My Virtual Wife Stepped Out of My Phone to Find Me - Chapter 6

After logging out of the game, Qi Ying threw herself into work with full concentration.

Her studio was located on a street in an old downtown residential area. Though the neighborhood was aging, it was conveniently situated right next to commercial streets. Many residents had converted their ground-floor spaces into stylish shops—cafés, florists, Western restaurants, and dessert parlors.

Qi Ying had set up shop here, displaying the most beautiful garments in the window with price tags clearly marked outside. This way, neither customers nor herself would waste time.

The spacious solid wood desk was a secondhand find, but years of use had given it a smooth patina. The over-two-meter-long surface served perfectly as a design table. Nearby stood a dress form as Qi Ying meticulously worked on creating samples, determined to finish the crystal embellishments for the bodice today.

Ding ling—

Xia Ruoxin walked in carrying takeout. Qi Ying glanced over her shoulder and greeted, “You’re here.”

“Brought you some dessert soup,” Xia Ruoxin said, placing the container in the small fridge behind the cash register. She stood gaping before the air conditioner, letting the cool air wash over her. “Temperatures hit 40 degrees today. When will this summer finally end?”

“Still over a month to go,” Qi Ying replied. “We’ll just have to endure.”

Fortunately, their work schedules were flexible, sparing them from commuting in the sweltering heat. Though Qi Ying noticed Xia Ruoxin suffered particularly from the heat and considered letting her work from home.

By noon, the two had completed the most intricate crystal decorations for the bodice. They took a break for takeout, sampling the chilled dessert soup Xia Ruoxin had brought.

Though slightly melted from the fridge, the dessert was still delicious—fine shaved ice blended with mango in a rich, fragrant mix, topped with condensed milk that had melted into the soup, making it wonderfully sweet and creamy.

Between bites, Xia Ruoxin mused, “Our customer flow has been dwindling lately. Maybe we should pause new orders for now. This elaborate wedding gown alone will earn us tens of thousands. We could showcase autumn collections at an exhibition come fall.”

Qi Ying only half-listened, casually opening the game to check what Xing Xiaochu was up to.

As the game loaded, Xia Ruoxin peeked over curiously. “Hey, what game is that? Looks interesting—what’s it called? I’ll download it too.”

“Xing Xiaochu’s Morning Diary,” Qi Ying answered absentmindedly.

Xia Ruoxin immediately searched online but found no such game. “Nothing’s coming up,” she said, puzzled, eyeing Qi Ying’s phone. “Where did you download this? I can’t find it anywhere.”

Qi Ying paused, suddenly remembering what the system had mentioned upon first login—the game was still in beta testing, likely inaccessible to the general public.

Xia Ruoxin sighed in disappointment. “Oh well. Good thing I’m not much of a gamer anyway. Just rare to see you playing something, got curious.”

Qi Ying smiled. “Just killing time casually.”

During their midday break, while Xia Ruoxin lounged on the sofa scrolling through her phone, Qi Ying continued fiddling with the game. She discovered an interaction button that allowed her to check home surveillance—meaning she could observe Xing Xiaochu’s activities anytime, anywhere.

Though it felt a bit odd, Qi Ying couldn’t help but smile when she saw Xiaochu lying on the couch hugging a book.

Xiaochu was wearing a loose nightgown, and because of her ‘little tail,’ lying down wasn’t very comfortable. So, she was sprawled on the couch, her chest propped up on a cushion, her fair, slender legs swinging idly. Her ten toes were pink and delicate, and even her ankles were slender yet rounded—everything about her looked sweet.

Xiaochu was engrossed in her book, occasionally glancing toward the door when she heard a noise. Sometimes, she’d even rush over to peek through the peephole, only to slump back onto the couch in disappointment when she saw Qi Ying hadn’t arrived, flopping down motionless.

Ding—the system sent her a message.

Your Xiaochu seems to miss you a lot! Would you like to order her some takeout or give her a call?

Qi Ying’s eyes lit up—the system was right.

The takeout menu popped up, and Qi Ying browsed through it, unsure what to order. She glanced at the half-eaten sweet soup in front of her and decided to get Xiaochu the same thing.

After placing the order, the payment screen appeared, but the system dinged again with a notification: Insufficient account balance.

Qi Ying: “…”

She checked the balance in the top-right corner—it was -200.

How was she in debt to the system?

Then she remembered the 200 yuan spent on Xiaochu’s hospital bill and realized that must be why.

Fine, fine. She’d check the recharge options.

Luckily, the exchange rate between game currency and real money was 10:1, which wasn’t too outrageous. Considering how well-made the game was, Qi Ying decided to top up 200 yuan as encouragement.

Ding-dong—ding-dong—

Xiaochu was lying on the couch, lost in thought, when the doorbell rang. She immediately jumped up and rushed over, swinging the door open to find a delivery guy in a yellow windbreaker standing outside.

“Your order,” he said.

Xiaochu frowned. “But I didn’t order anything.”

The delivery guy checked the notes on the receipt. “Your sister ordered it for you.”

Sister?

Xiaochu didn’t have a sister.

Then, as if remembering something, her eyes brightened. She quickly took the food and checked the note: From older sister to younger sister. Please leave at the door—do not knock.

Xiaochu beamed. “Thank you!”

The delivery guy nodded and headed downstairs.

Xiaochu waited until he stepped into the elevator before closing the door. The moment it shut, another ding-dong echoed through the apartment. After searching around, she found what looked like a spare phone on the study desk, Qi Ying’s name flashing on the screen.

Xiaochu answered and softly whispered, “Hello?”

“Did you get the food?” Qi Ying’s voice was gentle. “I just tried this sweet soup and thought it was really good, so I ordered some for you. Let me know if you like it.”

“I do!” Xiaochu blurted.

Qi Ying laughed. “You haven’t even tried it yet.”

Xiaochu’s face flushed red. “I-I like it even without tasting it…”

Qi Ying’s low chuckle through the phone made Xiaochu’s cheeks burn even hotter.

Qi Ying asked Xing Xiaochu what she had for lunch, and Xing Xiaochu answered in detail. On the phone screen, Xing Xiaochu stood by the desk holding her phone, occasionally swaying her feet and drawing little circles on the table with her other hand, her ear tips flushed red.

This scene was a delight to Qi Ying’s eyes. Even in the real world, she could show care for Xing Xiaochu—just a few dollars could make the girl so happy.

No wonder video games were so addictive. She was starting to get hooked too.

After chatting for a while, Qi Ying said to Xing Xiaochu, “Then rest at home for now. I’ll come back to see you in the evening.”

Xing Xiaochu nodded, then realized Qi Ying couldn’t see it, so she replied with a soft “Mm,” adding, “I’ll wait for you to come back.”

After hanging up, Xing Xiaochu kept staring at her phone for a long while before reluctantly setting it down. She picked up the takeout bag and went to the kitchen, then came back holding a box of sweet soup. Sitting on the rocking chair by the floor-to-ceiling window, she ate while gazing at the scenery outside.

Qi Ying watched her quietly enjoying her food before chuckling softly and exiting the game.

When she turned around, she saw Xia Ruoxin standing with her arms crossed, squinting at her suspiciously. “What were you doing just now? Smiling so sweetly—are you secretly dating someone behind my back?!”

Qi Ying slipped her phone into her pocket and replied nonchalantly, “Just playing a game. I’m too much of a homebody to have time for dating. You’re overthinking it.”

Xia Ruoxin didn’t believe her but couldn’t do anything about it, so she just nagged as she followed Qi Ying around. “If you do start dating, you have to tell me first! I need to see what kind of person could catch your eye.”

Qi Ying ignored her and went back to work.

By evening, Xia Ruoxin was ready to head home, leaving Qi Ying alone in the shop. Glancing at the time—just ten minutes to seven—she decisively hung up the “Out” sign and launched the game again.

This time, as soon as Qi Ying stepped out of the elevator, she caught the aroma of home-cooked food. The moment she opened the door, the scent grew even stronger—it smelled like stewed chicken.

Hearing the noise, Xing Xiaochu immediately rushed out. She wore a gray apron around her waist, pink slippers on her feet, and held a spatula in her hand. Beaming at Qi Ying, she greeted her, “Sister, you’re back! Go wash your hands—dinner’s almost ready!”

Qi Ying stood frozen at the door for a long moment. She had always been a loner, living by herself since college. Suddenly having someone cooking for her at home gave her an overwhelming sense of happiness.

Watching Xing Xiaochu hurry back to stir-fry, Qi Ying felt her heartbeat inexplicably quicken.

If only this weren’t a game.

She shook her head immediately. What was she thinking? Of course, it was just a game. She couldn’t let the hyper-realistic holograms fool her into believing it was real.

But the game was so lifelike that sometimes, it still made Qi Ying lose herself in it…

Xing Xiaochu had prepared dinner—four light dishes and a soup.

Qi Ying took a bite and praised the girl generously for her cooking skills. After the meal, Xing Xiaochu refused to let Qi Ying clean up, insisting on washing the dishes herself. Watching her back, her little “tail” peeking out, Qi Ying suddenly remembered—she had forgotten to buy clothes for the girl, as promised.

Adults must keep their word, so Qi Ying eyed Xiaochu’s waist and hips, mentally calculating the measurements.

“Today was too busy to buy you clothes. Tomorrow, I’ll personally make you an outfit,” Qi Ying said, leaning against the kitchen doorway.

Xiaochu turned her head, her hands covered in soap bubbles, and asked in surprise, “Sister, you know how to make clothes?”

Qi Ying tilted her head and smiled. “Of course, I’m a designer.” She glanced at Xiaochu’s outfit and added, “I’ll go find a measuring tape. Come to the study later—I’ll take your measurements.”