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Just like that, Shao Yun followed behind Lumine and Paimon as they arrived at the seaside along the southern city wall of the Court of Fontaine.
At this moment, the sky was a sapphire blue, so pure that not a single cloud could be seen, like an enormous blue curtain draped over the entire world.
A gentle breeze brushed against the faces of the three, carrying a faint chill that felt incredibly pleasant.
There was no doubt that weather this calm and sunny was simply ideal for anyone who enjoyed fishing.
Of course, according to what Havier had said, early morning and dusk were the best times to fish—or when there was a light drizzle…
Lumine stood by the shore, gazing out at the vast, boundless sea.
Sunlight spilled over her, outlining her figure in gold, making her look almost like a goddess bathed in radiance.
A confident smile hung on her delicate face, filled with anticipation for the fishing ahead.
Then, she raised her arm and gave it a few swings, ready to go all out.
Next, Lumine took out a carefully prepared bundle of Flashing Maintenance Mek Bait and handed it to Shao Yun with a smile.
"Here, Shao Yun, this bait is for you. I was worried it wouldn't be enough, so I made ten of them! Hopefully we'll have a huge haul today!"
Shao Yun took the bundle of Flashing Maintenance Mek Bait, and a familiar feeling welled up inside him.
"This thing really reminds me of that bag of cricket bait Xavier gave me…"
As he spoke, Shao Yun skillfully hooked the bait Lumine had given him onto the fishing hook, while also half-mockingly praying to himself.
"Even if I don't catch anything, it's still pretty relaxing… kind of like staring blankly at the sky…"
…
And so, Lumine and Shao Yun quietly waited for the fish to bite while chatting idly now and then to pass the long stretch of time.
As for Paimon, she was purely a background presence…
Holding her fishing rod, Lumine took a deep breath of the fresh air, her whole body visibly relaxed.
She said with some emotion, "Come to think of it, it feels like it's been a long time since we've been able to take it easy like this, doing absolutely nothing."
Shao Yun turned to glance at Lumine beside him, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. "Who told you to be someone who can't sit still? You're either dragging Paimon around doing commissions, or you're out early and back late, busy with who-knows-what every day…"
Hearing this, Lumine puffed out her cheeks and muttered with mild dissatisfaction.
"Hmph, that's only because life gets way too boring otherwise. I've got to find something to do."
"That said, I'm actually pretty curious about you. You can sit in that little tavern next to the Thorn Rose Society for an entire day—don't you ever get bored?"
Faced with Lumine's question, Shao Yun gave a helpless smile and patiently explained, "For me, that's also a way to relax."
"If conditions allow, I could lie in a lounge chair in front of a farmhouse and sunbathe all day."
When Shao Yun mentioned a "farm," Lumine quickly interjected, "Speaking of farms, I remember back in Sumeru, when I was chatting with Lisa, she mentioned that you had the idea of opening a ranch in Windrise?"
Hearing this, a look of longing appeared on Shao Yun's face as he replied eagerly, "Yeah. Windrise is so vast and open—it couldn't be more perfect for starting a ranch!"
Lumine didn't really have an eye for ranching, but she trusted Shao Yun's judgment.
Still, she soon frowned as another issue came to mind and said worriedly, "That may be true… but have you considered whether Venti would agree?"
"He loves climbing up that big tree in Windrise to drink apple wine…"
Shao Yun froze for a moment, then waved it off with an unconcerned grin. "What's so hard about that? Worst case, I'll just give him a few bottles every year as 'protection fees.' It's not like I'm planning to cut that tree down anyway."
Seeing how relaxed Shao Yun was about it, Lumine felt a little reassured. But then she raised an even more critical issue.
"But your relationship with Venti…"
She paused slightly, choosing her words carefully, before continuing, "To be honest, your current relationships with Venti, Zhongli, Yae Miko, and Nahida are… kind of delicate."
Shao Yun had been full of confidence, but Lumine's words made him realize just how tricky the situation was. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.
"You're right. My relationship with them probably isn't very good right now… especially after I stabbed Nahida. I get the feeling those guys would really like to kill me."
At that moment, ripples spread across the water. Lumine pulled hard, and a Maintenance Mek fish was hauled out of the sea.
She deftly removed the fish from the hook and tossed it into the bag beside her.
After finishing that, Lumine turned to Shao Yun and asked another question.
"By the way, Shao Yun, has there been any news about my brother lately?"
Shao Yun slowly shook his head. "Not yet. Maybe he's hiding from Dainsleif's pursuit, so he doesn't dare show himself."
"After all, Dainsleif doesn't have a very good impression of the Abyss Order your brother leads."
"I've got half a grudge with him too. I feel like next time we meet; we'll probably end up fighting—so remember to take Paimon and stay far away."
Right after that, Shao Yun abruptly glanced around, observing the surroundings. "Though… your brother's subordinates might be monitoring us somewhere nearby."
Lumine's heart skipped a beat. She widened her eyes and asked, "Really?"
Shao Yun scratched his head, sounding unsure. "It's just a guess. In the past, your brother often did send people to secretly keep watch, but things are different now, so I can't say for sure."
After all, back then Aether didn't acknowledge her—now it was different. Family didn't need formalities…
Prompted by Shao Yun's words, Lumine suddenly felt uneasy and muttered, "Ugh… now that you mention it, I really do feel like someone's watching me from the shadows."
Before she finished speaking, a faint rustling suddenly came from the bushes behind them.
Lumine's heart raced as she spun around, thinking that someone might really be hiding there watching her.
However, when she looked closely, it turned out to be nothing more than a small lizard darting out of the grass.
Seeing this, Lumine let out a long breath, her tension easing slightly. But soon, she became alert again, carefully scrutinizing the nearby bushes and corners that looked suspicious.
Watching Lumine act like every blade of grass concealed an enemy, Shao Yun couldn't help but feel both helpless and amused.
He shook his head, just about to say something to lighten the mood, when another matter came to mind.
Clearing his throat, he said to Lumine, "Oh right, there's something else I should tell you. Your brother can drink alcohol now."
"But honestly, his tolerance is nothing to brag about. After just one bottle, his face turned as red as a ripe apple."
Hearing this, Lumine froze completely, taking several seconds before she reacted.
"What?! My brother learned how to drink? Did he… go bad?"
Seeing her reaction, Shao Yun quickly explained, "Hey, hey, don't misunderstand. Your brother didn't go bad."
"It was during the Lantern Rite, when I happened to run into him. I just casually taught him a little about drinking."
After hearing this, Lumine frowned, puffed out her cheeks, and said indignantly, "Hmph! Couldn't you teach my brother something good? Why did it have to be drinking?"
Shao Yun laughed awkwardly. "I was just joking at the time. Who would've thought he'd actually take the bottle and start drinking with me?"
He then vividly described how the two of them had chatted on the mountains near Aaru Village.
As Lumine listened, the fishing rod in her hands suddenly began to shake violently without warning.
Her heart tightened as she sensed trouble. With years of fishing experience, she immediately realized she had hooked something big this time.
Not daring to slack off, she firmly gripped the rod with both hands and shouted excitedly, "Stop talking for a second—I think I've got a big one hooked!"
Before her words had even faded, Lumine pulled back with all her strength. With a loud splash, water sprayed everywhere as a dark figure burst out of the sea, flew into the air, and then slammed heavily onto the soft sand.
Everyone stared—and discovered that what Lumine had fished up was actually a humanoid figure!
And despite being flung like that, the person was completely unharmed, merely lying there in a rather sorry state.
Seeing this, Shao Yun couldn't help but marvel at Lumine's sheer strength.
That pull had been no joke. Shao Yun recalled how both Aether and Enjou had mentioned before that Lumine didn't hold back when she fought people. Seeing it now, those words were clearly no exaggeration.
That kind of strength—she was practically a living, breathing mini Shenhe: "A girl next door newly grown, with strength to uproot mountains and a presence that shakes the world."
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