After Being Cheated, I Had a Flash Marriage with My Ex's Aunt - Chapter 42

In the end, Shuyi had Secretary Li arrange for them to stay at a well-known boutique guesthouse nearby.

Perhaps due to the rainy weather, the guesthouse wasn’t as crowded as one might expect. While Shuyi handled the check-in at the front desk, Li Sui took a moment to observe the surroundings. The atmosphere was serene and poetic; the pitter-patter of the rain outside combined with the rustling of an old maple tree in the courtyard created a sense of classical charm. The architecture felt like a refurbished traditional courtyard, complete with elegant pavilions and terraces that gave the place a unique character.

After taking the room card from Secretary Li, Shuyi specifically told the staff and bodyguards to feel free to enjoy their own time and that there was no rush for checkout the next day.

“Understood,” Secretary Li replied. She then directed the bodyguards to begin moving Li Sui and Shuyi’s luggage upstairs in an orderly fashion.

When Shuyi turned to look at Li Sui, she found her wife holding up her phone, filming the maple tree in the courtyard. Li Sui was a true artist; whenever she had a spare moment, she captured reference material for her work.

Shuyi’s eyes remained fixed on Li Sui. Thinking about the wedding photos they had taken at the beach today, and then seeing Li Sui’s silhouette against the twilight—even just her back—made Shuyi’s heart swell with joy.

This is my wife, she thought. Once the wedding photos were developed, she was definitely going to frame them and place them in the living room and right in front of the bed in the bedroom so she could see them every morning the moment she woke up.

“Sui Sui,” Shuyi called out, walking over to her with a light step. She reminded her softly, “Let’s go up to the room and rest.”

“Mhm,” Li Sui answered instinctively. She looked down to check the footage she’d just captured, but when she looked up again and scanned the lobby, Secretary Li and the photographer were nowhere to be found.

Li Sui was puzzled. “Where did Secretary Li and the others go?”

“Don’t worry about them,” Shuyi said, taking Li Sui’s hand and leading her upstairs. “From here on, it’s just the two of us. Don’t think about anything else.”

Li Sui couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle. She felt like Sister Shuyi loved saying these flirtatious things, but in reality, she was often quite slow to act on them. Then again, she knew Shuyi had a habit of stealing kisses in the morning.

When they entered their room, they found it spacious and cozy. Looking out from the balcony, they could see the vast, endless sea in the distance.

Li Sui couldn’t help but gasp. “The misty rain makes the ocean look so romantic and beautiful. It’s stunning!” Her artist’s instinct kicked in again, and she immediately began looking for the best angles to film.

Shuyi’s focus, however, wasn’t on the seascape. Her eyes were drawn to the scenic bathtub and the private soaking pool in the suite. Her mind drifted back to their previous hot spring trip; she wondered if she could make up for the “regret” of that night today.

*****

Li Mimi had been training under Su Youlan for nearly a week. She had just finished a grueling investment meeting and felt utterly drained. Just as she retreated to the lounge to catch a nap, her phone rang.

It was her sister, Li Ke. Mimi had been so busy socializing and learning the ropes of the Su Group that she hadn’t been home in several days.

“Hey, Xiao Ke,” Mimi said.

“Sis! You mentioned the Antique City is having an auction. Can I bring someone with me?” Li Ke’s energetic voice crackled through the speaker.

Mimi guessed she wanted to bring Chen Ling. She checked her calendar—the 15th. “Sure. I’ll have someone save two prime seats for you.”

“Hee hee, you’re the best, Sis!” Li Ke laughed. Then her tone shifted, becoming quite direct. “By the way… did you get a girlfriend?”

The image of Cheng Nai’s cute face immediately appeared in Mimi’s mind. A smile touched her eyes. “Yeah, I did.”

“I knew it!” Li Ke seemed to move to a quieter spot, lowering her voice. “It’s not just me being nosy; Mom and the others were talking about it. They told me to ask if you’d bring her home for dinner. Since you joined the Su family, you’re busy nine days out of ten. We miss you.”

Mimi was about to agree, but then she paused. “I’ll discuss it with her first.”

“Great! How about Wednesday? I’m planning to bring Chen Ling home that day anyway, so we can all meet.”

“Actually, why don’t you guys come to my place?” Mimi suggested. She had bought the villa and wanted her mother and sister to move in. She figured she should tell them soon to avoid a rushed move later.

Li Ke already knew about the villa in Li Sui’s neighborhood—Mimi had let that slip to the family earlier. “Cough,” Li Ke cleared her throat, choosing her words carefully. “I actually mentioned it to Mom, but they think it’s too much trouble. They’d have to move the shop and everything. They said you should save yourself the worry; they’d rather you just come home more often.”

Mimi scratched her cheek. She knew exactly what they meant—they didn’t want to make things difficult for her. Now that she was officially a Su, her every move was scrutinized. They didn’t want to be a burden or an embarrassment to her in her new world. But Mimi genuinely wanted them to enjoy a better life.

Sensing the long silence, Li Ke changed the subject. “Anyway, don’t think too much! Just don’t forget to come home on Wednesday.”

“I won’t forget.” Mimi smiled, her gaze landing on a small decorative ornament Cheng Nai had given her recently.

“Oh, and Mom told me to tell you…” Li Ke’s voice turned teasing. “If you’re sure about her, you should settle the marriage sooner rather than later.”

“I’m in no hurry,” Mimi laughed.

“Well, since Sui Sui-jie and Lawyer Bai are such a great example, Mom and the others are getting anxious!” Li Ke paused, her laughter growing more mischievous. “I think I might even get my marriage certificate before you do, hee hee!”

“Are you teasing me?” Mimi’s smile turned serious. “Alright, tell Mom I’ll try to bring Xiao Nai home on Wednesday.”

After hanging up, Mimi stared at the ornament on her desk. She suddenly had a strong urge to hear Cheng Nai’s voice. They had been getting along wonderfully lately. Cheng Nai was more interesting than she’d expected, and her personality was so soft and comfortable to be around.

If I married Cheng Nai… she wondered. I’d probably be very happy.

However, her focus was currently on the Su Group; marriage wasn’t really on her radar yet, especially with the responsibilities it would bring. Just then, she scrolled past the beach wedding photos Li Sui had posted.

“Wow, these are incredible! How can beach photos look this good?” Mimi began to imagine herself and Cheng Nai in those poses. Her heart skipped a beat. It didn’t seem like a bad idea at all. If Cheng Nai was interested, she wouldn’t be against it.

She opened her chat with Cheng Nai, only to find that their last interaction was yesterday. Because she had been working so hard, she hadn’t messaged her today. Cheng Nai hadn’t sent her “good morning” or “good night” messages today, and even the daily money transfers had stopped.

“What’s going on?” Mimi murmured. A knot formed in her chest. Had her lack of replies made Cheng Nai feel neglected? Was she upset?

When Mimi tried to call, her eyes widened. “Her phone is off?”

She immediately grabbed her jacket and sprinted out of the lounge. She had to find her and make things right. But as she got into her car, she realized something terrifying: besides their new house in Ningcheng, she had no idea where Cheng Nai actually lived.

******

Li Sui emerged from the bathroom to find the room empty. Drying her hair with a towel, she wondered where Shuyi had gone in the middle of the afternoon.

The guesthouse was lovely; sitting on the balcony with a drink and watching the sea was a perfect way to decompress. Did Sister Shuyi go to get wine? Li Sui had mentioned it earlier, and knowing Shuyi, it was a high possibility.

She finished drying her hair and looked out the window. The night was setting in, and the rain continued to fall, accompanied by low rumbles of thunder and the whistling wind. She sat on the sofa and opened her phone to message Shuyi.

Instead, she saw a message from Tan Xiao.

Tan Xiao: Taking wedding photos in Xiamen? Congrats! Xiamen is a lucky place.

Tan Xiao: Quick thing: that livestream event we talked about got moved up. I can’t make it, so I need you to step in at 9:00 PM tonight. It’s only 30 minutes. [Emoji: I’m counting on you]

Li Sui sighed. Even on vacation, work found a way to catch up with her. She wasn’t overly ambitious, but she was a co-owner of the company, after all.

The door creaked open. Li Sui turned her head to see Shuyi entering, carrying a heavy-looking shopping bag full of food and supplies.

“You’re done with your bath?” Shuyi noted, her eyes sweeping over Li Sui’s cute pink pajamas. She offered a warm smile and set the bag on the coffee table.

Inside the bag wasn’t just two bento lunch boxes; there was a pomelo as large as a head, a box of exquisitely packaged flower cakes, a bag of ready-to-eat ginger duck, and a bottle of red wine with two long-stemmed glasses.

When Li Sui saw the wine, her eyes lit up instantly. “Sister Shuyi, you actually bought wine?”

“Secretary Li prepared it.” Shuyi set the bag aside. Her gaze drifted to Li Sui, who was staring longingly at the red wine, and asked curiously, “Is your hair dry yet?”

Li Sui waved it off. “Already dry.”

Shuyi suddenly felt the urge to freshen up and started walking toward the bathroom. “You eat first. I’m going to take a shower.”

“Wait…” The next second, Li Sui dashed to the bathroom door and physically pulled Shuyi back as she was starting to shed her jacket. “Come back, come back! It’s not too late to shower after you eat. The food is right here; eating while it’s hot is the priority.”

Shuyi looked conflicted. “I wanted to shower first.” Then, perhaps worrying that Li Sui would wait too long, she reached out and pinched Li Sui’s cheek. She gave her a sly, meaningful smile. “If you’re not in a hurry, wait for me. I’ll be quick.”

Suddenly, Li Sui’s face turned completely red.

Did she mean what I think she meant? Didn’t she just say there was no rush to do “everything” in one night? Has Sister Shuyi changed her mind?

Li Sui’s gaze drifted to the red wine. No wonder she bought alcohol. A smile crept onto her lips, and she instinctively tugged at her pajamas, feeling a sudden pang of regret. If I had known, I would have worn that sexy set Mimi gave me! Is this officially an early honeymoon now?

Perhaps because they were in the same room, or perhaps because Shuyi’s words were so heavy with implication, the sound of the shower water suddenly felt incredibly loud. There was a tiny voice in her head screaming with excitement. She was nervous, but she was also filled with a giddy, fluttering anticipation.

Li Sui decided to decant the wine, waiting for Shuyi to finish so they could share a toast. She also had a secret motive. She was still thinking about what Zhixue had mentioned—the girl Shuyi had been searching for for ten years. Maybe if Shuyi had a bit of wine, Li Sui could finally ask her about it.

Shuyi didn’t keep her waiting long. When she emerged from the bathroom, her hair was tied up in a bun, highlighting her elegant “swan neck.” She was wearing a set of pajamas with a cute pattern identical to Li Sui’s. She looked fresh and radiant, a warm smile on her face.

It was just a shower, but why does she look like she’s undergone a total transformation? Li Sui wondered, her eyes glued to her wife.

Shuyi sat down by the coffee table and noticed Li Sui staring. She looked a bit embarrassed. “Are you starving?”

Li Sui shook her head dazed. “I’m okay.” Her skin is so good. If anyone says she’s nearly thirty, I’ll fight them! And she smells so good. We used the same body wash, how does she smell like that?

The food was still warm, the wine was ready, and the fruit was sliced. Everything was perfect. They chatted as they ate, noting that the rain didn’t seem like it would stop anytime soon. Li Sui mentioned that she had to join an important livestream at 9:00 PM, so she couldn’t drink too much.

Shuyi nodded and adjusted something on her phone. “Don’t worry. I’ve set an alarm for you. You won’t miss it.”

Li Sui let out a soft laugh. She poured two glasses of wine and handed one to Shuyi. “Sister Shuyi, a toast!”

“Cheers.” Shuyi raised her glass.

The moment their glasses clinked and they tilted their heads back to drink, the lights in the room vanished without warning. The world turned pitch black.

Li Sui froze. She fumbled for her phone on the table and flicked on the flashlight. The small beam of light was enough to settle her nerves. “A power outage?”

The last time she’d experienced an outage was in her university days, living in a crumbling old district. Shuyi agreed it was likely the storm. “Stay here, Sui Sui. I’ll go check.”

“I’ll come with you,” Li Sui said, standing up and taking Shuyi’s hand.

Secretary Li found them quickly. It was a general outage; the thunderstorm had caused a failure in the local power supply. The guesthouse staff was distributing emergency kits to every room and promised to notify everyone the moment the power returned.

“Let’s go back,” Li Sui said, leaning closer to Shuyi. In the darkness, she laced her fingers through Shuyi’s, locking them together.

Shuyi squeezed back. “It’s been a long time since I experienced a blackout.”

“Me too,” Li Sui whispered. She suddenly felt that the darkness was a blessing. It gave her the courage to do things she usually wouldn’t. She leaned even closer, pressing her shoulder against Shuyi’s.

By the time they were back in the room, they were holding each other tight. In the faint glow of the phone’s flashlight, they stood still, gazing at one another. An intense, heavy intimacy filled the space. Time seemed to freeze.

“Sister Shuyi,” Li Sui said, her voice soft and playful. “I’m scared. Should we… just go to bed now?”

Shuyi’s voice was raspy, her resolve wavering. “Don’t you have work at nine?”

“Nine is still far away.” Li Sui looked at her with undisguised expectation.

Shuyi reached out and gently covered Li Sui’s eyes, afraid of what she would see in them. “We can take things slow, Sui Sui. Don’t think too much.”

Li Sui’s lips curled into a tiny smile. “I know what you mean, Sister Shuyi. But I don’t want to be slow.”

The atmosphere was too perfect. Li Sui wanted this. Knowing Shuyi liked her, why wait? She laughed softly and pulled Shuyi’s hand away from her eyes, leading her firmly toward the bed.

Before Shuyi could say another word, Li Sui had led her into the bedroom area. She propped her phone up on the nightstand, its light illuminating half the room. With a sudden burst of strength, Li Sui pushed Shuyi toward the bed.

In a blur of movement, Shuyi fell back onto the soft mattress. The dim light, the scent of fresh soap, and the rain outside created a cocoon of absolute intimacy. They both knew what was coming.

Li Sui became the aggressor. She leaned over, half-pressing her body against Shuyi’s. Her face was burning, but she spoke boldly. “If we want to build our feelings, it’s hard to do that if we aren’t in the same bed.”

Shuyi let out a breathless laugh. She knew Li Sui was using her own words against her, and it was working.

“Am I right, Sister Shuyi?” Li Sui teased, leaning in closer.

Shuyi’s eyes were filled with an internal struggle until, emboldened, she suddenly flipped their positions. She took control, cupping Li Sui’s face in both hands. “Then… can I kiss you?”

Li Sui looked up, her expression shy but certain. “Yes.”

A surge of joy swept through Shuyi. She lowered her head and pressed her lips to Li Sui’s. The kiss was cautious, tender, and incredibly earnest.

This was Li Sui’s first real kiss, and the sensation was a shock to her system. Her breath hitched, her scalp felt numb, and her blood felt like it was reaching its boiling point. From head to toe, she felt like she was being electrocuted—a tingling, melting warmth.

But it was so sweet. Like the strawberries she loved, or the honeyed wine they had just tasted.

Shuyi’s hand moved to her chin, and Li Sui felt her heart shudder. Her mind went blank, her senses blurring into a single, overwhelming feeling of heat and longing. The kiss was an ocean, and she was drowning in it. It was a sensation she couldn’t describe—a sweet, maddening itch that spread from her bones to her skin.

Li Sui wrapped her arms around Shuyi’s neck, pulling her closer. Shuyi treated her like a priceless treasure, savoring the sweetness with a deep, focused intensity. In the silent, dark room, the sound of their shallow breathing and the rain was the only thing left in the world.

Finally, noticing Li Sui was becoming dazed and breathless, Shuyi reluctantly pulled away. She laughed softly, her voice low. “Sui Sui, you have to remember to breathe when you kiss.”

Li Sui: “…”

It took her a long moment to process the fact that breathing was a requirement. Her face burned with embarrassment, and she turned her head away. “I… I’ve never kissed anyone before.”

“Is that so?” Shuyi’s mood was soaring. She tucked a stray hair behind Li Sui’s ear, her fingers teasingly brushing against her scarlet earlobe.

“What do you mean ‘is that so’?” Li Sui grumbled, catching Shuyi’s hand to stop her teasing. She looked at Shuyi, who—aside from slightly reddened lips—looked perfectly composed. Li Sui felt a sudden, petty pout forming. “I’m not like you, Sister Shuyi. So practiced. So experienced.”

Shuyi laughed, her heart still racing. She looked into Li Sui’s eyes. “This isn’t our first kiss. Did you forget the bar?”

“That doesn’t count!” Li Sui protested, the memory resurfacing in a hazy blur. “I was drunk then. This time I’m sober. That’s what I meant.”

“I see.” Shuyi’s eyes were full of tenderness. “I was a first-timer then too, you know. This is only my second time, and both times were with you. I guess I’m just a natural.”

“Oh…” Li Sui didn’t know how to respond. She promptly rolled over and buried her burning face in the duvet.

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