After three rounds of drinks and five courses of dishes, all the fatigue seemed to melt away.
"This is the second most delicious thing I've ever eaten," Shao Yun praised sincerely.
Noelle looked puzzled and asked, "Then what's the most delicious thing you've ever had?"
Shao Yun sank into memories, the corners of his lips curling up slightly as if he could still taste that overly fishy grilled fish. He began sharing the story of how he first met Lumine and Paimon.
When he spoke of the grilled fish Lumine handed him that day, a faint trace of nostalgia appeared on his face as he slowly described the flavor.
"To be honest, her grilled fish really wasn't tasty. It had such a strong, fishy stench that it was almost inedible. But in that moment, I devoured it like I was intoxicated. I even swallowed the bones."
After saying that, Shao Yun looked up at the sky, his gaze tinged with distant memories. He continued.
"Noelle, can you understand that feeling? When someone's starving, on the brink of death, even a soup made from rotten cabbage, sour tofu, and burnt millet crust can taste like the finest delicacy — the so-called 'pearl and jade soup'. That taste, that state of mind... it's really hard to put into words now."
Noelle listened with empathy and replied, "I can understand."
Her voice carried a resonance, as if she too had been touched by the scene Shao Yun described.
Her eyes then revealed a curiosity about Shao Yun's past, as though she wanted to understand more deeply why he chose to travel with Lumine and Paimon.
So, she asked again, "Is that why you're traveling with Lumine and Paimon? Just because of a fish? There's no other reason?"
Shao Yun lowered his eyelids slightly, lost in brief thought.
His brows knitted gently as he weighed different thoughts deep in his heart. After a moment, he looked up, nodded with determination, and a faint smile tugged at his lips.
"A large part of it, yes." His voice revealed a calm acceptance.
"After all, I had nowhere else to go. Lumine was willing to bring me along, so I followed." His tone carried a hint of gratitude and relief.
Then, not forgetting to joke, he added with a grin:
"If she hadn't taken me in, you'd probably see me in the Treasure Hoarders by now. Maybe I'd be a regular 'guest' at Mondstadt's wealthier homes!"
At that, Noelle was momentarily stunned before bursting into a radiant smile brighter than the sun.
"Hahaha! Then we really owe thanks to the Honorary Knight—otherwise, Mondstadt wouldn't have had a single peaceful day!"
Looking at Noelle's smile, Shao Yun began to imagine an alternate path he might have taken in Teyvat.
Arriving in Teyvat with nowhere to go, he meets two people like Dutch and Hosea, starts a new gang, robs the rich to feed the poor, raids homes, chases dreams of a mythical Tahiti — only to collapse and fall into ruin.
Shao Yun chuckled bitterly at the thought and scratched his head.
After finishing his own story, Shao Yun naturally shifted the conversation to Noelle.
"Noelle, honestly, I really admire you," Shao Yun said with genuine sincerity. "Taking the test so many times and still not giving up — that kind of determination isn't something most people have. If it were me, I probably would've quit long ago."
He paused, then teased, "By the way, has no one ever told you there's an age limit for the knight exams?"
Hearing this, Noelle smiled awkwardly. Scratching her head, she replied a bit embarrassedly:
"Really, no one has. Maybe because of the Spark Knight, no one ever mentioned it, so I just always assumed there wasn't an age limit."
Then Shao Yun steered the topic toward her peers in Mondstadt.
Curiously, he asked, "Are you the only one around your age still focused on taking the knight exams?"
Noelle shook her head slightly, a complex expression crossing her face.
"Others my age are also chasing their dreams. But honestly, not many keep taking the knight exams after failing so many times like I have. Most would choose an easier, more comfortable path — like joining the Adventurers' Guild."
Speaking of the Adventurers' Guild, Noelle suddenly remembered something amusing. Her eyes lit up as she shared the anecdote.
"About a month ago, Guildmaster Cyrus personally came to ask me to join the Adventurers' Guild. He said that with my skills, I could become a great adventurer rivaling Mondstadt's own 'Stanley' within five years."
Shao Yun burst out laughing at that. Trying to poach recruits from the Knights? Bold move — wasn't he afraid of getting a beating?
"Guildmaster Cyrus is really something — trying to recruit you into the Adventurers' Guild like that."
Then a thought occurred to Shao Yun — the title of great adventurer sounded even more impressive than being an official knight. So why didn't she accept?
"But seriously, Noelle, have you never considered joining the Adventurers' Guild? Maybe life there would suit you better."
Noelle shook her head without hesitation, her voice filled with unwavering resolve. "Though Guildmaster Cyrus was very kind and the offer was generous, my heart has always been set on becoming a knight. It's been my dream since I was a child — something I've worked tirelessly toward."
She turned her gaze toward the distant headquarters of the Knights of Favonius.
After so many years, that place had become a symbol of her dream — something she couldn't just give up on.
"Thanks to your training, I now have a clearer sense of my own abilities. I believe that if I keep pushing forward, I'll pass the next next knight exam for sure!"
Shao Yun was moved by Noelle's determination. He praised, "That's great — staying true to your dream is admirable."
Then, not forgetting to tease again, he added, "If you don't pass the next next exam, I'll smack the examiner! If even someone as mature as you can't become a knight, then the whole knight order might as well disband!"
His words were full of humor and jest, but also of encouragement and support.
Noelle laughed out loud at that. She knew Shao Yun was joking, but his care and support still warmed her heart.
Just then, a flash of bright red streaked across the sky like a flame.
Shao Yun squinted up at the figure overhead, muttering to himself, 'Who's flying like Diluc on a bad day? What is this, Lumine got a lucky pull or something?'
That red figure rapidly closed in on the ground, descending at a speed that was downright reckless — almost suicidal.
From the trajectory, it seemed to be heading straight for the two of them like a runaway meteor.
"Noelle, run!"
They both sprang up and leapt backward. A second later, the figure from the sky crashed hard into the nearby dining table.
The table splintered on impact, wood flying everywhere in a chaotic mess.
Then, the figure slammed into a nearby stove. Under the tremendous force, the stove toppled over, embers scattering as a cloud of ash rose.
From within the dust, the red figure lay on the ground — hair a tangled mess, face covered in soot and dirt, unrecognizable.
Coughing, Shao Yun brushed off the ash on his clothes and shouted in fury, "Pft, pft! Who the hell are you?! Where did you get your flying license?! Charging in like that — you nearly launched us into the sky!"
The person lying on the ground could barely breathe, lips moving weakly as they muttered:
"Help… help… people…"
Shao Yun, still full of anger, thought the person was pleading for mercy. Enraged, he fumed, 'Beg all you want, I'm definitely reporting you to the Knights to get your license revoked…'
But as he moved closer and took a better look at the person on the ground, Shao Yun froze.
He couldn't believe his eyes. That soot-covered, disheveled figure was — Amber!
In an instant, Shao Yun's rage vanished, replaced by shock and concern. He quickly crouched down and asked anxiously, "Amber, what happened to you?"
Amber clutched at Shao Yun's pants, struggling to lift her head. Her eyes shimmered with weakness as she tried to straighten her tongue and said:
"Hilichurls… Hilichurls…"
Right, hilichurls — Teyvat's most basic monsters. Grouped with Fatui and mint as the most common things you'll find here. But surely those wouldn't scare her this badly?
Shao Yun immediately helped Amber up and sat her in a chair nearby.
Falling from such a height could've broken bones or damaged her organs.
Seeing how badly she was injured, Shao Yun pulled out a healing potion from his pack and poured it into her mouth.
"Don't speak. You look really hurt. Here, drink this," Shao Yun said gently.
But Amber scrunched her face in pain and started retching.
"Ugh~ so bitter, ugh."
Shao Yun grew even more concerned. He patted her back gently to comfort her.
"Hang in there. It's bitter, but I promise it'll help."
With his encouragement, Amber eventually stopped retching and forced herself to finish the potion.
After a while, her condition did improve slightly, though her face remained pale and her body weak.
Noelle patted Amber on the back, helping her breathe easier. Even after drinking the healing potion, Amber looked like she might faint any second.
Worried, she said, "Don't worry. Just a few hilichurls, right? If you can't handle them, I'll help."
Amber, still pale, showed no sign of quick recovery. Even with the potion, she clearly needed time — and was in great pain.
Her eyes welled with tears, threatening to spill at any moment. Hearing Noelle's words, she gently shook her head and said with a trembling voice, "It's not just a few hilichurls…"
Noelle frowned slightly, thinking maybe it was a small tribe.
"A dozen or so? That's just a small camp — call in a few knights and it should be fine."
Amber's brows furrowed again as she shook her head, rejecting the idea.
She took a deep breath to steady herself.
"Not a dozen," she said with effort, each word weighed down with dread, "It's… cough cough…"
Suddenly, a violent coughing fit cut her off. Amber doubled over, clutching her chest, face growing even paler as sweat beaded on her forehead.
Shao Yun, watching her, grew tense. Is the potion not working fast enough?
He swiftly took out a standard elixir from his pack and poured it into Amber's mouth.
If that didn't work, he'd just keep increasing the dosage!
Amber retched again after drinking, but at least some color returned to her face — a sign it was taking effect.
Seeing her improve, Shao Yun picked up from Noelle's earlier thought.
"Not a dozen… then maybe dozens? That's a bit tricky."
He patted the revolver at his waist and said confidently:
"But no worries — I'll help. Just a few shots, right?"
Amber took a deep breath and suddenly slapped both palms on Shao Yun's cheeks, fear etched in her face.
"It's thousands of hilichurls!" she enunciated, each word crashing into Shao Yun's heart like stones in a still pond.
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable weight of urgency and seriousness.
"All the hilichurls in Mondstadt are moving toward the city!" Her words exploded in Shao Yun's ears like thunder.
Her hands still cupped his cheeks, as if trying to imprint this sense of crisis directly into his mind.
Shao Yun was stunned by her words and actions, eyes wide as he stared into Amber's tense, resolute face. This wasn't a joke — she was deadly serious.
Shao Yun remembered a system alert: [Major storyline quest detected. Proceed with caution!] So, it wasn't about Noelle's thank-you meal — it was an incoming hilichurl invasion of Mondstadt!
"Oh, damn!"
Shao Yun immediately pulled out his telescope and looked toward the outskirts of the city.
But across the plains, dense forests, and winding mountains, he saw no sign of the hilichurls Amber had described.
He frowned with doubt, but one look at Amber's face — grim, focused — told him she wasn't lying.
"You're sure? I don't see anything," Shao Yun asked, lowering the telescope and eyeing her intently.
Amber nodded firmly, her gaze unshakable.
"They're still some distance from Mondstadt. I estimate they'll come into view by sunset. I didn't dare rest — I already warned Springvale."
Shao Yun looked toward the distant horizon where the sun was dipping low — less than an hour left before the hilichurls appeared.
"What the hell is going on…"