The story takes place during the Anti-Japanese War of the Republic of China. A pair of cousins with very different personalities were admitted to the Nanjing National Drama School (one of the predecessors of the Central Academy of Drama) at the same time, devoting themselves to art and pursuing their ideals. During the years of war, their fates were intertwined, their love and hate were intertwined, and their individual joys and sorrows were swept forward by the torrent of the times. The novel uses the National Drama School as the anchor and drama as the fuel. Through the gathering and dispersion of many characters, the novel witnesses the rise and fall of a family and even a nation, and composes a complex and tragic song of troubled times.
Purpose: The work shows the complex psychology and destiny of individuals in their choices, struggles, sinkings and transcendences against the background of magnificent historical changes. It proposes that history not only shapes characters, but also the actions and persistence of characters influence and bear witness to history.