After Being Cheated, I Had a Flash Marriage with My Ex's Aunt - Chapter 9

Li Sui was a bit taken aback, but she quickly realized that Shuyi was serious about making the wedding official.

“I’m actually fine with anything,” Li Sui said, looking at Shuyi to gauge her preference. “Lawyer Bai, would you prefer a traditional Chinese ceremony or a Western one?”

Shuyi lowered her eyes and gave a soft laugh. “My mother has recommended a few excellent wedding planners. I wanted to hear your thoughts first.”

Li Sui did have an answer ready. “I’d actually like to have two ceremonies—one Chinese and one Western.” She paused, remembering how people online complained that weddings were exhausting and expensive. “But… having two big events, would that be too much?”

Shuyi, assuming she was worried about the cost, chimed in immediately. “If you want two, we’ll have two. Money is meant to be spent, after all.”

It wasn’t that Li Sui couldn’t afford it; she was just worried they would both be run ragged. But seeing Shuyi’s decisiveness, she nodded in agreement. “Alright. Two ceremonies it is.”

Li Sui didn’t know much about the process. Most of her friends were advocates for late marriage, so none of them had tied the knot yet. Shuyi, sensing her lingering hesitation, added, “We’ll set the dates once our families have met. If your work gets too busy, I’ll find someone to handle the logistics.”

Li Sui’s clear eyes brightened, and she bounced her leg slightly in excitement. “Don’t you have a very busy schedule, too?”

A corner of Shuyi’s mouth curled up. “Not that busy.”

“Okay then.” Li Sui checked her watch and gave a casual nod. “You should get some rest, then.”

“Goodnight,” Shuyi said, a gentle smile lingering on her lips.

*****

The study was located at the end of the second floor; Li Sui had set it up as soon as she moved in. Following her usual routine, she brewed a pot of tea, turned on her computer, and put on a favorite drama in the background before starting on her drafts.

Her current work, The Cat Lady of the Museum, had finished its first season. The second season was in the planning stages, with serialization set to begin in the spring.

Meanwhile, she was working on a new manga: The Flash-Married Wife Loves Me Deeply—a sweet story about two women who are reborn, enter a flash marriage, and join forces to take revenge on those who wronged them.

Li Sui was drawing with intense focus. When she finally looked at the clock, it was already 9:00 PM.

“My neck is so stiff,” she muttered, standing up to grab a coffee and let her brain idle. She noticed her messaging app was blinking incessantly. It was a long list of messages from “Don’t Knock,” the hacker friend Li Mimi had mentioned. Li Sui sent over her request to find “Checkmate,” even though it had been years.

While waiting for a reply, she habitually checked her email. Among the junk was a message with the subject: “An Invitation to See the Truth.”

Curious, she clicked it.

A video played: a dimly lit bar. Her girlfriend of two years, Liang Xiaona, tossed a pair of car keys onto a table with a triumphant smirk. “How can you call it a scam? She’s the one who fell head over heels for me. I won this bet fair and square. Two hundred thousand each—don’t even think about backing out.”

Laughter erupted in the background as people pulled out their phones to scan QR codes.

“I can’t wait to see her face when she finds out,” someone added.

“She’s beautiful, though.”

“What’s the point of being pretty if you’re just Na-jie’s lapdog?”

The video ended. Li Sui felt as if a needle had been driven directly into her heart. The email also contained a series of photos. They were candid shots of Xiaona—completely different from the “gentle” persona she had maintained with Li Sui. Xiaona was wearing luxury brands, lounging in high-end clubs, and in several photos at a beach, she was being fed ice cream by a petite girl in matching outfits.

There were photos of them kissing, holding hands, and whispering to each other. Every frame was an intimate, sickening proof of betrayal.

Liang Xiaona didn’t love her. Their entire relationship had been a bet. A game. It was all a lie.

“Damn it,” Li Sui whispered, staring at Xiaona’s sweet smile in the photos. A heavy wave of resentment washed over her, mostly directed at herself for being so incredibly foolish.

Knock, knock.

The sudden sound startled her. Lost in her anger and used to working alone, she didn’t react immediately. When the door opened, Shuyi was standing there.

She was dressed in dark blue silk pajamas. The warm hallway light made her skin look porcelain-white and highlighted her poised, elegant aura. Only then did Li Sui remember that she wasn’t alone anymore.

“Is something wrong?” Li Sui asked, her voice muffled with frustration.

Shuyi watched her. “Are you still busy this late?”

Li Sui could smell the faint scent of body wash clinging to Shuyi, and it helped settle her nerves. “Yeah. Haven’t finished the draft.” Then, realizing she might have been loud, she added, “Did I disturb you?”

“No.” Shuyi pulled a small, exquisite jewelry box from behind her back. “I didn’t know what kind of gift you’d like, so I chose this necklace based on my own taste.”

Another gift? Li Sui opened the box. A gold circular pendant necklace shimmered under the light. It was stunning. “What about you?” Li Sui asked, trying to shake off her dark mood. “What kind of gift do you want?”

Shuyi didn’t answer immediately. Her gaze drifted past Li Sui to the computer desk, where a massive bouquet of red roses sat in a vase. The room was cluttered but cozy, filled with figurines and digital tablets.

A playful glint appeared in Shuyi’s eyes. “You surrendered your bank card, yet you’re still hiding a ‘private stash’ for gifts?”

Li Sui’s bad mood vanished in an instant. She let out a small laugh. “I still have enough for a gift. How else am I supposed to support the family?”

Shuyi looked deeply into her eyes, a strange, warm feeling stirring in her chest. “Marriage is a partnership. We can share the burden of supporting the family. Otherwise, what’s the point of earning money?”

Li Sui froze, staring at the woman in front of her. After a few seconds, her voice dropped to a soft whisper. “Alright.”

Shuyi nodded. “Don’t stay up too late.”

“Lawyer Bai,” Li Sui called out as Shuyi turned to leave. “We don’t… we don’t have to keep the marriage a secret, do we?”

Shuyi frowned almost imperceptibly. To her, marriage was a celebration to be shared. “I don’t see any need for a ‘secret marriage.’ Do you have concerns?”

“No,” Li Sui smiled, her eyes curving into crescents. “I think it’s better if it’s not a secret, too.”

******

The Liang Residence

Liang Xiaona had spent the day shopping with Su Tan and had only just sent her home. Exhaustion hit her the moment she walked through the front door. “Lin-ma, bring a coffee to my room.”

A few minutes later, the maid brought the cup up. Xiaona took a sip, only to immediately spit it back into the cup, her temper flaring. “What is this? It’s disgusting!”

Lin-ma panicked. “It’s not your usual brand; it’s a new one we bought today.”

“Then buy the old brand! Do I really have to teach you everything?”

“But…” Lin-ma hesitated. “Miss Li used to bring that coffee over. She said she ground the beans herself. I’ve been trying to contact her since the day before yesterday, but she isn’t answering.”

Xiaona froze. She remembered now. Every cup of coffee she’d enjoyed had been hand-ground and delivered by Li Sui.

“Fine. Just leave,” Xiaona snapped.

As the room fell silent, Xiaona felt a growing sense of unease. Usually, even if Li Sui was angry, she wouldn’t ignore her calls for this long. Was she waiting for Xiaona to beg for forgiveness?

The sound of her phone ringing broke her train of thought.

“What is it?” Xiaona asked impatiently.

“Sis! Look at the message I sent you!” her sister, Xiaotang, shrieked. “Li Sui actually announced her marriage on her WeChat moments!”

Xiaona’s heart skipped a beat. “What are you talking about?”

She quickly opened WeChat and clicked on the image her sister had forwarded. It was a post from Li Sui:

[Legal cohabitation. Now officially on the job.]

The photo showed two marriage certificates resting against a massive bouquet of red roses.

Li Sui wasn’t just throwing a tantrum. She was actually married.

Xiaona’s nails dug into her palms. In a fit of rage, she dialed Li Sui’s number.

“The number you have dialed is currently busy…”

The cold, mechanical voice confirmed what she feared: she had been blacklisted. Her chest tightened. They hadn’t even been broken up for a week, and Li Sui had run off to get married?

How dare she! Xiaona thought, her mind racing. Who on earth did she marry?

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