The next day, Thuy goes to the zoo and befriends an elephant whose keeper, Hai, takes her under his wing. His uncanny ability to understand the animals captivates Thuy, who begins helping at the zoo. While at the marketplace, Hai asks Thuy to deliver a bouquet to a woman named Phuong (Nguyen Kim Phuong) and tells her that he and Phuong were once engaged, but (it is implied) the relationship dissolved due to her family’s disapproval of his profession. Thuy warns that even if Phuong returns, she will only break his heart again. To ensure this doesn’t happen, she tells Hai that Phuong has a new boyfriend (although the latter informed her that she was single). Feeling dejected, Hai brings Thuy back to the zoo and tells her that he knows of an orphanage where she will be safe. Thinking that Hai wishes to see her locked away like an animal, however, she leaves and returns to the city.