"Sigh~"
Guixu let out a sigh, sounding half-sympathetic, half-helpless.
Having shattered the girl's innocent worldview himself, why was he suddenly feeling so guilty?
"Alright, Noelle..."
Guixu ruffled Noelle's hair firmly, messing up her pristine white locks.
Yet this seemingly teasing gesture successfully pulled Noelle's attention back, shifting her focus entirely onto him.
"This isn't your fault, Noelle!"
"Huh?"
Lost in her heartache, Noelle tilted her head, looking at Guixu with a dazed, endearing blankness as she let out a whimpering sound like a small animal.
"I said, this isn't your fault!"
"Mondstadt's overall atmosphere is just like this. Even the Knights of Favonius are bogged down by it, let alone someone as pure and kind-hearted as you."
"When it all comes down to it, Mondstadt's philosophy is simply too free, to the point where all sorts of monsters and freaks crawl out of the woodwork. This is not your fault."
"Acting Grand Master Jean and the others kept you from becoming a full-fledged knight to protect you. While keeping secrets from you might not have been handled in the best way, their intentions were good."
Guixu wore a gentle smile, gradually soothing the young girl's inner pain.
"Still, you really need to change your personality a bit, or your too-innocent nature will leave you getting taken advantage of in the future."
"Those overgrown babies in Mondstadt don't deserve to have a pure and kind-hearted girl like you sacrifice your own time and energy to serve them."
"Even when helping others, you need to keep your eyes open and learn to tell the difference between what—and who—truly needs help."
"As long as you show Jean and the others how much you've grown, I'm sure you'll be able to become a full-fledged knight."
Guixu's admonition sounded like a gentle, melodious tune, calming Noelle's violently fluctuating emotions.
Noelle nodded, sniffing slightly as her delicate nose turned reddish.
"I understand!"
"Thank you, Big Brother Guixu..."
"Senior Noelle, you're fine!"
"And I'll stay with you! From now on, if anyone ever tries to bully you again, I'll help you fight right back!"
Eileen clenched her small fists, puffing out her cheeks like a hamster as she threw punches in the air while looking at Noelle.
That prompt brought a grateful smile to Noelle's face.
"Thank you, Eileen!"
Seeing that Noelle had finally thought things through and stopped trapping herself in a dead end, Guixu felt a wave of relief wash over him.
"I'm just glad you don't blame me for telling you such a cruel truth."
"I suppose it's because you're still quite young that Jean and the others intended to keep you in the dark and away from these matters. Who could have guessed it would put so much pressure on you? I hope you don't blame them."
Noelle shook her head.
"I don't. I understand that Acting Grand Master Jean and the others were only doing it for my good."
Even though Acting Grand Master Jean had failed her in the knight examinations several times, after hearing what Big Brother Guixu had to say, she finally understood that Jean had good intentions.
"And thank you too, Big Brother Guixu. If you hadn't told me, I still wouldn't have known what was really going on."
Noelle gazed at Guixu with an expression of adoration and gratitude. They had met purely by chance, yet Guixu had been able to pinpoint her exact problem just from listening to her account.
Not to mention how gently and patiently he had comforted her.
Big Brother Guixu must be a senior who is both powerful and reliable!
How come she had never seen him around before, though?
Noelle thought quietly to herself.
Without realizing it, the shadow of a certain someone had already taken root in her young maiden's heart.
After comforting Noelle, Guixu did not linger any longer. He stood up, preparing to leave. Noelle had originally wanted to treat Guixu to a meal, but that dense blockhead Guixu turned down the girl's invitation, deciding to wander around elsewhere.
However, the three of them still agreed that the next time Guixu had free time, he would mentor their training, helping them improve faster.
Eileen, who originally hadn't wanted to be a burden to Guixu, found herself absentmindedly agreeing after Noelle, with a blushing face, pulled her along.
"I'll be heading off now. It's almost time for dinner, you two should hurry home as well."
With that, Guixu waved his hand and turned to walk away at a leisurely pace.
As soon as Guixu stepped out of the training ground, Eileen crept up with a mischievous grin beside Noelle, who was still gazing toward the entrance, and whispered softly.
"Snap out of it, Senior Noelle, whose heart has just been stirred~~"
"Huh? Ah!"
"Eileen, what are you talking about?!"
With her face turning instantly beet red, Noelle hurriedly waved her hands to cover Eileen's mouth. Eileen ducked down, slipping past Noelle's hands with a cheeky giggle.
"Hehe, Senior Noelle's face is clearly blushing, yet you're still making excuses."
"Still, even though we just met, Big Brother Guixu is really great. And since Senior Noelle is so cute, Big Brother Guixu will definitely like you."
Eileen kept her hands clasped behind her back, bending over as she teased.
Then, she suddenly reached out and tickled Noelle's slender waist, drawing a startled cry from her.
"Eep!"
"Hehe, as expected of Senior Noelle, it feels so nice even through your light armor."
"Eileen!"
"Haha...."
...
The delighted laughter of the two girls echoed continuously through the training ground for a long while.
Meanwhile, Guixu, having walked out of the training ground, shook his head with a smile.
<span>"These two little rascals..."</span>
With his hearing, the sound of the two girls playing around naturally couldn't escape him, and Eileen's teasing words had reached his ears loud and clear.
Still, he didn't pay too much mind to the two girls' joke.
Given his limited understanding of romance between men and women, trying to think this deeply about it was simply too difficult.
He still remembered when Xiao Bai used to tease him, saying:
"You're probably never going to find a girlfriend in the future. Why don't you and I just settle for each other?"
When he was under the influence of the Terminal, he hadn't understood. After coming to Teyvat, his emotions had been unsealed, but he couldn't adapt all at once, and Xiao Ye hadn't complained to him a few times either.
However, things like personality required spending more time together to gradually change.
Perhaps one day, it would suddenly all make sense.
Guixu shook his head with a wry smile, his figure gradually fading away within the City of Mondstadt.
.....
Near Windrise, inside a Hilichurl camp.
Guixu sat upon a clean stone, holding a Hilichurl and examining it closely.
"A Hilichurl?"
"It feels like it has the bloodline of Khaenri'ah... Was that nation destroyed by that woman after all?"
Guixu shook his head and let the Hilichurl in his hand scurry away.
"Whatever, it has nothing to do with me anyway. That nation's over-aggressive actions were bound to face retribution sooner or later."
Guixu stood up, brushed off the hem of his clothes, cast his gaze far toward Dadaupa Gorge, and muttered to himself.
"Speaking of which, that fellow's younger sister should have awakened by now, right?"
"Should I go take a look?"
"That guy still owes me a favor, and since it just so happens to be your sister's turn to travel, I'll just have her pay it back for you."
Guixu flashed a smile, and his figure vanished from the spot once again.
At the same time,
the gears of fate began to turn.
On Dadaupa Gorge,
a blonde girl wearing a somewhat worn-out princess dress was staring eyeball-to-eyeball with a white-haired little creature that looked remarkably like an emergency food supply.
The girl had delicate features, fair skin, and a slender, graceful figure.
Although slightly obscured by dust, her striking beauty was still unmistakably evident.
She would undoubtedly be considered a stunning beauty anywhere she went, and a small Inthete flower perched upon her head added an even purer, more endearing charm to her appearance.
Only her current disheveled state masked her fine looks; she had clearly been wandering outside for quite some time.
At that moment, Lumine wore a somewhat dazed expression, thinking quietly to herself:
"What on earth did I just fish up? Is it edible?"
Meanwhile, Paimon, who had just awakened, shivered all over as if sensing some malicious intent.
So, stamping her little foot in the void, she spoke up with some dissatisfaction.
"Hey! Why are you looking at me with such a weird expression?"
Hearing the little creature before her speak, Lumine gave a hesitant, regretful glance.
"Sigh, damn it. It can talk, so it's probably inedible."
"Hey!"
"Why are you giving me that disgusted look?!"
Paimon cried out in displeasure, hands on her hips as she turned her little head away, putting on the cold shoulder.
Lumine shook her head, banishing the thought of eating emergency rations, and said.
"My name is Lumine. What's yours?"
Seeing Lumine finally take the initiative to introduce herself, Paimon turned back around and raised a small hand proudly, as if she had been waiting forever.
"My name is Paimon! I'm Teyvat's best guide!"
"A guide?"
"That's right! Paimon is the best guide in all of Teyvat!"
Paimon lifted her little chin, her proud expression enough to make anyone crack a smile, before asking Lumine.
"What about you? And why are you here?"
"Me..."
Lumine's expression darkened. Recalling what happened before her slumber, she began recounting it to Paimon as the memories came flooding back.
....
"So, you're saying you drifted here from beyond this world?"
"But when you wanted to leave this place, a strange god blocked your path?"
"Yes."
Lumine fell silent, drawing a piece of elementary school-level graffiti on the sand, and nodded with satisfaction at her own 'masterpiece.'
After listening, Paimon's sad little face broke into a slight smile, and she floated over to Lumine, gently taking her little hand in comfort.
"It's okay! As the best guide, Paimon will definitely help you find your brother!"
Lumine looked up at Paimon's adorable expression, a touching smile blooming on her own face as well.
"Thank you, Paimon."
Perhaps meeting this little creature was simply fate between us...
....
After finishing their introductions, Lumine cast her fishing rod back into the water, hoping to catch some fish to eat.
She had originally wanted to fish earlier, only to end up catching an inedible Paimon.
Now there was one more mouth going hungry.
She needed to get some food quickly.
At that moment, Lumine cast a casual glance and spotted a figure walking along the shoreline toward her, her eyes instantly lighting up.
"Paimon, look! Is that someone over there?"
"Huh? Where? Let Paimon see."
Paimon floated a little higher in the direction Lumine pointed and looked over, shouting excitedly.
"There really is someone!"
"Hey! Big Brother over there, hello!"
The ravenous little Paimon, whether out of sheer innocence or the fearlessness of a newborn calf, called out directly in Guixu's direction.
Giving not a single thought to the possibility that he might be a bad person.