1. The story of the besieged city took place from 1920 to 1940s. Fang Hung-chien, the hero, is a young man who came out of a squire family in the south of China. Fang Hung-chien was forced by family pressure to get engaged to a woman who was also Zhou. However, during his college years, Zhou Sheng became ill and died very early. Mr. Zhou, the prospective father-in-law, was moved by Fang's condolences and funded him to study abroad. During his study tour in Europe, Fang Hung-chien ignored his studies.

2. In order to explain to his family, Fang bought a fictional doctor's degree certificate from Clayton University before graduation and returned to China with international students. On the boat, I met and fell in love with Miss Bao, a foreign student, but she cheated me. At the same time, I got to know my college classmate Sue. After arriving in Shanghai, I worked in a bank run by Mr. Zhou, the father of my late fiancee.

At this time, Fang got the favor of Sue's classmates and fell in love with Sue's cousin at first sight. During this period, he met Zhao who was pursuing Sue. Fang finally ended his relationship with Su and Tang. Su married the poet Cao Yuanlang, but knowing that Fang was not his rival in love, he fell in love with Fang. Fang Hung-chien gradually fell out with the Zhou family.

4. At the beginning of the Anti-Japanese War, Fang fled to Shanghai Concession. On Zhao's recommendation, he went to mainland universities to teach under Zhao, Gu Erqian and Li. Because of the weakness of Fang Hung-chien's personality, he fell into a complicated interpersonal dispute. After being engaged to Sun Roujia, she left San Lv University and returned to Shanghai.

With Zhao's help, Fang Hung-chien worked in a newspaper and married him. After marriage, the contradiction between Fang Hung-chien and his wife Fang Jia and Sun Roujia menstruation was exposed and intensified. Fang Hung-chien resigned, quarreled with Sun Roujia, and gradually lost hope of life.