 million wasn’t a big deal to the Chen family—barely worth mentioning—but for an adopted daughter to secretly transfer family money to her biological parents was unacceptable, no matter how you looked at it.
“Get me a detailed breakdown of the transfers. Keep a close eye on her, and don’t let her get any chance to do anything to Chen Die.”
“Yes, sir.”
Wen Liang lowered his head and continued going through the investigation documents. When he noticed Zhu Qicong still standing there, he looked up. “Something else?”
“Yes,” Zhu Qicong scratched his head, “I’d like to request five days off next week.”
Although Zhu Qicong wasn’t that old, he was already Wen Liang’s right-hand man. He was in charge of summarizing, organizing, and distributing tasks for many of Wen Liang’s projects. His work ability was top-tier.
Other employees might be able to take five days off easily—Zhu Qicong, not so much.
“What for?” Wen Liang asked.
“I’m getting married next Monday.” As he spoke, Zhu Qicong took a wedding invitation out of his pocket and placed it on Wen Liang’s desk. “If you’re free, I really hope you’ll come. After the wedding, I’ll be going on a honeymoon with my fiancée, so I’d like to use some annual leave.”
Wen Liang paused, thinking of how Chen Die had reacted the night before when he mentioned getting their marriage license.
“Alright. Just make sure all your work is handed over properly before you go.” Then, as if casually, he asked, “When did you get engaged? I don’t remember you mentioning it.”
Zhu Qicong smiled. “We actually skipped the engagement. We’re both so busy with work. I proposed recently, our parents met once, and then we picked a date.”
Wen Liang gave a faint smirk and waved him off.
Meanwhile, in the main house of the Chen family estate in the Binjiang villa district—
After losing face at the dress-up party last time, where her true background was exposed, Chen Shuyuan had become the subject of mockery among her once-close circle of friends. They were now gossiping behind her back, saying she wasn’t the Chen family’s real daughter, ignoring any sisterly bonds they used to claim.
She hadn’t gone anywhere these past few days—just stayed home.
Even though she received more party invitations, she didn’t dare attend. She even resented the people who sent them, thinking they just wanted to see her make a fool of herself again.
After breakfast, Chen Shuyuan headed back upstairs.
Lin Quan called out to her, “Yuanyuan, want to go out shopping with Mommy this afternoon?”
“No, Mom.” As she spoke, her phone buzzed in her hand.
She looked down.
[Beloved daughter, your mom and I are strapped for cash again. Can you send some more soon?]
[Just 100,000 will do for now.]
Chen Shuyuan shut her eyes in disgust. Ignoring Lin Quan’s call, she ran upstairs.
Who would’ve thought that after discovering she was the Chen family’s real daughter, her biological parents would turn around and start blackmailing her? At first, it was just 20 or 30 thousand. She was still young then and just wanted to keep them from ever appearing in front of Lin Quan, so she sent the money—it wasn’t that big of a deal at the time.
But she hadn’t anticipated how desire and greed would grow with time.
Later, it became 50,000, then 70,000, then 100,000.
Chen Shuyuan clenched her teeth.
[Chen Shuyuan: I’ve already given you 200,000 this year.]
[You live a luxurious life with the Chens, and my daughter even took their last name. What’s wrong with giving us some compensation?]
[Send the money, or I’ll come to the Chen house.]
Looking at the message, Chen Shuyuan trembled with rage. She took several deep breaths to calm herself.
[Chen Shuyuan: You want money? Fine. But you have to do something for me.]
[Chen Shuyuan: Find someone to rough up Chen Die—the one on TV—but you must not expose that it came from me.]
[You want me to help you while you’re giving me money? You think I’m stupid? What, I go mess with her and end up dead, and you get rid of two problems in one go? No way!]
[I’m telling you, 100,000. If I don’t get it tonight, I’ll go to the Chen house for dinner.]
[And you know what your parents would think if they found out you’ve been sending me money all this time.]
Unable to take it anymore, Chen Shuyuan threw her phone onto the bed, crouched down, and covered her face.
After a long while, she picked up the phone again and transferred him the 100,000.
As she exited the app, another message popped up:
[This is Fu Wanmei. Want to meet up?]
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