Delicate Beauty in the Palm : Chapter 81 - Parenting Variety Show (Part 4)
Chapter 81: Parenting Variety Show (Part 4)
When the sixth episode of <Lovely Baby> aired, Chen Die, Wen Liang, and their two kids all sat down at home to watch it together.
Wen Zhijing and Wen Zhiling were fascinated by seeing themselves on TV. They even bragged about it non-stop at school.
The little dog they brought home in the first episode had also officially become part of the family—going from a scruffy village mutt to living the high life in a luxurious mansion.
After dinner that night, the family gathered in the living room to watch the show.
Chen Die sat with the kids, while Wen Liang sat off to the side, typing emails on his laptop.
The little yellow dog finished eating and bounced into the living room, wagging its tail.
Everyone in the house liked the dog—except Wen Liang. They thought it was cute and clever. Ironically, the little dog always tried to cozy up to the one person who couldn’t stand it.
After a full meal, it hopped onto the couch and squeezed next to Wen Liang, taking quick little steps and clearly trying to curry favor.
Wen Liang was typing. As soon as he sent off his email, he grabbed the dog by the scruff of its neck and tossed it back down to the floor.
Apparently, the dog had figured out who the real breadwinner in the family was. Undeterred, it crawled back up next to Wen Liang again and again.
“Wen Zhijing.”
“Huh?”
The older sibling turned away from the TV at the sound of his name.
Wen Liang handed him the dog. “Take it.”
Being the designated helper, Wen Zhijing got up, carried the dog back, and sat cross-legged on the mat, placing it in his lap.
Chen Die glanced over at Wen Liang, walked over, and began to knead his shoulders. Leaning in to look at his laptop, she asked, “Still not done?”
Since they still had one final episode to film, Wen Liang needed to finish up some work in advance.
He lazily wrapped an arm around her and continued typing with one hand while murmuring, “Almost. Just finishing this up.”
Then he lowered his head and kissed her on the forehead. “Sleepy?”
Baby Jing and Baby Ling were long used to their parents acting all lovey-dovey, so they just calmly turned back to the TV.
“Not sleepy.”
Chen Die sat up and immediately noticed the little dog with its front paws on Wen Zhiling, licking her face.
“Sweetie, don’t eat anything after petting the dog, okay? And make sure you wash your face later.” Chen Die paused, then asked, “Have you two named it yet?”
Wen Liang paused his typing and looked down at the dog too.
Wen Zhijing answered, “Xiao Huang.”
“Just Xiao Huang?” Chen Die laughed. “So casual. The way it’s growing, it’s probably going to be bigger than you two pretty soon.”
Wen Zhiling blinked and tilted her head. “Then what should we name it?”
Thinking for a moment, she gave it a surname. “Wen Xiaohuang?”
“......”
Chen Die burst out laughing and collapsed onto Wen Liang. “That works. It’s your little brother now.”
Wen Liang snorted lightly. “You two already have the surname Wen. Let the dog take your mom’s surname instead.”
Chen Die: “?”
Wen Zhiling was quick to catch on: “Chen Xiaohuang?”
Chen Die punched Wen Liang lightly: “Oh, so I gave birth to your son and daughter, and they both took your surname. Now we raise a dog, and suddenly you’re being so generous, letting it take mine?”
Wen Liang chuckled lazily, closed his laptop, and tossed it aside, pulling Chen Die into his arms. “Yep.”
“…Shameless.” Chen Die shot him a look.
Despite being a mother now, Chen Die had been quite young when she gave birth. She’d also taken skincare seriously since college, often spending half an hour each night in the bathroom applying creams—something Wen Liang always complained was a waste of time.
But now, just one glance from her brought him right back. She looked exactly the same as before, but with a deeper glow in her eyes.
Wen Liang’s heart stirred. He called the housekeeper to take Wen Zhijing and Wen Zhiling upstairs to sleep, then carried Chen Die upstairs himself—for his real meal.
The next morning, they were supposed to film the first episode, but it was still early, so no rush to get up.
Chen Die had been thoroughly ‘worn out’ the night before, and when Wen Liang woke up, she was still asleep.
Back when they were trying to get pregnant, the two of them had been wild and reckless. But after experiencing the very real meaning of a sweet burden, Wen Liang had become much more careful—he had no desire to end up with two more ‘Baby Ling’ and ‘Baby Jing’.
Lying on his side, he stared at Chen Die for a while, his mind drifting.
He thought back to when they first met. She was a different girl back then—her personality had changed, and her looks had matured. Now she was even brighter and more captivating. Even with her face bare and eyes closed, she radiated charm.
Chen Die rested on his arm. He pulled her closer and kissed her lips, his calloused palm gently cupping her chin, brushing back and forth.
She half-opened her eyes, still dazed, murmuring and trying to push him away—though still too sleepy to manage.
“Wen… Wen Liang.”
Her voice was a little hoarse, the ending soft and breathy—like a tiny hook tugging straight at Wen Liang’s nerves.
A pulse jumped at his temple. He deepened the kiss, murmuring, “Hmm?”
“We’re about to leave for the shoot… don’t start…”
But once Wen Liang got going, he was hard to stop. The room’s temperature rose quickly, his breath became heavier, and his touch grew more insistent.
Right in the middle of their intimacy, no one knew when Xiao Huang had pushed open the bedroom door and jumped onto the bed—landing squarely on Chen Die’s leg.
Startled, she jolted and, like a guilty thief caught red-handed, suddenly found the strength to shove Wen Liang off her.
Unfortunately, her kick landed somewhere sensitive. Wen Liang let out a sharp hiss, his brows furrowed, and he didn’t catch his breath for a while. He glanced toward the wagging-tailed intruder at the foot of the bed and muttered a low curse.
Chen Die mumbled, “How did it get in here?”
Having been rudely interrupted and now also dealing with the pain of an early wake-up, Wen Liang’s face darkened. Finally, he muttered through gritted teeth: “One of these days, I’m going to cook that damn dog.”
Chen Die laughed. “You only dare say that to me. Would you say the same to your son and daughter?”
Wen Liang gave a light snort. “Why wouldn’t I?”
Chen Die couldn’t be bothered to argue about what it meant to be a dignified father.
After being disrupted by Xiao Huang, it wasn’t long before their son and daughter came running into the bedroom. Wen Liang, thwarted, couldn’t continue, and his mood was off for the rest of the day.
After breakfast at home, the family of four headed to the airport to film the final episode of <Lovely Baby>.
As is typical for variety shows, the last episode leaned heavily into warm, emotional tones—especially for a family-centered program like theirs.
The content of the episode was simple, with no challenging tasks like in previous episodes that often made the kids cry.
The four families sat in a circle chatting, mostly about their children, while the kids—already familiar with one another—went off to play.
At the end, the crew asked the parents to enter individual rooms for one-on-one interviews.
Wen Liang had done interviews before for business matters, but this kind of variety show format was a first. Chen Die was worried he wouldn’t know how to respond properly and gave him a few reminders just in case.
Wen Liang waved her off confidently. “Relax.”
“......”
In the interview room.
The host was already prepared. There were only a few questions, most sourced from audience submissions. Viewers had long been curious about Wen Liang and Chen Die’s relationship journey.
But facing Wen Liang’s expressionless face, the host found herself hesitant to press too hard.
She paused, then walked forward nervously and asked, “Mr. Wen, may we start recording?”
Wen Liang gave a cool nod.
“We have a few questions from netizens—ten in total. If there’s anything you’re not comfortable answering, just let me know and we’ll cut it in editing,” the host explained.
“Go ahead,” he said.
“Everyone is really curious about how you and Miss Chen Die got together. The first question is: how long have you been together now?”
That felt like a distant memory. Wen Liang wasn’t one to dwell on the past and had never counted the years precisely.
He did some mental math. “About ten years, I think.”
Even the host was shocked. “That long?”
“We met pretty early on.”
“I’ve heard people say couples often hit the ‘seven-year itch.’ There have even been online rumors that you and Miss Chen Die broke up at one point?”
Wen Liang paused briefly before answering calmly, “Yes, we were apart for a while. I didn’t treat her well enough back then. But in the end, we came full circle and settled down.”
The host continued, “After the show aired, your interactions with your kids—Baby Jing and Baby Ling—really amused the audience. Baby Ling once even cried and said her daddy didn’t love her. It came off as funny to viewers, but did you ever explain that to them?”
Wen Liang: “No.”
The host: “…”
That was a little too blunt—it left her not knowing how to follow up.
Luckily, Wen Liang elaborated a moment later.
“But I’m sure my wife explained it to them. Even though she never mentioned it to me, I know she wouldn’t let anyone misunderstand me—not even our still-young kids, who say things without thinking.”
Wen Liang smiled, and the cold expression on his face finally softened, making him seem less intimidating.
After turning thirty, he had gradually cut ties with his wild party friends. With Chen Die and the kids in his life, his social activities had shrunk significantly, and his personality had grown steadier.
Outwardly, it looked like he was shackled by family, but no one knew how willingly he accepted it all.
“Chen Die has a soft heart. Even though I don’t care much about other people’s opinions—and she knows that—she still worries about anything that might affect my mood, even just a little. Between us, it’s like she uses her soft heart to protect me, delicately and thoroughly.”
“I’m a businessman. I know how to spot weaknesses and strike at the right place. From the beginning, I knew Chen Die was softhearted. I used that to take advantage of her many times.”
Seeing that Wen Liang was finally warming up to the interview, the host relaxed and smiled. “Was the reason you two broke up back then because of the way you ‘took advantage’ of her soft heart?”
“No.”
Wen Liang ran a hand down his face. “I’ve got a lot of flaws, and I’ve never been one to change. Even afterward, I still took advantage of her softness plenty of times.”
He thought back to when they officially got together.
Of course, he knew it was him, who had wronged Chen Die in the past. By rights, he should have been the one to confess his love, maybe even with a written apology and a vow.
But he didn’t. He was proud and arrogant. He insisted on making Chen Die admit she loved him first.
He smiled again and said, “Fortunately, she got used to indulging me.”
The host joked, “Most couples I see have the husband spoiling the wife. How come in your case it’s Miss Chen Die spoiling you?”
Wen Liang replied, “She’s a good person. Maybe she’s the only one in the world who can put up with me.”
“Many online viewers said your reaction to your kids’ tantrums felt incredibly real—just like how parents act in real life. Like sometimes you’re so frustrated you wish you could shove them back into the womb. Are you satisfied with this noisy, chaotic life as a family of four?”
He answered lazily, “It’s not bad.”
“Last question! When Chen Die debuted, she won Best Actress immediately, and since then, she’s received countless awards. She’s starred in many well-loved roles, and fans are especially fond of some of her iconic ‘screen CPs’ (on-screen romantic pairings). Does that ever make you jealous? I mean, she often acts in romantic scenes with popular and handsome male stars.”
“I don’t have anything to be jealous about,” Wen Liang replied with a small smile, his chin lifting slightly, a trace of the boldness he had when he first met Chen Die returning to his face.
He declared confidently and arrogantly, “To Chen Die, no one could ever be better than me.”
----------
If you like my translation, please support me by buying me a coffee:
0 comments: