After Being Cheated, I Had a Flash Marriage with My Ex's Aunt - Chapter 45

Hearing this, Li Sui smiled and buried her head in Shuyi’s embrace.

The atmosphere in the room lightened instantly. Outside, the rain continued to patter against the windows; inside, the scent of medicinal ointment was thick but not pungent. Knowing that Sister Shuyi’s condition had improved, Li Sui felt she could finally get some proper rest. Perhaps due to the sheer exhaustion of the night, she closed her eyes and drifted off almost immediately.

Shuyi looked down at the girl’s delicate, peaceful face nestled in the pillow. The dark circles under her eyes were prominent, filling Shuyi with a mix of heartache and guilt. If she hadn’t “gone crazy” and run out for a walk after the blackout, she wouldn’t have been caught in the rain, wouldn’t have twisted her ankle, and wouldn’t have developed a high fever that forced Sui Sui to look after her all night.

But then, Shuyi thought of the dying little girl in that ditch and immediately dismissed those regrets. Saving a life was no small feat. A fever was just a fever; her Sui Sui had worked hard, and she would make it up to her once she was fully recovered.

Cradling the girl in her arms, Shuyi closed her eyes and tried to sleep again. Despite having been full of energy just a moment ago, drowsiness washed over her once more.

The two slept deeply, not waking until ten in the morning, startled by a sudden clap of thunder outside.

“Mmm…” Li Sui poked her head out from under the duvet, finding the thunder far too loud.

However, she quickly realized she was lying lazily in Shuyi’s arms. Feeling a surge of shyness, she tried to quietly lift the covers and get up. But the moment she moved, the arms embracing her waist tightened.

Li Sui froze, letting out an awkward little cough. “Sister Shuyi, what time is it?”

“Ten o’clock.” Shuyi sensed her wanting to leave and loosened her grip on her slender waist. Remembering their situation, she added, “I’ll have Xiao Li bring breakfast up in a bit. It’s still raining out, so we can’t take photos anyway. There’s no rush to get out of bed.”

“…Okay.” Li Sui felt the lingering warmth of Shuyi’s skin. She hesitated for a moment before turning around, reaching out as if to check Shuyi’s forehead.

Before her hand could touch her, Shuyi—as if anticipating the move—caught her hand. Shuyi’s voice was tender. “Sui Sui, I’m not burning anymore.”

Li Sui’s eyes flickered, but she stubbornly insisted on touching her forehead anyway. It was true. Li Sui had checked before her morning nap, and the fever hadn’t returned.

“Is there anywhere else that feels uncomfortable, Sister Shuyi?” Li Sui asked softly. She wasn’t being overly worried; she simply hated seeing the people she cared about in pain, and being the one who always looked after them made her naturally anxious.

“I’m better.” Shuyi reached out to brush a few stray hairs from Li Sui’s face. She leaned in closer, a deep, playful smile dancing in her eyes. Her voice carried a heavy implication. “Nothing feels uncomfortable anymore. Sui Sui… is it okay now?”

Li Sui didn’t reply immediately, her gaze fixed dazed on her wife.

“Wait until I’m better… then I’ll let you kiss me as much as you want.”

Recalling Shuyi’s words from the night before made her incredibly shy. For some reason, as Shuyi held her tight, the heat radiating from her skin made Li Sui feel dizzy. Her attention focused involuntarily on Shuyi’s lips. They were a bit pale—an unhealthy, sickly white from the fever.

Li Sui smiled softly, her reason returning just enough for her to lean in and give Shuyi a quick “peck” on the cheek. Then, she scrambled out of bed and dashed toward the bathroom.

“We can’t! We haven’t brushed our teeth yet!”

Shuyi watched the fleeing girl, her lips curving upward. She got out of bed happily and chased after her into the bathroom. “So, after we brush our teeth, I can get my kiss?”

“Sister Shuyi, how can you…”

“Sui Sui, just one kiss. I just recovered from a major illness; give me a reward.”

Li Sui was realizing for the first time that Shuyi, when sick, underwent a complete personality shift that left her defenseless. Even during toothbrushing, she was being followed and pestered for a “reward.”

As expected, people are most vulnerable when they’re sick, Li Sui thought. And it’s the easiest time to grow closer. Still, she didn’t hate it at all; in fact, she found herself quite enjoying it.

*****

Qingland. Early morning.

Liang Xiaona was wide awake. Taking advantage of Su Tan being asleep, she stepped outside and timed a call to her mother, Liang Jun. Her first sentence was direct: “Mom, I want to come home.”

On the other end, Liang Jun sighed. Her voice was calm and persuasive. “I know. Don’t be in a rush. I’ll do some work on Old Lady Su. Once your honeymoon is over, I’ll find a way to bring you back. As long as Su Tan is part of the Su family, she won’t be discarded. You need to keep her steady; don’t let her see through anything.”

Liang Xiaona felt a bit better hearing that. “Understood.”

Sensing her daughter’s foul mood, Liang Jun offered a few more words of comfort. She knew Xiaona felt out of place abroad. She was the one who had introduced them, and since Su Tan’s background had caused such a massive stumble for them both, it was natural for Xiaona to be upset.

However, Liang Jun didn’t believe she had made a mistake. As long as Su Tan carried the Su name, she was a trump card that could turn the game around.

Suddenly, Liang Jun’s tone shifted, becoming stern. “I’ve heard some rumors that aren’t very good for you. Before you were married, I was strict with you, but I gave you freedom in your relationships. Now that you’re married, you need to settle down. Those past girlfriends… you’ve cut them all off, right?”

Liang Xiaona went silent. Su Tan had once asked her the same thing, and she had been able to lie without a second thought. But now, at the mention of her past, a vivid, radiant face appeared in her mind, making her heart skip a beat with panic.

Does Mom mean… she knows about me and Li Sui?

Liang Jun took the silence as an answer. Her tone turned to one of frustrated disappointment. “Even if you haven’t, don’t harbor any delusions. Focus your mind and don’t waste your heart on unnecessary people. Su Tan loves you; don’t do something you’ll regret later.”

“…” Regret?

Liang Xiaona didn’t regret choosing Su Tan over Li Sui for the sake of status. What she regretted was knowing Li Sui had loved her so devotedly, yet she had never truly responded. Li Sui should have been hers. If she had chosen a partner based on merit alone, Li Sui was the best choice—but she had chosen Su Tan’s background instead, which had yielded nothing but trouble.

She regretted not being honest with Li Sui sooner. If she had confessed her situation, maybe they wouldn’t have ended up as strangers.

Liang Jun, sensing her daughter’s brooding silence, sighed and softened her voice. “Is the money enough?”

“It’s enough,” Liang Xiaona said flatly.

The silence returned, the atmosphere turning stagnant. Even over the phone, Liang Jun’s displeasure was evident. “Then take care of yourself. Be more patient with Su Tan. Call me if anything urgent happens.”

“Okay.”

After the call ended, Liang Xiaona sat motionless for several minutes. Eventually, a video call from her sister, Liang Xiaotang, brought her back to reality.

“Sis, remember to look at the shopping list I sent you!” Xiaotang still thought her sister was living a life of leisure in Qingland. She chattered about buying makeup and asked when they were coming home.

“Okay,” Liang Xiaona replied. Then, on an impulse, she asked, “How has she been lately?”

“You mean Li Sui?” Xiaotang knew exactly who she was asking about. “She went to take wedding photos, apparently in Xiamen. I heard from the Bai family that the Aunt has had feelings for her for a long time. Apparently, they met at some matchmaking event in a scenic area in Xiamen and hit it off immediately.”

Liang Xiaona’s breathing quickened. “When did this happen?”

“Sigh.” Xiaotang saw the dejected look on her sister’s face and guessed her thoughts. “It was right after the announcement of your engagement to Su Tan—after you and Li Sui broke up. Sis… you don’t still have feelings for her, do you?”

Xiaotang knew all about the “Bet Game” and her sister’s history of casual dating, but she’d never seen her look so defeated. Before her sister could reply, Xiaotang kept rambling: “Sis, this isn’t right. Su Tan is so good to you; you can’t do anything to make her angry. Li Sui is pretty, but she’s so boring and quiet…”

“Stop talking. I know what I’m doing.” Liang Xiaona snapped, her face darkening as she abruptly hung up the call.

She collapsed onto the balcony, exhausted. Her gaze fell on her phone’s lock screen—a wedding photo of her and Su Tan.

“Xiaona, when we take our photos, do you want to stay in China or go abroad?”

“This dress is so beautiful; you’ll look stunning in it.”

“Hehe, I hope we can be together forever.”

Memories of Li Sui flooded her mind like a tidal wave, drowning her in a suffocating mix of pain and regret. The breakup had happened barely over a month ago, yet it felt like a lifetime had passed. Liang Xiaona truly wished there was such a thing as a “regret pill.”

*****

At breakfast, Shuyi received a video call from Bai Zhilan.

The news of Shuyi’s injury while saving the girl was too big for Secretary Li to keep quiet, especially after the 104-degree fever.

“I’m fine, Mom. I just need a few days of rest,” Shuyi said, finishing her chicken breast and smiling at Li Sui. “Sui Sui and I talked it over. Since it’s raining in Xiamen, we’ll stay here and finish the shoot once the weather clears.”

Zhilan was genuinely worried, asking for details on the injury and if Sui Sui had been frightened. She reminded Shuyi not to be a burden to her wife.

The call was on speaker, so Li Sui heard everything. She ate quietly, a hidden smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

“If you need anything, call me. Make sure you eat well, and tell Xiao Li to hire more bodyguards.”

“Oh, and Sui Sui! I saw your livestream yesterday,” Zhilan chirped. “You were so beautiful! Truly my child.”

“Your explanation of the paintings was wonderful. I even recorded it! And I followed your account, hahaha!”

Zhilan laughed happily, chatting as if it were a casual family dinner. Then, she pulled out some cat treats to lure the cats over. “Dudu! Dundun! Come here, your mom misses you. Come say hi on the video!”

As the camera shifted, Li Sui saw her two cats—one grey, one white—pop onto the screen. Their insistent “Meow, meow, meow” for treats was enough to melt anyone’s heart.

Once Shuyi finished catching up with Bai Zhilan and listening to her long list of instructions, she finally hung up the video call.

“Honestly, Mom is something else.” Shuyi smiled, her tone hovering between a complaint and fond resignation. “But she’s certainly taking good care of the two cats.”

“Mom has worked hard,” Li Sui remarked, pulling out a wet wipe to clean her hands.

When she checked her own phone, she was met with a flood of notifications. There were messages from Tan Xiao and Wenwen, as well as several small group chats she usually kept muted. Clips from her livestream the previous night had been shared all over the internet. Thanks to her striking visuals and eloquent speaking style, she had become an overnight sensation.

Topics like #TheCatLadyFromTheMuseum, #SuiSuiPingAnLivestream, and #SuiSuiPingAnIsMarried were trending. Fans of her manga were busy recommending her work to newcomers, and her Super Topic gained tens of thousands of followers in a single day. Between her Weibo and Adou accounts, her follower count had jumped by nearly a million overnight.

Shuyi was aware of this shift too. She looked at the “Sui Sui Ping An” account she followed on Weibo, feeling a bit complicated. Recalling the events of the previous night, she felt a twinge of regret that she hadn’t been able to watch the livestream as it happened. Now, she could only watch the replays. She wanted to be a part of every significant moment in Sui Sui’s life.

As they finished breakfast and stood on the balcony looking out at the sea, Li Sui’s mind was filled with dreams of the future. If given the chance, she wanted to travel the world with Sister Shuyi—starting with all the landmarks in China, eating delicious food everywhere, and documenting their journey in local traditional outfits.

Suddenly, Li Sui remembered something, and her tone grew serious. “By the way, Sister Shuyi, how is that little girl you saved last night?”

Shuyi had almost forgotten to tell her. She smiled and said, “She’s fine. Her family came for her, and they’ve likely left the hospital by now. But Xiao Li said they left a thank-you note for me.”

The family’s butler had met Shuyi at the hospital. It seemed the child came from a family of some status, and they had been horrified that she had come so close to danger. They had left gifts and covered the medical expenses, expressing deep gratitude. Shuyi felt it was just the right thing to do, but she had advised them to keep a closer eye on the little one.

“Sui Sui,” Shuyi said, catching Li Sui’s hand. Her eyes were sparkling with a smile. “Sui Sui, did I do well?”

Li Sui nodded instantly. “Yes. Sister Shuyi, you are the kindest person I know.”

Glancing at the grey, drizzly weather of Xiamen, Li Sui sighed with a bit of regret. “It’s just a shame we can’t continue with the wedding photos yet.”

Shuyi felt the same way. She had checked the forecast before they came, but Xiamen’s weather was notoriously unpredictable. She looked at Li Sui apologetically. “I’m sorry for ruining the plans.”

Li Sui laughed. “Once your injury is healed, we’ll just do a makeup shoot.”

Technically, they could have switched to a studio shoot, but Li Sui didn’t want the hassle, and she was mostly concerned about Shuyi’s ankle. It needed rest.

When the rain finally let up a bit, Li Sui arranged for Secretary Li to drive them to the hospital to change Shuyi’s dressings. Afterward, they returned to the Bai-owned hotel where they had originally stayed.

They spent the next week in the hotel. Thanks to an excellent medical team, plenty of rest, and a careful diet, Shuyi’s recovery was remarkably fast. Within a week, she was able to start walking again.

To Li Sui’s delight, the rain finally stopped on the very afternoon Shuyi was cleared to walk. They even saw a beautiful rainbow stretching across the sky, its translucent colors framed by the setting sun and glowing clouds.

Li Sui was ecstatic. She snapped photos from several angles and insisted on a selfie with Shuyi, which she immediately posted to her social media. Her desire to share her happiness was at an all-time high.

The day after the rainbow appeared, they resumed their wedding shoot. The weather remained clear and calm, and the rest of the session went unexpectedly smoothly.

*****

“Sui Sui! You’re finally back from your wedding shoot!”

On the day Li Sui and Shuyi returned to the city, Li Mimi came over to visit immediately. The moment she saw Li Sui, she threw her arms around her, looking utterly miserable. “I missed you so much I almost died!”

Shuyi quickly pulled Li Sui toward her side, teasing Mimi. “Hey, hey, watch it. Ms. Li, please maintain a respectful distance from my Sui Sui. Mind your boundaries.”

Mimi put her hands on her hips, annoyed, and promptly yanked Li Sui’s arm back into her own embrace, glaring at Shuyi. “I’m going to hug her if I want to! What ‘distance’? No! Sui Sui is mine!”

Li Sui: “…” Lord, help me. Where did these two children come from?

“Alright, alright,” Li Sui said, acting as the peacemaker. She looked at Mimi and noticed that her friend’s distress seemed genuine. She turned to Shuyi and said softly, “Sister Shuyi, why don’t you go brew some tea? I’d love a cup.”

Shuyi gave Mimi one last look and then smiled tenderly at Li Sui. “Sure. Wait for me.”

“Tsk, tsk,” Mimi muttered, her face scrunching up in dejection. “You’re so happy. You have no idea what kind of miserable life I’ve been living. I feel like a total failure. I can’t understand those project reports at all; it’s too much.”

“And… Xiao Nai isn’t talking to me anymore.”

“I feel like all the light has gone out of my life. I don’t know what to do next.”

Li Sui was shocked. She knew Mimi had been working from the bottom up at the Su family under Su Youlan’s guidance, but weren’t she and Cheng Nai in the honeymoon phase? “What do you mean? You and Xiao Nai had a fight?”

Mimi shook her head and sighed. “I wish it was a fight. At least then I’d know what I did wrong.”

Lately, Mimi had been feeling incredibly depressed. She had noticed that Cheng Nai stopped sending money transfers and hadn’t replied to a single message. Her calls went through, but nobody answered. It was driving her crazy.

Mimi had even waited outside Cheng Nai’s new villa for several days, but she never saw her. She realized then that even though they were dating, she didn’t really know Cheng Nai. She didn’t have her address (other than the villa she wasn’t using), she didn’t know her friends, and she didn’t know her family. Their only links were WeChat and a phone number. If those were cut, she was gone.

“Mimi, did you do something to hurt her?” Li Sui asked, seeing her friend’s turmoil.

Mimi slumped into the sofa. “I just mentioned that I wanted to go on a trip together at the end of the year. The next day, she went silent. No messages, no calls, nothing.”

Mimi had thought about asking the hacker Qiao Zui for help, but she assumed Cheng Nai was just angry. Reviewing their chat history, she realized Cheng Nai had always been the initiator. She sent money, said good morning and good night, and shared every little detail of her day.

In contrast, Mimi’s replies had been cold and brief. It hardly looked like they were in a relationship at all. Mimi suspected her obsession with the Su family business had made her completely neglect Cheng Nai, and now Cheng Nai was done with her. Mimi wanted to fix it, but she hated that Cheng Nai had just vanished without a word.

“Don’t look so down,” Li Sui said, patting Mimi’s shoulder. “Wait here. I’ll try calling her.”

Li Sui pulled out her phone and dialed Cheng Nai’s number. After a few rings, it connected. Li Sui and Mimi exchanged a nervous, wide-eyed look.

“Xiao Nai?” Li Sui said quickly into the phone.

“Hello? Who is this?”

The voice that answered wasn’t Cheng Nai’s. It was the voice of a woman who sounded more mature—elegant, but cold.

Li Sui was taken aback for a second. “Hello, I’m a friend of Cheng Nai’s. This is her number, right?”

“It is. What can I do for you?”

Li Sui glanced at Mimi and thought on her feet. “It’s like this—Xiao Nai came over to visit recently and left a stuffed animal at my house. I messaged her on WeChat but didn’t get a reply. I just wanted to ask when she’d be free so I could return it.”

The woman replied curtly, “Just leave your address. I’ll send someone to pick it up.”

Li Sui didn’t want her to hang up. “Is Xiao Nai… is she very busy lately?”

The other end went silent. Just as Li Sui was about to speak again, the cold voice spoke up: “You’re that girl Li Mimi, the one Xiao Nai has been keeping, right?”

Both Li Sui and Mimi froze.

“The money Xiao Nai transferred to you exceeds ten million yuan. You don’t need to pay it back; consider it a buyout for your past together. Since your relationship isn’t that deep yet, be sensible and stop calling.”

Before Li Sui could say a word, the line went dead.

Li Sui stared at Mimi. Keeping her? Ten million? Weren’t Mimi and Cheng Nai in a normal relationship? This was a lot of information to process.

Mimi felt a surge of panic. She snatched the phone from Li Sui, her hands shaking as she hit redial. “What is she talking about? A buyout? I never wanted that money! Why won’t Xiao Nai tell me this herself?”

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