My Virtual Wife Stepped Out of My Phone to Find Me - Chapter 48

Su Yun saw Xing Xiaochu home and watched as she opened the door. Instead of going inside, Su Yun stood at the doorway and said, “You’re home now, so I’ll head back.”

Xing Xiaochu froze for a moment before hurriedly untying the school uniform from her waist, only to find black mud stains on the inside. She was stunned.

Su Yun noticed it too and smiled at her. “You got it dirty, so you don’t mind washing it clean and returning it to me, right?”

Xing Xiaochu quickly replied, “I’ll wash it and give it back to you.”

“Alright, then I’ll be off.” Su Yun waved at her, her smile bright and sunny. “See you at school tomorrow.”

Watching Su Yun come and go just like that, Xing Xiaochu clutched the borrowed school uniform and spaced out for a while. It wasn’t until she felt something furry brushing against her ankle that she snapped out of it, bending down to pick up the cat before heading inside.

The washing machine hummed as it spun, the clothes tumbling inside while Xing Xiaochu’s thoughts tumbled along with them.

Xing Jianguo’s words had been harsh, but they had still sunk in.

He’d said, Selling to one person is no different from selling to another.

He’d also said, Do you really think that alpha is nice to you for no reason? It’s only because you look like your mother.

Xing Xiaochu lowered her head, her eyes closed in sorrow. She didn’t care whether Qi Ying had money or not—even if they had to wander the streets, she’d follow her willingly. But… she was afraid that Qi Ying had never liked her from the start.

Xing Xiaochu still remembered their first meeting—how she’d been covered in mud, utterly disheveled, while Qi Ying had held an umbrella over her head, shielding her from the rain. Like a goddess descending from the heavens, she’d smiled gently and said, [My name is Qi Ying. I’m a friend of your mother’s. She asked me to take good care of you.]

So, Qi Ying’s kindness toward her had always been because of her mother.

The thought made Xing Xiaochu’s eyes sting. She hugged the cat in her arms and cried quietly. She had nothing—no money, no emotional intelligence, a slow mind, and even her cooking was terrible.

Worst of all, she was timid, afraid of everything. Xing Xiaochu knew she was useless, that no one liked people like her, but she just didn’t know how to change.

She didn’t want to be disliked.

And she didn’t want to be her mother’s replacement…

When Qi Ying logged into the game that night, she saw Xing Xiaochu in the kitchen, wearing an apron and fiddling with something. A few school uniforms hung on the balcony, and at a glance, Qi Ying immediately spotted one that was clearly not Xing Xiaochu’s size.

Hm?

Qi Ying narrowed her eyes warily. It seemed something had happened while she was away.

“Xiaochu, I’m back,” Qi Ying called out. The dazed girl finally noticed her presence and hurriedly turned off the stove before rushing out of the kitchen.

“What are you making? It smells amazing,” Qi Ying asked, catching the sweet, fragrant scent clinging to Xing Xiaochu.

“Pear and rock sugar soup,” Xing Xiaochu replied, taking Qi Ying’s coat and hugging it to her chest. “I noticed you’ve been coughing these past couple of days, and we happened to have two pears at home, so I made some.”

So well-behaved.

Qi Ying looked at the sweet, soft girl before her and suddenly understood why some people wanted to get married. Coming home after a long day at work to a beautiful, gentle wife waiting for you—that feeling was truly heartwarming.

“Thank you,” Qi Ying said softly to Xing Xiaochu. “I didn’t even realize I was coughing until you mentioned it.”

Xing Xiaochu set Qi Ying’s coat aside and immediately went to the kitchen to serve her a bowl of hot pear soup with rock sugar. Qi Ying sat down on the sofa, glancing at the school uniform jacket hanging on the balcony.

The freshly made pear soup was steaming hot, infused with red dates and goji berries. The warm, sweet aroma filled the air, and the first sip sent warmth straight to her stomach, making Qi Ying feel cozy all over.

“Xiaochu,” Qi Ying said after drinking half the bowl, studying the girl as she stirred the soup with a spoon. “That school uniform isn’t yours, is it?”

Xing Xiaochu froze for a moment, then looked up at the uniform drying on the balcony and nodded. “Mm, Su Yun lent it to me.”

Su Yun?

That girl with the streak of green in her hair—Xing Xiaochu’s deskmate?

For some reason, hearing that name made Qi Ying feel inexplicably displeased. She let out a noncommittal “Oh,” then asked, “Why would she lend you her clothes out of the blue?”

Xing Xiaochu tensed up, clasping her hands nervously behind her back. She quickly came up with an excuse. “My clothes got dirty, so she lent me hers.”

It wasn’t entirely a lie—her clothes had indeed gotten dirty, which was why she borrowed them.

Qi Ying eyed the girl skeptically but decided she wouldn’t lie about something so trivial. Setting the bowl aside, she patted the spot next to her, signaling for Xing Xiaochu to sit closer.

The girl hesitated, then slowly scooted over and sat beside Qi Ying.

Seeing how cautious she was, Qi Ying softened her voice. “Xiaochu, what am I to you?”

Xiaochu blinked, stammering, “Sis… sister?”

“Exactly, I’m your sister.” Qi Ying pinched the girl’s soft, fair cheeks gently, leaning in closer. “So if anything happens, or if there’s something bothering you, you can tell me. Did something happen outside today? Did that man come looking for you again? Is that why your clothes got dirty?”

Xing Xiaochu was surprised Qi Ying had guessed correctly. She lowered her head silently, picking at her nails—a silent admission.

Qi Ying sighed inwardly and pulled the girl into a hug.

“Don’t be afraid,” she reassured her. “I’ll find a way to deal with this.”

Xing Xiaochu blinked, gripping the hem of Qi Ying’s clothes as she gave a small, quiet “Mm.”

That night, Qi Ying started searching online for strategies, trying to figure out how to permanently resolve the issue of Xing Xiaochu’s father. Perhaps because the game was still in beta testing, there wasn’t a single mention of it anywhere.

Frowning, Qi Ying scoured the internet but found nothing. In the end, she had no choice but to call customer service and ask for the game’s walkthrough.

The customer service wasn’t annoyed despite being disturbed late at night. They had Qi Ying add their contact and sent over a strategy guide. When Qi Ying opened it, she discovered Xing Jianguo was a compulsive gambler who’d already accumulated 300,000 yuan in debt. Even without her intervention, he’d be chased by debt collectors when the first autumn rain came and would accidentally drown.

Frowning slightly, Qi Ying closed her phone.

The next day.

Xia Ruoxin noticed her friend wasn’t quite focused at work. By mid-morning, Qi Ying had spaced out four or five times, each time staring blankly at the fabric before her. At first Xia Ruoxin thought she was contemplating designs, but the frequency made her realize something was weighing on Qi Ying’s mind.

“What’s wrong?” Xia Ruoxin sidled over curiously, teasing, “Did you fight with your little girlfriend?”

“What little girlfriend?” Qi Ying frowned. “Nothing’s even happened yet.”

“But that’s not what you said two days ago,” Xia Ruoxin countered. “Don’t tell me you’ve done everything but still claim there’s nothing between you—that’d make you a real jerk.”

Qi Ying’s face flushed crimson as she sputtered, “N-nothing like that happened!”

Xia Ruoxin raised an eyebrow.

She was stuttering.

“Don’t tell me you actually slept with her?” Xia Ruoxin’s eyes lit up as she excitedly slapped Qi Ying’s arm. “She’s underage!”

“She’s of age! Of age!” Qi Ying hugged her stinging arm and protested, “I’ve said it a hundred times—she’s legal! And I didn’t just…you know and leave! I…I’ve got things to do, stop bothering me.”

Xia Ruoxin wasn’t about to let her off so easily. She clung to Qi Ying, bombarding her with questions: “How’d you meet that kid anyway? Do her parents know? What school does she go to? Got any photos? I wanna see what your type is~”

Qi Ying pushed Xia Ruoxin’s face away, refusing to answer.

Fortunately, a customer arrived, allowing Qi Ying to escape to the back storage room—more of a cramped closet filled with supplies, featuring a small table and stool. Sitting down with a sigh, she pulled out her phone.

Qi Ying opened the game to check on Xing Xiaochu.

Beyond home surveillance, the game also provided views of school—classrooms, gymnasium, playground, cafeteria—anywhere with cameras, Qi Ying could see.

It appeared to be class time. The phone screen showed rows of identical uniformed backs as the teacher lectured in a monotonous drone that could put anyone to sleep.

Qi Ying quickly spotted Xing Xiaochu’s familiar silhouette. The girl sat attentively, occasionally jotting notes, while the deskmate beside her slept with a school jacket draped over her head.

Though covered, Qi Ying instantly recognized Su Yun. That was the jacket Xing Xiaochu had hand-washed for her last night.

The thought of Su Yun sleeping peacefully under Xing Xiaochu’s care inexplicably soured Qi Ying’s mood—an odd, prickling sensation akin to jealousy.

But the next second, she saw the stern female teacher at the podium slam her hand on the desk and call out “Su Yun.” Xing Xiaochu slightly turned her head to glance at the person beside her, then poked the exposed arm under the jacket.

Su Yun stirred beneath her coat before sitting up irritably, her messy hair sticking out in all directions as she glared at the teacher on the podium.

The teacher clearly disapproved of someone sleeping in her class and pointed toward the door, indicating Su Yun should stand outside as punishment. Leaning back in her chair, Su Yun scratched her already disheveled hair, showing no remorse for napping during class. Still drowsy, she squeezed past Xing Xiaochu’s seat and swaggered out to the hallway.

After Su Yun left, the teacher followed her outside, presumably scolding her further. It took several minutes before she returned to resume the lesson.

Xing Xiaochu watched the punished student by the window with concern. Though she eventually turned back to face forward, her attention remained fixed on Su Yun, frequently glancing outside throughout the class. Only toward the end did she slightly refocus.

Qi Ying: “…”

She was pissed.