My Virtual Wife Stepped Out of My Phone to Find Me - Chapter 37

When they got home, Xing Xiaochu hadn’t returned from school yet. Qi Ying boiled some water and cooked two dumplings for herself. She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but the taste seemed identical to the dumplings Shi Yu had brought her before.

But how could that be?

Watching the dumplings bobbing in the pot, Qi Ying thought she must be overthinking it.

As the school bell rang, Qi Ying saw a flood of children pouring out of the school gates. By now, she had mastered the art of picking up a child—trying to find one in the crowd was nearly impossible, so she just stood under a landmark, and the kid would find her.

Sure enough, Xing Xiaochu spotted Qi Ying standing under the streetlight with her hands in her pockets from afar and came running over, her backpack bouncing happily.

“Sis, you came to pick me up again?” Xing Xiaochu beamed up at her. “Wait here for a sec, I’ll get you something!”

Qi Ying watched curiously as the girl dashed off again, full of energy like a little sparrow just out of its nest.

Xing Xiaochu didn’t go far—she just joined the line at a nearby milk tea shop. Qi Ying noticed that many of her classmates couldn’t help but glance at her as they passed by, though Xing Xiaochu remained oblivious, chatting with the cashier about flavors.

Qi Ying arched a brow, an inexplicable irritation rising in her chest as she watched those boys and girls eyeing Xing Xiaochu.

What are they looking at? She’s mine.

A fierce possessiveness made her scowl. By the time Xing Xiaochu returned with two cups of milk tea, Qi Ying had already walked over.

“Which one’s mine?” she asked.

Xing Xiaochu hesitated, then handed one over. “Dongdong and the others told me this shop has a buy-one-get-one deal this week. This grape fruit tea is for you.”

Qi Ying took the cup and, with her other arm, pulled Xing Xiaochu close, shielding her from prying eyes.

Xing Xiaochu blinked up at her, confused by the sudden affection.

Then, she caught a whiff of plum wine—Qi Ying’s pheromones, usually subtle, now carried a richer, deeper scent, like aged liquor rather than the usual crispness.

Is she nearing her rut?

Xing Xiaochu glanced at her worriedly. An alpha’s rut was just as agonizing as an Omega’s heat—without a partner, they had to rely on suppressants.

Would Qi Ying choose a peach-scented Omega to spend it with? Or that rose-scented one?

Come to think of it, she hadn’t smelled those fragrances around in a while.

Hesitantly, Xing Xiaochu asked, “Sis, your rut…?”

Qi Ying tilted her head. “What rut?”

Xing Xiaochu bit her lip, assuming Qi Ying didn’t want to talk about it, and shook her head. “Never mind. Let’s go home.”

Qi Ying glanced at the men and women peeking at the pretty kid from her household and hurriedly took Xing Xiaochu home.

Along the way, Xing Xiaochu chatted about school as usual, but suddenly fell silent when passing by an alley. Qi Ying noticed her gaze fixed on a group of girls inside—clearly idle young adults just past their teens, including one wearing a No. 3 High School uniform with a streak of green in their hair.

The kid seemed to sense Qi Ying’s stare and turned their head, a lit cigarette dangling from their lips. Their eyes flickered between Qi Ying and Xing Xiaochu, expression unreadable.

Xing Xiaochu tensed up, gripping Qi Ying’s hand and quickening her steps. Even after leaving the alley behind, Qi Ying could still feel the green-haired kid’s gaze lingering.

Noticing Xing Xiaochu’s unease, Qi Ying asked, “Your classmate?”

Xing Xiaochu hesitated before shaking her head. “No, I don’t know them.”

“Hmm.” Qi Ying held the child’s hand and said, “They haven’t bullied you, have they?”

Xing Xiaochu shook her head emphatically. “No, no one at school bullies me.”

Seeing her flustered reaction, Qi Ying chuckled softly. “If anyone ever does, you have to tell me right away. I’ll always be on your side, understand?”

Xing Xiaochu stared at her blankly before giving a slow nod.

Qi Ying ruffled her hair and led her home.

On Xing Xiaochu’s birthday, Qi Ying woke up early.

It was Friday, and school was still in session. Qi Ying planned to pick up the contract from the record company while Xing Xiaochu was in class. The company had sent over a few demo tracks, which Qi Ying found decent—she wanted to get Xing Xiaochu’s opinion.

Since she’d already taken the day off, Qi Ying skipped going downstairs and logged straight into the game from the second floor, stepping out of her virtual room.

Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Guazi, curled up on the sofa, cracked open an eye at the noise and playfully wagged his tail at Qi Ying. The sound of a range hood humming came from the kitchen.

Turning, Qi Ying saw Xing Xiaochu in her school uniform carrying two glasses of milk. Spotting Qi Ying, she brightened. “Good morning, sis! I steamed some dumplings for breakfast.”

Qi Ying’s throat prickled again. Clearing it, she replied, “Great, I’ll go wash up.”

After freshening up, she sat at the table, where a spread of steamed dumplings, shumai, sausages, and milk awaited.

Qi Ying leisurely picked up a dumpling and said, “Come home early after school today.”

Xing Xiaochu blinked, a little embarrassed. “You don’t have to go all out, sis. I never celebrated my birthday before.”

“That was then. This is now.” Qi Ying placed a shumai in the girl’s bowl and said gently, “I got you a cake and presents. Make sure you come back early.”

The words left Xing Xiaochu flustered. She kept glancing back at Qi Ying even as she left, reluctant to go—if not for the risk of being late, she wouldn’t have stepped out at all.

No sooner had they parted ways when Xing Xiaochu already found herself longing to return home.

After Xing Xiaochu left, Qi Ying began tidying up. She retrieved the trench coat she had made from the storage room, ironed it carefully, folded it neatly, and placed it in a gift box she had prepared in advance. After filling Guazi’s bowl with cat food and water, she headed out to the record company to pick up a contract, stopping by the market on the way to buy groceries.

Qi Ying wasn’t much of a cook—her noodles were bland and barely edible, so she usually just made do. But today was Xing Xiaochu’s birthday, and Qi Ying was determined to go all out, preparing a hotpot feast for the kid.

Hotpot was perfect—no knife skills required, no need to fuss over seasoning. Just buy the broth base, wash the ingredients, and gather around the table for a lively meal.

Qi Ying thought this suited her just fine.

In the afternoon, she received a call from the bakery downstairs. Qi Ying went down to collect the cake, stored it in the fridge, and then settled in to wait for Xing Xiaochu’s return.

She didn’t idle while waiting—she cleaned the entire house from top to bottom. She didn’t enter Xing Xiaochu’s room, respecting the kid’s privacy. The main focus was Guazi’s cat bed.

The little furball wasn’t big, but it had a habit of dragging all sorts of things into its nest—vegetable leaves, crumpled paper, and even Xing Xiaochu’s socks.

Qi Ying shot the kitten a disapproving look and gave its bottom a light smack.

Guazi protested, circling Qi Ying with indignant meows, but there was no stopping her from tossing out its prized collection. Defeated, the kitten huffed and stomped back to its freshly cleaned bed to sulk.

Xing Xiaochu had a rough day too. Knowing Qi Ying was at home preparing for her birthday, she was too excited to focus on her classes, her mind buzzing with anticipation to rush home after school.

The moment the dismissal bell rang, Xing Xiaochu scrambled to pack her things—only to leave her notebook behind in her haste. Su Yun, stretching lazily as she stood up, spotted the abandoned notebook and Xing Xiaochu’s retreating figure darting out the door.

“Why’s Xiaochu in such a hurry?”

At that moment, Su Yun overheard Chen Dongdong, a girl at the next desk, ask Xin Ya curiously while packing her bag, “Does she have something urgent to do?”

Xin Ya, leaning against her desk, shrugged. “No idea. Maybe she does. Hey, wanna come over to my place this weekend? My mom bought me a game console—we can play in the living room.”

Chen Dongdong slung her backpack over her shoulder and grinned. “Sounds great! We can pick up where we left off last time—you still have the save file? Maybe we can invite Xiaochu too, make it a trio.”

Xin Ya nodded. “Sure, I’ll ask her. Though honestly, Xiaochu seems kinda clueless—I doubt she’s much of a gamer…”

Their voices faded as they walked out, leaving Su Yun staring at the lone notebook on the desk. After a long hesitation, she finally picked it up.

Lowering her long lashes, she decided to return it to Xing Xiaochu on Monday.

By then, Xing Xiaochu was already halfway home.

She sprinted through the streets like a summer breeze, her ponytail bouncing energetically behind her. By the time she stepped into the elevator, her heart was pounding wildly, her breath still ragged.

With a ‘ding’, the elevator doors opened, and Xing Xiaochu happily ran home again, pushing open the door.

“Sis, I’m back!”

Putting down her backpack, Xing Xiaochu sat on a chair to change her shoes. Guazi was the first to come trotting over to greet her, circling around her feet and meowing like a little puppy.

“Welcome back,” Qi Ying said as she walked over in slippers and an apron. “Go change your clothes quickly. We’re having hot pot again today.”

Xing Xiaochu nodded repeatedly, not even having time to pet the kitten before rushing to her room to change into home clothes.

By the time she came out, Qi Ying had already prepared the hot pot. The moment Xing Xiaochu stepped out, she was greeted by the delicious aroma of spices. Qi Ying came out carrying a plate of enoki mushrooms and spinach, smiling when she saw the girl already eagerly seated at the table. “Why are you so focused on eating, kiddo? Aren’t you going to check out the gift I got you?”