The child hadn't expected...
that she would really get to see red maple leaves.
Because her parents had been so troubled,
she'd only then realized what an unreasonable request she'd made.
She'd seen red maple leaves.
Even if they weren't quite what she'd imagined...
she was still very happy.
Xiao Xiao looked at the child.
He lightly tapped her forehead with a bent finger.
Huh?
The child raised a hand to cover her forehead, confused.
She looked at Xiao Xiao, a little aggrieved and a little bewildered.
Xiao Xiao bent down.
"Silly girl."
"A wish that's only partially granted isn't really a wish."
"Look outside."
Xiao Xiao winked at the child.
The child turned her head without thinking.
The next second, her mouth fell open.
Outside the window...
Red maple trees stretched all the way to the horizon.
They seemed to overwhelm the gorgeous sunset and the hazy, golden remnants of the sun.
Every leaf was both clear and indistinct.
The wind passed.
The maple leaves rustled softly.
They swayed with the breeze,
like butterflies dancing gracefully,
tracing breathtaking arcs through the air.
The child's eyes were filled with red maples.
Without realizing it, she turned around.
Leaning forward, she tried to get as close to the window as she could.
Xiao Xiao bent down and picked up the child, who was about to fall off the hospital bed.
The child turned around in alarm.
She hadn't yet recovered from the sudden feeling of weightlessness.
Xiao Xiao looked down at her and smiled.
"Careful."
The child nodded obediently.
Then she immediately looked outside again.
She gripped the windowsill with both hands.
Her head poked out the window.
The rosy sunset enveloped her.
The child's eyes shone like