My Virtual Wife From my Phone Has Come to See Me - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: “I like it even before tasting it…”

After exiting the game, Qi Ying focused back on her work.

Her studio was located on a street in an old residential neighborhood in the city center. Despite the age of the neighborhood, it was right next to a commercial district. Many residents had converted their first floors into storefronts, opening stylish cafes, flower shops, Western restaurants, and dessert houses.

Qi Ying had set up shop here, hanging her most beautiful designs in the window with price tags clearly displayed, ensuring she wouldn’t be disturbed by casual inquiries while she worked.

Her large solid wood desk was a second-hand find, but years of use had given it a smooth, polished patina. At over two meters long, it served as a perfect design table. With a mannequin standing nearby, Qi Ying worked diligently on a sample, aiming to finish the crystal embellishments on the bodice today.

Ding-ling—

Xia Ruoxin walked in carrying takeout. Qi Ying glanced back and said, “You’re here.”

“Brought you some dessert.” Xia Ruoxin tucked the sweets into the small fridge behind the checkout counter and stood in front of the air conditioner, mouth wide open to catch the cool breeze. “It’s nearly 40°C today. When is this summer ever going to end?”

“There’s still over a month left,” Qi Ying replied. “Just hang in there.”

Fortunately, their work was flexible, so they didn’t have to commute in the sweltering heat. Seeing how much Xia Ruoxin struggled with the temperature, Qi Ying considered letting her work from home.

By noon, the two had finished the complex crystal decorations. They took a break to eat their takeout and sample the dessert Xia Ruoxin had brought.

The dessert had melted slightly in the fridge, but it was still delicious—a rich blend of fine shaved ice and mango, topped with a swirl of condensed milk that had dissolved into a fragrant, sweet syrup.

Between bites, Xia Ruoxin remarked, “We’ve had fewer customers lately. I’m thinking we should stop taking new orders for a while. We’ll make tens of thousands once this heavy-duty wedding dress is finished. We could save our energy to enter an exhibition this autumn and showcase some fall designs.”

Qi Ying wasn’t really listening; she casually opened the game to see what Xing Xiaochu was up to.

As soon as the game loaded, Xia Ruoxin leaned over. “Huh? What game is that? It looks pretty interesting. Tell me the name, I’ll download it.”

“Xing Xiaochu’s Good Morning Diary,” Qi Ying said offhandedly.

Xia Ruoxin immediately searched for it online but found nothing.

“It’s not there,” Xia Ruoxin said, puzzled, staring at Qi Ying’s phone. “Where did you download this? I can’t find it.”

Qi Ying froze, remembering what the system had told her when she first started: the game was still in closed beta. Regular users probably couldn’t access it.

Xia Ruoxin sounded disappointed. “Oh well. I’m not much of a gamer anyway; I was just curious because I rarely see you play anything.”

Qi Ying smiled. “I’m just playing to kill time.”

…

During the lunch break, while Xia Ruoxin napped on the sofa, Qi Ying continued to fiddle with the game. She discovered an interaction button that allowed her to check the “home surveillance,” meaning she could observe Xing Xiaochu at any time.

Though it felt a bit strange, Qi Ying couldn’t help but smile when she saw Xing Xiaochu lying on the sofa with a book.

Xing Xiaochu was wearing her loose nightgown. Because of her “little tail,” it was uncomfortable to lie flat, so she was propped up on her stomach with a throw pillow under her chest. Her slender, pale legs swayed back and forth, her pink toes and dainty ankles looking incredibly delicate.

Xing Xiaochu was reading intently, though she would occasionally glance toward the door at any sound. She even ran to the door once to peek through the peephole. Finding that Qi Ying hadn’t arrived, she sat back down on the sofa with a look of disappointment, eventually slumping over and going still.

Ding! A system notification popped up.

[Your Xing Xiaochu seems to miss you very much. Would you like to order her some takeout or give her a call?]

Qi Ying’s eyes lit up. The system was right.

An ordering interface appeared. Qi Ying browsed through the options, unsure of what to get. Seeing her own half-eaten dessert, she decided to get the girl the same thing.

She hit “Order,” but the system chimed: [Insufficient account balance].

Qi Ying: “…”

She checked the top right corner and saw her balance was -200.

Since when did she owe the system money? Then she remembered the 200 she had spent on Xing Xiaochu’s hospital bill.

Fine. She opened the top-up interface.

Fortunately, the exchange rate was 10:1 (Game Coins to Real Money), which wasn’t too outrageous. Thinking the game was well-made, Qi Ying topped up 200 as a gesture of “encouragement.”

…

Ding-dong— Ding-dong—

Xing Xiaochu was dazing on the sofa when the doorbell rang. She jumped up and ran to the door. Standing there was a delivery rider in a yellow jacket.

“Your takeout,” the rider said.

Xing Xiaochu asked, confused, “But I didn’t order anything.”

The rider checked the note on the order. “Your sister ordered it for you.”

Sister?

Since when did Xing Xiaochu have a sister?

Suddenly, her eyes brightened as a realization hit her. She hurried to take the bag and read the note: [From an older sister to her younger sister. Please leave at the door, no need to knock.]

“Thank you!” Xing Xiaochu said happily.

The rider nodded and headed back down.

Xing Xiaochu watched the elevator doors close before shutting her own door. Just as she did, a chiming sound echoed through the house. She searched around and found a spare phone on the study desk. Qi Ying’s name was flashing on the screen.

Xing Xiaochu answered and whispered a soft, “Hello?”

“Did you get the takeout?” Qi Ying’s voice was gentle. “I just had some dessert and thought it was great, so I ordered some for you. See if you like it.”

“I like it,” Xing Xiaochu said instantly.

Qi Ying teased, “You like it even before tasting it?”

Xing Xiaochu’s face turned bright red as she explained, “I… I like it even if I haven’t eaten it yet…”

Qi Ying’s low chuckle through the phone made the girl’s face flush even deeper.

Qi Ying asked what she had for lunch, and Xing Xiaochu answered each question dutifully. On the screen, Qi Ying saw the girl standing by the desk, occasionally swaying her feet and drawing little circles on the tabletop with her finger, her ears tinged red.

It was a beautiful sight. Even from the “real world,” she could care for Xing Xiaochu. Just a few dollars could make the girl so happy.

No wonder people got addicted to video games; she was starting to feel the pull herself.

As the conversation wound down, Qi Ying said, “Rest up at home. I’ll come back to see you tonight.”

Xing Xiaochu nodded, then realized Qi Ying couldn’t see her. “Mm,” she replied. “I’ll wait for you to come back.”

After hanging up, Xing Xiaochu stared at the phone for a long time before reluctantly putting it down. She took the bag to the kitchen, then brought the container to the rocking chair by the floor-to-ceiling window, eating while watching the scenery outside.

Watching her eat so peacefully, Qi Ying smiled and exited the game.

When she turned around, she found Xia Ruoxin with her arms crossed, squinting at her suspiciously. “What were you doing just now? You were smiling so sweetly… are you secretly dating someone?!”

Qi Ying tucked her phone into her pocket and said calmly, “Just playing the game. I’m a shut-in; when would I have time to date? You’re imagining things.”

Xia Ruoxin didn’t believe her but couldn’t do anything about it. She could only nag as she followed Qi Ying around. “If you do start dating, you have to tell me first. I need to see what kind of person could actually catch your eye.”

Qi Ying ignored her and got back to work.

…

When evening came, Xia Ruoxin left for the day. Qi Ying was alone in the shop. She checked the time—ten minutes until 7:00. She promptly hung the “Out” sign on the door and opened the game.

This time, as soon as Qi Ying stepped out of the elevator, she smelled the aroma of food. When she opened the door, the scent grew stronger; it smelled like stewed chicken.

Hearing the commotion, Xing Xiaochu ran out immediately. She was wearing a grey apron over her clothes and pink slippers, holding a spatula in her hand. Her face lit up when she saw Qi Ying. “Sister, you’re back! Wash your hands quickly, dinner is almost ready!”

Qi Ying stood at the door, stunned. She had always been a loner, living by herself since graduating college. To suddenly have someone at home cooking for her gave her an unexpected sense of happiness.

Watching Xing Xiaochu run back to the stove, Qi Ying felt her heart racing.

If only this weren’t a game, she thought.

She immediately shook her head. What was she thinking? This was a game. She couldn’t let the realistic holographic projections fool her into thinking it was real.

But the game was so immersive that even Qi Ying found herself getting lost in it…

Xing Xiaochu had prepared a light dinner: four dishes and a soup.

Qi Ying tasted it and was generous with her praise, telling the girl the food was excellent. After dinner, Xing Xiaochu refused to let Qi Ying help clean up and insisted on doing the dishes herself. Watching her from behind—with that “little tail” peeking out—Qi Ying remembered her promise to buy the girl clothes.

An adult shouldn’t break their word. Qi Ying studied Xing Xiaochu’s waist and hips, silently calculating her measurements.

“I was too busy to go shopping today, so I’ll handmade a set for you tomorrow,” Qi Ying said, leaning against the kitchen doorway.

Xing Xiaochu turned around, her hands covered in soap suds, looking surprised. “Sister, you know how to make clothes?”

Qi Ying tilted her head and laughed. “Of course. I’m a designer.” She looked at the clothes Xing Xiaochu was currently wearing and added, “I’ll go find my measuring tape. Come to the study in a bit; I need to take your measurements.”