CHAPTER 471: CHAPTER 282 (TEST ANTI-THEFT, REFRESH AT 10 AM TOMORROW)_1

Faint starlight cast upon Li Zijun’s face. Strands of her hair, damp with water droplets, fell and slipped down to her collarbone.

Her wet clothes clung to her body, outlining her exquisitely curvy figure, making it seem almost as if she were bare. Her jade-like arms were slightly bent, her graceful poise fully revealed.

Her delicate hands gently gathered her soaked hair behind her head. The waterlogged robe sketched the perfect contours of her body, and she looked somewhat embarrassed as she glanced at Ji Nanjue.

The clothes she hadn’t fully removed clung to her form, faintly revealing the color of her skin beneath. Her usually loose-fitting robes concealed much, but now they revealed the true splendor of Mount Lu.

Ji Nanjue was clearly a bit surprised as she watched her, then a playful smile touched her lips as she said,

"True to being mentor and disciple. Even your lies are cut from the same cloth..."

"Forget it. If you want to call me sister, then do so. ’Mistress’ does sound rather old-fashioned."

Beneath the water, her jade-like legs gently stirred the surface, sending up small splashes.

Then, with a light push from her jade-like arms, she stood up, completely bare. The water barely reached her upper thighs, revealing the lower half of her slender waist—smooth and lean, without an ounce of superfluous flesh.

"Take off your clothes. You can’t very well bathe with them on, can you?"

This single robe had been with Li Zijun for who knew how long on their journey, though it bore no stains.

Feeling rather shy, Li Zijun removed her clothes, placed them on the bank, and then immediately sat down in the water, concealing herself thoroughly.

Ji Nanjue didn’t laugh at her and sat down beside her.

The air felt heavy; the period just before rain always carried an extra touch of restlessness.

Li Zijun’s small hands lightly played with the water, letting droplets from the pool cascade down. Suddenly, Ji Nanjue spoke,

"You’ve only seen him a few times, yet you’re so certain of your feelings?"

"At your age, it’s normal to admire someone, but your words and actions don’t suggest you’re an impulsive person."

"I’m very curious. Can you share what’s on your mind?"

She paused for a moment, perhaps feeling her own question was 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 gaze remained fixed on Li Zijun.

"Thoughts, you ask?" Li Zijun softly pursed her thin lips. She didn’t look at Ji Nanjue, just murmured quietly to herself.

Gazing at the somewhat murky water of the pool, she pondered for a moment before saying softly,

"Does liking someone necessarily require reasons?"

"Isn’t it that at a certain moment, because of something that deeply touches the heart, someone unconsciously takes up residence there?"

"Perhaps it’s just a glance, or a particular gesture."

Ji Nanjue was taken aback. Li Zijun’s voice, though gentle, was tinged with an inexplicable sadness, a deep melancholy.

Ji Nanjue then pulled Li Zijun tightly into her embrace, pressing her cheek against Li Zijun’s.

"Love at first sight?"

Previously, Ji Nanjue might have scoffed at the term, dismissing the idea that one glance could determine one’s heart as mere infatuation driven by beauty. Yet now, she found herself gradually accepting it. Her life and Su Bei’s had always seemed to intersect inadvertently. After they had returned from the brink of death together, the bond forged through shared hardship was incredibly deep. Perhaps even before that night, his image had been imprinted on her heart, though her long-guarded feelings had never acknowledged it.

"That’s true, in a way." Li Zijun managed a wry smile; it seemed Ji Nanjue had misunderstood her. Her feelings for Su Bei were far more profound than her simple words suggested. It had taken nearly a century of shared experiences for her to truly understand and affirm her heart.

"Sister Nan Ji, Zi Jun is getting cold..." Li Zijun hugged her arms around herself, blinking as she looked up at Ji Nanjue.

Li Zijun said, "Let’s go back."

Ji Nanjue nodded. "You go on back then. I... Sister will stay here alone for a bit."

Ji Nanjue smiled warmly at Li Zijun, her own heart filled with complex emotions.

Ultimately, she was a woman. Even knowing that her relationship with Su Bei could never be public, she still felt a natural aversion to any woman who might try to claim a share of his affection. What’s more, this woman was his disciple... By any moral or rational standard, it felt deeply inappropriate. A peculiar thought formed in Ji Nanjue’s mind: Su Bei’s disciple (Li Zijun), and Li Zijun’s Master (Su Bei)... with herself caught in the middle? What a complicated dynamic... Like three generations tangled together, wasn’t it?

It’s all Su Dudu’s fault.

There’s no right or wrong in matters of the heart. If blame had to be assigned, it all stemmed from that philandering womanizer. If he hadn’t spread his affections so freely, flirting everywhere, how could so many emotional debts have been incurred? He certainly enjoyed himself...

Li Zijun waved her hand in front of Ji Nanjue’s face. Ji Nanjue snapped back to her senses, playfully flicked Li Zijun’s delicate nose, and said with a laugh,

"You’ve worn that dress for too long. If you don’t mind, you can wear this one of mine for now."

She gestured with her hand toward the white gauze dress on the bank.

Li Zijun blinked and then gave Ji Nanjue a sweet smile.

With a soft rustle of fabric, Li Zijun put on the dress and headed towards the Daoist Temple.

Ji Nanjue watched Li Zijun’s retreating figure and sighed softly to herself.