After Being Cheated, I Had a Flash Marriage with My Ex's Aunt - Chapter 29

Li Sui was momentarily stunned, find the words hard to say. “But it’s broad daylight… I mean, even if it’s dark now, we’re still outside. Could you just…”

The more she spoke, the more embarrassed she felt. It felt as though eyes were watching them from every corner, making it impossible to ignore the crowd.

In the next second, Li Sui used a napkin to shield her face and blew a quick “air kiss” toward Shuyi.

Shuyi looked taken aback for a moment, but then her eyes filled with a soft, warm amusement. Under the table, she playfully brushed her fingers against Li Sui’s palm. Her voice was a low murmur: “Sui Sui, don’t… tempt me.”

Li Sui felt a ticklish sensation in her palm, and her slender fingers instinctively curled inward.

Who’s tempting whom? she thought. You were the one asking for a kiss. How could I do that in front of everyone?

Feeling like she could no longer stay still, Li Sui made a hasty excuse to flee. “I… I’m going to go say something to Mimi.”

*****

Li Mimi, perched on high heels, followed the Su matriarch as they greeted one elder after another. She didn’t have the look of a delicate, sheltered girl; instead, she appeared poised and confident among the younger generation. Whether it was her posture or her emotional intelligence, she was flawless.

Many had assumed that because she had been lost for years, her upbringing would be lacking. But they soon realized she was a true Su. The matriarch, who had recently been ill, was clearly looking for a strong successor, and Mimi fit the bill perfectly.

After dealing with a wave of business associates, the matriarch leaned on Mimi as they returned to the head table.

“Don’t feel burdened,” the matriarch said, her gaze sweeping over the family members at the table before settling affectionately on Mimi. “You’re home now. If anyone is shortsighted enough to cross you, feel free to teach them a lesson. As long as you don’t kill them, your grandmother will have your back.”

The words were meant for Mimi, but they were a clear warning to the rest of the Su clan.

Mimi raised an eyebrow and gave a dutiful nod. “I understand, Grandma. I’ll remember that.”

She wasn’t nervous at all. Before deciding to return, she had already secured a full dossier on every member of the Su family. In a dynasty this large, prosperity was a given, but so was backstabbing. Mimi didn’t fight battles she wasn’t prepared for. She knew their secrets—the messy, hidden ones. If anyone dared to provoke her, she was ready.

As the other Su family members politely greeted her with gifts of gold, jade, and jewelry, Mimi accepted them with practiced grace. Suddenly, she saw Li Sui approaching. She stood up, her excitement breaking through her professional mask. “Grandma, my friend is here! This is the Li Sui I told you about.”

Before the matriarch could respond, Mimi waved her over. “Sui Sui, come here!”

The crowd’s attention shifted, and a ripple of surprise went through the room. If Mimi was the wild card of the night, then Shuyi—the famously reclusive Bai daughter—was the true shocker. Shuyi never attended these events, yet here she was, with her new wife in tow. Everyone was dying to know who Li Sui was.

“Hello, Grandmother Su,” Li Sui said politely before turning to Mimi with a warm smile. “I’m so happy you found your family. We’re actually getting ready to head out now.”

“Let me walk you out,” Mimi said instinctively. She stepped forward and looped her arm through Li Sui’s, leading her toward the exit.

The Su family members exchanged glances. It was clear that this new granddaughter was not to be underestimated—she had powerful connections.

Once they were away from the stifling atmosphere, Li Sui looked at Mimi with concern. “How are you holding up? Are you adjusting okay?”

“Sigh. Barely.” Mimi’s feet were killing her from the heels. “I’m managing the people, but my feet… I just want to go home, take a bath, and lie in bed.”

“You’ve worked hard,” Li Sui said. She reached into her bag and pulled out a box of band-aids. “You aren’t used to those shoes. Don’t force it next time. Just make an excuse and slip away. Soak your feet, use some ointment, and you’ll feel better tomorrow.”

“Waaaah, Sui Sui, you really are the only one who cares about me!” Mimi took the band-aids, grinning like a fool. “You’re heading back with your Lawyer Bai? Be careful on the road, and text the group when you’re home.”

“I will,” Li Sui laughed. “Call me if you need anything.”

On her way back, Li Sui stopped by the restroom to touch up her makeup. She heard a commotion in the next stall, and curiosity got the better of her. The door swung open, and Bai Zhixue stumbled out. Her steps were unsteady as she reached for the sink to wash her hands.

Li Sui was shocked. She’d thought Zhixue had left the party ages ago. What was she doing here?

“Second Sister, are you okay?” Li Sui asked, stepping closer. The pungent scent of alcohol hit her. Zhixue’s face looked fine, but she was clearly wasted, her eyes glazed over.

Li Sui supported her, worried. “Second Sister, you’re drunk, aren’t you?”

“Hahaha, it’s Li Sui!” Zhixue turned, leaning heavily on her. She started giggling and looking behind Li Sui. “Where’s my little sister? Why isn’t she with you?” She let out a series of “hehe” laughs.

As Li Sui tried to keep her upright, Zhixue suddenly slapped her on the shoulder. Her voice turned solemn and slurred. “You have to… you have to be good to her. Otherwise, she’ll start searching the whole world for you again. She refused to marry anyone until she found you. My mom and I talked until our lips were dry, but she wouldn’t listen.”

Li Sui didn’t quite understand. “She found me. I’m right here,” she said softly.

“It’s so annoying!” Zhixue suddenly kicked off one of her heels, sending it flying across the floor.

Li Sui froze. She had never seen this side of the elegant, world-renowned artist. In the news, Bai Zhixue was always the epitome of grace and kindness. Her only “scandal” was her divorce from Liang Jun.

“I don’t want to wear them!” Zhixue cried, throwing the second shoe. “I hate red heels! Whoever wants them can have them!”

What is going on? Li Sui wondered. She reached for her phone to call Shuyi, but a slender hand snatched it away.

“What’s so good about this broken phone?” Zhixue let out a wine-scented hiccup, a sly grin on her face. “I’ll tell you something better. I know all of my little sister’s secrets. She can’t hide anything from me. It’s a joke!”

“What secrets?” Li Sui asked without thinking.

Zhixue waved her hand dismissively, like she was holding back a prize. “No, no. I can’t tell you. I can’t tell you that she hired hackers just to track you down.”

Li Sui was utterly confused. Hackers? Tracking me?

Zhixue’s face crumpled, her eyes filling with a profound sadness. “She searched for almost ten years. So you… you can’t leave her. You have to stay happy, okay? If you’re happy, my little sister is happy. She’s had it so hard…”

Li Sui: “…”

Searched for ten years?

Shuyi hired hackers to spend a decade looking for someone?

Who?

Li Sui hadn’t known Shuyi back then. It couldn’t have been her. Was there someone else? Someone Shuyi had loved and lost? A cold, unidentifiable feeling stirred in Li Sui’s chest.

“Second Sister,” she pressed, “who was she looking for? What was her name?”

“Don’t move!” Zhixue barked, grabbing Li Sui’s head in both hands. “Stop shaking your head! Stay still!”

Li Sui didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Dealing with a drunk was harder than she thought. “Okay, okay. I won’t move. But let me just make one phone call.”

She managed to get her phone back, but before she could dial, a shadow fell over them.

“She’s drunk.”

Liang Jun had arrived. She had clearly been tracking Zhixue through the security cameras. She reached out to take Zhixue from Li Sui’s arms. “I’ll take her. Hand her over.”

Li Sui instinctively blocked her. “No thank you.” She stared at Liang Jun, her voice cold and firm. “Her sister is right outside. We’ll take her home.”

Li Sui didn’t know the full story of the divorce, but she’d heard rumors of infidelity on Liang Jun’s part. Seeing Zhixue in this state, there was no way she was letting her go with her ex-wife. Besides, she loathed everyone associated with Liang Xiaona.

Before she could argue further, Liang Jun pulled out her phone and made a call. “Your sister is drunk,” she said coldly into the receiver. “I’m taking her home safely.”

She hung up and looked at Li Sui with a chilling smile. “Shuyi is on her way. Now, you have no reason to stop me.”

Li Sui felt a pang of unease. “Fine.” If Shuyi knew, it was out of her hands.

The moment Li Sui let go, Liang Jun did something unexpected. She swept Zhixue up into a bridal carry and marched out of the restroom without a word.

“Wait—!” Li Sui started to follow, but then stopped to scramble after Zhixue’s discarded heels. She couldn’t understand Liang Jun’s aggression.

A moment later, Shuyi came running in.

“I know,” Shuyi said, reaching Li Sui’s side. Her eyes were full of worry. “Did she scare you?”

Li Sui shook her head. “No, I’m fine.”

Shuyi looked hesitant, as if there was something she was afraid to ask. “My sister… she can be a bit irrational when she drinks. She didn’t say anything… upsetting to you, did she?”

In this chapter, the fallout from the “True vs. Fake Heiress” revelation leaves the Su-Liang engagement in shambles. While the “fake” heiress, Su Tan, spirals into panic, Liang Xiaona finds herself haunted by the ghost of her past with Li Sui—leading her to a desperate, late-night plan.

“Was she just throwing a drunken fit?”

Li Sui finally understood why Shuyi had been so tense. Recalling Bai Zhixue’s uncontrollable, drunken state earlier, she realized the older sister truly was a bit… irrational when intoxicated.

“No, nothing happened,” Li Sui said with a reassuring smile. She then asked cautiously, “What exactly is the story between Second Sister and Liang Jun? I’ve seen some gossip online, but I still don’t quite get it.”

Shuyi took her hand and led her out of the hall toward the parking lot. “I’m not entirely sure of the specifics myself, but if they ever rekindle their old flame, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Li Sui’s eyes widened. Now that is some Grade-A gossip. “Wait, you mean… they might actually remarry one day?”

Shuyi opened the car door and signaled for Li Sui to get in. “Let’s not worry about that for now. If we hurry, we can still make it to where we’re going.”

Li Sui’s lips curved into a smile. “Okay.” Shuyi was being so mysterious that her curiosity was officially piqued.

****

The sudden “appearance” of Li Mimi had sent the entire Su family into a tailspin, but the two people most affected were Su Tan and Liang Xiaona. They looked like wilted vegetables, completely paralyzed by fear.

Su Tan sat slumped in front of her vanity mirror, her face pale. The calculating glint in her eyes was hard to ignore. Her perfect engagement banquet was ruined. She had planned a lavish honeymoon, but now she had no heart for it. After tonight, all of Gan-Du would know she was a fraud.

Li Mimi and Li Sui were clearly waiting for her to become a laughingstock. First, they scammed her out of tens of millions at the Antique City, and now they had humiliated her like this… She wasn’t going to let this go.

Su Tan wanted to find Liang Xiaona to plan their next move, but Xiaona was nowhere to be found. This only made Su Tan more anxious. If she lost her status as the Su heiress, how could she ever show her face again? Although Xiaona had promised to stay by her side, the more she said it, the more Su Tan doubted her. She had to secure her own future; she couldn’t leave the Su family.

Panic-stricken, Su Tan rushed out of the dressing room, still in her formal toasting dress. In the Su family, only the matriarch, Mrs. Su, and Su Youlan carried any weight. She spotted Su Youlan getting into a car to leave and scrambled inside.

“Auntie…” Su Tan began, her voice cracking as she burst into tears. “I…”

But Youlan seemed to have predicted her visit. She cut her off coldly. “Since you know the truth, listen to your grandmother. Go on your honeymoon tomorrow morning. We’ll discuss everything else when you return.”

Su Tan’s resolve wavered. “Auntie, I know Grandma’s real granddaughter is back and I shouldn’t stay… but I’ve lived with Grandma my whole life. I’ve never been away. Can you ask her if I can stay just a little longer before I go?”

“You can stay,” Youlan said, her gaze turning complicated and distant. “But once you’re officially removed from the Su family registry, where you go and what you do will have nothing to do with us.”

Su Tan was terrified, her voice trembling. “Please… don’t kick me out.”

“That’s enough.” Youlan’s expression remained flat. “Today is your wedding day. Stop crying and go back.”

Su Tan climbed out of the car, her heart shattered.

She ran into Mrs. Su, who had just come from a lecture by the matriarch. Seeing Su Tan’s devastated face, Mrs. Su felt a sharp pang of sympathy. This was the girl she had raised for over twenty years; she couldn’t just throw her away.

“Don’t cry,” Mrs. Su sighed, acting as the doting mother. “Your grandmother is in a bad mood, so don’t provoke her. You’re the child we raised. Follow her instructions and go on the honeymoon. She’s soft-hearted; she’ll remember your good points and eventually let you come home.”

Su Tan caught the underlying meaning, her watery eyes looking innocent. “Can I… can I really come back?”

“Seeing you cry like this breaks my heart,” Mrs. Su said, assuming Xiaona was taking care of her. “Where is Xiaona?”

“I think her mother called her away,” Su Tan lied, not wanting Mrs. Su to think Xiaona had abandoned her.

She clung to Mrs. Su’s arm, trying to act like her usual spoiled self to win some favor, but her heart stopped when she saw Li Mimi casually walking out of the hall with a simple canvas bag over her shoulder.

Su Tan felt that familiar wave of unease. Her resentment for Mimi was a churning ocean, but she forced a sweet, polite smile. “Sister, are you leaving? Mom and I were just about to head home, too.”

Mimi: “…”

The word “Sister” made her skin crawl. She knew exactly what Su Tan was playing at. After everything she and Li Sui had done to her, there was no way Su Tan didn’t hate her guts. But Mimi’s feet were throbbing, and she was in no mood for games. Without a word or even a glance at the pair, she stepped into the car the matriarch had prepared and ordered the driver to leave.

Su Tan watched the car pull away, her blood boiling. How dare she ignore me? It was a blatant provocation.

“Mom, does she hate me?” Su Tan whispered, sounding small and vulnerable.

Mrs. Su’s smile was forced. “No, don’t overthink it.” She was actually happy to have her real daughter back—Mimi looked exactly like her late husband—but Mimi hadn’t said a word to her all night, let alone called her “Mom.” She figured Mimi was just overwhelmed and needed time to adjust.

*****

On the other side of the hotel, Liang Xiaona was reeling. Finding out Su Tan was a “fake” had changed everything. She needed to talk to Li Sui.

She was looking for an excuse to leave when she saw her mother, Liang Jun, carry a drunken Bai Zhixue to her car and drive off. The entire banquet was a mess.

Xiaona felt like her life was slipping through her fingers. In her original plan, she would marry Su Tan, secure her position in the Su Group, and prove her talent. Now, it was all falling apart.

“Mom wants us to stay and handle the wrap-up,” Liang Xiaotang said, reading a text. She looked at her sister’s miserable face. “Sis, are you okay? I can’t believe the ‘sister-in-law’ is a fraud. Everyone is saying the new girl is the real deal.”

Xiaona didn’t answer. Every time she thought of Shuyi and Li Sui walking away hand-in-hand, she felt like a giant hand was squeezing her heart.

“Xiaotang,” she said suddenly, her eyes narrowing. “Do you have an alternate social media account? Like a burner?”

“What for? Like a Weibo alt?”

“Never mind,” Xiaona said, shaking her head. She remembered she had an old WeChat account from college—one she’d used for… certain discrete meetings. She couldn’t remember the password.

“I’m going home to pack,” she told her sister, waving her off. “You handle the rest here.”

Xiaona rushed back to her apartment. She tore through her study, pulling out everything Li Sui had given her over the last two years. Lipsticks, perfumes, jewelry, cards, and high-end designer clothes. These things had been practical gifts, and at the time, she hadn’t thought much of them.

Now, looking at them, she saw the heart behind them. During their two years, she had enjoyed Li Sui’s gentle care and patience—something she realized no one else, not even Su Tan, had ever given her.

Li Sui is just angry, Xiaona thought. She just hasn’t seen how sincere I am.

She started taking photos of the gifts. Then, noticing the dust, she frantically wiped each one clean with a wet wipe before re-arranging them and trying to log into her old WeChat account…

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