PhD student Ingrid Yang is desperate to finish her dissertation on the late canonical poet Xiao-Wen Chou and never read about "Chinese-y" things again. After years of grueling research, she accidentally stumbles upon a curious note in the Chou archives and convinces herself it's her ticket out of academic hell. Her clumsy exploits to unravel the note's message lead to an explosive discovery. When her fiancé, Stephen Greene, embarks on a book tour with the super kawaii Japanese author he's translated, Ingrid will have to confront her sticky relationship to white men and white institutions-- and, most of all, herself.

Part I: Fall quarter. The curious note ; A benign coincidence ; The most common name in the English-speaking world ; Yellow peril 2.0 ; The versatility of tampons ; "Kumquats on an autumn day" ; Hollywood -- Part II: Winter quarter. Chinatown Blues ; Special occasion role-play ; Traitor! -- Part III: Spring quarter. Chaos in the East Asian Studies Department ; Good old-fashioned American freedom ; Exhibiting all the usual signs ; The ultimate Asian woman ; Serial killers want to be caught -- Part IV; Summer. All hail emperor Bartholomew ; Total immersion ; Fever dream ; A priori, a posteriori ; Be a good girl -- Epilogue: A new you.