A young Yeti escapes from a Shanghai compound owned by a wealthy businessman who plans to use him as a display to prove the existence of creatures like him to the world. Parallel to this, a teenage girl named Yi lives with her mother and Nai Nai in a bustling apartment building. Yi leads a busy life, often neglecting time with family and friends—her basketball-loving friend Peng and his tech-savvy older cousin Jin, who isn’t on the best terms with Yi. Yi herself is a violinist, but she hasn’t performed in front of anyone since her father’s death, who was also a violinist. Each night she climbs to the rooftop and plays a tune her father taught her, hoping to feel connected to him.
One evening, Yi meets the Yeti she will name Everest near her cubby house on the roof. She shelters him from Burnish Industries’ helicopters, gradually earning his trust by offering baozi and tending his wounds. Everest shares his longing to reunite with his family on Mount Everest, while Yi reveals her own dream of traveling across China—something her father always wanted for her as well. As Burnish’s private security closes in, Everest and Yi flee together, with Peng and a wary Jin following close behind.
Their escape escalates from rooftop chases to a tense voyage: they slip away on a ship carrying red cola cans after narrowly avoiding a Burnish helicopter near the iconic Oriental Pearl Tower. The group—Yi, Everest, Peng, and Jin—press onward, moving from one precarious situation to the next as they head toward a safer place in southern China. A series of rough twists follows: their crate falls from a truck, sending them into a forest where Everest reveals an astonishing gift—he can stimulate growth, making blueberry plants spring to life in response to his presence.
Meanwhile, Burnish and a cunning zoologist named Dr. Zara continue their pursuit, pushing into the Sichuan region where Everest uses his power to cause a dandelion to grow to an enormous size. The group escapes once more, riding a wind-blown seed head, while Jin is left behind and captured by the Goon Leader who works for Burnish. Jin discovers Zara’s real intent: she plans to hunt Everest not for protection, but to sell him, and the Goon Leader supports her scheme. Yet he also learns that Burnish, who seems cold, possesses a soft spot for animals—evidenced by his affection for Zara’s pet albino jerboa, Duchess. Jin escapes and heads after Yi and Everest, determined to reunite with his friends.
The trio makes their way to the Gobi Desert, where they befriend a number of tortoises who welcome Everest’s presence and the towering dandelion’s strange size. Their journey continues to a town along the Yellow River, where Burnish Industries corners them. Peng’s quick thinking helps them slip away with the help of a yak stampede, and with Jin aiding their flight, they cross the Yellow River to a field of yellow flowers that ripple like waves as Everest conjures a protective current. During this stretch, Yi’s violin is broken, but Everest mends it using his own hair, returning the instrument’s power to music and memory alike.
As the expedition pushes on, Yi realizes how closely their voyage mirrors the long-cherished dream her father had once spoken of. The party traverses toward the Himalayas, crossing a tense bridge where Burnish’s forces trap them on either side. A pivotal moment arrives when Burnish begins to change after witnessing Everest shield the children, triggering a memory of a female Yeti protecting her young and awakening his own humanity. Yet the pursuit persists as Zara betrays Burnish by tranquilizing him and then attempting to do the same to Everest.
Yi fights to protect Everest, but she is knocked over the bridge by Zara, who departs with Everest, Peng, and Jin in tow. In a moment of grit, Yi clings to a rope and uses her violin to summon ice, reinvigorating Everest enough to break free from captivity. Zara’s resolve hardens into a murderous plan: she intends to kill Everest and sell his parts. An avalanche takes Zara and the Goon Leader to their deaths, transforming the scene into a decisive turning point. With the danger neutralized, Burnish chooses to help Yi, Peng, Jin, and Everest keep Everest’s existence a secret, ensuring they can continue their journey without alarming the world.
Together they press on to Mount Everest, where Everest is joyfully reunited with his family before they begin their journey home. Burnish, having faced his own awakening and now acting in secret, helps Yi return to Shanghai. Once back, Yi spends more time with her mother and Nai Nai, and also with Peng and Jin, embracing the familiar rhythms of life while carrying the memory of Everest and the dream they chased together.
