Faint starlight fell upon Li Zijun’s face. Beads of water clung to her bangs, dripping steadily down to her collarbones.
When wet, her clothes clung to her body, making her delicate figure appear almost bare. Her fair arms were lightly bent, revealing her enchanting grace.
Her fair hands gently gathered her water-soaked hair behind her head. The water drenched her garnts, outlining her perfect figure. She looked at Ji Nanjue, sowhat embarrassed.
The clothes she had not fully removed clung tightly to her body. They were slightly translucent, revealing her flesh tones. Normally, her loosely worn garnts would not reveal anything, but now one could truly take in the beauty of Mount Lu.
Ji Nanjue watched her with obvious surprise, then curved her mouth and, with a playful tone, said,
"No wonder you’re ntor and disciple. Even your lying is cut from the sa mold..."
"Forget it. If you want to call Sister, then do. ’Shiniang’ sounds strangely old-fashioned."
"..."
Her legs, hidden beneath the water, gently stirred the surface, splashing a few droplets.
Then, with a light push of her arms, she stood up, stark naked. The water barely reached the tops of her thighs, exposing half of her slender waist, which was flat and without an ounce of extra flesh.
"Take off your clothes," Ji Nanjue said. "You can’t take a bath while wearing them, right?"
These garnts had accompanied Li Zijun on her journey for who knew how long, although they weren’t stained at all.
Feeling sowhat shy, Li Zijun removed her clothes, placing them on the bank, before quickly sinking back into the pool, concealing herself completely.
Ji Nanjue did not laugh at her and sat down beside her.
The air was a bit stifling; the ti before rain always brought a particular restlessness.
Ji Nanjue’s small hands gently scooped up water, letting it cascade down. Suddenly, she asked,
"You’ve only seen him a few tis. Are you so certain about your feelings?"
"At your age, it’s normal to admire soone, but your words and actions don’t seem like those of an impulsive person."
"I’m quite curious. Can you tell what’s on your mind?"
After a pause, realizing her question was indeed a bit tricky, Ji Nanjue added with a smile, her eyes fixed on Li Zijun,
"Of course, it’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it..."
"Thoughts?"
Li Zijun gently pursed her thin lips. Without looking at Ji Nanjue, she murmured softly.
Gazing into the sowhat murky pool, she pondered for a mont before continuing in a low voice,
"Does liking soone necessarily require reasons?"
"Isn’t it that at a certain mont, because of sothing that deeply stirs your heart, you unconsciously begin to carry soone within it?"
"Perhaps it’s just a glance, or a particular action."
Ji Nanjue paused, taken aback. Li Zijun’s voice was tinged with sadness; though her tone was gentle, Ji Nanjue sohow sensed a deep unhappiness within it.
Then, Ji Nanjue embraced her tightly, pressing her cheek against Li Zijun’s.
"Love at first sight?" she asked.
Perhaps Ji Nanjue would have previously scoffed at the phrase, dismissing it as nonsensical. The idea that two people could confirm their feelings for each other after just one look? That could only an they were coveting the other’s beauty.
But now, her heart had gradually co to accept the term.
Her life path and Su Bei’s seed to inadvertently align. That ti they returned from the brink of death, the emotions born from enduring hardship together were naturally profound.
Perhaps even before that night, his image had already been imprinted on her heart; it was just that her long-sealed heart had never acknowledged it.
"That’s true too," Li Zijun said with a wry smile.
It seed Ji Nanjue had misunderstood her. Her feelings for Su Bei... how could they be as simple as she had just described? It had taken nearly a century of knowing each other, of gradually fitting together, for her to finally be sure of her heart.
"Sister Nan Ji, Zi Jun is feeling a bit cold..." Li Zijun said, hugging her arms lightly and blinking as she looked at Ji Nanjue.
"Go on back then," Ji Nanjue said.
"Sh—... Sister will stay here alone for a little while."
Ji Nanjue gave her a gentle smile, though her heart felt complex.
Ultimately, she was a woman. Even though she knew she and Su Bei could never be open about their relationship, she still felt a sense of aversion towards any woman who might divert even a fraction of his tenderness away from her.
Moreover, this woman was his Disciple... By both emotion and logic, it felt utterly improper.
A peculiar thought surfaced in Ji Nanjue’s mind: Su Bei’s Disciple (Li Zijun), and Li Zijun’s master (Su Bei)... with herself caught in between?
What a complicated relationship... three generations under one roof, so to speak!
It’s all Su Dudu’s fault.
In matters of the heart, there’s no absolute right or wrong. But if soone had to be blad, the root cause was that incorrigible womanizer. If he hadn’t been sowing his wild oats and flirting everywhere, how could he have racked up so many emotional debts?
He certainly had his fun...
Li Zijun waved her hand in front of Ji Nanjue’s face a few tis. Ji Nanjue snapped back to her senses, then playfully tapped Li Zijun’s delicate nose and smiled, saying,
"You’ve worn that dress for too long. If you don’t mind, wear this one of mine for now."
"..."
Ji Nanjue then pointed towards a white gauze dress on the bank.
Li Zijun blinked her eyes, then gave Ji Nanjue a sweet smile.
With a soft rustle of fabric, she put on the dress and headed towards the Daoist Temple.
Ji Nanjue watched Li Zijun’s departing figure and sighed softly.
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