My Virtual Wife Stepped Out of My Phone to Find Me - Chapter 46

The two kids were utterly confused by this statement.

“What do you mean?” Xinya asked in a hushed voice. “Isn’t your sister your sister? Isn’t this your home?”

Xing Xiaochu hugged the kitten and shook her head. She didn’t know how to explain her relationship with Qi Ying to them. After thinking for a moment, she said, “She took me in.”

That wasn’t entirely wrong. Qi Ying treated her so well because of her mother, so in a way, she had indeed taken her in.

The two blinked in confusion, still processing Xiaochu’s words when Qi Ying returned with some snacks—green bean cakes and mousse cakes she had bought a couple of days ago to cheer Xiaochu up.

As Qi Ying set the treats down, she noticed Guazi desperately burrowing into Xiaochu’s arms, clearly terrified by the strangers. Its tail was puffed up, and it was still clutched in Chen Dongdong’s hands, looking utterly pitiful.

With a helpless smile, Qi Ying said to Xiaochu, “Give the kitten to me. It’s still too young and easily frightened. We don’t want to scare it.”

Xiaochu looked down at the trembling kitten in her arms and nodded, handing it over to Qi Ying.

The moment Guazi was in Qi Ying’s embrace, it mewled and snuggled deeper into her arms. Holding the kitten gently, Qi Ying said to the three, “I’ll take it back to my room. You kids have fun.”

“Okay, thank you, sis!”

Once Qi Ying left, the three huddled together again, whispering as they resumed their earlier conversation. Fortunately, Xiaochu and Qi Ying’s relationship wasn’t too complicated, and she managed to explain it in just a few words. Chen Dongdong and Xinya finally understood—Qi Ying wasn’t her real sister after all.

“But your sister treats you so well,” Chen Dongdong remarked with admiration. “My sister would never do that for me. She’d rather take all my stuff.”

Xinya nodded in agreement. “Xiaochu, you’re really lucky. Your sister is not only beautiful but also kind-hearted. You better not make her angry.”

Xiaochu knew she wasn’t even a tenant here—just a kid who had been taken in. She had to be careful not to upset Qi Ying.

Their conversation soon drifted to other topics, and eventually, they decided to leave the living room and head to Xiaochu’s room to check out the clothes Qi Ying had made for her!

In the end, it was only when their parents called, urging them to come home for dinner, that Chen Dongdong and Xinya reluctantly said goodbye to Xiaochu. At the door, they cheerfully invited her, “Come over on the weekend! We can play games together!”

Xiaochu happily waved them off.

Only after the elevator doors closed did Xiaochu shut the door. She glanced at Qi Ying’s closed bedroom door before walking over and knocking.

“Come in.”

Hearing Qi Ying’s voice, Xiaochu pushed the door open.

As her hand touched the door, a sudden rush of inappropriate images flashed through Xiaochu’s mind. Standing at the doorway, watching Qi Ying soothe the frightened Guazi by the bed, those thoughts only grew stronger.

Something brown glinted by the bedside. Xiaochu realized it was the capybara plushie she had given Qi Ying for her birthday. She hadn’t expected Qi Ying to keep it right by her pillow.

Does that mean Qi Ying could see it every night before going to sleep and first thing upon waking up in the morning?

At this thought, Xing Xiaochu’s ears inexplicably grew warm again.

Qi Ying looked up at the person standing in the doorway and, sensing the quiet room, asked, “They’ve gone home?”

“Yeah,” Xing Xiaochu nodded, fidgeting slightly as she added, “They had to go home for dinner. They invited me to hang out at their place this weekend.”

Qi Ying nodded in response, stroking the relaxed kitten curled up on her lap.

Guazi seemed a bit startled. When the door opened, the little thing listlessly got up and jumped down. Just as Xing Xiaochu bent to pick it up, the kitten swiftly darted through the door crack and disappeared in a flash.

Xing Xiaochu blinked in surprise, turning to look at where Guazi had vanished, still processing what had happened.

Do kittens get angry too?

Qi Ying found Xing Xiaochu’s dumbfounded expression amusing as she stared outside. Getting up, she walked over and reassured her, “It’s fine. She’s just shy around strangers. She’ll grow out of it.”

Xing Xiaochu turned back to look at her and nodded.

Qi Ying studied Xing Xiaochu for a few seconds before asking, “Su Yun… is she the girl who helped you yesterday?”

“Huh? Yeah, she’s my deskmate,” Xing Xiaochu nodded.

“I heard you’re treating her to a meal?” Qi Ying reached out and ruffled the girl’s hair, her tone gentle and caring. “It’s good that you want to thank her for helping you. Do you have enough pocket money? I can transfer you more if you need it.”

“I have enough,” Xing Xiaochu said, holding onto Qi Ying’s wrist. After carefully observing Qi Ying’s expression and confirming she wasn’t upset, she hesitantly added, “Sis, was it wrong of me to do this? If you don’t like it, I can tell her tomorrow…”

After all, despite Xing Xiaochu’s generous offer, the money ultimately came from Qi Ying. One meal a day, excluding weekends, would amount to over twenty days. At ten yuan per meal, that would be over two hundred yuan.

Xing Xiaochu couldn’t afford that on her own and would have to deduct it from her allowance.

Most importantly, Xing Xiaochu didn’t want to upset Qi Ying.

“I don’t dislike it,” Qi Ying reassured her, holding Xing Xiaochu’s hand with a soft smile. “You can handle school matters on your own. You don’t need to ask me about everything.”

Relieved, Xing Xiaochu beamed at her. “Thanks, sis! What would you like for dinner today? How about curry? I’ll make it for you.”

Qi Ying nodded, watching as Xing Xiaochu eagerly tied on an apron and started preparing curry rice.

In the following days, Qi Ying settled into a steady routine. She woke up at 6 a.m., brushed her teeth, washed up, had breakfast, logged into the game to send the kid to school, opened the shop early, and in the afternoon, timed her departure to pick up Xing Xiaochu after school.

This peaceful rhythm suited Qi Ying just fine, but Xia Ruoxin couldn’t get used to it.

“Seriously, A-Ying, what’s going on with you lately?” Xia Ruoxin finally blurted out when Qi Ying clocked out on time yet again to pick up the kid. “You’re not into a minor, are you? Let me tell you, grooming a minor into a relationship is illegal!”

Qi Ying tidied up her workstation and replied with three words: “She’s an adult.”

Xia Ruoxin’s eyes nearly popped out of her head as she grabbed Qi Ying’s arm in shock. “Y-you-you’re actually dating someone?! And with a minor?!”

“First of all, she’s an adult,” Qi Ying replied nonchalantly. “Secondly, we’re not officially dating yet, just getting to know each other.”

Xia Ruoxin’s interest was piqued, and she refused to let Qi Ying leave, bombarding her with questions. “Who is this kid? What’s your relationship? How did you meet?”

Qi Ying gave her a strange look. “Why are you so nosy? That curious?”

“Of course!” Xia Ruoxin said. “We’ve known each other for so long, and I’ve never seen you take a liking to anyone. Tell me, what does this kid look like? What do you like about her? You’re being so attentive every day—when are you bringing her over for us to meet?”

Most importantly, if Shi Yu found out that the person she had pursued had suddenly gotten into a relationship—and with a kid, no less—she’d probably turn green with envy. To avoid any fallout, Xia Ruoxin decided to get the details straight first.

Qi Ying sighed at Xia Ruoxin’s incessant questioning. “Bringing her over probably isn’t happening. Stop asking so many questions—if I don’t hurry, I’ll miss picking her up from school.”

Before Xia Ruoxin could react, Qi Ying slipped free. Watching the retreating figure, she shouted, “What time does she finish school? Can you even make it now?!”

Without turning back, Qi Ying called out, “5:10!” and vanished in a flash.

5:10?

Xia Ruoxin checked her phone—it was already 5:04. If Qi Ying was only leaving now, that meant the kid must be a student nearby. There were only a few middle schools in the area, right?

Xia Ruoxin, the self-proclaimed Sherlock Holmes, immediately pulled out her phone to search for the nearest high school to their neighborhood.

Thanks to Xia Ruoxin’s delay, Qi Ying arrived at the school gate a few minutes late.

Fortunately, Xing Xiaochu wasn’t the impatient type. Plus, it was Friday—some students were discussing weekend plans, while others were preparing for tutoring sessions. But none of that concerned Xing Xiaochu.

Her grades were average, so prestigious universities were out of the question. She just hoped to scrape by at some no-name college and graduate without a hitch.

“Come over to my place this weekend,” Chen Dongdong said, licking an ice pop. “I just bought a new shooter game—three-player mode. Perfect for us.”

Xin Ya nodded. “Sounds good, but I have class Saturday afternoon. We’d have to play in the morning or on Sunday.”

Chen Dongdong frowned. “My aunt’s visiting on Sunday.”

The two then turned to Xing Xiaochu, who had been quiet. “Xiaochu, what do you think?”

Xing Xiaochu glanced left and right before mumbling, “I’m not good at games…”

Just then, she spotted Qi Ying rushing over. Grabbing her bag, she blurted, “My sister’s here!” and dashed off.

Qi Ying effortlessly caught Xing Xiaochu as she flung herself forward, catching her breath. “Sorry I’m late. Didn’t wait too long, did you?”

“You’re not late,” Xing Xiaochu said, looking up from her embrace. “If you’re busy, you don’t have to pick me up. A call would’ve been enough—I can go home by myself.”

Qi Ying chuckled softly and said, “Picking you up after school was my own choice.”

A feather-light sensation tickled Xin Xiaochu’s heart, leaving an itch she couldn’t ignore. Realizing they were still at the school gate with so many eyes on them, her face flushed crimson instantly. She hastily released her grip on Qi Ying’s sleeve and lowered her head to fuss with her clothes.

Just then, her two friends approached.

“Hello, sister~”

“Hi, sister.”

Qi Ying smiled warmly. “Hello.”

Seeing everyone had arrived, Xin Xiaochu said to her friends, “Let’s walk together.”

As they walked, Qi Ying stayed by Xin Xiaochu’s side, listening to the three uniformed students chattering excitedly about weekend plans—Chen Dongdong wanted to play video games while Xin Ya had cram school. Xin Xiaochu waffled between them, saying she was fine with either option.

Qi Ying glanced sideways and noticed their formation had subtly shifted. Initially, the three friends had been huddled together chatting, but gradually Xin Xiaochu had drifted closer to Qi Ying. Now they walked in pairs—Chen Dongdong with Xin Ya, and Qi Ying with Xin Xiaochu.

While half-heartedly responding to her friends’ questions, Xin Xiaochu suddenly felt her earlobe grow warm. She jerked her head up like she’d been shocked, clutching her ear with wide-eyed disbelief at Qi Ying.

Withdrawing her hand, Qi Ying simply smiled, her eyes crinkling into crescents.