Delicate Beauty in the Palm : Chapter 4 - Want to come with me?
Chapter 4: Want to come with me?
Early the next morning, the first rays of sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains, casting a streak of light and shadow on the pristine white duvet.
At some point during sleep, Chen Die had turned over and was now facing Wen Liang. The moment she opened her eyes, she was met with his face, magnified in her view.
His black hair was cropped short, his jawline sharp and smooth. His upper body was bare, revealing well-defined muscles on his chest and arms. Aside from the scar on his brow bone, there was also one near his ribs.
Chen Die didn’t know much about it, only that Wen Liang’s father had found him too unruly and sent him to the military for training when he was in his twenties. That was likely where he’d gotten the scars.
His arm was draped around her waist, radiating warmth. Chen Die gently moved his hand away, turned over, and went back to sleep.
By the time she woke again, the spot beside her was already empty.
Yawning, she slowly sat up and shuffled into the bathroom in her slippers.
In the mirror, she saw herself in a silver camisole nightdress, its delicate straps resting on her slender shoulders.
But after last night’s tossing and turning, the dress was now wrinkled and crumpled. There was also a glaring red mark on her shoulder—
Chen Die frowned. Wen Liang had bitten her.
Like some damn dog.
She changed into fresh clothes and went downstairs, but Wen Liang was already gone. Checking her phone, she saw that it wasn’t even eight o’clock yet.
Normally, if they stayed together, they would leave together in the morning, with Wen Liang dropping her off at school or wherever she needed to go.
The driver approached as soon as he saw her step out, taking her bag. “Mr. Wen had a meeting this morning, so he left for the company with Assistant Zhu.”
Pausing for a moment, as if worried she might be upset, he added, “He originally wanted to take you to school first, but the meeting was urgent.”
Chen Die simply hummed in acknowledgment and got into the car.
It was the last month of her senior year, and with no more classes, she was only going to campus today to attend the screening of the promotional film she had acted in.
Lu Chuan had high standards for filming, and the project had gone past its deadline. They had no choice but to edit while still shooting, rushing to hold the screening the day after filming wrapped up.
The driver pulled up at the entrance of the art hall.
“Miss, what time should I pick you up?” the driver asked.
“No need,” Chen Die replied. “I’ll head back on my own.”
Xia Ying was already waiting at the entrance.
The moment she saw Chen Die, she blurted, “Did you check the forum?”
“Hm?”
Chen Die had been so worn out last night that she had completely forgotten about it, even leaving that half-typed message to Lu Chuan unsent.
“What happened?”
Xia Ying grinned mischievously and winked. “Unbelievable. This is the most satisfying slap in the face I’ve seen in my twenty-something years.”
Chen Die raised an eyebrow.
Xia Ying continued, “Lu Chuan spoke up for you in that post. His ID was dug up by fans before, so everyone knows it’s him.”
Chen Die paused, suddenly remembering her unsent message.
Xia Ying smirked and recited Lu Chuan’s words: ‘Please do not spread or believe false rumors. Junior Chen Die is not that kind of girl. She was serious and professional throughout the filming process. She and her boyfriend are deeply in love, so please refrain from smearing her reputation. It’s unethical and constitutes defamation.’
After reciting the entire post, Xia Ying slapped Chen Die’s shoulder excitedly. “That was so satisfying! Everyone at the celebration banquet knows that post was made by Chen Shuyuan. Imagine getting publicly humiliated by your crush—r-e-l-a-x-!”
Lu Chuan was a legend at their school.
It was well known that becoming a director was one of the hardest career paths. Every year, countless students graduate from the directing program, but Lu Chuan was the only one who had achieved so much at such a young age.
On top of that, he was handsome and refined, making him the heartthrob of more than half the girls in the school.
His statement completely turned the narrative of the forum thread around.
Once Chen Die’s ‘false accusations’ were cleared, the discussion veered off course and became a gossip session about Lu Chuan instead.
And at the center of the gossip was, of course, Chen Shuyuan—the wealthy heiress infamous throughout the school for her arrogance and bad temper, who had been secretly in love with Lu Chuan for years but to no avail.
Everyone knew she and Chen Die didn’t get along. If she saw Lu Chuan’s response, she was probably fuming right now, haha.
[How can two people with the same surname be so different? (Funny)]
[I’m starting to think Chen Shuyuan really was the one who made this post!]
[Upstair+1!!]
[If it really was her, that’s just tragic!!! Also, it’s obvious that the photo was taken by a classmate who was there. So doesn’t that mean Lu Chuan just publicly humiliated Chen Shuyuan?]
[The rich princess who looks down on everyone still couldn’t get her dream guy, just like the rest of us. (Shrug)]
……
“And then, half an hour later, the post was deleted by the original poster!!” Xia Ying finished recounting last night’s entire forum drama with great enthusiasm.
Chen Die chuckled, glancing at her. “How late were you up last night reading all this?”
“Three in the morning,” Xia Ying yawned. “I had to spend ages covering my dark circles with concealer this morning.”
They walked into the screening hall and found their seats.
Chen Die took out her phone, deleted the half-written message from yesterday, and sent a simple [Thank you] to Lu Chuan.
At the moment, Lu Chuan was at the front of the hall, making final adjustments.
Several professors and student representatives were seated in the audience.
“By the way, did you and your boyfriend make up?” Xia Ying asked.
“Yeah.”
Xia Ying gave a knowing nod. “I figured. With someone as gorgeous as you as his girlfriend, who would dare stay mad at you? He probably ran back to beg for forgiveness.”
Yeah, like hell Wen Liang would ever do that, Chen Die thought to herself.
They had been together long enough to have their fair share of arguments, but Wen Liang had a stubborn temper. At best, he would hold her in a half-forced embrace and mutter a few awkwardly sweet words with a burning face.
Most of the time, he simply remained aloof, and their fights would naturally pass by naturally.
Xia Ying scanned the hall. “Looks like Chen Shuyuan didn’t show up. Not surprising—if I were her, I wouldn’t have the face to come either.”
Chen Die teased, “You and your boyfriend are practically married already, right?”
Xia Ying had also studied acting, but she had only chosen the major for fun and had no plans to enter the entertainment industry. Her relationship with her boyfriend was stable.
“Not yet. He’s going abroad to study first.”
“You’ll get married after he returns?”
Xia Ying hummed in agreement, then paused before asking, “What about you? If you’re planning to be an actress, staying single might be better. Are you going to have a secret marriage with your big-shot boyfriend?”
Chen Die smiled, tilting her head back lazily. “I’ll probably break up with him after graduation.”
Xia Ying hadn’t expected that. Her eyes widened in shock. “Why?!”
She suddenly remembered the message Chen Die had sent her yesterday when she returned to Yan City. At the time, she thought it was just a joke.
“Is it because of your career?” she asked softly.
“That’s not the reason.” Chen Die chuckled. “I just don’t want to lose myself for him anymore.”
Besides, their relationship had always been based on a contract—set to last only until graduation.
Xia Ying felt a pang of emotion. Back when Chen Die was a freshman, she had gone viral for a set of photos. There were so many people confessing to her outside the dorm that they lost count.
But she had simply said one thing: ‘I already have a boyfriend.’
Later, people noticed that a black Bentley would occasionally come to pick her up from campus. Rumors spread that the man in the car was her mysterious boyfriend, dashing the hopes of many admirers.
But he never stepped out of the car, and no one had ever seen what kind of person he was.
Xia Ying had been Chen Die’s close friend for four years and had always thought she was a cool and independent person. Even now, it was hard to imagine her losing herself for a man.
Curious, she suddenly asked, “How did you and your boyfriend meet?”
It had been so long since Chen Zhe heard that question that, for a brief moment, she felt dazed.
“We met when we were really young,” she said with a small smile. “After that, everything just… fell into place.”
Chen Die would probably never forget the first time she met Wen Liang.
It was a chilly night, and behind her, a rowdy group was making a ruckus.
She sat alone, crouched at a bus stop in front of the train station.
Six years ago, the Yan City train station had yet to be renovated. Fluorescent cylindrical lamps stood along the roadside, attracting swarms of insects.
Chen Die wore her school uniform—a skirt that reached her knees. Her calves were covered in mosquito bites.
She reached out to scratch them, then hugged her knees again, lowering her gaze.
Every turning point in her life happened on that day.
A fleet of cars had suddenly arrived in her small town earlier, an imposing procession that made its way in and knocked on her adoptive parents’ door.
They told them that she was a blood relative of the Chen family in Yan City. A hospital mistake had led to her being sent to an orphanage and later adopted into this small town.
What an absurd thing.
Before she could process it, she was taken to Yan City.
The moment she stepped out of the train station, she saw the girl who had been switched with her at birth—the real daughter of the Chen family—crying and making a scene, threatening to die if they didn’t send her back.
That girl was Chen Shuyuan.
After all, sixteen years of upbringing had fostered deep feelings, even if they weren’t related by blood.
Meanwhile, Chen Die was like a commodity, sold off by her adoptive parents. A group of strangers now stood behind her, deciding her fate.
In this unfamiliar city, she squatted at the bus stop in front of the station, feeling like she didn’t belong anywhere.
Suddenly, she heard dragging footsteps. A small stone rolled to her feet, bumping against her white sneakers.
She looked up and saw a boy standing before her.
Chen Die had never seen a boy this good-looking in her hometown.
He stood under the streetlight—tall and lean, with a buzz cut, sharp features, and dark eyes. A military cap hung loosely from his index finger, exuding an air of casual defiance.
Yet, the light behind him formed a halo around his head.
A word surfaced in Chen Die’s mind: God.
The boy’s gaze landed on her, then flicked past her shoulder before he took a long stride forward.
She remained crouched while he stood. A contrast of looking up and looking down.
He towered over her, observing for a moment before leaning in and blowing a puff of smoke into her face.
The acrid scent stung her nose. She frowned instantly, barely holding back a cough, when she heard him speak. “Want to come with me?”
His voice carried a lazy drawl, deep and magnetic, drifting into her ears on the summer night breeze.
Chen Die’s dark eyes locked onto him. The clamor behind her faded into the distance.
She nodded, her voice timid. “Okay.”
The boy straightened up and let out a chuckle—mocking, perhaps, or just indifferent.
“Then let’s go.”
He turned and walked away without so much as a backward glance, his posture relaxed, his frame tall and slender.
Chen Die glanced behind her. The girl named Chen Shuyuan sat on the ground, wailing, surrounded by people comforting her.
Then, she turned back, tentatively taking a step toward the boy’s retreating figure. The next steps came more naturally.
She followed behind him.
He lit another cigarette, holding it between his fingers.
They hadn’t gone far when a voice suddenly shouted from behind. “Chairman Chen! The girl is leaving!”
Before Chen Die could react, the boy grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward. She nearly stumbled.
The two of them bolted through the streets, the wind slicing past her face and ears. She couldn’t keep up, but he dragged her along anyway.
He didn’t stop until they reached a street corner, where a gleaming motorcycle was parked.
A helmet was shoved onto her head, the strap scraping against her cheek, leaving a stinging sensation.
Just as the Chen family’s cars caught up, the boy revved the motorcycle and sped off.
Chen Die screamed, eyes squeezed shut. Her hands instinctively clutched his clothes. It wasn’t until the initial tremors subsided that she dared to open her eyes.
The city sprawled before her—an intricate web of roads, elevated highways twisting overhead. Neon lights illuminated the night, making it as bright as day, leaving no room for stars.
The helmet limited her view, so she tilted her head to catch a glimpse of the boy.
She thought, People in the city sure are good-looking.
The blaring horns of the cars behind them gradually faded. The motorcycle came to a stop by the river.
Chen Die remained frozen in place until the boy turned his head. “Aren’t you getting off?”
That was the third sentence he had spoken to her. “Oh,” she mumbled hastily and scrambled off the bike, nearly tripping.
The boy swung his long legs over, stepping down. With a flick of his fingers, he pulled the military cap over his head, pressing down on the brim. He leaned against the motorcycle, lowering his gaze to look at her. “Chen family’s daughter?”
Chen Die was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting him to know that. She hesitated before nodding. “I think so.”
“You don’t even know who I am, yet you just followed me?” The boy scoffed, taking a deep drag of his cigarette before commenting, “Idiot.”
“I don’t like them,” Chen Die whispered, then couldn’t help but defend herself. “I’m not stupid.”
The boy obviously couldn’t be bothered to respond. His gaze drifted toward the river, and he only spoke again after finishing his cigarette. “You didn’t bring any luggage?”
Chen Die froze, then let out an exasperated “Ah!” “I left it at the station.”
The boy glanced at her. “Now tell me you’re not an idiot.”
“......”
That night, Chen Die—having lost both her ID and her suitcase—ended up following the boy home.
He lived alone. The house was grand—far more luxurious than even the town mayor’s home back where she was from.
But the Chen family quickly found out who had taken their biological daughter. If it had been anyone else, it might have been fine. But it just had to be him—that lunatic.
No one could reason with him. When he got ruthless, he didn’t care about consequences.
The Chen family came to take her back, standing at the front gate. The boy tilted his head at Chen Die. “Ask her if she wants to go back.”
Chen Die was surprisingly obedient. She shook her head immediately.
“See that?” He smirked, arrogant and defiant.
The Chen family members shouted, “How is it acceptable for my daughter to be living with a lunatic like you? How are we supposed to face anyone after this? If you don’t hand her over, I swear I’ll—”
Before he could finish, the boy’s smile vanished. Without warning, he kicked over a flowerpot sitting on a stone pedestal, his sudden outburst chilling. “Try it,” he said coldly.
The Chen family came a few more times after that, but in the end, for the sake of their reputation—and because their other daughter threw such a fit—they decided to just let it go.
To outsiders, all they knew was that there was now a girl by his side. No one realized that she was the Chen family’s lost daughter.
It wasn’t until later that Chen Die learned his name—
Wen Liang.
“Wen Liang.” She repeated it over and over.
He would never know that back when she was in school, her notebooks were filled with those two words—Wen Liang—scribbled over and over.
It was all so long ago.
Chen Die leaned her head against the chair, letting out a soft breath.
So long ago that she could barely remember just how much she had once liked Wen Liang.
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