Lin Yaoyue (A Tu), an unemployed woman with a master’s degree from a rural background, lives alone in a rented apartment. Her days are a dreary, despairing cycle of job hunting and studying for the civil service exam. For the past six months, however, A Tu has often been plagued by nightmares. Over time, she discovers she can gradually control how her dreams unfold. One day in early spring, beneath a star-filled night sky, A Tu falls asleep again and enters a peaceful, idyllic “hidden paradise.” There, she builds a career, meets companions and her beloved A Jing, and embarks on a fantastical journey full of hope, beauty, and struggle. But a dream is, in the end, just an illusion. What will become of A Tu?
