Wang Tingting travels through time to an ancient primeval forest. There, she encounters Pei Ji, who is covered in whip scars and is both blind and mute. The two depend on each other for survival. Overcoming her fear, she makes fire by rubbing sticks together, searches for food, fires clay pots from red mud, and weaves rattan baskets, doing everything she can to survive. Although Pei Ji has been poisoned, he uses the last of his inner strength to kill venomous snakes and pheasants. They snatch plantains from a troop of monkeys, gather chestnuts and mushrooms, and stew chicken soup. The nights are cold, and Wang Tingting is afraid of the dark, so Pei Ji silently guards the fire. Amid the vast, boundless forest, the two struggle to survive, supporting each other along the way.