Mr. Jiang is a Shanghai dandy, living by himself in a house that stood the test of time since the 1930s as a witness to what happened to the city. Now, the house is about to be torn down as part of a redevelopment plan. A woman becomes a tenant and fiercely pursues the taciturn man, until he opens his mouth unraveling his unique philosophy and personal history. Combined with the verbal sparring between the two and the scenes around the house, the sadness that oozes from Mr. Jiang's life at the mercy of Chinese history-Shanghai during the war, the fury of the Cultural Revolution, and now the present-casts a subtle shadow over the film.