Delicate Beauty in the Palm : Chapter 96 - Wen Liang, Chen Die
Chapter 96: Wen Liang, Chen Die
It rained the night before Valentine’s Day. The ground was damp, and the air carried a chill mixed with the freshness of wet soil.
Today was the winter camp event at Wen Zhijing and Wen Zhiling’s kindergarten. Wen Liang drove the two of them to school. On the way, they passed by a flower shop.
“Daddy!” Wen Zhiling shouted, “Flowers!”
Wen Liang pulled the car over to the roadside. “What is it?”
“Want to buy flowers.”
Who knows where she had heard that flowers were a must on Valentine’s Day. She and Wen Zhijing hopped out of the car and ran into the shop.
Baby Ling wandered around the flower shop and picked up a vase containing a bunch of soft pink-and-white flowers, like hydrangeas. “Pretty.”
Wen Zhijing reminded her, “You’re supposed to buy roses on Valentine’s Day.”
The shop assistant nearby smiled and explained, “Those are geraniums. Very pretty.”
In the end, Wen Zhiling bought the bunch of geraniums, while Wen Zhijing picked a red rose.
The shop assistant glanced at the tall, lean man leaning by the door. He looked familiar. But seeing him so suddenly in real life, she couldn’t immediately connect him with Chen Die’s famously handsome husband from recent years. He was striking, rebellious, hard to approach—but the two little ones beside him softened that aloof aura.
She smiled and asked, “Sir, would you like to buy some flowers too?”
Wen Liang looked at the rows of colorful blooms in front of him. He raised his hand and gently pinched the petal of a red rose, still dewy with fresh spray.
The assistant said, “If you give your wife a bouquet of roses for Valentine’s Day, she’ll definitely be happy.” Then, following Wen Liang’s gaze, she added, “White roses are a bit special. They mean ‘I am worthy of you.’”
Wen Liang chuckled.
The shop assistant was momentarily dazed. The man’s smile suddenly made him seem much less cold. She watched as he reached into the flower bucket and pulled out a single white rose. “Please wrap a bouquet of these for me.”
“Of course.”
Wen Liang took out his wallet and casually asked, “How long has this flower shop been open?”
“I’m not the owner, so I’m not sure,” she replied with a smile. “But I think it’s been over ten years. It’s been here a long time.”
Then Wen Liang added, “Please also wrap a bouquet of lilies.”
The shop assistant blinked. “Huh? Sure.”
In the end, they walked out with a bouquet of white roses, a bouquet of lilies, a single red rose, and Baby Ling’s bunch of geraniums—a true haul. Even the assistant rarely saw customers buy so much.
After finishing the transaction and giving back the change, the assistant handed him a Valentine’s Day card from the shop. On it were the words: The flowers are always blooming.
“Wishing you a happy Valentine’s Day and a joyful life.”
Wen Liang murmured a faint thank you, but the two sweet kids beside him cheerfully chimed in, “Happy Valentine’s Day, big sister!”
After dropping the two little ones off at school, where their teacher was waiting with an umbrella at the gate.
Wen Liang watched them disappear up the steps before turning and leaving. He headed to Linqian Cemetery.
He didn’t come often—usually only when Chen Die brought it up. This time, he came solely because they’d passed by that flower shop.
Shen Yunshu used to own a flower shop at that same location. Later, when Wen Huaiyuan’s company ran into trouble, she sold the shop to raise funds.
Wen Liang hadn’t even been born at the time. He only learned about the location later and never really thought about visiting. But today, Baby Ling had rushed in to buy flowers, and things aligned by chance.
Wen Liang walked up the stone steps and stood quietly before the gravestone, looking at the woman’s photo. Then he bent down and placed the bouquet of lilies before it.
On the eve of Valentine’s Day, the cemetery was utterly quiet. No one else was around. The cold air drifted in, sliding down his neck.
“I don’t quite remember if lilies were your favorite. I might be wrong. But I brought them anyway, so just accept them for now.”
His voice was calm. “I haven’t thought about the past in a long time. Your grandkids make so much noise at home, and Chen Die and I are constantly dealing with them.”
Just as he finished speaking, his phone rang. The cheerful ringtone sounded jarringly out of place in the silent cemetery—and was completely unlike Wen Liang’s style.
His face darkened. He didn’t even need to look to know that Wen Zhiling and Wen Zhijing had tampered with his phone ringtone again.
He quickly answered. It was Chen Die.
Her side was a bit noisy. “Did you drop off Baby Jing and Baby Ling at school?”
Wen Liang’s tone softened instinctively. “Yes, just now. What’s up?”
“When are you coming home?”
Wen Liang chuckled lowly. “Right now.”
He didn’t linger any longer. After one last glance at the photos of Shen Yunshu and Wen Huaiyuan, he turned and left, driving home.
Today, Ye Chuqing had some free time and came over to Chen Die’s place to hang out. Naturally, Chen Shao came along too.
Chen Die wasn’t sure when it had started, but Ye Chuqing had recently developed a strong curiosity about fortune-telling and divination.
She had even bought quite a few books to study in detail. Every time Chen Shao brought it up, he looked utterly hopeless, filled with disdain. He couldn’t understand how someone who had once been a top student on a government-sponsored scholarship abroad could suddenly become obsessed with this kind of stuff.
But being a top student had its perks.
Even when dabbling in things like fortune-telling, she managed to make sense of it, speaking with authority—despite no one around her really believing it.
On this matter, Chen Die and Chen Shao were surprisingly united: neither believed a word of it.
“When I first filmed <Hairpin Flowers>, one of the crew members did a tarot reading for me. At that time, Wen Liang and I had just separated, and the reading said that my future partner would be a guy three years younger than me. Didn’t turn out to be true at all.”
Chen Shao, who never liked Wen Liang, said snidely, “That’s not certain. Maybe after you two get divorced, you’ll meet that younger guy.”
Chen Die picked up an apple from the coffee table and threw it at him. “Shut up already.”
Ye Chuqing waved her hand. “Tarot is Western stuff. It doesn’t apply. Here, give me your hand—I’ll read your palm.”
Chen Die: “...”
Chen Shao: “...”
“Aren’t you going to stop her?” Chen Die whispered quietly to Chen Shao.
Chen Shao shrugged. Since it wasn’t him being tortured, he was quite chill about it. He even reported her to Ye Chuqing: “Master Ye, she doesn’t believe in your abilities.”
Chen Die: “...”
These two really were a perfect match.
Ye Chuqing gave her a light slap on the back of her hand and warned, “Only with a sincere heart will it be accurate!”
Chen Die gave in, “Yes, Master Ye.”
Ye Chuqing held her fingertips, carefully examining the lines in her palm. “Your love line shows a major hurdle in life.”
With fortune-telling, people often scoff at it at first, but as soon as something vaguely mystical is said, they suddenly become curious and start digging deeper.
Chen Die leaned in to look as Ye Chuqing pointed out her palm lines and explained in detail—she really did know some jargon that sounded convincing.
Chen Die joked, “Master, is there a way to turn misfortune into safety?”
“Don’t worry, this hurdle shows up in the early part of your love line. I’m guessing it was when you met that bastard Wen Liang. Now that’s over. The rest of your life will be peaceful.”
“......”
“Master Ye, you’re amazing,” Chen Die exaggerated, flattering her. “Most fortune-tellers just speak in generalities, but you even guessed the name.”
Chen Shao added, “Of course. Master Ye is heaven’s chosen, spiritually gifted.”
Ye Chuqing finally realized the siblings were mocking her. She pushed Chen Die’s hand away. “Shoo, shoo, what do you two know?”
Chen Die laughed out loud.
Just then, the sound of a car door shutting came from outside. Chen Die immediately stood up. “That must be my misfortune arriving now.”
She went to open the door and was stunned when she saw Wen Liang walking up the steps holding a bouquet of roses. Roses and Wen Liang just didn’t go together.
Wen Liang reached her, smiled a little, and ruffled her hair. “Why are you spacing out?”
She felt the coldness in his palm—frosty from the chilly weather outside. She took his hand into hers to warm it. “Why’d you buy flowers?”
“Isn’t tomorrow Valentine’s Day?” Wen Liang stuffed the bouquet of white roses into her arms. “Here’s an early one for you.”
Chen Die hugged the flowers but narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “You’ve never had this kind of awareness before. Feeling guilty about something?”
Wen Liang let out a low scoff, took a step forward, and wrapped an arm around her waist.
The bouquet was squeezed between them. Worried it would get crushed, Chen Die quickly moved it to the side—just in time for Wen Liang to tilt her chin up and kiss her.
The chill he had brought from the cemetery instantly melted away in the warmth of her embrace.
Just then, Ye Chuqing’s voice called out from inside, “Hey! Are you two done being lovey-dovey at the door? Chen Shao and I haven’t dared make a sound!”
Earlier, Chen Die had only asked when he’d be home, but hadn’t mentioned they had guests.
Wen Liang paused mid-action. Chen Die pressed her lips together and quietly said, “Chuqing and the others are here too.”
“Mm.” Taking advantage of the entryway shielding them from view, he leaned down and planted a kiss on the tip of her nose before finally letting go.
Ye Chuqing turned her head from the sofa and saw Chen Die walking in, holding a huge bouquet of white roses. She immediately teased her.
Chen Die found a vase, arranged the flowers nicely, admired them, snapped a photo, then came back to sit beside Wen Liang.
“Oh right, you should have Chuqing read your palm,” she started coaxing him.
Wen Liang raised an eyebrow. “What?”
“Master Ye has recently had a spiritual awakening. She’s gotten really into this stuff,” Chen Die said.
Ye Chuqing punched her. “Chen Die, if you keep mocking me, I’m cutting ties! You never used to be like this—you must’ve been corrupted by Wen Liang.”
Chen Die soothed her with a few sweet words, then pulled Wen Liang’s hand over to offer it to Ye Chuqing.
Ye Chuqing studied his palm for a moment and said, “Well, according to this, your fate includes a benefactor—someone who will save you from disaster.”
Chen Die laughed as soon as she heard that. “I really can’t imagine who could possibly have the ability to be Wen Liang’s benefactor.”
This man used to be cold and arrogant. Although he’d mellowed a bit now, he still wasn’t exactly easy to deal with. Even if he did have a benefactor, that person would probably be angered to death by him.
Ye Chuqing gave her a sidelong glance and said slowly, “Maybe you’re the benefactor.”
“Huh?”
Chen Die thought about it and decided that was impossible. How could she be capable of saving someone from disaster?
But since this kind of thing was really just for fun, she didn’t press further and dropped the topic.
By evening, Ye Chuqing and Chen Shao had left.
Wen Zhijing and Wen Zhiling had been sent off to school, which made the usually noisy villa feel unusually quiet.
After dinner, Chen Die went upstairs to take a bath. Halfway through, Wen Liang burst in. With the kids gone for once, the man seemed to lose his mind. Things started in the bathroom and ended on the bed.
Afterwards, Wen Liang lay on top of her, covered in sweat.
That bath might as well have never happened.
But Wen Liang always seemed to love this kind of intimacy. Chen Die, feeling the weight of him on her, pushed his shoulder a couple of times, but he only moved slightly, symbolically.
At least she could still breathe, so she let it go.
She closed her eyes, exhausted from their earlier activity. She reached up and touched his hair—it had just been shaved short and felt a bit prickly.
The bedroom was quiet for a long time.
Wen Liang finally spoke: “I went to see my mom today.”
“Hm?” Chen Die paused. “Why today?”
“Zhiling was saying something about buying flowers for Valentine’s Day. We passed a flower shop on the way, so we went in. Turns out it was the same one my mom used to own before she sold it. I bought a bunch of lilies and went to see her.”
Chen Die remembered how cold he’d been when he got back—he must have stayed there for a while. She ran her fingers through his hair again. “That flower shop is still there after all this time? Where is it?”
Wen Liang lay on top of her, twirling a lock of her hair around his finger. “I’ll take you next time. But it’s probably been remodeled a few times—it won’t look the same.”
Chen Die hummed in acknowledgment, then added with a mutter, “So you weren’t buying flowers especially for me.”
Wen Liang laughed and kissed her neck. “You like them that much?”
“You never used to buy me flowers.”
“Want me to just buy the whole flower shop for you?”
“…You really don’t get romance at all.” Chen Die started pushing him again. “Get off me, go shower. You’re all sweaty.”
Wen Liang hugged her tighter. “Like you’re so clean. You’re sweaty too.”
“That’s your sweat on me!” Chen Die pinched him. “And you have the nerve to act innocent.”
He chuckled lowly and teased her, “I did most of the work. You just laid there and talked.”
“......”
This man was becoming more and more shameless.
Chen Die couldn’t take it anymore and kicked him off. This time, Wen Liang rolled to her side and grabbed her hand, interlacing their fingers.
After a while, maybe worried she’d catch a chill, he pulled the blanket over her.
Chen Die, drowsy and half-asleep, suddenly remembered what Chuqing had said earlier and chuckled. “But really, have you ever had a benefactor in your life before?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
Chen Die turned her head in surprise. “Seriously?”
Wen Liang looked at her, his eyelids forming a narrow crease. Maybe it was the soft lighting in the bedroom, but the scar on his temple wasn’t so noticeable. He looked a bit lazy. “Isn’t it you?”
“That was just something Ye Chuqing said offhand. I don’t have what it takes to live up to that kind of ‘saving someone from fire and water’ stuff. I was just trying not to make trouble for you back then.”
Wen Liang chuckled quietly. “You really underestimate yourself.”
“I’m just being honest.”
Chen Die didn’t know what kind of impact her sudden appearance had on Wen Liang back then.
At the time, Wen Liang had just left the army. He wasn’t interested in going home, nor in hanging out with his old crowd. Even though he was back in Yan City, it felt like he had nowhere to go. Then, right outside the train station, he met Chen Die.
After that, what had been a string of dull, meaningless days suddenly became something interesting.
He used to have a terrible temper. He made mistakes and caused trouble, to the point even his father, Wen Huaiyuan, couldn’t tolerate him anymore. Before he finished college, he was sent to the army to have his personality straightened out.
The army didn’t manage to change his nature—but Chen Die’s gentle persistence did. She reshaped him into a whole new Wen Liang.
He rolled onto his side and held her. “Lingling.”
No matter how many years had passed, Chen Die still felt her heart skip a beat every time he called her that. She replied softly, “What is it?”
“For the first twenty years of my life, I didn’t meet any benefactors. After my mom passed, I moved out to live alone in the western suburbs. It wasn’t until I met you that my life began to change.”
Chen Die turned her head to look at him, only to see that his eyes were closed. He had said all that in such a casual, offhanded way.
She opened her mouth, but in the end, didn’t say anything.
“Zhijing and Zhiling are also my benefactors, but they’re the ones you brought into my life.”
He let out a low laugh. “So if you think about it, aren’t you the one who saved me from fire and water?”
The next morning, Valentine’s Day.
Yesterday’s gloomy weather had suddenly turned sunny, with warm rays gently heating the earth.
The streets were bustling. Shops along the pedestrian street were decorated in soft pinks and pastels, and flower vendors lined the sidewalks, sweet-talking couples into buying their blooms.
Chen Die woke up late that day. Wen Liang had already gotten up, washed up, and gone downstairs, only to return shortly and sit by her bed. “What do you want for breakfast?”
Still groggy, Chen Die didn’t even register how rare it was for Wen Liang to offer to make breakfast. She just buried her head deeper under the covers and mumbled, “Anything’s fine.”
Wen Liang wasn’t exactly skilled in the kitchen, so he thought of the simplest things available in the fridge.
“Sweet rice balls?”
“Too greasy.”
“Dumplings?”
“We only have the celery and pork kind, and I don’t like celery.”
“How about noodles then?”
“Too fattening.”
Wen Liang frowned and said lowly, “Chen Die.”
Chen Die, all too familiar with his temper, pushed the blanket away, squinting as she glared at him like he’d wronged her. “Is this how you treat your benefactor?”
Wen Liang sighed. “Aren’t I asking what my benefactor wants for breakfast?”
That finally woke Chen Die up. “Is Aunt Zhang not here today?”
“She has something going on at home, so I gave her the day off.”
Chen Die was still in shock. “So you’re making breakfast yourself?”
“What do you think?”
“…Why so sudden?”
He smiled. “It’s Valentine’s Day, isn’t it?”
“Oh, I almost forgot. Today’s Valentine’s Day.”
Chen Die sat up, and the blanket slid off her shoulders. She was wearing a purple silk nightgown that accentuated her figure, revealing her pale, slender shoulders and collarbone—dotted with a few scattered, intimate red marks.
Wen Liang’s gaze darkened, and he leaned in to kiss her.
Chen Die, still unbrushed and unwashed, instinctively tried to dodge, but eventually just lay back down and let him kiss her.
When he finished, he asked softly again, “So, what do you actually want to eat?”
“Noodles, then.”
Since he was making it himself, she didn’t complain anymore.
After freshening up and heading downstairs, Chen Die’s phone buzzed a few times. It was the teacher from school posting pictures from the first day of the kids’ winter camp in the group chat.
Chen Die scrolled up and found photos of Zhijing and Zhiling.
Zhijing looked more like Wen Liang, while Zhiling resembled her. Anyone who saw them out in public couldn’t stop praising how beautiful they were.
Sitting at the dining table, Chen Die looked at the photos on her phone, then glanced toward Wen Liang in the kitchen with his cold expression as he cooked breakfast—and felt that this was probably as good as life could get.
Although it was Valentine’s Day, Chen Die’s current popularity made it impossible to go out freely. If she got recognized, she’d be surrounded instantly.
So the two of them stayed home and watched a movie together. Later in the evening, there was an awards ceremony to attend.
Fang Ruan called in advance to remind her, and the evening gown had already been delivered earlier.
As it got close to time, Wen Liang drove her to the venue for the ceremony.
The venue was packed. The awards ceremony coincided with a Valentine’s Day special event, and the entrance was jammed with reporters and fans. Looking out over the crowd, one could easily spot lightboards with Chen Die’s name raised high.
Wen Liang dropped her off at the main entrance.
The moment Chen Die stepped one foot out of the car, a barrage of camera flashes erupted, and the crowd of fans screamed with excitement—the noise was deafening.
By now, Chen Die could be considered a legend in the entertainment industry.
She had risen to fame with her very first major role, then secured the title of Best Actress with her second. She became a box office guarantee, and later, when she joined a parent-child variety show with Wen Liang, she became a variety show staple. Over the years, she’d managed to maintain her momentum.
And in terms of background, she had what few could dream of—her agency was owned by her family, and she married into an even wealthier household.
Wen Liang watched her enter the hall and, without making a public appearance, turned to enter from a different passage.
The seating for capital investors and actors was separate.
But since everyone already knew about their relationship, the organizers intentionally arranged their seats near each other, separated by only one corridor.
As soon as the camera swept across the hall, it caught both of them in the frame, and the live stream chat exploded—ever since the variety show ended, fans rarely got to see the two together. It was like knowing the candy was there, but never getting to taste it.
As the ceremony went on and neared its end, Chen Die’s name was announced—she had won an award.
The applause was like a tidal wave. Wen Liang clapped along with everyone else, watching Chen Die walk onto the stage and accept her trophy. All the cameras were trained on her.
Gradually, all other sounds faded for him—his eyes and heart were filled only with this dazzling, radiant Chen Die.
She had changed a lot compared to before, yet somehow hadn't changed at all. Because from the very first moment Wen Liang laid eyes on her, she had always been glowing.
By the time the award ceremony ended, it was already quite late.
The previously noisy venue had quieted down. Most of the attendees had already left. Chen Die went backstage to change out of her gown, and when she came back out, the grand hall was empty except for Wen Liang standing there.
The lights were dimmed. The glamour had faded. The flowers and applause were all gone.
Wen Liang stood lazily in the darkness, a cigarette in his mouth, glowing faintly red at the tip.
Chen Die ran over. “Let’s go.”
“Scarf,” he said.
“I don’t want to wear it. It’s not even cold outside.”
Wen Liang frowned, stubbed out the cigarette and threw it in the trash, then grabbed her hand and started walking.
“There’s still one hour left of Valentine’s Day,” Chen Die said, glancing at her phone. “Let’s go for a walk. There shouldn’t be too many people around here now.”
“Mm.”
Wen Liang responded, but still led her toward the parking lot.
Confused, Chen Die followed him, only to see him retrieve a scarf from the car and toss it into her arms.
“......”
So she had no choice but to put it on.
Outside, it was indeed quiet—no sign of the bustling crowd from just a few hours earlier. They strolled slowly to a raised platform outside the venue.
Wen Liang went across the street to a convenience store and bought two cans of beer. When he returned, Chen Die was already sitting on the platform, swinging her legs.
The wind blew her long hair back. Her scarf was loosely wrapped, clearly not properly worn, exposing a wide stretch of pale neck.
Wen Liang hopped up onto the platform as well, popped open a can, and handed it to her.
The cans had been jostled on the way, and when opened, the beer foamed over. Chen Die hurried to take a big gulp, the liquid wetting the corners of her mouth.
Wen Liang smiled as he looked at her, then leaned over to kiss the beer from her lips, flicking his tongue across them before opening his own can.
The wind brushed over them, turning their breath into mist as they spoke. Chen Die felt wonderfully happy.
She clinked her beer can against his. The impact made the beer overflow onto her hand, but she didn’t care. She tilted her head back and took another big swig.
Then she struggled to stand, balancing on the edge of the platform. She lifted her chin, stretched out her arms, and droplets from the beer bottle dripped down onto the nearby patch of grass.
The wind swept past again, blowing her scarf off her shoulders so it trailed down her back.
Wen Liang stayed seated, looking up at her. Under the brilliant starry sky, he couldn’t help but smile.
“What time is it now?” Chen Die asked.
Wen Liang glanced at his watch. “Eleven fifty.”
“There’s only ten minutes left of Valentine’s Day. Do you have anything you want to say to me?”
Wen Liang smiled but didn’t speak.
Chen Die knew all too well how stubborn he was and didn’t mind. She nodded. “Alright, then I do.”
She took another big gulp of beer, as if bracing herself like a warrior heading off to battle.
She smiled and lowered her head to look at him. “I love you, Wen Liang.”
Still, Wen Liang didn’t say anything, but his heart quieted completely.
“I used to never dare tell you I loved you, because I thought you’d never love me back.” Chen Die bounced excitedly on the platform. “But now I want to say it—I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you!!”
Wen Liang laughed out loud, watching her like she was a little maniac.
Time ticked on. Chen Die just stood there. The wind was strong, making her sway a bit. She finished the can of beer in a few big gulps, then ungracefully burped and sighed, “Ah, I really love you so much.”
Wen Liang’s gaze never left her. He couldn’t look away.
Eleven fifty-nine.
He stood up on the platform, too.
The two of them, like children, stood side by side on that platform.
If anyone saw them from afar, they’d probably say, those two drunks up there are crazy.
Wen Liang ruffled her hair, looked into the distance, and said softly, “I love you too. You are one of a kind in this world.”
His girl—was the most precious thing under the heavens, the guiding light through mountains and storms, radiant and irreplaceable.
How lucky he was, to have come all this way and never lost her.
We’ll keep walking together—always.
~~ The End ~~ See you next project~
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