Luo Qingdai, a progressive writer who uses her pen as a sword, has been repeatedly blocked because her articles offended the authorities; Ji Changan, an underground worker code-named "Blue Bird", walks on the edge of danger to deliver information. The two met over books at Shanghai Neishan Bookstore, and gradually fell in love while working undercover for four years.
In the third year after the Songhu Anti-Japanese War, white terror enveloped Shanghai. Ji Changan received an urgent mission and was about to go north. Before leaving, he entrusted important letters to Luo Qingdai. At the same time, Luo Qingdai was targeted by the spies for participating in progressive activities, and the organization urgently arranged for her to be transferred to Hangzhou. On the eve of parting, the two of them said their final farewell in Luo Qingdai's small pavilion - no promises, only the words "If there is peace, we will renew the bookstore appointment."
On the train from Shanghai to Hangzhou, Luo Qingdai opened the letters left by Ji Changan and found that not only were there three letters spanning four years, but they also contained shocking secrets about his true identity. As the train headed south, crises also followed: the black car was still tracking, the contact person suddenly lost contact, and the Hangzhou contact point was suspected to be exposed...
This is a life and death escape across three cities in the south of the Yangtze River, and it is also a love that guards the glimmer of light in the darkness. When personal emotions are intertwined with the righteousness of family and country, and when the character of a scholar encounters iron-blooded reality, how will Luo Qingdai use the pen in her hand to carve out a path to dawn in the long night?
The novel combines the customs of the Republic of China, espionage suspense and the sentiments of the times, and depicts the spiritual map of a generation of intellectuals in the historical torrent. It not only tells about love, but also writes about faith; it not only records parting, but also witnesses perseverance - in the worst and best of times, there are always people who are willing to be lamps and light up the long night.
