Julie Sterling, a brilliant scholar raising her son David alone, becomes private tutor to business magnate Samson Fairfax - thanks to her exceptional command of foreign languages. When Commander Fairfax notices David's resemblance to a young Samson, he suspects the boy is a Fairfax heir. As Julie and Samson bond over poetry, forbidden feelings blossom. War and misunderstandings keep them apart, forcing missed connections. Their story culminates amidst Shanghai's war-torn chaos and neon lights.