My Virtual Wife From my Phone Has Come to See Me - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Will she… like me?

Xing Xiaochu’s eyes were strikingly bright—lovely almond-shaped eyes framed by long lashes. Combined with her fair skin and delicate features, she looked exceptionally innocent for her age.

Now, this girl was asking Qi Ying about her mother, and Qi Ying had no answer. Her palms began to sweat. She couldn’t exactly say, “This is a game world and my identity was designed by a system.”

“Well…”

Just as Qi Ying was trying to invent a plausible lie, her phone rang. She pulled it out and saw it was a call from her colleague at the studio.

“Sorry, I need to take this.” Qi Ying stood up, walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, and answered.

“Hey, Qi Ying, where are you?” Xia Ruoxin’s voice came through the line. “Why is the studio empty?”

“You’re at the shop?” Qi Ying asked.

“Yeah, I’m on the first floor. There’s a batch of fabric you need to inspect. We have to head to the factory soon, so get back here.”

Qi Ying hummed an acknowledgment and hung up. She turned back to find Xiaochu watching her expectantly. Clearing her throat, she gestured with her phone. “Sorry, I have an emergency at work and need to head out. Feel free to use any of the appliances; the fridge is fully stocked.”

Xiaochu opened her mouth, nervously twisting the hem of her shirt. “Then, Sister… when will you be back?”

“I’m not sure,” Qi Ying replied.

Xiaochu’s head drooped.

Qi Ying walked over and patted the girl’s head. “I have to get to work. I’ll tell you about your mother when I return.”

Xiaochu looked up and gave a soft, “Mm.”

Before leaving, Qi Ying registered Xiaochu’s prints in the fingerprint lock. Only after ensuring the girl would be safe alone did she take the elevator down, exiting the game at the ground floor entrance.

…

Returning to the real world, Qi Ying found herself in her second-floor bedroom. The “respawn” point seemed inconsistent, and she couldn’t figure out the logic behind it. Shaking it off, she hurried downstairs to find Xia Ruoxin waiting.

“Huh?” Ruoxin stared as Qi Ying came down the stairs. “When did you get up there?”

“Am I not allowed to be upstairs?” Qi Ying asked.

“But I just went up to look for you! You weren’t in your room.”

Qi Ying froze for two seconds before recovery. “You probably didn’t look hard enough. Anyway, didn’t you say we’re going to the factory? Let’s move.”

“Oh, right, right!” Ruoxin grabbed her sketches and followed Qi Ying out, chatting incessantly. “I bought a couple of rice balls on the way. We can eat in the car. It’s going to be a long afternoon, and you have to inspect these fabrics personally!”

After a cramped lunch in the car and an entire afternoon at the factory, Qi Ying even managed to sew a sample on-site. By the time they finished, it was nearly 9:00 PM.

Ruoxin stood in the clearing, admiring the garment Qi Ying had made. She snapped photos, gushing, “Our lead designer is just on another level. A few cuts of fabric and you turn it into a gorgeous dress. I have to post this on my feed.”

Qi Ying stretched her stiff neck. “It’s just a sample. Luckily the factory manager let us work here, otherwise we’d be hauling fabric back and forth.”

“That’s because he loves your designs! Anything you doodle could sell tens of thousands of units. He’d love it if you stayed here forever and sold him your sketches.”

Qi Ying just smiled. Once they loaded the car, they raced back toward the city. Exhausted, Qi Ying began to doze off, only waking up when the scenery changed.

“Are we in the city?” she asked with a yawn.

“Yeah. The radio said the usual route was blocked by a crash, so I took the outer ring,” Ruoxin explained. “We don’t come this way often; we’re usually in the East District.”

Qi Ying looked out at the night skyline. “Right, this is the Old District. The roads are a mess.”

“Actually, you’re wrong,” Ruoxin laughed. “They built a new luxury complex here with a massive mall. The whole area is being revitalized. See those buildings over there? That’s where that couple from yesterday bought their wedding home. I heard a single flat there costs at least 2 million.”

Qi Ying squinted at the buildings. Why do those look so familiar? They looked exactly like the apartment in the game.

“No way…” she muttered.

“What’s ‘no way’?” Ruoxin asked.

“What’s that complex called?”

“Jinyu Mingcheng,” Ruoxin answered.

Qi Ying frowned. “Nothing. I’ve just heard of the name before. Let’s get home; I’m starving.”

“Don’t be in such a rush! We’re grabbing BBQ first!”

Qi Ying didn’t mind. She watched the buildings recede into the distance. If it’s just the name, it must be a coincidence, right? Feeling refreshed after her nap, she opened the app to check the game settings.

“Oho!” Ruoxin chirped. “Since when did you start gaming?”

“Just passing time,” Qi Ying said casually.

The interface had changed. Instead of a filthy Xiaochu crying in the rain, the screen showed her sleeping peacefully in a hospital bed with an IV drip. She still looked pitiful, but the improvement was visible. It gave Qi Ying a sense of peace.

She noticed she hadn’t been pulled into the world this time—it seemed as long as people were around her in reality, the app remained just an app. This allowed her to read the lore:

Her in-game persona was a 26-year-old designer who ran a custom studio. She had been a colleague of Xiaochu’s mother, who had been her mentor. After Qi Ying went abroad for studies, the mother sent several emails detailing her domestic abuse and her worry for her daughter. By the time Qi Ying returned, the mother had committed suicide, leaving Xiaochu with her abusive, alcoholic father. Driven by sympathy and debt to her mentor, Qi Ying decided to find and raise her.

She checked the status bars:

• Mood: Dejected
• Health: Malnourished
• Affection: Slight Favor

Affection? Qi Ying wondered. Is she supposed to love me like a mother? On the right were interaction tabs:

• Education: Dropout
• Hobbies: Staring into space
• Career Path: None

“A total blank slate,” Qi Ying muttered. She wondered how long she’d stay interested in this before letting the virtual Xiaochu fend for herself.

…

In the game world, Xiaochu had spent a lonely day. She had been shocked by the bounty in the fridge but didn’t dare touch much. She only took a tomato and two eggs to make a simple stir-fry. She spent some time putting the lilies into a vase, but that only took an hour.

The rest of the day was spent staring at the door. Every now and then, she’d look through the peephole, only to return to the sofa in disappointment. The apartment was so clean it felt like a showroom, and she was the only living thing in it.

What was Sister’s relationship with my mom? Will she really take care of me? Will she… like me?

She eventually fell asleep on the sofa. When she woke up, the room was pitch black, silent as a void. Only the neon lights from outside reminded her she was still in the world. She sat up, her arm numb from sleeping on it.

Is Sister coming back? Is she tired of me already?

Suddenly, she heard a noise at the door. She bolted toward the entrance.

Click. The door opened, and before Qi Ying could react, a shadow lunged at her. A warm body slammed into her chest, knocking her back two steps.

Qi Ying steadied herself and realized it was Xiaochu. The girl clung to her waist, face buried in her chest, silent. Qi Ying tilted the girl’s face up and saw her eyes were red from crying.

“Sister,” Xiaochu sobbed. “I thought even you didn’t want me anymore…”

Qi Ying sighed. “I didn’t abandon you. I was just working.”

She realized she had entered the game this time because Ruoxin had finally left her alone. She was also holding a roasted chicken she’d “bought” on the way—part of the game’s immersive transition.

“You haven’t had dinner, right? I bought something good. Let’s go in.”

Inside, the apartment came to life. Qi Ying put the chicken on a plate, noticing Xiaochu following her every step like a little tail.

“I can cook,” the “little tail” volunteered. “What do you want to eat, Sister?”

Qi Ying smiled. “Make whatever you like. I’ll get the rice started.”

The silence of the apartment was replaced by the hum of a variety show on TV and the clatter of the kitchen. Xiaochu was skilled; she quickly whipped up stir-fried greens with garlic and a dish of shredded pork with green peppers.

When Qi Ying emerged from the bedroom in fresh clothes, Xiaochu was setting down a seaweed and shrimp ball soup.

“Wow, you made all this?” Qi Ying praised her, looking at the four dishes and soup. “It looks great. Did you cook a lot at home?”

Xiaochu took off her oven mitts and gave a shy “Mm.” She fidgeted nervously. “I don’t know if you’ll like it. If it’s not good, tell me, and I’ll make something else next time.”