The scene opens on the balcony of Lingzi's apartment, where Lingzi is trying to give her lover, the marshal, a bouquet of flowers to take out to his lover's room at night. The marshal climbs over the balcony to give the flowers to Lingzi, but Lingzi refuses to let him in, saying that she wants to give him a gift. Lingzi tries to convince the marshal to let her in, but the marshal refuses to listen to her pleas. He leaves, and Lingzi hears a strange sound coming from her room.