In this short scene, we are introduced to the protagonist of the novel. He is called "ning yuan," which means "human" in Chinese. He tells his mother that he does not want to be with her forever. He says that he is different from the other children, who think he is a "heartless monster." He tells her that once someone opens the door in his heart, he believes that he will be able to deliver his goodness "to the world." His mother is excited to see that someone has opened the door to her heart, and she wonders why he did not come in when he should have. The protagonist says that if he were to die, he would like to be transformed into a "chen anran" .