My Virtual Wife From my Phone Has Come to See Me - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: “Come out once you’re done washing up.”

“It’s fine,” Qi Ying said. “I’m not a picky eater. As long as the food is cooked, I’m happy.”

They sat across from each other at the dining table. Qi Ying noted that Xiaochu’s cooking was fairly average—neither amazing nor terrible—but certainly good enough for a daily meal. Xiaochu kept stealing glances at Qi Ying’s face as they ate; when she saw no signs of displeasure, she secretly let out a breath of relief.

After dinner, Qi Ying rolled up her sleeves to do the dishes. Xiaochu practically bolted upright, rushing over to stop her. “Sister, let me do the dishes!”

“How would that work?” Qi Ying looked at her. “Since the two of us are living here now, I can’t let you do all the chores. If you cook, I’ll wash. How does that sound?”

Xiaochu hesitated. “But…”

Qi Ying didn’t give her time to argue. She carried the dishes to the kitchen and started scrubbing. Xiaochu transformed into a “little tail” again, following her every move. She stood by the sink, handing Qi Ying the sponge and then the drying towel—even though she wasn’t doing the actual washing, she stayed for the whole process.

Qi Ying didn’t stop her. She knew that in a strange new environment, Xiaochu was bound to feel insecure. Perhaps following her around would provide some peace of mind.

Once the chores were finished, Xiaochu was still hovering. Qi Ying looked back at her a few times before realizing what the girl wanted: she wanted to hear about her mother. Fortunately, Qi Ying had prepared her “script” before logging back in.

Pouring a cup of hot tea for herself and a glass of warm milk for Xiaochu, Qi Ying said, “Go sit on the sofa. I’ll tell you about your mother.”

Xiaochu’s eyes lit up. Clutching the milk, she followed Qi Ying to the soft sofa and waited expectantly.

Qi Ying organized her thoughts and began the story of the mother.

“Your mother and I were colleagues at the same company. When I first graduated and knew nothing, she was the one who taught me everything step-by-step,” Qi Ying told her. “Back then, she spent most of her time at the company or the factory and rarely went home. We didn’t know much about her private life until I went abroad to study.”

Qi Ying turned to look at Xiaochu. “I studied design abroad for a year, and during that time, your mother and I stayed in touch. Suddenly, one day, she sent me an email. She said she had been a victim of domestic abuse for a long time, and she mentioned you in the email.”

Xiaochu’s eyes widened slightly. “Mom mentioned me?”

“Yes.” Qi Ying nodded, taking a sip of tea. “At the time, I advised her to call the police or seek help, but I never received another email from her after that. It wasn’t until I returned to the country that I learned she had passed away. I remembered how often she spoke of you, so I thought I’d come and see if I could help.”

Qi Ying asked softly, “Since your mother left, life must have been very hard for you, right?”

Xiaochu slowly lowered her head, clutching the warm milk in silence. Then, her shoulders began to heave as she started to cry. Qi Ying quickly set down her tea and pulled the girl into her arms.

Xiaochu sobbed into her milk, her voice soft and muffled. “My mom… she was beaten to death by my father.”

Qi Ying looked at her in shock.

“That day, I heard them fighting again,” Xiaochu whispered. “My father kept hitting her. Finally, my mom pushed him and ran out the door. She never came back. The next day, the neighbors told me she was dead. She had fallen into the river and drowned.”

Qi Ying frowned deeply. She coaxed the girl, “Did your father chase after her?”

Xiaochu shook her head. “I don’t know. I stayed in my room and didn’t go out. By the time I came out, they were both gone… Later, the police came, but they said it was an accident.”

With red, watery eyes, Xiaochu looked up at Qi Ying. “Do you think it was an accident, too?”

Being stared at by those dark, bright eyes made Qi Ying’s heart skip a beat. She pulled out a tissue, wiped away Xiaochu’s tears, and said, “I don’t know.”

Xiaochu let out a small sob and lowered her head again.

“My father… wants me to get married,” she whispered. “He wants to trade me for money…”

Xiaochu went on to ramble about herself and her mother for a long time. Perhaps in her world, only the “stranger” Qi Ying could be trusted with so many secrets. By the time she finished, she was exhausted, and her milk had gone cold.

Qi Ying stayed by her side. Seeing she was tired, she gently rubbed the girl’s cheek. Looking at her swollen eyes, she said softly, “Why don’t you take a shower, okay?”

Xiaochu nodded.

Since there were no clothes for Xiaochu in the house, Qi Ying went to her walk-in closet and found a pair of loose pajamas and some new underwear. She made a mental note to make time for a shopping trip tomorrow; raising a girl was clearly going to be expensive. Fortunately, Xiaochu was so well-behaved that Qi Ying felt perfectly happy to spend the money.

“I’ve left the clothes by the door,” Qi Ying called out. Through the frosted glass of the bathroom door, she could see a blurry, steamy silhouette. She couldn’t help but notice that Xiaochu’s legs seemed longer than she had first realized.

She isn’t tall, but her proportions are excellent. Maybe I should train her to be a star? Qi Ying thought. She’s so pretty and has such a great figure—it would be a waste not to.

Xiaochu gave a small “Mm” from inside the shower, and Qi Ying turned away.

She laid out fresh sheets and a clean quilt in the guest room. She sniffed them to ensure there was no musty smell; apparently, “dampness” wasn’t an issue in this game world.

By the time Qi Ying finished her chores, Xiaochu still hadn’t come out. The sound of running water had stopped, though. Worried, Qi Ying knocked on the door. “Are you finished?”

“Y-yes…”

Xiaochu’s voice sounded suddenly tense, her pitch rising. Qi Ying blinked in confusion. “Then come on out. I’ve finished setting up your room. Come see if you need anything else.”

Soon, Qi Ying realized why the girl was so nervous.

The bathroom door clicked open. Qi Ying turned to see Xiaochu standing there in her pajamas. Her hair was damp, one hand was clutching the front of the shirt tightly, and the other was holding up the waistband of the pants. Qi Ying realized then that the clothes she had provided were far too big for the girl.

Qi Ying was tall to begin with; what were “loose pajamas” for her were a disaster for Xiaochu.

The pants started to slide down with every step. The neckline was even worse—if she covered the front, the back slipped; if she covered the back, her pale chest was exposed. If she tried to cover both, her rounded shoulders would pop out. Those few steps from the bathroom took forever as she alternated between pulling up her pants and clutching her collar. It was incredibly awkward.

“Sister…”

Xiaochu sent out a distress signal. Her snowy cheeks were flushed a deep crimson, and even her exposed shoulder was tinted pink. She looked exactly like a ripening little tomato.