Faint starlight landed on Li Zijun's face. Strands of hair on her forehead were damp with droplets, which slid down towards her collarbone.
Her wet clothes clung to her body, revealing her delicate and shapely figure as if she were half-bare. Her jade-like arms were lightly curved, fully displaying her charming grace.
Her fair hands gently gathered her water-soaked long hair behind her head. The water had drenched her dress, outlining her perfect figure, and she looked sowhat embarrassedly at Ji Nanjue.
The clothes she hadn't completely taken off clung to her delicate body, faintly translucent, revealing the hue of her skin beneath. Her usually loose-fitting dress didn't reveal much, but now, it was as if Mount Lu's true face was uncovered.
Ji Nanjue looked at her with obvious surprise, then curled the corner of her mouth and said teasingly, "True to being master and disciple. Even your lies are cast from the sa mold... Fine, if you want to call 'sister,' go ahead. The term 'madam' actually sounds rather old-fashioned."
"..."
Her jade-like legs, hidden beneath the water, gently stirred the surface, sending up a few splashes.
Then, with a light push of her jade-like arms, Li Zijun stood up, completely bare. The water barely reached the tops of her thighs, revealing her slender, flat waist, free of any excess flesh.
"Take off your clothes," Ji Nanjue said. "You can't bathe while wearing them, can you?"
This dress had been with Li Zijun for who knows how long on this journey, though it bore no stains.
Li Zijun shyly took off her dress, placed it on the bank, and then imdiately sat down in the pool, concealing herself completely.
Ji Nanjue didn't laugh at her and sat down beside her.
The air was sowhat oppressive. The ti before a rain shower always felt particularly restless.
Ji Nanjue's small hand gently scooped up water, letting it splash down, as she suddenly said, "You've only t him a few tis. Are you already so certain of your feelings? It's normal for soone your age to yearn for soone, but from your words and actions, you don't seem like an impulsive person. I'm curious. Could you tell what you're thinking?"
She paused, feeling her question was indeed a bit pointed. Ji Nanjue then added with a laugh, "Of course, it's fine if you don't want to say anything..."
As Ji Nanjue spoke, her eyes remained fixed on Li Zijun.
"My thoughts?"
Li Zijun lightly pursed her thin lips and murmured softly, without looking at Ji Nanjue.
Gazing into the sowhat murky pool water, she pondered for a mont before speaking softly, "Does one necessarily need reasons to like soone? Isn't it that at a certain mont, because of sothing that causes a flutter deep within your heart, you unknowingly co to carry that person within you? Perhaps it's just a glance, or a particular action."
Ji Nanjue paused, stunned. Li Zijun's voice sounded sowhat despondent; though her tone was gentle, Ji Nanjue could sohow detect a deep sense of frustration in it.
Then, Ji Nanjue pulled Li Zijun tightly into her embrace, pressing her cheek against hers. "Love at first sight?"
Perhaps Ji Nanjue would have scoffed at this phrase before, dismissing it as re nonsense. Two people just exchange a glance and are certain of their feelings? There could only be one explanation: lusting after the other's beauty. Yet now, she found herself gradually accepting this phrase. Her own life path and Su Bei's always seed to converge unintentionally. That ti they returned from the brink of death, the bond forged between them after enduring such hardship together was naturally profound. Perhaps even before that night, his image had already been imprinted on her heart, but her long-sealed emotions had never allowed her to admit it.
"That's true, I suppose," Li Zijun said with a wry smile. It seems she misunderstood . How could her feelings for Su Bei be as understated as she had just described? They had been cultivated over nearly a hundred years before she finally affird her heart.
"Sister Nan Ji, Zi Jun is feeling a bit cold..." Li Zijun hugged her arms and blinked, looking at Ji Nanjue.
"You should go back," Ji Nanjue said. "I... Sister, will stay here alone for a while."
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 publicly acknowledge their relationship, she still felt a sense of repulsion towards any woman who might try to take even a fraction of his tenderness away from her. Moreover, this woman was his disciple... It felt sowhat outrageous, both emotionally and ethically. A rather peculiar thought surfaced in Ji Nanjue's mind: his disciple, her own Master... with herself caught in the middle? What a complicated relationship... Three generations under one roof, wasn't it? It's all Su Dudu's fault. There's no right or wrong in matters of the heart. But if bla had to be assigned, the root cause of it all was that fickle lothario. If he hadn't been so free with his affections, sowing romantic seeds everywhere, how could so many emotional debts have arisen out of thin air? 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, playfully tapped Li Zijun's delicate nose, and said with a smile, "You've worn that dress of yours for too long. If you don't mind, wear this one of mine for now."
"..."
Her hand then pointed towards the 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.
Watching Li Zijun's retreating figure, Ji Nanjue sighed softly.
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