Title: Like Sparks, Like Butterflies

Director: Li Huizhu, Deng Weien

Starring: Hu Jun, Jiang Yiyan, Zheng Guolin, Wang Yan, Huo Zhengyan, Jiang Hongen

First broadcast date: June 22, 2013

Broadcasting platforms: Jiangsu TV, Dragon TV

Plot Summary:

In 1930s old Shanghai, the city thrived in opulence and decadence. Seven-year-old Zhao Yongfang—later known as Song Yongfang—witnessed a seismic upheaval in her family. Driven by a thirst for vengeance, she ventured alone onto the bustling Shanghai scene, where her extraordinary singing talent and distinctive personality won the favor of Duan Shaorong, the city’s powerful boss. She adopted the stage name “Xiao Jinbao.” Tang Liping, Duan Shaorong’s sworn brother, outwardly bowed to his elder’s every command, yet secretly coveted the position of boss. Tang Litian, Tang Liping’s younger brother, was a progressive youth deeply influenced by revolutionary ideals. Duan Ning, Duan Shaorong’s daughter, was passionately in love with him, and Tang Liping sought to arrange their marriage as a means of keeping Duan Shaorong in check. When the Japanese invaded China, Shanghai was plunged into chaos and bloodshed. In pursuit of power, Tang Liping even threw himself into the arms of the Japanese, an act that filled Duan Shaorong with abhorrence. Inspired by Xiao Jinbao and Tang Litian, Duan Shaorong came to view the Communist Party in a new light and leveraged his influence to help the underground movement smuggle medicine. By chance, Xiao Jinbao discovered that the true culprit behind the devastating fire that had destroyed her family when she was ten was none other than Tang Liping. With both personal vendettas and national grievances weighing on her heart, and with Duan Shaorong’s support, she finally exacted her long‑awaited revenge. After enduring countless trials and tribulations, Zhao Yongfang and Duan Shaorong gradually grew to understand one another, and in the face of national crisis, they joined hands to plunge into the surging tide of the anti‑Japanese resistance.