The story of Lin Xi and Jiang Yi begins beneath an old Chinese scholar tree and spans more than twenty years.
When she was eight, she barged into his childhood as a little crybaby. An old cat and the tree's blossoms witnessed their secrets by the stream and the names written backwards, but could not preserve their unfinished promise. All that remained was an empty tree and a longing tucked away in their hearts.
They met again at fifteen, amid the cicadas' cries, and became desk mates who were constantly at odds. A science dunce and an arts dimwit gradually fell for each other over the warmth of brown sugar ginger tea, but a misunderstanding left them parting in silence during graduation season.
After turning eighteen, the distance between their cities could not keep them from following their hearts. A twelve-hour train ride and a vigil by a hospital bed made their love all the stronger through arguments and reconciliations.
After graduation, a scorched kitchen and hugs after setbacks at work brought the warmth of everyday life. A little scholar tree newly planted on the balcony quietly recorded the secret of a ring and a proposal beneath its branches.
When old classmates reunite and someone from the past visits on a rainy night, undercurrents begin to stir beneath the calm. Yet the promise beneath the blossoms remains their strength as they face the years together.
From their first meeting in childhood to a lifetime by each other's side, the old scholar tree withers and blooms again. Their story is a tenderness tucked away in time, and an eternity written among its blossoms.
