Delicate Beauty in the Palm : Chapter 68 - My Little Girl
Chapter 68: My Little Girl
National Day, October 1st, <A-Xiao> premieres nationwide.
Thanks to two months of promotional events beforehand—and the added buzz from Chen Die and Wen Liang’s public relationship—the pre-sale box office alone the day before was already impressive.
<A-Xiao>, like <Hairpin Flowers>, is a serious drama with some tragic elements.
Films like this, if they have a solid script, skilled actors, and a good director—and especially if they attract attention early on—tend to take off after positive reviews come in, with ticket sales spiking dramatically.
When <Hairpin Flowers>, her first film, was released, Chen Die had no confidence at all. But with <A-Xiao>, she was much more self-assured.
By noon on October 1st, the first wave of reviews came out, praising everything from the screenplay to the cinematography to the performances—every part of it was commendable.
[Kkkkkkkk who can deny that Chen Die is a box office goddess!! Let’s goooo, 2 billion here we come!!]
[It’s so heartbreaking, I’m bawling.]
[Sister Die really has chemistry with everyone on screen!]
[Whoever said that better be ready for a fist from Mr. Wen.]
……
Chen Die had been lying in bed all morning reading netizen comments. She only got up around lunchtime, washed up, and grabbed her phone—one of her chat groups was blowing up.
Sometime back, Ye Chuqing had added Chen Die into a group chat—unofficially dubbed the ‘socialite group.’
It was made up of rich girls from Yan City, and the chat topics were usually pretty dull: new handbags, new skincare products, new cars... sharing fashion or shopping tips, occasionally planning luxurious, money-fueled parties.
Neither Ye Chuqing nor Chen Die talked much in the group.
When Chen Die opened the group messages, everyone was talking about <A-Xiao>.
These socialite girls were laying on the compliments thick—and very sincerely.
Most of these rich girls didn’t have actual jobs. Some managed their own social media accounts and gained followers just by showing glimpses into the lives of the ultra-wealthy.
One of them posted a Weibo giveaway—100 winners would get a 10,000 yuan cash prize. No need to follow any accounts; all you needed was a ticket stub from <A-Xiao>.
After posting it, she bragged about it in the group chat, and more people started reposting and joining in.
The size of the prize pool quickly caught people’s attention, and the repost count skyrocketed.
When Chen Die saw the message in the group, the forwarding volume had exceeded 500,000.
[I’m convinced. Sister Die’s rich-girl identity is 100% confirmed.]
[Such a refreshingly unpretentious way to promote a movie—I love it.]
Chen Die: “......”
That evening, Wen Liang had a business event to attend.
It was purely commercial.
Since they got back together, Wen Liang rarely attended these kinds of evening balls or cocktail parties. He made a real effort to cut off any potential entanglements with other women.
But this evening was a special case—the event was hosted by a partner in one of his major new projects. He’d already been invited twice, and it would be rude to decline again.
Chen Die went with him.
Unlike the red carpet events she usually attended, this was a business dinner—no need to worry about being photographed.
Chen Die wore a shimmering silver gown. Her long hair was tucked behind her ears, and two diamond earrings peeked out subtly from the dark strands.
After attending many such galas, Chen Die had become much better at knowing how to present herself at her best—every move she made was elegant and graceful.
But Wen Liang couldn’t stop fussing over how much skin she was showing.
He frowned, repeatedly tugging the dress fabric over her shoulder.
Chen Die batted his hand away, pulling it back to its original position, laughing: “What are you doing? The dress is supposed to look like this.”
“What kind of outfit is this even?” he said with clear disdain.
“......”
Truth be told, the gown looked stunning on her. Only Wen Liang could call something like that “whatever the hell that is.” When they entered the ballroom together, everyone turned to look—their eyes practically glued to her.
“Well, well, what a rare guest,” said Xiao Shi, who was the first to speak up teasingly. “These days, it’s nearly impossible to catch a glimpse of Mr. Wen at night.”
Soon, Mu Zheng—the host of the evening—came over to greet Wen Liang, shook his hand, then signaled for a server to bring them two glasses of wine. Chen Die accepted one and clinked glasses with him.
He smiled and said, “Miss Chen, I’ve heard so much about you. It’s an honor to finally meet you. Mr. Wen finally let us get a glimpse of you.”
Wen Liang responded openly, “Mr. Mu, if you keep staring at my girlfriend like that, I’m gonna get mad.”
Chen Die: “…”
When did he start knowing how to talk like a normal person?
…It actually made her a bit shy.
Mu Zheng laughed and raised his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright—she’s yours.”
Later, as Wen Liang and Mu Zheng talked about project-related matters, Chen Die couldn’t really understand, so she simply held onto Wen Liang’s arm with one hand and casually observed the surroundings with the other.
Once the conversation wrapped up, Wen Liang led Chen Die to sit down to the side.
The group of rich second-generation kids treated these banquets like playgrounds. Now, with Chen Die present, they weren't as intimidated by Wen Liang’s temper and even whistled teasingly at them.
Chen Die recognized a few of them.
She had seen them back when she broke up with Wen Liang.
Which made things slightly awkward.
Luckily, their teasing stopped at a playful level; they were tactful enough to know that the only thing scarier than Wen Liang was Wen Liang’s woman. Not knowing Chen Die’s temper, they didn’t dare cross the line.
"Old Mu still has some people to entertain later. Want to play some cards while we wait?" Xiao Shi suggested.
No one objected.
The guy sitting next to Wen Liang turned and asked Chen Die, “Sister-in-law, you wanna play?”
Chen Die had just taken a sip of water and almost choked at the way he addressed her.
Sister-in-law? She was probably younger than everyone here, right??
They were making her sound old.
Chen Die glanced at Wen Liang and, not wanting to dampen everyone’s mood, said, “I’m fine with anything.”
So they dealt her a hand, too. When it came to Wen Liang, he raised his hand to decline: “I'm not playing.”
The guy joked, “What, you’re letting the lady handle things now while the man stays home?”
Back when they played cards with Wen Liang, he almost never lost — either he was super sharp or just had ridiculously good luck. Playing against him offered no real fun, so it was better that he sat out.
This group played big — one chip was worth 100,000 yuan per round.
Even though Chen Die now made good money through her acting, she wasn’t so rich that losing that much wouldn’t hurt a little. But it wouldn’t look good to complain in front of these people and seem petty.
She organized her cards, shielding her mouth with them, then leaned close to Wen Liang and whispered, “This is so expensive.”
Wen Liang lazily wrapped an arm around her waist and, slouching in the sofa, glanced at her cards: “If you lose, I’ll cover it. If you win, it’s yours.”
He didn’t bother lowering his voice, and immediately someone chimed in: “We all heard that! This might be our only chance to win Wen Liang’s money!”
Everyone assumed Chen Die, a young actress busy filming and doing endorsements, probably didn’t even know how to hold cards properly.
But after a few rounds, the chips were piling up in front of Chen Die.
What the hell — even her card skills were inherited from Wen Liang?!
Did these two spend their time at home playing cards instead of doing what couples usually do?!
Chen Die had indeed learned card games from Wen Liang the summer after her college entrance exams, but she wasn't a pro. Compared to dice games that required pure skill, cards also relied heavily on luck — and today, she was pretty lucky.
“Wow, didn't expect it — Sister-in-law’s basically a gambling goddess. You should star in a gambling movie next; no special effects needed!” one guy joked.
Chen Die humbly said, “Just lucky.”
Then she tossed out her last two cards — a double joker — winning double again.
“Even if Wen Liang stops working, Sister-in-law can support him just by playing cards every day.”
Wen Liang smiled lazily, “I wouldn't mind.”
After a few more rounds, most of which Chen Die won, the game lost its excitement.
When she covered her mouth to stifle a yawn, Wen Liang said, “If you’re tired, just stop.”
They packed up the cards and let others continue playing while Chen Die kept the chips she had won.
She had made over 200,000 yuan in half an hour — ridiculously fast money.
Chen Die leaned close to Wen Liang and whispered, “Did you used to make a lot from this too?”
After all, she had learned her skills from Wen Liang, and she had rarely won against him before. As long as he didn’t have terrible luck, winning seemed easy for him.
Wen Liang lit a cigarette, dangling it between his fingers, his wrist resting on the armrest: “Yeah.”
“The way they play is so bad... aren’t they worried they’ll lose everything?” Chen Die asked in a worried tone, voice low.
Wen Liang chuckled, “Look who your teacher is.”
“...” Chen Die rolled her eyes. “You’ve just hung around too many shady places, that’s why you’re so good at this. No normal person would be this skilled.”
Wen Liang didn’t bother arguing with her logic — he just let out a low scoff and glanced at her: “Who was the one winning just now? Who's not normal here?”
“......”
By October 6th, <A-Xiao>’s box office had already exceeded 1 billion yuan.
The night before, Wang Mian and Chen Jianping had called Chen Die, asking if she had time to come home — the crabs back home were in peak season.
Since her last visit to Wuxi, Chen Die hadn’t been back, though she kept in touch through messages. Still, they worried about disturbing her, and this was the first time they asked if she could come home.
Chen Die agreed and decided to go back to Wuxi with Wen Liang.
Just as they were about to leave in the morning, Chen Die received a call: Old Master Chen had a sudden stroke last night. Fortunately, the family doctor discovered it in time, so his life wasn't in danger. He was now in the hospital undergoing a full body check-up.
Old Master Chen used to be considered robust for his age. Even at such an advanced age, he still held authority in the Chen family.
But ever since Chen Shuyuan was imprisoned and Chen Ke and Lin Quan divorced, his health had visibly declined.
Chen Die sent a message to Wang Mian, saying that something had come up and she might not make it until tomorrow.
[Wang Mian: Nothing serious, right?]
[Chen Die: It’s fine, don't worry. Wen Liang and I will come over tomorrow.]
On the way to the hospital, Chen Die also sent a message to Chen Shao.
Chen Shao had just gone on a business trip two days ago. The incident happened so suddenly that he was rushing back, but the place he was at was experiencing a severe storm, and his flight was delayed by several hours.
They arrived at the hospital.
Wen Liang accompanied Chen Die upstairs. The room was full of Chen family members.
By now, everyone tacitly accepted that Chen Die was part of their family, and no one was as shocked as the last time she came to see Old Master Chen.
Wen Liang didn’t go into the hospital room. He patted Chen Die on the head and said, “I’ll wait for you outside. Call me if you need anything.”
Chen Die nodded.
Old Master Chen lay on the hospital bed, the stroke leaving him a bit stiff. He slowly turned his head and raised his hand, beckoning to Chen Die, “Come here.”
Chen Die walked forward. The others silently made way for her.
Old Master Chen said to the others, “You all go out first. I want to talk to Xiao Die alone.”
Once the room was empty, Chen Die pulled out a chair and sat by the bed. “How are you feeling now? Any discomfort?”
“I'm fine, feeling much better,” Old Master Chen shook his head and held her hand. “In the past few months, my health has deteriorated rapidly. I could go any day, so I've been preparing my will.”
Chen Die was taken aback.
“I know your career is going well now, and you and Wen Liang are stable. You don’t lack for anything. But as your grandfather, I don’t have much else to give you. I just want to do what I can to make it up to you.”
Old Master Chen had two sons. His grandchildren were Chen Shao and Chen Die.
Unlike other wealthy families—like the Wen family, where Fu Wanmei would even resort to extreme measures to fight over Wen Yuan’s inheritance, ending up with a tragic outcome.
In the Chen family, Old Master Chen was fair with his children, and there were no disputes. As for the grandchildren, Chen Die didn’t want to return home, and Chen Shao had no interest in the family fortune.
“So, I want to give you 20% of the shares in Chen Group, the same as Chen Shao. I know you two are close. From now on, the company will be yours together.”
“......”
Chen Die froze.
She had thought it would be something like real estate or investments, but it turned out to be shares—and 20% at that, giving her a full fifth of the decision-making power in the Chen Group.
“No, that's really not necessary.”
Chen Die hurriedly declined but, thinking that Old Master Chen wasn't well and shouldn't be upset, she gently explained, “I don't know anything about business. I wouldn’t be able to make any decisions. It really wouldn’t be appropriate.”
“It's only 20%. You won't have to run the company yourself. As long as Chen Group stands, you’ll receive dividends. You won’t have to work too hard in the future. Besides—”
Old Master Chen paused and added, “You might forget, being with Wen Liang, that he's still a ruthless businessman. Having these shares will give you more confidence when dealing with him.”
Wen Liang had a notorious reputation in the past. Although Old Master Chen wasn't entirely approving of him, he also didn’t feel he had the right to interfere too much with Chen Die’s choices, so he only hinted at it.
“But 20%...”
It still felt like too much.
Chen Die felt an odd sense of guilt, like she was taking advantage. She hadn’t spent a day living with the Chen family, yet she was getting so much.
After thinking for a moment, a sudden idea struck her: “How about this—Chen Shao has always taken good care of me. Why don't you just give all 20% to him? He's more professional at managing the company anyway. If I ever need money, or if Wen Liang bullies me in the future, I'll just go ask him for it.”
She said it shamelessly and half-jokingly.
Luckily, Old Master Chen didn’t push the topic further. After chatting for a while, Chen Die got up to leave.
“Take care of yourself. I'll go now,” she said softly.
Chen Die tiptoed out of the room.
“All done?” Wen Liang asked.
“Yeah.”
Chen Die told Wen Liang everything Old Master Chen had just said.
“Up to you. If you don’t want it, don’t take it,” Wen Liang said casually, pinching her neck lightly. “Either way, I can still afford to take care of you.”
Since things wrapped up earlier than expected, they didn’t change their flight and returned to Wuxi as originally planned.
There’s a lake in Wuxi that produces crabs, and this season is the peak time—they’re especially plump and rich.
Recently, with all the buzz around <A-Xiao, Chen Die has become a popular topic in Wuxi Town.
The older generation around here all remember that Chen Die used to be the child from the Chen Jianping family. Later, it became widely known in town that she was taken in by a wealthy family. Even now, there are still many online rumors about her being a rich heiress.
That lines up with what people around here remember, so they just assumed she had gone back to live as a wealthy young lady.
However, since Wang Mian and Chen Jianping got along well with everyone in the town, people only mentioned it in good faith—nobody gossiped behind her back.
By the time they landed and drove into town, it was already 4 p.m., close to dinnertime.
When Chen Die got out of the car and entered the house, Wang Mian was wearing an apron and steaming crabs.
As soon as she saw her, she greeted her warmly with a smile, “You’re here! Come in, sit down!”
The child they had later was named Chen Zhouchang—a pretty nice name. He was leaning over the table doing homework. His grip on the pencil wasn’t quite right, and his handwriting was uneven in size.
Wang Mian gave him a light tap on the head. “How many times have I told you? Call her 'sister.'”
The little boy was still a bit shy when he saw her. He hid behind Wang Mian and timidly said, “Sister.”
Wang Mian said to the two of them, “We had a good crab yield this year. There’s going to be a crab festival on the town square—everyone’s going to eat together. You should join us too.”
“Okay,” Chen Die nodded.
The Crab Festival is a local tradition held when the crab harvest is plentiful. Each family brings their steamed crabs to the town square, and everyone eats together at long communal tables.
It’s a folk custom.
Chen Die explained the crab festival to Wen Liang.
Before long, Wang Mian brought out a big plate of crabs, beaming with a smile. “Let’s go, we’ll head to the square.”
Chen Die looked around the house. “Where’s Dad?”
“The mayor needed something from him—he probably went over there,” Wang Mian said, pulling Chen Zhouchang along and locking the door behind her.
They had only walked a few steps when they reached the neighbor’s house. At the door, Wang Mian said, “Oh right, your brother came back a few days ago. Go call him—we’ll all go together.”
“Brother Jiang Xian?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, okay.”
Chen Die responded, then glanced at Wen Liang.
He looked as composed as ever, showing no visible reaction.
Chen Die touched the palm of his hand, then walked into the Jiang house. Just inside, she saw Jiang Xian. He was a bit surprised at first, then smiled. “You’re back, Xiao Die. Uncle Chen mentioned yesterday that you’d be coming.”
Since the last time Jiang Xian told her good night—only to have Wen Liang reply with a voice message—the two hadn’t really been in touch.
There was a faint awkwardness in the air.
Chen Die brushed back her hair and gave a soft “mm.” “Where’s Auntie?”
“She’s still in the kitchen. The crabs aren’t done yet,” Jiang Xian replied.
Chen Die smiled. “My mom sent me to hurry you up. Let’s get going.”
“Alright.”
After leaving, Chen Die ran back to Wen Liang.
Wang Mian and Chen Zhouchang were walking in front, while Chen Die and Wen Liang followed behind.
After a few steps, Wen Liang raised his hand and pinched the back of her neck, giving it a firm squeeze. Chen Die hissed in pain, punched him, and whispered, “What are you being jealous about now?!”
“Who's jealous?”
Chen Die’s neck still ached from the pinch. Annoyed, she hit him again. “Then why’d you pinch me!”
Ahead of them, Chen Zhouchang was holding Wang Mian’s hand. Hearing the commotion, he turned around and looked at them cautiously. Then he tugged on Wang Mian and leaned in to whisper, “That brother and sister behind us seem to be fighting.”
Wang Mian patted his head and chuckled. “They’re not fighting.”
Chen Die: “......”
The town square was already full of people.
When the crowd saw Chen Die, there was a moment of surprise, but they quickly came over, surrounding her with chatter and questions.
After quite a bit of conversation—just as Chen Die thought Wen Liang might lose his patience—they finally found a chance to sit down.
Many of the town’s younger generation were there too. Most were too young to know much about why Chen Die left or why she had returned now.
Not long after the Crab Festival started, photos of Chen Die and Wen Liang were already circulating online.
Netizens didn’t speculate too much and instead focused wholeheartedly on “shipping” them, uninterested in any deeper drama.
The two of them were rare guests here, so people kept coming over with cups to toast Wen Liang. They were drinking the town’s local white liquor—sharp on the tongue and far inferior in taste to what Wen Liang usually drank.
Fortunately, he was never one to fuss about such things.
It was National Day, and many kids sat at the long tables. Since eating crab can be tedious, their parents helped crack open the crab legs.
Chen Die glanced to the side.
Chen Zhouchang was much better behaved than most kids his age. He was quietly munching on crab legs by himself. Unfortunately, he had just lost a tooth recently, and, as luck would have it, the crab leg got stuck in the gap, causing a bit of bleeding.
The moment he saw the blood, he completely lost it and burst into loud tears.
Wang Mian picked him up and sat him on her lap, comforting him for a moment. She told him to open his mouth and then gently removed the piece of crab shell stuck in his teeth.
“Here, eat this part. Let Mommy have the crab legs,” Wang Mian said, placing the shell full of crab roe in front of him.
Still hiccupping from his crying, tears hanging on his face, Chen Zhouchang lowered his head and continued eating, getting crab roe all over his mouth.
Chen Die suddenly remembered what Lin Quan had told her last time—“I used to have a prejudice against you. I apologize. I'm sorry.”
Before she could dwell on it, a crisp voice brought her back to the moment.
Chen Die looked down, and saw Wen Liang placing a piece of freshly extracted crab meat—dipped in sauce—onto her spoon. The crab roe was mixed with crab fat and long strands of crab leg meat.
She froze for a second and turned her head to look at him.
Wen Liang’s expression was calm, as if what he had done wasn’t strange at all—his crab-peeling skills were even better than some of the moms’.
Chen Die let out a small laugh and took a bite. “Aren’t you going to eat any yourself?”
“Let me take care of my little girl first,” Wen Liang replied.
“......”
This guy was suddenly being way too smooth.
Chen Die hadn’t heard him call her “my little girl” in a long time, and it felt a little unfamiliar. Her heart was pounding.
The crown of “dad-type boyfriend” once again floated above his head.
Chen Die made a quiet “oh” and slowly ate the crab meat on her spoon in small bites.
Right after finishing, her phone rang—it was Chen Shao.
Chen Die told Wang Mian she was stepping away and walked to a quiet corner to answer: “Hello?”
“Chen Die, I’m going to kill you!” Chen Shao roared on the other end.
Chen Die didn’t know what he was yelling about, and instead just laughed: “What’s wrong?”
Chen Shao had just arrived in Yan City and went to visit Old Master Chen at the hospital, where he heard about Chen Die’s proposal—that 20% of the company shares be given to Chen Shao, and she would simply ask him for money when needed.
Old Master Chen seemed to agree with the plan, though he decided to give Chen Die 15% and Chen Shao 25%. In other words, once Chen Shao inherited the shares from his father, the burden of running the Chen family business would fall squarely on his shoulders.
Chen Shao had absolutely no interest in inheriting the family business.
Even less interest in working himself to death while his annoying little sister sat back and lived off the dividends.
After hearing all this, Chen Die couldn’t stop laughing.
Sunlight poured down brightly. Not far away, she saw Wen Liang turn and glance at her, then scoop another spoonful of peeled crab meat into her bowl.
When did he become so patient? Chen Die wondered vaguely.
Chen Shao was still cursing in her ear. She listened with one ear, letting the words go in one side and out the other, not even remembering what the previous insult was by the time he finished the next one.
Eventually, the yelling started to hurt her ears. She stomped her foot in place, stood up straighter, and suddenly said, “Brother.”
Chen Shao abruptly went silent.
The scolding stopped instantly.
That moment of dead silence lasted at least half a minute.
Then Chen Shao yelled, “Don’t act all chummy! Who’s your brother!”
But his tone was noticeably weaker than before.
Chen Die smiled and played along: “Okay, Mr. Chen. Want some crab?”
“…What crab.”
“I’m in Wuxi right now, the place I used to live. It’s crab season, and they’re really tasty. Should I bring some back for you?”
Chen Shao, in a much weaker voice, replied: “…If you want, bring some.”
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