Beyond the Sky’s Edge, North of the Clouds

Tian Zhiya, a single father in the south, is left raising his elementary-school-aged son alone after his career collapses and his marriage falls apart. The pressures of everyday life leave him barely able to breathe, yet late at night he always puts on a brave face for his son. Yun Zhibei, a single mother in the north, ended her marriage after her ex-husband betrayed and neglected her. She raises her daughter alone and has grown used to hiding behind a cold exterior, until she happens to meet Tian Zhiya in an online chat. Both have been badly hurt by life. From polite small talk, they gradually move on to sharing their late-night weariness and loneliness, discovering that their scars are much alike: failed marriages, the strain of raising children, and the same longing to start over. When distance and the challenges of real life stand in their way, they comfort each other in the virtual world and cautiously draw closer in person. In awkward but heartfelt ways, they care for each other's feelings and protect one another's children. From “You're my sounding board” to “We are each other's light,” they learn to love again amid the everyday bustle of single-parent life and their children's innocent chatter. They learn to gather the scattered pieces of love from ordinary days, and ultimately decide to cross the divide of distance and the past to build a new family that brings their two children together. In the meeting of “Tian Zhiya” and “Yun Zhibei,” they find a home filled with the warmth of everyday life.