In this short scene, we learn that a year has passed since the beginning of the novel. We are introduced to the young lovers, who are now in their second year of college. One of the lovers, named "qing," is worried that his mother will find out that he has moved out of his dormitory and is now living with his friend, "qiao." He is also worried that she will discover that he is in love with another woman, and he is afraid that if she finds out, he will be shamed and punished by his mother. He asks his friend if he would like to be his boyfriend, but he refuses, saying that he already has someone else. He wants to live with her, and if he is kicked out of her dormitory, he wants to know how she will explain to her mother that she has moved away from her dorm and is living with another man.