Delicate Beauty in the Palm : Chapter 90 - The Best Fortune
Chapter 90: The Best Fortune
Lu Yunchuan never imagined that his clever little attempt to secure himself a future would end up landing him in this kind of situation—and that he had even shamelessly told his own boss that he thought the boss's wife admired him…
He might as well have walked himself to the gallows without knowing how he died.
He didn’t dare stay any longer. The more he lingered in front of Chen Shao at a time like this, the more he was asking for death. So he quickly found an excuse and slipped out.
Chen Shao let out a faint, mocking smile.
Lowering his head, his eyes landed once again on the sticker Ye Chuqing had sent earlier—“Good service, here’s a tip.”
She really was something. She truly had the kind of charm where, with a single word, she could have a line of pretty boys waiting to be favored.
Chen Shao stared at the screen for a while. For some reason—whether out of amusement or sheer curiosity—he actually went ahead and passed Lu Yunchuan’s request along to her.
[Ye Chuqing: Who’s Lu Yunchuan?]
Chen Shao: “…”
What a woman. Totally the type to forget everything once her pants are back on.
Then came a string of voice messages from her—
“Ohhh, I remember now. He’s that guy from your company I ran into yesterday, right? I was half-asleep.”
“I do know the production crew, but I never meddle in casting decisions. And let’s be honest, a drama like that picked him because of his face and popularity. There are plenty of backup candidates. He’s nowhere near Chen Die’s level. No way they’re postponing the shoot for him—what, the other actors don’t need to eat?”
“Yiming Entertainment must really be going down the drain if you’re bringing me such a dumb request.”
After hearing all that—even with the scolding—Chen Shao somehow felt… unexpectedly uplifted.
He didn’t reply again, but just as he put down his phone, it buzzed with another sticker from Chairwoman Ye— “You see this slap? It’ll be on your face in a second.”
Where on earth did she even find all these ridiculous stickers?
Just like that, the Lu Yunchuan situation was wrapped up. Whatever kind of “admiration” he thought he received, Chen Shao’s blunt “She’s the boss’s wife” shut it down completely.
Ye Chuqing, of course, knew nothing about Chen Shao’s sneaky little move. A week later, she came to Yiming Entertainment for official business.
She’d been there several times before. Taking the elevator to the executive floor was a familiar routine. She approached the assistant and said, “Is Mr. Chen in? I have an appointment.”
The assistant, seeing her, immediately stood up eagerly: “Yes, yes—please come in.”
The rumor that Chairwoman Ye was actually the boss’s wife had already spread like wildfire throughout the company.
The assistant, almost like a hotel concierge, stepped aside and asked, “Would you like something to drink? Coffee or tea?”
Ye Chuqing was taken aback by the enthusiasm. Why hadn’t she ever gotten this kind of reception before?
“Coffee, thanks,” she replied, pausing, then added hesitantly, “Shouldn’t you let him know first?”
“No need at all,” the assistant said knowingly, guessing this might be a surprise inspection. She even helped smooth things over, “Mr. Chen’s been in meetings all day—he just got back to his office.”
Ye Chuqing thought it a bit odd but didn’t dwell on it. She walked in to find Chen Shao standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows on a call.
He turned at the sound of her entrance and gestured for her to sit.
A few moments later, the assistant brought her a cup of coffee. The aroma was rich and fragrant—clearly top-shelf beans, freshly ground. Nothing like the usual instant stuff most companies had.
Then again, considering the kind of rich young master Chen Shao was—someone who could dedicate an entire floor just for a luxury drink station—serving premium coffee to guests felt par for the course.
At the same time, the sunlight spilled over him where he stood by the windows, hitting his shoulders, filtering through his shirt to reveal the outline of his lean waist.
From her hazy memories of those two drunken nights, Ye Chuqing recalled that Chen Shao’s body was indeed in great shape—clear signs of regular workouts.
Lounging on the sofa, she openly admired him, bold as ever, since his back was turned.
Then the rich young master opened his mouth— “Why the hell should I care whether you come back or not?”
Ye Chuqing: …?
She had just started to doze off when those words snapped her awake. She perked up instantly—eager to eavesdrop on her legally wedded husband’s spicy gossip.
“Get the driver to pick you up. Why do I have to go?”
“Then don’t come back at all.”
Ye Chuqing: …??
Wait a second. Is this the legendary first love? White moonlight?
Bro, your pregnant wife is sitting right here—aren’t you being a little too blatant?
Chen Shao hung up and sat down across from her. His eyes flicked to her legs: “Why are you wearing high heels again?”
His tone had done a complete 180—soft, almost gentle. Nothing like the man barking at someone moments ago over the phone.
Ye Chuqing blinked, then looked down at her shoes: “Huh? Well, if I don’t wear heels, people might suspect I’m pregnant.”
“You are pregnant.”
Ye Chuqing was here to discuss an upcoming film festival hosted by Yiming Entertainment. There were some details that needed to be sorted out with Chen Shao directly.
She handed the prepared documents to Chen Shao.
Since they had already worked together before—and now shared the closest kind of relationship—Chen Shao gave the paperwork a quick look and signed it without much fuss.
Just as he set down his pen, the phone on his desk rang again.
Ye Chuqing glanced at it. The contact name showed: Qiu Yao.
Her sixth sense immediately told her that was likely the woman who had been on the phone with Chen Shao earlier.
She quickly sneaked a glance at Chen Shao’s expression—his brows furrowed slightly before he directly hung up and, to top it off, blocked the number.
“......”
Brutal.
But oddly satisfying.
Ye Chuqing leaned forward a bit: “Who was that?”
“Hm?” Chen Shao looked slightly impatient. “Supposedly my cousin.”
Ye Chuqing blinked, leaning back in her chair. “Why do you have so many female cousins? I don’t remember you ever mentioning her before.”
“She’s been abroad for years. Probably heard about the wedding and came back to meddle. Just ignore her.”
Ye Chuqing laughed. “Why do you hate all your female relatives? That Chen Shuyuan from before, now this so-called cousin…”
“They’re annoying.”
“But,” she propped her chin up and leaned closer, “didn’t you find me super annoying at the beginning too?”
Chen Shao gave a very honest answer, smiling: “You alone could match the combined annoyance of both of them and throw in Chen Die too.”
“......”
That evening, Old Master Chen had invited them over for dinner. Since she already had the contract, Ye Chuqing didn’t rush off. She stayed in Chen Shao’s office for a while and waited for him to finish his work so they could leave together.
They took the elevator down to the underground parking garage during rush hour, so a few others joined them along the way.
Ye Chuqing had no idea that Chen Shao had already “sold her out.” News of the “boss’s wife’s inspection visit” had spread like wildfire through the company group chats.
To keep up appearances, she even made a show of quietly discussing film festival business with Chen Shao inside the elevator.
Everyone else: “……”
Who would’ve thought—while the boss is so unreliable, the boss’s wife is a total workaholic.
Chen Shao didn’t warn her either, simply responding with a few indifferent “mm”s, letting her go on.
Once they reached the parking garage and stepped out of the elevator, Ye Chuqing finally stopped talking. She got in the car with Chen Shao, and they headed toward the main Chen residence.
Ye Chuqing had met Old Master Chen a few times before. He was a kind and easy-going old man. Still, to avoid nagging, she swapped her high heels for flats before getting out of the car.
Chen Shao always kept a pair of her flats in the car for situations like this.
“Be on your best behavior, okay?” she reminded him while changing shoes.
Chen Shao leaned lazily in the driver’s seat, eyes lowered, watching her. Her feet were slender, narrow, with fair skin and faint blue veins visible across the top.
He stared for a while before finally replying slowly, “Alright.”
At the dinner table, Old Master Chen reminded her to take care during the pregnancy, and of course, he didn’t forget to ask how Chen Shao had been treating her lately.
Ye Chuqing beamed. “He’s been very good to me.”
Chen Shao, sitting beside her, was just about to make a sarcastic comment when she kicked him under the table. He had no choice but to shut up.
After dinner, they discussed wedding matters. Since both of them were indifferent to the whole thing—and even felt that not having one would be fine—the responsibility fell to both families’ elders to organize it.
The Chens and the Ye family were both prominent clans, and the wedding guest list was massive. It had taken days just to finalize it. Once confirmed, the invitations started going out.
Even though the earlier drama between Ye Chuqing and Chen Die had made many people believe Chen Shao had pursued her for a long time, getting the wedding invitation so soon still came as a shock.
In the following days, both of their phones practically exploded from all the calls and messages.
A week before the wedding, Huang Sheng dragged both Ye Chuqing and Chen Shao out without telling them where they were going. They asked, but got no clear answer.
An hour later, they found themselves at the foot of a mountain next to a run-down temple, facing a plump monk in robes.
Ye Chuqing: “……”
Chen Shao: “……”
The two of them exchanged a look and instantly understood why Huang Sheng hadn’t said a word about the destination.
Had she told them in advance, the two staunch atheists would’ve jumped out of the car halfway rather than come here.
Chen Shao didn’t even bother to complain, but Ye Chuqing immediately frowned and turned to Huang Sheng: “Mom, you’re a modern woman, aren’t you? How are you still into this superst—”
Before she could finish, Huang Sheng cut her off sharply: “Shut up! Don’t speak nonsense in front of the master.”
Ye Chuqing: “???”
Huang Sheng pressed down on her shoulders and gave a light tap behind her knee. With a thump, Ye Chuqing was forced to kneel on the cushion in front of the master.
Ye Chuqing was truly speechless—but she couldn't be the only one kneeling.
Without saying a word, she reached up and grabbed Chen Shao’s wrist. She looked up at him and locked eyes, then tugged downward twice, signaling him to kneel too.
Chen Shao raised an eyebrow, his refusal crystal clear—he absolutely wasn’t kneeling.
Ye Chuqing glared at him, her eyes threatening: Are you kneeling or not?
Chen Shao: Get up.
Ye Chuqing: Can’t you see my mom’s holding me down? Move it! The master’s right there! Kneel!
Chen Shao: Idiot.
Ye Chuqing suddenly clutched her belly, brows pinching together slightly as she let out a soft “tss” of pain.
Chen Shao knelt.
Huang Sheng had no idea the two had just gone through an entire silent battle of glances. She simply handed the charm she had brought to the master and respectfully said, “These are my daughter's and son-in-law’s birth dates and the time they registered their marriage. I’d like to ask you to select an auspicious time for their wedding.”
To be honest, it was surprising—Huang Sheng had once been an actress, later a director. Who would’ve thought she believed in this stuff?
Even Ye Chuqing was shocked.
But at this point, there was no point in arguing. She and Chen Shao each knelt on a cushion, though their lack of reverence made their posture lazy.
Rather than kneeling, they were more like just sitting on their heels.
The master took the charm with their birth details written on it and began chanting: “All phenomena arise from karmic conditions, and these conditions shift like lightning, never staying still.”
Ye Chuqing was momentarily dazed by his words. “What does that mean?”
The master wasn’t in the mood to explain further. He reached for a bamboo container beside him filled with fortune sticks. “Here, each of you draw one.”
They drew.
Ye Chuqing got a good fortune stick; Chen Shao got an excellent one.
She glanced at his, frowned, and grumbled in dissatisfaction: “Why is yours better than mine?”
Chen Shao looked at her and, since Huang Sheng was there, could only reply with a look.
Ye Chuqing read his expression clearly: Idiot, you actually believe this stuff?
“......”
The master took the sticks from their hands and placed them back in the bamboo container. Then he put his palms together and gave Huang Sheng a respectful nod: “Their birth charts are highly compatible, and the fortune points to a strong marriage. No need to worry—any auspicious date will do.”
“Thank you, Master,” Huang Sheng replied gratefully.
Ye Chuqing didn’t really understand, and she didn’t believe it either. But hearing “strong marriage, no need to worry” still brought a strange sense of relief.
This whole wedding had come so unexpectedly that deep down, she still felt uncertain.
Outside the temple, Chen Shao went to get the car, leaving only Ye Chuqing and Huang Sheng standing in front.
“Why’d you bring us here anyway?” Ye Chuqing asked.
Huang Sheng said, “A friend of mine told me this master is particularly accurate. Couples he’s advised often go on to have happy marriages.”
Ye Chuqing couldn’t help but laugh. “Since when did you start believing in this stuff?”
Huang Sheng smacked the back of her hand and glared. “Don’t say that kind of thing in front of a temple—it’ll ruin the blessing.”
“......”
After a pause, Huang Sheng sighed and added, “Your wedding came so suddenly. I just couldn’t shake the unease. So I figured, might as well try whatever I can.”
Ye Chuqing paused, then patted her mother’s shoulder.
Chen Shao had pulled the car around by then. Without saying much more, they got in, dropped Huang Sheng off first, and then headed home.
“Hey, do you remember that nonsense the master said earlier?” Ye Chuqing asked.
Chen Shao raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Just curious.”
“What, you actually believed it?” Chen Shao chuckled.
It was only after hearing what Huang Sheng had said that Ye Chuqing started feeling a little sentimental. “Better safe than sorry.”
Chen Shao laughed at her but didn’t say anything more. He pulled out his phone and typed in a few characters from memory. Soon, he found the full quote and handed it to her.
Ye Chuqing took the phone. “You actually remembered it?”
“Well, it was the first time I’ve ever knelt down in my life—and it was to that monk. Gotta make it worth it.”
The explanation was full of hard-to-understand Buddhist terms. Ye Chuqing stared at it for a bit, then got bored. Whatever reverence she had felt earlier was instantly gone. “What kind of gibberish is this?”
Chen Shao chuckled softly.
Ye Chuqing returned the phone and said, “My mom really must be worried we’ll get divorced someday. She even dragged out something like this.”
Instead of taking back the phone, Chen Shao reached out and gently grabbed her wrist.
Ye Chuqing froze instantly—strangely enough, despite the fact they’d already done the most intimate things (twice, no less), just having her wrist held like this now made her feel like she was being taken advantage of.
She stared at her wrist, only to realize Chen Shao’s hands were actually quite nice-looking.
But he didn’t seem to find anything inappropriate about it. Still holding her wrist lazily, he said, “Neither of us believes in this stuff. Asking for some blessing won’t help. Life is lived by your own hands.”
“......”
When did this guy start making sense?
Ye Chuqing was still in a daze when Chen Shao followed up with, “You’d be better off praying to me than to him.”
?
“I’ll pray to your ass!” Ye Chuqing shot back immediately.
Chen Shao burst out laughing, and the more he laughed, the harder he laughed—his shoulders even shook from it.
The more Ye Chuqing looked at him like that, the more annoyed she got. She reached into her bag, ready to pull out something—anything—to smack him with. But her hand brushed against something, and when she pulled it out, her vision nearly went black.
When did she put that “excellent fortune” stick into her bag?!
Would stealing this thing and bringing it home bring bad luck?!
Chen Shao also saw what was in her hand and paused, surprised. “You believe in it that much?”
“......”
Ye Chuqing couldn’t be bothered to explain. She just marched into the house with the fortune stick, walked to the coffee table, and stuck it into a potted plant. With the fruit bowl in front of it, it actually looked kind of like a shrine.
“There. It’ll bless us with a divorce-free life.”
“......”
Ever since that “stabilizing talisman” entered their home, things had been calm right up to the wedding.
No young, handsome flings popped up around Ye Chuqing either, so Chen Shao ended up allowing this kind of “feudal superstition” into his home.
Until the night before the wedding.
That’s when Ye Chuqing finally met the infamous cousin Chen Shao had blocked—Qiu Yao.
She had just returned from abroad, dressed full punk: bright pink hair and hotpants in early spring.
Upon seeing this cousin, Ye Chuqing couldn’t help but feel that even Chen Shuyuan (another odd one) was nothing special by comparison.
What was it with the younger Chen generation? Were they all a little… off?
At first, Ye Chuqing didn’t take it seriously. Qiu Yao was younger—maybe just going through a long rebellious phase. Understandable. But she soon realized: Qiu Yao was a hardcore brother complex case.
She clung to Chen Shao like glue the moment she landed back in the country. No matter how many times Chen Shao frowned and pulled away, she kept reattaching herself like a magnet.
This was getting out of hand, wasn’t it???
In the main hall of the Chen family home on the night before the wedding, a few relatives were gathered. Ye Chuqing looked around discreetly and messaged Chen Die.
[Ye Chuqing: What’s the deal with Chen Shao’s cousin Qiu Yao?]
[Ye Chuqing: Do you know what’s going on? She’s making me want to run from the wedding tomorrow.]
[Chen Die: Do I look like someone who talks to other Chen family members?]
[Ye Chuqing: …]
Eventually, Chen Shao couldn’t take it anymore and yanked Qiu Yao away before going out for a smoke.
Oblivious to how annoying she was, Qiu Yao slid over to Ye Chuqing with a big smile under her pink hair. “Cousin-in-law.”
Ye Chuqing, whose acting had been sharpened lately, instantly put on a glowing smile. “What is it, Yaoyao?”
“You and my cousin Chen Shao are really getting married?”
“Yep.”
Qiu Yao leaned closer and whispered conspiratorially, “It’s not a fake marriage, is it?”
“......?”
“I’ve never seen my cousin like any girl. He’s never even mentioned one. This wedding came out of nowhere. I even heard you’re pregnant… Are you guys only marrying because of the baby, with no real feelings?”
With all the relatives nearby, Ye Chuqing was panicking inside—but she really didn’t like this so-called cousin. So she flashed her pearly whites and coolly jabbed back: “He never told you about us? Hmm, maybe he forgot? Though that’s odd—he tells everyone. I even have to remind him not to brag too much. Maybe he just didn’t think of you.”
“We’re actually super in love. Your cousin just couldn’t wait—he kept urging me to get the marriage license. We’ve had it for a month now, and now we’re doing the wedding.”
Qiu Yao: “……”
She didn’t say anything in return. Instead, her gaze lifted toward the doorway—where Chen Shao stood. No one knew when he had finished his cigarette or how long he had been standing there.
But judging from his expression, he’d heard everything Ye Chuqing had just said.
Ye Chuqing: “……”
Every time she put on a dramatic performance, Chen Shao just had to catch her in the act. She was starting to think marrying him would eventually cause her to cough up blood.
“Let’s go.”
Chen Shao said casually. He leaned against the doorframe, trying to hide the grin on his face. Then, cool as ever, he added a final touch: “Baby.”
Qiu Yao: “......”
Ye Chuqing: “???”
Well, that sure helped sell the whole performance.
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