Set in ancient China, Scent of Time follows a shrewd young woman, Hua Qian (Zhou Ye) who is obsessed with the heir to a Chinese incense empire, Zhong Yelan (Peng Chuyue). Hua Qian schemes to steal Zhong Yelan's heart, but Yelan's heart belongs to Mu Yao, the daughter of Butler Mu, a rival of the Hua family.