After her parents' divorce, Kou Niu lives with her mother, but when her mother has to find work in the city, the poor eight-year-old girl is left in the care of distant relatives, leading a lonely and dull life. That is until a little puppy appears and changes her life. They share the same fate—both abandoned by their parents and without a true home of their own. Kou Niu adopts the puppy and names him Char Siu (Forkball), but her relatives, due to the limited space in their home, strongly oppose her keeping a dog. As a result, Kou Niu secretly raises Char Siu on the rooftop.
Char Siu's backstory is quite pitiful. His mother, Ada, was abandoned by her owner on the street and gave birth to Char Siu and his siblings in a corner of a busy road.