The following events unfolded just as foretold by the storyline—Dainsleif and Lumine partnered up to deal with matters involving the Abyss Order.
Shao Yun watched Lumine, now stepping into another pivotal encounter, his eyes full of concern. He asked gently, "Do you need my help?"
Lumine's gaze passed over the silent Dainsleif standing nearby before returning to Shao Yun. She smiled and answered,
"Aren't you supposed to be preparing suitable firearms for Paimon and me? You should focus on that instead. That way, we'll be more efficient in our actions."
Shao Yun recognized her subtle refusal, though he still wasn't entirely at ease. He asked again,
"How about having something to eat before you go?"
Lumine shook her head lightly, declining. "It's fine. Paimon and I will just pick a few Sunsettias on the way to tide us over."
Shao Yun shook his head helplessly. Those useless fruits can't fill your stomach!
He reached into his bag and pulled out two boiled eggs, handing them to Lumine with a warm tone. "That won't do. You need something to keep your strength up. I happen to have two boiled eggs—take them, and eat them with Paimon on the road."
Lumine accepted the eggs, a wave of warmth blooming in her chest. She looked at Shao Yun gratefully.
"Alright. Thank you."
Shao Yun patted the hat atop her head with a happy grin. "It's the least I can do."
Then he turned toward Dainsleif, and half-jokingly said to Lumine, "Be careful out there. If you run into something truly dangerous, protect yourself first. As for that pirate captain's 'relative'... well, handle him however you see fit."
Paimon, hearing Shao Yun's jab at Dainsleif, showed a faint, awkward smile. She whispered, "Dain doesn't seem like Kaeya's relative though…"
Shao Yun laughed even louder and added, "Kaeya wears an eyepatch, Dainsleif wears an eyepatch—obviously they're related."
Paimon sighed, shaking her head in exasperation. "I don't even have the strength to complain… You're just like Lumine."
"Hahaha, that's because I think she's got a point."
Shao Yun then turned to Dainsleif and reminded him with a smile, "Captain's cousin—make sure you keep Lumine and Paimon safe, alright?"
That remark made Dainsleif glance at Shao Yun a few more times, trying to grasp the deeper meaning behind the words. Pirate captain's relative? What on earth is he talking about?
After Shao Yun waved goodbye, wishing them well on their adventure and exiting the tavern, Dainsleif finally gave in to curiosity and asked Lumine,
"Is he always that humorous?"
Lumine and Paimon exchanged a glance, and Lumine shrugged with a resigned smile. "More or less."
Dainsleif rubbed his chin thoughtfully, seeming to ponder something. Then he asked, "He's too humorous. Don't you think some serious people might get offended and try to hit him?"
Lumine scratched her head, looking a bit embarrassed. After thinking for a moment, she replied, "Aside from Paimon and me, I don't think… anyone really dares to try that."
She paused on purpose, giving Dainsleif a meaningful look.
Dainsleif noticed the expression, and the corner of his mouth twitched. He muttered, "What a… formidable man."
…
Shao Yun stepped out of Angel's Share and into the warm morning sun of Mondstadt.
He rubbed his grumbling stomach and muttered, "Looks like I'm eating alone this morning. With Dainsleif around, nothing should go wrong with Lumine and Paimon."
Just as he was approaching Good Hunter, his attention was caught by the alchemy stall nearby.
There he saw Timaeus, palms together in a gesture of near-devout pleading, facing a green-haired girl with animal-like ears and glasses.
"Miss Sucrose, can you spare a bit more of that potion? I've finally gotten somewhere, but I used up all the reagents. Please, just a little more?"
Sucrose twirled a strand of her hair, a troubled look on her face. "Ah… I already used up what Albedo gave me. I was actually going to ask you for more…"
Timaeus's expression turned bleak as if struck by lightning. He slapped his thigh in frustration.
"This is bad—really bad! That was a rare potion from Miss Lisa, given to Albedo! Now we're out and we haven't produced any results!"
He looked up at the blue sky, hands clasped, and prayed fervently to the Anemo Archon.
"O mighty Anemo Archon, have mercy and grant us another vial of that precious elixir!"
Seeing this, Sucrose gently adjusted her glasses and suggested, "Timaeus, panicking won't help. Let's go explain the situation to Albedo directly. Failed experiments aren't uncommon."
Timaeus sighed heavily and nodded in defeat.
"I guess you're right… But still…"
Clearly, he wasn't willing to give up just yet—but for now, he had no other options.
Shao Yun had quietly observed their entire conversation from the side. As it drew to a close and the two began to leave, he prepared to head to breakfast.
But just then, Timaeus noticed him—and suddenly, inspiration struck!
He waved enthusiastically, calling out, "Mr. Shao Yun! Mr. Shao Yun! May I ask you for a favor?"
Shao Yun blinked, a bit puzzled.
What's he calling me for? This is an alchemy issue—not exactly my specialty.
Still, out of courtesy, he walked over to Timaeus and joked, "Hey there, Timaeus. What is it this time? Did your alchemy table blow away in the wind again?"
Timaeus flushed slightly, coughing twice to cover the embarrassment. "Ahem, Mr. Shao Yun, you do love to joke. That incident's long past—let's not bring it up again. I've been working day and night since, trying to replenish the potions we lost!"
Shao Yun burst into laughter and clapped Timaeus on the shoulder. "Haha, I was just joking to lighten the mood. Don't take it too hard."
At that moment, Sucrose politely introduced herself, adjusting her glasses.
"Hello, I'm Sucrose, Albedo's assistant. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Shao Yun responded with formal courtesy, slightly bowing and lifting his hat in greeting.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Sucrose. I've met Timaeus before. And, apologies for eavesdropping—I happened to overhear your conversation."
"But tell me—what do you want with me? I've never studied alchemy."
Timaeus earnestly pleaded, "Could you go to the Knights and ask Miss Lisa if she has any more of that potion she gave to Albedo? If she does, maybe we can get another bottle. Please—it's urgent!"
Shao Yun raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
"Weren't you just planning to go see Albedo? Why now Lisa? And what is this miraculous potion you're so desperate for?"
Timaeus explained hastily, "The other day, Albedo gave Sucrose and me a rare potion and asked us to reverse-engineer it—figure out the ingredients."
He began pulling at his hair, clearly frantic. "But we used the whole thing and still couldn't reproduce it! I heard Albedo got the original from Miss Lisa, so…"
Shao Yun held up a hand, stopping him. Something about this was starting to ring a bell—but he couldn't quite recall it.
"Wait. One thing at a time. What does the potion look like?"
Timaeus sighed and pulled out a green-glass bottle from his coat, handing it over.
"This. We used every drop, and still couldn't figure out what it's made of."
"Albedo warned us it was incredibly precious. We're terrified to report our failure."
Sucrose nodded, face red with embarrassment as she covered it with her hands. She couldn't bear the idea of such a failure. If only they had one more vial…
Shao Yun examined the green bottle closely, a hunch surfacing in his mind.
This looks familiar… Isn't this the Special Miracle Tonic I gave Lisa back when I was still a gullible sucker?
He immediately rummaged through his bag and pulled out a bottle of his own—identical in every way to the one in his hand.
He held it up in front of Timaeus and Sucrose.
"You're talking about this, right?"
Timaeus's eyes lit up like fireworks. He exclaimed, "Mr. Shao Yun, you actually have this miracle tonic! This is amazing!"
Sucrose's gaze locked onto the green bottle. Once she confirmed it was identical, a wave of joy swept over her face. Her hand even reached out instinctively.
But she quickly caught herself and withdrew, switching to a polite tone.
"Mr. Shao Yun… we really, really need that potion. Could you sell it to us? No matter the price—we'll pay."
Shao Yun noted the look in Sucrose's eyes—it was the exact same hunger he once saw in Lisa's.
If this were before the Wine Festival, he might've just given it away.
But now?
You want it? Pay up.
"Two hundred thousand Mora per bottle."