Delicate Beauty in the Palm : Chapter 91 - Deserve an Oscar
Chapter 91: Deserve an Oscar
Ye Chuqing was almost choked by Chen Shao’s sudden “baby.”
She stood frozen in place for quite a while before reacting, until Old Master Chen said from the side, “Alright, you two should head back. Chuqing is pregnant, she should rest early. There’s still the wedding tomorrow.”
Ye Chuqing gave an “Oh,” and only then did she walk past Qiu Yao toward Chen Shao.
To play his role to the fullest, Chen Shao even reached his hand out to her. Ye Chuqing, for some reason, felt a bit nervous and stared at that hand for a while. Just as she was about to take it, Qiu Yao suddenly ran over and cut between them.
“Brother Chen Shao, I haven’t seen you in so long. Why are you leaving so early?”
Ye Chuqing watched as the hand that had been reaching out to her was lifted and placed on Qiu Yao’s shoulder instead, pulling her aside. Then Chen Shao said: “Because I’m getting married tomorrow.”
Ye Chuqing: “……”
In the end, she couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing, not sparing her dear cousin any face at all.
Chen Shao didn’t mind. After pushing Qiu Yao aside, he took Ye Chuqing’s hand again and continued the act: “Tired, baby?”
“…Not tired.”
The two said their goodbyes, and once the door closed, Ye Chuqing quickly let go of Chen Shao’s hand, drawing a clear line between them.
Chen Shao scoffed lightly and turned to glance at her teasingly. “Weren’t you just saying inside that I cling to you every day? Now you’re acting all distant.”
“I said you cling to me, not the other way around,” Ye Chuqing shot back immediately.
“Alright,” Chen Shao nodded, grabbing her hand again, “then I’ll cling to you.”
“?” Ye Chuqing was shocked. “You shameless jerk! We’re already outside—why are you still acting?!”
They had reached the car by now. Chen Shao chuckled and finally let go of her hand. They both got in
It was noisy on the streets—prime time for nightlife. Ye Chuqing had once been a full-fledged clubbing queen during her time abroad. Now, with the tables turned, she was the one going home early.
Staring out the car window for a while, she picked up her phone. Chen Die had sent her a message.
[Chen Die: What did Qiu Yao do?]
“......”
Ye Chuqing didn’t reply. She put away the phone, then after a moment, recalled Qiu Yao’s expression earlier and couldn’t help but laugh again.
At a red light, Chen Shao stopped the car and asked, “What’s so funny?”
“You, of all people—why does Qiu Yao like you so much?” Ye Chuqing asked. “She keeps calling you ‘Brother Chen Shao.’ What’s she even thinking?”
“Why bother with her? She’s just an idiot.”
Ye Chuqing rolled her eyes. “She even asked if we’re getting married just because of the baby. That girl acts all scatterbrained, but she better not go spouting nonsense to your grandfather.”
Chen Shao seemed unfazed and reassured her, “It’s fine. Honestly, if it comes down to it, you’re way more chaotic than she is. She can’t beat you.”
“......”
Back at home, it was the night before the wedding. They’d have to head to the hotel early to get ready—makeup, dress, all of it. Fortunately, after consulting a master, they were allowed to choose their own lucky time. They’d moved it back two hours, so they wouldn’t have to wake up too early.
The wedding dress had already been delivered. Although her bump wasn’t showing yet, just to be safe, she’d chosen a high-waisted design.
She’d tried it on once before. Now, the dress stood in the corner of the living room. Ye Chuqing stared at it for a while, then slowly shifted her gaze to the potted plant on the coffee table.
The “Top Fortune Stick” was still stuck in it.
“Come here,” Ye Chuqing grabbed his hand.
Chen Shao was about to change his shoes but got dragged over to the sofa. Ye Chuqing pointed at the fortune stick and said, “Come on, bow to it.”
Chen Shao: “…What?”
“Our wedding’s tomorrow. Let the stick bless us a little.”
“I told you before, praying to that stick isn’t as useful as praying to me,” Chen Shao raised an eyebrow, leaning against the sofa. “You nervous about marrying me tomorrow?”
Ye Chuqing would never admit it. She didn’t want to give him the upper hand: “What’s there to be nervous about? I’m just playing it safe.”
Chen Shao looked at her without saying anything.
After a few seconds, Ye Chuqing nodded and suddenly said, “Alright, let’s set some ground rules. Once we’re married tomorrow and everyone knows, we have to give each other face. Like with Qiu Yao—that’s fine, she’s your cousin—but there can’t be any other dumb girls like her. If you ever embarrass me like that—”
She paused briefly, then said quite sincerely: “I will definitely kill you.”
Chen Shao was quiet for two seconds, and Ye Chuqing flared up: “What, you think that’s hard to agree to?”
“No,” Chen Shao said. “It’s just that I thought that kind of thing should’ve been me saying it to you.”
“......”
Fair point. On second thought, Chen Shao had always been pretty clean. It was her who had a history of flirting with pretty boys.
Ye Chuqing knew she was in the wrong. She tossed out a “Well, applies to both of us,” then turned and headed upstairs.
That night, since the wedding was the next day, Ye Chuqing didn’t sleep well. Her dreams were messy and chaotic, though that “Top Fortune Stick” did keep appearing—like a magic staff holding everything steady.
Her parents had a great relationship. Huang Sheng had been the youngest actress to win Best Actress, and she left the film industry early to marry her father. It was only after giving birth to her that she stepped into behind-the-scenes work as a director.
Directing is actually a very demanding job—many male directors can’t handle it. Back then, Huang Sheng had been seen as the poster girl of rich wives in showbiz, someone whose hands never touched a drop of cold water. But when she worked, she became a total workaholic.
Growing up in such a family, Ye Chuqing turned out very well. Her personality also leaned more toward Huang Sheng’s.
She had a wide social circle and had dated a few times, but for some reason—maybe she just attracted jerks—none of those relationships ever worked out.
From childhood until now, Ye Chuqing had always stood out among girls her age, whether in looks, family background, academics, or career. She was used to being the subject of admiration—and envy. She had a strong personality and cared a lot about saving face. She couldn’t bear to imagine if something embarrassing happened in her marriage—just how cruel people’s comments would be.
Especially given her relationship with Chen Shao…
One was the chairman of Yiming Entertainment, the other the chairwoman of the film industry association. Even if they really broke up one day, they’d inevitably have to see each other in professional settings.
On the eve of the wedding, Ye Chuqing was already imagining what their divorce would be like.
She woke up and immediately called Chen Die.
Back when Chen Die had broken up with Wen Liang, her situation had been quite similar—still needing to see him at work. Ye Chuqing wanted to get some advice ahead of time.
It wasn’t until she heard Chen Die’s groggy voice that she suddenly realized—what time was it even?
She glanced at the clock. 1 a.m.
“What’s up?” asked Chen Die.
Before Ye Chuqing could say anything, she heard more noise on the other end, probably Wen Liang asking something. Then Chen Die replied, “It’s Chuqing,” followed by a rustling sound and some muffled noise.
Chen Die stepped out to the balcony. “Why are you calling so late? Don’t you have to get up early tomorrow? Wait—no, it’s already today.”
“I’m a little nervous,” Ye Chuqing said, leaning against the headboard.
“Why?” Chen Die paused. “Because of the wedding?”
“Yeah. The wedding’s tomorrow, and I actually dreamed about divorcing Chen Shao. Isn’t that super unlucky?”
Chen Die had already heard from Chen Shao about how Huang Sheng had dragged them around praying and burning incense. She chuckled, “Don’t overthink it.”
“You saw how those rich girls look at me—they already hate me. If Chen Shao ever cheats on me, I’d be too embarrassed to even show my face. And we’d still have to see each other at work.”
“…Honestly, I don’t think my brother’s that kind of person,” Chen Die said, with the clarity of an outsider. “You’re such a smart woman. If you really thought he’d do something like that, you wouldn’t have agreed to marry him.”
Ye Chuqing figured she must have been shaken up by the dream—thinking all sorts of irrational things.
She didn’t want to keep bothering Chen Die late at night and let her go back to sleep soon after.
Still, she couldn’t fall asleep. She sat in bed for a bit, then decided to go downstairs.
From the cupboard, she took out a bottle of peach-flavored drink she’d bought earlier, and leaned against the kitchen counter sipping it slowly.
Half a cup in, she started feeling hungry.
She and Chen Shao had never actually eaten in this new marital home, but the kitchen was fully equipped—even had an oven. The housekeeper came twice a week to stock the fridge with fresh groceries.
Luckily, the ingredients were still good.
Back when she was studying abroad, she’d picked up a bit of cooking. She pulled out a packet of noodles and an egg from the fridge, filled a pot with water, and turned on the stove.
Soon, the smell of food began wafting through the kitchen, and her hunger grew stronger. She stared at the floating egg drops and noodles, swallowing silently—until a sudden voice beside her said:
“What are you doing up this late?”
She hadn’t even turned on the light. The unexpected voice startled her so much she nearly knocked the pot over. She turned her head and saw Chen Shao leaning against the doorway in pajamas, his brows furrowed—probably woken up by the noise.
She blinked. “I was hungry.”
Chen Shao stood there for a moment, brows still furrowed—unclear if it was annoyance or just grogginess.
Ye Chuqing turned back to the stove and looked down at the pot. “Go back to sleep. I’ll head up after I finish eating.”
Chen Shao ignored her and stepped forward, pulling the long-handled chopsticks from her hands. His eyelids were drooping, and his voice was husky with sleep. “I’ll do it.”
He stirred the egg drops lazily with the chopsticks, yawning as he did.
Somehow, the restlessness Ye Chuqing had been feeling dissipated quite a bit. Standing beside him, she—wearing slippers—was a head shorter than Chen Shao and could clearly smell the scent of his body wash.
It smelled really good—clean and crisp.
She couldn’t help but sniff the air again. And again.
Chen Shao noticed and glanced down at her, eyes finally a bit more open. He teased, “That hungry, huh?”
“......”
Ye Chuqing immediately stopped sniffing.
If this guy figured out she was sniffing him, he’d never let it go.
The noodles finished quickly. Chen Shao nudged her aside, pulled a bowl from the cabinet, used the chopsticks to scoop the noodles in, and poured the broth on top.
Only then did Ye Chuqing remember to ask, “Do you want some?”
“No.”
Chen Shao grabbed a clean pair of chopsticks, picked up the bowl of noodles, and gave her a look as he walked out.
Ye Chuqing understood the meaning in his eyes: Who else is as troublesome as you?
“......”
But since she'd just eaten something he cooked, she couldn't really snap back. She hadn’t had a good sense of portion when cooking, and ended up making a full, heaping bowl. She even grabbed an extra set of utensils before following him out to the living room.
“You really don’t want any? I definitely can’t finish this by myself—have some,” Ye Chuqing said.
Chen Shao replied, “Who eats noodles at this hour instead of sleeping?”
“…Then you should go to bed.”
Chen Shao was the type to say one thing and do another. Despite his words, he had already pulled out the chair across from her and sat down. Then he split the noodles into two bowls—one for each of them.
A moment later, he went back to the kitchen and returned with a can of beer. He really did settle in for a proper midnight snack.
Ye Chuqing turned over the upside-down glass beside her. “Pour me some too.”
Chen Shao paused mid-action and looked at her.
Ye Chuqing quickly realized and took another sip of her peach juice. “Oh, I forgot I’m pregnant.”
He let out a short laugh. “What does being pregnant feel like?”
“When I’m not nauseous, I don’t feel much of anything. I often forget I’m even pregnant. I guess once my belly gets big in a couple of months, I won’t be able to forget.” Ye Chuqing answered casually.
They never turned on the lights. The dining table was near the bed, and the moonlight coming through the windows made it bright enough.
Chen Shao ate quickly, finishing his bowl in no time, while Ye Chuqing was still slowly picking at hers.
He leaned back in his chair, sipping his beer and watching her eat. After a while, he asked, “You didn’t fall back asleep?”
“I did, but I had a nightmare and woke up again.”
“What kind of nightmare?”
Ye Chuqing calmly replied, “The kind where you cheat on me and I kill you.”
“…What goes on in your head?” Chen Shao frowned, then joked, “That ‘Top Fortune Stick’ you got is still sitting at home. If I ever dared to cheat, I think even that monk would come after me.”
Ye Chuqing laughed. “Didn’t you say you don’t believe in that stuff?”
“Well, since you don’t believe it, I have to believe it just to balance things out.”
“Then can I believe in you?” she asked.
Chen Shao paused, leaned back in his chair, looked at her for a moment, then smiled and said, “I think you can.”
Maybe it was that sentence, or maybe it was the bowl of noodles, but Ye Chuqing’s restless heart finally began to settle. She held his gaze for a moment, then looked away and continued eating.
The large room quieted down, and the atmosphere gradually shifted into something subtle and ambiguous.
Only the faint sounds of noodles being slurped and beer being swallowed remained. After a long while, Ye Chuqing finished her noodles, pushed the bowl forward, and looked up—just in time to see Chen Shao’s Adam’s apple move as he took another gulp of beer.
“Don’t drink too much,” she couldn’t help saying.
“Hm?”
“Just seeing alcohol now gives me a knee-jerk reaction. It’s caused too many problems.”
Chen Shao replied, “You just asked me for a drink.”
“I was half-asleep! I haven’t had a drink in ages—I’m trying to be a better person. When I get drunk, I’m way too likely to do stupid shit.”
“Mhm.” Chen Shao nodded. “You really are pretty stupid when drunk.”
“......”
Whatever this was, maybe it was some kind of odd newlywed bonding ritual—boiling a simple bowl of egg-drop noodles in the early hours before the wedding and having an unexpectedly sincere conversation.
But finally, sleepiness returned to Ye Chuqing.
She stretched and said, “Let’s wash the dishes and get to bed.”
“I’ll do it,” Chen Shao said, taking both bowls. “You go sleep first.”
Ye Chuqing, confident in her pregnancy privilege, didn’t feel a shred of guilt. She thanked him and headed upstairs in her slippers.
Chen Shao brought the bowls back into the kitchen. It was his first time doing this, but washing a couple of dishes wasn’t hard—he finished quickly.
After washing his hands again, he stood for a while at the kitchen counter, eyes lowered. Then he suddenly remembered what Ye Chuqing had said earlier: When I get drunk, I’m way too likely to do stupid shit.
He let out a soft laugh.
Because of the whole late-night ordeal, the next morning they nearly overslept and almost missed their own wedding.
The wedding was held at a hotel. Both families had invited many guests, and the entire top floor banquet hall was booked.
Chen Shao had it easy—he just needed to change into a suit. Ye Chuqing, on the other hand, had to go through all the steps of getting her makeup done and putting on her wedding dress. Thankfully, it gave her an excuse to avoid having to greet guests.
Chen Die arrived early and immediately went to the dressing room to keep her company.
“Are you still nervous?” Chen Die asked, referring to the phone call in the middle of the night.
Ye Chuqing also found herself a bit strange. “Ah, not even a little bit now.”
The makeup artist sped up, and they managed to finish everything half an hour before the auspicious time.
With her makeup done and wedding dress on—an elaborate gown with a long train—there was no need to wear high heels to hide the pregnancy anymore. She just wore a pair of nearly flat shoes.
Bored with waiting, Chen Die went out for a walk with her.
Outside was the hallway, and further in was the banquet hall. Ye Chuqing was just stepping out for some air and had no intention of going into the hall.
But as soon as she stepped out, she saw Chen Shao standing not far away by a doorway. In front of him, someone was holding his hand and speaking excitedly.
Ye Chuqing: “…”
It was that same auntie who had previously tried to set the two of them up, now brimming with enthusiasm and talking to Chen Shao as if she were the matchmaker of the century.
In the two minutes Ye Chuqing spent out there for fresh air, she could already tell how much Chen Shao wanted to die.
Once the ‘matchmaker’ finally left, the punk girl Qiu Yao showed up too.
It was the first time Chen Die had seen her, so she paid closer attention and leaned in to whisper to Ye Chuqing, “How does Chen Shao even deal with a sister like that?”
“He can’t. He just calls her an idiot.”
“…Fair enough.”
Neither Qiu Yao nor Chen Shao noticed the two of them watching from the corner.
Chen Shao looked extremely annoyed. The punk girl tugged on his arm. “Where’s my cousin-in-law?”
“What do you want with her?”
“She said you’re super clingy with her now. I want to test you and see if you even know her well.”
Chen Shao’s acting had reached new heights. Without blinking, he pulled his arm away and said coolly, “Do I need your approval to like her?”
Chen Die: “…”
Ye Chuqing: “…”
From the corner, Chen Die turned to her, smirking. “What is even going on with you two?”
Ye Chuqing replied, “Our film committee owes your brother an Oscar.”
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