My Virtual Wife Stepped Out of My Phone to Find Me - Chapter 17

After hanging up the phone, Qi Ying remained unsettled for a long time.

She stared at her phone blankly before finally coming to her senses, realizing the customer service representative was right—she was just playing a game, not actually raising a child. Xing Xiaochu was merely a game character, created by code rather than cells.

Xing Xiaochu wasn’t human, so Qi Ying didn’t need to be so invested in her.

Even if the child had worried about her and run out late at night to look for her, that was just data programmed by the developers. Without those lines of code, Xing Xiaochu would be nothing more than ordinary digits—certainly not worth Qi Ying getting up in the middle of the night to log into the game and frantically search for her.

But the clearer this realization became, the more it weighed on Qi Ying’s heart.

The image of the sweet, pitiful Xing Xiaochu kept surfacing in her mind—Xing Xiaochu in oversized pajamas, Xing Xiaochu wearing an apron while cooking for her, Xing Xiaochu at the desk shedding “little pearls” over too many wrong answers.

And Xing Xiaochu, worried about her coming home late, running out in the middle of the night to search for her.

All these versions of Xing Xiaochu were just game data, programs set by strangers, emotionless lines of code.

It left Qi Ying feeling unbearably stifled.

Maybe the customer service rep was right—she had gotten too attached to Xing Xiaochu. This was just a game after all…

The next morning, Xing Xiaochu woke to the sound of a kitten’s mews and immediately scrambled out of bed to the study. Pushing the door open, she saw a cream-orange kitten scrambling up her feet with hoarse little cries.

Xing Xiaochu quickly gathered it into her arms, and the kitten immediately quieted its distressed wails, nestling into her embrace with soft whimpers. Xing Xiaochu smiled gently, soothing the little creature as if it were a child.

Once the kitten had calmed, Xing Xiaochu headed to the kitchen to find it something to eat. She remembered kittens could eat egg yolks—maybe she could boil an egg for it.

But in the kitchen, she spotted a sticky note on the refrigerator in Qi Ying’s handwriting:

Gone to work. Don’t wander off while home alone. You can keep the kitten if you want—just take care of it. Your phone was broken, so I got you a new one. Left a bank card on the coffee table—that’s your allowance, spend it as you like.

At the end, Qi Ying had added: Call me if you need anything.

Xing Xiaochu stared at the note, puzzled. It was 6:50 AM—what job required leaving before 7? And that new phone—what store opened at 6 in the morning?

Pressing her lips together, Xing Xiaochu knew she’d caused trouble by running out last night. Qi Ying had been in pajamas, her coat still carrying that cloyingly sweet peach scent of pheromones, and now she’d left at dawn.

Where had she gone?

Xing Xiaochu didn’t dare ask.

Clutching the note tightly, her heart ached. Yet she knew she couldn’t ask—if Qi Ying didn’t volunteer the information, she had to pretend not to notice.

Work was work. If Qi Ying didn’t come back, then she didn’t come back.

Qi Ying was just her mother’s friend, someone her mother had asked to look after her. She must have her own life too—she shouldn’t have to revolve around Xing Xiaochu.

But… why did that thought still hurt so much?

Xing Xiaochu’s eyes were red-rimmed as she lifted her arm to wipe the damp corners. Looking down at the confused little kitten, she forced a smile. She gently tapped its wet little nose and whispered, “Little kitty, it seems neither of us is wanted, but that’s okay. I can take care of you.”

The kitten pressed its tiny paw against Xiaochu’s chest and let out a soft “meow.”

“…A-Ying! A-Ying!”

Xia Ruoxin nudged the person beside her, frowning. “Did you even hear what I just said?”

Qi Ying snapped out of her thoughts and glanced at Ruoxin. “What?”

Ruoxin looked at her in confusion. “What’s up with you today? I was just saying the shirt you designed has sold over 100,000 units this month—it’s a hit! Some factories want to collaborate and are offering great prices. What do you think?”

Qi Ying took a sip of her iced Americano. “Our current factory is fine, and we’re making a profit. No need to switch.”

Ruoxin grinned. “I knew you’d say that, so I already turned them down.”

Qi Ying nodded.

“But the factory we’ve been working with barely survived before your designs saved them. Their machines are outdated, and they can’t even produce some of your newer concepts. I was thinking after this year, maybe we should try another one.” Ruoxin sipped her iced coffee. “We could raise prices a bit and find better manufacturers. Your designs sell like crazy anyway.”

Qi Ying responded half-heartedly, “Just handle it however you want.”

Ruoxin was curious. Since this morning, Qi Ying had been distracted, and it was driving her nuts.

“A-Ying, seriously, what’s going on with you?” Ruoxin pressed. “Did something happen?”

Qi Ying hesitated, about to deny it, but after a long pause, she turned to Ruoxin with clear eyes. “Ruoxin, I have a question for you.”

Ruoxin tensed. “Don’t be so serious! We’re close—just ask.”

Qi Ying nodded. “I have a friend.”

Ruoxin: “…”

“This friend of mine is really addicted to a game—so much that she’s starting to blur the lines between reality and the virtual world.” Qi Ying frowned. “What should she do in this situation?”

Ruoxin scratched her head, eyeing Qi Ying skeptically. “Usually, when people start like this, it’s about relationship problems. But your… friend is struggling with gaming addiction?”

Qi Ying blinked, not quite following.

Luckily, Ruoxin didn’t press further. “Gaming addiction isn’t even a big deal these days. Who hasn’t gotten hooked on a few games? Life’s already tough—what’s wrong with losing yourself in a virtual world for a bit?”

Then she leaned in, intrigued. “So, what game are you—I mean, your friend—addicted to? Is it really that good?”

Qi Ying flushed and pushed Ruoxin away. “It’s not me, it’s my friend!”

Ruoxin laughed. “Sure, sure. So what game is your friend obsessed with? Is it really that fun? I wanna try it too!”

Hearing these words, Qi Ying felt a bit uncomfortable inside. But since Xing Xiaochu was just a game after all—besides her, there must be many others interacting with Xing Xiaochu in parallel worlds—there was really no need for her to feel bothered.

Yet regardless of others, at least in her world, Xing Xiaochu could only belong to her.

So Qi Ying said to Xia Ruoxin, “That game is only for me to play. Even if you ask, I won’t tell you.”

Xia Ruoxin burst into laughter, teasing Qi Ying for being a gaming addict. Qi Ying retaliated by swatting at her with a soft ruler, and soon the two were playfully smacking each other, laughing uncontrollably.

Ding-a-ling—

The shop door opened, and Shi Yu stood at the entrance, her eyes curving into crescents as she watched the two roughhousing. With a gentle smile, she greeted, “Ah Ying, Boss Xia, hello~”

The two turned their heads in unison and saw Shi Yu, dressed in something pretty and adorable. Xia Ruoxin shot Qi Ying a glance and tactfully took a step back, leaving space for the two.

Qi Ying coughed awkwardly and greeted, “Miss Shi, you’re here.”

“Mhm.” Shi Yu walked up to Qi Ying and tilted her head up to look at her. From Qi Ying’s angle, she could even catch a glimpse of the other’s fair, soft décolletage, making her avert her gaze. Shi Yu’s eyes brimmed with amusement as she said softly, “Is my birthday dress ready? I’d like to try on my mermaid gown.”