Despite leading a successful life, with a caring husband and a couple of children, Nan, the marketing director at a textile brand, starts to realize her "happy education" ideal is being smashed by cruel reality. Her elder daughter, a Grade 5 primary student with a talent for art, may fail to be admitted by a top junior middle school because her academic scores are not good enough.

In contrast to Nan, Tian Yulan-a department store manager played by actress Jiang-is a typical "Tiger Mom" who firmly believes scores and medals top the list of all priorities for her son.

The character's enthusiasm for academic success escalates family tension. For instance, during a family dinner with her parents and other relatives, she urges the young boy to recite as many of the infinite number of digits for pi, to "entertain" and show off. In order to push the boy to completely focus on academic studies, she forces him to quit his favorite soccer class, leading the youngster to become depressed.

"Such scenes may seem crazy and incredible, but around 90 percent of the content is based on real stories," says Lu.