▁and ▁T ian ▁Li ▁eventually ▁accepts ▁Zh ong ' s ▁request . ▁ ▁Chapter ▁ 5 : ▁Big ▁Sur prise ▁[ A st air ] ▁ ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁California . ▁In ▁this ▁chapter ▁Ast air ▁is ▁home ▁with ▁her ▁tw in ▁eight - year - old ▁daughters ▁Sh ast i ▁and ▁Fre ya . ▁She ▁not ices ▁that ▁rain ▁is ▁le aking ▁through ▁the ▁ce iling ▁and ▁thinks ▁about ▁calling ▁their ▁land l ord , ▁Cy ril ▁Kos igin ski . ▁Her ▁phone ▁is ▁constantly ▁ring ing ▁because ▁of ▁M ef isto ' s ▁pr ank , ▁and ▁she ▁has ▁un pl ug ged ▁the ▁land lines . ▁She ▁still ▁has ▁not ▁opened ▁the ▁thick ▁man ila ▁en velope ▁on ▁her ▁bed ▁that ▁contains ▁her ▁grad ed ▁th esis ▁from ▁her ▁ad visor . ▁It ▁is ▁titled ▁Hope ' s ▁N est : ▁On ▁the ▁N ec ess ity ▁of ▁God , ▁a ▁title ▁she ▁now ▁cons iders ▁“ w ince worth y .” ▁She ▁thinks ▁about ▁how ▁successful ▁her ▁colle agues ▁have ▁been ▁and ▁doub ts ▁that ▁she ▁will ▁do ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁they ▁have . ▁Then ▁she ▁real izes ▁that ▁her ▁friend ▁T ay mor ▁has ▁arrived ▁to ▁pick ▁them ▁all ▁up , ▁but ▁before ▁they ▁leave ▁the ▁tw ins ▁want ▁to ▁know ▁about ▁X an ther ' s ▁surprise . ▁She ▁wishes ▁they ▁would ▁show ▁more ▁sympathy ▁for ▁X an ther , ▁and ▁thinks ▁about ▁how ▁X an ther ▁has ▁no ▁companion — not ▁D ov ▁and ▁not ▁her