My Virtual Wife From my Phone Has Come to See Me - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: “It’s So Steady, Just Like Qi Ying.”

Qi Ying had been frequenting the school gate lately to pick up Xing Xiaochu. With her tall stature and powerful aura, combined with the fact that Xiaochu was a famously beautiful Omega across the entire grade, Chen Dongdong and Xin Ya had already developed quite an impression of her.

The moment Xiaochu saw Qi Ying, her usually calm eyes lit up. She hurried toward her, while Chen Dongdong and Xin Ya exchanged a knowing look before following behind.

Seeing Xiaochu running, Qi Ying smiled and reached out to catch her, pulling her into a light embrace. “Why the rush? Aren’t you afraid of tripping?”

Xiaochu happily tugged at the hem of Qi Ying’s shirt, looking up. “Sister, why are you picking me up again? I can get back by myself.”

Qi Ying patted her head. “I happened to be free, so I came by.”

Earlier, Xia Ruoxin had told Qi Ying to find some quiet time for herself. Realizing it was exactly when school let out, Qi Ying decided not to linger at the shop and came straight here.

Chen Dongdong and Xin Ya stood a short distance away, their eyes darting curiously between the two of them before exchanging another silent look.

Definitely not her biological sister.

Qi Ying noticed the two girls in the same uniform and asked, “Are these your classmates?”

Xiaochu finally remembered her friends. She quickly stepped out of Qi Ying’s embrace and introduced them: “Yes! These are my classmates. This is Chen Dongdong, and this is Xin Ya.” Then she turned to them, “And this is my sister.”

“Hello, Sister!” Chen Dongdong greeted her with a bright smile. “We see you at the gate all the time. You’re here for Xiaochu, right?”

Qi Ying nodded. “Yes. Do you live around here too?”

“Yup,” Xin Ya added. “We live in the neighborhood right across the street.”

“So we’re neighbors after all.” Qi Ying offered a warm smile. “Since you live so close, why not come over for a visit sometime?”

“Oh, no thank you, we have to get home and do homework.” Xin Ya grabbed Chen Dongdong’s arm and waved. “We’ll head home first then. See you tomorrow at school, Xiaochu!”

Xiaochu stood beside Qi Ying and waved back. She watched them cross the street before looking up to find Qi Ying staring intently at her.

“What is it, Sister?” Xiaochu asked, puzzled. “Is there something on my face?”

Qi Ying shook her head and took Xiaochu’s hand. “Nothing. Let’s head home.”

Xiaochu nodded happily, gripping Qi Ying’s hand tightly as they entered the complex. Along the way, Xiaochu chattered like a little sparrow, describing everything that happened at school. Qi Ying listened attentively, occasionally offering a smile.

Once home, Xiaochu let go of Qi Ying’s hand to change clothes. Qi Ying stood at the door, staring at her palm. A faint, sweet scent of osmanthus lingered in the air; she raised her hand to her nose and inhaled the trace of pheromones left on her skin. The irritability that had plagued her all day seemed to dissipate instantly.

However, the peace was soon replaced by a strange emptiness—one that couldn’t be filled even after the scent faded.

Xiaochu emerged from her room in her house clothes. She scooped up “Guazi”—the kitten had grown significantly and now looked like a tiny tiger—and gave it a kiss. Seeing Qi Ying busy in the kitchen, she scurried over.

“Sister.”

With her long hair draped over her shoulders and her bangs neatly framing her face, Xiaochu peeked around the sliding kitchen door. “Dongdong and the others invited me to go out this weekend. Can I go?”

Qi Ying looked back. The blue loungewear Xiaochu wore was something she had made by hand. Guazi, held in Xiaochu’s arms, stared back with wide, blinking eyes. Qi Ying felt her heart pounding, yet she kept her voice steady. “You can go. Just don’t go anywhere dangerous.”

“I won’t!” Xiaochu entered the kitchen, smiling. “We’re just going to the mall nearby to look at books. There’s a bookstore there. Then we’ll just walk around. We won’t go anywhere else.”

Qi Ying nodded, set down her things, and walked over to stand before her.

“It’s rare for people to invite you out. Do you have enough pocket money?” Qi Ying raised a hand to toy with a strand of Xiaochu’s hair, feeling its softness against her fingertips. “If not, I can transfer some more to you.”

Xiaochu stood still, not daring to move while her hair was being touched. She looked at Qi Ying with her bright, watery eyes. “It’s enough! You already give me plenty. We’re just going to the bookstore; it doesn’t cost much.”

“Buy whatever you like,” Qi Ying insisted. “Don’t hold yourself back.”

As she spoke, she pulled out her phone and transferred 1,000 yuan to Xiaochu via WeChat.

Xiaochu’s eyes widened. “Sister, that’s too much! I’m just hanging out with classmates; I won’t spend nearly that much.”

“It’s not that much.” Qi Ying let go of her hair and gently pinched the girl’s cheek. “If it’s not enough, just ask. I might not have a fortune, but I’ll never let you be short on pocket money.”

Xiaochu squinted one eye from the pinch and nodded softly.

Today, Sister Qi Ying felt… a little strange. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she seemed gentler than usual—and even more prone to touching her.

Fortunately, Qi Ying soon withdrew her hand and went back to cooking. Xiaochu circled her with Guazi for a bit before realizing she was in the way. She took the cat to the living room, and soon the sound of the TV drifted through the house.

Qi Ying glanced back. Xiaochu was sitting cross-legged on the sofa playing tug-of-war with Guazi. The half-grown kitten was pawing at a cloth fish while Xiaochu teased it, holding it high. The movement exposed a sliver of her slim, pale waist.

Her skin, rarely exposed to the sun, looked as white as freshly steamed osmanthus cake. Her small navel appeared and disappeared with her movements; her trousers hugged her rounded curves, and her ankles and toes looked delicate and tinged with pink.

Qi Ying could hardly look away. Watching the girl play with the cat, she felt the sweet scent of osmanthus in the air grow even more intoxicating, as if it were right under her nose.

Her heart raced; her throat felt parched.

With a heavy effort, Qi Ying turned back to the cutting board. She tore the vegetable leaves in her hand to shreds, unable to soothe the restlessness in her soul.

Why can’t I find relief in the real world or the game world? she thought, frustrated.

What is wrong with me? Am I really… sick?

…

On the weekend, Xiaochu met Dongdong and Xin Ya at the bus stop between their neighborhoods. They took a short bus ride to the nearby mall.

When Xiaochu arrived, the other two were already there, dressed in jeans and hoodies. Their eyes lit up when they saw Xiaochu running toward them in a creamy-yellow sun dress.

“Wow, Xiaochu, that dress is gorgeous!” Xin Ya exclaimed. “Where did you buy it? The cut is so perfect for your figure!”

Hearing the praise, Xiaochu beamed with pride. She clutched her small crossbody bag and said, “My sister made it for me. She’s a fashion designer.”

Chen Dongdong grew even more curious. She circled Xiaochu, and her gaze landed on a slightly out-of-place little cloth fish pinned to her waist. “What’s this? A decoration on the dress?”

Xiaochu nodded. “It’s a fish.”

“Why pin a fish to your waist?” Dongdong asked, puzzled.

Xiaochu blinked. She didn’t know how to explain that she could never win the toy from her cat, so Qi Ying had sewn one specifically for her. It felt too childish to say out loud…

Xin Ya noticed Xiaochu’s embarrassment and nudged Dongdong. “It’s just an accessory! Haven’t you ever seen fish-shaped jewelry?” She turned to Xiaochu. “Xiaochu, have you been to this mall before? There are so many fun things, like ‘Guchiya’ (merchandise shops). Let’s go shopping first, then hit the bookstore!”

“Okay!” Xiaochu didn’t know what “merchandise” was, but she loved the idea of shopping with friends.

They hopped on the bus for one stop, then each bought a milk tea on the first floor of the mall. They wandered through the shops, and by the end of the round, Dongdong and Xin Ya had bought several items. Only Xiaochu remained empty-handed, save for her milk tea.

“Is there nothing you like, Xiaochu?” Xin Ya asked, finishing her drink.

Xiaochu shook her head. “No, it’s just… I don’t know where I’d put things after I buy them.”

“How come?” Xin Ya was confused. “Don’t you live with your sister? Are you guys renting a shared room?”

“No, we live in my sister’s own house,” Xiaochu clarified.

“Then how could there be no room?” Dongdong chimed in. “My mom built a special cabinet for my things. My plushies and figurines are all in there. Even if it gets full, I can just put them on my bed.”

Xiaochu bit her straw nervously. “I’d rather not. It would be too much trouble when I have to move out later.”

The two girls tilted their heads. They didn’t quite understand. Why would she have to move? Wasn’t that her home?

Before they could probe further, Chen Dongdong’s eyes lit up. She pointed at a shop across the way. “A giant Capybara! Ya-ya, Xiaochu, let’s go in! I love those!”

She grabbed their hands and pulled them into the store, temporarily forgetting about Xiaochu’s remark.

Dongdong loved fluffy plushies—the bigger, the better. She hugged a meter-long capybara and rambled about the even larger one her dad gave her for her birthday. Xin Ya joined in, mentioning her own collection.

As they debated whose plushies were better, they saw the price tag for the giant one was in the four-digit range. Suddenly “unimpressed,” they moved to look at smaller toys.

Meanwhile, Xiaochu picked up a small, zen-looking brown plushie. Her eyes widened slightly.

It looks so steady.

It looks just like Qi Ying.