Delicate Beauty in the Palm : Chapter 1 - Scumbag
Chapter 1: Scumbag
Early Summer. A light drizzle had just ended, leaving the air damp with the scent of moisture and dust—old and humid—only to be dried again by the evening sun.
“Cut!” Lu Chuan called from behind the camera. “That’s a wrap!”
Everyone let out a breath of relief. Someone jumped up from behind the camera, shouting, “I’ll go inform the professor that we’re done here!”
Chen Die wiped the sweat from her forehead with a tissue, then was quickly pulled aside to take the wrap-up photos.
Though they called it a wrap, it wasn’t exactly one.
This wasn’t a formal film production but rather a promotional short for the 80th anniversary of her film academy. As the campus belle, Chen Die was cast as the lead actress.
The project had received significant attention from the school, along with generous funding—even securing Lu Chuan as the cinematographer.
Lu Chuan had high standards for filming. He had even flown to Europe for location shoots, only returning two days ago to reshoot a few missing scenes.
“Come on, our leading lady in the center!” A junior classmate nudged her forward.
Chen Die wore a black spaghetti-strap dress, slim yet curvaceous in all the right places. Her waist and thighs were taut without any excess, her shoulder blades elegantly defined, and her fair skin seemed to glow.
A natural beauty.
Her professors had often said that her sharp, flawless features—distinct yet uniquely her own—were made for the silver screen.
And they weren’t wrong. The film academy had no shortage of beautiful people, but while beauty was common, beauty with a distinctive style was rare. Chen Die belonged to the latter.
She carried a cool, aloof aura, proud and untamed, yet underneath it all, there was a hint of softness, a touch of allure—not overbearing, but subtly present in her every movement.
Once the wrap-up photos were taken, the group prepared to return to Yan City.
Chen Die went to the restroom to change into her own clothes, then grabbed her large suitcase and stepped down the stairs.
Lu Chuan was by the tour bus doing a headcount. Seeing her struggling with the luggage, he strode over and offered, “Let me help.”
“It’s fine, it’s not that heavy.”
Just as she finished speaking, a female voice called out behind her—
“Senior!”
Even without turning around, Chen Die knew exactly who it was. She rolled her eyes and looked up at Lu Chuan.
Lu Chuan’s lips curled in amusement. Chen Die hesitated for a moment before flashing a bright smile and handing him the suitcase. “Thanks, Senior. I’ll head up first.”
She picked a single-seat spot and tossed her backpack at her feet. Her phone vibrated with two new messages.
It was from her best friend, Xia Ying.
[Heard the school’s promo shoot is done?]
[Come out tonight! You’ve been in Europe for half a month—I’ve missed you!]
Chen Die smirked. Overhearing her classmates discussing a celebration once they reached Yan City, she replied:
[Might go to a bar tonight. You should come.]
[Okay, send me the address when you confirm.]
[Wait, you’re actually going? I thought your big boss would summon you to serve him right away.]
Chen Die narrowed her eyes, typed a single word—[Scram]—then deleted it.
[We fought. No ‘serving’ anyone. I’ve been exiled to the cold palace.]
Xia Ying was surprised. She sent a voice message: “You guys still haven’t made up? It was just a promo shoot, and he’s still mad? He hasn’t even tried to coax you after all these days? Any guy who doesn’t cherish our goddess is just a damn scumbag!”
Chen Die had just finished listening when Chen Shuyuan walked onto the bus, clinging to Lu Chuan’s arm.
“Senior, let’s sit here!” She pointed to a seat.
Lu Chuan gave a neutral hum and sat down first. Chen Shuyuan shot Chen Die a glare before taking her seat.
Chen Die lazily accepted the glare and turned her attention back to Xia Ying’s voice message. After a moment, she replied:
[You’re right. That’s why I’ve decided to break up with him.]
Xia Ying froze, unable to tell whether she was serious or just joking. Before she could ask, Chen Die sent another message.
[I’m taking a nap.]
She slept straight through the ride, only waking when the bus reached Yan City. Outside the window, the night was deep, and the neon lights of a bar called ‘Wild’ flickered in the dark.
Looking down, she spotted Xia Ying waving eagerly at her.
Chen Die quickly got off the bus, dragging her suitcase with her. She ran up to Xia Ying and asked, “Did you get the address from them?”
Xia Ying punched her lightly. “Obviously! Even if you weren’t awake in time, I knew you’d come anyway.”
The bar was dimly lit and lively, and when their group of stunning young men and women walked in, heads turned.
Xia Ying wrinkled her nose. “Chen Shuyuan’s still clinging to Lu Chuan? She’s been chasing him since freshman year and still won’t give up.”
Chen Die glanced over.
Lu Chuan was three years ahead of them, in the directing program like Chen Shuyuan. During his senior year, he had directed a film adaptation of a popular IP that became a box office hit. Since then, he had won back-to-back Best Director awards for two years, making a name for himself.
Chen Die smirked, about to respond, when her gaze inadvertently landed on the best seats in the bar.
A group of wealthy young men lounged in the booth, surrounded by beautiful women. The women, well aware of who held the most power, naturally gravitated toward the man in the center.
He sat casually on the sofa, a cigarette between his lips.
Single-lidded eyes, a sharply defined face with smooth, strong lines, deep black brows and eyes, and a scar extending from his temple to the end of his brow.
A distinctive aura that exudes a sense of pressure.
Chen Die swiftly looked away and stopped looking.
Following the group to the pre-booked seats, Lu Chuan was coaxed into giving a speech on behalf of everyone.
With years of award-winning success under his belt, his words had taken on an official tone. Chen Die half-listened, lazily amused, while Chen Shuyuan rested her chin on her hand, staring at him starry-eyed.
Just then, a deep voice cut through the noise— “Hello.”
A male voice came from beside her, and Chen Die turned her head.
A young man who looked like a university student clutched his wine glass nervously. “May I have a drink with you?”
The members of the film crew all turned to look. Though confessions to the campus belle were nothing new, they still cheered as usual.
The young man blushed even harder.
Chen Die leaned slightly, glancing past his shoulder. Sure enough, at a nearby table, a group of young men around his age were grinning in amusement—just a meaningless game.
“Sure.”
She picked up an empty glass, poured herself half a cup of liquor, clinked it against his, and drank it in one go.
The young man’s ears turned red as he hurried to down his own drink, then stammered out a thank you, not even daring to look at her again.
Lu Chuan, who had been interrupted mid-speech, wasn't upset. He teased warmly, “Junior is still as popular as ever.”
Someone else chimed in, “Senior has been popular from freshman year all the way to senior year.”
Chen Shuyuan’s expression darkened as she sneered, “Does your boyfriend know you're drinking with random guys who hit on you?”
Chen Die’s expression remained unchanged as she knocked her glass against the coffee table with a crisp but unhurried sound.
The surroundings fell silent for a moment.
Everyone knew about the tension between these two.
The shifting lights from the dance floor reflected in Chen Die’s eyes, making them shimmer. Her slightly upturned eyes and the black spaghetti strap dress she wore revealed a stretch of fair, slender neck and collarbone.
She lifted her chin slightly, her gaze lazily sweeping past Chen Shuyuan before tilting her head and scoffing lightly.
Then, she took out her phone, pulled up her contact list, and tossed it in front of her. She drawled, “Why don’t you give him a call?”
Everyone: “...”
A textbook example of arrogance, complete with an ‘I'm the most beautiful woman in the world, and you’re nothing’ energy.
Total victory.
Chen Shuyuan glared furiously, about to retort, but Lu Chuan smoothed things over. “Alright, alright, you two have been at this forever. Back when I was in the student council, I already saw you fighting.”
Chen Die had no interest in arguing further.
Hearing Chen Shuyuan pout to Lu Chuan about how she was being bullied, she rolled her eyes and turned to chat with Xia Ying instead.
Not long after, Xia Ying suddenly smacked the soft couch with a loud thud and gasped, “Look at your 45-degree angle clockwise! That guy is so hot, holy shit!”
Chen Die gave a casual glance and even squinted as if struggling to see. “Can’t see clearly.”
“Didn’t you wear contacts?”
“Nope, took them out after the shoot. They’re uncomfortable,” Chen Die replied.
“That’s a real loss—you’d be doing yourself a disservice by not taking a good look at a guy this gorgeous!” Xia Ying pulled out her phone. “I’ll zoom in and take a picture for you.”
“No need.” Chen Die took her phone away. “Doesn’t seem like my type.”
“This isn’t your type?” Xia Ying was baffled by her best friend’s high standards. “Then your boyfriend must be out of this world! Speaking of which, I’ve never even seen him!”
The man seated in the middle of the group, surrounded by beautiful women, suddenly lifted his gaze and looked in their direction. Chen Die met his eyes for a moment before quickly looking away. “He’s busy with work.”
“You say that every time.” Xia Ying gave her a side-eye before sneaking another glance at the man.
How should she put it?
Even though he was dressed in a sleek suit, he didn’t exude any gentlemanly refinement.
With broad shoulders, a slim waist, and long legs, he had the refined look of a privileged young master, but Xia Ying could still see the traces of a wild, untamed past.
Even surrounded by people, he was a lone wolf. Rebellious, arrogant, and unpredictable.
She was about to analyze further when Chen Die stood up. “I’m going to the restroom.”
After leaving the stall, she washed her hands and glanced at herself in the mirror.
Her lipstick had smudged slightly from the alcohol. She took out her lipstick from her bag and carefully touched it up.
These past few days filming with the crew had been exhausting—Lu Chuan was a workaholic behind the camera, which meant she had also been running on fumes.
Standing beneath the dim golden light overhead, her skin appeared luminous, soft as a block of fresh tofu. She stretched lazily and massaged her shoulder.
A low chuckle came from behind her.
The voice was deep and raspy.
Chen Die turned around, meeting a pair of pitch-black eyes set in a sharply defined face.
She didn’t say anything, her expression completely unfamiliar, as if she didn’t recognize him.
The man leaned lazily against the wall, a cigarette between his lips, watching her for a while before speaking. Two words.
“Your dress.”
Chen Die looked down and realized the bag’s clasp had caught on her dress. She adjusted it and walked out of the dimly lit hallway without another glance, as if she hadn’t seen him at all.
Wen Liang, displeased with her attitude, grabbed her by the back of the neck and pulled her toward him. “When did you get back?”
His grip was strong—he probably didn’t think he was using much force, but Chen Die could already feel the ache.
“The day before yesterday,” she answered.
“Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve come home.”
Wen Liang owned plenty of properties, but his villa in the western suburbs was where Chen Die lived. Most of the time, he stayed there too, though if she happened to be at her dorm, he would crash at the apartment near his company.
He must have thought she had already been back in Yan City for two days.
His hold was starting to hurt—probably leaving a red mark. Irritated, Chen Die thought back to the earlier scene, curling her lips into a mocking smile. “Didn’t want to disturb Mr. Wen’s fun.”
Wen Liang hated it when she acted like this. His grip tightened slightly as he lowered his gaze and warned, “Watch your mouth.”
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