During the Republican era, Lu Zhaohe schemes against the Su family, leaving the entire household to perish in a sea of flames. He deceives Su Wanning into bearing his child, then imprisons her in an attic, takes her child away, and brands her insane so he can curry favor with Lin Zhiwei, the daughter of a powerful military family.
On a snowy night, Su Wanning sets a fire and fakes her death. After lying low for three years, she returns to Shanghai as Su Ning, a silk merchant. In secret, she gathers evidence of Lu Zhaohe's role in her family's destruction and the theft of their property, dismantling the Lu family's businesses step by step.
Blinded by Lu Zhaohe's false affection for three years, Lin Zhiwei notices something amiss and investigates in secret. She learns that both she and Su Wanning have been pawns in Lu Zhaohe's game. Rather than compete with each other, they join forces: one wields evidence from the business world, the other commands military and political influence. At a society banquet, they expose the whole truth in front of everyone.
The scoundrel and his accomplices are sent to prison. Su Wanning rebuilds the family business and reunites with her son, while Lin Zhiwei decisively divorces and chooses to live for herself. These two women, deceived again and again, break free from the chains of love and each carve out a life of freedom and peace.
