In this chapter, we learn that Madame Bovary and Alexandre Dumas's relationship is not as straightforward as it seems. In fact, it's not as simple as we thought it would be. We learn that Alexandre is a fan of Alexandre's perfume, and that he's using the one that Alexandre has won at the Fragrance Society's awards ceremony. We're also told that Alexandre will be returning to France soon to appraise the quality of his new perfume, so Alexandre will have to stay in China for a few days to prepare for his return.