The scene opens with a flashback to the beginning of the novel, in which the protagonist falls in love with his former wife, Miss Lu, who is now married to a man named Chixuan. The two men are discussing the possibility of their marriage when Miss Lu tells them that someone has bought some gifts for them and placed them in the "offcie door" of Miss Lu's house. The protagonist is shocked to learn that Miss Lu does not need the gifts, and that the man who bought them is none other than his fiancee. He asks the protagonist if he is off work now, and the protagonist tells him that he is. He also tells the protagonist that his fiancee's position is threatened, but the protagonist says that he cannot do it, as he is not the same person he was when he first met Miss Lu. He says that time has changed,