Delicate Beauty in the Palm : Chapter 6 - Is It Your Place to Lecture Me?

April 10, 2025 Oyen 0 Comments

Happy Reading~

Chapter 6: Is It Your Place to Lecture Me?

 

After taking the medicine, the drowsiness brought on by its effects swept over her again.

 

Chen Die lay down and continued sleeping. Wen Liang took his pajamas, went to the guest bedroom to shower, and then returned.

 

Half-asleep, she vaguely felt herself being pulled into an embrace, his arm wrapped around her waist. The faint scent of tobacco, washed away but still lingering on him, surrounded her.

 

His body heat warmed her, making the atmosphere feel intimate, even carrying a hint of tenderness.

 

Then, a pair of dry, warm hands touched her forehead, then her face, gently tucking her hair behind her ear.

 

The next morning, when Chen Die woke up, she already felt much better.

 

After sweating it out last night, she took a shower and went downstairs in her robe.

 

Wen Liang was sitting at the dining table, a document in front of him, glasses perched on his nose.

 

Glasses usually gave people a studious impression, but on Wen Liang, they merely toned down his sharp edge, turning him into the perfect example of a ‘refined scoundrel.’

 

He was still at home at this hour?

 

Chen Die raised an eyebrow in mild surprise as she walked downstairs.

 

Hearing the movement, Wen Liang glanced up and signaled for Aunt Zhou to bring a thermometer.

 

Chen Die took it, flicked it a few times, and placed it under her tongue. She was just about to pull out a chair and sit down when Wen Liang grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his lap.

 

She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

 

Wen Liang simply locked one arm around her waist while using the other to check her forehead. “Feeling better?”

 

“Mm, I think the fever’s gone,” Chen Die mumbled around the thermometer.

 

He didn't say anything else, just let her sit in his lap, playing with her fingers.

 

Five minutes later, she took out the thermometer—her fever was indeed gone.

 

Wen Liang pulled a bowl of white porridge closer and placed a spoon in her hand. “No greasy food today.”

 

“How am I supposed to eat like this?”

 

Just as she lifted herself slightly to get off his lap, he pressed her back down again. Behind her, he chuckled.

 

His voice was naturally low and deep. The vibration of it resonated through his chest, passing onto her. “Stay for a while.”

 

Chen Die turned to look at him but could only sigh and continue eating while sitting on his lap.

 

Aunt Zhou came out of the kitchen with two small plates of side dishes, setting them on the table. Seeing Wen Liang in such a good mood, she chuckled. “Miss, plain porridge alone is too bland. Add some of this for flavor.”

 

Aunt Zhou had followed Wen Liang from the Wen family’s main estate. She had taken care of him since he was young, witnessing countless episodes of his temper. Now, seeing the young master holding Miss Chen so affectionately during breakfast, how could she not be emotional?

 

Even heroes fall for beauty.

 

She had never seen Young Master Wen with such an expression before.

 

Chen Die thanked her, scooped a spoonful of the side dish into her porridge, and asked casually, “Aren’t you going to the office today?”

 

“I will, later,” Wen Liang said flatly. “Want to come with me?”

 

Chen Die shot him a look that clearly said, ‘Are you crazy?’ and declined without hesitation. “No.”

 

To avoid any awkward run-ins with the Chen family, Chen Die rarely appeared in public with Wen Liang. Wen Liang himself didn’t like people staring at her, and the business world had its fair share of dirty tactics.

 

Because of this, almost no one knew about them.

 

Wen Liang didn’t press her. He gave her a light pat on the hip. “Get up.”

 

Chen Die stood up.

 

He went upstairs, put on a suit, tied his tie, and came back down. “I'm leaving.”’

 

Chen Die was focused on eating and didn’t look up, only responding with a simple ‘Mm.’

 

Maybe Wen Liang didn’t hear her, or maybe for some other reason, but he walked over to her again. She looked up, blinking. “What is it?”

 

She was naturally a beauty, and under the silver-white spaghetti-strap nightdress, her skin looked even fairer. Her slender shoulders and neck were exposed, and just above her right collarbone was a faint bite mark—his mark, though it had faded significantly.

 

Wen Liang stared at her, his Adam’s apple moving slightly. Then, without warning, he leaned down.

 

His tongue flicked across the corner of her lips.

 

Chen Die froze, her eyes widening. At this close distance, her dark lashes nearly brushed against his cheek.

 

Straightening up, Wen Liang said, “You’re an adult, yet you still manage to get porridge on the corners of your mouth.”

 

Chen Die: “…”

 

…And you can just lick it off like that?

 

She was stunned. Even though they had been together for a long time, Wen Liang rarely kissed her outside of intimacy, let alone now, while Aunt Zhou was still standing right there.

 

From the corner of her eye, she saw Aunt Zhou lowering her head, looking prim and proper, though the smile at the corners of her mouth was hard to hide.

 

Wen Liang wiped his lips with a tissue and walked out.

 

Chen Die finished her bowl of porridge, and Aunt Zhou quickly cleared the table. As she was about to leave the kitchen, Chen Die noticed the soup tureen left behind and picked it up for her.

 

“Oh, let me do it,” Aunt Zhou hurriedly took it from her and smiled. “Miss, will you be having lunch at home? What would you like to eat?”

 

“No need. I’ll be heading out later,” Chen Die said. “After cleaning up, you should take a break.”

 

“Are you going to see the young master? I know what he likes to eat. I can make something for you to bring him,” Aunt Zhou said with a warm smile. “He'll definitely be very happy to see you delivering it.”

 

“......”

 

Chen Die didn't understand why, but Aunt Zhou had always acted like an overenthusiastic CP fan.

 

But to Wen Liang, she was just an attractive woman with a personality that suited his tastes.

 

“No,” Chen Die said awkwardly. “I'm going to school.”

 

“Oh, still busy with things in your senior year?”

 

 “Not really,” Chen Die smiled. “Just going to see my professor.”

 

Chen Die's professor was one of the top mentors at the film academy. Many well-known A-list and B-list actors had been trained by her, and even scriptwriters and directors had to respectfully call her ‘teacher.’

 

Ying Shu had a love-hate relationship with Chen Die. She had an extraordinary gift for acting, full of raw talent and charm, but she was also too aloof. She had even turned down offers from web dramas before.

 

Her professor admired her talent but was also frustrated that she didn’t cherish it enough.

 

“You're here.” In her office, Ying Shu lifted her gaze.

 

She was in her sixties now, yet she still carried the aura of an artist.

 

“Yes, professor.”

 

“I heard you auditioned for Director Feng’s project yesterday?” Ying Shu asked.

 

Chen Die paused. “You already know?”

 

“I’ve known Feng Zhi for years. He came to ask me about you last night. I sent him a few of your past exam performance videos,” Ying Shu took a sip of tea. “Seems like he really likes you. Your chances are pretty high.”

 

Chen Die couldn’t help but smile. “Really?”

 

“Why would I lie to you?”

 

Ying Shu looked at her. The joy in Chen Die's eyes was genuine. She truly loved acting, though she always seemed a bit distant about it. “I don't think I've ever asked you this before,” Ying Shu said.

 

Chen Die tilted her head. “Asked what?”

 

“Why did you choose acting in the first place?”

 

Chen Die held her breath for a moment.

 

Why did she choose acting?

 

Because of Wen Liang.

 

Back in high school, she saw Wen Liang as someone distant and unattainable, like a figure bathed in light. She couldn’t help but want to reach out, to see if she could get closer to him.

 

She wanted to shine. She wanted him to notice her.

 

But now, that wasn’t the reason anymore.

 

Now, she just wanted to prove that she could shine on her own.

 

Or maybe, deep down, she still wanted him to see it—to look at her in a new light.

 

“Because I wanted to stand in front of the camera,” Chen Die said. “I wanted to hear people's praise and be liked by others.”

 

Ying Shu nodded with a smile. “As long as you have that desire, that's enough.”

 

She pulled open a drawer and handed over a copy of Chen Die’s thesis. “I've already submitted this for publication. The quality is solid—no problem getting it published.”

 

“Thank you, professor.”

 

After leaving the office, Chen Die called Xia Ying to go to the cafeteria for lunch. Just as she stepped outside, she received a message from Wen Liang.

 

Wen Liang: [Didn’t eat at home?]

 

Chen Die: [Had lunch at school.]

 

Wen Liang: [You’re still recovering. Don’t run around too much. When are you coming home?]

 

Chen Die: [Heading back now.]

 

She slipped her phone back into her pocket.

 

Xia Ying was on the phone with her boyfriend.

 

Her boyfriend had been accepted into a university in the America and would be leaving in October. He had gone back to his hometown in the south for a few days, so the two of them were squeezing in as many phone calls as possible.

 

Chen Die thought back to her own relationship with Wen Liang. It didn’t seem like they had ever gone through a ‘honeymoon phase.’

 

As she stepped out of the cafeteria, a distant whistle caught her attention, followed by a familiar voice. “Hu Die—!”

 

Only a few close friends called her by that nickname. Recognizing the voice instantly, Chen Die looked up in its direction. “When did you come back?”

 

Xia Ying finally ended her call with her boyfriend, grinned, and pointed at Fang Jiamao with dramatic enthusiasm. “Traitor!”

 

Fang Jiamao had been Chen Die’s high school classmate. He had attended the finance university across from their school, and through a twist of fate, he had also become friends with Xia Ying.

 

But he had left for an exchange program abroad in his junior year.

 

Fang Jiamao stuck his head out of the car window. “Just got back yesterday! Want to hang out?”

 

“I'm gonna pass,” Xia Ying shook her phone. “My boyfriend just arrived. I need to go pick him up.”

 

After a few more words of small talk, she hailed a taxi and headed off.

 

Fang Jiamao looked at Chen Die. “What about you?”

 

“If Yingying’s not going, why should I?”

 

“Damn.” Fang Jiamao cursed. “I swear, you’re really heartless, Chen Die. I came here just to pick you up.”

 

“Pick me up?”

 

“It’s actually a high school reunion. Since you never joined the group chat, A-Pang and the others asked me to come get you.”

 

“What would I do at a high school reunion?”

 

Chen Die never joined the high school group chat thanks to Chen Shuyuan. She was the admin, and every time someone added Chen Die, she got kicked out again.

 

“It’s just a small gathering of close friends, none of those so-called ‘princes and princesses.’ I have zero interest in catering to them.” Fang Jiamao said.

 

Back in high school, even though Wen Liang had warned Chen Shuyuan, stopping her from messing with Chen Die directly, many of Chen Shuyuan’s friends still banded together to ostracize her.

 

Fang Jiamao was one of the few rare friends she had back then.

 

He glanced around. Several passing students were stealing glances at them. “Hurry up, campus beauty. If you don’t get in the car soon, I’m gonna get stared to death.”

 

“I was just about to head home.” Chen Die replied.

 

Fang Jiamao shrugged. “Then I’ll drop you off. Where do you live now?”

 

“…” Chen Die hesitated for two seconds. She didn’t want to say where she was living, so she simply turned and got in the car.

 

“You sure that idiot Chen Shuyuan isn’t coming?”

 

Fang Jiamao held up four fingers. “I swear on my ridiculously handsome face.”

 

“Alright.”

 

Fang Jiamao glanced sideways. “So, we’re going?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

He started the car, driving out of the school gates. After a while, he chuckled, looking at Chen Die. “You really haven’t changed at all.”

 

When Chen Die had first transferred to their school, Fang Jiamao had two impressions of her: pretty and soft. She never fought back, even when the spoiled rich girls in class bullied her.

 

But at some point, that pretty but dull face of hers had started to shine with pride. Every frown, every smile became captivating.

 

Just like now.

 

Fang Jiamao and the others had planned to meet at a newly opened club.

 

He picked up the room key at the front desk and took the elevator up with Chen Die.

 

“I ran into Zhang Fang yesterday—the guy who had a crush on you, that chubby one. He said you’re living the high life these days. Campus belle, a bit of internet fame?” Fang Jiamao laughed. “I had no idea about any of this.”

 

“That was ages ago.” Chen Die lifted her eyes lazily. “It’s been two or three years since all that.”

 

With a ding, the elevator doors slid open.

 

Chen Die, still lost in thought, lowered her eyes, preparing to step out. But Fang Jiamao remained standing still at the entrance.

 

Still looking down, Chen Die wasn’t paying attention until Fang Jiamao impatiently furrowed his brows. “Ever heard of letting people out before going in?”

 

She lifted her gaze—only to see Wen Liang.

 

Stunned. But Wen Liang barely spared her a glance before shifting his eyes to Fang Jiamao. His gaze was laced with contempt and amusement. With a cigarette between his lips, he exhaled a breath of smoke, then suddenly smirked. “And who are you to be lecturing me?”

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