My Virtual Wife From my Phone Has Come to See Me - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: “I will always be with you.”

Opening Xia Ruoxin’s messages, Qi Ying saw that the early ones were just about her going home because of the rain. After the storm passed, she had asked if everything was okay at the shop. Then, there was a string of messages explaining that her parents had suddenly booked a surprise tour package behind her back and were dragging her along. Xia Ruoxin had tried to call Qi Ying to discuss it but couldn’t get through.

Finally, the “Little Rich Girl” wrote: [The plane tickets are already booked, so I’m just going to go have fun for a few days! I’m leaving the shop in your hands. I’ll bring back local specialties for you when I return!]

Qi Ying breathed a sigh of relief and replied: [Go and enjoy yourself. Don’t worry about the shop.]

She had originally intended to use this chance to return to the real world, but just as she was looking for an excuse to leave, she heard Xing Xiaochu calling her from outside the door, saying that a meal was ready.

Feeling weak and shaky, Qi Ying supported herself against the wall as she walked out. The moment Xing Xiaochu saw her, she rushed over to support her, saying worriedly, “If you’re not feeling well, I can bring the food to your room. Please don’t force yourself.”

“I’m fine, I feel much better.” Qi Ying’s steps were still a bit floaty, but being supported by Xing Xiaochu felt quite nice. The girl smelled sweet and felt soft—she was incredibly endearing.

Breakfast was dumplings. With one bite, Qi Ying could tell they were handmade. She asked the girl sitting across from her in surprise, “Did you go out?”

“Yes.” Xing Xiaochu nodded. “Yesterday, after you fainted, I went downstairs to the pharmacy to buy medicine and picked up the dumplings while I was at it.”

Afraid that Qi Ying might worry the dumplings were leftovers, she quickly added, “I asked them not to cook them. I brought them back raw and boiled them just now. They aren’t leftovers from yesterday.”

Seeing the child’s nervous expression, Qi Ying couldn’t help but laugh. “Even if they were leftovers, it wouldn’t matter. It’s not like I can’t eat them.”

Besides, Qi Ying was truly hungry. In her real life, she often cooked once and ate for two meals; leftovers were perfectly normal.

Watching Qi Ying finish the dumplings quickly, Xing Xiaochu ran to fetch her a bowl of dumpling soup. Qi Ying drank it all, feeling her spirits lift significantly.

“The medicine needs to be taken half an hour after eating,” Xing Xiaochu said as she tidied up the dishes. “I’ll remind you in a bit.”

“Alright.” Qi Ying watched her busy figure with a smile, thinking how wonderful it felt to be looked after.

After the meal, Qi Ying went to sit by the floor-to-ceiling window to soak up the sun. The pressure of the pheromones was certainly effective, but the side effects were worse than she had imagined. It seemed she shouldn’t mess around with things she didn’t fully understand.

After a while, Xing Xiaochu arrived with warm water and the medicine.

Qi Ying took the medicine and lay back down. She was thinking of an excuse to head home for a moment—at the very least, she had to lock the shop door.

“Sister.”

Xing Xiaochu spoke up. Qi Ying realized the girl hadn’t left her side and looked like she had something to say.

“What is it?” Qi Ying asked. “Is something wrong?”

Xing Xiaochu pursed her lips, nervously twisting the hem of her shirt, looking hesitant.

Ah!

Qi Ying understood. She quickly grabbed her phone and said, “I’m sorry, you ran out of money, right? How much was all that? I’ll transfer it to you, and I’ll give you some extra pocket money while I’m at it.”

Xing Xiaochu stopped her immediately, her face turning bright red. “I don’t want your money. You’ve taken me in and let me stay here; I haven’t even paid you yet. How could I take… I-I wanted to ask you about this…”

Xing Xiaochu ran to the door, picked up a document from the shoe cabinet, and walked back. Qi Ying focused her gaze—it was the document she had shown Xiaochu’s father.

The letter of entrustment from Xing Xiaochu’s mother, appointing her as the guardian.

This document had been provided directly by the game system. Qi Ying had no idea if it had any real legal standing, but she figured system items wouldn’t have issues. Besides, she knew Xiaochu’s father would never agree anyway, so she had planned to “be polite before using force.”

But now, seeing Xing Xiaochu holding it, Qi Ying felt a bit guilty.

“This…” Qi Ying explained, “This is the entrustment your mother gave me before, asking me to take care of you.”

Xing Xiaochu’s eyes widened slightly as she looked at the paper. Her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

Startled, Qi Ying got up to comfort her.

“Why the sudden tears?” Qi Ying wiped the corners of the girl’s reddened eyes. Seeing the tears fatly rolling down made her heart ache. She said softly, “Don’t cry. No one will bully you anymore. I will stay by your side forever.”

Xing Xiaochu looked up at her. She didn’t know how long Qi Ying’s “forever” would be. She used to think her mother would stay forever, but her mother had passed away, leaving no one.

Now, Qi Ying said she would always stay, but Xing Xiaochu feared she would leave too. Just like her mother.

“Sister…”

Xing Xiaochu threw herself into Qi Ying’s arms, hugging her waist and crying, “You have to keep your word… you have to stay with me forever…”

Qi Ying smiled and stroked the girl’s head, giving a soft “Mm.” “I will always be with you.”

…

Qi Ying made up an excuse to return to her bedroom, saying she needed to rest and told Xing Xiaochu not to enter. Although confused, the girl obeyed. She weakly asked if Qi Ying wanted lunch, but Qi Ying declined that as well.

After exiting the game, the aching sensation in her body vanished instantly. She hurried to check on her shop.

Fortunately, people were quite civilized; the shop door had been open all day, yet nothing was missing. Qi Ying checked the security footage from yesterday and saw that a few customers had indeed wandered in after the storm, looked around, and left when they found no one there.

Overall, there weren’t many customers, and nothing was lost.

Qi Ying let out a massive sigh of relief.

It seemed she had to be more careful when entering the game. At the very least, she had to lock all doors and windows. Losing money was a small matter, but if her commissioned wedding dress went missing, that would be a major disaster.

After tidying up the shop, Qi Ying realized she wasn’t hungry. She touched her stomach, feeling puzzled. She hadn’t eaten in the real world for a whole day—why didn’t she feel hungry?

In fact, her stomach felt full, as if she had just finished breakfast.

Does eating in the game actually provide a sense of satiety in reality?

Qi Ying wasn’t sure, but for the sake of her health, she went out and bought a fast-food meal. She ate half and felt incredibly stuffed, eventually having to put the rest in the fridge.

With that done, she didn’t want to linger at the shop. She needed to handle Xiaochu’s school enrollment. There was no time like the present—she would do it this afternoon.

This time, she didn’t forget to lock up and hang the “Closed” sign before entering the game.

She appeared in her bedroom. Checking the time, it was around 2:00 PM—the perfect time to “wake up.”

“Xiaochu,” Qi Ying called out as she pushed open the door. She saw a small, fluffy head pop up from the sofa. The girl turned to look at her and called out, “Sister.”

“Come out with me this afternoon?” Qi Ying smiled. “We’re going to handle your school transfer.”

Xing Xiaochu’s eyes lit up. She scrambled off the sofa and ran over excitedly. “Okay, Sister! I’ll go change!”

Watching the child dash into her room, Qi Ying went to prepare the necessary documents.

She knew she couldn’t finish the transfer in one go, but she wasn’t in a rush. There was still a long time left in summer break; as long as it was done before the semester started, it was fine.

Xing Xiaochu changed into the clothes Qi Ying had bought her from the mall—a white dress paired with new white sneakers. For a fleeting second, Qi Ying felt like she was looking at the girl from the game’s app icon.

Her long black hair fell naturally over her chest. Her slender neck and fair skin made her look exceptionally beautiful. The square neckline featured a small blue bow, preventing the dress from looking too plain. The waist design was flattering, and the hem ended just above her knees, revealing her slim, straight legs.

White dress, white shoes—all she needed was a bouquet of lilies to complete the look.

Thinking the outfit didn’t look good, Xing Xiaochu asked softly, “Should I change into something else?”

Coming back to her senses, Qi Ying smiled and reached out her hand. “No need. Come here, we’re going out.”

Xing Xiaochu looked at the outstretched hand and carefully placed her own in it.

This was their first time going out together.

Qi Ying observed the scenery of her residential complex. As a high-end neighborhood, the greenery was excellent. Walking through it was like being in a forest, making the sweltering summer day feel much cooler.

Xing Xiaochu stayed close to Qi Ying. She seemed very nervous; her palms were sweaty. She would occasionally steal a timid glance at Qi Ying before quickly looking away.

Exiting the complex, they first encountered a commercial street lined with various shops. Qi Ying spotted a dumpling shop with a green sign. She gave the girl’s hand a little tug and asked with a tilted head, “Is that where you bought the dumplings?”

Xing Xiaochu looked over and nodded.

Qi Ying smiled. “They tasted great.”

Xing Xiaochu smiled back at her.

The two crossed the commercial street and turned a corner to arrive at the middle school entrance. Since it was summer break, the campus was empty. Qi Ying spoke to the security guard and led Xing Xiaochu inside.

The campus of the Third Middle School was a bit old; tree roots were pushing up through the concrete slabs, giving it a sense of history. A gentle breeze blew, making the sycamore trees rustle.

Xing Xiaochu felt something called “happiness” beginning to take shape. She was standing in the sunlight, accompanied by someone who cared for her.

She slowly looked up. The dappled shadows of the trees fell upon their heads and shoulders. Qi Ying’s profile was beautiful; the wind caught her hair, leaving Xing Xiaochu a little dazed as she watched.

At that moment, Qi Ying raised her hand to block the light filtering through the leaves. Catching sight of Xing Xiaochu beside her, she turned and gave a gentle smile.

“What are you daydreaming about?” Qi Ying laughed and tapped the girl’s nose. “We should keep moving.”

Xing Xiaochu snapped out of it when Qi Ying tugged her hand. She followed blankly for two steps before picking up her pace.

She gripped Qi Ying’s hand tightly, unwilling to let go for even a second.

Xing Xiaochu thought: Today might be the closest I’ve ever been to happiness…