"Here we are," Huo Linghun said as he helped Xiao Xin off the horse. Sometimes he didn't reveal where they were going so he could surprise Xiao Xin. He loved seeing the wonder and awe on his face when he was met with something new and amazing.

This time it was an enormous cliff made of a light-colored stone. It stretched on in both directions as far as they could see. The cliff face appeared as though it would have been smooth and shiny if not for all the marks etched into it.

"It's called the Forever Wall," Huo Linghun said as they approached it.

"The Forever Wall?" Xiao Xin asked curiously, as he always did.

"People come here to make promises to each other," Huo Linghun explained. "They carve their initials into the stone to signify that they will keep those promises forever, because anything carved on this wall stays there forever."

Xiao Xin reached out to run his hand over the stone marred by lines and grooves. Then he turned to Huo Linghun and asked, "Are we going to make a forever promise?"

"I would like to," Huo Linghun replied. He lifted his hand to brush Xiao Xin's hair back from his face. "I want to show my sincerity when I say I promise that I am yours forever, that I will always be by your side."

Xiao Xin caught his hand in his and turned his head to kiss it. "And I promise that I am yours forever too, and that I'll always be by your side," he said.

Huo Linghun was smiling brightly as he leaned forward to kiss Xiao Xin. Afterward he said, "Now we carve our initials into the wall together." He got his knife out and found a space on the wall, where he carved his initials. "There's mine."

He was about to continue when Xiao Xin interrupted him, "Let me do mine!"

Huo Linghun paused. They both knew that Xiao Xin had never learned how to write- Huo Linghun was touched that he still wanted to try. "Okay," he said, handing the knife to Xiao Xin. "I'll help you."

With Huo Linghun's guidance Xiao Xin carved his initials beside his on the wall. Then they stood side by side, looking at their names in the wall, names that would remain etched in that stone forever.

Xiao Xin leaned against Huo Linghun. "Even if we didn't make a forever promise, I'd stay by your side forever," he said.

Huo Linghun put his arm around Xiao Xin and pulled him even closer. "Me too, my Xiao Xin," he said, and he really mean it.