Faint starlight cast upon Li Zijun's face, water droplets clinging to the hair on her forehead, trickling down to her collarbone.
Her wet clothes clung to her body, outlining her exquisite and delicate figure like a half-peeled fruit. Her jade arms were lightly bent, her charming pose fully revealed.
Her bare hands gently gathered her water-soaked hair behind her head. The flowing water soaked her dress, sketching a perfect figure, and she glanced at Ji Nanjue, sowhat embarrassed.
The clothing that had not been completely removed adhered to her body, faintly revealing the flesh tones beneath. Normally, her loosely-fit dress concealed much, but now, her true, stunning figure was revealed.
Ji Nanjue watched her with clear surprise, then the corners of her lips curled. With amusent in her voice, she said, "True to the saying, 'like master, like apprentice,' even in lying, you're cast from the sa mold…"
"Fine, call sister if you wish." Ji Nanjue mused, "Mistress, on the other hand, does sound rather old."
"..."
Her subrged legs gently stirred the water, sending up a few splashes.
Then, with a gentle push of her jade arms, she stood up, completely bare. The water reached just past the top of her thighs, revealing a slender, flat waist without a trace of excess fat.
"Take off your clothes. You can't very well bathe while dressed, can you?"
That one dress had accompanied Li Zijun on their journey for who knows how long, although it bore no stains.
Li Zijun, sowhat shyly, removed her dress and placed it on the shore. Then, she imdiately sat back down in the pool, concealing herself thoroughly in the water.
Ji Nanjue didn't tease her and sat down beside her.
The air was sowhat heavy. The ti just before rain always felt especially tense.
Li Zijun's small hands gently lifted splashes of water, letting the pool water drench her as she suddenly spoke, "You've only t him a few tis, yet you're so sure of your feelings?"
"It's normal for soone your age to have aspirations of love, but from what I've observed, your words and actions don't seem impulsive."
"I'm quite curious. Could you share your thoughts?"
Pausing, as if feeling her own questions were indeed a bit tricky, Ji Nanjue added with a smile, "Of course, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it..."
As she spoke, her eyes remained fixed on Li Zijun.
"Thoughts, you say?" Li Zijun lightly pursed her thin lips. Without looking at Ji Nanjue, she muttered softly.
Gazing at the sowhat gloomy water of the pool, she pondered for a mont before speaking faintly, "Does one need a reason to like soone?"
"Isn't it that at a certain mont, because of sothing that profoundly touches the depths of one's heart, you unknowingly start to carry soone within you?"
"Perhaps it's just a glance, or a particular gesture."
Ji Nanjue was taken aback. Li Zijun's voice sounded sowhat sorrowful; despite its tender tone, Ji Nanjue sensed a great deal of turmoil in her cadence.
Then Ji Nanjue pulled Li Zijun tightly into her embrace, pressing her cheek against Li Zijun's. "Love at first sight?"
Perhaps before, Ji Nanjue would have scoffed at such an idea as nonsensical. The notion that a single glance could confirm one's feelings was, in her mind, likely nothing more than superficial attraction.
Now, however, her heart had gradually co to acknowledge this phrase. Her life and Su Bei's always seed to rge unintentionally.
That ti they had returned from the brink of death, the bond forged through shared hardship was naturally profound.
Perhaps even before that night, his image had been imprinted on her heart, a heart she had kept sealed for so long, never acknowledging it.
"That's one way to see it." Li Zijun gave a bitter smile; it seed Ji Nanjue had misunderstood her.
Her feelings for Su Bei... how could they be described so casually or lightly? It was after nearly a century of experiences and understanding that she had finally confird her heart's desire.
"Sister Nan Ji, Zi Jun is feeling a bit cold..."
Li Zijun hugged her arms around herself lightly, blinking as she looked at Ji Nanjue.
Ji Nanjue smiled warmly at her, though her heart felt sowhat complex. "You should go back then," she said gently. "Shif— Sister will stay here alone for a little while."
After all, she was a woman. Even though she knew that she and Su Bei could never have a day where their relationship was public, she still felt a sense of repulsion towards any woman who wanted to take a share of his tenderness.
Moreover, this woman was his disciple... Emotionally and rationally, it felt sowhat outrageous.
A strange thought surfaced in Ji Nanjue's mind: Su Bei's disciple, and Su Bei was her own master... and she, Ji Nanjue, was caught in between?
What a complicated relationship... Three generations under one roof, is it?
It's all Su Dudu's fault.
There are no rights or wrongs in matters of love. But if bla must be assigned, the root cause was that philanderer—if he hadn't been so prone to sow his wild oats everywhere, how could he have incurred so many emotional debts?
He certainly enjoyed himself...
Li Zijun extended her hand and waved it in front of Ji Nanjue's face. Ji Nanjue snapped back to her senses, playfully tapped Li Zijun's delicate nose, and said with a smile, "You've worn that dress for too long. If you don't mind, you can wear this one of mine for now."
"..."
Ji Nanjue's hand then pointed to the white gauze dress on the shore.
Li Zijun blinked, then gave Ji Nanjue a sweet smile.
With a soft rustle, she donned the dress and headed towards the Daoist Temple.
As Ji Nanjue watched Li Zijun's departing figure, she sighed softly.
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