My Virtual Wife Stepped Out of My Phone to Find Me - Chapter 24

Xing Xiaochu and Guazi were waiting at the door to welcome Qi Ying’s return. As soon as Qi Ying stepped out of the elevator, she saw two figures—one big, one small—crouched by the doorway, both looking up at the sound of the elevator.

Xing Xiaochu said, “Sister, you’re back.”

Little Guazi added, “Meow—”

The scene warmed Qi Ying’s heart so much that she immediately wanted to capture it with her phone.

“Mm.” Qi Ying walked up to Xing Xiaochu and handed her all the bags she was carrying. “These are the textbooks, uniform, student ID, and campus card the teacher asked me to bring you. Check if anything’s missing—we’ll buy whatever you need in the next couple days.”

Xing Xiaochu nodded earnestly while holding the heavy bag, then noticed a bead of sweat trickling down Qi Ying’s temple. She reached up and wiped it away with her sleeve.

Qi Ying caught a whiff of Xing Xiaochu’s pleasant scent.

“Thank you, sister.” After wiping the sweat, Xing Xiaochu smiled at her. “You could’ve called me to go with you—these are things I should be handling myself.”

Qi Ying gave a half-smile and ushered Xing Xiaochu inside.

In the study, Qi Ying cleared the desk and said, “This will be your study space from now on. It’s big enough to hold all your things.”

Xing Xiaochu placed the textbooks down and began flipping through the pristine pages with visible excitement, her entire face lighting up with joy. Qi Ying then produced the school uniform—a sporty style, as the teacher had explained it was the only available option until the semester started and other uniforms could be ordered.

“Your teacher mentioned the school requires at least three sets—spring/autumn wear, summer uniform, and a custom winter down jacket.” Qi Ying held up the long-sleeved uniform. “Try this on to see if it fits.”

The uniform was clearly several sizes too large.

Qi Ying scratched her head in frustration.

“They were running low on uniforms. When the teacher asked for your measurements, she warned it might be oversized, but I didn’t expect this much difference.” Qi Ying circled Xing Xiaochu, examining the fit. “No worries—remember your sister’s a fashion designer. Take it off and I’ll alter it for you.”

Xing Xiaochu shook the sleeves that draped past her fingertips. “It’s fine, sister. Oversized clothes are comfortable. Alterations seem like too much trouble.”

Qi Ying laughed. “What trouble? Just a few stitches. Go ahead and take it off—I’ll get my tools.”

Retrieving scissors, measuring tape, and sewing kit from storage, Qi Ying transformed the dining table into her workstation. As she began deconstructing and reconstructing the uniform—snapping scissors through excess fabric—Xing Xiaochu watched intently while cradling the kitten.

The kitten became fascinated with the fabric scraps, leaping onto the table to bat at loose threads until Qi Ying gently relocated it to the floor with a “no disturbances” instruction.

Worried the kitten might interrupt Qi Ying’s work again, Xing Xiaochu tried distracting it with a feather toy. But the little creature had discovered its new obsession—the fabric remnants—and persistently mewed at Qi Ying for attention.

Glancing at the insistent furball, Qi Ying chuckled, “Stop your fuss. After I finish the uniform, I’ll sew you a little fish from the scraps.”

Small Milk Cat tilted its head and meowed, “Meow—”

Soon, Qi Ying finished altering the school uniform top and had Xing Xiaochu try it on. This time, it fit perfectly—neither too big nor too small, just right.

Xing Xiaochu widened her eyes as she examined her sleeves and said, “I just saw you take it apart earlier, but now there’s no trace of stitching at all? You’re amazing, sis.”

Qi Ying felt pleased by the praise and replied smugly, “Hand-stitching can still be noticed if you look closely. It would be better if we had a sewing machine at home, but it’s fine—no one will notice unless they inspect it carefully.”

Xing Xiaochu, wearing her newly altered uniform, nodded at Qi Ying with sparkling eyes.

Next, Qi Ying began altering the uniform pants, which were much simpler than the top. After shortening them, little else needed adjustment. True to her word, Qi Ying used the leftover fabric to make several little fish toys for Guazi.

The fabric from the pant legs became one large fish, while the scraps were turned into a string of smaller fish—just like that.

“She’s still too small for now,” Qi Ying explained as she crouched down. “This big fish can stay in the cat bed until she grows a bit more. These little ones are for her to carry around and chew on—good for teething too.” She handed Guazi a thumb-sized cloth fish, and the kitten dashed over with its tail held high, eagerly clamping onto the blue fish before trotting away happily.

Xing Xiaochu had changed into her uniform as well. The blue-and-white outfit suited her perfectly, making her look even more youthful—almost like a middle schooler.

She looked beautiful.

Qi Ying couldn’t tear her eyes away. Mistaking her stare for disapproval, Xing Xiaochu lowered her head and asked hesitantly, “Does it look bad, sis?”

Qi Ying quickly shook her head. “No, it’s really pretty—I mean, it suits you perfectly!” she corrected herself. “All the school uniforms here look nice. You’d look good in any of them.”

Only then did Xing Xiaochu relax.

“Xiaochu,” Qi Ying said, feeling this moment was worth commemorating. She pulled out her phone and suggested, “Let me take a photo of you so your mom can see too.”

Xing Xiaochu froze for a moment before nodding as Qi Ying already had her phone ready. Following instructions, she stood by the balcony for the picture.

Qi Ying admired the photo on her screen and smiled. “You look lovely.”

A complicated feeling welled up in Xing Xiaochu’s chest. Watching Qi Ying scroll through her gallery intently, she belatedly realized that Qi Ying’s kindness stemmed solely from her being her mother’s child.

Would Qi Ying treat someone else just as warmly?

Or was it simply love transferred—would she care for any child of her mother’s?

Xing Xiaochu’s lashes trembled slightly as she clasped her hands behind her back, nervously digging her nails into her palm until red marks formed. Unaware, Qi Ying cheerfully called her over for a selfie together.

Xing Xiaochu didn’t refuse, though her face remained pale as she forced a faint, less-than-radiant smile for the camera.

Exiting the game, Qi Ying gazed at the photo of herself and Xing Xiaochu on her phone. The little girl still seemed a bit stiff, visibly uncomfortable in front of the lens.

But it didn’t matter. Qi Ying believed things would improve with time—Xing Xiaochu would grow closer to her eventually.

‘Ding ling—’

Qi Ying pushed open the shop door and immediately spotted a familiar figure sitting on the sofa. Shi Yu was dressed in a black-and-white outfit today. Hearing the door open, she turned her head to look, her exquisite and beautiful eyes fixed intently on Qi Ying without saying a word—yet her gaze was already filled with silent accusation.

Xia Ruoxin, behind the cash register computer, spread her hands helplessly at Qi Ying, as if to say, I can’t help you with this—you two sort it out yourselves.

Qi Ying knew some things were inevitable. The moment she saw Shi Yu, she steeled herself mentally. Walking slowly into the shop, she stopped in front of Shi Yu and said, “Miss Shi, let’s talk.”