A troubled marriage fueled by the husband's jealousy, abuse, and financial struggles takes a dark turn as he becomes increasingly controlling, and subjects his wife to unbearable torment.

Hangzhou, China, the present day. Chen Congming, an associate professor at a medical college who is popular with his students, alarms his superiors with his theory that everyone has the potential to go crazy, and that the dividing line between sanity and insanity is paper-thin.

Sergeant Tong is wracked with guilt after he unwittingly kills a young girl whilst capuring a criminal named Cheung. When the girl's sister is later kidnapped in a ploy to get Cheung released, Sergeant Tong vows to find and rescue her before she comes to harm.

A young girl comes of age -- while also coming to terms with her destiny, pre-determined by the Communist Party -- in this beautiful, sweeping Chinese drama.