Xiaochun has been playing the violin ever since was able to hold it. Now, a prodigy at 13, with several awards to his name, he is the pride and joy of his father, a chef who has put all of his hopes on his son's success. Father and son set out for Beijing, where the boy will further his studies. The big city has a strong impression on Xiaochun, but not as much as it does on Lili, a girl he sees at the station and who turns out to be his neighbor in the metropolis. Lili is destined to become his first love, his first amorous letdown and his first real friend. His father, on the other hand, never falters in his quest to find a teacher for Xiaochun capable of putting the boy on the road to international fame. However, finally having found the person he was looking for, the teacher pits the boy's skill against his other favorite student, Lin Yu. On the eve of an extremely important performance before a jury, professor Yu tells Xiaochun a secret which will change his life forever.