My Virtual Wife From my Phone Has Come to See Me - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: “I Forgot My Underwear, Sister, Can You Help Me?”

Xia Ruoxin blinked and squeezed onto the seat next to Qi Ying. “What exactly happened? Did something go down yesterday?”

Qi Ying couldn’t quite put it into words. Shi Yu had only made a joke about staying the night, which shouldn’t have been a big deal, but Qi Ying felt an inexplicable discomfort—a strong sense of resistance.

At the end of the day, Qi Ying simply didn’t like it.

After hearing her explanation, Xia Ruoxin agreed. “If you really don’t like Shi Yu, don’t force it. I think she’s a nice girl, but dating requires both parties to be willing. If being together feels uncomfortable, it’s not going to work.”

“But…” Xia Ruoxin continued, “Didn’t you promise to attend her birthday ball next month? Are you going to stand her up?”

Qi Ying fell silent. She realized this was indeed a troublesome matter.

Since she had given her word, she had to go. Moreover, Shi Yu was a client of their shop; it was only right to attend, professionally speaking.

I’ll just treat her as a friend, she thought.

As the thought crossed her mind, Qi Ying’s phone chimed with a WeChat message. Xia Ruoxin stole a glance and let out a teasing “Ooh,” saying, “Speak of the devil.”

Qi Ying looked down and saw it was a message from Shi Yu.

Xia Ruoxin tactfully went back to her work, leaving Qi Ying to open the message.

Shi Yu: [I just got to the hotel to rest. I’m meeting some classmates in a bit. What are you doing?]

Qi Ying: [Just opened the shop. Getting ready to draft patterns and make clothes.]

Shi Yu: [So hardworking! Well, don’t let me keep you. I’m going to change and head out. Can I call you tonight? I actually miss you quite a bit.]

Qi Ying stared at the text for a long time before hesitatingly replying: [Sorry, the shop is quite busy. I might not be able to reply to messages promptly.]

Shi Yu: [Alright, alright. Get back to work then. Bye~]

Looking at the emoji Shi Yu sent, Qi Ying exited the chat interface with a trace of irritability. She propped her head in her hands and let out a long sigh. Xia Ruoxin glanced over, unsure whether to feel bad for Qi Ying or for the oblivious Miss Shi.

Two customers came in during the morning for custom orders. Xia Ruoxin received them, confirming fabrics and measurements. Although Qi Ying was a bit distracted, she continued her work methodically at the long drafting table, staying busy all day.

It wasn’t until it turned dark that Qi Ying realized it was already night. Xia Ruoxin was over by the mannequin, busy pinning buttons.

“It’s almost eight. Aren’t you going home?” Qi Ying asked.

Xia Ruoxin, biting a hair tie, said, “I’m staying to keep you company. Weren’t you in a bad mood today? I’ll stick around and help out. How about we go out for a bite later? My treat—barbecue.”

Qi Ying shook her head. “You should head back. You’re nearsighted and hate wearing glasses; it’s not safe for you to drive at night.”

Xia Ruoxin laughed. “Don’t worry, I have glasses in the car. I don’t joke around with my own safety.”

Just as she finished speaking, Qi Ying’s phone on the table rang. She leaned over to look, and her expression changed instantly.

Seeing the look on her face, Xia Ruoxin knew exactly what was happening and chuckled. “Is it Miss Shi calling?”

Qi Ying gave a reluctant “Mm,” staring at the vibrating phone as if she didn’t know what to do with it. Xia Ruoxin crossed her arms and leaned in, clearly enjoying the drama. “Pick it up! Why aren’t you answering? If you wait any longer, she’ll hang up~”

As if on cue, the call ended.

Xia Ruoxin pointed at the phone and looked at Qi Ying. “See? You missed her call.”

Qi Ying glared at her.

A second later, the phone rang again. Qi Ying felt a massive headache coming on. Seeing Xia Ruoxin covering her mouth to hide her laughter, she bit the bullet and answered.

“Hello?” Shi Yu’s voice came through. “A-Ying, why did it take you so long to pick up? Are you still busy?”

“Ah, yes, I was busy just now and didn’t hear it,” Qi Ying lied, feeling a cold sweat break out as she sat there. “It’s quite hectic here. I’ll contact you when I’m done.”

There was a few seconds of silence on Shi Yu’s end before she said helplessly, “Fine. I’ll let you go then. Remember to find me when you’re finished.”

After hanging up, Qi Ying let out a massive sigh of relief.

Xia Ruoxin was beside her, still stifling her laughter. Seeing Qi Ying glare at her, she stopped pretending and burst out laughing. “A-Ying, that was hilarious! Are you afraid she won’t realize you’re doing it on purpose?”

Qi Ying looked at her awkwardly. “What else was I supposed to do?”

Xia Ruoxin said, “If you don’t like her, just reject her. Leading her on is ‘scumbag’ behavior. If you end up giving the girl psychological trauma, that’s on you.”

Qi Ying felt that Xia Ruoxin had a point. If it wasn’t a good match, they should part ways—it wasn’t a big deal. Besides, they weren’t even dating. Being evasive was just wasting Shi Yu’s time, which was unfair. Qi Ying nodded. “You’re right. When Shi Yu gets back, I’ll make things clear with her.”

Seeing her friend reach a decision, Xia Ruoxin felt relieved. She walked over, draped an arm over Qi Ying’s shoulder, and said, “Let’s go. Big sis is taking you out for barbecue.”

One could never turn down free barbecue. Qi Ying packed her things and headed out with her.

By the time Qi Ying logged back into the game, it was already past 10:00 PM.

She stood at the door for a long time, hesitating whether or not to enter.

Thinking about how a drowsy Xing Xiaochu had clung to her arm and called out to her the night before made Qi Ying feel flushed all over. Everything felt off.

Qi Ying felt annoyed with herself. Xing Xiaochu was just a string of data; how could she possibly feel attracted to a string of data?

Giving herself a silent pep talk, Qi Ying pushed the door open and walked in.

As she stepped inside, Qi Ying’s keen senses picked up a faint scent of osmanthus in the air. Even in the height of summer, it carried a cool, crisp quality—like the scent of a sudden temperature drop after a late autumn rain.

The kitten heard the movement and ran over with its tail held high. It stood at the door, tilting its head and letting out a tiny “mew.”

Qi Ying glanced at the little creature and reached down. Guazi rubbed against her hand before being scooped up into her arms.

“Mew—” The little thing kneaded against Qi Ying’s chest, acting spoiled.

So clingy, Qi Ying thought.

She pinched the kitten’s ear; it felt soft and warm to the touch. She smiled gently, but as she looked up, she saw Xing Xiaochu sleeping on the sofa with her back to her.

The pale nightgown outlined the curve of Xiaochu’s waist and hips. The sight made Qi Ying’s heart hammer against her ribs. She remembered the scene from the night before, only this time they were in the living room, and Xiaochu’s nightgown was properly in place.

Qi Ying cleared her throat, thinking she really needed to set some rules for this child. She couldn’t have her wandering around in such a short nightgown.

She might lose her self-control.

“Xiaochu.”

Qi Ying sat down on the sofa and placed the kitten on her lap. “Wake up. Why are you sleeping here?”

Xing Xiaochu opened her eyes groggily and turned her head to look at Qi Ying.

She just looked at her.

Under her gaze, Qi Ying felt a wave of heat wash over her. She found herself leaning closer involuntarily. The pleasant scent of Xiaochu’s body swirled around her nose, giving her a sudden, impulsive urge to take a bite.

“You…”

Qi Ying’s hand had already moved to rest on Xiaochu’s calf. Her throat felt dry, and she stared intensely at the dazed girl on the sofa. Something felt wrong.

“Meow—”

At that moment, the kitten slipped from Xiaochu’s thigh and tumbled onto the sofa, meowing in protest. Qi Ying snapped back to reality and hurriedly sat up straight.

What was I just trying to do??

Qi Ying’s heart was pounding out of her chest. It felt as though she had lost control of her body, driven by a desire to touch Xing Xiaochu.

Her palm still felt the lingering warmth, accompanied by the thick scent of osmanthus.

“…Mmh, Sister, you’re off work?” Xing Xiaochu seemed completely oblivious to what Qi Ying had almost done. Still in a daze, she lay on the sofa with the back of her hand pressed to her forehead. After a long while, she turned a lingering gaze toward Qi Ying.

Catching her eyes, Qi Ying’s chest tightened. she stood up abruptly. “You’ll catch a cold sleeping on the sofa. Go back to your room.”

Qi Ying turned to leave, but then remembered something. She turned back and said sternly to Xiaochu, “You can’t bring the cat to bed tonight. It’s too small. You have to wait a few months before you can sleep with it, understand?”

Xing Xiaochu propped herself up. Her long black hair fell over her shoulders. For some reason, her eyes were red, as were the corners of her eyes and the tip of her nose.

Qi Ying finally noticed something was off. She frowned and asked, “Are you okay? Do you feel unwell?”

Xing Xiaochu shook her head groggily. She knew she was unconsciously releasing pheromones in her sleepy state. But since Qi Ying was an Alpha, Xiaochu didn’t want her to know, so she looked up and said, “No, I’m just… I just woke up, I’m still a bit sleepy.”

As Xiaochu moved, the scent of osmanthus in the air seemed to grow even more potent.

Qi Ying felt her body temperature rising. She frowned and touched her forehead, realizing she had broken into a thin sweat. The heat inside her felt uncomfortably abnormal.

Noticing the change in Qi Ying, Xiaochu’s eyes widened slightly. However, she felt too embarrassed to explain the situation directly. She could only grip the hem of her nightgown tightly, looking down as she said, “Sister, I want to take a shower… is that okay?”

Qi Ying looked at her in confusion. Seeing that Xiaochu’s face was also flushed, she assumed the girl was suffering from the heat just as she was. She nodded. “Go ahead and shower first.”

Xing Xiaochu stood up immediately and hurried toward the bathroom. Soon, the sound of running water could be heard.

Qi Ying went to check if the air conditioner was broken—why was it so hot?

But the AC was working fine. Qi Ying drank a glass of cold water and stood in front of the open freezer for a while until she felt a bit better.

Is there something wrong with me? Qi Ying wondered as she closed the freezer door.

“Sister.”

Suddenly, Xing Xiaochu’s voice called out from the bathroom. The door opened just a crack. Xiaochu stood behind the door, peeking out timidly at Qi Ying from a distance. Her eyes were red and watery as she spoke awkwardly:

“I forgot to bring my underwear. Sister, can you help me?”