Pan Hung is Lily, a humble bus conductor hired by Hong Kong commodities trader Sean Lau to be his connection to the Shanghai stock market. Lily finds the job surprisingly easy, and the duo begins to make big money. But at what price? With wealth and prosperity a driving daily goal for Lily, will her own family come to bear the cost? Director Lee Lok See uses his Shanghai focus to great effect, finding many avenues and opportunities for his satirical observations and cultural clashes. With capitalism and communism going head on in the rapidly growing city of Shanghai, which value system will ultimately live in each person's heart?

The series begins with the mother-less child, Lin Daiyu - whose beauty and intelligence surpasses all, moving into the family compound of her maternal grandmother in the capital. There, the child meets numerous relatives, one of whom is Jia Baoyu, her mother's nephew and male protagonist. Baoyu was born with a piece of jade in his mouth and, so, is treated like a fragile egg and spoiled by his grandmother. He often spends his time with his female cousins and maids instead of tending to his studies.