Su Qixue is a very poor girl who works hard to gain enough money to eat for herself and her father and brother. She's always struggled to survive, but when she's sold to a brothel, her struggle becomes more dangerous at every turn.
Wan Mei has to complete her mission, the punishment for failure being death, but the doctor she has to kill is the only one who could save Chang An's life.
It's Wan Mei's first mission alone, and she must decide if she'll be able to kill her target or face the consequences, in her last chance at surviving in Guihua City.
Wan Mei's feelings towards Chang An become stronger and he promises that he'll help her escape Guihua City. When someone tries to kill Cha Luo, Gong Zi might be the only one who can protect him, but he needs all his strength to fight his heart condition.
As the love between Wan Mei and Chang An becomes stronger, they must be very careful because love between Master and Shadow is a terrible crime in Guihua City. Wan Mei attracts Gong Zi's interest.
Chang An promises Wan Mei that he'll always be there to protect her, while Gong Zi learns that in order to survive he needs to take her heart, literally.
Wan Mei is captured and tortured. Gong Zi is forced to interrogate her but then finds a way to help her. Chang An is revealed a secret concerning his past.
Gong Zi sends Yue Ying to rescue Wan Mei. Chang An returns to Guihua City and must face punishment for failing his master. Yue Ying disobeys Gong Zi's orders and poisons her instead of bringing her back safe and sound.
Gong Zi saves the Emperor's life and has to form an alliance with the man he hates the most. Wan Mei must run away because she's being accused of being the one who caused the plague in the village.
Gong Zi sends Yue Ying to bring Wan Mei back alive. Chang An wants to help her but she can't forgive his betrayal. Wan Mei realizes that she's indeed the one who caused the plague.
Wan Mei uses her own blood to stop the plague and cure the people. Ruan Niang tries to convince Chang An to follow his destiny and Gong Zi confronts the man who killed his mother.
Liu Guang likes Chang An's loyalty and promises him to give him a cure for Wan Mei's scarred face. Wan Mei isn't sure if she can go on living after having lost Chang An, so Gong Zi takes her to a secret place to find her strength and will to live or die there.
After seven days Wan Mei comes out stronger than before and more determined. Gong Zi hasn't yet realized his deep feelings for her, feelings that are very clear to Chang An and Yue Ying.
Gong Zi carefully considers his options when a man asks for Wan Mei's name for revenge, while the relationship between Wan Mei and Wan Xiang takes an unexpected turn.
Gong Zi finds himself almost broke and in need of a new source of income and chooses to enter a remunerative although illegal business. Wan Mei's new shadow is not loyal as he should be.
Chang An is punished for loving Wan Mei but he can be her shadow again. The imperial army moves against Guihua city and Wan Mei has to deal with a drunk Gong Zi.
Gong Zi admits his feelings for Wan Mei. When the army attacks, Chang An fights against them along all the other warriors of Guihua City. When ChaLuo disappears, Gong Zi remains their only leader, but he's too weak to fight and the Emperor's help might be their only hope.
Wan Mei comes back to save the survivors of Guihua City and finds Gong Zi prisoner and thinks that Chang An gave him away to save himself. When Xin Feng is accused of abandoning the city Liu Guang pleads for his life but Gong Zi insists on some kind of punishment.
Wan Mei finds Fang Ge's missing sister and then escapes. Chang An admits his love for her and she wants to go away with him. Gong Zi hears their conversation.
Wan Mei and Chang An go away on a new mission for Gong Zi, then they take their chances to finally escape together. Yue Ying doesn't immediately appear when summoned and Gong Zi looks worried.
Cha Luo has sent Wan Xiang to kill Fang Ge's sister. Xing Feng warns them so Wan Mei and Chang An hurry back to try save her. Chang An makes a deal with Gong Zi on one condition, but Wan Mei refuses to leave after what happened. Yue Ying still wants to get Wan Mei's heart to cure Gong Zi.
Chang An encourages her to remain true to herself and not become like Cha Luo. When Ruan Niang begs her to let him go, they sadly agree that they must follow their paths separately; he plans to leave Guihua City and Wan Mei goes on a new mission with Gong Zi.
Gong Zi sees Liu Guang as an obstacle in his plan to make Wan Mei the new Master of Guihua City. Taifu captures Wan Mei to use her against Gong Zi whose heart condition has worsened and Yue Ying is desperate to find a definite cure.
Cha Luo is angry thinking that Liu Guang betrayed her. Xing Feng promises to save Chang An. Gong Zi is dying but Wan Mei and Yue Ying may have found a cure to save his life.
Gong Zi attends the funeral of the man he hated and killed. Chang An has left the city to gather an army and become a king. Wan Mei finds new support in people who want her to defeat Cha Luo and take her place.
Gong Zi's career in serving the Emperor has a price, he has to leave Guihua City and say goodbye to Wan Mei. The Emperor asks him to give him Yue Ying too, while Chang An receives a message of help written in Wan Mei's blood.
Wan Mei officially challenges Cha Luo and secretly plans a way to make sure that she will die, even at the cost of her own life. Chang An comes back for her but is captured and tortured on Cha Luo's order.
Chang An gives Wan Mei all his life energy and she is able to defeat Cha Luo; Gong Zi would like to help her recover and forget Chang An but she will never do that. Xing Feng can't go on living without Cha Luo and begs her to kill him.
