My Virtual Wife From my Phone Has Come to See Me - Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Qi Ying Said, “Miss Shi and I Might Not Be a Good Match.”

Qi Ying spoke up immediately: “I’m sorry, I’m afraid that’s not very convenient.”

Shi Yu blinked, giving Qi Ying a long, deep look before her lips curled into a smile. “Look at you,” she said. “I was just joking. How could I actually stay the night here?”

She stepped forward and tugged gently at the hem of Qi Ying’s sleeve, her eyes curving into crescent moons. “A-Ying, I have to go back to school for a few days, so I probably won’t see you for a while. When I get back, let’s have dinner together, okay?”

Qi Ying nodded and asked, “Are you still in school?”

“I’m doing my graduation internship; I’m heading back to work on my thesis project,” Shi Yu explained. “I study ballet at the Drama Academy—the most famous one in the country. This trip is mainly just to meet up with my classmates, have a meal, and then I’ll be back.” She smiled brightly. “How about I bring you some local specialties from there?”

Qi Ying shook her head slightly. “I appreciate the thought, but there’s no need for gifts. It’s getting late; you should head home.”

Shi Yu looked at her intently. As their eyes met, Qi Ying could see her own reflection in the girl’s dark pupils. After a long moment, Shi Yu stepped back, swung her small bag over her shoulder, and said, “Alright then, I’m heading home. We’ll keep in touch on WeChat.”

As she watched Shi Yu leave, Qi Ying felt a strange sense of relief.

She couldn’t quite put her finger on the feeling, but she found Shi Yu to be inexplicably forceful—like a princess who had been pampered since childhood, expecting everyone to cater to her whims, even the person she liked.

This made Qi Ying instinctively think of Xing Xiaochu. A girl that well-behaved and gentle… there probably wasn’t a second one like her outside of the game world.

Qi Ying pressed her thumb firmly into her palm before walking to the door and locking it.

With a definitive click, the lock slid into place, and Qi Ying finally felt at ease.

She turned off all the lights on the first floor and headed up to the second. After a quick wash in her room, she lay in bed, yet sleep eluded her.

Tossing and turning until past 1:00 AM, Qi Ying finally climbed out of bed.

She turned on her phone, its screen emitting a piercing blue glow. Looking at the icon on her home screen, she tapped it without hesitation. In the blink of an eye, she appeared in her bedroom within the game.

Qi Ying saw herself sitting on the bed, covered by a thin summer quilt, wearing her own pajamas. She threw back the covers, got out of bed, and stood in the quiet, dark living room. She hesitated for a long time before turning her head toward Xing Xiaochu’s room next door.

Click—

The sound of the door opening was sharp in the silence of the night. Qi Ying pushed the door open cautiously. Guided by the hazy moonlight filtering through the window, she saw Xing Xiaochu sleeping with her back to the door.

The air conditioner hummed as it blew cold air. It seemed Xiaochu was a restless sleeper; more than half of the quilt had slipped onto the floor, and the remaining bit barely covered her abdomen. Her pink lace-trimmed panties were exposed right in front of Qi Ying’s eyes.

Under the moonlight, her long, fair legs were draped casually over one another. The fabric of her underwear pressed tightly against her skin, causing soft, pale flesh to bulge slightly at the edges. The sight made Qi Ying’s heart skip a beat. Feeling awkward, she averted her eyes, walked over, and gently pulled the quilt back over the girl.

As she finished tucking the child in, she saw a small orange thing stretch its arms and arch its back. Squinting one eye at Qi Ying, it let out a wide yawn.

Qi Ying frowned. Why was this child sleeping with the cat?

The kitten lay by the pillow, watching Qi Ying lazily. Qi Ying sighed, thinking she really needed to have a talk with Xiaochu tomorrow. The kitten was so small; if she slept with it in bed, she might accidentally crush it, and Xiaochu would be the one heartbroken if something happened.

“Mmh…”

Xing Xiaochu seemed to sense something. She tilted her head slightly and let out a soft sound, much like a kitten’s yawn.

Qi Ying looked down at her. Xiaochu’s hair was a mess, with strands sticking to her face. Qi Ying smiled gently and reached out to brush the hair aside, but the moment her hand touched the girl’s cheek, Xiaochu rolled over and pulled Qi Ying’s arm into a tight embrace.

“Mm…”

Xiaochu remained asleep, but her hands gripped Qi Ying’s arm firmly. Her thin pajama collar was pulled slightly askew, revealing her delicate collarbones and her rounded, faintly flushed shoulders.

The contact against her arm was warm and soft. Qi Ying’s eyes widened as she watched Xiaochu nuzzle against her arm. Her heart rate accelerated significantly.

Xiaochu was still deep in sleep, her dreams sweet and peaceful. She had no idea what she was doing to Qi Ying’s arm; she simply pressed her face into Qi Ying’s palm, her warm breath brushing against the other woman’s wrist. Their chests and stomachs were pressed close, and…

Qi Ying felt her face burning. She knew she must be blushing furiously, and she could even smell the faint scent of green plum wine radiating from herself.

This child… how could she…

Qi Ying felt her throat tighten. She tried to move her arm slightly, but in her sleep, Xiaochu only pulled her closer.

“Mmm… Sister…”

Xiaochu murmured in her sleep, her voice soft, waxy, and thick with drowsiness as she called out: “Sister…”

Qi Ying’s heartbeat was so loud she could hear it echoing in her own ears.

…

The next day, Xing Xiaochu woke up in her bed. The blanket she had been holding had slipped to the floor, and the first thing she saw was the now-familiar ceiling.

She hummed and rolled over, tugged the blanket back up from the floor, and closed her eyes again as she hugged it.

“Meow—”

Through the door, Xiaochu heard Guazi’s cry.

The kitten was meowing from the crack in the door with its high-pitched voice. Xiaochu suddenly remembered—hadn’t she brought the little guy into the room last night? Why was it outside the door when she woke up?

Xiaochu quickly threw off the covers, got up, and padded across the floor barefoot to open the door. As soon as she opened it, the meowing kitten stood its tail straight up and tried to rush in. Xiaochu bent down, scooped the little thing into her arms, and gently patted its back.

It had been the same yesterday; the kitten refused to sleep in its cat bed alone. Every time Xiaochu closed the door, it would crouch outside and meow piteously and loudly. Xiaochu had tried several times, but the clingy little thing simply wouldn’t sleep by itself. Left with no choice, she had brought it into her room.

Initially, Xiaochu intended to move the kitten back out once it fell asleep. But despite its small size, once inside, the kitten started sniffing everywhere before finally choosing a spot right next to Xiaochu’s pillow. It sat down and refused to budge.

The message was clear: it was sleeping right there.

Xiaochu had been worried about crushing the kitten, so she had been on edge, but somehow she had ended up falling into a deep sleep until morning.

So, who took Guazi out?

It couldn’t have gone out and closed the door behind itself, could it?

Xiaochu peeked curiously toward the door of the room opposite hers. She wondered if Qi Ying had already gone out…

Cradling the kitten, Xiaochu walked to Qi Ying’s door and knocked. She tilted her ear to listen, but hearing no sound, she knocked again. This time, she pressed the handle and opened the door.

The empty room was silent. Standing in the doorway, Xiaochu felt a wave of disappointment.

Qi Ying really wasn’t home.

“Meow—”

The kitten looked up and meowed to get its owner’s attention. Xiaochu looked down and smiled at it, coaxing softly, “Are you hungry? How about I open a can of food for you?”

“Meow—meow—” The little guy was very happy.

With a kitten to keep her company, Xiaochu felt much less lonely. She walked around the house barefoot, opening a can for the kitten and teaching it how to use the litter box.

Meanwhile.

Qi Ying was holding her phone, watching the surveillance feed of Xing Xiaochu’s beautiful, clean feet. Those pale pink toes were glaringly distracting, and her slender ankles and shapely calves were on full display, making Qi Ying feel a sudden thirst.

She took a sip of the coffee in front of her, wondering if she should call Xiaochu and tell her not to walk around the house barefoot.

But Xiaochu was just barefoot, nothing else. Wouldn’t making a specific call about that be making a mountain out of a molehill?

Besides, if Xiaochu found out there were cameras in the house and that Qi Ying was watching her from her phone, it might scare the child.

And then there was last night…

At the thought of last night’s events, Qi Ying felt her face heat up again and her heart race. She didn’t know what was happening to her; just because Xiaochu had hugged and nuzzled her, why did she feel this way?

It didn’t feel like herself.

She let out a long sigh and set her cup down. Just then, the door chimed. She looked up with a frown, but when she saw it was Xia Ruoxin, she let out a long sigh of relief.

Xia Ruoxin: “?”

Xia Ruoxin put her bag down and demanded, “What’s with that face? Huh? Why do you look so deflated just seeing me? Do you not want to see me? If you don’t, fine, I’ll leave!”

Qi Ying didn’t bother with the woman’s drama and said calmly, “Stop it. I wasn’t sighing at you.”

Xia Ruoxin’s dark eyes darted around as she realized something. She immediately bounced over to Qi Ying’s side, nudged her with her hip, and said with a grin, “Hey, how was your ‘quality time’ with Shi Yu last night? Did things go well?”

At that, Qi Ying couldn’t help but glare at her.

Xia Ruoxin pointed at her. “Hey, don’t look at me like that! I was creating an opportunity for you and Miss Shi to be alone.”

Qi Ying replied, “Then please, don’t create any more.”

Hearing this, Xia Ruoxin sensed something was up and immediately pressed for details. “What happened? Did you two have a falling out yesterday?”

Qi Ying shook her head. After a long silence, she finally said to Xia Ruoxin, “I just feel… that Miss Shi and I might not be a good match.”