When Huo Linghun got lost in thought he stared off into the distance. When Xiao Xin got lost in thought he did little things like draw lines in the dirt with a piece of bamboo or run his finger up and down along his ear.

"What are you thinking about, my Xiao Xin?" Huo Linghun wondered aloud.

Xiao Xin replied with a question: "Why can't trees walk?"

"Because they are rooted in the ground," Huo Linghun answered, smiling. A moment later he added, "Your mind is a colorful flower garden."

Xiao Xin tilted his head curiously at his words.

Huo Linghun continued, "My mind is a rock garden." He was picturing the barren volcanic lands he was from, dull-colored stones are far as could be seen.

"Rock gardens are so beautiful," Xiao Xin said. He was picturing a far different scene than Huo Linghun was. He moved his hand as though he was running it over the surface of a large rock. "Your mind is a garden full of rocks that are sometimes smooth and sometimes moss-covered, with a little stream running through them. My mind had no flowers until your stream flowed into it. Now it blooms."

Xiao Xin had no idea how much his words meant to Huo Linghun. And Huo Linghun hadn't realized how beautiful his mind could be to someone else. "Your lovely flowers are spreading into my mind," he said.

"Our minds together make the most beautiful garden of all," Xiao Xin replied.

They spent the rest of the afternoon lost in thought together, describing the special garden of their minds.