The premise of this movie (set in 1920s China) is that an old impotent old man bought a wife (after having killed his his two previous wifes), to torture her (including sexually). His (adult) adoptive nephew grows fond of his "aunt", whom he watches showering without her knowledge. She is shown feeling distressed when she discovers it, but the two then starts a romantic relationship. SPOILER: The torture scenes (heard and shown) stop about halfway through the movie (~45:00), since the old man becomes paralyzed.