My Virtual Wife Stepped Out of My Phone to Find Me - Chapter 3

Xing Xiaochu’s eyes were bright—beautiful almond-shaped eyes with long lashes, fair skin, a petite nose, and small lips that made her already youthful appearance seem especially innocent.

Now, a child was asking Qi Ying about her own mother, but Qi Ying couldn’t answer.

Her palms were starting to sweat.

How could she possibly say that this was a game world and that her identity was something the system had designed for her?

“Um…”

Just as Qi Ying was trying to come up with a lie to deceive Xing Xiaochu, her phone suddenly rang. She quickly pulled it out and saw that it was a call from a colleague at the studio.

“Sorry, I need to take this call.”

Qi Ying stood up and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window before answering.

“Hey, Qi Ying, where are you right now?” Xia Ruoxin’s voice came through the phone. “There’s no one at the studio!”

“You’re at the shop?” Qi Ying asked.

“Yeah, I’m on the first floor,” Xia Ruoxin said. “There’s a batch of fabric you need to check. We have to head to the factory soon, so hurry back.”

Qi Ying acknowledged and hung up.

She turned back to see Xing Xiaochu still staring at her expectantly. Clearing her throat, she waved her phone and said, “Sorry, I have something urgent to take care of. Feel free to use any of the appliances at home—there’s food and drinks in the fridge.”

Xing Xiaochu opened her mouth slightly, nervously twisting the hem of her clothes as she asked, “Then… when will you be back, sis?”

“I’m not sure,” Qi Ying replied.

Xing Xiaochu lowered her head.

Qi Ying walked over and gently patted the child’s head. “I’ll go take care of things first. When I get back, I’ll tell you more about your mom.”

Xing Xiaochu looked up at her and softly murmured, “Mm.”

Before leaving, Qi Ying registered Xing Xiaochu’s fingerprint in the smart lock and made sure she would be safe alone at home before finally taking the elevator downstairs. At the stairwell on the first floor, she logged out of the game.

When she returned to the real world, Qi Ying found herself in her second-floor bedroom. It seemed like the location she reappeared in wasn’t fixed—she wasn’t sure how that worked.

Not dwelling on it, she quickly headed downstairs and saw Xia Ruoxin waiting for her in the shop.

“Huh?” Xia Ruoxin’s eyes widened when she saw Qi Ying descending. “How did you come from upstairs?”

Qi Ying was puzzled. “Why wouldn’t I come from upstairs?”

“But I just went up to look for you,” Xia Ruoxin said. “You weren’t in your room.”

Qi Ying froze for a moment before hesitantly replying, “You must not have looked carefully. Anyway, forget it—weren’t we supposed to go to the factory? Shouldn’t we hurry?”

“Oh, right, right!” Xia Ruoxin quickly grabbed her things—some finalized sketches—and followed Qi Ying, who was already heading out the door, chattering as she went. “I bought two rice balls on the way here. We can eat them in the car. We’ve got a whole afternoon ahead of us—you really need to check this fabric yourself!”

After hastily eating a rice ball in the car, Qi Ying spent the afternoon at the factory inspecting fabrics and even ended up making a sample set on-site. By the time she was done, it was already around eight or nine in the evening.

Xia Ruoxin stood in the open space, unable to put down Qi Ying’s clothes as she took photos and praised, “Only our great designer can make such beautiful clothes. Just a few pieces of fabric casually cut into such a gorgeous dress—I have to post this on my Moments.”

Qi Ying began packing up, rubbing her stiff neck as she said, “This is just a sample. Luckily, the factory owner let us work here directly, otherwise we’d have to haul everything back and forth.”

Xia Ruoxin replied, “You have no idea how much the factory owner loves your designs. Even your simplest creations sell tens of thousands for them. They’d be thrilled if you worked here and sold them your drafts.”

Qi Ying smiled without responding.

After loading all the materials and fabrics into the car, the two hurried back to the city. Exhausted, Qi Ying dozed off immediately upon getting in the car. When she opened her eyes, the scenery outside had changed.

“Are we in the city already?” Qi Ying asked through a yawn.

“Yeah, the usual route was blocked by a three-hour traffic accident according to the radio, so I took the outer ring road,” Xia Ruoxin explained. “Come to think of it, we rarely come this way—we mostly stay in the eastern district.”

Qi Ying gazed at the city’s nightscape outside the window and nodded. “True, this is the old town area with terrible roads.”

Xia Ruoxin laughed. “Wrong again! I heard they built a new residential complex here this year with a massive shopping mall. The entire old district will be demolished and rebuilt soon. Look over there—those new buildings? That’s where yesterday’s newlyweds bought their marital home. Rumor has it a single large flat costs at least 2 million.”

Qi Ying focused her eyes and squinted slightly.

Why did those buildings look so familiar?

They resembled the house she owned in the game…

“That can’t be…” Qi Ying muttered under her breath.

Xia Ruoxin asked curiously, “What can’t be?”

Instead of answering, Qi Ying inquired, “What’s this residential area called?”

“Jinyu Mingcheng,” Xia Ruoxin replied.

Qi Ying frowned.

“It’s nothing,” Qi Ying said casually, leaning back in her seat. “I’ve just heard of this development before. Let’s hurry home—I’m starving.”

Xia Ruoxin protested, “Don’t rush back! We’re going for barbecue later!”

Qi Ying didn’t mind. As the buildings gradually faded into the distance, she lowered her gaze. Surely a coincidental name didn’t mean anything related to the game? Feeling more refreshed after her nap, Qi Ying opened her phone to check the game’s specific settings.

The moment the app opened, Xia Ruoxin exclaimed, “Oh? Qi Ying, you’re playing games now too?”

“Just casually,” Qi Ying replied offhandedly.

The game interface had completely transformed. Previously, it showed a dirty-looking Xing Xiaochu crying under a rainy eaves, but now Xing Xiaochu lay peacefully asleep in a hospital bed with an IV drip in her arm.

Though the on-screen Xing Xiaochu still looked pitiful, she was entirely different from the rain-soaked girl from before. There was a sense of gradual improvement that reassured Qi Ying.

She had initially thought entering the game would transport her to Xing Xiaochu’s world, but this time Qi Ying didn’t transition directly. It gave her a chance to properly examine the game’s settings.

Qi Ying’s in-game profile closely resembled her real self—a 26-year-old young fashion designer who ran her own studio specializing in haute couture. She had previously worked at the same company as Xing Xiaochu’s mother, who had taught her many things and could be considered her mentor in the game.

Later, Qi Ying went abroad for further studies. While overseas, she received an email from Xing Xiaochu’s mother, who repeatedly mentioned the domestic abuse she suffered and her underage daughter. It seemed she had no one else in the world to turn to and could only confide in her former colleague.

Qi Ying replied with comforting words but never received a response. By the time she graduated and returned home, she learned that Xing Xiaochu’s mother had already taken her own life, leaving her daughter to live with an alcoholic, abusive father.

Overwhelmed with sympathy, Qi Ying decided to search for her mentor’s daughter and vowed to raise her well in her mother’s stead.

Qi Ying clicked open the other interaction tabs. On the left were Xing Xiaochu’s mood, health, and affection levels—currently “depressed,” “malnourished,” and “slightly fond.”

Qi Ying didn’t quite understand—what exactly was this “affection level”?

Was it about making Xing Xiaochu love her like a mother?

Weird. She decided to ignore it for now.

On the right were interaction options for Xing Xiaochu’s academic status, hobbies, and career plans—currently “dropped out,” “daydreaming,” and “none.”

Qi Ying: “…”

Truly a blank slate, entirely dependent on her guidance.

Qi Ying began to wonder how long she would actually play this game. Maybe she’d lose interest in a couple of days and just let the in-game Xing Xiaochu fend for herself.

Unlike the busy Qi Ying, Xing Xiaochu opened the fridge at noon and stared wide-eyed at the assortment of vegetables, fruits, and various meats like chicken, duck, and fish. Though surprised, she didn’t dare touch Qi Ying’s things without permission. She only took out a tomato and two eggs to make a simple stir-fried tomato and egg for herself.

After lunch, Xing Xiaochu took the lilies Qi Ying had given her to the bathroom. Noticing an empty vase on the TV stand in the living room, she decided to freshen the flowers and placed them beside it.

But eating and tending to flowers didn’t take much time—less than an hour. Soon, Xing Xiaochu was back on the soft sofa, lost in thought.

She didn’t know when Qi Ying would return or what she should do now.

Sitting blankly on the sofa for over half an hour, Xing Xiaochu kept her eyes fixed on the door. Occasionally, she walked over to peek through the peephole, but the person she was waiting for never came. Disappointed, she returned to the sofa and resumed her daze.

Xing Xiaochu also wandered around the apartment, but there were no clothes to wash or messes to clean. The place was so immaculate it felt like a showroom—and Xing Xiaochu was the only living thing inside.

It was lonely.

All she could do was watch the cars speeding past outside the floor-to-ceiling window, unsure of what to do next.

What exactly was Qi Ying’s relationship with her mother?

Would she take care of her?

Would she… like her?

With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Xing Xiaochu slowly curled up on the sofa and fell asleep.

She had no idea how long she’d been asleep, but when Xiaochu woke up, the room was pitch black. The silence in the house felt like pure darkness of hell, with only the neon lights outside the floor-to-ceiling window reminding her she was still in the real world.

Slowly rising from the couch, she hugged her numb arm and stared blankly downward.

What time was it?

Would her sister come back?

Did she also think Xiaochu was a burden and didn’t want her anymore?

Sitting on the sofa with her head lowered, lost in these chaotic thoughts, Xiaochu suddenly heard movement outside the door. She immediately stood up and rushed toward the entrance.

With a click, the lock turned. Before Qi Ying could react, a shadow came charging from inside the room, and then a warm body crashed into her arms, forcing her back two steps.

Steadying herself, Qi Ying realized it was Xiaochu holding her.

The girl clung tightly to Qi Ying’s waist, burying her face in her chest without saying a word. Finding this strange, Qi Ying cupped Xiaochu’s face in her hands and saw the child’s eyes red from crying.

“Sister,” Xiaochu said tearfully, “I thought even you didn’t want me anymore…”

The person in her arms felt cold, and Qi Ying couldn’t tell if she was always that cold or if the air conditioning had chilled her.

Xiaochu’s eyes were rimmed red, tears streaming down her cheeks as she gazed at Qi Ying, her arms still tightly wrapped around Qi Ying’s waist.

Qi Ying chuckled lightly, “I never said I didn’t want you. I just went out for work.”

And incidentally, to learn more about her relationship with Xiaochu’s mother.

Qi Ying also discovered that not every time she opened the game would she enter this world. If someone was around, the mobile game remained just a mobile game. Today, she had waited until Xia Ruoxin left before opening the game, and instantly, she was here.

She was even holding a roast chicken in her hand, as if she had just returned from work.

Qi Ying raised the roast chicken and said to Xiaochu, “You haven’t eaten yet, have you? I bought something delicious on the way. Let’s go inside.”

They entered, and the door closed behind them.

Qi Ying went to the kitchen to find a plate for the roast chicken. When she turned around, Xiaochu was right behind her, following her every step like a little shadow.

Noticing Qi Ying’s gaze, the little shadow volunteered, “I can cook. What would you like to eat, sister?”

Qi Ying looked at her and smiled, “Whatever you feel like making. I’ll go start the rice.”

The once silent apartment now buzzed with life because of Qi Ying’s return. The TV played some unknown variety show, with hosts and guests laughing boisterously. The lights in the living room and dining area were all on, and even the cold neon lights outside the window seemed lively now.

Xiaochu knew how to cook. When she was alone at home and short on money, she often cooked for herself.

She washed the Chinese broccoli, chopped it, and drained the water. After drizzling oil into the pan, she sautéed the minced garlic until fragrant. The sizzle when she added the greens made Qi Ying glance over. Then, with quick hands, Xiaochu added soy sauce and salt, stir-fried it briefly, and a simple dish of garlic Chinese broccoli was ready.

The shredded pork was marinated with dark soy sauce and starch for ten minutes. First, the pork strips were stir-fried in oil until separated, then green peppers were added. After a quick stir-fry, prepared light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and starch water were poured in, and everything was cooked thoroughly.

By the time Qi Ying changed clothes and came out of the bedroom, Xing Xiaochu had just served a seaweed and shrimp paste soup.

“Oh, did you make all these?” Qi Ying leaned on the chair back, admiring the four dishes and one soup on the table as she praised Xing Xiaochu: “They look really good. Did you often cook at home before?”

Xing Xiaochu removed her heat-resistant gloves and gave a soft “mm” in response, nervously clutching the gloves as she said, “I’m not sure if it suits your taste. If it’s not good, just let me know and I’ll make something else.”