A tragic song of a turbulent age, where gunfire mingles with the opera stage. At a theater by the Qinhuai River, opera singer Shen Shaotang meets soldier Qiu Zongpei: one has devoted himself to the nation, the other sings of every joy and sorrow. When war sweeps through Nanjing, the vows of eternal love in the opera collide with bloody reality. Before leaving for the front, Qiu Zongpei leaves behind a marriage contract, while Shen Shaotang waits among the ruins, stranded like an island. Pei Ziheng’s devotion, Wen Shian’s protection, Xiao Yunxi’s choices, and Shen Yicheng’s redemption all rise and fall within this all-consuming romance. They spend their lives proving the promise, “You’ll wear a qipao and hold the ground of my family, while I wear a uniform and keep you safe all your life.” Yet in the end, swept along by the tide of the times, they become the most heartbreaking lyrics in the opera.
