The protagonist, Lin Yan, is 32 years old and works as a restorer of old books at Timeworn Books, a bookshop in an old urban neighborhood. Reserved and sensitive, he has a special ability: when he touches an old book, he can see fragments of time hidden within it, key memories belonging to its former owner.
A damaged diary labeled "Winter, 1987" repeatedly shows Lin Yan fragments of a girl named Su Xiaotang's memories. The fragments feature an "unsent letter" and an "attic fire" again and again. Meanwhile, the bookshop is facing demolition, and Lin Yan must choose between restoring the diary, uncovering the mystery of Su Xiaotang's disappearance, and saving the shop that holds the memories of two generations.
Set in a modern city, the "fragments of time" cannot be changed and serve only as clues. Restoring old books is not merely a technical craft, but a "bridge of memory" connecting past and present.
