Character Relationship Map: Dear Tenant

Characters

• Lin (played by Mo Tzu-yi) — protagonist

  Lin is the officially designated tenant in the household’s rooftop addition and the story’s central figure. He manages daily needs, pays expenses, and cares for Yo-Yu and Grandma / Mrs. Chou after Li-...

• Grandma / Mrs. Chou (played by Grace Chen) — supporting

  Grandma / Mrs. Chou is Yo-Yu’s grandmother and a member of the household cared for by Lin. She resents Lin because of the family’s troubled history and claims that Li-Wei died because of him. After ta...

• Yo-Yu (played by Bai Run-yin) — supporting

  Yo-Yu is the child at the emotional center of the household and Li-Wei’s son. Lin cares for him and tries to secure his future through adoption, while Yo-Yu struggles with learning that Lin is not his...

• Li-Wei (played by Jack Yao) — supporting

  Li-Wei is Yo-Yu’s father and Lin’s deceased former partner. Although he does not appear in the present-day investigation, his death explains why Lin remains in the household to care for Yo-Yu and Gran...

• Prosecutor Chang (played by Cherry Hsieh) — supporting

  Prosecutor Chang is involved after Lin’s confession and the investigation into Grandma / Mrs. Chou’s death. Chang returns Lin’s notebook containing a letter addressed to Yo-Yu, recognizing that it may...

• Sergeant (played by Wu Pong-fong) — supporting

  Sergeant is one of the police investigators examining Grandma / Mrs. Chou’s death. Acting under a search warrant, Sergeant searches Lin’s home with Tsai and examines the household’s medications after...

• Eric (played by Wang Ko-yuan) — supporting

  Eric is a drug-involved figure questioned during the investigation. After being caught with drugs, he admits that Lin bought fentanyl from him on the night before Grandma / Mrs. Chou died. His stateme...

• Tsai (played by Nelson Shen) — supporting

  Tsai is a police investigator who works with Sergeant on the case surrounding Grandma / Mrs. Chou’s death. Tsai participates in the warrant-authorized search of Lin’s home and the examination of house...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Prosecutor Chang → Lin (Professional Prosecutorial Examiner) — Chang handles the legal aftermath while seeking the meaning behind Lin's actions.

  Prosecutor Chang is involved after Lin's confession and later returns Lin's notebook containing a letter to Yo-Yu.

• Eric → Sergeant (Professional Interrogated Witness) — Eric becomes an investigative source against Lin.

  Police question Eric after he is caught with drugs, and he admits selling fentanyl to Lin.

• Sergeant → Tsai (Professional Investigative Partner) — They cooperate in the police investigation and evidence search.

  The plot states that Sergeant and Tsai search Lin's home together under a warrant.

• Grandma / Mrs. Chou → Yo-Yu (Family Grandmother) — She is Yo-Yu's grandmother and influences his beliefs about the family.

  Yo-Yu lives in the household of Grandma / Mrs. Chou, who helps define his understanding of Li-Wei and Lin.

• Lin → Grandma / Mrs. Chou (Family Caregiver) — Lin provides practical and financial support to Grandma / Mrs. Chou.

  After Li-Wei's death, Lin remains to look after Grandma / Mrs. Chou and pays household expenses.

• Lin → Li-Wei (Romantic Former Partner) — Their past romantic relationship shapes Lin's continuing attachment to Yo-Yu and the household.

  Lin explains that he and Li-Wei were once a couple.

• Li-Wei → Yo-Yu (Family Biological Father) — Li-Wei is Yo-Yu's biological father, although he is deceased before the main events.

  The story identifies Li-Wei as Yo-Yu's father and later reveals that Lin was not Yo-Yu's biological father.

• Lin → Yo-Yu (Family Caregiver) — Lin acts as Yo-Yu's primary caregiver despite not being his biological father.

  After Li-Wei's death, Lin stays to care for Yo-Yu and handles the child's daily needs.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Prosecutor Chang → Yo-Yu (Narrative Custodial Observer) — Chang witnesses the child's encounter with the unresolved truth.

  At the end, Prosecutor Chang waits outside while Yo-Yu reads Lin's letter.

• Lin → Eric (Unknown Drug Buyer) — Their transaction supplies evidence connecting Lin to the death investigation.

  During interrogation, Eric admits that Lin bought fentanyl from him on the night before Grandma / Mrs. Chou died.

• Lin → Tsai (Conflict Suspect And Investigator) — Tsai participates in the investigation that focuses on Lin's possible responsibility.

  Tsai joins Sergeant in searching Lin's home and examining the household's medications.

• Lin → Sergeant (Conflict Suspect And Investigator) — Sergeant investigates Lin as suspicion grows around Grandma / Mrs. Chou's death.

  The opening shows Lin being questioned over murder and drug charges, while Sergeant searches Lin's home under a warrant.

Story Analysis

A caregiver's concealed responsibility collides with family resentment, legal suspicion, and a child's uncertain understanding of love and truth.

Plot Progression

1. A Household Held Together — The film introduces Lin as a tenant who effectively supports Yo-Yu and Grandma / Mrs. Chou. His past relationship with Li-Wei explains why he remains tied to the household.
2. Resentment Beneath Care — Lin's caregiving exists alongside Grandma's resentment and her accusation concerning Li-Wei's death. The family history makes the household emotionally unstable.
3. Evidence Closes In — The discovery of 6-Acetylmorphine leads to a search of Lin's home and scrutiny of the household medicines. Eric's statement about fentanyl sharply increases the pressure on Lin.
4. A Child's Unstable Future — Lin seeks adoption to secure Yo-Yu's future, but Yo-Yu learns that Lin is not his biological father. The revelation deepens the child's confusion as the investigation advances.
5. Confession Without Closure — Lin takes Yo-Yu into the mountains before police find the child. Lin later admits responsibility for giving Grandma dangerous pills, while a letter leaves the family's hidden truth unresolved.