Hearing that there would be food, the locals from Springvale immediately brightened up. One of them laughed and said, "Hey, mind if we join in for a midnight snack?"
"Of course not!" Shen Qin smiled and, reaching into Haro's belly, pulled out several fine bottles of wine. "Good food deserves good wine. I'll offer these up for everyone!"
Seeing the wine he pulled out, Brooke's eyes widened. "Th-That's the highest-grade wine from Dawn Winery! Since you're being so generous, I can't hold back either! I'll fetch the wine I personally brewed and aged for five years! It's not as fancy as yours, but the taste isn't bad!"
Thus began an impromptu, lively feast. Klee, unhappy that the adults were drinking, sneaked into the kitchen to steal a freshly grilled meat patty. When caught, she was promptly recruited to help grill more meat. Though her cooking wasn't quite perfect, it had its own charm.
Venti, once tipsy, pulled out his lyre and began to sing. Many people knew the old Mondstadt ballads, so the tavern quickly became a chaotic choir of off-key howls and laughter.
By a little after ten o'clock, the feast wound down. Everyone parted ways reluctantly. Since it was late, Shen Qin and the others decided to stay overnight at a Springvale inn, planning to return to Mondstadt the next morning.
As Shen Qin was about to turn in, he caught sight of Lumine sitting alone on a rooftop opposite his window, staring off into the distance, lost in thought.
Thinking for a moment, he grabbed his flight board and glided over to sit beside her. "What's wrong? Can't sleep?"
"I'm just... feeling a little lost," she said, her voice carrying a helplessness she couldn't hide. "I don't know if aimlessly searching for my brother is even meaningful anymore. So much time has passed, and I haven't found a single clue. I just keep moving from country to country, hoping for something."
"If I searched all seven nations and still couldn't find him... what then? What if he's already left this world? Then everything I'm doing is just useless."
She buried her face in her hands, overwhelmed. After a long moment, she managed to collect herself and whispered, "Sorry... I lost control a little."
Shen Qin didn't say anything — he simply stayed by her side, letting the cool night breeze chase away the lingering effects of the wine.
"Maybe," he said eventually, "the meaning of traveling isn't just about achieving a goal. Maybe it's also about the sights and stories you gather along the way. But I believe... if you keep going, you'll find him someday."
"The sights and stories along the journey..." Lumine mulled over those words.
At the start of her journey, she hadn't really understood what that meant.
They sat together for another half hour. Then Shen Qin clapped his hands against his pants as he stood up. "I'm heading back. You should get some rest too. When we get to Mondstadt tomorrow, we can ask the Knights to help search for your brother."
"Mm. Thank you!" He waved casually, gliding back down on his board.
Lumine lingered a little longer, her mood finally lightening. She realized she'd been too impatient — after traveling with her brother for so long, how could she lose hope after just a few months of searching?
She smiled slightly. This can be a personal journey too.
"Hey, Lumine! Why are you still up there? Aren't you sleepy?" Paimon, rubbing her eyes, floated out of the window.
Lumine smiled at her. "I'll be right there."
At least since two months ago, she hadn't been alone anymore.
Early the next morning, the group gathered at Springvale's entrance. Xiangling waved goodbye.
"See you again someday, friends! If you visit Wanmin Restaurant in Liyue, you might find me there! Even if I'm out, just mention my name, and my dad will treat you to a good meal!"
Paimon gasped. "Wait — Wanmin Restaurant...?"
"Yep! My family owns it!"
"Wow! I thought you were just a worker there! You're from such a big family!"
"Hehe~" Xiangling scratched her head bashfully.
Shen Qin handed his hoverboard to her. "Meeting a fellow Liyuen in a foreign land and becoming friends is something worth celebrating. I don't have anything else fitting to give you, so please accept this— my board. I hope you don't mind it being used."
Xiangling's eyes lit up, but she hesitated, shaking her hands frantically. "I can't! It's way too valuable! In Liyue, these sell for up to 500,000 Mora — and that's if you can even find one for sale!"
Even though she had money, she could never bring herself to spend that much on anything that wasn't food, so she had never owned a board herself.
"In Mondstadt, it's only about 100,000 Mora. Plus, Shen Qin's board cost even less — because he's the one who invented the flight board," Albedo said calmly, dropping a bombshell that left Xiangling and Lumine stunned.
Paimon's eyes turned into literal Mora coins. "Whoa! You invented something that sells for that much?! And there are so many people using them! You must be swimming in Mora by now! You could buy so much food with that!"
"Exactly. Even though they sell for a lot, the production cost is low. It's not that valuable to me. Besides, gifts between friends shouldn't be measured by price. You treated us to a huge feast, didn't you? And with the board, you'll be able to gather ingredients from difficult places much more easily," Shen Qin said, pushing it back toward her.
"Alright then... if you put it that way, it'd be rude not to accept!" Xiangling accepted the board, smiling brightly.
After parting ways with Xiangling, Shen Qin and Lumine, now without a board, chose to walk back to Mondstadt.
Along the way, Lumine and Paimon grew curious about Shen Qin's inventions. With Klee's enthusiastic commentary, they learned about how he developed a library management system, won the flight competition championship and launched the flight board, and even invented bionic limbs that saved countless disabled lives.
Better not mess with him! Paimon thought after hearing the full story.
As for Lumine — she simply thought that he was a kind and responsible person.
Once they returned to Mondstadt, Wendy immediately ran off to his favorite tavern, and Rosaria quietly returned to the church. The rest of the group headed toward the Knights of Favonius headquarters.
Before Jean could even speak, Klee had already sprinted off to the confinement room all on her own.
After apologizing to Lumine and Paimon, Jean formally welcomed them to Mondstadt.
"However," Jean added, "Mondstadt has just suffered a dragon disaster. We don't know when the next attack might come. I'm afraid we won't be able to properly entertain you during your stay."
"That's okay," Paimon said quickly. "Besides, Shen Qin said we might be able to help with the dragon problem! If you need anything, we're happy to assist!"
Jean turned to Shen Qin and Albedo in confusion.
"About that..." Shen Qin began, and explained how Lumine could purify the corrupted blood inside Dvalin.