Xiao Yaojing 小妖精’s character arc in Mu Cao’s 墓草 online novel Qi’er弃儿 (2011) explores themes of homosexual isolation and abandonment in a familial context. The existence of an unlikely sexual and emotional bond shared by the minor Yaojing and adult Ma shushu马叔叔, a closeted, married truck driver, adds immense pressure to already dysfunctional family dynamics—with tragic results for both parties. This episode in Mu’s novel showcases a grim, harsh, yet theatrically poignant depiction of the homosexual experience in a family setting—the author frames homosexuality as the trigger for their respective families’ unrelenting anger and never towards the inappropriate relationship between an adult and a minor. The uncovering of this homosexual liaison leads these characters to be brutally beaten—metaphorically and literally—to the margins of society by their families and neighbours, providing fodder for the exemplification of mental health and life satisfaction for tongzhi 同志 people in China, with particular consideration for the younger segments of this population, as well as information on their bitter struggles with suicide and depression—elements that end up shaping Yaojing’s life. Through an analysis of Yaojing’s turbulent experience and Mu Cao’s broken and dejected male characters, it is the aim of this chapter to understand to what extent this novel provides social mimesis of the Chinese context regarding the issue of the homosexual experience within a family unit as well arouse concerns towards the issue of mental health for queer people.