Faint starlight touched Li Zijun's face, beads of water clinging to her bangs and dripping down to her collarbones.
Her wet clothes clung to her body, revealing her delicate and well-proportioned figure as if she were only half-clothed. Her jade-like arms bent slightly, her charming posture fully displayed.
Her bare hands gently gathered her water-soaked hair behind her head. The water drenched her ruqun, outlining her perfect figure. She looked at Ji Nanjue with so embarrassnt.
Her clothes, not yet fully removed, clung completely to her soft body, revealing a hint of flesh through their semi-transparency. The usually loose-fitting ruqun concealed much, but now her true, exquisite figure was finally revealed, like seeing the true face of Mount Lu.
Ji Nanjue watched her with a clearly surprised gaze, then curled her lips, teasingly saying,
"No wonder you're master and disciple; even in lying, you're cut from the sa cloth."
"Forget it. If you want to call sister, go ahead. 'Mistress,' on the other hand, sounds rather old-fashioned."
"..."
Her jade-like legs, hidden beneath the water, gently stirred the surface, splashing a few droplets.
Then, with a light push of her jade-like arms, she rose to her feet, her body bare. The water reached just past the tops of her thighs, revealing half of her slender waist—flat and without a hint of excess flesh.
"Take off your clothes. You can't possibly bathe with them on, can you?"
On this journey, Li Zijun had worn this sa ruqun for who knew how long, though it bore no stains.
Li Zijun, a bit shy, removed her dress and placed it on the bank, then imdiately sat back down in the pool, hiding herself thoroughly.
Ji Nanjue did not laugh at her and sat down beside her.
The air was sowhat oppressive; the ti before rain always felt exceptionally restless.
Her small hands gently scooped up so water, letting it cascade down, and then she suddenly spoke,
"You've only seen him a few tis. How can you be so sure of your feelings?"
"It's normal for soone your age to have a crush, but looking at your behavior, you don't seem like an impulsive person."
"I'm very curious. Can you share what's in your heart?"
Pausing, as if feeling her own question was sowhat tricky, Ji Nanjue added with a smile,
"Of course, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it..."
As Ji Nanjue spoke, her eyes were fixed on Li Zijun.
"Thoughts, you say?"
Li Zijun pursed her thin lips slightly and, without looking at Ji Nanjue, murmured softly.
Gazing at the sowhat murky water and pondering for a mont, she spoke softly,
"Does liking soone really require thoughts?"
"Isn't it that at a certain mont, because of sothing that deeply touches your heart, you find yourself involuntarily carrying soone within it?"
"Perhaps it's just one glance, just a certain action."
Ji Nanjue was stunned for a mont. Li Zijun's voice was tinged with a bleak sadness; despite its gentle tone, Ji Nanjue sensed it was laden with many worries.
Then Ji Nanjue embraced Li Zijun tightly, her cheek pressed against Li Zijun's.
"Love at first sight?"
Perhaps previously, Ji Nanjue would have dismissed this term with a scoff. She would have considered it nothing more than a baseless notion—the idea that love could be decided by a re exchange of looks, driven only by lust for the other's beauty. But now, her heart had gradually co to accept this notion. Her life path and Su Bei's always seed to intertwine, often unintentionally. That return from the brink of death had fostered a profoundly deep bond between them. Maybe even before that night, her heart had already been imprinted with his silhouette, but it was a realization her long-sealed heart had never acknowledged.
"That's also true."
Li Zijun smiled bitterly. It seed Ji Nanjue had misunderstood her.
Her feelings for Su Bei were far more complex than her simple words suggested. It was after nearly a century of developing their connection that she had finally confird her feelings.
"Sister Nan Ji, Zi Jun is getting a bit cold..."
She hugged her arms gently and blinked, looking at Ji Nanjue.
Ji Nanjue said, "Let's go back then."
Li Zijun replied, "Mas... Sister, you can stay here alone for a bit longer."
Ji Nanjue smiled warmly at her; her heart felt complicated.
In the end, she was a woman. Even though she knew she and Su Bei would never have a day where their relationship was public, she still felt a sense of repulsion towards any woman who might take away a share of his tenderness from her. Moreover, this woman was his disciple... Emotionally and ethically, it felt profoundly wrong. An odd thought surfaced in Ji Nanjue's mind: Su Bei's disciple, and my own Master... with caught between them? What a complicated relationship... Three generations under one roof, so to speak.
"It's all Su Dudu's fault."
There's no right or wrong in matters of the heart. If there is bla to assign, the root cause is that fickle-hearted scoundrel. If he wasn't so prone to dalliances and sowing wild oats, how could he have possibly accrued so many emotional debts? He certainly has it easy...
Li Zijun waved her hand in front of Ji Nanjue's face. Ji Nanjue snapped back to her senses, gently pinched Li Zijun's tender nose, and chuckled.
"You've worn that dress for too long. If you don't mind, you can wear mine for now."
"..."
Her hand pointed towards the white gauze dress on the bank.
Li Zijun blinked and then gave Ji Nanjue a sweet smile.
With a soft rustle, she put on the dress and walked towards the Daoist Temple.
Watching Li Zijun's retreating figure, Ji Nanjue sighed softly.
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