In the millennium, in a small county town, eighteen-year-old Chen Yang was determined to fulfill his late mother's last wish and move to a big city. By chance, he met Lin Shanshan, a "distant relative," during an accidental encounter at a bookstore. His father, Chen Weiguo, introduced her as a friend's relative who would be staying with them temporarily. As they spent more time together, a subtle affection grew between Chen Yang and Lin Shanshan. After his father once again pressured him to take over the family hardware store, Chen Yang accidentally discovered an invitation to his father and Lin Shanshan's wedding under the coffee table. He rushed to find Lin Shanshan, but only received silence in reply. On the eve of the wedding, Chen Yang asked Lin Shanshan if she would leave the county town with him—she refused. On the wedding day, Lin Shanshan finally saw clearly the ugliness of the townspeople and the true nature of marriage. That very night, she and Chen Yang rode away from the county town together on a motorcycle.