All The Female Disciples Want To Kill Me-Chapter 739: .1

Dim starlight fell upon Li Zijun's face. Droplets of water clung to the strands of hair on her forehead, trickling down to her collarbones. Her wet clothes clung to her body, making her exquisite figure seem almost unclothed. Her jade-like arms bent gently, revealing an enchanting grace. Her fair hands lightly gathered her water-soaked long hair behind her head. The water drenched her ruqun, outlining her perfect silhouette as she looked at Ji Nanjue with some embarrassment. The clothes, not yet fully removed, clung tightly to her delicate body, faintly revealing the tone of her skin. Her usually loose-fitting ruqun concealed her figure well; only now could its true contours be discerned.

Ji Nanjue watched her with obvious surprise, then a corner of her lips curled playfully as she said, "Like master, like disciple... even your lies are cut from the same cloth."

"Never mind," Ji Nanjue continued. "If you want to call me Sister, then go ahead. 'Master's wife' does sound rather old-fashioned."

Li Zijun didn't respond immediately. Her jade-like legs, hidden beneath the water, gently stirred the surface, creating a few splashes.

Then, Ji Nanjue, with a light push from her own jade-like arms, stood up from the water, completely bare. The water reached just past the tops of her thighs, revealing a slender, flat waist without a hint of excess flesh.

"Go on, take your clothes off," Ji Nanjue said to Li Zijun. "You can't very well bathe with them on, can you?" 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Li Zijun had worn this ruqun for who knows how long during their journey, though it bore no noticeable stains. Feeling rather shy, Li Zijun took off her dress and placed it on the bank. Then she immediately sank back into the pool, hiding herself thoroughly.

Ji Nanjue didn't laugh at her; she simply sat down beside her in the water.

The air was somewhat oppressive; the period before rain always felt particularly restless.

Ji Nanjue's small hands gently scooped up water, letting it cascade down. She suddenly spoke, "You've only met him a few times. Are you already so sure of your feelings?"

"It's normal for someone your age to admire someone, but from your words and actions, you don't seem like an impulsive person."

"I'm quite curious. Can you tell me what you're truly thinking?"

She paused, sensing her question was perhaps a bit too probing. Ji Nanjue then added with a smile, "Of course, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to..." As she spoke, her eyes remained fixed on Li Zijun.

"My thoughts?" Li Zijun gently pressed her thin lips together. Without looking at Ji Nanjue, she murmured softly, more to herself than to her companion. Gazing into the somewhat murky 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 stirs you to your very core, you find that someone has unknowingly taken root in your heart?"

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

Ji Nanjue was taken aback for a moment. Li Zijun's voice was tinged with sadness; though her tone was very gentle, Ji Nanjue could somehow sense a deep well of unspoken frustration within it. Then Ji Nanjue drew Li Zijun tightly into her embrace, pressing her cheek against hers. "Love at first sight?"

Perhaps in the past, Ji Nanjue would have scoffed at such a phrase, dismissing it as nonsense. Two people deciding their feelings for each other after a mere glance? That could only mean one thing: lusting after the other's beauty. Yet now, her heart was gradually coming to accept the idea. Her own life path and Su Bei's had always seemed to converge unintentionally. That time they had returned from the brink of death, the bond forged between them through shared adversity was naturally profound. Perhaps even before that night, his image had already been imprinted on her heart, though her long-guarded emotions had never allowed her to admit it.

"I suppose that's true," Li Zijun said with a wry smile. It seems she's misunderstood me. Her feelings for Su Bei... how could they be as understated as she had just described? It had taken nearly a century of shared experiences and trials for her to be certain of her heart.

"Sister Nan Ji, Zi Jun is feeling a little cold..." Li Zijun said, hugging her arms lightly and blinking as she looked at Ji Nanjue. "Can we go back now?"

"You go on ahead," Ji Nanjue replied, correcting herself. "I... Sister will stay here a little longer."

Ji Nanjue gave her a gentle smile, though her own heart felt complicated.

Ultimately, she was a woman. Even knowing that she and Su Bei could never have a future that was open to the world, she still felt a natural aversion to any woman who might try to take even a sliver of his affection from her. Moreover, this woman was his disciple... From any perspective, emotional or rational, the idea felt like a serious transgression. A peculiar thought surfaced in Ji Nanjue's mind: His disciple (Li Zijun), my own Master (Su Bei)... and me caught between them? What a complicated web of relationships... Three generations under one roof, indeed. It's all Su Dudu's fault. There's no right or wrong in love. But if blame had to be assigned, the root cause of it all was that philandering man. If he hadn't gone around playing with fire and sowing seeds of affection everywhere, how could so many emotional debts have sprung up out of nowhere? He certainly seemed to be enjoying himself through it all...

Li Zijun waved her hand in front of Ji Nanjue's face a few times. Snapping out of her reverie, Ji Nanjue playfully tapped Li Zijun's delicate nose and smiled. "You've worn 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 a white gauze dress lying on the bank.

Li Zijun blinked, 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.