Yao Yining is 28 years old and the founder of Ranna, a top women's clothing brand.
Having been deeply involved in the industry for many years, she has escaped countless capital storms, but fell into the hands of the person she trusted the most. A plagiarism scandal suddenly broke out. Her original manuscript was maliciously framed, and public opinion was overwhelming.
The truth revealed the most bitter betrayal: the person who pushed her into the abyss was the assistant who followed her closely, and behind the storm, there were even more hidden forces secretly manipulating the situation.
When she was under heavy pressure and exhausted both physically and mentally, the old injury on her left hand suddenly recurred. The doctor gave her an ultimatum: If she didn't recover, she would never be able to hold a paintbrush again for the rest of her life.
In the past thirteen years, Beijing has been ups and downs, full of fame and wealth, but also scarred. Yao Yining left all the hustle and bustle of the city behind and bought a plane ticket to Dali. He had no return date and no plan, and just wanted to escape temporarily.
Deep in the alleys of the ancient city, she met 23-year-old Pu Xihe.
She gave up her studies in the city and returned to the old home of the Bai people in Dali. She guarded the fire pit that never went out all year round and inherited the ancient Yi embroidery patterns. She always believed that the needle is held by the heart, not by the hand.
A cup of green plum brought back the sweetness of the cold weather, and a camellia and homespun tea mat gently healed her. The words "when you see it, you should see the way home" smoothed the chaos and desolation of her thirteen years in Beijing.
Indigo tie-dye, Cangshan herbs, and fire pond stitches, the mountain scenery healed her cracks and allowed her to find the complete self she had lost in the city.
But the undercurrent in Beijing never stops, trying to crush her hard-won stability.
The old willow trees that have come back to life by the Erhai Lake hide the gentlest power. Two scarred people met in the fireworks courtyard, redeemed each other, and were each other's glimmer of light across the river.
