become a prostitute. Anna runs away and Tao cries. Meanwhile, Taisheng is asked by an associate to drive a woman named Qun to Taiyuan so she can deal with her gambling brother, and he eventually becomes attracted to her. The two often meet at her clothing shop, where she tells him about her husband who left for France years ago. Since, she has tried with some difficulty to obtain a visa to join him. Though he pursues her, Qun rejects him. Taisheng eventually convinces Tao to have sex with him, with Tao threatening that she will kill him if he ever betrays her. His life, however, quickly spirals out of control when Chen is killed in a construction accident. Some time afterwards, Wei and Niu, two other performers at World Park, announce that they plan to wed despite Niu being dangerously jealous and unstable. At the wedding, Tao discovers a text-message from Qun, who has at last received her visa, to Taisheng, saying that their meeting and relationship was destined. Believing that Taisheng has indeed betrayed her, Tao is devastated and cuts off contact with him while she house-sits for Wei and Niu. When Taisheng goes to visit her, she ignores him. Some time later, Taisheng and Tao have succumbed to a gas leak, presumably in their friends' apartment. As the film fades to black, Taisheng's voice asks, "Are we dead?" "No," Tao's voice responds, "this is only the beginning." Cast Zhao Tao as Tao, the film's heroine, a young woman and a performer at the Beijing World Park. Chen Taisheng as Taisheng, a Shanxi-native who has lived in Beijing for three years. Taisheng has become something of a fixture for Shanxi migrants who come to him looking for a place to work. Jing Jue as Wei, one of Tao's fellow performers. Jiang Zhongwei as Niu, another performer and Wei's possessive and paranoid boyfriend. Huang Yiqun as Qun, a native of Wenzhou, Qun operates a clothing shop, Taisheng's mistress. Wang Hongwei as Sanlai, a friend of Taisheng's and another Shanxi native. Ji Shuai as Erxiao, a Shanxi native and Taisheng's cousin, whom Taisheng has gotten a job as a security guard at World Park. Erxiao is later fired for stealing from the performers while they are on stage. Xiang Wan as Youyou, another performer, Youyou carries on an affair with the park's director and parleys it into a promotion to