The Cao family, though wealthy and considering themselves a prestigious clan, harbored many internal conflicts and struggles unknown to outsiders. Cao Tianji, the second son of the Cao family, was kind-hearted and gentlemanly, yet he had been living in deep guilt since childhood, unable to extricate himself. The reason dated back to his childhood when, due to his playful nature, he urged his elder brother to take him on a remote mountain hike. As a result, his elder brother Cao Tianyu contracted a severe illness during the trip that never healed, leaving him with years of regret. Because of this, their mother, Xue Jianlan, had never forgiven Cao Tianji and wept daily.
As Cao Tianyu grew up, he was constantly tormented by his illness. Eventually, he lost his ability to have children and could not marry, which became the greatest regret for the Cao family.