"We can leave at sunset if you guys don't mind" Shushin said
"I will ask the servants to bring our things." Ziyi replied
Jianguo grasped Shushin's hands and pulled her out of the house, his eyes filled with a mixture of desperation and frustration. "Can't you stay a little longer?" he implored; his voice tinged with a hint of pleading.
Shushin's sigh was weary but firm. "You already know my answer," she said quietly, her expression betraying the deep sadness within her heart.
Jianguo's shoulders squared, his anger evident in his next words. "And what is your answer?" he exclaimed in anguish. "You know very well that I do not agree to this marriage that my father has arranged for me"
"Do you think that I allowed you approached me without knowing anything about you?" Shushin shot back, her voice steady yet tinged with gentle reproach. "You're curious, aren't you? How did I know that you're a prince even though you didn't tell me? I know even more, from your mom story to you"
Jianguo paused, his eyes widening slightly at her words. "You're right," he admitted. "I am curious. But how do you know all this?"
Shushin smiled gently, her eyes never leaving his face. "I listen, Jianguo," she said softly. "I listen, and I observe. I pay attention to what people say and what they don't say."
Jianguo's frustration flared for a moment before he let out a deep sigh, his shoulders slumping in resignation.
"But I don't know everything," Shushin continued, her tone sympathetic yet firm. "I can't answer all your questions."
Jianguo turned to her, his expression a mixture of pain and curiosity. "Then what are you talking about? You said you know my mother's story."
Shushin took a deep breath before responding. "Yes, I do know about your mother," she affirmed, her voice filled with a hint of sadness. "She was a princess from another country, from a family of good reputation. She married your father for love, but only she loved him because he betrayed her with another woman."
Jianguo's expression darkened at the mention of his mother's heartbreak, but he didn't say anything. Shushin continued, her voice soft yet firm.
"But because she was from another country, she didn't know much about your father except what she saw or what he wanted her to see. She didn't know how ugly he was."
Jianguo's shoulders tensed, his jaw clenching as he listened to the words that he knew were true, but still stung to hear. Shushin carried on, her gaze steady and unwavering.
"Your mother disappeared after giving birth to you," she said gently. "She might have gone back to her hometown, or perhaps not. Nobody knows for sure."
Jianguo's eyes flickered with sadness and anger as he tried to internalize this information. "You know a lot," he muttered, his voice laced with sarcasm. "But even with all this, you still don't know where she is?"
Shushin's expression softened, her voice filled with a hint of understanding. "I know a lot, but not everything," she replied gently. "I apologize if I can't give you all the answers you seek."
Jianguo's fists clenched at his sides, his frustration mounting. "Then what good are you?" he shot back; his voice edged with bitterness.
Shushin's eyes widened at the harshness of his tone, but she didn't shrink back. "I'm just a friend," she said simply, her voice calm and steady. "I never claimed to have all the answers. I listen and observe, and I share what I know. But I can't force knowledge upon you. The truth isn't always easy to hear."
Jianguo's anger deflated at her words, replaced by a mixture of guilt and frustration. He turned away; his gaze fixed on the ground.
"Why must you always be so mysterious?" he muttered, his voice tinged with a hint of hurt.
"I just don't want to give you more riddles than answers. I can only share what I know, and sometimes, it's not as much as you hope."
Jianguo let out a deep sigh, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Sometimes I wonder if there's any point in asking you anything," he muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Shushin smiled faintly, a hint of humor in her eyes as she replied, "Maybe the point is to learn to accept that not everything can be explained. Sometimes, the mystery itself is the lesson."
Jianguo shot her a sidelong glance, his expression a mix of annoyance and reluctant admiration. "You always have an answer for everything, don't you?" he muttered, his voice tinged with a hint of resignation.
Shushin's voice was steady and firm as she spoke. "You didn't save me to be nice," she began, her gaze fixed on Jianguo. "And please, stop acting like my decision ruined your life. If I had trusted you, I would be the one with a ruined life."
Her words were tinged with a hint of resignation, as if she had spent too long holding back her feelings.
"You made a choice, and it led us here. Don't act like you're only here out of obligation or duty."
Jianguo's eyes flickered with an internal struggle, his pride and stubbornness warring with the truth in her words. He looked away again, his jaw clenching as he tried to come up with a response.
"You can't deny the truth," Shushin continued, her voice steady and unwavering. "You knew what you were doing. You chose this path. Don't try to act like you're innocent."
Jianguo's shoulders slumped in defeat, his eyes still averted from her intense gaze. He knew she was right, but his pride made it hard for him to admit it. He didn't say anything, his silence speaking louder than any words he could've said.
Jianguo stared at her, his expression a mix of surprise and guilt. He recognized the undercurrent of disappointment and hurt in her voice, and he couldn't deny the truth in her words. He took a step back, "I…." he began, his voice faltering.
"It's the truth," Shushin cut him off, her voice firm yet gentle. "You chose to use me, and now you're acting like the victim. But you're not. I trusted you, and you betrayed that trust. That's on you."
Shushin's voice was tinged with a hint of bitterness as she spoke. "I knew it would end soon," she admitted, her gaze averted. "I kept ignoring the truth, pretending that you cared about me when I knew it was just a lie. I acted like you actually cared because I didn't want to feel completely alone." Her words hung in the air; the weight of her honesty palpable.
Jianguo's heart ached at her confession, his eyes widening with a mixture of guilt and remorse. He hadn't expected such vulnerability from her, and it shook him to his core. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat, his mind racing with conflicting thoughts and emotions.
Shushin continued, her voice growing stronger as she bared her soul. "I wanted to believe it was real. But I knew it wasn't. I was just a pawn in your game, meant to be discarded when the time was right." Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, her pain and disappointment evident.
Shushin chuckled bitterly as she spoke, her tear-filled eyes fixed on Jianguo. "Sometimes," she began, her voice shaking with a hint of self-deprecation, "I wish I could just be nothing at all. I want to befriend people who may hurt me, destroy my life, and yet forget all the hurt, just remembering the happiness in our connection. I know it's immature and irresponsible, but I can't help but yearn for something different."
She paused, her emotions raw and fragile, before continuing. "You thought you could keep me in the dark, didn't you? You thought you could fool me with your lies. Well, you were wrong. I knew all along that you were only there because Haoran made you. But I still held on to hope, like a foolish girl dreaming of fairytales."
Jianguo spoke up, his voice filled with a hint of frustration. "You don't understand," he protested, his expression torn between guilt and defensiveness.
Shushin cut him off, her voice rising in volume and hurt. "I understand perfectly," she retorted. "You lied to me. Over and over again. And you think your intentions were good? You think lying to me was somehow justified?"
She continued, her tears now falling freely as her voice trembled. "You had countless chances to come clean, but you chose to deceive me every single time. You don't know me at all, if you thought what you were doing was okay. You have no idea how much it hurts."
Jianguo stood there, his eyes fixed on the floor, the weight of her words like a slap to his face. He knew she was right; he had been caught in a web of his own lies, and now the truth was unraveling before his eyes.
"You don't really know me," Jianguo interrupted, his voice edged with a mixture of frustration and desperation. "My intentions, they weren't ugly." He took a step forward, his eyes pleading with her to believe him.
Shushin's eyes locked with Jianguo's, her voice laced with a mix of exhaustion and determination.
"People change, they say, and we judge them by how they treat us, not how they treat others," she began, her words carrying a weight of realization. "But I can't be naive and easygoing with these words. I can't believe them, no matter how much I try to convince myself."
As Jianguo listened intently, his expression stoic, Shushin continued with a clearer tone, her voice strained with the weight of her emotions. "Your intentions towards me are good, and you've done good things for me," she said, her voice tinged with a mixture of gratitude and disappointment. "And I'm grateful for that, truly. This brief journey wouldn't have been as wonderful without you, but..."
She paused, her eyes searching his face for any sign of remorse or understanding but finding none. "But you betrayed a girl who loved you with another woman," she continued, her voice trembling. "Like your father did before you. I always thought he was like a magician, a powerful sorcerer, crushing every heart that came his way. How can a person live like that? Every time he takes a step, he breaks a thousand hearts... how can he ruin everyone..."
Jianguo tried to interject, offering his explanation in a desperate attempt to defend himself, "My father wanted me to marry her for more power. We didn't even like each other. That's why I cheated on her. I'm not like him. Trust me, I'm a good person."
Shushin's expression hardened, her eyes narrowing at his attempted justification. "That's the problem," she retorted, her voice rising in volume. "You think that because your intentions were not malicious, it somehow justifies your actions. But you still cheated. You still hurt someone who loved you. You may not be exactly like your father, but you're heading down the same destructive path."
Jianguo's face darkened, his jaw clenching at her accusation. "You don't understand," he muttered, his voice filled with frustration. "It's different. I don't love her. I never did. It was all a charade, a play act to please my father."
Shushin's eyes widened at his admission, a mix of disbelief and hurt washing over her face. "A charade?" she echoed; her voice filled with a hint of sarcasm. "So, you think that makes it all okay? Is it because you didn't love her, it's alright to toy with her feelings? To use her like a prop to play your father's games?"
Jianguo's expression faltered for a moment, a flicker of doubt crossing his features. He hadn't expected her to dig into the heart of the matter so bluntly. The guilt he'd suppressed earlier suddenly flared up again, fueling his frustration. "You don't know what it's like," he protested, his voice rising in volume. "You can't judge me when you've never walked in my shoes."
"Your just like your father..."
Shushin's gaze softened as he spoke, his voice filled with a mixture of pleading and anger. "Please don't look at me with those looks as if you think I'm pathetic," he pleaded, his tone laced with pain and frustration. "I really loved you. Every word I said was true. I never lied, never hid anything from you, but... I was waiting for the right time. I was waiting for you to tell me to go with you. I would have sacrificed everything for you because I loved you."
Shushin's eyes welled up with tears as she drew closer to him, her voice shaking. "I told you, "She repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. "I told you we can't be everything to each other. Whether you believe me or not, you are good, but only as a friend, not as a lover, not as a husband, and not as a father for my children. Do you understand?"
Jianguo's eyes widened at her words, the realization of her genuine feelings hitting him like a punch in the gut. He tried to speak, to protest, but his voice caught in his throat. He was at a loss for words, struggling to comprehend the depth of her emotions and the reality of her rejection.
Shushin continued, her voice trembling with emotion. "I feel pain too! Whenever I try to get close to someone, they either tell me they love me, or they hate me. Why are people so complicated? Do you love me for my looks or for my character? You don't really know my character, and my looks won't last,"
she said, her voice cracking with vulnerability. "But despite that, you make stupid promises. You say you love me, and other promises you won't keep, oh I hate love, and I hate being loved. I'd rather die for myself than die for a man. Would you sacrifice everything for me?"
Jianguo's silence spoke volumes, his face a mix of shock and hurt. He had never anticipated this turnaround in their relationship, and the reality of her unreciprocated love hit him like a wave. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He was stunned, lost in the whirlwind of her emotions, and unsure how to respond.
Shushin reached out a hand, gently touching his cheek, her touch a mix of tenderness and finality. "You don't know," she whispered, her voice tinged with sadness. "You don't know what I would sacrifice for you. You don't understand me. I don't belong to you, my sweet fool. And all the things I told you were lies. I've never lived in this house my whole life. I have lived longer and more days than you."
With that, Shushin took a step back, her expression softening ever so slightly as she gazed at him. "Let's not leave our hope in the hands of others," she finally added, her voice echoing with a mix of resignation and determination.
His heart shattered and his world turned upside down.
Jianguo's words stung with frustration and sorrow, his voice trembling slightly. "I can't respond because you're right," he admitted, a hint of resignation in his tone. "It seems I don't truly know you after all."
Shushin's outstretched hand hovered in front of him, a silent plea for a final gesture of goodwill. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke, her words a mix of self-awareness and vulnerability. "I really wanted not to lose someone else," she confessed, her eyes searching his for understanding. "But no matter how hard I try, I can't put someone before me. You can call me selfish, but I can't trust you, because you're wrong. I wish what I said to you was a lie, but you must admit to yourself that you wouldn't have loved me forever."
Jianguo's expression hardened, his frustration and anger welling up within him. Instead of shaking her hand, he slapped it away, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "Friend?" he echoed mockingly. "I don't want to be your friend."
His gaze remained fixed on her, his eyes burning with a mixture of hurt and disappointment. The laughter he let out was devoid of humor, replaced by a seething anger that simmered just beneath the surface. "That's all I am to you? Just a friend? After everything we've been through, all the time we've spent together, all the feelings we shared – I'm still just a friend in your eyes?"
His voice dripped with sarcasm as he continued speaking, the words tumbling out in a rush of pent-up frustration. "And don't give me that crap about being selfish. We both know that love involves sacrifice. You just don't want to take the risk. You're scared to put yourself out there, to give your heart fully to someone. You're hiding behind a wall, telling yourself you can't trust me. But the truth is, you just don't trust yourself."
He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous tone. "I would have given you everything. My loyalty, my devotion, my very soul. You would have been my world, my sanctuary, my everything. But you couldn't even take the chance on me. You didn't even try."
"And the fact that you think I couldn't have loved you forever?" he bit out, his eyes boring into hers. "That just shows how little you know about me. I would have loved you until my dying breath."
His anger momentarily overwhelmed him, his voice rising in volume and intensity. "You keep saying you can't trust me, but you have no idea what I'm capable of. You don't know the depths of my love for you. You just can't see it."
He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. "You think you're protecting yourself by keeping me at arm's length? Well, let me tell you something, Shushin. You're not protecting yourself. You're only hurting both of us."
Jianguo's voice softened slightly, a trace of pleading in his tone. "You don't have to hold everything inside. Let me in. Trust me. Let me show you that I can love you more deeply than anyone else ever could. I'll give you everything you need."
His eyes searched her face, looking for any sign of vulnerability or change. "Please," he whispered, the anger in his voice giving way to desperation. "Just give me a chance. Don't push me away. Let me prove to you that my love is unwavering."
But Shushin's expression remained stoic, her cold veneer seemingly impenetrable. Jianguo's heart ached as he realized that his plea had fallen on deaf ears. Frustration and anger bubbled up within him once again, but this time mixed with a profound sense of helplessness.
Shushin's voice trembled slightly as she spoke, her words laced with sadness and resignation. "I'm sorry," she began, her tone tinged with remorse. "I still have to leave. You know my identity; I can't marry a human. We can't be…"
As she spoke, her eyes met his, a mixture of pain and longing clear in her gaze. She knew how much her words would hurt him, but she also knew that there was no other choice. The weight of her decision weighed heavily on her shoulders, and she struggled to keep her composure.
Jianguo's eyes widened slightly at her words, her coldness sending a pang through his heart. He wanted to respond, to try to convince her to stay, but as she announced her intention to leave, a wave of resignation washed over him.
"It's not that I don't care about you," she continued, her voice wavering slightly. "It's just that our worlds are too different. I belong in the magic realm, and you belong here, among mortals. I can't risk the consequences of defying the gods. I hope you understand."
Jianguo stood there, listening to her words with a heavy heart. He could see the pain in her eyes, the struggle between her and her obligations to her realm. There was a part of him that wanted to protest, to convince her to stay with him, but he knew deep down that it was a losing battle.
He nodded slowly, his voice betraying the hurt and resignation he felt inside. "I understand," he murmured, his words barely a whisper. "I know you have your obligations. It's just…" he trailed off, his voice catching in his throat.
He struggled to find the words, his emotions threatening to overwhelm him. "I just wish there was a way for us to be together," he continued, his voice tinged with a hint of desperation. "I can't bear the thought of losing you, of not having you in my life."
Despite his attempts to maintain composure, a tear rolled down his cheek, betraying the depth of his emotion. He reached out a hand towards her, as if to physically hold onto her one last time before she left.
"Please," he pleaded, his voice heavy with emotion. "Just promise me we'll see each other again. That this isn't the end."
His eyes searched hers, hoping against hope that she would offer him some scrap of comfort, some small lifeline to cling to. But deep down, he knew that her decision was final. She had made up her mind, and no amount of begging or pleading would change that.
He nodded again, this time the movement slow and deliberate, a final acceptance of the reality before him. He took a deep breath, mustering the last remnants of his strength and composure. "I won't ask you to stay," he said softly. "I understand the risk to you and your identity. Just… promise me one thing."
He looked directly into her eyes, his gaze intense and filled with emotion. "Promise me that you'll remember me," he said, his voice filled with a mix of hope and resignation. "That you'll never forget the time we spent together, and the way I felt about you."
He held her gaze for a moment longer, hoping against hope that his words would somehow reach her and touch her heart in some way. But deep down, he knew that it was a futile effort. She had made her choice, and his pleas would only make the pain of her departure all the more excruciating.
Shushin's gaze softened slightly as she spoke, her voice taking on an emotional quality. "I will remember you," she said, her voice firm and resolute. "Maybe you don't know this, but life in the magic realm is very long. It's true, it makes people more forgettable. But don't worry, I promise you – I will remember you."
A trace of sadness flickered across her face, but she quickly suppressed it, maintaining her composure in the face of the weight of her words.
"Our paths may diverge," she continued, her voice low and steady. "But the connection we've made, the moments we've shared, they'll always be a part of me."
She let out a slow breath, a slight tremble betraying the emotion she was trying so hard to keep at bay. "I will never forget you," she repeated, as if trying to reassure both him and her.
The weight of their situation hung heavily in the air, a palpable tension between them. Shushin's heart ached at the thought of leaving him, but she knew that she had no choice. She reached out and lightly touched his arm, as if to remind herself that he was there, that they were still together at that moment.
"You will always have a place in my heart," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "And even if we can never be together, I will carry the memories we've made with me always. You will never be forgotten; I promise you that."
She looked at him one last time, silently committing his face to memory. There were so many things she wanted to say, so many bittersweet emotions swirling inside of her. But in the end, all she could do was offer him a small, sad smile.
"I have to go now," she said finally, her voice low and tinged with remorse.
She stood there for a moment, watching him silently, then turned and walked away, her footsteps barely making a sound against the ground.
He stood there, watching silently as she prepared to leave. Part of him wanted to protest, to beg her to stay, but deep down he knew it would be futile. The truth was, he had already lost her.
He took a deep breath, his pain and frustration welling up inside of him. As she turned to leave, he found himself unable to speak, his usual confidence and charisma completely stripped away. The only thing he could do was nod silently, acknowledging her decision and watching as she walked away.
With each step she took, his heart ached more, the finality of the moment hitting him harder than he could have imagined. The realization that he had lost her was a bitter pill to swallow, and he could do nothing but stand there, watching as the distance between them grew larger with each passing second.
A voice came out and a black shadow came out from behind her: "Why are you just standing here like you're guilty? While he is the bad guy?!!!!"
"Since I shook his hands for the first time, I knew that we would never last. I waited for this day and wanted it to be nice," then she looked at her hands and said: "But it seems that the fate of those who shake my hands is to remain buried in my memories."
"Shushin…" the voice said.
"It's okay, this is not love, I don't know what love is, because my heart fooled me before. "
As Shushin stepped out of the room, a sudden chill ran down her spine, and a deep, guttural voice echoed from behind her.
"Why do you stand there like you're the one who's been wronged? When it's him who should face the blame?"
Shushin paused and took a deep breath, her expression a mixture of sadness and resignation. "Since the moment our hands first touched, I knew that our relationship was doomed to fail," she said quietly, staring at her own hands. "I had been expecting this day, hoping to make the parting as gentle as possible."
The voice behind her spoke again, a hint of concern in its tone. "Shushin…"
But she cut it off, her voice firm and resolute. "It's fine," she said, the words tinged with an undercurrent of bitterness. "This was never love. My heart has deceived me once before, and I won't let it happen again."
As she spoke, she began walking away, her footsteps slow and measured. The shadow behind her called out again, but she ignored it, focusing instead on her own thoughts and emotions. As she walked, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had failed in some way, that she had been the one at fault for the relationship's demise.
But deep down, she knew that it was more complicated than that. Their worlds were incompatible, their duties and identities too at odds to ever allow for a true, lasting relationship. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but she reminded herself to accept the reality of the situation and not let her emotions rule her.
As she walked, her mind replayed the moments leading up to this point, the laughter and moments of affection that had felt so real at the time. But ultimately, it was all just an illusion, a brief respite from the harsh realities of their circumstances.
She felt a pang of regret, a sense of wasted potential, but she pushed it aside. There was no use dwelling on what could have been. She had her duties, her responsibilities, and a commitment to her kind. She must not be swayed by human emotions or desires.
With a deep breath, she pushed onward, leaving the memories and feelings of the past behind her. She would mourn in her own time, in her own way, but for now, she had to be strong and keep moving forward.
___
After a while Shushin entered and said: "Let's go, the servants will be almost there."
"Where is Jianguo? Won't he even say goodbye?" Minghao asked
Shushin smiled: "I don't think so. You can consider this as a farewell as well, until the next meeting, if there is another meeting... "
Everyone left the house after the servants arrived with their clothes and things. Ziyi said: "But did you think of a way for us to enter?"
Lingjie: "We can take the forest path that separates the two kingdoms"
"No, we can't go this way, the capital is surrounded by cities, so if we go, we won't enter the capital right away," Shushin said as she headed towards the carriage
Ziyi got into the carriage after her and asked, "Can't we just enter any city? Why not? Aren't cities more save than the capital?"
Shushin waited until everyone came up and said: "Each city has a completely different lifestyle from the other, and the capital is the center. And its rule is in the hands of the royal family, but other cities only follow specific laws and own the rights of everything else, so entry from outside the kingdom is almost impossible. Also. the capital may be the only normal place there"
"So, what do we do?" Minghao asked
"Don't worry, we will go to the capital by a different road." Shushin said with a big smile
Are you ready to dive into a journey through the magical and beautiful cities of the Magic Kingdom?
Come with me on a journey in a kingdom inhabited by secrets and nightmares, and meet what Shu promised destiny, and witness her deadly war with fate, who will win in the end,
The witch, or the the witch fate?