Dim starlight cast upon Li Zijun's face. Strands of hair on her forehead were drenched with water droplets that trickled down to the hollow of her collarbones.
Soaked through, her clothes clung to her body, outlining her exquisite, delicate figure, rendering her almost as if half-undressed. Her jade-like arms bent slightly, revealing her graceful posture.
With her fair hands, she gently gathered her wet hair behind her head. The water soaking her dress traced the perfect silhouette of her body, and she looked at Ji Nanjue sowhat bashfully.
Her clothes, not yet fully removed, clung completely to her delicate body, faintly revealing a hint of skin. Her usually loose-fitting dress concealed much, but now, her true form was revealed, like the unveiling of Mount Lu.
Ji Nanjue looked at her with a hint of surprise, then a playful smile touched the corners of her lips as she said,
"Like master, like disciple, indeed. Even your lies are cast from the sa mold."
"Forget it. If you want to call Sister, then go ahead. The address 'Teacher's Wife' sounds rather old-fashioned."
Her jade-like legs, hidden beneath the surface, gently stirred the water, sending ripples spreading and droplets scattering like petals.
Then, with a light push of her jade-like arms, she stood up, completely unclothed. The water barely reached her upper thighs, revealing half of her slender, flat waist, which was devoid of an ounce of superfluous flesh.
"Take off your clothes. You can't bathe with them on, can you?"
This dress had been with Li Zijun for who knows how long on this journey, although it bore no stains.
Li Zijun, sowhat shy, took off her dress and placed it on the bank. Then, she promptly sat down in the pool, concealing herself completely.
Ji Nanjue didn't laugh at her and sat down beside her.
The air felt oppressive; the period just before rain always carried such an irritable tension.
Her small hands gently stirred the water, letting it cascade down. Then, 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 admire another, but from your actions and deanor, you don't seem like an impulsive person."
"I'm very curious. Can you share your thoughts with ?"
She paused, perhaps feeling her question was sowhat tricky. Ji Nanjue then added with a smile,
"Of course, it's fine if you don't want to talk about it."
As she spoke, her eyes were fixed on Li Zijun.
"My thoughts?"
Li Zijun lightly pursed her thin lips, not looking at Ji Nanjue, and murmured softly.
Gazing into the sowhat murky pool water, she pondered for a mont and then said slowly,
"Does liking soone necessarily require a reason?"
"Isn't it that at a certain mont, because of sothing that deeply touches your heart, you unknowingly co to carry soone within it?"
"Perhaps it's just a glance, or a single action."
Ji Nanjue was taken aback. Li Zijun's voice sounded sowhat forlorn; though her tone was very gentle, Ji Nanjue sohow sensed it was laden with unspoken worries.
Then Ji Nanjue embraced her tightly, pressing her cheek against Li Zijun's,
"Love at first sight?"
Perhaps Ji Nanjue would have scoffed at this notion before, dismissing it as absurd—the idea that one look could determine one's feelings seed driven only by a desire for physical beauty.
But now, her heart had gradually co to accept the concept. Her life and Su Bei's had unexpectedly intertwined. After they had returned from the brink of death, the bond they shared, forged in shared hardship, was profoundly deep.
Perhaps even before that night, his shadow had already been etched upon my heart; it was just that I had never acknowledged the feelings long sealed within.
Li Zijun gave a bitter smile. "That's true, in a way." It seems she misunderstood .
My feelings for Su Bei... how could they be as simple as I just described? It was only after nearly a century of knowing him, of our paths crossing, that my heart truly settled.
"Sister Nan Ji, I'm starting to feel a little cold..." She hugged her arms around herself and blinked, looking up at Ji Nanjue.
Ji Nanjue smiled warmly at her. "You head back then," she said gently. "I'll stay here alone for a little while." Her heart, however, was sowhat conflicted.
Ultimately, I am a woman. Even though I know Su Bei and I can never be open about our relationship, I still feel a sense of aversion towards another woman trying to take even a fraction of his tenderness from .
Moreover, this woman is his disciple... From any standpoint, whether emotional or rational, it feels deeply improper.
A peculiar thought surfaced in my mind: his disciple, and he is my own Master... with caught in the middle? What a complicated ss of relationships... like three generations living under one roof, isn't it?
It's all Su Dudu's fault.
There's no absolute right or wrong in matters of the heart. But if bla must be assigned, it all stems from that womanizer. If he hadn't been philandering and dallying with won, how could so many emotional debts have arisen?
He's certainly having a grand ti of it...
Li Zijun waved her hand in front of Ji Nanjue's face. Ji Nanjue snapped back to her senses, gently pinched 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."
She gestured towards the white gauze dress on the bank.
Li Zijun blinked, then gave Ji Nanjue a sweet smile.
With a soft rustle of fabric, she put on the dress and headed towards the Daoist Temple.
As Ji Nanjue watched Li Zijun's departing figure, she sighed softly.
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