Her Last Words[Completed]

Chapter 3: The Return of the Master

Master Mo premieres this chapter!

Here's a song by Dylan Kuo to celebrate him:

Forced to endure eternally

I have loved so innocently

with a borrowed soul, even in pain I have no reservations

I have never questioned, loving you is an instinct

With a borrowed life, it will be stupid to wake up

If you turn around and expose my identity

Maybe we can gloriously love once

Of course the heart will hurt, with the scar of loving someone silently

The humble lover, even in loneliness will be happy

Not fearful if the time stops, or if the world only remains with a layer of dust

Have loved, it was worth it

- Extracted from "The Person who borrows love", Dylan Kuo

Chacha came in with the good news that her master Su Moye, whom everyone called Master Mo due to his status as Prince of the West Sea, had returned. Delighted, Aranya's heart skipped a beat. She wondered what treasures he had to bring this time from the West Sea.

Mo was an attractive-looking young man with a dignified expression. He had been teaching Aranya since he rescued her from the pit, in both literary and martial arts to ensure she was skilled in both departments. Despite the fact that he was her teacher, they had a very deep and understanding relationship that had never been strained over trivial matters. At the same time, Mo had been a pillar of support to her; his influence as an immortal prince had been also of help with her difficult and unpredictable family.

From a distance, Chen Ye watched as Aranya and her master took a walk in the hills, away from Aranya's family, talking as they explored the scenery of the hills. Chen Ye saw how happy and playful she was, chatting and joking with Mo. He had hardly seen that side of her when she was with him. He knew her behaviour while with him had to do with her family and how they treated her.

That night, Lord Xiangli invited Mo for dinner at the imperial palace. Aranya didn't know what was the occasion, but Chen Ye and Xize were also invited.

That night, she finally found out it was Chen Ye and Junuo's official engagement ceremony. They had been betrothed since Junuo's birth, so Aranya had known that Chen Ye 'belonged' to Junuo. As betrothal in the past was an arrangement by parents for their children, Aranya wondered if Junuo did love Chen Ye. She had found Junuo smiling to herself and looking at her own palm a number of times, when Junuo had least expected her to notice.

Years after, Aranya would still remember how Chen Ye smiled at Junuo that night and held her hand, calling her his little meimei. She failed to see through Chen Ye's act.

That night, she instead engrossed herself in idle chatter with Master Mo, asking about his family at the West Sea, what he had seen while away from Fanyin Valley, where he had gone in the past few months.

Master Mo knew Aranya had grown up, despite that she had almost reached her fortieth year of immortal age. Just a year ago, Aranya's husband in name, Lord Xize, had appointed Chen Ye himself to succeed him as Archmage. Xize continued to live at the Qinan Palace in freedom and without any worry for love or relationship, which he said he will not be pulled into.

Mo had felt that the relationship between Aranya and Chen Ye were not as simple as being just cousins. Aranya had told him herself of her first meeting with Chen Ye at 4 years old.  However, over the years that Chen Ye was not in seclusion, they had spent considerable time together. Mo felt for Aranya, but as her teacher he had to keep his distance and know his limits. He just wanted her to be happy. He was aware that his feelings for his own disciple was one-sided; yet he didn't know that the man Aranya loved actually loved her back.

Aranya decided to leave the ceremony early on the pretext she was tired and unwell. The newly engaged couple had been watching Aranya and Mo; what was it that Junuo had in mind, and why was Chen Ye constantly stealing glances at them?

Aranya retired to her room early, where she went to her pet serpent, Prince Qing and began speaking to him. Whenever she was upset, she had Qing. Despite him being a snake, she had seen him as a brother, hence his nickname "Prince". The snake slithered over her and returned her affection by 'tasting' her pale skin with his tongue. Chacha came in with a bowl of warm soup for her mistress, which she had and immediately went to bed after that.

She lay down in bed, wide awake and lost in a sea of thoughts. Why was life so hard? Why was it so hard for her to accept that Chen Ye would move on without her? After all, they did have a betrothal, and even she herself was married to his master. Who was she to think that he would not get married, just because she liked him?

She told herself, she had to get over her feelings for Chen Ye. Chen Ye's lack of feelings for her had been one of the many reasons for her to accept her engagement and later marriage to Xize.

She wondered if things would have turned out differently if she was the one born out of a pure marriage, not a forced marriage where her father had married his late brother's widow, and then bore him children. It had taken her years to realize this was why her mother hated her, while not caring much about Changdi and just letting her be amidst her spoiled behaviour (she was spoiled rotten by her father), while Junuo had always been her favourite.

The ceremony had ended. Chen Ye passed by Aranya's courtyard, not able to help but feel concerned if Aranya was well and if she had slept. He left one of his master's tonics with Chacha, bidding her to give it to her mistress in the morning.

Hopefully, her health would improve, and he wouldn't have to worry about her health. Now that he was Fanyin's Archmage, he had to devote himself to doing as much as he could for the citizens, but he hoped to be able to help her as much as he could as well.