"Looking at the maple tree again?"
Master Xu blurted out.
Xu Zizhen froze.
Then he nodded in amazement. "Grandpa, how did you know?"
"Hasn't Master Xiao come here every time because of the maple tree?"
Master Xu looked at Xiao Xiao.
"Right?"
"Am I remembering that wrong?"
"Mm."
Xiao Xiao's eyes curved as he smiled. "You remember correctly."
"Your memory is excellent."
"One time, it was because of our trouble..." the old lady reminded Master Xu.
Master Xu waved a hand. "I know."
"But that was about the maple tree too."
"So what I said earlier wasn't wrong."
"Oh, right."
The old lady nodded.
That was true.
Come to think of it, what a coincidence.
They could say they had formed a connection with Master Xiao because of maple leaves.
The old lady smiled, her eyes narrowing.
It felt like a very interesting bond.
"Go on, go on."
Master Xu waved them off.
"Master Xiao, next time you want to see the maple tree, just come by yourself."
Master Xu finally understood.
So that was it.
Why had Zizhen been so eager to visit them again?
It wasn't that he thought anything bad of the boy.
But they had only seen each other the night before. Unless there was a reason, there was no need to come again the very next day.
The boy already visited them often enough as it was.
So Master Xiao wanted to see the maple tree.
"We old folks are both very happy to have you here."
"I'm the one who wanted to come along," Xu Zizhen said with an awkward grin.
Master Xiao had only called to ask whether the old folks would be home at this hour.
He hadn't asked Xu Zizhen to come with him.