Noelle's gaze lingered with concern on Shao Yun, who was resting against the wall. Then she looked at the stretch of uncleaned stone road still ahead. Quietly, she made up her mind.
"Mr. Shao Yun, you've done just as much as I have—if not more. You even changed all the water buckets, so your stamina's more depleted. Please rest a bit longer. I can finish the rest on my own."
With that, she picked up her brush and resumed her work.
Shao Yun watched as Noelle, bent over, diligently scrubbed the path. Sweat rolled down her cheeks, soaking the fringe of her bangs. Yet with just a few brisk swipes, she cleaned over a meter of stone.
Why won't this kid listen to reason?!
Pushing against the weight in his limbs, Shao Yun rose slowly to his feet.
With Noelle's tireless personality, if left alone, she'd work herself into collapse.
"Noelle," Shao Yun said firmly, though his voice was low, "take a break."
"I'm fine," Noelle tried to brush him off.
But Shao Yun reached out and gently grabbed her arm, guiding her to sit down against the wall.
"No more arguing. It's lunch break now. For the sake of the Windblume Statue over there, rest."
Noelle gave a small, helpless smile. But she still looked uneasy.
"There's still a lot left to clean," she muttered.
"Take your time," Shao Yun replied, patting her shoulder. "If you finish everything today, Kaeya might ask you to tile the whole wall tomorrow!"
Noelle paused—then actually considered it. "That would look nice, wouldn't it? Tile could attract tourists to Mondstadt…"
She looked genuinely inspired, already dreaming of proposing the idea to Kaeya.
Shao Yun was stunned. It was a joke! If you tile today, they'll want you to gold-plate the place tomorrow!
"Don't take it seriously. Just rest."
Pulled back to reality, Noelle nodded and sat down beside him.
But she wasn't the type to stay still. Not even a full minute passed before she stood up again.
"Mr. Shao Yun, I'll fetch you some water—"
"Sit down. I'm not a noble who needs serving," Shao Yun barked, pulling her back.
"You just don't listen, do you?"
He reached into his Legend of the East Satchel and pulled out a sunsettia, offering it to her.
"Here. Make do with this. I don't have much else on me."
Noelle accepted the fruit, eyeing its vibrant sheen. She took a bite—and its sweetness instantly bloomed on her tongue.
"Wow, Mr. Shao Yun, this sunsettia is delicious!"
Shao Yun didn't reply. He silently took one for himself, along with a bottle of Guarma Rum, topping off his three core stats.
Noelle scarfed hers down in a few bites, patted her skirt, and immediately made to stand up again.
Girl, you're not a plough ox—stop treating yourself like one!
"Sit."
He pulled her back again. Internally, Shao Yun sighed. If only Venti and Noelle could swap traits—one's too relaxed, the other too driven!
Noelle looked at him stubbornly. "Mr. Shao Yun, I really feel fine now. I'm not tired anymore."
Shao Yun was starting to get exasperated. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his tone level.
"When you're tired, that means you've already hit your limit. You're fifteen—a kid. You've already outperformed people twice your age! But you need proper rest, proper nutrition, and yes—fun. If you break yourself now, what will happen later?"
Hearing the word fun, Noelle reacted like a startled cat.
"But I can't afford to rest," she blurted, voice strained with anxiety. "Everyone else is so capable..."
Shao Yun looked at her tense expression and sighed.
"Who is 'everyone'? Jean? Amber? Lisa? Kaeya? How many people are in the Knights? You're already the top of your age group."
Noelle furrowed her brows, clearly struggling to process this new way of thinking.
"I…"
She tried to say something but faltered, dazed.
Shao Yun realized he'd unexpectedly stepped into the role of counselor. Usually, it was the priests or sisters who gave him advice.
Another breath. Calm voice.
"Noelle, I'm not saying this to puff you up. But you've already accomplished more than most fully-fledged Knights. You're just fifteen. It's okay to relax a little."
His words seemed to land. Noelle looked down, mumbling to herself.
"I still feel like I'm not working hard enough… If I were as good as you say, why am I not a Knight yet?"
She quickly added, "Not that I'm doing it just to become one! I want to serve the people of Mondstadt. I just… I want to earn the right to wear that armor!"
"So… you want recognition."
She froze for a moment. Then bit her lip and whispered, "Yes. That's what I want. I want to prove I'm good enough—that I can be a real Knight."
The truth, finally spoken aloud.
Shao Yun smiled wryly. He wasn't used to these heart-to-heart talks. He tried to think—what would Swanson the priest or that sister at the station say?
After a pause, he looked her in the eye and asked:
"A true Knight needs a kind heart and great strength. But do you know what else they need?"
Noelle furrowed her brows. "No…"
"Want my advice?"
She nodded slowly. "Okay."
Shao Yun softened his tone.
"I heard about what you did—rescuing someone stranded in Dragonspine. You dragged them back down the mountain through a blizzard, didn't you? Got sick. Nearly collapsed."
Noelle nodded like it was no big deal. "Yeah. So?"
"There it is," Shao Yun said gently. "You have to learn to protect yourself too."
"If the storm had worsened, or you couldn't find that person, what would've happened? You need to survive to keep saving people. When it's not life or death, don't…"
"But what about you, Mr. Shao Yun?" she interrupted, confused and a little upset. "When you chased the Stormterror Bandit, you left us behind and came back with him. Didn't you risk your life too?"
He froze. Words caught in his throat.
There was so much she didn't know: the nun's elemental marker, Amber's warning, even the bumbling treasure hoarders who inadvertently led him straight to his target.
And even then, catching the monster bird hadn't been a sure thing.
He was a man who had hunted outlaws, stared down killers. Noelle… sweet, trusting Noelle, was a world apart.
But he couldn't say all that.
Instead, he softened the truth.
"Because his glider was broken. He fell, got hurt, couldn't run far. I was on horseback—it wasn't that heroic."
"I wasn't alone either. The nun marked it. Amber gave me a heads-up. Others pointed me the way."
"And let's be honest—you think you wouldn't fall for his disguise? You're so kind, Noelle. If the enemy pretended well enough, you wouldn't see through it."
Noelle sat in silence, his words weighing heavy.
Shao Yun's heart sank a little. Maybe he'd said too much. But this was a lesson she had to learn.
"I'm not trying to hurt your confidence," he said gently. "But when you're in over your head, ask for help. Don't take everything on alone. And take care of yourself. Understand?"
He let that hang. If she didn't take it well, maybe it was time to change topics.
But Noelle finally smiled.
"Thank you, Mr. Shao Yun. I'll remember what you said today."
He smiled too, watching her spirits rise again.
If you only raise problems and never help solve them, that's not mentoring—that's just nitpicking.
Her face brightened, curiosity returning. "Do you have any more advice?"
Shao Yun chuckled to himself. He did, actually. But this one was easier.
"Of course. Let me ask you something. How old are you?"
Noelle blinked. "I'm fifteen."
He nodded. "And Amber?"
She thought for a moment. "Sixteen?"
"Exactly. Amber is sixteen. You're fifteen. See the problem?"
Noelle tilted her head, confused.
"…What problem?"
"You're too young," Shao Yun said, grinning.
Noelle's eyes widened.
"What?!"
Mouth agape, she looked like she'd been hit by lightning.
She struggled to respond, trying to digest the information. "But… but the Spark Knight…"
Shao Yun sighed. Ah, so that's where the misconception came from.
"You mean Klee? She's an elf. Could live thousands of years. How could you compare yourself to her?"
He added with a smirk, "You and Klee are about the same when it comes to being adorably naïve."
Noelle flushed red, hiding her face in her knees.
Shao Yun nudged her gently. "Will you be sixteen by the next Knight exam?"
She looked up sheepishly. "No…"
He tried to comfort her. "Don't get discouraged. I probably should've told you later. Sorry for the blow."
Noelle pouted, then took a breath, brushed her cheeks, and steeled herself again.
Her eyes lit up with determination.
"I did feel a bit disappointed. But if I gave up just because of a few words, I wouldn't be Noelle!"
Shao Yun pumped his fist dramatically. "That's the spirit! That's the Noelle I know—never giving up!"
Noelle stood tall. "I'll still take every Knight exam, even if I'm not old enough. I won't waste a single chance to prove myself."
"And I'll work on learning to protect myself, too. Thanks, Mr. Shao Yun. Really."