Princess Gong Yinyin, married to the beloved Qin Mo by the emperor, is neglected on their wedding night, sparking rumors of a divorce. Furious, she disguises herself as a man and joins the Imperial Court to confront her husband.
In a small Chinese town some years ago, two childhood friends contend with the harsh realities of a nation drastically transitioning from Socialism to Market Economy. A young boy looking for guidance accidentally gets entangled with local hoodlums. His neighbor and classmate, a decent young girl, tries her best to help him with his studies while staying afloat amid the chaos of modernization herself. They dream of a future where they can both leave the confines of their town, but an unexpected accident redirects their fates to something else entirely.