Lai grows up in the shadow of the Cultural Revolution, amid the whispers of adults and the oppressive silence of Beijing streets. Her world is a cramped apartment dominated by a strict grandmother, while her parents keep dangerous secrets. Encounters with the police, books from an old bookseller, and bitter lessons from her father shape the character of a girl ready to challenge the system. After entering university, Lai becomes a participant in student protests. Friendship, first love, and dreams of freedom lead her to a fateful day in Tiananmen Square. The writer, hiding under the pseudonym Lai Wen, draws a piercing portrait of a generation hungry for change.