diff --git a/rust/crates/tidy-tree/src/layout/basic_layout.rs b/rust/crates/tidy-tree/src/layout/basic_layout.rs
index 2611635..a47b5d2 100644
--- a/rust/crates/tidy-tree/src/layout/basic_layout.rs
+++ b/rust/crates/tidy-tree/src/layout/basic_layout.rs
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ impl Layout for BasicLayout {
             self.update_meta(node);
         });
         root.pre_order_traversal_mut(|node| {
-            if let Some(parent) = node.parent {
-                let parent = unsafe { parent.as_ref() };
+            if let Some(mut parent) = node.parent {
+                let parent = unsafe { parent.as_mut() };
                 node.x = parent.x + node.relative_x;
                 node.y = parent.y + node.relative_y;
             }
diff --git a/rust/crates/tidy-tree/src/node.rs b/rust/crates/tidy-tree/src/node.rs
index 0c5c593..feb3be7 100644
--- a/rust/crates/tidy-tree/src/node.rs
+++ b/rust/crates/tidy-tree/src/node.rs
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ impl Node {
         self.tidy.as_ref().unwrap()
     }
 
-    fn reset_parent_link(&mut self) {
+    fn reset_parent_link_of_children(&mut self) {
         if self.children.is_empty() {
             return;
         }
@@ -161,8 +161,8 @@ impl Node {
     pub fn append_child(&mut self, mut child: Self) -> NonNull<Self> {
         child.parent = Some(self.into());
         let mut boxed = Box::new(child);
-        boxed.reset_parent_link();
-        let ptr = boxed.as_ref().into();
+        boxed.reset_parent_link_of_children();
+        let ptr = boxed.as_mut().into();
         self.children.push(boxed);
         ptr
     }
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ impl Node {
 
             stack.push((node_ptr, false));
             for child in node.children.iter_mut() {
-                stack.push((child.as_ref().into(), true));
+                stack.push((child.as_mut().into(), true));
             }
         }
     }
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ impl Node {
 
             stack.push((node_ptr, false));
             for child in node.children.iter_mut() {
-                stack.push((child.as_ref().into(), true));
+                stack.push((child.as_mut().into(), true));
             }
         }
     }
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ impl Node {
             let node = unsafe { node.as_mut() };
             f(node);
             for child in node.children.iter_mut() {
-                stack.push(child.as_ref().into());
+                stack.push(child.as_mut().into());
             }
         }
     }
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ impl Node {
             let node = unsafe { node.as_mut() };
             f(node);
             for child in node.children.iter_mut() {
-                stack.push(child.as_ref().into());
+                stack.push(child.as_mut().into());
             }
         }
     }
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ impl Node {
             let node = unsafe { node.as_mut() };
             f(node, depth);
             for child in node.children.iter_mut() {
-                queue.push_back((child.as_ref().into(), depth + 1));
+                queue.push_back((child.as_mut().into(), depth + 1));
             }
         }
     }
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ impl Node {
             let node = unsafe { node.as_mut() };
             f(node, depth);
             for child in node.children.iter_mut() {
-                stack.push((child.as_ref().into(), depth + 1));
+                stack.push((child.as_mut().into(), depth + 1));
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/rust/crates/tidy-tree/tests/aesthetic_rules.rs b/rust/crates/tidy-tree/tests/aesthetic_rules.rs
index 8154224..f370c2d 100644
--- a/rust/crates/tidy-tree/tests/aesthetic_rules.rs
+++ b/rust/crates/tidy-tree/tests/aesthetic_rules.rs
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ pub fn check_y_position_in_same_level(root: &Node) {
 
 pub fn assert_no_crossed_lines(root: &Node) {
     let mut lines: Vec<Line> = vec![];
+    // println!("{}", &root.str());
     root.post_order_traversal(|node| {
         for child in node.children.iter() {
             let line = Line {
diff --git a/rust/crates/tidy-tree/tests/gen.rs b/rust/crates/tidy-tree/tests/gen.rs
index b606c62..7ee2d47 100644
--- a/rust/crates/tidy-tree/tests/gen.rs
+++ b/rust/crates/tidy-tree/tests/gen.rs
@@ -19,23 +19,23 @@ pub fn gen_node(rng: &mut StdRng) -> Node {
     }
 }
 
-pub fn gen_tree(rng: &mut StdRng, num: usize) -> Node {
-    let root = gen_node(rng);
-    let mut nodes: Vec<NonNull<Node>> = vec![(&root).into()];
+pub fn gen_tree(rng: &mut StdRng, num: usize) -> Box<Node> {
+    let mut root = Box::new(gen_node(rng));
+    let mut nodes: Vec<NonNull<Node>> = vec![(&mut *root).into()];
     for _ in 0..num {
         let parent_index = rng.gen_range(0..nodes.len());
         let parent = unsafe { nodes[parent_index].as_mut() };
         let node = gen_node(rng);
         parent.append_child(node);
-        nodes.push(parent.children.last().unwrap().as_ref().into());
+        nodes.push(parent.children.last_mut().unwrap().as_mut().into());
     }
 
     root
 }
 
-pub fn prepare_tree(rng: &mut StdRng) -> (Node, Vec<NonNull<Node>>) {
-    let root = gen_node(rng);
-    let nodes: Vec<NonNull<Node>> = vec![(&root).into()];
+pub fn prepare_tree(rng: &mut StdRng) -> (Box<Node>, Vec<NonNull<Node>>) {
+    let mut root = Box::new(gen_node(rng));
+    let nodes: Vec<NonNull<Node>> = vec![(&mut *root).into()];
     (root, nodes)
 }
 
diff --git a/rust/crates/tidy-tree/tests/layout_bench.rs b/rust/crates/tidy-tree/tests/layout_bench.rs
index 5cb4c98..9ffd3bc 100644
--- a/rust/crates/tidy-tree/tests/layout_bench.rs
+++ b/rust/crates/tidy-tree/tests/layout_bench.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 mod aesthetic_rules;
 mod gen;
 
-use std::{time::Instant};
+use std::time::Instant;
 
 use rand::{prelude::StdRng, SeedableRng};
 use tidy_tree::{BasicLayout, Layout, TidyLayout};