A Lingering Face follows an everyman named Lei Haiyang (Pan Yueming), who has recently broken up with his girlfriend. Deciding to go to Beijing, he hitches a ride with a driver (Ma Xiaoqing) and a fellow hitchhiker, Yanzi (Li Min). Waking up from a nap, Haiyang finds the truck parked in the woods and the driver raping Yanzi. Hiding in the undergrowth, Yanzi sees Haiyang, but does not reveal his hiding position. Terrified, Haiyang runs away.