After Being Cheated, I Had a Flash Marriage with My Ex's Aunt - Chapter 48.1

The next day, Li Sui blinked her eyes open, feeling slightly groggy from a restless night. Habitually, she reached over to the other side of the bed.

It was cold.

When did Sister Shuyi get up? During their wedding shoot trip, she had woken up to find Shuyi beside her every single morning. This sudden absence felt strange and unfamiliar.

Memories of the previous night suddenly flooded back—the “small movie,” the kisses, the heat. The scenes replayed in her mind like a loop, making her cheeks flush a feverish red. It was embarrassing, yet she felt a secret, giddy spark of joy. I wouldn’t mind having more experiences like that, she thought.

After wallowing in her memories for a good while, she finally got up to wash and head to the kitchen. As usual, she found a sticky note left by Shuyi next to a prepared breakfast.

[My ankle is better, so I went to work today. Remember to eat your breakfast when you wake up. (Smile face)]

Li Sui couldn’t help but giggle. She took a photo of the breakfast and the note, then posted it to her Weibo:

[Good morning! Have you had breakfast yet? (Image)]

She didn’t stick around to check the replies, choosing instead to focus on the meal. Since they’d married, Shuyi had never missed a morning—there was always a breakfast waiting, bought or handmade. Sometimes, Li Sui felt like the life she’d always dreamed of had already come true, and she cherished every bit of it.

After eating, she got ready to head to the hospital to visit her grandmother. While she was away for the photoshoot, her grandmother had called every day, bragging about meeting a talented young girl while out for a walk. She planned to test the girl and, if she passed, take her on as her final disciple.

Li Sui knew her grandmother’s skills were legendary within their circle, and she understood that metaphysics wasn’t just superstition—there were things science couldn’t explain. Still, she worried. What if the girl was a scammer targeting vulnerable seniors with “emotional cards” only to sell them health supplements later? Li Sui decided to see for herself. If anything looked fishy, she’d call the police immediately.

To her surprise, as she pulled into the hospital parking lot, she spotted a familiar figure: Qiao Zui.

“Qiao—” Before she could finish the shout, Qiao Zui had hurried off and disappeared into the building.

Li Sui, carrying a thermos of homemade soup, tried to jog after her, but she lost her in the crowd. What struck her as odd was Qiao Zui’s appearance. She was dressed like a civil servant heading for an interview, and her colorful hair had been dyed back to a solid black.

“I’m an idiot,” Li Sui muttered, almost laughing at herself. She pulled out her phone. “I literally have her number.”

But the call didn’t go through. Given Qiao Zui’s hurried pace, she was clearly on an important mission. Looking back at their recent WeChat history, it was all mindless chatter, but Qiao Zui had mentioned she was busy learning a “trade” from her Master. Li Sui admired the hustle; it seemed everyone was working hard on self-improvement lately. She was genuinely curious about who this “Master” could be.

She sent Qiao Zui a message saying she’d seen her and asked why she was at the hospital.

When Li Sui arrived at her grandmother’s room, she heard a flurry of excited voices from inside:

“Master says the Junior Sister is a genius, a rare talent. I’m dying of curiosity!”

“I heard she’s only in her twenties. So young! We’re just old bones compared to her.”

“I don’t even know what to give as a greeting gift. It’s stressing me out.”

“In our line of work, it’s all about fate. Fate brings people together from across the world.”

Li Sui froze at the door. Wait… are these all… Grandmother’s disciples? For the first time, she truly understood how famous her grandmother was in her field.

She knocked three times and pushed the door open. The single room was packed with four middle-aged women surrounding the bed. Aside from the regular caregiver, the other three were strangers. They were dressed quite normally, showing no outward signs of being metaphysical masters.

The three women immediately turned their scrutinizing gazes toward her, making Li Sui feel a bit awkward.

“Grandmother,” Li Sui said, breaking the tension as she walked to the bedside. “It’s been a while.”

“Come, come! This is my favorite granddaughter, Sui Sui,” the old lady said. She’d clearly predicted Li Sui would visit today. She introduced the visitors: “Meet your Auntie Zhang, Auntie Wu, and Auntie Zhao. Get to know each other.”

The room erupted into chatter again.

“Oh, so this is Sui Sui! We’ve heard so much about you.”

“Yes, we all heard when you got into that Art Academy in Gan-Du. You made us so proud.”

“You’re too thin, dear. You need to eat more.”

Li Sui greeted them one by one, feeling a bit overwhelmed by their fussing. Seeing her granddaughter’s discomfort, the old lady waved her disciples away with a stern look. “That’s enough, you lot. I’m fine now. Go wait outside.”

Just then, another knock came at the door. Everyone turned to look.

Qiao Zui?

Li Sui was stunned. Did she see my message and find me?

“You? What are you doing here?” Qiao Zui’s jaw dropped when she saw Li Sui.

Two minutes later, Li Sui sat in a daze as she watched Qiao Zui discuss the “Way of Metaphysics” with her grandmother and the three aunties. The “final disciple” her grandmother had been talking about… was Qiao Zui?

Incredible. This girl actually has a talent for this?

The aunties were equally surprised that the two knew each other, chalking it up to a wonderful twist of fate. Li Sui opened the thermos, and the aroma of chicken soup filled the room, making everyone’s mouth water. It was a bit awkward; Li Sui hadn’t brought enough for a crowd.

“Master, we’ll head out now. We’ll visit again soon.”

“Yes, please take care of your health.”

Recognizing that the grandmother wanted some private time with her granddaughter, the disciples took their cue and left with friendly goodbyes to their new Junior Sister, Qiao Zui.

“Drink some soup,” Li Sui said, pouring a bowl for Qiao Zui before carefully serving her grandmother.

“You sweet child,” the old lady said, taking the bowl with a loving smile. “How have you been? Are you happy?”

“I’m happy,” Li Sui replied sincerely. Qiao Zui sat quietly to the side, sipping her soup and silently marveling at how delicious it was.

In her office, Shuyi had just returned from court. She called Secretary Li in while looking over her calendar.

“Any news on the custom ring I ordered?”

“Yes.” Secretary Li pulled up her task list and forwarded a document to Shuyi. “The designer has polished several versions based on your original sketches. They’ve suggested a few styles that would suit the Boss’s wife perfectly. You just need to finalize the choice.”

“Good.” Shuyi opened her email immediately, her focus narrowing.

Secretary Li hesitated before asking, “And Boss, about the Su family recognition banquet—the gifts are ready. Should we prepare a separate set for the Boss’s wife?”

“Yes, prepare another set,” Shuyi said without looking up. Since Li Sui and Mimi were so close, they’d just send double the gifts.

As Shuyi looked at the designs, she thought of Li Sui’s hands. She began imagining the perfect moment to give her the ring. The design was hers—even though she wasn’t much of an artist, she’d provided the core inspiration and had a professional refine it. She was buzzing with excitement.

She pulled out her phone:

[Sui Sui, have you had lunch yet?]

[I’m leaving work on time today. I found a great Western restaurant—want to go out for dinner?]

She then walked to the window and snapped a few photos of the view.

[Look at the view from my office. The weather is beautiful. (Image)]

[I miss you. (Sticker)]

Li Sui didn’t see the messages until thirty minutes later, just as she was leaving her grandmother’s room. Unfortunately, she couldn’t make it. The days she spent on the photoshoot had left her with a mountain of work, and since she was heading to an international comic festival in a few days, her studio was in “crunch mode.” She had a team dinner planned for that night.

Qiao Zui followed her out of the room. Catching up to her at the elevator, she grinned. “Talk about a small world! Your grandmother is my Master.”

“I’m still in shock,” Li Sui admitted.

Qiao Zui looked at her, a complicated but relieved smile on her face. “Honestly, I was shocked when I found out you married Shuyi. To be fair, I’ve known of her for a long time.”

Li Sui’s interest piqued. “Are you friends?”

“Not friends.” Qiao Zui thought for a moment. “She was a client… and she was also a target for some of my other clients.”

Li Sui blinked. “Because she’s famous?”

“More than just famous,” Qiao Zui began, the gossip gates opening. “You have no idea how many women pay me for information on her. One of the most persistent is a long-term client from my time abroad. Ever since I took her first order, she’s insisted on regular reports on Shuyi’s whereabouts. She’s obsessed with Shuyi’s looks. But lately, after hearing Shuyi got married, she’s been in a foul mood—throwing tantrums and demanding to come home to see her.”

Li Sui felt a cold drop in her stomach. It matched the “ten-year search” and the “white moonlight” theory she’d had. Was Qiao Zui the hacker Shuyi had hired?

“Who is she?” Li Sui asked, her voice quiet. “What’s her name?”

Qiao Zui, caught up in the story, suddenly realized she’d said too much. She stopped abruptly. “Uh, well…” She let out a dry laugh. “Look at me, I almost forgot the rules. I really can’t tell you more than that.”

Li Sui narrowed her eyes. “How much to make you talk?”

Qiao Zui waved her off. “It’s not about the money, it’s about my professional reputation—”

Her phone buzzed. A notification showed a transfer of one million yuan. Qiao Zui’s expression went through several stages of shock.

Li Sui showed her the confirmation, her smile finally vanishing. “You know me. I don’t like it when people start a story and don’t finish it. If you don’t tell me, I’m going back in to talk to my grandmother.”

“I’ll count to three…”

“God!” Qiao Zui suddenly remembered some of Li Sui’s “bold feats” from high school. Memories she’d long buried resurfaced. She grabbed Li Sui’s arm. “Fine, fine! I’ll tell you! I’m scared of you, okay?”

Li Sui’s smile returned, though it was now sharp. “Go on.”

The elevator opened, but it was too crowded. They ducked into the stairwell. Qiao Zui immediately refunded the million yuan. “Look, I’m telling you this, but she’s from the Jin family in Gan-Du. Her surname is Jin. She grew up with Shuyi and currently works in the Qingland branch. That’s all I can say. Honestly, if you want more, just ask literally anyone in the Bai family. They all know.”

Li Sui committed every word to memory. Surname: Jin. Grew up with Shuyi. A childhood friend.

A wave of insecurity washed over her, making her heart feel heavy. After a moment of silence, she asked, “If I ask her directly, do you think Sister Shuyi will tell me the truth?”

“That…” Qiao Zui gave a hollow laugh. “You’ll have to find out for yourself. Only you can judge if the answer is real or not.”

They walked down the stairs in silence. Finally, Qiao Zui tried to change the subject. “By the way, I’m still working on finding that person you asked me to track down. I’ll have news soon.”

“Thanks. I’ll leave it to you.”

“Don’t thank me,” Qiao Zui muttered. She was about to say more when Li Sui’s phone rang.

“Hello? Sister Shuyi?”

Shuyi was calling to say that a suspect in a major case had been caught, and she had to leave for a business trip to Huadu immediately.

“How long will you be gone?” Li Sui asked, her voice soft and full of worry.

“No more than a week,” Shuyi said, sounding truly apologetic. “I’m so sorry I can’t be there for dinner. I’ll come back as soon as I can.”

“It’s fine,” Li Sui said, trying to be supportive. “Do you need me to come home and help you pack?”

“No, stay busy with your work,” Shuyi laughed gently. “I’m used to these trips. Don’t worry about me; I’ll report my location to you regularly.”

So proactive, Li Sui thought. She didn’t want to be the kind of wife who checked up on her partner, but she felt a small glow of happiness nonetheless. “Okay. Let me know when you arrive.”

Qiao Zui watched her hang up. She hadn’t realized their relationship was so deep. For a moment, she was lost in thought. When she first heard Li Sui was marrying Shuyi, she’d been in shock for days.

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