The time of the city

Xiao Hecheng finished the last stroke and looked up. The clock on the wall pointed to six o'clock, which was still an hour before the time he had agreed with Mo Yu.

He opened the window and felt a chill in the breeze that blew against his face. He changed into a thicker coat before going out.

After getting in the car, the driver learned that Xiao Hecheng was going to the maple forest and said with a smile, "The maple forest now is not as beautiful as in autumn."

"I just wanted to go take a look," but this was the only good excuse I had to ask her out.

"Are you alone, young man?"

"I have an appointment."

"With your girlfriend? Then it doesn't matter whether the scenery is good or not. What's important is the person, right? Hahaha." The driver laughed, and Xiao Hecheng also smiled awkwardly.

"Oh, I'm not teasing you anymore. I'll turn up the AC a bit. You seem to be quite cold."

"Thank you." He was really afraid of the cold. He remembered that when he was a child, his mother would buy him a lot of cotton clothes every winter. He would wear them warmly every day.

Later, because of Xiao Yuan's situation, the family was short of money, so his mother made him a cotton-padded jacket herself. While sewing, she would always say, "Acheng, you won't feel cold when you put on the cotton-padded jacket I made for you."

Later, his mother passed away and there was no one to make cotton clothes for him. The money he earned from working was only enough to support his life. In winter, there were fewer jobs, so he stayed at home all day and did not go out.

Xiao Hecheng's eyes gradually became moist as he thought about the past. He took out a small and exquisite ring box from his pocket and opened it. The ring seemed to still be shining.

He remembered that on the morning his mother died, she took off the ring and gave it to him. She told him that even though his mother was gone, he must be brave and upright, and that he would meet a girl who would love him like his mother did.

If you meet someone you want to spend your life with, give her this ring. Mom will turn into a star and watch over them from the sky.

He always wears this ring with him, and he feels like his mother is always by his side, giving him the strength to move forward.

"Young man, I can only take you so far. The maple forest is not far ahead."

Xiao Hecheng paid the money and thanked the man before getting out of the car. He looked up and saw the whole mountain was golden, with a unique scent of trees in the air.

"No wonder Xiaoyu likes this place, it's really beautiful." He smiled and walked into the maple forest.

This was the largest maple forest in City A, covering half the sky and blending with the sunset glow, its red glow burning like flames. The road was also covered with a thick layer of maple leaves.

As winter approached, many maple leaves fell, but they were still very beautiful. He could imagine how stunning it would be in autumn. He began to regret not coming to City A earlier.

Walking further in, he saw an enormous maple tree, hung with wishing bottles and ribbons.

Xiao Hecheng came under the tree, picked up the scattered branches nearby, dug a small hole, and put the ring box in it.

"Mom, I'm not alone anymore. I have someone to accompany me. I've found someone I love. She accompanies me and cares about me like a mother. Mom, I buried this ring here. If I'm lucky enough to be with her, I'll come back here and dig it out."

So many people hang their wishes high on the tree, but he doesn't dare. He only dares to bury them in the soil, only dares to bury his unspeakable love in the soil.

He stroked the tree trunk. "So many people come here to make wishes. It must be very effective, right? If you fulfill their wishes, please remember to fulfill mine, too."

Mo Yu watched TV for a while, then looked at her phone and saw it was half past six. She quickly put on her coat, picked up her bag, and rushed out of the house.

She ran too fast and bumped into a man's arms.

"Are you here to pick me up?" Ni Jiamu smiled happily but it couldn't hide the bloodshot in his eyes.

"Brother, I'm sorry for bumping into you. You must be tired from working overtime last night. Go in and have a rest. I have something to do and I'll leave first. Bye." Mo Yu was so anxious that her words sounded like a machine gun.

"Where are you going? Why are you in such a hurry?" Ni Jiamu grabbed her back.

"Brother, I... Xiaoxiao and I have an appointment to watch a movie. It's the latest one that was released. It starts at 7 o'clock. It's almost too late. I really have to go."

Hearing that she was going out with Lin Xiao, he felt relieved. "Do you want me to take you there?"

"No, I'll just take a taxi."

The journey was smooth and traffic-free, and Mo Yu arrived at the entrance of the maple forest at exactly seven o'clock. She took out her phone and was about to ask where Xiao Hecheng was.

When she looked up, she saw Xiao Hecheng with his back to her. The sky was gradually getting darker, and the street lights in the maple forest were on. He happened to be standing under the street lights, like the Prince of Light who walked out of a fairy tale, and he made her feel the same way when he saved her.

"Hecheng." She called out softly to the figure from behind, fearing to disturb his quiet and beautiful self.

After hearing this, Xiao Hecheng turned around. Beneath the maple tree, he looked at her, a gentle breeze rustling her hair, leaving scattered specks of hair. He smiled faintly, as if he were the only one left in the world.

"He Cheng, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long." She trotted to his side with an apologetic look on her face.

"I just got here too. It's just as beautiful as Xiaoyu said."

"I didn't expect you to remember my casual comment about the beauty of the maple forest in City A at dusk."

He gently took off the maple leaf that fell on her shoulder and said, "Because Xiaoyu said so."

Mo Yu smiled at him and said, "There's a wishing tree in front of Hecheng. I'll take you there."

"Really? Okay."

She thought he didn't see it, and he pretended not to see it.

"There's a super huge maple tree. Because it's the biggest, people come to it to make wishes, and then it becomes a wishing tree. Look, it's right there!"

She pointed with her finger, her eyes showing unconcealable excitement.

Then she searched among the many bottles again, "I also got one when I came here before. This bottle is the biggest one. Hecheng, help me find it."

"Aren't you afraid it won't work if you take it off?"

"Don't be afraid, my wish has come true. I wished that my brother would like me."

Xiao Hecheng turned his head with a puzzled look on his face. "Why would you make such a wish? How could your biological brother not like you?"

Mo Yu searched a few more times, but couldn't find him, so she simply gave up and sat down on the ground. He patted the seat next to him and said, "Hecheng, come and sit here. He's not my biological brother. I was actually adopted. When I was ten years old, I first came to City A. My brother really didn't like me then. Whenever he frowned, I got scared, thinking he was going to scold me. Later, my mother brought me here, and I made this wish."

Hearing her casually tell her life story, he felt sorry for her from the bottom of his heart. Xiao Hecheng always thought that she grew up in a honey pot, but he didn't expect that she had to read other people's faces and please others at a very young age.

"Your wish has come true. I'm very happy."

"So Hecheng, you might be one." Mo Yu took out a wishing bottle and a pen from her bag. "I've already prepared them for you."

"Will my wish come true?"

"Of course, write quickly. I'll blindfold myself and promise not to peek." After saying that, she obediently covered her eyes with her hands.

The girl's actions were so touching that they melted her heart. He picked up a pen and wrote on the paper: With Mo Yu year after year, this year, next year, and every year.

"I've finished writing it." Xiao Hecheng poked the girl next to him. He was afraid that if it went on any longer, Mo Yu would fall asleep.

"Then Crane City should hang it higher so that your wish will be granted first."

"Okay." Xiao Hecheng stood on tiptoe and hung the wishing bottle very high.

Mo Yu looked up at him. Under the moonlight, the boy's face looked very gentle, and his eyes were so pure and clean, like a clear spring.