All The Female Disciples Want To Kill Me-Chapter 491 - Two Hundred and Ninety-two_1

Chapter 491: Chapter Two Hundred and Ninety-two_1
Faint starlight dimly shone on Li Zijun’s face. Water droplets clung to the strands of hair at her forehead, each drop sliding down to her collarbones.
Her wet clothes clung to her body, making her exquisite figure appear almost nude, her jade arms gently bent, her captivating beauty fully revealed.
Her bare hands gently gathered her water-soaked hair behind her head. The water had soaked her dress, outlining her perfect figure, and she looked at Ji Nanjue with some embarrassment.
Her clothes, not yet fully removed, clung entirely to her delicate body, faintly translucent, revealing the color of her skin beneath. Her usual loose-fitting dress concealed much, but now her true figure was revealed.
Ji Nanjue looked at her with obvious surprise, then a playful smile touched her lips as she said,
"As expected of master and disciple, cut from the same cloth... even down to your lying."
"Never mind, just call me Sister if you prefer. The title ’Master’s Wife’ sounds so terribly old-fashioned anyway."
"..."
Her jade legs, hidden beneath the surface, gently stirred the water, sending a few droplets splashing upwards.
Then, with a gentle push of her arms, she stood up without a stitch on. The water barely reached the tops of her thighs, revealing her slender, flat waist without a hint of excess fat.
"Take off your clothes. You can’t very well bathe with them on, can you?"
This single dress had accompanied Li Zijun for who knows how long on their journey, although it bore no stains.
Li Zijun shyly removed her dress and placed it on the shore, then promptly sat back down in the pool, hiding herself thoroughly.
Ji Nanjue didn’t laugh at her but sat down beside her instead.
The air was somewhat stifling. The time before rain always brought a particular sense of restless unease.
Her small hand gently scooped up water, letting it trickle down, and she suddenly spoke,
"You’ve only met him a few times, yet you’re so certain of your feelings?"
"At your age, it’s normal to admire someone deeply, but from your words and actions, you don’t seem like an impulsive person."
"I’m curious. Can you share what’s on your mind?"
After a pause, feeling her question was somewhat tricky, Ji Nanjue added with a smile,
"Of course, it’s fine if you don’t want to say..."
As she spoke, her eyes remained fixed on Li Zijun.
"My thoughts?"
Li Zijun gently pursed her thin lips, not looking at Ji Nanjue but murmuring softly to herself.
Gazing into the somewhat dark water of the pool, she contemplated for a moment, then said in a low voice,
"Does liking someone necessarily require reasons?"
"Isn’t it that at a particular moment, because of something that causes a flutter deep within your heart, you unwittingly begin to carry someone there?"
"Perhaps it’s just a glance, just a single gesture."
Ji Nanjue was taken aback for a moment. She heard the melancholy in Li Zijun’s voice; despite its gentle tone, she could detect a wealth of suppressed frustration.
Then she took Li Zijun tightly into her arms, pressing her cheek gently against Li Zijun’s,
"Love at first sight?"
Ji Nanjue might have once scorned the term. To her, it was nonsense—this idea that two people could merely glance at each other and instantly know their hearts’ desire. That could only be lust for the other’s beauty. Yet, her own life’s path and Su Bei’s had always seemed to merge inadvertently. After they had returned from the brink of death that one time, the bond forged from sharing such hardship was 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 also true."
Li Zijun smiled bitterly.
It seems she’s misunderstood me. How could my feelings for Su Bei be as understated as I just made them sound? It had taken nearly a hundred years of us growing closer for me to be certain of my heart.
"Sister Nan Ji, Zi Jun is a little cold..."
She hugged her arms to herself and blinked at Ji Nanjue.
"I think I’ll head back."
"You go on then. I... Sister will stay here alone for a while."
Ji Nanjue smiled warmly at her, her heart a little tangled.
At the end of the day, she was a woman. Even though she knew she and Su Bei could never have their relationship publicly acknowledged, she still felt repulsed by any woman who wanted to claim a share of his tenderness, a tenderness she felt belonged to her. Moreover, this woman was his disciple... which, by any standard of emotion or reason, was utterly outrageous.
A peculiar thought crossed Ji Nanjue’s mind: His disciple... my own master... and I’m caught in the middle? What a complicated mess... It’s like three generations under one roof, isn’t it?
It’s all Su Dudu’s fault. There’s no right or wrong in matters of the heart, but if anyone was to blame, it all stemmed from that womanizing scoundrel. If he hadn’t been flirting around and leaving a trail of broken hearts, how could he have possibly racked up so much emotional debt? He, on the other hand, is certainly enjoying himself...
Li Zijun waved her hand a few times in front of Ji Nanjue’s face. Ji Nanjue snapped out of her thoughts, 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, wear my dress for now."
"..."
Her hand pointed towards a 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 walked toward the Daoist Temple.
Ji Nanjue watched Li Zijun’s retreating figure and sighed softly.