Rudy is a Canadian who has spent the last year teaching English at a teachers' college in China. Li Ming is his translator, and Rudy has fallen in love with her. He returns to Canada, but Li Ming is forced to stay in China. Home in Canada, Rudy waits for Li Ming, is gripped by the unrest which explodes in Tiananmen Square, waits for a friend's baby to be born, and still waits for Li Ming.