The owner of the fiery desire is the Hunk ex Machina who rescues her from the Chinese police when she deliberately falls atop a terra cotta warrior down in his trench:
I kept racking my brains while staring at the warrior as if he were my eternal and only love... Suddenly, as if pushed by some mysterious force, I slipped and fell against my 'lover.' With a will of its own, my hand reached to scrape a tiny piece from the terracotta soldier, then swiftly put it inside my jeans pocket.Somehow this is not what I expect from someone who was born in China, got a Ph.d from the Sorbonne, and taught in Hong Kong. I should have read the acknowledgments: "(her husband) Geoffrey's love and support are like an oasis in the desert-- nurturing and protective amidst the infinite mystery of life. I feel a perfect balance of yin and yang in my life because of him.'
Oh dear.