My Virtual Wife Stepped Out of My Phone to Find Me - Chapter 20

When the doorbell rang, Xing Xiaochu immediately jumped off the sofa and ran barefoot toward the entrance.

The kitten that had been playing with Xiaochu’s slippers abandoned its toy and scampered after her, only to lose control and crash into the back of Xiaochu’s heel, tumbling head over heels.

Unaware of the kitten’s mishap, Xiaochu looked up at Qi Ying, who stood at the door holding a cake with a warm smile. “You… why are you back so early?”

“Didn’t I say on the phone? I left work early to celebrate with you.” Qi Ying stepped inside, using her foot to block the curious kitten from darting out. She handed the cake to Xiaochu and closed the door behind her. “How about we have hotpot at home tonight?”

Xiaochu, still staring at the cake in her arms, blinked in surprise at the suggestion. “Hotpot… at home?”

Qi Ying chuckled. “Don’t tell me… you’ve never had hotpot before?”

She hadn’t.

Xiaochu’s mother had passed away early, and her father never spent money on such luxuries. She’d occasionally seen classmates eating hotpot or glanced at restaurants while passing by, but she’d never dared to step inside.

Afraid it was too expensive.

She had no money.

Noticing Xiaochu’s hesitant expression, Qi Ying reassured her, “It’s okay if you haven’t. I’ll teach you everything slowly.”

Holding the cake, Xiaochu nodded at her.

In the kitchen, Qi Ying bustled about while Xiaochu sat at the dining table, cradling the kitten and gazing at the cream cake in its transparent box.

It was a simple fruit cake—blueberries, pineapple, mango, and green grapes arranged atop a white cream base. A card in the middle read, “Top of the Honor Roll.”

The kitten wriggled free from Xiaochu’s arms and stretched a tiny white paw toward the cake’s ribbon. Xiaochu quickly pulled it back.

“Shh—”

She pressed a finger to her lips and whispered, “No touching. It’s expensive.”

The kitten protested with insistent meows, determined to play with the ribbon.

Hearing the commotion, Qi Ying peeked out from the kitchen and laughed. “Xiaochu, if Guazi wants to play, let her. Just keep her off the table.”

Xiaochu perked up. “Really?”

Qi Ying nodded with a smile.

The kitten wiggled its way onto the table, gnawing at the ribbon with its tiny, half-grown teeth. Resigned, Xiaochu untied the ribbon and took Guazi to play under the table.

The kitten adored the ribbon. With each flick of Xiaochu’s wrist, it dashed back and forth, sometimes sliding comically across the floor before scrambling back, tail high, to pounce on the ribbon and chew happily.

Xiaochu’s eyes crinkled with laughter as she dangled the ribbon, watching the kitten cling to it with delight.

After a while of playful antics, Qi Ying finished preparing the ingredients and began arranging plates on the table. Spotting this, Xiaochu tossed the ribbon to the kitten and hurried to the kitchen to help.

Qi Ying didn’t stand on ceremony either. She had Xiaochu bring all her favorite vegetables and meatballs to the table. Finally, she set up an induction cooker with a large pot, adding hotpot base ingredients that soon melted into a bubbling red broth, filling the entire room with an intense aroma of spices—pungent yet incredibly appetizing.

After retrieving two cans of drinks from the refrigerator, Qi Ying finally took her seat at the dining table.

Xing Xiaochu’s eyes sparkled at the steaming hotpot before her. “So this is hotpot?” she asked curiously. “It smells amazing.”

Qi Ying opened a drink and handed it to Xiaochu. “Homemade hotpot can’t compare to restaurant quality,” she said. “When the weather cools down, we’ll go out for a proper hotpot meal.”

Xiaochu nodded eagerly. Even eating at home like this made her happy.

Qi Ying cooked the meatballs, vegetables, and thinly sliced meat, even preparing a simple dipping sauce for Xiaochu. At first hesitant, Xiaochu’s eyes lit up after her first bite, eagerly accepting whatever Qi Ying served her. She wasn’t picky and ate heartily—Qi Ying thoroughly enjoyed feeding her.

After a while, Xiaochu patted her slightly rounded stomach, having eaten her fill. Qi Ying, sipping her drink while watching a lively variety show, noticed Xiaochu setting down her chopsticks. “Full already?” she asked.

Xiaochu’s subtle glance toward the untouched cake on the table didn’t escape Qi Ying’s notice. The child clearly had dessert on her mind.

“Come here,” Qi Ying said, rising to retrieve the small plates, forks, and cake knife that came with the cake. Handing them to Xiaochu, she instructed, “You do the honors.”

Xiaochu lifted her beautiful eyes to meet Qi Ying’s gaze. Seeing the genuine invitation in Qi Ying’s expression, she accepted without protest. Standing up, she took the utensils and approached the cake box with determination.

As she opened the box, Xiaochu hesitated, plastic knife clutched nervously in hand. “Cut it however you like,” Qi Ying encouraged from beside her.

After some deliberation, Xiaochu made her first incision between the mango and green grape decorations. The sensation was strange—the knife gliding through the impossibly soft sponge, unlike anything she’d ever cut before. She carefully served the first slice to Qi Ying, her dark eyes shining with unspoken anticipation as she wordlessly offered the plate.

Qi Ying understood perfectly. Taking the plate, their fingertips brushed briefly in the exchange. “Thank you,” Qi Ying murmured softly.

Xiaochu’s ears flushed pink as she quietly cut a modest portion for herself.

The raucous sounds of the variety show filled the living room as they sat eating cake in comfortable silence. Qi Ying noticed something unusual about the cake’s flavor—was it her imagination, or was there a subtle hint of osmanthus? Cool and refreshing, yet sweetly fragrant.

Glancing up at Xiaochu taking delicate bites across from her, Qi Ying found the osmanthus scent growing stronger.

“Jiejie?” Xiaochu met her gaze, tilting her head in innocent confusion.

Qi Ying quickly snapped back to reality, turning her head aside to cough lightly before saying, “This cake tastes really good. Let’s order from this place again for your next birthday, okay?” As she spoke, Qi Ying suddenly thought of something and turned to Xing Xiaochu, asking, “When is your birthday?”

An 18th birthday was quite significant, and Qi Ying felt she should celebrate it properly for the kid.

Xing Xiaochu replied, “September.”

Qi Ying smiled. “Great, we’ll make sure to celebrate your birthday properly then. We’ll go out for a nice meal—my treat.”

Xing Xiaochu nodded happily, her smile radiant.

After accompanying the kid for dinner and tidying up the table, Qi Ying handed Xing Xiaochu some pocket money. By then, it was already past nine. She made up an excuse about needing rest and retreated to her room, then slipped out to the alley behind the shop.

Qi Ying rubbed her stomach, feeling an odd illusion that eating in the game somehow kept her from feeling too hungry in reality.

But since she hadn’t had dinner, she considered grabbing some late-night snacks on her way back. Just as she stepped out of the alley, she noticed the lights in her shop were still on.

Qi Ying let out a puzzled “Huh?” and muttered to herself, “Did Ruoxin forget to turn off the lights when she left?”

Frowning, she approached the entrance and spotted a shadow moving inside the dimly lit shop. Pushing the door open, she stepped in.

Shi Yu was trying on a shirt in front of the mirror when the doorbell chimed. Without turning around, she said, “The owner’s not here. Come back another— Oh, A Ying? You’re back!”

Qi Ying stared at Shi Yu in her shop, then glanced at the time on her phone.

“It’s almost ten. Why are you still here, Miss Shi?” Qi Ying asked, bewildered. “Is there a problem with the dress?”

“Of course there’s no issue with the dress you made,” Shi Yu replied, setting the shirt aside and walking over. She linked arms with Qi Ying affectionately but then caught a faint, cool scent of osmanthus.

Unlike Xing Xiaochu, Shi Yu didn’t hesitate to voice her curiosity.

She tilted her head and asked bluntly, “Why do you smell like perfume? Did you go out with someone tonight?”

Qi Ying lifted her arm and sniffed. “Do I? I don’t smell anything.”

As she spoke, she subtly withdrew her arm and scanned the shop. Not spotting Xia Ruoxin, she asked, puzzled, “Where’s Ruoxin? She’s not here?”

Shi Yu chuckled, clasping her hands behind her back as she leaned against the doorway. “Do you even know what time it is? Of course she’s gone home.”

Qi Ying frowned, hesitating before speaking.

Shi Yu, however, was unfazed. “When I came by this afternoon, Boss Xia said you were out on business. I didn’t want to leave empty-handed, so I decided to wait for you here.”

She then gave Qi Ying a slightly reproachful look. “Where were you, anyway? Boss Xia wouldn’t tell me, and now you come back so late smelling like perfume. Were you… on a date with someone?”

Qi Ying pursed her lips uncomfortably, her brows knitting slightly. “No, I was… celebrating with a friend’s daughter. She just passed her entrance exams.”

Shi Yu didn’t believe it: “You’re lying. The perfume on you can’t fool me. What schoolgirl wears perfume? You must have gone out on a date with someone.”

Qi Ying was a bit annoyed. Seeing Shi Yu still blocking the doorway, she didn’t want to continue this topic. Moreover, Qi Ying was curious why the other girl was still in her shop at this hour. So, she asked, “Aren’t your family worried about you being out so late?”

“I’m old enough now. They can’t control when I come home.” Noticing Qi Ying had changed the subject, Shi Yu didn’t press further. She turned and sat down on a nearby chair, crossing her legs and swinging her feet playfully. Leaning back with a smile, she said to Qi Ying, “A Ying, can I stay here tonight?”