My Virtual Wife Stepped Out of My Phone to Find Me - Chapter 14

The moment the nickname “A-Ying” slipped out, Xia Ruoxin immediately put on a look of someone eager to stir up drama, silently clapping behind them. Shi Yu naturally noticed this too, her face flushing red, yet she mustered the courage to look at Qi Ying and softly asked, “Can I call you A-Ying?”

Since she’d already said it, asking afterward seemed a bit deliberate.

Qi Ying couldn’t outright refuse—after all, Shi Yu was still a guest, and it was just a nickname.

“Of course,” Qi Ying replied, steering the conversation elsewhere. “Let’s take a look at the fabrics over here. Do you have any preferences for accessories?”

Seeing Qi Ying’s all-business demeanor, Shi Yu knew better than to push further. She obediently selected her preferred colors and fabrics, confirmed their next meeting time, and then leisurely took her leave.

Xia Ruoxin pressed her face against the shop window, watching as Shi Yu got into her car. At the sight of the red sports car, she let out an impressed “Wow!” before sidling up to Qi Ying and nudging her arm. “She’s a little rich girl, huh? Did you see that car? I’ve always wanted one!”

Qi Ying shrugged indifferently. “You’re a little rich girl too. Out of all of us here, I’m the poorest.”

Xia Ruoxin turned to her with a teasing grin. “Hey, A-Ying, are you really oblivious or just pretending? That girl has a crush on you—can’t you tell?”

Qi Ying calmly organized the items in front of her. “So, what if I can tell? We sell our skills here, not ourselves. You can’t expect me to go out of my way to charm every customer who walks in, can you?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Xia Ruoxin quickly apologized, knowing Qi Ying disliked this kind of talk. “I just think she’s nice—rich, pretty, and clearly into you. I think it’s worth giving it a shot.”

She added, “What’s the harm in getting to know her better?”

Qi Ying fell silent, staring at the sticky notes in front of her. Xia Ruoxin’s words weren’t entirely unreasonable.

Ever since middle school, Qi Ying had known she had no interest in boys—she only liked pretty girls. Though she never went out of her way to hide it as she grew older, only Xia Ruoxin and a few close friends knew about her preferences.

Shi Yu wasn’t the first girl who’d shown interest in her, nor the first to extend an olive branch.

Noticing her silence, Xia Ruoxin draped an arm over her shoulder. “A-Ying, you’ve never been in a relationship, and she seems like a good person. You can’t stay single forever, can you? If you don’t act fast, someone else might snatch her up. A rich, beautiful girl like that doesn’t come around often—you might not get another chance.”

Qi Ying shot her a sidelong glance. “Even if I did date someone, it wouldn’t be for their money.”

Xia Ruoxin’s eyes lit up at the implication. “So… you’re considering her?”

Qi Ying wasn’t entirely sure how she felt. Xia Ruoxin wasn’t wrong—she was single, had never been in a relationship, and Shi Yu seemed like a decent person. If Shi Yu really was pursuing her… well, it wasn’t like she couldn’t say yes.

Ding—

Her phone suddenly chimed with a familiar notification. Qi Ying glanced at the screen—it was a message from the game.

“Dear designer, your little Xing Xiaochu is feeling quite down right now. Perhaps your company could cheer her up!”

Xia Ruoxin was standing beside Qi Ying at that moment, arms crossed as she glanced at her phone. Though she couldn’t clearly read the notification text, she clearly recognized the game icon and exclaimed in surprise, “Ying, you’re still playing games?”

Qi Ying tapped open the game with a finger and gave a soft hum of acknowledgment.

Xia Ruoxin grew curious. “I never pegged you as the gaming type before. Who knew you were an internet addict?”

Qi Ying chuckled, lifting her eyes to smack the measuring tape against Xia Ruoxin before saying, “Keep an eye on things up front. I’m going to the restroom.”

Xia Ruoxin shot her a disdainful look before draping the measuring tape around her own neck.

In the restroom, Qi Ying opened the monitoring screen to see Xing Xiaochu sitting on a chair, shoulders trembling as she wiped away tears. Before her lay a test paper—though unscored, the sea of red X’s told Qi Ying exactly why the child was secretly crying.

So what if she didn’t do well? Why was a game character putting so much pressure on herself?

Qi Ying found it amusing, but she was still at work and it wasn’t appropriate to return to Xing Xiaochu immediately. After some thought, she ordered the girl a milk tea and gave her a call.

Xing Xiaochu hadn’t expected Qi Ying to call right then. Nervously wiping her tears with her sleeve, she sniffled and composed herself before answering—unaware that Qi Ying had seen the entire scene, finding her Xiaochu especially adorable.

“What are you up to?” Qi Ying asked.

Clutching the phone while staring at the mostly-wrong test paper, Xing Xiaochu’s eyes reddened again as tears began to fall. Yet she answered, “N-nothing much. Just… doing some test papers.”

Qi Ying could hear the child’s tearful, stuffy-nosed voice, sounding utterly pitiful.

Fortunately, Qi Ying knew to preserve the child’s dignity and didn’t call her out. Instead, she gently said, “I ordered you some milk tea. Remember to get it when it arrives.”

Xing Xiaochu nodded, giving a soft “Mm-hmm.”

Seeing the child had stopped crying, Qi Ying chuckled lightly. “Exams are important, but not that important. You need balance between study and rest.” She asked tenderly, “How many papers have you done today?”

Picking at the corner of the desk, Xing Xiaochu whispered, “Two test papers…”

“That’s already plenty. Take a break. Sometimes the more you do, the more mistakes you make. Don’t stress too much.”

Xing Xiaochu blinked, feeling somewhat embarrassed. She didn’t dare admit she’d been crying over wrong answers, her ears turning red like a little rabbit’s. After hesitating, she finally asked softly, “Sis… when are you coming home? I’ll make dinner early to wait for you.”

Qi Ying considered—she needed to finish today’s trench coat, then make a sample for Shi Yu’s gown. The bride would come for a fitting in the evening. There was no way she’d be home early today.

“Don’t wait for me tonight,” Qi Ying told her. “The shop’s too busy. Make dinner for yourself, don’t stay up late. I’ll come back when I’m done.”

Hearing that Qi Ying had to work overtime today, Xing Xiaochu drooped like a dejected little animal. She swung her slender legs listlessly and responded with a soft “Mm” to comfort Qi Ying, “Then be careful on your way back, sis. Don’t work too hard.”

Qi Ying pressed her lips together in a smile and chatted with Xing Xiaochu for a while longer. Only when the milk tea arrived at the door and she saw Xing Xiaochu’s mood had improved considerably did she hang up the phone.

Just as she stepped out of the restroom, Qi Ying was startled by Xia Ruoxin blocking the doorway, nearly letting out a scream.

“Why are you guarding the bathroom door?” Qi Ying glared at her, flustered.

Xia Ruoxin, however, asked curiously, “Who were you talking to just now? And they asked when you’re coming home? What, do you have another home now?”