Su Wenzhen, a down-and-out scholar, joins a theater troupe to make a living in order to get close to female lead actress Liu Qiaogu. The two become a couple on stage and fall in love off stage. Qiaogu's mother, Cheng Shuzhi, was greedy for money and forced her to marry. Qiaogu's ambition was to throw herself into the lake on the stage. Su Wenzhen died in love with her...
