Suzhou, 1926. A glimmer of light at Lanting Villa sets in motion the fateful bond between Shen Qingyuan, daughter of the Shen family, and Gu Yanting, newly returned from studying abroad. They grow close through the restoration of ancient books, and youthful feelings quietly blossom amid the mist and rain of Jiangnan. But when Gu Yanting's identity as a descendant of the Gu family is revealed, the buried grudges between the Shen and Gu families come crashing to light. He has come to avenge his father, and the families' fierce opposition looms like an enormous boulder, leaving the two trapped in a mire of conflict and anguish.
The flames of war soon spread to Suzhou. Gu Yanting is forced to enlist, while Shen Qingyuan's family arranges a marriage for her. On the eve of their separation, the vows they made at Lanting are shattered by a misunderstanding, leaving only pain and despair. Ten years later, on a street in Chongqing, Shen Qingyuan, now a widow, encounters Gu Yanting, gravely wounded. But another woman is already by his side. Their reunion is nothing but formal politeness and distance, and the old grudges remain unresolved.
After the War of Liberation, Shen Qingyuan returns to the abandoned Lanting. A string of red-bean bracelets Gu Yanting hid in a corner all those years ago finally reveals the truth behind their misunderstanding. But time cannot be turned back. With a long life still ahead, only endless longing and sorrowful regret linger among Lanting's crumbling walls.
