Faint starlight cast upon Li Zijun's face. Strands of hair on her forehead were wet with droplets, which slowly slid down to her collarbones. Her clothes, soaked with water, clung to her body, making her exquisite figure seem half-revealed. Her jade-like arms were gently curved, her graceful posture fully apparent.
Her fair hands gently gathered her water-soaked long hair behind her head. The water drenched her dress, outlining her perfect figure. She looked sowhat shyly at Ji Nanjue.
The clothes, not yet fully removed, clung to her delicate body, the faint color of her skin visible through the semi-translucent material. Her usually loose-fitting dress concealed much, but now it revealed Mount Lu's true face.
Ji Nanjue looked at her with evident surprise, then a corner of her mouth twitched as she spoke teasingly, "Like master, like disciple; even your lies are cut from the sa cloth... Ah well, if you want to call 'Sister,' then go ahead. Besides, the title 'Master's Wife' sounds so old-fashioned."
Li Zijun was speechless.
Beneath the water, her jade-like legs gently stirred the surface, creating a few splashes.
Then, with a light push of her arms, she stood up, completely bare. The water barely reached the tops of her thighs, revealing half of her slender, flat waist, devoid of any excess flesh.
"Take off your clothes," Ji Nanjue said. "You can't bathe in them, can you?"
This dress had been with Li Zijun for who knew how long on her journey, though it bore no stains.
Li Zijun shyly removed her dress, placed it on the bank, and then imdiately sat back down in the pool, concealing herself thoroughly.
Ji Nanjue did not laugh at her but sat down beside her.
The air was sowhat oppressive; the ti just before rain always felt exceptionally tense.
Her small hand gently scooped up so water, letting it splash down, as she suddenly asked, "You've only t him a few tis. Are you already so sure of your feelings?"
"It's normal to admire soone at your age, but your words and actions don't suggest you're an impulsive person."
"I'm very curious. Can you tell what you're thinking?"
She paused, feeling her question was indeed a bit probing, then Ji Nanjue added with a smile, "Of course, it's alright if you don't want to say..."
As Ji Nanjue spoke, her eyes remained on Li Zijun.
"My thoughts?" Li Zijun gently pursed her thin lips. Without looking at Ji Nanjue, she murmured softly.
Gazing at the sowhat dark pool water, she pondered for a mont, then said softly, "Does liking soone really require a reason?"
"Isn't it that at a certain mont, because of sothing that deeply touches your heart, soone unknowingly cos to reside there?"
"Perhaps it's just a glance, or a single action."
Ji Nanjue was montarily stunned. Listening to Li Zijun's voice, she detected a hint of sadness. Though the tone was gentle, for so reason, Ji Nanjue heard a great deal of hidden sorrow in it.
Then Ji Nanjue pulled Li Zijun tightly into her embrace, her cheek against Li Zijun's.
"Love at first sight?"
Perhaps Ji Nanjue would have scoffed at this phrase before, dismissing it as re nonsense. The idea that two people could determine their feelings for each other with just a single glance? That could only be possible if they were simply coveting each other's beauty. However, her heart had now gradually co to accept this phrase. Her own life path and Su Bei's always seed to align unintentionally. That ti they returned from the brink of death together, the emotions forged from sharing such hardship 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, I suppose."
Li Zijun smiled bitterly. It seed Ji Nanjue had misunderstood her. Her feelings for Su Bei were far from the casual description she had just given. It had taken nearly a century of shared experiences and growing understanding for her to be sure of her heart.
"Sister Nan Ji, Zi Jun is a little cold..." She hugged her arms and blinked, looking at Ji Nanjue.
"You should go back then," Ji Nanjue said. "I... Sister, will stay here alone for a bit."
Ji Nanjue smiled warmly at Li Zijun. Her heart felt sowhat conflicted. Ultimately, she was a woman. Even though she knew she and Su Bei could never make their relationship public, she still felt a sense of repulsion towards any woman who might try to take even a fraction of his affection away from her. Moreover, this woman was his disciple... From any perspective, emotional or logical, it felt quite outrageous.
A rather strange thought surfaced in Ji Nanjue's mind: Su Bei's disciple... and Su Bei, who was *her* Shizun... with herself stuck in the middle? What a complicated relationship... like three generations under one roof, wasn't it?
"It's all Su Dudu's fault."
There's no right or wrong in matters of love, but if bla had to be assigned, the root cause was that philandering scoundrel. If he hadn't flirted everywhere and sown wild oats, how could he have racked up so many emotional debts? He certainly enjoyed himself...
Li Zijun waved her hand in front of Ji Nanjue's face a few tis. Ji Nanjue snapped back to her senses, gently tapped Li Zijun's delicate little nose, and said with a laugh, "You've been wearing that dress of yours for too long. If you don't mind, wear this one of mine for now."
Ji Nanjue gestured with her hand towards the white gauze dress on the shore.
Li Zijun blinked her eyes and then gave Ji Nanjue a sweet smile.
With a soft rustle, Li Zijun put on the dress and headed towards the Daoist Temple.
Ji Nanjue watched Li Zijun's departing figure and let out a soft sigh.
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