Bai Qi is a panda spirit who has lived for more than three hundred years. He lives alone in the mountains, eating bamboo, basking in the sun, and watching the clouds drift by. His life is even more leisurely than that of a retired official. Then one day, an excavator rumbled up the mountain and bulldozed his home. Forced to flee downhill, Bai Qi ran into Li Jian, a hapless man with no car, no house, and no job, who had just graduated and set off to travel the world on a shoestring. Li Jian thought he’d found a “simple, goofy country bumpkin” from the mountains, while Bai Qi thought he’d met a “kind human” willing to take him in. They hit it off and began a hilarious life as roommates. Bai Qi wanted to fit into human society, but he couldn’t even tell salt from sugar. Li Jian hoped to turn his life around through livestreaming, only to discover that his sole claim to fame was Bai Qi’s “national treasure face,” without a trace of dark circles. The two started out selling stones at a street stall and stumbled their way through viral livestreams, ID troubles, online skepticism, and near-exposure of Bai Qi’s identity as a spirit. Along the way, they also took in a poker-faced junior fellow disciple and reunited with a quiet old friend.
This is a story about two “kids who never grew up,” supporting and healing each other. There are everyday moments that will make you laugh until your sides hurt, as well as heartwarming scenes that will bring tears to your eyes. One is a spirit, and the other is human, but in a corner of this city, they become the people who feel most like family to each other.
