Chapter 815 - 458: The One Who Is Admired (Double - )

Longing is an incredibly beautiful emotion, an anticipation and yearning capable of fundamentally altering a person in every way, much like a cycle of rebirth.

Just as Li Zhibai longs for Shi Qingjun, she too is longed for by women.

Just as Wen Li yearns for Li Zhibai, she also possesses many junior sisters willing to embroider a pear blossom on their hearts.

Most feelings in the world require feedback, but only longing naturally doesn’t demand any response from the other party. Those who are longed for, those who are admired, have no reason or need to cast their gentle gaze upon admirers.

And yet, if one were truly able to capture the gaze of the person they long for, how wonderfully warm and dreamlike that must be.

Wen Li felt that warmth at this moment.

Even Wen Li, continually praised as more beautiful by Li Zhibai, found blush climbing to her ears.

She was originally a girl who would never be shy about anything. Even if someone directly pointed out her feelings for a junior brother, Wen Li remained serene.

And yet, now she blushed at the compliments.

Perhaps because... Li Zhibai was never one to praise others, so a serious woman like her offering compliments made one feel unexpectedly pleasantly surprised.

Wen Li normally disregarded others’ glances; her persistent short hair had often drawn pity from her junior sisters, yet she had never intended to grow it.

And now, having suddenly grown her hair long, donned a dark gown, and draped herself in cloud shoulder embroidery, Wen Li still disregarded the stunned looks from others.

She has her own set of scales in her heart.

But at this moment...

Those scales were bent by Li Zhibai’s unrestrained gaze.

"Ah Li... why are you blushing?" Li Zhibai looked astonished at Wen Li’s blushing face, her eyes growing wide.

What happened?

After so long apart, has Wen Li not only changed her appearance but even her inner self?

This isn’t good.

Li Zhibai became serious immediately.

Wen Li’s sword must push forward undaunted, how could her cheeks turn red with just a simple glance?

Compared to a shy, girlish Wen Li, she was more satisfied with the current senior sister of Muyu Peak.

Wen Li watched Li Zhibai’s change in demeanor and sighed helplessly.

Was that just a simple glance?

Since earlier, almost her whole face was glued to Wen Li... that almost penetrating gaze made Wen Li momentarily doubt whether her attire learned from the junior sisters was somehow inappropriate.

Otherwise, why would she keep looking at her like this?

"Master Li... what are you looking at?" Wen Li asked softly.

"Looking at your beauty." Li Zhibai answered truthfully.

Wen Li: "..."

Wen Li would never think she could attract Master solely with her appearance... but if she received her praise, Wen Li indeed felt quite happy.

"Oh." Li Zhibai seemed to realize her over-the-top behavior, yet she remained tongue-tied, glanced down at her own red robe, and said emotionally, "If back then I had agreed with Tong Jun to teach you Qi Cultivation together, perhaps... you wouldn’t have taken so many detours all these years."

Detours?

Wen Li froze slightly.

Then she suddenly understood Li Zhibai’s thoughts.

Admittedly, Wen Li acknowledged that she once kept short hair and always wore a dark Daoist robe influenced by Li Zhibai, but she didn’t think it was a mistake.

"Not detours." Wen Li shook her head.

"Really." Li Zhibai smiled, neither affirming nor denying.

In truth, she did regret.

If Tong Jun had taught Wen Li with her back then, the one walking out of the Sword Hall should have been a near-perfect woman.

Wen Li quietly watched Li Zhibai’s smile without speaking.

She suddenly found that Master had grown fond of smiling.

To know... back in those Sword Hall cultivation days, until she ’graduated,’ she had never seen Li Zhibai smile even once.

She felt somewhat absent-minded, slowly bowing her head.

Indeed.

It’s not that Master had become fond of smiling, but rather... she was no longer her student.

If Xu Chang’an were here, he would surely understand Wen Li’s feelings well.

No matter how fearsome a teacher appears in school, encountering them outside leads students to believe... teachers aren’t as scary—perhaps they, too, are capable of smiling.

Wen Li gazed at the woman in front of her.

Now, she was no longer Master’s student; taking Muyu Peak’s identity, perhaps she, as the senior sister, held a much higher position than Li Zhibai—’Master Sword Hall,’ at least in terms of salary and Spirit Stones.

But junior brother... was still Master’s student.

Wen Li closed her eyes.

Her initial affection for Xu Chang’an, besides Xiaohua, largely stemmed from Xu Chang’an being recognized by Li Zhibai, becoming her ’junior brother.’

Thus, she always said her feelings for Xu Chang’an were complex, emotions even she couldn’t clearly understand.

"Master Li." Wen Li opened her eyes.

"What?"

"Why are you at Sword Hall?" Wen Li didn’t understand, with Master’s skills, why settle for a ’Sword Hall Master’ position; it puzzled her.

"For a bit of leisure."

An answer Wen Li hadn’t expected.

"I really am a person with little ambition." Li Zhibai looked towards the door Zhu Pingniang hid behind and gently smiled.