My Virtual Wife From my Phone Has Come to See Me - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: “It’s going to pour, A-Ying.”

Qi Ying found a measuring tape in the storage room, along with a pair of scissors and a collection of needles and thread.

Seeing the fully equipped little box in her hand, Qi Ying began to believe that she really was a designer in this world too; otherwise, who would keep so many miscellaneous crafting supplies at home?

The house was already stocked with clothes. Qi Ying picked out a few soft, age-neutral outfits, planning to alter them for Xing Xiaochu. By the time she brought them out, Xing Xiaochu was already waiting for her in the study.

“Waiting long?” Qi Ying kicked the door shut with her foot and said, “I found some clothes for you. These will do for today, and I’ll take you to the mall to buy new ones tomorrow.”

Xing Xiaochu nodded; she didn’t mind what she wore.

Qi Ying pulled out the measuring tape and gestured for Xing Xiaochu to stand in front of her to begin taking measurements.

The white tape wrapped around Xing Xiaochu’s shoulders. As Qi Ying measured, she noted the numbers down in a notebook.

Xing Xiaochu didn’t dare move, standing stiffly as Qi Ying worked. When the tape reached her waist, Qi Ying accidentally brushed against her. Xing Xiaochu shuddered, dropping her gaze, too shy to look at her.

It was Qi Ying who apologized first.

“Sorry,” Qi Ying said softly. “Am I tickling you?”

Xing Xiaochu’s face flushed bright red. After a long pause, she gave a soft “Mm.”

Qi Ying was incredibly focused when she worked. She measured Xing Xiaochu’s bust and waist, finding them close to her visual estimates.

A waist of 1 foot 6 inches—about 60 centimeters—so slender you could almost wrap your hands around it.

What surprised Qi Ying most was Xing Xiaochu’s bust. She looked so small that Qi Ying had assumed she was an A-cup, but the measurement turned out to be a B… Given that Xiaochu was currently malnourished, Qi Ying figured that with a bit of proper feeding, her figure would fill out and become even more beautiful.

Qi Ying had it all planned out: Xing Xiaochu would become a big star, and Qi Ying would be her designer. When the time came, the girl would perform on stage wearing her designs, and Qi Ying would stand below the stage feeling immense pride.

But raising a superstar seems like it might be quite difficult, doesn’t it?

Lost in thought, she finished the measurements.

Retracting the tape, Qi Ying said, “Let’s get you two sets of pajamas first. You can’t keep wearing that same outfit.”

Xing Xiaochu nodded and watched as Qi Ying cleared the desk, turned a pair of pajamas inside out, and began ripping the side seams to start the alterations.

Without a sewing machine, she stitched everything by hand. Being a seasoned pro, altering clothes was a simple task for Qi Ying. She finished one piece in less than half an hour, with the edge-locking taking the most time.

Qi Ying shook out the altered pajamas and said to Xing Xiaochu, “Done. Try them on.”

Xing Xiaochu’s eyes lit up. It was her first time watching someone alter clothes—and specifically tailored for her. She hugged the clothes happily and went to change. When she emerged, even Qi Ying was stunned.

Xing Xiaochu was beautiful and had a great figure. Before, she had been wearing oversized clothes that hid her shape, but now, in fitted clothing, she was strikingly radiant.

That tiny waist looked soft enough to pinch water from.

Then there was the beautiful waist-to-hip ratio, the straight and fair legs, and even her fingers were elegantly slender. It would be a tragedy if she didn’t become a star.

“Beautiful,” Qi Ying praised without reservation. “This is the kind of clothing you should be wearing.”

Xing Xiaochu was a bit shy from the praise, the tips of her ears turning red. She tugged at the hem of her clothes and smiled bashfully. “Thank you for making these for me, Sister. I really like them.”

Qi Ying’s eyes curved into a smile. “If you like them, I’ll make a few more so you have options to change into.”

Xing Xiaochu nodded and obediently came over to help Qi Ying with the odd jobs.

Spending the whole evening, Qi Ying made three outfits for Xing Xiaochu. She had her try on every piece, and every time, Qi Ying was impressed anew.

Xing Xiaochu’s body was like a perfect mannequin—the kind of model every designer dreams of. If time allowed, Qi Ying could have made eight hundred outfits for her; she was already dreaming up design sketches.

“It’s getting late; we should rest.” Qi Ying was tidying up the mess in the room, saying to Xing Xiaochu, who was sweeping the floor, “Go to sleep, I can finish up here.”

“It’s okay, I can do it.” Xing Xiaochu held the broom, her eyes crinkling with joy. “Sister made so many clothes for me today; it’s only right that I do the cleaning.”

It was the first time Qi Ying had seen her smile so happily. She pursed her lips and said gently, “Alright, then we’ll clean up together.”

After a quick cleanup of the study, Qi Ying placed the trash by the door to be thrown out the next day. She turned to Xing Xiaochu and said, “Let’s head back to the rooms.”

Xing Xiaochu nodded.

…

Exiting the game in her bedroom, Qi Ying began tidying up her real-life shop. By the time she finished and lay in bed, it was past 11:00 PM. The surrounding alleys were very quiet. Combined with a full day’s work and making three outfits for Xiaochu, Qi Ying fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

In the following days, Qi Ying would log into the game every morning to greet Xing Xiaochu before “going to work.” If she wasn’t busy, she’d log in at 7:00 PM; if she was busy, she’d “come home” around eight or nine.

Occasionally, Qi Ying would feel a sense of trance, feeling as though she wasn’t playing a game, but that there really was a person named Xing Xiaochu waiting for her.

Today, Qi Ying sent the first draft of a wedding dress design to a bride-to-be, planning to schedule a fitting to see what adjustments were needed. The bride seemed busy and didn’t confirm a time for the following week until midnight.

This meant that, until next week, Qi Ying had no work left.

The weather was getting hotter. Every time Xiara Ruoxin visited, she looked like a dog dying of heat, hugging the air conditioner and blasting it non-stop. Qi Ying was worried she’d blow herself into facial paralysis.

“Don’t blow it directly at your face.” Qi Ying poured her a glass of iced sparkling water and pushed it toward her. “Did you forget when we were in school? How long you had to do acupuncture because of that?”

Xia Ruoxin was instantly reminded of her school days. She shifted her seat away from the vent, took a few large gulps of the sparkling water, let out a burp, and said, “The weather is getting so hot lately. Going outside is an ordeal.”

“Then just stay home and rest for a while,” Qi Ying said, looking out the shop window. “Look, there’s not a soul on the street, and there’s no business in the shop. There’s no point in you coming here just to sit and stare at me.”

“But I’m a shareholder of this shop! If I don’t come, aren’t I just a little useless waste?” Xia Ruoxin argued. “Even though I provided the capital while you provided the skill and management, I can’t let you be at a disadvantage. I have to come by often to help out.”

Xia Ruoxin was a “second-generation rich” girl. Her family owned a large chain of supermarkets. Her parents, doting on their daughter and not wanting her to work a hard job, had given her a few million to invest for fun. What she invested in didn’t matter—her happiness was the priority.

So, Xia Ruoxin had set her sights on Qi Ying. It happened that Qi Ying was having conflicts with her boss at the time and was planning to resign. Xia Ruoxin had approached her, offering to partner up and open a shop.

Qi Ying hadn’t hesitated to agree. After all, an opportunity to open the shop of her dreams without spending her own money was not something she could pass up.

Furthermore, regardless of the shop’s profit or loss, Qi Ying didn’t have to worry. If they made money, the wealthy girl gave her a bonus; if they lost money, she still paid her a salary. Either way, Qi Ying didn’t lose out.

However, Qi Ying’s designs were beautiful. Despite the high prices, many people clamored to buy them. For example, a shirt from the spring collection had sold twenty thousand units in the shop alone. Xia Ruoxin only stopped production when the weather turned too hot for it to sell anymore.

“Babe, you are my money tree~” Xia Ruoxin said, happily swinging her legs. “With you here, I don’t have to worry about a thing.”

Qi Ying glanced at her with a smile but didn’t speak.

The morning had been clear and sunny, but by noon, it turned sweltering. Small dust devils even began to swirl on the ground, kicking up trash and fallen leaves.

Xia Ruoxin looked at the darkening sky and cried out, “It’s going to pour, A-Ying.”

Qi Ying brought over a cup of coffee, glanced outside, and gave a soft “Mm.”

It was going to be a heavy downpour.

Worried that Xia Ruoxin would get stuck in traffic if she didn’t leave now, Qi Ying urged her to go. Once she left, Qi Ying moved the flower pots and chairs from outside back into the shop. Just as she finished, a loud CRACK of thunder sounded, followed by the roar of torrential rain.

Ding—

The phone on the long wooden table suddenly chimed. Qi Ying looked back at it and picked it up.

[Dear Designer, your Xiaochu seems very afraid of thunder. Little Xiaochu lacks a sense of security; perhaps staying with her at this time will make her feel more at ease!]

Qi Ying froze. Outside the window, the rain was so thick you couldn’t see people. The mist was heavy and dense; it didn’t look like anyone would be coming to the shop anytime soon.

Without hesitation, she hung the “Out” sign on the door and logged directly into the game.

Appearing right at her front door, Qi Ying quickly opened it. Another BOOM of thunder echoed, and she could see a bolt of lightning strike very close to the floor-to-ceiling window.

The house was pitch black. Qi Ying called out immediately, “Xiaochu! Xiaochu, where are you!”

At that moment, Xing Xiaochu was huddled in the wardrobe, holding her head. She was covering her ears and shaking all over. The thunder was too loud; she was terrified.

“…Xiaochu!”

Xing Xiaochu vaguely thought she heard someone calling her name. She opened her eyes blankly and then, gathering her courage, slowly lowered her hands. She heard Qi Ying’s anxious voice ringing out from outside: “Xing Xiaochu!”

Slide—

Qi Ying pulled open the wardrobe door in Xing Xiaochu’s room. Seeing the young girl curled up in the small space, she let out a sigh of relief. She knelt down and reached out to pull the girl into her arms, saying reassuringly, “Xiaochu, you were scared, weren’t you? It’s okay, I’m here.”