Why Aren’t You Cultivating Immortality? (GL) Chapter 37

Outside the window, the city lights shone like a field of stars. From inside the office, they could see the outside clearly, but from outside, no one could see in. At most, people could make out two vague figures leaning together against the floor-to-ceiling glass.
Bai Moqing’s breathing slowed. She watched Xiao Xing’s face draw closer and closer. Her heartbeat quickened, and she clutched the corner of Xiao Xing’s clothes, then slowly closed her eyes.
The softness she imagined did not land on her lips. Xiao Xing glanced over Bai Moqing’s mouth, and her thoughts began to wander.
“Tell me. What did I misunderstand?” Her tone was much gentler than before.
There was no way Bai Moqing could avoid explaining now. She opened her eyes, looked at Xiao Xing, and told her everything that had happened that night. “Yun Su wanted to go find Sister An. I was afraid something would happen to Sister An, so I came over.”
“Mm.” Xiao Xing stepped back a little, putting some distance between them. “So I really misunderstood you?”
“No, no, no. President Xiao is wise. How could you misunderstand me?” Bai Moqing had figured out President Xiao’s temper. She responded to softness, not force. With her, Bai Moqing had to be gentle.
She hugged Xiao Xing tightly, letting Xiao Xing feel her warmth.
Just one hug was enough to give her a deep sense of happiness.
Over the next few days, Xiao Xing was so busy that Bai Moqing barely saw her. Bai Moqing sometimes went out with An Huaigu, but most of the time, she stayed in the office. When there was work, she did it. When there was no work, she read.
After An Huaigu and Bai Moqing left the records room, no one else had been moved there. Near noon, the human resources manager suddenly brought someone upstairs.
“Assistant An, this is Little Yu. Do you think we can put her in the records room?” Manager Li pointed to the young woman beside him and looked at An Huaigu with a face full of smiles. “If you agree, I’ll write the transfer request for President Xiao right away.”
Someone has to get Sister An’s approval before entering the records room? Bai Moqing raised her head and glanced at Manager Li, then turned to An Huaigu.
An Huaigu caught Bai Moqing looking at her and smiled. So you finally know I was the one who put you in charge of the records room?
I had my eye on you from the very first day, you know!
Then she turned to Manager Li and said, “We already have someone in mind for the records room. She’ll come over this afternoon.” Her gaze swept over Little Yu.
The girl was not tall. Even in high heels, she was barely five foot three. She had big eyes and a round, bun-like face. Her hair was tied in a bun, which made her face look even wider. As someone who cared very much about looks, An Huaigu would not let Little Yu into her records room even if she had no other choice.
“Since you already have someone, I’ll arrange another position for Little Yu. I won’t disturb you anymore, Assistant An.”
Manager Li left with the young woman. An Huaigu walked to Bai Moqing’s side and leaned on the edge of the desk, smiling in a way that looked far too pleased with herself.
“Xiao Bai, are you shocked? You came to the records room because I arranged it.”
Bai Moqing nodded. “I am pretty shocked.”
“Then are you moved?” An Huaigu bent down and leaned close to Bai Moqing. All of a sudden, her expression turned deeply affectionate. “Xiao Bai, on the day you came for your interview, I liked you from the first moment I saw you. You have something about you that draws people in. It makes people want to get close to you and protect you.”
This was not the first time Bai Moqing had heard An Huaigu confess, but her heart was still thrown into disorder. She took a deep breath, looked up at An Huaigu, and gave her a rejection that was not exactly subtle.
“Sister An, you’re very good. You’ve always taken care of me and protected me. But I only see you as an older sister.”
“You already like someone? Is it that soft, cute young girl from last time?” After being rejected by Bai Moqing, An Huaigu realized she was not that upset. After thinking about it, she decided it was probably because she had been prepared for this.
Bai Moqing rarely lied, but this involved President Xiao, and she knew the matter would have a big effect on her. So she nodded, silently admitting that the person she liked was that little cat demon.
“Oh my, I didn’t expect my Xiao Bai to like that kind of cute young girl. I’m going to grow old alone.” An Huaigu clutched her chest in fake heartbreak.
Bai Moqing burst out laughing. “Sister An, you won’t grow old alone. Someone has liked you all along.”
“Don’t tell me you mean that woman across the hall.” An Huaigu turned to look at the office opposite them. Tang Yue had not been there these past few days. She had gone with Xiao Xing to the neighboring city. Without her, life had been much quieter, but it had also lost a lot of fun.
There was an empty feeling.
I really must be sick.
“Sister An, Assistant Tang is friendly, thoughtful, careful, and very serious when she works. You and she are a good match.”
“A good match? She doesn’t deserve me.” An Huaigu gave a soft scoff and lifted her chin proudly. “No matter who I like, I would never like someone like her.”
Bai Moqing only smiled and said nothing. In the past few days, while Assistant Tang had been away, Sister An often looked toward the office across from them. When she saw that Tang Yue had not returned, she would sigh softly and look bored.
The person involved was always the last to see it. Only An Huaigu herself had not noticed that her feelings for Tang Yue were slowly changing.
The office went quiet. When lunch break arrived, the whole building grew lively.
There was a cafeteria on the second floor. Most employees ate there to save time. Bai Moqing usually did not eat lunch, while An Huaigu usually drove out to eat somewhere else.
After An Huaigu left, Bai Moqing went home.
Yun Su was cultivating. Ten thousand years of lonely life in the abyss had not made her lose herself in the busy modern city. The little orange cat, however, was growing less and less willing to improve.
In the first few days after she came to Bai Moqing’s home, she would still go out to find places with spiritual energy to cultivate. Now she spent all day sprawled on the sofa, eating cat food and watching TV. She was much rounder than when she first arrived.
“Huh? Qingqing, why are you home?” The little orange cat pushed away the bag of cat food and stood up. She shook the crumbs off her body, then jumped onto Bai Moqing’s shoulder.
Bai Moqing stroked the little orange cat’s fur. She looked at Yun Su, who was as still as a mountain and still cultivating, and said, “I have something I want to tell you both.”
The misty white barrier slowly shrank and melted back into Yun Su’s body. Yun Su opened her eyes and asked, “What do you want to say?”
The little orange cat jumped onto the sofa and crouched beside Yun Su. One person and one cat looked at Bai Moqing seriously, like obedient students listening to a teacher.
At first, Bai Moqing had planned to tell Yun Su the location of Snowy Peak and let her take the little orange cat there to cultivate.
But when she saw that the little orange cat’s cultivation had not advanced and had even gone backward, and that taking human form was no longer as smooth as before, she changed her mind. Even if Feiyue could reach Snowy Peak, she would not be able to bear that bone-piercing, soul-biting cold.
“Yun Su, do you know how to set barriers and formations?”
Yun Su nodded. “I do. But formations are deep and complex. I only know a little. Moqing, do you want to set a formation at home?”
“Not at home. I mean the mountain spring area Feiyue took me to last time.”
Bai Moqing picked up the little orange cat, grabbed Yun Su’s wrist, and took them both to the mountain spring.
The spiritual energy in the spring eye had already been fully absorbed by Bai Moqing. She thought spiritual energy would never flow out of this place again. But while cultivating her divine sense that morning, her divine sense swept over the area, and she unexpectedly found a thin strand of spiritual energy circling above the spring water.
After checking, she discovered that there was a barrier beneath the spring eye. The spiritual energy was leaking out through a gap in that barrier.
“Qingqing, there’s spiritual energy here again!” The little orange cat jumped onto a rock in excitement. She lifted her head and sniffed, drawing the spiritual energy into her body.
Bai Moqing pointed toward the spring eye and said to Yun Su, “There’s a barrier down there. I can’t get in for now. I’ve set a formation around this area, so Feiyue can cultivate here safely. If you can enter the barrier, go in and look around. If you can’t, cultivate outside with Feiyue. When I have time later, I’ll think of another way to go down.”
It was called a spring eye, but it looked more like a deep pool. Clear water, carrying spiritual energy, flowed out of it without end.
“I’ll go down and take a look.” Yun Su changed into her flood dragon form and dove straight into the spring eye. The splash soaked the little orange cat.
“Yun Su!” The little orange cat angrily shook out her fur. She had just shaken herself dry when the flood dragon came out of the spring eye with another splash, soaking her all over again.
“There is a seal on that barrier. The seal has cracked. If we break the seal, we can enter the barrier, but it will take some time.” As Yun Su spoke, the little orange cat jumped onto her. Her wet body rubbed against Yun Su’s cheek.
Yun Su caught the little orange cat with one hand and held her in her arms. “Why are you wiping water on me?”
“Because you splashed me!” the little orange cat said angrily. She hooked her claws into Yun Su’s clothes and kept rubbing herself against Yun Su, until Yun Su felt heat rise in her chest.
“I’ll wipe you dry.” A strange feeling stirred in Yun Su’s heart. She wanted to get close to Feiyue, but she was also afraid of getting close to her. She pressed the thought down, lifted her sleeve, and gently wiped the little orange cat’s body. As she did, she said to Bai Moqing, “I’ll study the seal on the barrier first. Once I’m sure there’s no problem, I’ll enter the barrier.”
Yun Su’s attitude toward the little orange cat was not ordinary. She spoiled her and protected her. Bai Moqing looked back and forth between the little orange cat and Yun Su a few times, then said, “Stay here. I’ll come find you tonight.”
The little orange cat pushed Yun Su’s sleeve aside and looked at Bai Moqing with reluctance. “Qingqing, are you going back to the company again? Can you not go?”
They had so much money already. Why did Bai Moqing still have to work? The little orange cat thought of Xiao Xing, gave two unhappy whines, and drooped her little head.
It was for that little fox spirit.
Bai Moqing had already been thinking about resigning. Before, she had given up on cultivation because she had failed the ascension tribulation a thousand times and lost her will to fight.
Now that she had fallen for Xiao Xing, she had to work hard at cultivation. At the very least, she had to pass the ascension tribulation and become a true immortal. Only then would she be qualified to stand beside Xiao Xing. Otherwise, the gap between their cultivation levels was far too great.
“I’ll find a chance to resign,” Bai Moqing said, stroking the little orange cat’s head.
The little orange cat, who had just been downcast, instantly brightened. She held Bai Moqing’s hand between her soft paw pads. “In the future, we’ll cultivate together.”
Cat food and TV dramas were nothing compared to the temptation of cultivating with Bai Moqing.
“All right.” Bai Moqing told Yun Su where the formation gate and core were, reminded them both to protect themselves, and left the mountain spring.
Xiao Xing did not know Bai Moqing was preparing to resign so she could return to cultivation. At three in the afternoon, Xiao Xing, who had been away for several days, appeared at the company with Tang Yue.
Bai Moqing did not get a chance to tell Xiao Xing about her plan to resign. Xiao Xing went to a meeting with the managers of every department. However, Bai Moqing’s small, hesitant expression stayed in Xiao Xing’s mind.
During the nearly hour-long meeting, Xiao Xing thought of Bai Moqing from time to time. After the meeting ended, she hurried back to the office.
A woman was standing beside An Huaigu. Her bright eyes were full of sunny laughter, and she looked similar to An Huaigu. This was An Huaigu’s younger sister, An Huaijian.
“You’re Xiao Bai, right? My sister talks about you all the time.” An Huaijian greeted Bai Moqing warmly.
Bai Moqing remembered that Xiao Xing had once said Sister An’s younger sister liked her. Now Sister An had brought her younger sister to the company. What was her purpose?
“Watch your manners.” An Huaigu tapped An Huaijian on the head, though her eyes were full of affection. Then she turned to Bai Moqing with a bright smile. “The records room is short on people, and Huaijian happens to need an internship, so I told her to come over.”
A proper connection hire.
“I see.” Bai Moqing’s thought of resigning wavered a little. She looked at An Huaijian. The internship was probably only an excuse. Sister An’s younger sister’s real goal was to pursue President Xiao.
She did not know what President Xiao thought. Would she agree to let An Huaijian stay, or would she find an excuse to send her away?
Just as Bai Moqing was thinking this, Xiao Xing arrived at their office door with Tang Yue.
Xiao Xing only had eyes for Bai Moqing. She had just called Bai Moqing’s name when, before Bai Moqing could answer, An Huaijian turned and rushed over in one quick step. In front of everyone, she hugged Xiao Xing, her voice openly excited.
“A-Xing, long time no see!”