My Virtual Wife Stepped Out of My Phone to Find Me - Chapter 13

Xia Ruoxin propped her chin on her hand, a popsicle in her mouth, watching Qi Ying rush to finish a trench coat.

The pure leather trench coat had a retro style, a design that heavily tested a designer’s experience and skill. Done poorly, it would look like a worn-out piece of clothing; done well, it would be breathtakingly stunning.

Qi Ying had a measuring tape draped around her neck and pins stuck all over her wrist guards as she worked diligently on the mannequin, determined to finish the garment today.

Xia Ruoxin switched the hand supporting her chin and the one holding the popsicle, then asked curiously, “Hey, A-Ying, how much are you making from this order?”

Without turning her head, Qi Ying replied, “Two thousand.”

Xia Ruoxin blinked. “You’re working so hard—I thought you’d be making twenty thousand from this. Turns out it’s only two thousand?”

Hearing this, Qi Ying paused and turned to look at the little rich girl. “Two thousand isn’t bad, okay?”

By the game’s exchange rate, that was twenty thousand—enough to enroll Xing Xiaochu in a month’s worth of one-on-one math tutoring!

Ever since Qi Ying realized she couldn’t understand Xing Xiaochu’s math problems, she had resolved to work hard in real life to earn money and sign the kid up for tutoring. That very day, she started taking on small orders she would have previously dismissed, using her free time to make clothes.

Xia Ruoxin was surprised by her serious demeanor and asked in confusion, “A-Ying, are you short on money lately?”

Qi Ying wasn’t exactly strapped for cash.

She just felt that spending in the game shouldn’t affect her real-life finances or savings. After some thought, she decided to earn some extra pocket money. Since she was making clothes anyway, she might as well take on both big and small orders—consider it overtime for Xing Xiaochu.

She turned back to her work and said, “Not short on money. Just figured I might as well take on a few more orders since I have the time.”

Even so, Xia Ruoxin still didn’t quite understand why Qi Ying had suddenly become so driven.

Was something going on??

Just as Xia Ruoxin was pondering this, the shop’s doorbell chimed. She instinctively glanced toward the entrance and saw a stylish young woman standing at the door. She had long, flowing hair, wore a white tank top and athletic pants, and had a slender waist and long legs—her figure was exceptional.

Shi Yu removed her sunglasses and, seeing Qi Ying circling the mannequin, greeted her with a smile. “Hello, I’m here for my measurements.”

Qi Ying looked up at her and nodded. “Of course, Miss Shi. Please take a seat on the sofa—I’ll be right with you.”

With that, Qi Ying turned back to her work. Shi Yu opened her mouth but said nothing, instead walking over to the sofa and sitting down quietly to wait for Qi Ying to finish and take her measurements.

As soon as she sat down, Xia Ruoxin approached with a glass of water.

“Here, have some water,” Xia Ruoxin said cheerfully to Shi Yu. “A-Ying will still be a while.”

A-Ying?

Shi Yu blinked but nodded. “It’s fine, I’ll wait for her.”

It didn’t sit right with Xia Ruoxin to leave a guest waiting. Smiling warmly, she said, “It’s just measurements, right? I can help you with that. I’m also a designer here.”

Though not as skilled as Qi Ying, Xia Ruoxin was a legitimate designer. While she wasn’t as professional, she could still handle the basics like taking measurements.

Shi Yu quickly declined, “No, no… I made an appointment with Qi Ying.”

Xia Ruoxin immediately understood upon hearing this and looked at Shi Yu with a knowing smile that made her feel slightly uneasy.

“So, you’re here for our A-Ying, I see,” Xia Ruoxin said to her. “Wait here, I’ll go hurry her up.”

Shi Yu nodded and watched as Xia Ruoxin ran over to the busy Qi Ying, whispering something to her. Qi Ying frowned slightly and glanced back at Shi Yu, who met her gaze openly and confidently.

Xia Ruoxin tugged at the measuring tape around Qi Ying’s neck, saying, “This young lady came specifically to get measured by you. Why are you keeping her waiting? Isn’t she pretty enough? I think she’s quite beautiful.”

Qi Ying frowned and glanced at Shi Yu before saying to Xia Ruoxin, “Don’t talk nonsense. What if the customer hears you?”

Xia Ruoxin raised an eyebrow and smiled. “A-Ying, don’t tell me you really haven’t noticed?”

Qi Ying remained silent, giving Xia Ruoxin a glare.

Xia Ruoxin giggled, took the needle and thread from Qi Ying’s hands, and pressed the measuring tape into her palm. “Go on, go on. What if the customer leaves after waiting too long? Aren’t you short on money recently? Shouldn’t you be more attentive to your patron?”

Qi Ying wanted to explain that she wasn’t that desperate for money, but Xia Ruoxin had already pushed her forward.

Resigned, Qi Ying approached Shi Yu, pursing her lips slightly as she said, “Miss Shi, let’s go over there to take your measurements.”

Shi Yu’s eyes sparkled as she stood up and followed Qi Ying to the side.

“I’ve looked at all the reference photos you sent me and considered the style you want,” Qi Ying said while measuring Shi Yu’s bust and waist with the tape. “May I ask what kind of party this is for? I have some ideas, but I’m not sure if they’re suitable… Please raise your arms so I can measure your waist.”

Shi Yu cooperated fully, raising her arms and turning as instructed. Watching Qi Ying carefully measure her bust, she said, “It’s for my 22nd birthday party. I want to be the most dazzling presence there.”

The young, beautiful girl spoke with particular pride. Qi Ying’s hands paused slightly before she loosened the tape to measure Shi Yu’s waist.

Shi Yu had an excellent figure—her waist measured exactly 24 inches, similar to Xing Xiaochu’s.

Though their figures were comparable, Shi Yu clearly trained rigorously. Her arms and legs were toned, and she had even worked on her glutes, resulting in a perky backside that looked great in clothes.

Qi Ying lowered her gaze, picking up a pencil to jot down Shi Yu’s measurements on a notepad. Meanwhile, Shi Yu stood on the platform, tilting her chin up slightly as she asked, “Isn’t my waist really slim?”

Qi Ying nodded. “You have a great figure. Do you practice dance?”

Shi Yu pinched her waist proudly. “I train in ballet. The body standards are extremely strict—I have to measure my food by the gram, and I can’t drink anything carelessly, or I’ll bloat the next day.”

Qi Ying pulled the measuring tape around her hips, recorded the number, then slipped the tape off and draped it around her neck.

This was one of Qi Ying’s little habits. Since she frequently needed the measuring tape for design work and it wasn’t easy to store, she had gotten used to casually hanging it around her neck after use.

She leaned down to jot down Shi Yu’s measurements on a sticky note, speaking to her in a businesslike manner: “You have a slender waist and long legs. I’m thinking of adding a large bow at the back of your mermaid dress—it would better suit the birthday party atmosphere. What do you think?”

Shi Yu stepped down from the platform and moved close to Qi Ying, watching as she sketched. With just a few strokes, Qi Ying outlined a mermaid dress draft on the sticky note, featuring an exaggerated yet surprisingly soft and beautiful bow at the back.

Qi Ying caught the sweet scent of peaches from Shi Yu. When she turned her head, she found Shi Yu standing unusually close. Their eyes met, and Shi Yu flashed a radiant smile, clasping her hands behind her back as she said, “Your drawing is beautiful. Let’s go with this, A-Ying.”