In the 16th year of the Republic of China, the gilded tiles of Shen Mansion in Jinling shone brightly in the mist and rain of troubled times, but they could not hide the undercurrent surging deep in the wealthy family. Shen Yanci, the most rebellious third son in this splendid mansion, despised hypocritical etiquette, so in a corner of the bookstore, he had a fateful encounter with Su Wanqing, an orphan from a poor family who sold paintings to make a living. She is soft on the outside and strong on the inside, hiding her character in her pen and ink; he is gentle and rebellious, resisting the secular world with his deep feelings, but the class gap has opened up between the two.
Within the high walls of the deep house, Mrs. Shen's difficulties, her sister's jealousy, and the family's pressure came one after another; in the troubled times, the admiration of the new military officers, the coveting of the new business elite, and the imminent danger of the family and the country were intertwined. From the glamorous Jinling to the war-torn battlefield, they had made a private lifelong commitment, and had broken up due to misunderstandings; they had joined hands to fight against the collapse of their family, and they had also been separated by life and death in wars.
When the gilded years have turned into dust and the flames of war have dissipated, the former dandy young master has become a scarred anti-Japanese soldier, and the cold girl is still guarding the empty city waiting for her old friend. Love and hate have been entangled for half a lifetime, and it is difficult to reconcile the love between family, country and children. In the end, it is just a sigh that travels through the years on the floating city of old dreams: "We have loved, hated, and missed each other for a lifetime."
This is an epic of the Republic of China that combines the rise and fall of a wealthy family with sadomasochism in troubled times. Against the backdrop of the majestic era from the end of Beiyang to the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, it depicts the deep feelings, regrets, perseverance and choices of a generation.
