Mo Bai Meets Qingyi in Jiangnan

That year in Jiangnan, the misty rain fell like a plaintive song.

Her name was Su Mobai, and she sought the soul of a thesis. His name was Qingyi, and he was the final, fading note on the water town’s opera stage.

Su Mobai, a young woman studying in Shanghai, travels to her grandmother’s ancient Jiangnan town to complete her thesis on classical aesthetics. She expects an ordinary academic trip, until one rainy night, she pushes open the door of Yunhua Theater and meets a man onstage known as “Qingyi.”

His water sleeves sweep through the air, his eyes full of feeling. He is Shen Qingyi, a celebrated Kunqu opera star who captivates all who see him, and an aloof, enigmatic figure in the heart of the old town. He brings Du Liniang’s lovesickness and Yang Guifei’s drunken grace to life, yet no one understands the lonely heart beneath his painted face, burdened by the opera troupe’s fortunes and struggling against the tide of the times.

One performance, one tear, one meeting of eyes. She offers him a note filled with understanding; he answers with a dance of his water sleeves, performed for a kindred spirit alone. From their chance encounter by the stone bridge to their deep conversations in the rehearsal hall, Mobai gradually comes to understand the integrity and perseverance behind his art, and touches the tenderness hidden deep within him.

Yet peaceful Jiangnan is no paradise beyond the reach of the world. A wave of “reform” blowing in from the provincial capital, bearing scrutiny and doubt, is about to engulf the ancient theater. As outside pressure, the troupe leader’s compromises, and the naive affections of those around them all come to bear, Mobai chooses not to remain a quiet spectator. With her knowledge and wisdom, she stands firmly by his side, and together they face a trial that will determine whether their art survives.