Flowers Along the Road, Heading North

The novel follows Lin Chen, a young man from a small town blessed with extraordinary good looks, as he heads to Beijing to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. Starting out in a dingy basement, he squeezes onto the subway to hand out resumes, faces cold shoulders from directors, and takes part-time jobs to make ends meet. Thanks to his solid acting skills and handsome appearance, he eventually rises from bit parts to become a moderately well-known actor, sketching out a future with his girlfriend, Su Xiao, in their rented apartment. But his striking looks attract the attention of Zhao Manli, a powerful woman who controls the entertainment industry's resources. She first tempts him with top-tier opportunities. When he refuses, she sabotages his career and threatens Su Xiao's safety. To protect the woman he loves, Lin Chen is forced to sign an “exclusive agreement,” trapped in a humiliating spiral of control. After Zhao Manli forcibly assaults him, a desperate Lin Chen chooses to leap to his death on set, leaving behind a suicide note detailing what he endured. He turns his life into a torch, hoping to illuminate the dark, unspoken rules of the entertainment industry. His death sends shock waves through public opinion. Once his note is exposed, the public protests, entertainers speak out, and the police launch an investigation. His life-costing cry eventually drives a reckoning with the industry's hidden abuses, while raising questions about the limits of law and justice.