After Being Cheated, I Had a Flash Marriage with My Ex's Aunt - Chapter 17

Li Sui bit her lip, looking hesitant. “I think we need to coordinate our story,” she said. “Otherwise, it’ll be too easy to slip up.”

Shuyi frowned slightly. “Coordinate what?”

Li Sui, looking at it from her own perspective, spoke seriously. “I don’t want your family to think I married you for your money.”

Shuyi let out a soft laugh. “That’s fine, too. At least it proves I have money.”

Li Sui: “…”

Shuyi didn’t find it a cause for concern, but seeing how much Li Sui cared, she gave it some thought. “How about this: if anyone asks, we’ll say we’ve known each other for a long time. I’ve had a crush on you for ages, and when we reunited recently, sparks finally flew.”

It sounded plausible enough. Li Sui nodded in agreement. “That works.”

Shuyi smiled. “Let’s go eat then.”

****

After breakfast, they drove to the Bai family estate. Bai Zhilan insisted on riding with them, completely ignoring Shuyi in the passenger seat to chat happily with Li Sui. As they neared their destination, Li Sui began to grow restless.

Zhilan sensed her nerves and patted her hand. “Don’t be nervous, Sui-sui. Everyone in the family is easy to get along with. Just think of it as coming home with Mom. If anything feels off, just tell me.”

Li Sui offered a sweet smile. “I will. Thank you, Mom.”

The Bai Estate

Bai Zhixue was sprawled lazily on the living room sofa, snacking and scrolling through her tablet while humming a tune. Nearby, Bai Yulin was focused on her laptop, handling company business. They were all waiting for Shuyi to bring her “mystery wife” home—a girl who was supposedly a fresh graduate and exceptionally beautiful.

“I really thought our little sister was made of stone,” Zhixue remarked during the long wait. “I never thought I’d see the day she actually fell for someone.”

“I know, right?” Bai Yiyao added, her gossip-hungry heart racing. “I tried to pry info out of Secretary Xiao Li so many times, but she wouldn’t say a word.”

Zhixue had tried her own luck with Shuyi, but the younger sister was a fortress. Recalling their mother’s relentless pressure and the matter of the equity transfer, she mused, “You don’t think it’s a fake marriage, do you? Just to stop Mom’s nagging?”

She quickly shook her head. “No, she’s held out this long; she wouldn’t cave now. And if she was just going to pick anyone, she’d have done it sooner.”

“What if it’s true love?” Yulin stopped typing and pushed her glasses up her nose with a sly smirk. “I’m betting on true love. Any takers?”

Zhixue and Yiyao immediately backed down. Everyone knew Yulin had legendary luck. Back when she managed the Jiangshan Group, many a foolish shareholder had tried to bet against her, only to end up losing everything. Only an idiot would bet against Yulin.

“Dad doesn’t seem happy about the match, though,” Zhixue noted. “Mom noticed too and has been trying to talk him around.”

Chu He was currently overseas for a major project and wouldn’t be back for at least a month. Ever since he saw the news in the family group chat, he’d been hounding the two older sisters for information: Whose daughter is she? What’s her character? Why the sudden secret marriage? When he heard Li Sui came from a modest, complicated background, his reaction had been… intense.

“He’s old-fashioned,” Yulin said, her voice turning flat as she recalled being pushed toward a strategic alliance after her own graduation. “It’s been years; he should see things clearly by now. Shuyi has always valued her freedom. Let her marry who she wants. Interfering never leads to anything good.”

Zhixue arched an eyebrow. “Let’s hope he figures that out on his own.”

“Madam and the Third Miss are almost here!” Zhang-ma called out from the hallway.

The sisters dropped their work and headed to the entrance to prepare for the arrival. When Shuyi’s modest “white sedan” pulled into the garage, Li Sui looked out the window at the scene.

The mansion was breathtakingly grand, but the crowd of people standing there to greet them was even more overwhelming. As Li Sui stepped out, she felt dozens of eyes move to her. She had handled many crowded fan signings as an artist, so she managed to keep a graceful, poised smile on her face.

“Come in, come in! We’re finally home!” Bai Zhilan didn’t bother with formal introductions yet, choosing instead to lead Li Sui into the house by the hand. Zhang-ma followed closely with hot tea and an assortment of snacks and desserts.

The family gathered around a large table in the main hall. Zhilan held Li Sui’s hand warmly. “Sui-sui, you like spicy food, right? I hired a chef specialized in Jiangxi cuisine just for today. I promise you’ll love it.”

“Thank you, Mom,” Li Sui smiled. “Truly, I’m not picky.”

Zhilan finally addressed the room, introducing Li Sui with great fanfare. “Everyone, this is Sui-sui, Shuyi’s partner. From now on, she’s a part of this family.” She turned back to Li Sui, her voice turning gentle. “Let Mom introduce everyone to you.”

Li Sui stood politely by Shuyi’s side, listening as Zhilan went through the names and titles of the Bai family. She was the picture of courtesy, accepting the various meeting gifts with a well-behaved charm. To her surprise, the atmosphere remained harmonious; there was none of the hostility or “testing” she had braced herself for.

“See?” Shuyi whispered to her. “I told you they’d like you.”

“They really are very kind,” Li Sui agreed.

Suddenly, Zhixue whispered, “Grandmother is coming down.”

The room immediately fell into a respectful silence. The elevator at the side of the hall opened, and a maid wheeled out an elderly woman. She wore a black qipao and had a head of snowy white hair, yet she looked remarkably spirited.

The grandmother’s gaze landed on the new face immediately. “So, you’re the one my granddaughter picked?”

Shuyi took Li Sui’s hand. “Say hello to Grandmother.”

“Hello, Grandmother,” Li Sui said with a warm smile. “I’m Li Sui.”

The grandmother studied her. “You have a good spirit. And quite a lovely face.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Grandmother,” Li Sui replied, her eyes curving into crescents.

Li Sui realized that while the Bai family seemed relaxed, their etiquette was strict. When an elder spoke, the juniors listened in silence. The conversation remained casual until lunch was served.

Over the meal, the talk turned toward when the parents should officially meet so the wedding date could be set.

Zhixue looked between Shuyi and Li Sui with a playful glint. “We heard little Xiaona was getting engaged and were worried Shuyi would be a loner forever. Then she drops a bombshell like this on us.”

“Seriously, you kept it so well hidden,” someone added. “How did you two even get together?”

Li Sui felt the weight of everyone’s curiosity. Shuyi placed a piece of fish in Li Sui’s bowl, her voice tender. “We met a long time ago. When we crossed paths again recently, everything just felt right, so we decided to make it official.”

“Why didn’t you ever mention her?” Yiyao asked, stunned.

Zhixue, seemingly recalling something from the past, let out a knowing hum. “It’s good. You two look very well-matched.”

“Mhm,” Shuyi looked at Li Sui and smiled. “I think we’re a perfect match, too.”

Li Sui felt her face heat up. Thank goodness we coordinated our story, she thought. Otherwise, this would be incredibly awkward.

Though, technically, they did meet at a bar, shared a night together, and found they couldn’t forget each other… but that was a story for another time.

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