Zhu Yingtai disguises herself as a man to study at the academy. Despite her noble background, she crosses paths with the impoverished scholar Liang Shanbo, and their initial clashes turn into friendship. Liang Shanbo accidentally discovers her secret, and the two pledge their lives to each other. However, Zhu Yingtai is forced by her parents to marry into the Ma family, while Liang Shanbo falls ill and passes away. On her wedding procession, Zhu Yingtai throws herself into his grave, and in the end, the two emerge transformed into butterflies.