My Virtual Wife From my Phone Has Come to See Me - Chapter 11

Chapter 11: “Is that your girlfriend?”

The school transfer process went surprisingly smoothly. Qi Ying had expected to make multiple trips, but she found that this world was very “friendly” to her. The teachers only required a few supporting documents, a brief meeting with Xing Xiaochu, and a placement test to finalize the enrollment.

Even Xing Xiaochu hadn’t expected the process to be so effortless. When she walked out of the office, she still looked a bit dazed.

Qi Ying looked at the stunned girl, reached out to ruffle her hair, and asked, “What are you daydreaming about?”

Xing Xiaochu looked up at her slightly. “Sister, I can really go to school now.”

Qi Ying laughed, gently flicking the tip of Xiaochu’s nose. “The teacher said you still have a test to take. If your score is too low, you won’t get in. Did you forget that already?”

Only then did Xing Xiaochu remember the teacher’s words. Her face flushed red instantly, and she fiddled with the hem of her shirt. “I forgot…”

It was fine to forget.

Qi Ying knew the child was happy. Leaving her scumbag father and preparing for school was likely a “perfect ending” in Xiaochu’s mind. But for Qi Ying, the game had only just begun.

“In a bit, let’s go to the bookstore first and buy the books the teacher listed,” Qi Ying said, taking Xiaochu’s hand and leading her forward. “You have one week to review, so starting tonight, you have to take your studies seriously. You can’t be idle like before.”

Xing Xiaochu gripped Qi Ying’s hand tightly and gave a cheerful “Mm!” before following closely behind.

There was a bookstore near the school. Qi Ying spent some money on reference materials and bought several sets of practice exams for Xiaochu. Each carrying a bag of supplies, they headed home. Once they arrived, without needing a nudge from Qi Ying, the girl hugged her books and ran straight to the study to start learning.

Qi Ying stayed in the game world to keep her company until nightfall before exiting the game.

Back in the real world, Qi Ying checked the monitor on her phone. Xing Xiaochu had just finished eating with her (in-game) and was currently scribbling away in the study. Her high ponytail swayed back and forth as she worked, radiating a youthful energy.

After observing Xiaochu for a while, Qi Ying began her own work.

The bride was coming for a fitting in two days. With the wedding date approaching, Qi Ying was quite busy. Fortunately, Xing Xiaochu stayed home obediently, and Qi Ying found it relaxing to steal glances at her progress while she worked.

Saturday arrived, and so did the bride.

The bride was ecstatic when she saw the wedding dress Qi Ying had designed. Her eyes sparkled as she touched the rhinestones and tassels. “Wow, it’s so beautiful! I thought it looked good in the video, but the real thing is even better.”

Qi Ying stood beside her with a smile. “Would you like to try it on?”

The bride beamed and nodded repeatedly.

Qi Ying and the bridesmaids helped her into the dress. Standing before the mirror, the bride used her phone to take photos from every possible angle. Qi Ying knelt by the hem to adjust the skirt, occasionally looking up to ask if anything felt off—if the bust was too tight or the waist too restrictive.

Satisfied, the bride asked Qi Ying to put on the veil and help her check her look with a bit of light makeup.

The veil was no problem, but makeup was a bit outside Qi Ying’s expertise. Fortunately, the bride had brought her own makeup artist, who was now meticulously working on her. The beautiful bride sat on a stool with her eyes closed, sunlight spilling across her profile. She looked stunning.

Qi Ying was very pleased with this piece of work.

A girl in a short white skirt nearby kept stealing glances at Qi Ying. Feeling the gaze, Qi Ying turned to look at her.

The girl didn’t look away when caught. Instead, she gave a light laugh and said, “The wedding dress you designed is truly beautiful.”

Qi Ying smiled politely. “Thank you.”

She thought the conversation would end there, but the girl shifted closer until she was standing right next to Qi Ying. Qi Ying caught a whiff of a sweet, popular fragrance—peach-scented.

The girl in the short skirt kept her eyes on her friend but continued talking to Qi Ying. “My name is Shi Yu. What’s yours?”

“Qi Ying,” she replied simply.

“Oh,” Shi Yu nodded, turning to face her. “I have a very important ball next month. I was wondering if you’d have time to design an outfit for me? I want to dazzle everyone there.”

A client!

Qi Ying’s energy surged. she looked at her properly, her lips curving into a welcoming “business” smile. “Of course. Let’s exchange WeChat. You can send me your specific requirements there.”

Shi Yu pursed her lips and smiled, taking out her phone to add Qi Ying.

Once connected, Qi Ying asked, “When exactly is the ball next month? Do you have any preference for fabrics or styles? There are several ready-to-wear pieces in the shop you can look at later. When you have a moment, I’ll take your measurements. As long as it’s not a heavy couture gown, the lead time is usually about half a month. Is that enough time?”

Shi Yu was a bit dazed by the rapid-fire questions, only remembering the last one. She laughed and replied, “The ball is on the 27th of next month. There’s plenty of time.”

With over a month to go, Qi Ying decided to take the commission. She happily messaged Xia Ruoxin to let her know the shop had a new order.

The bridal fitting lasted all morning. Before leaving around noon, the bride noted a few uncomfortable spots for Qi Ying to adjust and decided to come back in three days—this time bringing the groom to try on his suit as well.

In wedding ceremonies, grooms are often treated like “background props” or “walking bouquets,” but Qi Ying had still designed a dignified suit for him. It wasn’t flashy; it complemented the bride perfectly and, most importantly, was something he could wear again.

For a groom, that was a pretty good deal.

Qi Ying spent the afternoon finishing the alterations with high efficiency.

As she made the final stitch, her phone chimed.

She pulled it out and was surprised to see a message from Xing Xiaochu.

Qi Ying had left a spare phone for Xiaochu with a separate SIM card. She had expected any communication to come through game system prompts, but this was an actual SMS.

Looking at the text message sitting right there among her notifications and verification codes, Qi Ying couldn’t help but wonder: Is this game really this realistic? If it ever goes into open beta, the telecom operators are going to make a fortune.

She opened the text. Xing Xiaochu was asking what time she would be home and what she wanted to eat.

Instead of replying immediately, she opened the game interface to check the monitor. The feed showed Xing Xiaochu sitting at the desk, clutching the spare phone. Under her arm was a test paper and an open textbook. She was staring at the screen, clearly waiting for a reply.

While the monitor let her see and hear, she couldn’t speak through it, so Qi Ying dialed the child’s number directly to hear her voice.

Seeing the call, Xing Xiaochu immediately adjusted her posture and answered formally.

“Hello?” Xiaochu held the phone to her ear and asked softly, “Am I interrupting your work by calling now?”

Qi Ying watched the whole scene, her eyes full of smiles. “Not at all. I just finished. How was your day at home? Did you review well?”

Xing Xiaochu nodded emphatically. “I reviewed very well.”

Qi Ying’s low chuckle came through the receiver, making Xiaochu’s ears tingle and her face flush.

She didn’t know why, but lately, hearing Qi Ying’s laughter made her blush easily. She found herself wanting to look at the woman more and more; sometimes, while doing her practice exams, she would daze off thinking about Qi Ying for a long time.

Xing Xiaochu felt like something was becoming “not quite right” with her.

“Si… Sister,” Xiaochu asked with a red face, “What time do you get off work? What do you want for dinner? I can cook for you.”

“Mm… I’ll probably be off soon. I’ll head back after I tidy up the shop,” Qi Ying said. “Just make whatever is in the fridge, nothing too complex. We can just have a simple meal.”

“Okay.” Xing Xiaochu stood up, her tone brightening. “Then I’ll go cook. Come home quickly, Sister.”

After hanging up, Qi Ying smiled at the sight of Xiaochu leaving the study.

When she looked up, she realized a guest had entered the shop at some point.

Shi Yu, seeing the lingering smile on Qi Ying’s lips, blinked and pointed to the sofa inside. “I forgot something. Just came back to get it.”

Qi Ying nodded. She watched as Shi Yu ran over to the sofa and retrieved a card case that had slipped into a crack. Shi Yu turned back to Qi Ying and asked, “What time are you off work? Let me treat you to dinner?”

Qi Ying looked at her, confused. She didn’t understand why this person wanted to treat her to a meal.

Regardless of the reason, she had already promised Xing Xiaochu. “I already have plans with someone, sorry.”

“Plans? With who? The person you were just on the phone with?” Shi Yu asked curiously. “Is that your girlfriend?”

Qi Ying froze. She didn’t know how Shi Yu had guessed her orientation. She stared at her for a long time before shaking her head. “That’s my younger sister.”

Shi Yu’s eyes lit up instantly. She scratched her head and laughed. “Sorry, looks like I misunderstood.”

“It’s fine,” Qi Ying said.

Shi Yu didn’t linger. She tucked the card case into her bag and waved at Qi Ying. “I’ll go then. I’ll send you the styles I like on WeChat later. Let’s meet up another day.”

Qi Ying watched Shi Yu leave and stood in thought for a moment. Then, she walked over, locked the door, and hung up the [Temporarily Closed] sign.