My Virtual Wife Stepped Out of My Phone to Find Me - Chapter 57

Returning to reality, Qi Ying hummed a tune as she arrived at the studio. Soon after, Xia Ruoxin showed up and was startled to find the shop spotlessly clean. She was especially shocked to see Qi Ying cheerfully wiping the display window.

“Did the sun rise from the west today?” Xia Ruoxin circled Qi Ying like she was observing a monkey, arms crossed. “Since when did you start cleaning? I thought you hated chores the most.”

Qi Ying stepped down from the stool and said, “Even I feel like working once in a while.”

Xia Ruoxin clicked her tongue, studying Qi Ying’s unusually bright expression. “Hey, Ying, be honest—something good happened, didn’t it?”

Qi Ying glanced at her with a smile. “Nope.”

“Liar.” Xia Ruoxin called her out. “Your grin’s so wide I can see your gums. Spill it—is it about your little girlfriend? Ever since you took that week off, I’ve noticed you acting weird.”

Qi Ying didn’t hide it this time. After a brief hesitation, she said, “I’m taking her on a trip during the National Day holiday. You’ll have to watch the shop.”

Xia Ruoxin scoffed. “Who wants to work during a holiday? But you might have to delay your plans. Remember Shi Yu’s friend? Her wedding is on the 1st, and we need to attend.”

Qi Ying turned back, puzzled. “Didn’t we already finish the dress? The final payment’s cleared too. Since when do we provide in-person after-sales service?”

“Come on,” Xia Ruoxin said sheepishly. “She’s Shi Yu’s friend, after all.”

Qi Ying understood—Xia Ruoxin wanted to impress her girlfriend.

Reading Qi Ying’s expression, Xia Ruoxin leaned in. “Plus, they reserved seats for both of us. It’d be rude not to go.”

“But we’d have to give a wedding gift, right?” Qi Ying said. “I’m broke.”

“Cheapskate. I’ll cover it, okay?” The little heiress waved it off. “I’ll handle the gift—you just tag along and enjoy the food!”

Though reluctant, Qi Ying knew Shi Yu’s friend was a major client. The holiday was long enough anyway—one day wouldn’t hurt.

“Fine, but I’m leaving on the 2nd. No stopping me,” Qi Ying said, packing up the bucket and rags.

Xia Ruoxin grinned. “Relax, Shi Yu and I are flying out on the evening of the 1st. No one’s holding you back.”

Qi Ying kicked her lightly, calling her a traitor to friendship.

That evening, Qi Ying strolled over to pick Xing Xiaochu up from school.

Chen Dongdong and the others were surprised to see her and asked why she wasn’t driving. Qi Ying chuckled and pointed at the bustling crowd outside the school. “Traffic’s a nightmare here.”

The kids followed her gaze and nodded in agreement.

In high spirits, Qi Ying generously offered, “My treat—pick any bubble tea you want.”

The kids cheered in delight.

In their eyes, Qi Ying was the kind of neighborly older sister who was generous with money and kind-hearted, making people feel especially at ease around her.

But once they got home, Qi Ying’s true colors showed. She hugged Xiaochu, kissing her lips that still carried the scent of jasmine milk tea, and said in a clingy voice, “We might have to go out a bit later during the National Day holiday. I have to attend a client’s wedding—she ordered a really expensive dress from our shop.”

Xiaochu was so dazed by the kisses that it took her a long time to process what Qi Ying was saying, her arms still wrapped around Qi Ying’s shoulders. She blinked slightly and asked, “Will it take long?”

“No,” Qi Ying pressed her into her embrace, hugging her affectionately. “Just on the 1st. The wedding is at noon, and I’ll be back by the afternoon.”

She pinched Xiaochu’s palm, rubbing her nose against the girl’s cheek as she asked, “Have you thought about where we should go during the holiday?”

Xiaochu’s palm tingled from the pinching, and she couldn’t help but grip Qi Ying’s fingers. “I haven’t decided yet. Where do you want to go, sis?”

“I’m fine with anything,” Qi Ying said with a smile. “Not sure if the tourist spots here will be crowded. If they’re not, we can go sightseeing. If they are, staying home with you sounds nice too.”

Just the thought of what would happen if they stayed home made Xiaochu’s waist ache in advance. Blushing, she protested, “I think going out would be better.”

At least it wouldn’t be so hard on her waist.

“Alright,” Qi Ying didn’t mind either way. She pulled Xiaochu closer and lowered her head, blowing softly against her lips. “As long as I’m with you, anywhere is fine.”

Xiaochu’s face flushed red, and she obediently parted her lips, melting into Qi Ying’s eager kiss.

She had noticed—Qi Ying really loved kissing her.

Ever since Qi Ying’s first rut, Xiaochu had realized how much the other woman adored her pheromones and loved kissing her. Maybe it was because their scents mingled so intensely, but Qi Ying would always hold her and kiss her endlessly, sucking her lips red before slipping her tongue inside.

By the time they finally pulled apart, their lips were tingling and numb, yet neither wanted to stop.

If only things could stay like this forever.

Xiaochu’s heart pounded wildly as she slightly opened her eyes to look at the woman kissing her, her chest overflowing with happiness.

As the holiday drew closer, the first thing they faced was their first monthly exam after starting school.

The day the results came out, Chen Dongdong burst into tears. Xinya sighed helplessly as she comforted her. Xiaochu glanced at Dongdong’s scorecard and was shocked to see failing marks in every subject—her pupils shrank in disbelief.

Dongdong had always seemed carefree, so Xiaochu had assumed her grades were at least decent. She never expected them to be this bad.

English… only 11 points.

Oh my god.

Xinya sighed as she patted her friend’s back. “Why are you crying? Don’t you fail every exam? Shouldn’t you be used to it by now?”

Dongdong wailed, “I can’t get used to it, wuuuu… My parents said if I did well this time, they’d take me to the beach! How am I supposed to face them now? I can’t even show my face in front of my hometown folks anymore!”

Xinya sighed again, then turned to Xiaochu, who was standing awkwardly to the side. She gave her an embarrassed smile. “Don’t mind her, Xiaochu. Her grades are always like this.”

Xiaochu let out a stiff “Mhm,” unsure how to comfort her.

Instead, it was Chen Dongdong herself who lifted her head and asked Xin Ya, “Xin Ya, if I don’t get into university and can only go to a vocational college, will you forget about me?”

Xin Ya rubbed her temples and said, “Just work harder and try to get into the same school as me.”

Chen Dongdong burst into tears and threw herself into Xin Ya’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

After comforting her friend for a while, Xin Ya turned to Xing Xiaochu and asked, “Xiaochu, how did you do on the exams?”

Xing Xiaochu averted her gaze and mumbled, “I-it was okay, I guess.”

She couldn’t very well say she’d ranked in the top five of the class in front of Chen Dongdong—that would only upset her more.

Chen Dongdong clung to Xin Ya’s waist, burying her face in her chest as she cried, hiccupping between sobs, “Wahh, A-Ya, I want to go see the ocean with you… wahhh…”

Xin Ya & Xing Xiaochu: “…”

After leaving school, Chen Dongdong, still looking miserable, insisted on eating hot pot. Xin Ya had no choice but to go along with her. The two of them asked Xing Xiaochu if she wanted to join, and after some thought, she agreed.

Before heading out, she called Qi Ying to let her know.

“Mhm, just come back early after eating. Don’t stay out too late,” Qi Ying said, idly playing with a red balloon in her hand. She glanced at the bustling staff setting up the wedding venue before adding, “I’ll probably be back very late tonight, so don’t wait up. Get some rest early.”

Xing Xiaochu nodded, her soft voice carrying through the phone, “Then be careful on your way back, sis. I’ll hang up now.”

Qi Ying chuckled and hummed in response, listening as the call ended on the other side.

“Ah-Ying!”

Xia Ruoxi called out from a corner, “Come help! I can’t handle this alone!”

Qi Ying sighed, stuffed her phone into her pocket, and walked over. Seeing Xia Ruoxi struggling to tie balloons, she frowned. “Isn’t this supposed to be the hotel staff’s job? Why are we doing it now?”

Xia Ruoxi grinned. “They’re short on hands. It’s good to help out. Stop complaining—once we finish these, we can go eat. My treat!”

Lured by the promise of a feast, Qi Ying and Xia Ruoxi spent over an hour blowing up balloons before finally wrapping up. Only then did they head out for dinner.

Exhausted, Qi Ying massaged her shoulders while debating whether she should even show up tomorrow. Xia Ruoxi, reading her expression, warned, “Your spot’s already reserved, so don’t even think about skipping.”

Qi Ying rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s just go eat already. I’m starving!”

Xia Ruoxi cheered, “How about barbecue? Or do you want hot pot?”

Qi Ying: “Either’s fine.”

After showering, Xing Xiaochu towel-dried her hair and sat at the desk in the study, ready to tackle her holiday homework.

She’d planned it out—if she worked tonight and all of tomorrow, she could finish all her school assignments. That way, she’d have the next few days free to go out with Qi Ying without any worries.

Guazi slept peacefully in his little bed, his breathing steady. The only sounds in the room were the rustling of papers and the scratch of Xing Xiaochu’s pen.

Once she finished one test paper, she decided to take a short break. She grabbed some fruit and a drink from the fridge, brought them back to the desk, and picked up her phone. In the group chat, Chen Dongdong and Xin Ya were chatting excitedly—Chen Dongdong was overjoyed that her parents had finally agreed to let her go out, and Xin Ya was showering her with virtual confetti.

Chen Dongdong said: “These tickets are really hard to book! If you’re planning to go out, you should book your tickets early too!”

Xin Xiaochu was munching on cherry tomatoes when she saw Chen Dongdong’s message. She paused, realizing the truth in those words—she’d been so focused on going out that she’d forgotten about ticket purchases.

While train tickets weren’t necessary, at least attraction tickets needed to be bought, right?

Xin Xiaochu immediately exited the chat interface to check for nearby attractions. She happened to spot a scenic area about a hundred kilometers away on the app. The picturesque mountains and rivers looked beautiful, and the tickets could be refunded anytime.

Better to buy and refund than miss out later, right?

Thinking this, she decided to buy two tickets in advance—with her student ID, she could even get half-price admission.

“Sorry, you cannot make purchases at this time.”

The sudden pop-up notification made Xin Xiaochu freeze. She blinked, exited the app and reopened it, but the same cold message remained—”Sorry, you cannot make purchases at this time.”