Sunlight spilled over the quiet beach, casting dazzling reflections off the golden sand.
By the beautiful seaside, Klee sat beside Shao Yun, fiddling with colorful seashells as she carefully strung them into a necklace.
Shao Yun stood nearby, pulling out a special freshwater fishing bait—don't ask why he didn't use seawater bait; Lagras' Bait Shop just didn't sell it!
With a gentle flick of his wrist, the bait arced through the air and landed on the shimmering sea surface.
As he fished, the two chatted idly. Klee excitedly shared bits and pieces from her adventures.
She talked about the delicious snacks that Lisa had prepared for her, the snowball fights she had with Albedo on Dragonspine, and the cozy times Sucrose spent playing with her and Dodoco.
When she finished her stories, she turned curiously to Shao Yun and asked, "Does Shao Yun big brother have any stories?"
Shao Yun paused for a moment, lost in thought. After a brief silence, he sighed and said slowly, "There's a lot I don't quite remember anymore… but I can tell you a few fun ones."
Klee nodded eagerly. "Klee wants to hear your stories, Shao Yun big brother!"
After thinking for a moment, Shao Yun gave her a small reminder. "Alright, but don't tell anyone else what I'm about to say."
Klee nodded solemnly, her eyes full of anticipation.
Taking a deep breath, Shao Yun began recounting the harrowing tale of hunting a bear with Hosea.
Klee had no idea, the bear had stood at least three meters tall when it rose up, roaring at him and a man named Hosea. 'I was nearly taken down by that beast, but lucky for me, I was quick on the draw and managed to scare it off! Otherwise, I wouldn't be standing here today.'
Then, Shao Yun shared more camp stories.
"One time, a cougar was chasing a guy named Dutch. Everyone panicked, but then 'One-Shot Uncle' stepped up—his aim was flawless. He took one shot, bang—and that cougar hit the ground. Dutch was saved because of it!"
"And there was Pearson, our camp cook. I'd rather call him 'The Tiger of the Van der Linde Gang'. He once made us a stew with skunks, frogs, and squirrels!"
Shao Yun continued, "But to be fair, the man was impressive. He used to be a ship cook. One time, his ship got stranded at sea for fifty days. With food and water running out, people were ready to give up."
"But somehow, Pearson, with the little bit of sense he had, used a barrel of salted beef, some mushrooms growing on the boat, and a few sharks to keep everyone alive—and even got them back to base in one piece."
…
After the stories, Shao Yun sang Klee one of Javier's favorite songs, "Cielito Lindo."
"There on Morena Mountain, a girl so fair, the lovely Cielito descends from the heights, her black eyes deep with longing, oh beautiful Cielito, oh girl of feeling... Ayayay, sing, don't cry…"
Klee was enchanted. Shao Yun's solo voice had a magnetic charm. But if he ever sang in a duet, it was a disaster—always off-beat...
After the song, Klee tilted her head and curiously asked, "Shao Yun big brother, why aren't any of your stories about the Honorary Knight big sister?"
Looking at Klee's innocent face, Shao Yun couldn't help but smile. "Because back then, I hadn't met Lumine yet. She wasn't my companion or my fellow traveler."
"Those past days may have been memorable, but if you ask me to go back to that life, I honestly wouldn't want to."
"Why not?" Klee asked, puzzled.
Shao Yun didn't know how to answer. He didn't want to dwell on the past, but…
"Because I have Lumine now," he said with a soft smile. "Her presence made my world feel more whole, more beautiful. The time I've spent with her… those are the most precious moments of my life. That's why I don't want to go back."
…
As the conversation faded, Shao Yun returned to fishing, and Klee continued making her necklace.
A while later, Klee paused her work. The shells she'd collected were now beautifully strung into a handmade necklace.
Holding it up carefully, she exclaimed, "Shao Yun big brother, I finished the necklace!"
Shao Yun looked at the necklace in her hands, his eyes full of admiration. "It's beautiful. You've got such skillful hands. Acting Grand Master Jean will definitely love this gift."
Klee beamed at the praise, her laughter ringing across the beach like wind chimes.
But just then, Shao Yun's gaze grew distant. He was pulled into a memory.
He recalled taking little Jack fishing—how Jack got bored and started weaving flower crowns instead.
And then… they were ambushed by Pinkerton agents.
But this is Teyvat! Those annoying men couldn't possibly show up here.
Suddenly, a loud braying shattered the calm of the beach.
"Aah—ugh—Aah—ugh!"
The bizarre sound made Shao Yun frown. 'A donkey? Where the hell is that coming from?'
He reeled in his fishing line and turned around.
In the distance, two lavishly dressed noble youths rode toward him on two small donkeys.
Shao Yun blinked. No way… are they Pinkerton agents? That's impossible! Even if they were gods among men, they couldn't have followed me to Teyvat! Besides, all I did was off a few Fatui thugs at a tavern and rob the Northland Bank… Nothing too dramatic… right?'
Wait… their outfits are way too flashy for that.
The two noble youths arrived in front of him and dismounted gracefully from their donkeys.
One of them looked him over with a proud smirk, clearly sizing him up.
"You must be Shao Yun. Just as valuable as we were told."
Shao Yun narrowed his eyes, examining the two nobles who had appeared out of nowhere.
"Out of courtesy, shouldn't you introduce yourselves first?" he said coldly. They hadn't even made proper eye contact, completely lacking in manners.
"I'm Milton Lawrence. This is my brother, Ross Lawrence. We come from the famed Lawrence noble house of Mondstadt." His voice had that special kind of tone—one that dripped with disdain for anyone beneath him.
Shao Yun's eyes widened like copper bells at those names. No way…
"What! What did you say your names were?!"
Milton Lawrence assumed Shao Yun was some country bumpkin who had never seen a noble.
He raised his chin, rolled his eyes, and smirked in disdain. "Hmph. If this were the old days, a peasant like you would've been executed for that tone. I'll say it again: I am Milton Lawrence, and this is my brother, Ross Lawrence."
A swirl of complex emotions rose in Shao Yun. The name Milton had once belonged to a true gentleman—yet adding "Lawrence" to it turned it into the name of an arrogant snob?
And those names… what are the odds?
Shao Yun recalled that condescending look Milton had given him and thought to himself, 'Did he just roll his eyes at me?'
Anger boiled within him. He reached for his holster, ready to teach these two clowns a lesson.
But just then, Klee pointed at them and declared in her soft, childish voice, "You're the bad Lawrence guys! Eula big sister told me—you're all bad people!"
Ross Lawrence's gaze darkened instantly. He stared at Klee and growled menacingly, "Little brat, I don't like your tone. In the old days, kids like you would be hung on the city gates for such disrespect!"
Klee, for all her explosive power, was still just a child.
Frightened by Ross' threat, her face froze. She quickly hid behind Shao Yun, clutching his coat tightly and muttering, 'Bad guys… bad guys…'
Shao Yun's face turned ashen. He never imagined someone would dare to openly threaten a child—Klee—right in front of him. Were nobles really this fearless?
His fists clenched, joints cracking.
"I'll give you one more chance. Apologize to Klee, sincerely, or I swear—you'll regret it."
Ross and Milton exchanged a glance. Milton shrugged dismissively and muttered, "Sorry, alright? Happy now?"
Shao Yun's fury nearly exploded.
His hand shot toward his revolver, but just before drawing it, he remembered Klee—he couldn't let her see him kill someone.
His hand froze mid-motion. He inhaled deeply, forcing the anger down.
Autumn may be far away, but debts are best collected in season.
He slowly lowered his hand and pointed at each of them.
"I've got your faces burned into memory. This won't be forgotten. You better be ready when I come looking for you."
Milton Lawrence smirked, thinking Shao Yun had chickened out. "No need to wait. We actually came looking for you. You should feel honored that a noble house like the Lawrences would take an interest in you!"
Shao Yun clamped his hands over Klee's ears. What he was about to say was… not child-friendly.
"Mondstadt's a big place—why don't you two go pollute the air somewhere else?"
Milton looked stunned by the sudden verbal assault, standing frozen for a moment before replying with irritation.
"Is that any way to speak to a noble?"
Shao Yun sneered. "Oh, you're nobles? I thought you were the president and vice president of the Moron Society. You—'Dumb-Dumb Duncer Supreme.' And him—'Sniveling Bootlicker in Chief.'"
Milton's face darkened in an instant. No one had ever insulted them so viciously.
In Mondstadt, the Lawrence name was still enough to inspire 'respect'—or fear. But Shao Yun clearly didn't give a damn.
"Such filthy language. You're nothing but a country bumpkin!" Milton roared. "In the past, talking to a noble like that would get your whole family executed!"
Unfazed, Shao Yun replied mockingly, "The past? You keep talking about 'the past.' I've met mushrooms with more brains than you. Why don't you go pollute someone else's air, you rotting-skinned sewer rat?"
His voice rose, his insults sharper and nastier.
Pointing at both of them, he shouted, "You two should take a long look in the mirror. You look like malnourished bobbleheads! And you—you've clearly been sat on by a donkey as a child! Even the most basic Hilichurl looks better than either of you!"
The two Lawrences were furious.
But what could they do?
They couldn't out-argue him… and they sure as hell couldn't win a fight…