My Virtual Wife From my Phone Has Come to See Me - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Xing Xiaochu’s Good Morning Diary

The phone lying face-down on the table suddenly chimed. Qi Ying, who was busy draping a pattern on a mannequin, glanced back. She casually slung the measuring tape around her neck, set down her scissors, and walked over.

Qi Ying had studied fashion design in university. After working for two years post-graduation, she opened a private studio with a friend, focusing primarily on high-end custom apparel. She assumed a private client was messaging her, but when she opened WeChat, there were no new notifications.

Then came another ding. A small line of text popped up in the notification bar: [Software Installed Successfully!]

Confused, Qi Ying swiped through her phone and found a new app icon in the bottom corner. The icon depicted the reflection of a girl in a dress, her white shoes stepping near a puddle, with a bunch of fresh, dew-kissed lilies resting nearby.

【Xing Xiaochu’s Good Morning Diary】

“What kind of malware is this?” Qi Ying frowned. “Do games install themselves automatically nowadays?”

Just as she reached out to uninstall it, the ordinary phone suddenly emitted a blinding light. The glare stung Qi Ying’s eyes, and before she could recover, something came crashing down from above with a chaotic splatter.

Shuaaaaa—

Rain poured from the sky. Stunned for a second, Qi Ying was instantly soaked to the bone. She quickly shielded her head with her hands and ran to the nearest eaves. Looking at the curtain of rain before her, she was utterly bewildered.

She was just in her studio—how did she end up outdoors in an instant? And why was it suddenly raining?

Ding—

The familiar notification sounded again. Qi Ying looked at her phone and saw it had jumped to a game loading screen. It loaded quickly, followed by a long string of text prompts:

[Welcome to Xing Xiaochu’s Good Morning Diary~] [Congratulations! You have obtained the closed-beta status. This game uses holographic projection mode for a 100% realistic experience!] [This game offers extreme freedom. You can nurture your own Xing Xiaochu however you like. She can be a star, a doctor, or a lawyer—as long as you put in the heart, she can become whoever you want!]

Qi Ying raised an eyebrow, resting her hands on her hips as she stared at the text. Were games really this advanced now? This rain, this wind… was this really just a “holographic projection”? It felt too real.

Scrolling down, she found her character setting: The player is a 26-year-old fashion designer and a friend of Xing Xiaochu’s late mother. You have come to find Xiaochu to fulfill a final wish made by your friend before she passed.

“Interesting.”

Since she had nothing to do at the studio anyway, Qi Ying decided to see just how realistic this experience was. Looking around, she noticed a black umbrella leaning against a wall, as if someone knew she’d be sheltering here and left it for her.

With a pop, Qi Ying opened the umbrella and stepped out into the rain.

…

Xing Xiaochu sat huddled in a corner, hugging her knees. Rainwater trickled down the eaves, splashing against her legs as it hit the ground. She shifted her weight, trying to hide deeper into the shadows.

“An Omega going to school is useless. Just find an Alpha to marry already.” “Don’t say another word. I’ve already withdrawn you from school. You don’t need to go back when the semester starts.” “Xing Xiaochu! You think you’re tough now? If you don’t marry, don’t you ever come back to this house!”

The argument with her father from a few hours ago was still vivid. Xiaochu had just turned 18 and was looking forward to her senior year of high school. But today, her father came home and told her school was over for her—because she was getting married.

She was to be married to a wealthy “Old Alpha” in his fifties, a man whose son was older than she was.

Xiaochu refused, and her father slapped her. By the time she realized what was happening, she was already hiding under these eaves.

“Ugh… hmph…”

The more she thought, the sadder she became, and she began to sob into her knees.

Suddenly, a clatter echoed at the mouth of the alley. A man appeared, stumbling over a glass bottle. He seemed drunk, leaning against the wall for a long moment before straightening up and continuing toward her.

As the rain intensified, Xiaochu peeked at the man passing by, curling herself into an even smaller ball to avoid being noticed.

“Eh?”

The man in the black raincoat, reeking of alcohol, paused. He sniffed the air and turned to see Xiaochu curled in the corner. His drunken eyes lit up instantly. “Are you… an Omega?”

Xiaochu’s face turned white with terror. Ignoring the rain, she scrambled to her feet to run, but the man shouted after her: “Little Omega, why are you running? My house is right there. Why don’t you come over and play?”

The rain lashed against her. Behind her, the man kept shouting: “Are you homeless? Come home with me. I just happen to need a wife to bear me some Alpha sons…”

Xiaochu’s foot slipped, and she fell hard onto the ground. By the time she tried to crawl up, the man was already behind her, reaching for her skirt.

His eyes were bloodshot as he leered, “Don’t be afraid, Uncle will take you home—!!”

Before he could finish, a black umbrella handle slammed into his wrist. He yelped and pulled his hand back, staring at Qi Ying, who had appeared out of nowhere.

Qi Ying reopened her umbrella to block the rain. She stood between Xiaochu and the man, one arm crossed over her chest, her chin tilted up slightly. “Bullying a young girl, are we? I’ve already called the police.”

Qi Ying stood at 178cm, and in shoes, she was even more imposing. Standing in the narrow alley, she radiated an immense sense of pressure.

The man sniffed the air and caught the scent of Qi Ying’s potent Alpha pheromones. He chuckled awkwardly, backing away. “Fine, fine. She’s all yours. I won’t disturb your… enjoyment.”

He scurried away like a rat. Qi Ying watched him until he disappeared before turning to look at the girl on the ground.

Xiaochu flinched as the woman turned around. She wanted to run, but her legs had gone weak.

Seeing the girl’s terrified expression, Qi Ying hesitated before crouching down. She held the umbrella over Xiaochu’s head, shielding her from the downpour.

“Is your name Xing Xiaochu?” Qi Ying said, following the game’s script. “I’m Qi Ying, a friend of your mother’s. She asked me to take care of you.”

“Mother’s… friend?”

Xiaochu was deathly pale. She had beautiful eyes, and her long black hair was matted to her face by the rain, making her wet eyes look even more vulnerable. She was shaking uncontrollably. Just as Qi Ying was about to ask if she was okay, Xiaochu’s body slumped, and she fainted right into Qi Ying’s arms.

Qi Ying: “…”

In that moment, she caught a scent—the cold, crisp fragrance of osmanthus blossoms drenched in rain.

…

Qi Ying sat by the hospital bed. Watching the unconscious Xiaochu, she asked the nurse, “Is she really okay?”

“She’s fine, don’t worry,” the nurse replied while adjusting the IV drip. “The patient fainted due to exhaustion combined with a high fever. It’s lucky you brought her in time. A couple of IV bags and she’ll be as good as new.”

Qi Ying finally exhaled in relief.

After the nurse left, Qi Ying sat on the stool by the bed. She had been panicked when Xiaochu collapsed, immediately scooping her up and hailing a taxi. She had worried if the payment system in the game world would be different, but she quickly discovered that the two worlds were remarkably similar—even her bank balance was identical.

The total cost for the visit was only about 200 yuan. However, she had picked up a few new terms:

Omega. Beta. Alpha.

It seemed that in this world, besides male and female, there were three other secondary genders. She was apparently an Alpha, and Xiaochu was a fragile Omega.

Qi Ying could still smell that cold osmanthus scent on Xiaochu. That was likely her pheromone. It was sweet and very pleasant.

Curious, Qi Ying sniffed her own arm to see what she smelled like.

It was… Green Plum Wine.

It was exactly the scent of the alcohol Qi Ying loved to drink. She was surprised and quite satisfied with her own pheromone.

Ding—

The phone in her pocket buzzed. It was a WeChat message from a colleague asking where she was, noting that the studio was open but empty.

Qi Ying’s heart jumped. She quickly opened the Xing Xiaochu app. The interface now showed a 3D avatar of Xiaochu in wet clothes, crouching at the edge of the screen. On the left were various stats, and on the right were interaction buttons. But right now, she needed to log out.

[Are you sure you want to leave the game?] [Confirm.] [Note: Time flows at the same rate in both worlds. Remember to visit your Xiaochu often~]

The phone flashed again. When Qi Ying regained her senses, she was standing in the alley behind her studio. The measuring tape was still around her neck, and the studio lights were on. She could see her colleague bringing a client in for a tour. She quickly tucked away the tape and pushed the door open.

The bell chimed as she entered. Qi Ying smiled at the guests. “Sorry, I was just in the restroom. Are you here for a custom fitting?”

…

Three hours later.

Xing Xiaochu slowly opened her eyes. Her IV was finished. The ward was dim, with only a small nightlight on. Heavy blue curtains blocked most of the light, leaving only a faint yellow glow on the ceiling.

She had been changed into clean, dry hospital pajamas. Xiaochu lay in bed, staring blankly.

That woman… was she really Mom’s friend?

Xiaochu thought to herself: Next time I see her, I must thank her properly…