Zhang Ye hits rock bottom due to unemployment and the mounting pressures of life. When his mother finds out that Li Qian is flirting with another man, she confronts her, but Li Qian insults her in return. To spare his mother the worry, Zhang Ye lies about finding a job, and his mother, relieved, praises him. Li Qian, however, kicks Zhang Ye's mother out and mocks him for being useless. Overcome with guilt and despair, Zhang Ye contemplates ending his life. By chance, he encounters a stray fox and, feeling a strange connection with the animal, buys it some food before preparing to take his own life.