My Virtual Wife Stepped Out of My Phone to Find Me - Chapter 59

Xiaochu couldn’t remember what she’d done that day. She vaguely recalled making some plans before falling asleep yesterday, but now she couldn’t recall anything about her daytime activities.

“I probably didn’t go out, right?” Xiaochu said hesitantly. “I haven’t finished my homework yet. Why would I go out?”

Qi Ying also found it strange, but Xiaochu’s outdoor outfit contradicted her words.

Later, when Xiaochu went to change clothes, Qi Ying noticed her phone on the coffee table. The screen displayed its built-in step counter – over 20,000 steps for the day.

Twenty thousand steps in a day, yet claiming she hadn’t gone out?

She couldn’t have been marching in place at home, could she?

Qi Ying glanced back at Xiaochu’s bedroom door, certain the girl was hiding something.

But then she reconsidered.

Who didn’t have secrets at that age?

Xiaochu wasn’t her possession. It was normal to have harmless little secrets.

That evening, Qi Ying cooked a feast. The lively living room echoed with laughter from a comedy show playing on TV, filling the house with warmth.

Qi Ying placed a rib on the plate of the distracted Xiaochu, who’d been spaced out since afternoon. “Have you decided where you want to go?” she asked the dazed girl.

Xiaochu looked up blankly.

“What? Still haven’t decided?” Qi Ying said. “If we don’t plan ahead, we won’t get tickets to any attractions.”

Tickets?

Suddenly, something seemed to click for Xiaochu. A shudder ran through her as an inexplicable fear welled up from deep within. Her hands clenched the fabric of her pants, her whole body trembling slightly.

“Do we… have to go out?” Xiaochu’s lashes fluttered as she avoided Qi Ying’s gaze. “Can’t we just stay home? I don’t really want to go anywhere…”

No, it wasn’t that she didn’t want to go.

Some instinct told her she mustn’t go anywhere.

This feeling terrified her, as if something terrible might happen any moment.

Qi Ying was surprised by the refusal. “But yesterday you said you wanted to go out?”

Xiaochu shook her head frantically. “I don’t want to. I just want… to stay home with you. Nowhere else.”

Though puzzled, Qi Ying had no reason to refuse. Honestly, staying home with her little sticky rice cake sounded more appealing than traveling anyway.

“Alright,” Qi Ying agreed readily, reaching to pinch Xiaochu’s cheek. “We’ll stay home and relax these few days.”

Xiaochu exhaled in inexplicable relief, her dark eyes shining as she gave a happy smile.

Late at night.

Qi Ying was discussing project requirements with a nocturnal client. Though her shop was closed for the holiday, orders still needed taking. She was assuring the client work would begin immediately after the break.

“Mmm…”

At that moment, Qi Ying noticed the person beside her beginning to tremble slightly. Puzzled, she set down her phone and turned around.

Ever since the last estrus cycle began, Xing Xiaochu had been sleeping in her room. Now, curled into a ball while tightly clutching a plush toy, she was trembling all over, lost in some unknown dream.

Concerned, Qi Ying frowned slightly and leaned closer.

“Why…” Xing Xiaochu murmured anxiously in her sleep, “Why…”

Seeing her eyelids fluttering uncontrollably, Qi Ying guessed she was having a nightmare and quickly shook her awake. Blinking groggily, Xing Xiaochu’s vision focused on the woman before her.

“Sister…”

Her body relaxed, though her complexion remained pale. Slowly blinking, her awareness gradually returned.

“Bad dream?” Qi Ying touched Xing Xiaochu’s forehead, finding it damps with sweat—whether from heat or fear, she couldn’t tell.

Xing Xiaochu recalled the dream—a void filled with disjointed images, herself standing on blank layers frantically searching for something, ending in a world drenched in red.

Dialog boxes had materialized in that crimson space, closing in from all directions with overwhelming pressure.

“It was… a very strange dream,” Xing Xiaochu said, now more alert. Discarding the plush toy, she pressed close to Qi Ying, wrapping her arms around the woman’s waist and burying her face against her shoulder, her voice muffled. “I don’t understand what it meant, but it was terrifying.”

Qi Ying held her tightly, gently patting her back. “Can you tell me about it? Sometimes saying it aloud makes it less scary.”

Xing Xiaochu remained silent, unsure how to begin.

Qi Ying didn’t press her, simply cradling her closer and kissing her cheek. “It’s alright if you don’t want to. Dreams aren’t real—just forget it now that you’re awake.”

“…It’s not that I don’t want to,” Xing Xiaochu lifted her head, dark eyes shining with unease as she whispered, “I just can’t explain what it was.”

That red world. Those floating dialog boxes.

She couldn’t comprehend them—only that they’d frightened her.

Worse, she feared Qi Ying might think her abnormal if she described it. Who dreamed of such bizarre things?

“Sister,” Xing Xiaochu nervously clutched Qi Ying’s sleeve, asking softly, “Could you kiss me?”

Without hesitation, Qi Ying met her lips in a tender kiss.

Xing Xiaochu released her grip on the fabric, hands sliding up to rest on Qi Ying’s shoulders.

Their nighttime kiss carried quiet warmth—familiar scents, the gentle play of tongues. Xing Xiaochu loved this intimacy. She rubbed her leg lightly against Qi Ying’s, craving more.

Noticing her intention, Qi Ying pulled back slightly. “Not sleepy anymore?”

Xing Xiaochu’s flushed cheeks were faintly visible even in the dark, but she boldly tilted her head up and gave a soft “Mm.”

Not sleepy. Wanting something else.

As it happened, neither was Qi Ying.

The advantage of sharing a bed was the ability to be intimate anytime, waking up to touch the person you love and falling asleep in each other’s arms.

Xing Xiaochu’s thin nightgown was pushed aside, her breathing growing slightly uneven as she blushed and arched her neck, willingly baring herself for Qi Ying to leave marks on her skin.

“Mmm…”

A gentle bite on her shoulder—not too hard, but enough to send a tingling numbness through her—left Xing Xiaochu feeling dizzy.

In the darkness, Qi Ying’s hands trailed up Xing Xiaochu’s legs, moving slowly as their bodies pressed closer. Naturally, Qi Ying’s lips found Xing Xiaochu’s neck.

The consequence of their lingering was that both of them slept until noon the next day.

Xing Xiaochu had slept soundly through the night, especially after their intimacy, free from the strange nightmares that had plagued her. Though she woke up feeling sticky, her spirits were noticeably better.

Qi Ying was on the phone by the floor-to-ceiling windows of the balcony when Xing Xiaochu blinked sleepily and tiptoed toward her.

“That’s fine, send it to me first.”

“Let’s do it today. We’ll head over soon to test the sound and see if it fits.”

Qi Ying spoke into the phone, “Alright, I’ll contact you when we arrive. Yeah, thanks.”

The moment she hung up, she felt someone pounce on her from behind—slender, pale arms wrapping tightly around her waist, followed by a bright, triumphant laugh.

She didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

“Full of energy as soon as you wake up, huh?” Qi Ying stroked Xing Xiaochu’s hands before turning to look at her. “Who was the one clinging to me last night, and who was the one complaining about being tired?”

Xing Xiaochu tilted her head up, denying it outright. “Not me.”

Qi Ying nodded. “Right, it was me.”

Noticing Xing Xiaochu’s bare feet, she couldn’t help but chuckle as she lifted her up and set her on top of the washing machine.

“Running around without shoes?” Qi Ying pressed a hand to Xing Xiaochu’s waist, smiling softly. “Stay here, I’ll get your shoes.”

Xing Xiaochu obediently sat on the washing machine, watching as Qi Ying went to fetch her shoes. Those dark, gleaming eyes brimmed with amusement as Qi Ying knelt before her, slipping them on.

Holding Xing Xiaochu’s delicate ankles, Qi Ying couldn’t help but recall her earlier thoughts about leg chains and stockings, wondering if her little girlfriend would refuse.

“Jiejie.”

Just as Qi Ying was contemplating how to persuade Xing Xiaochu to put on stockings in front of her, she heard the girl above her speak up.

“Were you just talking to someone on the phone?” Xing Xiaochu asked, tilting her head.

Qi Ying stood, lifting her off the washing machine with a light laugh. “Yeah. Since you didn’t want to go out, I figured we shouldn’t stay cooped up for days. I have a surprise for you—come with me later.”

Though Xing Xiaochu was reluctant to leave the house, if Qi Ying wanted to take her out, she’d go.

The weather had turned cooler recently, so before heading out, Qi Ying grabbed a coat from Xing Xiaochu’s closet—a long trench coat she had gifted her for her birthday, perfect for the season.

Once in the car, Qi Ying didn’t reveal their destination, and Xing Xiaochu didn’t ask. After all, the steering wheel was in Qi Ying’s hands—wherever she took her was fine.

When the car stopped in front of a tall building, Xing Xiaochu was still looking around curiously.

The building was quite high, and perhaps because it was a holiday, there weren’t many people inside. Only a security guard sat at the entrance, and few were coming or going.

“We’re here.”

Qi Ying leaned against the car door with one hand, watching as Xing Xiaochu got out from the other side. He tilted his chin slightly and said, “Your single has been arranged. Today, you’re here for a recording test.”

For a moment, Xing Xiaochu didn’t react, even wearing a slightly dazed expression. It took her a while before realization dawned, and her eyes widened slightly as she asked, “The song for my birthday?”

Qi Ying smiled, closed the car door, and walked over to take her hand. Lowering his voice, he said, “Come on, let’s go get your birthday present.”