To Qiu Shui, a young lad in his most hungry, curious, and restless 20s, the whole world feels a little erotic. Studying at China's top medical college, he can break down men's carnal impulses with solid human anatomy knowledge but can't grasp the inner desire that draws him to three disparate romantic interests-the fairy-like hometown first love, the marriageable college girlfriend, and the sensuous working woman. It's the 1990s when China just opened up to exciting opportunities and risks. Unprecedented social fluidity provokes individuals' materialist and romantic appetites. This cruel new world eventually crushes Qiu Shui’s burning passion and takes each of his lovers away. As he looks back at his chaotic youth as a grownup years later, he's rewarded with a deeper understanding of what it means to live and love.
Sitian, a Chinese American conductor, returns to China to give a concert and to find her three siblings again, after having been separated from them for years after the death of their parents.
