In bustling Jing Du, Ye Ci, the illegitimate son of a marquis, is looked down on at home because of his low status and often bullied by scions of powerful families at the academy. By chance, Lin Yan rescues him. The grandson of the prime minister, Lin Yan is gentle yet distant. From then on, he takes special care of Ye Ci, and their bond grows ever deeper.
One spring day, while out enjoying the countryside, Ye Ci gathers the courage to confess his feelings to Lin Yan. Lin Yan cares for Ye Ci too, but hesitates under the weight of social conventions and family pressure. Even so, their time together grows more tender and tentative.
But their happiness does not last. The political situation suddenly shifts, and the marquis’s household becomes embroiled in a major treason case. In a single night, Ye Ci loses his family and home, and he becomes a wanted fugitive, forced to flee and endure every hardship life can bring. When Lin Yan learns what has happened, he is frantic with worry. He searches for Ye Ci while his grandfather warns him to have nothing more to do with him. Unaware of the lengths Lin Yan is going to for his sake, Ye Ci assumes Lin Yan chose to stay silent when he needed help most, and resentment begins to grow in his heart.
While evading pursuit, Ye Ci accidentally enters Lin Yan’s country residence. Misunderstanding the situation, he leaves with grim resolve. In the end, Ye Ci is captured by soldiers. Lin Yan begs the emperor desperately to save him, even offering his own life in exchange, but cannot change the outcome. Ye Ci is sentenced to exile on the frontier. Lin Yan tries to follow him, but his family prevents him. From then on, the two are separated, their once unforgettable love becoming a painful memory with the passing years. Behind the splendor of Jing Du, two broken hearts are left to grieve in silence.
