What if I don't want to ascend to immortality?

Chapter 33 Happy to be a father

A large rock was thrown into the water and sank to the bottom with a plop.

A small pebble tossed carelessly might skip across the water and create ripples.

No matter how Meng Qingtong thought about it, being bumped into by Teacher Liu at the entrance of the sales office was just a small pebble, while Han Jie slapping Teacher Liu's face into the ground was the real boulder.

But everyone who contacted her afterwards asked about the small stone.

It's as if the scene of Teacher Liu standing in the pit, covered in dust and dirt, being inspected by the crowd, was her hallucination.

Sitting in the back seat of Qiao Mu's car with Han Jie in the morning, she muttered in the telepathic channel, quite puzzled, "I don't understand, I really don't understand. You beat Teacher Liu up like that, and nobody asked me, the viewer, what happened. Everyone's asking who the handsome guy I was looking at apartments with is. We were looking at apartments together, not booking a room, so why is everyone asking?"

"What happened to her? She's clearly not injured."

"What a disgrace. Teacher Liu is such a proud genius, she works so hard to maintain her title of genius teacher. I've never heard of her being absent since I came to the Second Hospital. But now, last night she sent Dean Fang a long letter of more than 10,000 words asking for leave, saying that she would use up all the annual leave she had saved up."

"She's not much older than you."

"I think it was twenty-two or twenty-three, I don't know what month her birthday is. Anyway, she graduated at nineteen and stayed on as a teacher in the Department of Spiritual Law, becoming the youngest officially employed teacher in the Second Academy. The year after she joined, I passed the entrance exam and joined the academy. At that time, everyone in Dongding's circle said that Dean Fang was really lucky, encountering two record-breaking years in a row. Then the following year, Teacher Liu passed the assessment and was promoted to the head of the Department of Spiritual Law, setting another youngest record. Then last year, Gu Shuangjin was parachuted in as the vice dean, only thirty-one years old, becoming the youngest vice dean as well. This year, everyone has been guessing what age record can be broken next, so that we can make a five-year record."

Having successfully changed the subject, Han Jie certainly didn't want to continue discussing his defeated opponent, so he casually asked, "The newly appointed vice dean doesn't exactly have any records, does he?"

“Yes. The key to breaking records isn’t just being small, it’s also about being strong enough. The Second Academy isn’t just some leader who can just throw a vice dean at you.” Meng Qingtong excitedly counted on her fingers, “Youngest vice dean, 31 years old; youngest head of the Spiritual Law Department, 21 years old; youngest full-time teacher at the Spiritual Academy, 19 years old; youngest genius student…”

She chuckled and pointed to herself, "That's me. I was not even fifteen years old at the time, breaking Teacher Liu's record of being sixteen when I enrolled. That's why Teacher Liu always wanted me to transfer to study spiritual magic, saying that a genius teacher should have a genius student."

Han Jie nodded. "I agree with that. It's a bit of a shame that I have such skills but no one to pass them on to."

“There will definitely be, there will definitely be. I said last time that if I don’t have time to learn, you can teach my child. If one isn’t enough, I’ll have more. You can choose any disciple you want.”

He was slightly puzzled and couldn't help but ask, "You give the example of childbirth when you say you're not afraid of pain, and you also bring up childbirth when you don't want to be a disciple. As far as I know, most girls these days are not enthusiastic about this kind of thing."

"I wouldn't call this being enthusiastic..." Meng Qingtong glared at him. "I just... genuinely care about it. People always want what they lack. So tell me, what do you think I lack most?"

Han Jie replied without hesitation, "Money."

"They're family, you know." Meng Qingtong laughed in exasperation, raising her hand to lightly slap him. "I've been alone for so long, of course I want to have family too. So I don't care what other spirit masters think, I'm definitely going to find someone I like in the future and have children, the more the better. Of course, I know that spirit masters' physical condition makes it difficult to conceive, but it doesn't matter. I'll work hard to cultivate, live longer, and try more. I don't believe I can't manage."

"Don't tell anyone, I've already secretly thought of names for my future children. If it's a boy, I'll call him Xinrui, and if it's a girl, I'll call her Xinyi." Perhaps because her spiritual frequency wasn't afraid of being overheard, she got more and more excited as she spoke. "Ideally, I'd have both a son and a daughter to complete the Chinese character for 'good.' My daughter should be like me, pretty but not too pretty. My son can take after his father; the more handsome he is, the better, it doesn't matter."

"Hmm... have you already chosen someone for the father of your child? Have you even decided on who the child will take after? Why is that pretty but not really pretty?" Han Jie asked, then added matter-of-factly, "And you should have some confidence. I think you're very pretty."

"That's because you haven't seen enough beautiful women." She waved her hand. "Of course he's handsome like his dad. As someone who's obsessed with looks, his face is the first criterion. Especially since I'm working with a devastatingly handsome young man like you in ancient style, seeing you every day has raised my standards several levels. I can hardly keep up with watching short dramas on my phone anymore. The person I'd be willing to spend some time dating can't be more than two levels uglier than you, otherwise I can't accept it."

Han Jie nodded thoughtfully, his expression enigmatic.

Meng Qingtong's empathy kicked in again. She glanced at him sideways, her thoughts even becoming a little more cautious. "Han Jie, you've been lonely for so long, why didn't you ever consider finding a companion?"

“I’ve said before that I was completely different back then.” He looked slightly melancholy. “I’ve even condensed my loneliness into the image of a sword in my heart. Why would I think about things that are only valued in the mundane world, like getting married and having children?”

Meng Qingtong's lips twitched, keenly catching the good news she wanted to know. Her eyes darted around, and she decided it wasn't appropriate to delve any deeper for the time being, so she changed the subject to something else.

The two of them were having a great time exchanging thoughts in the back seat, and they were also enjoying the scenery and playing on their phones, but Qiao Mu, who was driving, felt that it was a bit too dull.

Qiao Mu assumed that neither of them liked to talk, hesitated for a moment, and then turned on the music player in the car.

A gentle and beautiful female voice flowed through the carriage. The instrumentation and arrangement were not complicated, the melody was melodious, and it was filled with a faint sadness.

It's like the sentimental love song style that was very popular a few years ago but has gradually declined now, but the singer's voice has a wonderful charm that will unconsciously grab your attention and make you pay attention to the lyrics and the subtle desolation in them.

One of them is Qiao Mu's ringtone, which is said to be "Dodder" that Lin Sisi used to love listening to.

Han Jie suddenly asked, "Brother Qiao, who sings this song?"

Qiao Mu finally got someone to talk to, and his tense emotions relaxed a little. He was no longer worried that he had done something wrong, and he smiled as he replied, "She's a very old singer. She's quite low-key and has never appeared in public. Back then, it was the era of Walkmans, and she only became famous slowly. The only thing I can find out about her is her stage name, Long Que. She released her work with a cartoon drawing, which I remember quite well. It was a little girl... well, how should I describe it?"

"It's okay, it's okay, I found it." Meng Qingtong had already found the information on her phone and showed the picture to Han Jie.

The picture depicts a little girl with long, jet-black hair that covers almost her entire face, sitting at the entrance of a huge birdcage. Her feet dangle below the cage, and her hands grip the two pillars on either side. Her deep brown eyes peek out from between her strands of hair, as if gazing into the distance.

There are white clouds below the cage, and the background is a blue sky.

The whole picture exudes a strange sense of contradiction. The cage and the girl convey a sense of being bound and oppressed, while the open door and background elements present a sense of liberation and freedom.

Meng Qingtong didn't know what Han Jie meant by suddenly being curious about this singer, but since her partner needed her, she naturally felt obligated to help. "Brother Qiao, there isn't much information about him online. Where did you find all these songs?"

"It's still circulating in some small circles of music fans. The barriers in the information industry are getting more and more serious now, and there's not much of value that you can find through simple online searches anymore." Perhaps because it was somewhat related to his career, Qiao Mu's interest improved a bit. "But there aren't many songs by Long Que to begin with. If Sisi and Jiamei hadn't liked this song so much back then, I wouldn't have been interested. I searched and searched, and there were less than ten of them. Not even enough to make an album."

"Han Jie, do you like this type of music?" Meng Qingtong turned to look at him, still feeling a little uneasy.

Her crisp, sweet, and refreshing voice is not suitable for such a mournful song. If it doesn't suit the tastes of the senior artists, her plan to sing and dance in colorful clothes to pay off her debts will be doomed to failure.

It would probably be easier for her to use a high-pitched, coquettish voice. Han Jie said softly, "I just realized that this singer is a spiritualist."

“Nowadays, there are cultivators in all walks of life. I don’t know about other academies, but in our Second Academy, about 30 to 40% of the students drop out after five years because they can’t pass the assessment. These people can’t do spiritual magic-related jobs, so they naturally end up in ordinary jobs. Many film and television companies that used to make cheap special effects were almost driven out of business by those dropouts who went into the entertainment industry.”

He shook his head. "This person is also a genius. She used spiritual magic in her singing. If you listen carefully, you'll notice."

Meng Qingtong frowned and listened intently for a while before she caught a subtle hint of emotion in the song. She couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Is there such a tactic? To sell albums?"

"Probably not. It's probably just that he has an extraordinary love for singing." Han Jie glanced again at the singer's self-composed profile picture, a dragon sparrow, a caged bird that opens the door but doesn't leave... It seems there are quite a few interesting spiritualists in this world.

"Will this kind of song have any negative impact on the listeners?" Qiao Mu asked with concern. "Sisi and Jiamei used to listen to it with headphones on all the time. Could their change in thinking be related to the song?"

Meng Qingtong looked at Han Jie, unsure of the answer to this question.

“No,” Han Jie said slowly. “This subtle influence will only make it easier for the song to find its audience. If the listeners’ opinions change, that’s their own problem.”

They set off early, and the road to the suburbs wasn't too affected by the morning rush hour. Soon, the navigation led them to Lin Sisi's building.

Feeling hesitant and shy, Qiao Mu parked the car, hesitated for a moment with his hand on the door handle, then withdrew it, lowered his head slightly, and said, "I... could I wait a little longer before going up?"

Han Jie was puzzled. He believed that time was precious, and if you were going to come, you shouldn't waste time on such a boring activity.

But Meng Qingtong gently tugged at him and said, "Okay, then let me know when you're ready to go up. I'll send Sister Lin a message first to tell her I'm coming to see her and Xiaotu, is that alright?"

Qiao Mu remained silent, staring up at the kitchen window of Lin Sisi's house, seemingly wondering if he could catch a glimpse of her from afar if she were making breakfast at this time.

Meng Qingtong looked at the back of his head, shook her head gently, and sent a message to Lin Sisi: "Sister Lin, I'm coming to play with Xiaotu and maybe get a free meal. Are you home? Are you busy?"

"No rush, no rush. Little Rabbit said she misses you too. What would you like to eat? Or should I make something?"

"Sister Lin, just make something simple. I'd like to learn some home-style cooking from you. My partner is quite traditional and doesn't like eating out. I've been racking my brains over recipes lately, it's driving me crazy."

"Okay, okay, I'll definitely teach you well. When will you arrive?"

"almost."

As Meng Qingtong expected, shortly after a brief written exchange, Lin Sisi hurriedly left the apartment building.

The little rabbit wasn't with her; she's probably home alone.

It seems that Lin Sisi took Meng Qingtong's well-intentioned lie to heart and tried her best to keep her "daughter" at home and prevent her from running around.

Qiao Mu, who had been leaning back in his chair, suddenly sprang up, stiffening and staring intently at Lin Sisi's retreating figure as she hurried away with her shoulder bag.

He hadn't thought of what to say yet, but his hand had already instinctively opened the car door.

Fearing he might get emotional and mess things up, Meng Qingtong quickly said, "Let's meet again when she comes back from grocery shopping, so that none of us will go hungry at noon."

Qiao Mu gasped for breath, then suddenly covered her face with her hands, lowered her head, and, struggling to control the trembling in her voice, murmured to herself, "How could she be so thin... I shouldn't have given up looking for her, it's not far from here... Why didn't I keep looking for her..."

"It's not too late to come now," Meng Qingtong comforted her in as lighthearted a tone as possible. "Just like when I go to class, being late is always better than being absent."

“After hearing what you said, I’ve tried my best to prepare for the worst. I’ve imagined many different scenarios for what Sisi might become, but just now… just now, when she walked out of the building, even though I knew it was her, I couldn’t believe it. What kind of life has she been living all these years…”

He suddenly punched himself hard in the center of his chest, then unbuckled his seatbelt, curled up into a ball, and finally couldn't hold back anymore, covering his face and sobbing hoarsely.

"Forget it, let him vent for a while," Meng Qingtong said, moving closer to Han Jie and craning her neck to watch him solve the Linglongxin bounty puzzle on his phone.

Han Jie's recent interest in using his phone has focused on two apps.

One was the unresolved spiritual problems in Linglong's mind that he had not been able to solve for many years, which he found very challenging in terms of theoretical knowledge.

The other was a completely anonymous cultivator community called the Realm of the Void, which was divided into many groups according to various topics, where people chatted and discussed in their respective sections. Han Jie followed several groups on the topic of secular life, learning from the advanced experiences of spirit masters in engaging with the world.

The two huddled together and pondered the spiritual questions for a while, and Qiao Mu, in the driver's seat, finally calmed down his excited emotions.

He must have thought this through carefully, because in a hoarse voice he offered, "Could you please take me upstairs to see that evil... child named Little Rabbit?"

"Okay." Meng Qingtong smiled with satisfaction. "Let's go upstairs and wait for Sister Lin to come back."

When the door opened, Xiao Tu, still wearing big slippers and old children's clothes, gave Meng Qingtong a warm hug first, then subconsciously dodged Han Jie, and finally fixed her somewhat confused gaze on Qiao Mu.

A dozen seconds later, the little rabbit suddenly clapped its hands excitedly, "Ah, it's Daddy, Daddy is really here!"

Before Qiao Mu could react, her small body snuggled into his arms. "Daddy, Mommy missed you so much, she even gave birth to little rabbits!"

Meng Qingtong turned her face away somewhat awkwardly.

If Qiao Mu hadn't been informed about the little dodder's condition beforehand, this opening line could easily have been misunderstood.

(End of this chapter)