Seeing that Shao Yun was alright, Noelle finally let out a breath of relief. She lightly patted his shoulder and smiled. "So, it really is you. You scared me—I thought you were a homeless guy who passed out from the cold."
What kind of homeless person has the ability to get up on Mondstadt's city wall defense? Wouldn't it make more sense to just go to the Favonius Cathedral? The clerics and sisters there are pretty charitable. They'd probably take someone in.
Shao Yun rubbed the sleep from his eyes, still hazy. He looked around, dazed by the bright morning sun that now blanketed the land in golden light.
He stood up, stretched his stiff limbs, and greeted Noelle.
"Morning."
Relieved that he was unharmed and even able to say hello, Noelle relaxed—but curiosity soon stirred within her.
"Mr. Shao Yun, what are you doing up here on the wall? As far as I know, this area is part of Mondstadt's defense perimeter—it's not open to civilians..."
Shao Yun, still not fully awake, blurted out whatever came to mind.
Scratching his head awkwardly, he said, "Ah, well… I was just out enjoying the view last night and somehow wandered up here..."
But as Noelle's expression grew increasingly skeptical, his voice trailed off. He was telling the truth—though, not the whole truth.
Still, it wasn't exactly a lie either. He really had come to enjoy the view.
Noelle's gaze sharpened—clearly, she didn't buy a single word. Hands on her hips, she replied sternly, "Mr. Shao Yun, I may be young, but I'm not that naive. Maybe you could sell that story to Klee."
Hearing her say she was less gullible than Klee almost made Shao Yun burst out laughing.
You and Klee, huh? Both kinda childish. Naïve, easy to trust others... only the Fatui, dumb as oxen, wouldn't fall for that.
And, to be fair, what he just said was pretty lame.
Noelle considered the Knight's manual, wondering how to handle unauthorized intruders in restricted zones.
There was only one answer: subdue the intruder and take them in for questioning.
She snapped back to attention and saw Shao Yun sitting silently, with a half-smile that could easily be mistaken for the smirk of a treasure hoarder or a Fatui agent.
"Mr. Shao Yun," Noelle warned, her tone sharp, "please tell the truth. Otherwise, I'll have to follow protocol—subdue you and bring you to the Knights."
Her fists clenched as if ready for a real fight.
Shao Yun quickly dropped the smirk. Seeing the determination in her eyes and the clenched fists, he got a bit nervous.
Not because he feared her strength, but because if they did fight, Noelle wouldn't last. If he went easy and lost, he'd be the West's biggest joke. But if he won—well, beating Noelle would be like racing a Ferrari against a wheelchair. No glory in that.
He scrambled for an excuse—then suddenly had an idea.
He pulled out the temporary city defense permit.
"Noelle, look at this!"
She took the card and examined it carefully.
"The handwriting and stamp do look like Acting Grand Master Jean's... but this is just a card, not standard Knight's documentation. Still seems suspicious."
Still not buying it?!
Seeing she was about to hand it back with the same skeptical look, Shao Yun, brain still sluggish from sleep, decided to spin a story—starting with his recent feat of catching the Stormterror Bandit.
"Noelle, remember how I caught that treasure hoarder boss—Stormterror Bandit?"
"Yeah, but what does that have to do with you being up here?" she asked, frowning, not seeing the connection.
Perfect—she was nibbling the bait.
Shao Yun took a breath and doubled down. "It's totally related! Makes perfect sense, trust me."
"Explain."
Noelle's tone was still serious, but if you gave her a halfway convincing story, she'd believe even the most ridiculous things.
Seeing her ready to listen, Shao Yun went for broke.
"I caught the treasure hoarder boss, so the Adventurers' Guild bumped me up to higher-level requests. Then I received a kind of... volunteer assignment from the Knights. You know, when the Knights outsource stuff—like deliveries or cleaning. You know how that works, right?"
That last part clicked.
Noelle's expression eased a little.
It made sense—Shao Yun had gained recognition for catching the monster bird, and the Knights did outsource minor tasks due to limited manpower.
"Oh, so you're like me then. Not an official Knight, but still helping out?"
Noelle completed the thought herself, forming a nice little logic loop that made the whole thing believable.
Shao Yun saw she bought it and nodded furiously. "Yeah, yeah! Just like that!"
He added with a chuckle, "I've gotta work harder—Paimon eats so much I need the extra coin just to keep up!"
A mix of truth and nonsense—always the most convincing approach. Noelle's expression softened.
"Oh, so you really care about Paimon a lot."
Shao Yun kept the joke going. "Lumine's income alone can't feed her."
Looks like she bought it. Shao Yun exhaled, finally at ease.
But just as he thought it was over, Noelle's eyes sparkled—like she'd just found a kindred spirit.
"Mr. Shao Yun, if that's the case... then we're working toward the same goal!"
"...What do you mean?"
He noticed the cleaning brushes and buckets next to her.
"What's all this for?"
Bright and cheerful, Noelle beamed. "Captain Kaeya gave me an urgent mission!"
Shao Yun studied her face. That look… a bit too eager. Like someone trapped in a dream.
Kaeya. Urgent mission. That set off alarms.
"What kind of mission needs brushes?"
Her eyes sparkled with admiration. "Captain Kaeya said the walkways on Mondstadt's walls need a thorough cleaning—to keep Knights from slipping on grime!"
Shao Yun looked at the endless wall and was speechless.
He stared, dumbfounded. "You're… Noelle, you're really scrubbing the entire wall? Kaeya told you that?"
She nodded with a proud smile. "Yep! It's a vital job—I'm helping protect Mondstadt!"
Poor kid, still thinks she's not naive. After Grand Master Varka took most of the Knights, Mondstadt barely has enough to keep peace. No one even patrols these walls anymore!
"Kaeya sent you alone? I see two brushes. Someone else helping?"
Noelle shook her head. "Just me. I brought two brushes in case one breaks. Can't afford delays. I plan to finish in one day."
This is full-blown PUA abuse. A 15-year-old scrubbing castle walls? He had to report Kaeya for this—though if Kaeya handled the complaint himself, it'd be a comedy sketch waiting to happen.
He tried a scare tactic—an old grandma's trick to stop kids from misbehaving.
"You sure? This wall stretches forever. Even if you survive, you'll be half-dead!"
Noelle hesitated, then suddenly grabbed Shao Yun's hands, energized. "But with your help, I know we can do it in a day!"
Shao Yun froze. Wait, what? He stared at her, stunned. Only one thought came to mind:
"What the hell?"
Noelle held out a brush, eyes gleaming with hope, smiling as she handed it to him.
He wanted to refuse. But her look of trust and excitement froze him. He dumbly accepted the brush.
"See? You're just like me—helping the Knights!" she chirped. "Let's give it our best!"
Shao Yun looked at the brush, then at Noelle already scrubbing away, dumbfounded.
He slapped his forehead and muttered, "Damn my mouth. Should've said I was drunk and wandered up here!"
Still, watching Noelle's earnest figure, the frustration faded. He followed her lead, brush in hand.
Now and then, he glanced at the city inside and the fields outside.
When his eyes drifted to the Knights' HQ in the distance, he gritted his teeth and growled under his breath:
"Kaeya, I swear I'll kill you…"
…
Meanwhile, Kaeya, sneaking a break at HQ, suddenly shivered and looked out the window.
"Windblume above, why does it suddenly feel chilly in here?"
…
Time passed slowly under physical strain.
Shao Yun and Noelle kept scrubbing, changing the water countless times.
The sun rose higher, blazing at the zenith, casting golden rays over the wall.
Sweat dripped from Shao Yun's chin, soaking his collar. He never stopped—quietly grinding through it, matching Noelle's pace.
By the end, even the air felt solid. Only the rasp of brushes filled the silence.
Then—suddenly—the system chimed.
[Core HP: 77% (Normal). Estimated Time Remaining: 92 hours.]
[Core Stamina: 27% (RED). Estimated Time Remaining: 11 hours.]
[Core Elemental Energy: 99% (Perfect). Estimated Time Remaining: 119 hours.]
[System Alert: You have been overexerting for 6.2 hours. Please rest. Continuing at this rate will significantly reduce HP. Treasure your life.]
Shao Yun was stunned. Even with Vision-based stamina reduction, he was already that drained?
He stopped, turned to Noelle. "Noelle, how much have we cleaned?"
She paused, glanced behind. "A bit more than half."
That was it. Any more, he'd actually collapse.
Shao Yun dropped the brush, slumped against the wall, and waved her over.
"Break time."