Time passed slowly.
Fishing required a lot of patience. In a video game, fish would bite within seconds, ready to become a delicious meal.
But in real life, fish were not so easy to catch. Sometimes you would even waste your bait. Many fish were quite clever.
This showed that if a fisherman couldn't stay patient, they might not catch a single fish all day.
And Bonanus was exactly the kind of person who couldn't stay patient.
She had thought fishing was a very simple outdoor activity. In her mind, it didn't take much time. A few seconds and you would catch one.
But reality slapped her in the face and told her she was overthinking things.
For someone with no patience who couldn't stay calm, this added many obstacles to the path of tasting delicious fish.
But it wasn't a big problem. Even if fishing was boring and took a long time, she could find something fun to pass the time.
As long as she didn't leave the fishing rod.
Bonanus's way of passing the time was writing letters. She had been thinking about writing to everyone back in Liyue Harbor. Now was the perfect time.
While using the paper and pen Noelle had given her, she munched on an apple that Noelle handed her. Having a personal maid by her side was really great.
"What are you writing, Sister?" Noelle asked curiously. She was just asking; she didn't actually plan to read the letter.
That was private. Reading someone else's letter without permission would be very rude. It wouldn't be fitting for a knight.
"Oh, just a letter to my family to let them know I'm safe. I've been gone so long, they must be worried." Bonanus took another bite of the apple and shrugged.
"Your family? They must be very kind people, just like you, Sister." Noelle smiled.
Bonanus nodded. Everyone in Liyue Harbor was kind. Some people just weren't good at showing it, and some had blank expressions.
"You'll see when you go to Liyue Harbor. They'll welcome you." Bonanus grinned and gently poked Noelle's side with her elbow.
"I'll definitely go. I'm looking forward to that day. But..." Noelle nodded, then her face turned worried.
"But what?" Bonanus looked at her, confused. She hoped Noelle wasn't going to say she had no time. They had already agreed.
"I'm worried that Lantern Rite might conflict with the knight selection exam."
Noelle shook her head. The knight exam meant a lot to her. If the dates really conflicted, that would be terrible.
So it was just a scheduling issue. That wasn't a big problem. Lantern Rite and the knight exam wouldn't overlap at all.
"I thought it was something serious. Don't worry. Coming to experience Lantern Rite won't interfere with your exam. Trust me."
Bonanus covered her mouth and laughed. But then her smile changed. She put on an angry face and lowered her voice on purpose.
"If you don't come keep me company, I'll get mad and ignore you."
Noelle covered her mouth with both hands, looking startled.
"Please don't say things like that!"
Noelle didn't want to lose this sister. If they stopped being friends over something like this, she would be devastated. She might even lose sleep.
Seeing Noelle's reaction, Bonanus covered her mouth and smirked. Noelle was so easy to fool. It was fun.
But that was enough. Noelle's eyes were already starting to water.
"Oh, don't make that face. I was just teasing you. Come on, smile." Bonanus put down her paper and pen, stood up, and rubbed Noelle's cheeks with both hands.
Noelle sighed deeply with relief. That scared her. It was just a prank.
"Please don't say things like that, Sister. It's very easy to misunderstand." Noelle patted her chest, then gave Bonanus a serious look.
"Okay, okay." Bonanus waved dismissively and sat back down, continuing to write her letter.
This was a letter to Xiao. The general contents were as follows:
I'm doing well in Mondstadt. The people here are very kind. Don't worry about me. I'll come back once I've healed.
How have you been lately, Alatus? I really miss you!
Even without your sister around, remember to smile. Oh, and please keep an eye on our troublesome big brother.
...
Also, the clothes we ordered are in the storage room at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. The fabric shop owner delivered them.
Make sure Big Brother wears them. Don't let him walk around shirtless. If outsiders see him, they might think he's causing trouble.
Second brother Menogias just came back. Everything in Liyue is still new to him. Please help show him around with Big Brother. Make sure he rests well.
Oh, and if you have time, please teach Yanfei for me. That should be easy for you, Alatus.
Anyway, I'm counting on you.
Once I've healed, I'll come back to find you. I'll bring you some interesting souvenirs. You'll love them.
...
That was the general idea. After finishing, Bonanus tapped her lip with the pen, thinking about how to end the letter.
It didn't take long. She picked up the pen and wrote the final line:
To Alatus, with love from your sister~
"Done! Finally finished!" Bonanus put the letter into an envelope that Noelle handed her and stretched. Her hand was numb from writing.
She hadn't written anything by hand in a long time. Her hand really hurt. It felt like she was back in school writing essays.
She would send this letter to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. First to her big brother, then he would give it to Xiao.
"Sister, give me the envelope. I'll pass it to the mail carrier."
Noelle smiled at Bonanus. Worried that Bonanus might not trust her, she added,
"I won't read it."
She wasn't really worried about Noelle reading it. With her personality, she would never do something so unbecoming of a knight.
Besides, it didn't really matter if she did read it. The letter revealed some things about her identity, but it wasn't a big deal.
Noelle's armor and clothes had many roses sewn into them. In Mondstadt, roses meant keeping secrets.
"Why would I worry about you reading it? Don't think like that. I'll leave it in your hands." Bonanus handed the sealed envelope to Noelle and nodded.
"Leave it to me." Noelle took the envelope with both hands and carefully placed it in her pocket, afraid it might get folded.
Just as she finished speaking, the fishing rod that had been still for ages suddenly twitched.
A fish had taken the bait.