A Plan for Life

Growing up, the well-behaved Liu Chichi always gave in to keep others from getting upset, even going so far as to lie. In her heart, making things hard for herself was always easier than making them hard for anyone else. At graduation, her poor communication skills cost her a permanent position at the hospital, and her mother’s disappointment followed her everywhere. Then, among a group of clinical trial participants, she spots Hao Jia, a childhood friend. Hoping to reconnect with the friendship she once lost, and to comfort her mother, she decides to work as a clinical trial coordinator while pretending she has a regular job at the hospital. But the world of clinical trials is far more complicated than she imagined. What kind of people choose to take part in clinical trials? Those short on money, those who can’t get their medication, or people acting on impulse? Moving from a pharmacy where everyone strictly follows medical instructions to clinical trials full of uncertainty, Liu Chichi has no choice but to face the issues head-on. Professional trial participants, vulnerable subjects, terminally ill patients... As she learns to understand and take part in other people’s lives, Liu Chichi gradually grows. Avoiding problems cannot solve anything. When life and death are at stake, the worries that once consumed her seem insignificant. Her life needs no control group, and there is no set protocol she must follow. In the one and only life she has, the expectations she needs to meet are her own.