"I found this place some time before I met you," Huo Linghun was saying as he led the way through a thick forest of pine trees. "I want to show you now."

Xiao Xin followed closely behind him, and when they pushed through the last of the trees he marveled at the sight before him. It was a big, beautiful lake, the clear water reflecting the stars that were already showing up in the evening sky. The dark shapes of distant trees across the lake stood before the larger shapes of distant mountains, the last light of the sun just visible over their peaks.

And in the center of the lake was a tiny, rocky island upon which a tall structure stood alone. Huo Linghun pointed toward this structure and said, "You see that?"

Xiao Xin nodded.

"That's a dragon temple," Huo Linghun told him. "Sometimes you can find them in hidden locations like this. It's said that they were built by our dragon ancestors as places for their souls to rest after they left this world."

Xiao Xin stared in wonder at the dragon temple. "Is it hard to find them?" he asked.

"It's very rare to find them, and very lucky," Huo Linghun answered. "In all my travels I've only ever found this one. And look."

Xiao Xin looked to where he pointed. He'd been so absorbed in the beautiful scene that he hadn't noticed the small wooden shed standing by the edge of the lake. Huo Linghun opened its door to reveal rows and rows of unlit lanterns.

"This is here for anyone who finds the dragon temple," Huo Linghun explained. "Some people think if you whisper a wish into a lantern and send it across the lake the dragon spirits will grant your wish."

"Did you make a wish last time you were here?" Xiao Xin asked.

"No, I... didn't know what to wish for," Huo Linghun replied.

"Can we send wish lanterns?" Xiao Xin asked next, already reaching for them.

"Of course, Xiao Xin," Huo Linghun said with a smile.

The two of them stood some distance apart at the edge of the water so they could whisper their wishes in secret. Xiao Xin knew what his wish would be right away; it was something he wished all the time. He held his lantern up and quietly spoke into it, "I wish to stay with Huo Linghun forever."

Huo Linghun took a bit more time, he still didn't really know what to wish for. Didn't he already have all he could want? He glanced over to see Xiao Xin whispering into his lantern with a small, hopeful smile on his face, and that was when he knew what he wanted to wish for.

"I wish for Xiao Xin's wish to come true," he whispered into his lantern.

Then the two of them returned to each other's sides and gently placed their lanterns on the lake. With a gentle push the two lanterns slowly floated across the surface in the direction of the dragon temple, the water rippling softly in their wake.

After watching them for a while Xiao Xin looked up at Huo Linghun, still smiling. "Thank you for sharing this with me," he said.

Huo Linghun smiled back at him and put his arm around him. "I want to share everything with you," he said quietly, and Xiao Xin hugged him back.