The novel opens with a conversation between de Mo and his daughter, who is now in high school. De Mo says that he went for a walk earlier in the day because he was bored at home. He brought his mother's family gifts for her, including a set of facial masks and a thermos cup. He asks her if she likes the book he has brought, and she says that she does. She then asks if he wants to have tea first, and he says yes. He then shows her the photo of himself in the yearbook, and asks if she wants to look at it. She says yes, and then tells him that her parents have said that they have separated recently, but that they kept the certificate from her because they were afraid to delay her studies. She is shocked, but says that marriage is the business of parents, and that they should have separated long ago. She tells her that if she is depressed, she should tell her parents when she began to date the woman in the picture. She also tells her not to mess with other people's affairs.