At the sound of the final note, silence spread throughout campsite.

"I've sung poorly..." Muxue said softly, as if hiding her un-fallen tears.

"No" The soldier who had played the instrument immediately spoke out. "It_ It was lovely"

Muxue smiled quietly and looked down at her hands.

"Fool, to have wasted your life waiting"

Tsai Xuan's words had been cruel, but Muxue only smirked inside. She knew the man was hiding his guilt behind his harsh cold words. Not responding to him, Muxue look back at the bonfire.

"You never met him. You know nothing about him. Why do you want to marry him?"

Muxue's silence only irritate Tsai Xuan more.

"Why do you care so much about someone you don't know?"

Tsai Xuan was unaware of the ridiculous feeling of jealousy - to himself no less. He had been by Muxue side all this time and yet Muxue continues to think of someone else. He had wanted her to see him and yet her eyes was looking somewhere else.

"Muxue!" Tsai Xuan grabbed hold of her arm, wanting her to look at him.

"Don't touch me" Muxue pulled away.

"You_"

"I don't care if I'm a fool" Muxue purposely did not look at Tsai Xuan or any of the men around her. "I don't care what you think of me. Who I wait for has nothing to do with you"

Tsai Xuan fisted his hands to the side as he looked at Muxue's stubborn ways.

"Tsai Xuan..." Muxue reached for the black jade and held it tight while her eyes look at it blankly. "Surely... he must know me..."

"He doesn't!" Tsai Xuan was suddenly conflicted with emotions he didn't understand. "He does not know you exist. He didn't care about_"

"Lies!" Muxue shot back with a glare. "Tsai Xuan must knows about me. I'm his fiancé! He must know so don't lie to me!"

Muxue looked away from Tsai Xuan and face his soldiers and general. Her expression held hope as she looked toward the men. She wanted them to tell her that their Commander has spoken or mentioned her. None of them responded - instead, they all looked guilty. Her gazed met with silence so her expression went ashen.

"Our grandfathers have made the promise..." Muxue voice trembled slightly. "Because of grandfather's wish, my parents kept waiting for him... waiting... waiting..."

None of the men could bear to see Muxue so hurt.

"Tsai Xuan... he doesn't know I've been waiting?" Muxue held the jade close to her lips. "He doesn't know..."

Tsai Xuan couldn't bare it anymore and reached out to hug her, holding her tight within his embrace without a care that his men was watching him. But the soldiers all understood Tsai Xuan's feelings. For a man to hear that a woman had waited her whole life for him, who would not be moved?

"Muxue..."

"I never dared to complain... Tsai Xuan duty is to his country... I never blamed him. I never_"

"Muxue"

"I only thought to wait. Wait until he's ready to marry me... Even if he didn't have me in his heart, I thought we could at least respect each other as husband and wife" Muxue gripped onto Tsai Xuan's robe as she said sadly. "Even if he loved someone else, I would not dare to complain"

"Muxue" Tsai Xuan held her tighter, his heart beating fiercely. "Enough"

Eyes closed tight, Muxue let her tears fall. Tsai Xuan could only hold onto her protectively not knowing that the woman was laughing up a storm inside.