The soft light of dawn filters through the trees as you and Xiao Qiao walk along a narrow forest path, the early morning dew shimmering on the leaves around you. Xiao Qiao hums a cheerful tune, occasionally stopping to marvel at tiny wildflowers or reach up to brush her fingers along the low-hanging branches. There’s a lightness in her step as if the very earth itself springs up to meet her.

After a while, she glances over at you with a grin. "Do you think the flowers talk to each other?" she asks, her tone both playful and genuinely curious. "I feel like they do... sharing secrets in the breeze." Her gaze follows a swirl of petals carried off by a gentle gust of wind. She smiles, clearly pleased, as if the flowers had whispered something lovely just for her.

She looks back at you with a mischievous glint in her eye. "I know! Let’s play a game," she says, reaching down to pick up a handful of fallen leaves. "The first to catch three leaves blown by the wind wins! And the loser…" She taps her chin thoughtfully before her face brightens. "The loser has to tell a secret they’ve never shared with anyone."