After Being Cheated, I Had a Flash Marriage with My Ex's Aunt - Chapter 12

Liu Meihua saw that they were preparing to leave and grew desperate. She insisted that the rooms had been cleaned and begged them to stay for at least one night before heading back.

Li Sui knew exactly what her aunt was up to—another excuse to ask for money. She shut the idea down immediately. “No, Lawyer Bai has a business trip early tomorrow morning. We need to get back and pack.”

Ever since she moved out of her grandmother’s house, she had never spent another night under that roof.

Shuyi checked her watch, her voice turning cool and professional. “Let’s go.”

Li Sui nodded and whispered to her grandmother on the bed, “Grandmother, I’ll see you next time.”

The old lady gave a dismissive, cheerful wave. “Go on. Don’t come back too often; I’m as sturdy as an old oak.”

“Why the rush?” Liu Meihua muttered, sensing something was different about Li Sui this time. Usually, the girl would stay to keep watch or help with the discharge paperwork. She chased them out into the hall. “I’ll see you out!”

“Don’t bother,” the old lady barked, stopping Meihua in her tracks. She knew her daughter-in-law’s intentions all too well. “I’m not dying anytime soon. Where are those oranges you were peeling for me? Bring them over.”

Liu Meihua froze, a flicker of cold resentment in her eyes. She had spent years playing the submissive daughter-in-law, waiting for the old lady to kick the bucket so she could inherit what was left. If she angered the woman now and the inheritance went to Li Sui instead, all her years of “filial” service would be for nothing.

Li Sui and Shuyi left the ward and headed toward the parking lot.

“Lawyer Bai,” Li Sui started, wanting to discuss her plans. “I’m thinking of moving my grandmother to the central hospital in Gandu for recovery. I’ll cover the costs myself, of course—I just wanted to let you know.”

“That’s a great idea,” Shuyi replied, sounding genuinely pleased that Li Sui had consulted her. “I know Director Bai at the central hospital. I’ll give her a call and arrange for your grandmother to be moved as soon as possible.”

Li Sui dithered for a moment. Shuyi’s easy acceptance of her family was unexpected.

“Did… did my grandmother say anything to you?” Li Sui asked tentatively.

Shuyi glanced at her, wondering how much Li Sui remembered about their shared past. She held up her wrist, showing the emerald bracelet. “She gave me a meeting gift. She also said if you ever dared to bully me, I should come to her so she could teach you a lesson.”

Li Sui blinked. The bracelet didn’t surprise her, but the words did. “My grandmother couldn’t have said that. Why would I bully you?”

Shuyi’s gaze darkened slightly, her voice dropping into a low hum. “Are you saying you haven’t bullied me?”

Looking at Shuyi’s stunning face, Li Sui’s mind flashed back to the “indescribable” images of that night at the bar. Being reminded of it in broad daylight made her face burn.

Shuyi noticed the way Li Sui’s eyes darted away. The contrast between the girl’s current shyness and her boldness that night was striking. Was it really just the alcohol giving her courage?

Caught in a playful mood, Shuyi reached out and took Li Sui’s left hand. “Why stop asking? I’m still waiting for a chance to ‘bully’ you back.”

Li Sui tried to pull her hand away, but Shuyi’s grip only tightened. Shuyi’s finger grazed Li Sui’s palm, sending a jolt of electricity straight to her heart.

Li Sui: “…”

Panic. This feels suspiciously familiar.

“I was drunk,” Li Sui hissed, her face flushed as she glared at the woman. “You’re taking advantage of the situation. Let go.”

“A ‘situation,’ is it?” Shuyi laughed softly, refusing to let go. “Well, if it was that enjoyable, it should be called ‘mutual consent,’ not bullying.” She stepped closer, her voice ghosting against Li Sui’s ear. “Don’t you agree, Wife?”

The tingle in her ear sent Li Sui’s heart into a frantic gallop. Lawyer Bai was like a snow lotus on a mountain peak—beautiful, dangerous, and utterly addictive.

Li Sui regained her composure and asked, “Were you always like this?”

“Like what?” Shuyi asked, interlacing their fingers.

“Nonsense-talking and twisting the facts,” Li Sui said firmly.

Shuyi’s red lips curved into a smirk. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

They heard voices approaching from a nearby path, and Li Sui tried to pull away again, but Shuyi held fast like a fox that had finally caught its prey.

The drive back to Gandu felt shorter than the trip out. Before heading home, they stopped at a suburban cemetery. Li Sui had bought incense, candles, and a bouquet of gardenias—her mother’s favorite. Now that she was married, she felt she had to tell her.

The cemetery was quiet. They walked to the grave of Li Qingya. Li Sui’s eyes grew misty as she set down the flowers and used a wet wipe to clean her mother’s photo. Shuyi knelt beside her and lit the incense.

Li Sui began to whisper in a local Ningcheng dialect, explaining to her mother that she was married now. Shuyi sat quietly, burning the spirit money and silently introducing herself as Li Sui’s partner.

When the incense had burned halfway, Li Sui stood up, her sorrow tucked away. “Let’s go. I told her about us. I think she’d be very happy with you.”

Shuyi gave a small bow to the headstone. “We’ll come back to visit you soon.”

The ride home was quiet. Shuyi didn’t pry into the past; she knew some wounds were too heavy to touch so soon. Li Sui broke the silence. “I wanted to take you to meet my mentor, too, but she’s traveling in the grasslands. She won’t be back until next month.”

“No rush,” Shuyi smiled. “We’ll visit her then.”

They pulled up to the villa. Shuyi needed to head to the office, but Li Sui was heading to her own car.

“You’re going out?” Shuyi asked.

“Yeah.” Li Sui offered a grateful smile. “Thank you for coming with me today. Next time we visit your family, I promise I won’t embarrass you.”

“I could head to the office later,” Shuyi suggested. “Do you want me to drop you off?”

“No, it’s fine.”

Shuyi’s shoulders slumped slightly in a look of exaggerated disappointment. Li Sui watched her and felt a sudden pang of… something. “How about… I treat you to dinner tonight?”

Shuyi’s head snapped up, a bright smile breaking across her face. “Deal. I’ll book the restaurant.”

Li Sui: “…”

She’s actually so easy to appease? She’s almost… cute.

Li Sui arrived at the Golden Snake Animation studio. As a 49% shareholder, she was effectively the boss’s partner. Usually, she worked from home, but today she had several meetings regarding upcoming commercial deals. And, more importantly, she was here to deliver wedding candy.

“Teacher Sui-sui! Congratulations!”

“Wishing you a long and happy marriage!”

The staff flocked to her, their eyes darting to the gold ring on her finger. Everyone knew she and Liang Xiaona had split, and seeing the wedding candy, many assumed they had reconciled. Li Sui didn’t correct them; she just handed out the sweets with a shy smile.

She brought two boxes into the office of her partner, Tan Xiao.

“You really did it?” Tan Xiao asked, looking up from her work. She had always worried about Li Sui’s taste in partners. “It’s not Liang Xiaona, is it?”

Li Sui let out a genuine laugh. “Of course not.” Xiaona was a ghost. Her new wife was on an entirely different level. “You have to come to the wedding.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Tan Xiao beamed.

*****

Back at the villa, the house was no longer empty. Two plump felines had arrived: Dundun, the cow cat, and Dudu, the blue cat.

Shuyi watched as the blue cat, Dudu, trotted up to her with zero fear. Shuyi looked down at the chubby creature with a complicated expression. Her mother had one just like it—loud, demanding, and incredibly cold when it suited them. And the shedding… oh, the shedding.

Shuyi sighed, hung her coat up, and scooped Dudu into her arms.

“Meow~”

The cow cat, Dundun, trotted over and began rubbing against her legs.

“You want a turn too?” Shuyi asked, though she didn’t need a translation to know what was happening. She looked down at her trousers; they were already covered in grey fur.

“You two really are ancestors, aren’t you?” she muttered, though she couldn’t help but find them funny. She’d lived alone in her own villa for years and had never received a welcome quite like this.

She set the cat down and checked her phone. She had sent the restaurant details to Li Sui minutes ago, but there was no reply.

“She wouldn’t stand me up again, would she?” Shuyi asked the cats. “If she does… what do you think I should do to her?”

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