After Being Cheated, I Had a Flash Marriage with My Ex's Aunt - Chapter 20.1

Li Sui’s face was a brilliant, burning red. She scrambled with undignified haste to gather the fallen towel and shield herself.

How absolutely mortifying.

Watching Li Sui bolt back into the bathroom, Shuyi felt her heart thumping against her ribs. Her blood was practically boiling.

Her wife had a great figure. She even had muscle definition—when did she find time to work out?

Shuyi felt a bit shy herself, but then a thought struck her: they were legally wed and building a relationship. Was there really anything she shouldn’t be allowed to see? Look! she told herself.

It took several long moments for Shuyi to steady her frantic breathing. She slowly rose from the floor, placed the bra back on the bed, and stood at the door like a malfunctioning robot.

A cool breeze drifted in from a half-open window at the end of the hallway, chilling Shuyi’s brain. Li Sui was so easily flustered; how was she supposed to make amends for this?

After an eternity, Li Sui finally emerged from the bathroom. She had changed into an incredibly conservative long black dress, her face still wearing a flush that was impossible to ignore. A subtle, charged tension hung between them. Even though they were a legal couple, they were acting as bashful as two middle-schoolers.

Li Sui took a deep breath, trying to shatter the silence. “You… you’re off work?”

“I came back for a file,” Shuyi cleared her throat, gesturing toward the documents from the study. Her voice held a trace of nervous tension. “I have to head back to the office now.”

Li Sui wanted to ask why she didn’t just have someone deliver it, but she bit her tongue. “Oh, I see.”

Shuyi tucked the file into her bag. As she reached the entryway, she paused, her tone turning apologetic. “About just now… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. If you want… I could let you ‘look back’ tonight to make it even?”

“!!!”

Li Sui wanted to cover her ears. Her cheeks flared red again as she rushed forward to push Shuyi toward the door. “You didn’t see anything! Stop talking and just go to the office!”

“Hahaha!”

Shuyi didn’t mind being ushered out. Her eyes danced with mischief. “There’s a gift in the fridge. I’m going!”

Li Sui: “…”

A gift in the fridge? A cake?

She hurried to the kitchen. Sure enough, tucked inside the fridge was a beautiful red velvet strawberry cream cake. Beside it lay a single, vibrant red rose.

Li Sui let out a soft laugh, her eyes sparkling with joy. She had zero resistance to sweets—and even less to flowers. It was a romantic surprise that doubled her happiness.

Lately, Li Sui had been brainstorming a wedding gift for Shuyi. She’d promised to return the favor for the jewelry, and she’d finally found something suitable. She wanted to give it to her soon; she wanted Sister Shuyi to be happy, too.

After finishing the cake, Li Sui decided to head to a nearby mall to find some inspiration and pick out a jewelry set for Li Ke’s birthday. However, as she reached the parking lot, she ran into Liang Xiaona. Again.

Every time she saw Xiaona, she felt like she’d stepped in something foul. Does this woman really think I’m a pushover? She’s as annoying as a housefly.

The moment Xiaona spotted Li Sui, her eyes lit up and she hurried over. Li Sui arched an eyebrow but didn’t turn away. Being hounded by Xiaona wasn’t sustainable; it was time to put an end to this.

“Sui-sui, can we talk?” Xiaona asked. She was desperate to know who Li Sui had married, but her investigations had hit a brick wall. She’d eventually hired a private investigator who had tracked Li Sui here.

“Sure,” Li Sui said, her voice a flat, emotionless pool.

Xiaona looked relieved, a spark of hope in her eyes. At Li Sui’s suggestion, they moved to a quiet, dim stairwell near the first floor. A window was half-open, letting in the cool air. It was perfectly silent.

Li Sui pressed a button in her pocket and looked at Xiaona coldly. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Can we get back together?” Xiaona asked, making herself sound small and vulnerable.

Li Sui rolled her eyes. “What do you think?”

“I know I messed up,” Xiaona said, gazing at her with a manufactured tenderness. “I don’t care that you’re married. Stop being mad at me. I know you only had a ‘fake marriage’ because you were angry that I was getting engaged. Let’s just start over, okay?”

Li Sui wanted to laugh. This woman hadn’t even accounted for the “bet” yet, and here she was, trying to start a new game. She really is asking for a beating.

“You want to start over?” Li Sui questioned. “Does the Su heiress know you’re planning to dump her?”

“I don’t love her,” Xiaona said, pulling a jewelry box from her pocket. She wore a look of perfectly practiced sorrow. “My mother forced us together. You’re the only one I’ve ever thought about. Please, give me a chance to make it up to you.”

“Liang Xiaona,” Li Sui let out a cold laugh. “Stop the ‘devoted lover’ act. You won big on the last bet; what did you wager this time?”

Xiaona’s pupils shrunken. Her face froze. She knows about the bet? Since when?

Li Sui looked at her with pure contempt. “Don’t tell me you bet someone that I’d crawl back to you?”

“No…” Xiaona’s face went pale, her hand trembling as she held the box. “I’m sorry. That bet… I was drunk. I wanted to explain, but I knew you’d be angry, so I didn’t dare…”

SLAP—

A crisp, sharp sound echoed through the stairwell as Li Sui’s palm met Xiaona’s face. Xiaona stumbled back into the corner, staring at Li Sui in utter shock.

“You really thought I didn’t have a temper, didn’t you?” Li Sui glared at her, rolling her wrist. Her expression was full of disdain. “You are worth less than trash. If you ever say another disgusting word to me, I’ll post every dirty thing you’ve done online. Let’s see how everyone likes your ‘true face’ then.”

Xiaona slumped in the corner, her face burning, her eyes welling with tears. Li Sui actually hit me? She called me trash?

Li Sui’s phone vibrated. She didn’t hesitate to answer. Shuyi’s voice came through: “I came home early, but you weren’t there. Have you already headed over?”

“Not yet,” Li Sui said, her voice turning bright and cheerful as she stared at the red handprint on Xiaona’s face. “I went out for a bit. We agreed to go together, so wait for me at home. I’m coming back now.”

Xiaona’s breath hitched. “You’re… living together?” she screamed, sounding hysterical. “Sui-sui, who did you marry?!”

Li Sui rolled her eyes. Is one slap not enough to shut her up?

Shuyi heard Xiaona’s voice over the phone. “Are you in trouble? Where are you? I’m coming right now.”

“I just finished teaching a lunatic a lesson,” Li Sui said, hearing Shuyi’s car start in the background. She picked up her bags. “Fine, come and get me.”

Li Sui snapped a few photos of the disheveled Xiaona and filmed a short video. She shook the phone at her with a smirk. “You’d better remember today’s lesson. Don’t think I’m easy to bully, or else… well, you know.”

As Li Sui turned to walk away, Xiaona scrambled up, leaning against the wall. “Sui-sui! Li Sui! Let me explain—”

Li Sui whirled back around. “Shut up.”

Xiaona flinched. The look in Li Sui’s eyes was icy and terrifying. It was as if she were looking at a dead person. Li Sui had changed—she was no longer the girl whose eyes were filled with nothing but love for her.

Xiaona tried to chase her to see who was picking her up, but as she ran into the mall lobby, two female security guards blocked her path.

“Ma’am, please wait,” the guard said sternly. “Our sensors detected a potentially dangerous item in your bag. Please cooperate with a search.”

“What? You think I stole something?” Xiaona shrieked as two more guards closed in to lead her away for “routine inspection.”

******

Li Sui was unaware of what happened after she left. She had loved Xiaona once, but after seeing her true colors, there was no room for forgiveness. She hated being lied to.

Shuyi arrived quickly. She tapped on Li Sui’s window and moved to the driver’s seat, her eyes full of suppressed worry. “What happened? Are you okay?”

Li Sui shook her head with a smile. “I’m fine.”

Shuyi’s voice went flat. “If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t pry.”

“It was my ex,” Li Sui said, her eyes gleaming with a hidden, playful excitement. “Guess what she wanted?”

Shuyi stared at her. “To get back together?”

Li Sui blinked. “How did you know?”

“It happens a lot,” Shuyi said, her lips curving into a smirk. “People get dumped and realize they aren’t used to the silence, so they haunt their exes. It isn’t love; it’s just a lack of adaptation.”

Li Sui nodded. She had been devastated when she first found out about the cheating, but now she realized how pathetic she’d been. True love was hard to find, but she’d rather be alone than with trash. She’d stumbled once; she wouldn’t do it again.

“So,” Shuyi asked casually, “are you getting back together with her?”

“No,” Li Sui said firmly, lifting her chin. “A good horse doesn’t return to old pastures. Her ‘devotion’ is cheaper than dirt. I gave her a piece of my mind—and my hand.”

“Which hand?” Shuyi asked.

Li Sui looked at her, confused. Shuyi repeated: “Which hand did you use to teach her a lesson?”

Li Sui slowly held out her right hand. “I’m fine. I’m tougher than I look.” She’d worked at a martial arts gym in college; she knew how to defend herself, even if she rarely used it.

Shuyi took her hand and saw it was a bit red. She sighed. “Do I need to hire a bodyguard for you? Next time, don’t use your own hands.”

“I can handle myself,” Li Sui said.

“I’m not trying to control you,” Shuyi said, her voice softening. “I just want you to take care of yourself. Violence isn’t the only solution, and your safety is the priority.”

“I know,” Li Sui answered, a strange fluttering feeling in her chest.

“Besides,” Shuyi added with a wink, “punching someone hurts your wrist. Next time, use your feet.”

Li Sui: “…” Wait, didn’t she just say violence wasn’t the solution?

“Isn’t that a bit… too violent?” Li Sui laughed.

“As long as they’re still breathing, I can handle the rest,” Shuyi smiled, her eyes crinkling. “I am a professional lawyer, after all.”

Li Sui burst into a genuine laugh. Shuyi joined her. The tension in the car vanished as they set off for Mimi’s house.

As the car merged into traffic, Shuyi’s phone buzzed.

Xiao Li: Boss, we’ve detained Liang Xiaona as instructed.

Xiao Li: CCTV footage has been copied.

Xiao Li: She’s looking pretty rough; she has a mark on her face.

Shuyi sent back a “Thumbs Up” emoji. Good job.

At the Li residence, the air was festive. Mimi had already called several times to check their progress. When the doorbell finally rang, she sprinted to the door.

“They’re here!”

Li Sui and Shuyi walked in, greeted by the warmth of a crowded house. Li Ke smiled brightly. “Sui-sui! Lawyer Bai! Welcome!”

“Happy Birthday, Xiao Ke,” Li Sui said, handing over her gift. “May you always be happy and safe.”

The two mothers emerged from the kitchen, beaming. “Is this Lawyer Bai?”

Shuyi greeted them politely, offering a basket of fruit as a guest gift. Other friends arrived, and the house became a whirlwind of laughter and chatter. The meal was a feast of all Li Sui’s favorites. After dinner, they gathered around a two-layer cake to sing “Happy Birthday.”

Li Sui took several photos of the sisters and a group shot.

“I want a photo, too,” Shuyi whispered suddenly.

“Then let’s take one!”

Shuyi looked at her, pouting slightly. “We only have the one from the marriage certificate.”

Li Sui froze. She’s right. She pulled Shuyi close and they made several silly faces for the camera. For the rest of the night, Li Sui’s phone was a blur of shared smiles.

In the car on the way back, Shuyi glanced at Li Sui, who was buried in her phone, her lips still curved in a smile.

“Remember to send those photos to me,” Shuyi reminded her.

“I will,” Li Sui said brightly. “I’ll send you the originals.”

“Good.”

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