My Virtual Wife From my Phone Has Come to See Me - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: “Don’t… use it like that again.”

The drunken man lay on the sofa, unresponsive. Qi Ying stepped into the apartment, observing the two-room layout. The inner room appeared to be a bedroom, but it was pitch black and reeked so badly she couldn’t bring herself to see what state it was in.

The outer area served as a combined living and dining room. Cigarette butts and liquor bottles were strewn everywhere, alongside rotting food waste that turned the air thick and rancid.

In a corner of the living room, Qi Ying spotted a small bed. It likely would have been neat once, but it was currently piled high with clothes and miscellaneous junk. The white sheets had turned a dull grey, yet even so, it looked significantly cleaner than the rest of the apartment.

That must be Xiaochu’s bed.

Looking at these squalid conditions, Qi Ying found it hard to imagine how a human could actually live here. It was beyond filthy.

Not wanting to linger, Qi Ying pinched her nose, walked to the sofa, and gave the sleeping man a sharp kick. Caught by the overwhelming stench of alcohol, she immediately retreated to a safe distance.

The man, Xing Jianguo, woke up groggily. He rolled over, intending to go back to sleep, before realizing there was a stranger in his home. He squinted his eyes and barked, “Who the hell are you? What are you doing in my house?”

Qi Ying suppressed her disgust and asked, “Are you Xing Xiaochu’s father?”

“Xing Xiaochu?” The man rubbed his messy hair and sat up, cursing. “What did that little brat do now? She never gives me a moment’s peace. Can’t she just let me be?”

Qi Ying frowned. With a cold expression, she pulled a document from her bag and slapped it onto the coffee table.

“This is a letter of entrustment from Ms. Chen Feiqing, appointing me as Xing Xiaochu’s guardian,” Qi Ying stated. “I’m here because I need you to provide the household registration booklet (Hukou).”

“What? What’s this?” Xing Jianguo grabbed the paper, glanced at it, tore it up, and tossed it into the trash. He pointed a finger at Qi Ying. “Who do you think you are? Why should you be my daughter’s guardian? Her father isn’t dead yet!”

Qi Ying calmly pulled out another copy and threw it at him. “Tear it up if you like; I brought plenty. I’m not here to negotiate; I’m here to notify you. From now on, you have nothing to do with Xing Xiaochu. Her life is no longer your business.”

Xing Jianguo stared at the second document, then looked up at Qi Ying with a realization. He let out a sleazy “Oh.”

“I get it. You want my Xiaochu, don’t you? Fine by me. My girl is a beauty, takes after her mother, and she’s clean. If you want her, why go through all this trouble? Just give me the money and be done with it.”

Qi Ying’s brow furrowed deep.

Xing Jianguo smiled fawningly. “How much are you willing to pay for her?”

Qi Ying’s face went dark. “I don’t intend to pay a single cent.”

Xing Jianguo immediately flew into a rage, standing up to scream, “You bitch! You want to take my daughter for free? You think I’m a pushover? I’m telling you: one million. At least one million. Transfer it to me, and the guardianship and legal rights are all yours. You can let her have as many kids as you want, play with her however you like—I won’t care, as long as you give me the money.”

The man’s words were foul and loud. The thin walls of the tenement building provided no privacy, and soon a crowd of neighbors gathered at the door to watch the drama.

Qi Ying hated being a spectacle. She knew she wouldn’t be able to reason with this man in a few words, so she sighed and pulled out her phone.

Ding—

[Dear Designer, are you sure you want to increase pheromone release?] [Confirm.] [Set to maximum.]

A dense wave of pheromones erupted from Qi Ying. Everyone nearby felt the overwhelming surge. Several weak-bodied Alphas and Omegas watching from the door immediately began to vomit; even the Betas felt dizzy and nauseous. Xing Jianguo, being the closest to the source, suffered the most.

He never expected Qi Ying to launch a pheromone attack without a word. His legs turned to jelly, and he collapsed to the floor, retching violently.

Qi Ying felt a cold, calm rage. In this ABO world, pheromones weren’t just for attracting mates; they were potent weapons. She continued to flood the room with her scent as she walked toward the cabinets.

Ignoring the man drowning in his own sickness, she found the documents she needed—the household registration and Xing Xiaochu’s original ID card—and tucked them away.

Before leaving, she looked back at Xing Jianguo, who was now coughing up traces of blood. She said mockingly, “That’s all for today. I’m sure we’ll meet again if fate allows.”

Carrying the heavy scent of green plum wine pheromones, Qi Ying walked out of the building.

Once outside, she ceased the pheromone release but felt a wave of dizziness hit her. She managed to reach the mouth of the alley and leaned against a tree to catch her breath.

It seems I shouldn’t use pheromones recklessly, she thought. The effect is great, but ‘killing a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of your own’ is a bit of a loss.

Still, she had the documents. She likely would never have to return to this hellhole again. Feeling better, she hailed a taxi home.

By the time she reached her house, her head was spinning. Her phone was chiming incessantly, but her ears were ringing so loudly she couldn’t distinguish between system alerts and messages from Xia Ruoxin. She didn’t have the energy to care. As soon as she opened the door, she collapsed, sliding down the wall in the entryway.

She heard the sound of slippers—patter, patter, patter—running toward her. Someone knelt beside her, anxious cold hands touching her face.

Qi Ying knew who it was. She forced a small smile and opened her eyes to see Xing Xiaochu’s panicked face. The girl’s eyes were full of worry as she repeatedly asked, “What happened? Are you okay?”

Qi Ying pulled the registration booklet from her bag. “Look… you can go to school now.”

Xing Xiaochu stared at the document in shock. Then, seeing Qi Ying go limp, she caught her in her arms. The documents scattered across the carpet.

The person in her embrace was burning with fever, and she could still smell a heavy, intoxicating scent of wine.

…

Overusing pheromones causes significant physical strain. Qi Ying slept through the entire night. When she woke the next morning, her body ached. Looking at the ceiling made her feel like the world was spinning; the more she looked, the more she wanted to throw up. She squeezed her eyes shut.

Out of sight, out of mind.

After lying there for a while, she felt steady enough to sit up. She looked around the room and felt a jolt of surprise.

She was still in the game world.

The sunlight outside was clearly morning light, meaning she had spent at least one full night here.

The shop door in the real world isn’t locked!!!

Qi Ying prayed she hadn’t been robbed, or the “Little Rich Girl” would hunt her down.

And where was her phone? Had anyone been looking for her during her 24-hour disappearance?

She tried to stand by leaning on the nightstand, but her legs gave out, and she hit the floor with a loud thump. She sat there, dazed.

What’s going on? Why can’t I even stand up?

Before she could process it, she heard footsteps outside. The door burst open, and Xing Xiaochu, seeing Qi Ying on the floor, gasped in fright. She rushed over to help her up.

Being held by the child, Qi Ying gave an embarrassed laugh. “It’s okay, it’s okay. My legs just felt weak. I’m not hurt.”

Xing Xiaochu frantically checked Qi Ying’s arms and legs. Finding no injuries, she let out a sigh of relief. She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Qi Ying. After a long silence, she said weakly, “If you wanted to get up, you could have called me.”

Qi Ying rubbed her sore knee. “I just wanted to see what time it was.”

Xing Xiaochu placed her hands on Qi Ying’s knee and began to massage it gently. “It’s 9:30 AM. Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?”

That late already? Qi Ying felt a headache coming on. “Where’s my phone?”

She was worried Xiaochu might have seen the game on the screen. If the girl realized she was a character in a game, it would be a disaster.

Xing Xiaochu handed her the phone. “It ran out of battery and turned off. I didn’t know where your charger was, so I couldn’t charge it.”

Qi Ying breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s fine, I’ll take care of it in a bit.”

Xing Xiaochu nodded. “Then I’ll go prepare breakfast. Sit here and rest for a while.” She didn’t leave immediately, but gave Qi Ying a hesitant, timid look. Tugging at her clothes, she whispered, “Overusing Alpha pheromones is bad for your health. Don’t… use it like that again.”

Being lectured by the kid, huh?

Qi Ying’s eyes curved into a smile. “Alright. I won’t make you worry next time.”

Xing Xiaochu’s face flushed red instantly. She rubbed the hem of her shirt vigorously, her ears turning crimson. She opened her mouth as if to say, ‘Who’s worried about you?’ but ultimately said nothing and ran out of the room.

Qi Ying wanted to laugh as she watched her run away, but the movement made her body ache. She had to settle for a quiet chuckle.

She found a data cable and plugged in her phone, only to find the battery was still at 80%. It hadn’t run out of power at all. Qi Ying stared at the boot-up screen, thoughtful.

Perhaps the game system prevented Xing Xiaochu from touching the phone by forcing it to shut down? It was possible—if Xiaochu discovered she was a game character, she would likely have a breakdown.

Once the phone turned on, a barrage of notifications flooded in. Most were from Xia Ruoxin: 13 missed calls and over 30 WeChat messages.

Qi Ying thought: I need to come up with an excuse, fast.