Li Zhen, a cultural critic with a sharp pen, firmly believes that the soul of art must not be tainted by capital.
Duan Xi, a financial tycoon, is cool-headed and precise, accustomed to measuring everything by its return on investment.
At a prestigious banquet, they cross paths. His comment, “She’s not one of us,” labels her an idealist.
She sees him as a cold machine that devours ideals, and tears into him in her articles.
He sees her as a naive idealist untouched by the ways of the world, and counters with facts in silence.
From Shanghai to Hainan, from misunderstanding to clashes, the “rough edges” she is so proud of gradually reveal their cracks of prejudice under his increasingly incisive analysis.
Until her younger sister is caught in online abuse and a trap in her contract, and she has nowhere to turn for help. Until she discovers that his secret forum ID belongs to the “kindred spirit” who has understood her thoughts for years. Until she steps into his Duan Garden, where he safeguards intangible cultural heritage, and sees the warmth hidden behind capital...
This is a modern urban romance that begins in prejudice, develops through clashes, and ends in understanding. When the thorns of a rose meet the steadfastness of the North Star, when a critical soul meets a depth devoted to protecting what matters, love helps each become a more complete version of themselves.
Theme: Carrying the sharpness and romance of a rose while drawing on the North Star’s reason and perseverance, we can carve out a path through a complicated reality, keep worthy souls from being lost to the times, and let capital flow with human warmth. This is not only a metaphor for love, but also the wisdom of making peace with the times and moving forward alongside them.
