This chapter opens with a soliloquy by xiaoxian, in which he laments the fact that he cannot accept the engagement ring that she has given him. He tells her that he does not love her, but that he also does not want her to lose anything in the marriage. He asks her to be his friend and set her free, but she refuses, saying that there is nothing such as being friends. She tells him that when she arrived, she was looking for the diamond ring. She says that she had never met someone who cared more about her loss than her own self-image. She adds that she should not have looked for the ring, and that she will not let xiaonian get rid of her. She threatens to nail the ring onto her finger.