You've just listened to
Beethoven's piano concerto no. 3
With piano performance by our very own
Miss Tan Wei-Ching, who's been studying abroad in Europe.
As you may also know,
Miss Tan will be playing tomorrow night, at the Center for the Performing Arts.
She's just returned home today.
We are grateful to have her on the air, despite her extremely busy schedule,
to chat with our classical music lovers
Hello. Extension 2681 please.
[Radio] Hello. And hello to everyone, too.
[Telephone] Eng Dept, may I speak to Miss Jiang?
Lai-ching, this is Jia-li.
I'm trying to find someone's whereabouts.
it's a pianist just returning home.
Tan Wei-Ching
[Radio] After tomorrow night's concert I will leave for Tokyo the morning after
How many years since you left the country?
- 13 years - Wow, 13 years
- This is the first time returning? - Yes, it is
It's been so many years, you must be very busy?
Um, I've been in school, practicing full time.
Then I competed around Europe.
Every year there are competitions,
One after another.
I continued to gain experience.
Later my performances were also non-stop. [dialogue fading]
Can you work on this for me? The touch is a little loose
Of course. But it'll take time
Can't you make it if you start now?
Certainly. I'll start right away
That thing about the room is settled
They found the luggage. It's in your room now
This was at the reception, it's for you.
- What happened? - Nothing, nothing at all.
My sister's bringing me clean clothes How come she's not here yet?
- She's in Taipei? - Just moved up
That's right. High school starts a week earlier than we do
Look at that dummy!
Jia-Li, over here...
This is Ching-ching, Tan Wei-ching
Hello
Cat got your tongue? Introduce yourself!
Jia ... My name is Lin Jia-li
Is something wrong?
Just a little tired. I think I'll go back to my room
The press conference is at three. The limouse will be at the hotel
at five-thirty. Then to dinner and the concert hall by seven
There's a cocktail party in your honor after the performance
We must leave no later than nine in the morning.....
Cathay Pacific Flight 450 leaves for Tokyo at 10.15
Don't forget, the press conference at 3pm.
Birgit, could you come here a moment?
- Auntie. - You are home?
- Father. - Hmm... good.
How's the weather in Taipei?
It seems so much hotter than usual this year
That's at a competition when I was a kid.
- Is that you? - Yup.
And that's Jia-Sen, he was the champion!
And this?
I ... don't remember.
- Jia-sen looks like mother - Yup
Everyone says I look more like my dad.
I think so too.
I didn't do badly in pathology and chemistry
But when it comes to dissection
I always feel so tentative.
Don't worry, I'll give you a little practice during the vacation
But you must force yourself to watch during surgery
Once you are used to it, you'll do just fine. Understand?
Yes
How do you like it?
What'd you say?
Our home. What do you think of it?
It's fine. Just smells a little like a hospital
Yes?
Can we cancel this afternoon's press conference?
I'll see what I can do
But why?
There's someone I want to go and see
It's that hotel message, isn't it?
I don't know if I should go or not
I think you should
But remember,
There's nothing more disappointing than a pianist
whose performance lacks concentration
To put your mind at ease I'll take care of the press conference
How did you find me?
Through a journalist friend
Hot coffee
How long has it been?
Thirteen years
You left in such a hurry.
I'm not even sure what day you left
The French scholarship was a surprise
School was starting, I had to leave right away
I guess a lot of water has passed under the bridge
But there are one or two things, I think you ought to know
I tried more than once to get in touch with you
I really wanted to tell you
Is Ching-ching home, Mrs. Tan?
No, she's not in
- When will she be back? - I'm not sure
She's been getting in very late lately
It was only later I heard you'd gone to Europe
Remember the summer before my college freshman year?
Come on. Pick one. Call it my graduation gift.
Go ahead, dummy! My paycheck can take it
It's from Ching-ching
What now, don't want to go home?
Or can't bear leaving Ching-Ching?
Dr. Chen is inviting us to a dinner.
Still trying to set you up with his daughter?
Dr. Chen and dad were at medical school together in Japan
They grew up together. Chen's practice is as well-known as Dad's
- Does school start in July, Mori (Jia-sen)? - [shakes head]
So it's settled
You'll exchange rings with Wan-jen in early July
and we'll set the wedding for the Mid-Autum Festival
Or should we wait another month until Confucius' Birthday?
When everyone has a day or two off?
How does that sound to you?
No? Very well.
And Tetso can attend his sister's wedding before he goes overseas
At this rate, you'll have your Ph.D. in four years, Tetso
Jia-li will also be out of school,
I'll be out of another wedding gift!
I hardly even know Wan-jen
And no one gives a second thought for Ching-ching
It's just not fair
What's going to happen?
As you always know. Mori (Jia-sen) has always been a very sensible kid
Jia-sen
Jia-sen!
He sure knows his ways to release his anger
No, I shouldn't have said that
Even at our age, we still can't get away from honor and face
It's all so superficial
Sometimes my hypocrisy scares me
We put up a facade whenever we need to protect ourselves
Like a chameleon
To tell the truth, I had no desire to go to Austria
All I ever wanted was to make a little money teaching piano
and wait for your brother to graduate
But we broke up. Everything changed
All that was left was the music
I just wanted to leave
I know you came looking for me
but what's the point of seeing you?
We could not have changed a thing
- Is Ching-ching home, Mrs. Tan? - No, she's not in
Will she be back soon?
I'm not sure. She has been getting in very late
Please pass this letter on to her
- Certainly - Thank you
Good bye
This is for you
I hadn't the courage to see you to this very day
Married?
Your parents' arranged?
What're you having?
It's Ah-tsai. Ah-tsai! Over here!
Sit here!
I'm Ah-tsai. This is Cheng De-wei. And you are?
She's Lin Jia-li, Western languages.
What's up?
Oh, not much
Sure, ok!
And then?
This dump is mine, now. Everything you see is mine
So noisy!
My old man picked up the mortgage
when a friend of his lost everything
Now the old man's passing it on to me
No power?
Nor water. Fucker couldn't pay. They cut it off eons ago.
So when do you move in?
Who knows
My old man might have to mortgage it himself next week!
Creep!
He's a bit of a child, this De-wei
But he's a simple guy and that has its advantages
At least he won't leave you. Unless you break up first
Take a chance
You can always find someone else
If you're not satisfied
And he'll always be around if you can't find anything better
De-wei'll be training all summer What about you? Going home?
Let's get together before you go
- Bye - Bye
Are you all done with your finals?
One more to go
Ah-tsai stole his Dad's money to play the market
His old man caught him, now he's afraid to go home
I'm leaving for the army tomorrow
I know
Your family never interfered?
Father was a little more tactful with me
He just rented out the Taipei house as soon as I graduated
I had no choice but to move back home
It was only with De-wei gone off to the army
that I missed his presence
The whole time, I was in a daze
I couldn't believe four years of college were over just like that
So like everyone else,
I applied for grad schools overseas,
really just for the heck of it
De-wei wrote me often during his service
He expressed himself poorly in his letters
but his letters gave me
a sense of contentment
Finally, I waited until he's discharged
and he often asked me to meet him in Taipei
Come on out a minute, Jia-li
In just four and half years in the US, Tetso
got his Ph.D in Electrical Engineering
That is truly impressive
Your father has always hoped that you would marry such a man
You should keep that in mind
and think a little of your future
It's hard to imagine a more satisfying day in my whole life
Dr. Chen and I have agreed
on a mid-August engagement
They can then leave together, just in time for Jia-li's grad school
My son, my daughter,
Both of their future settled!
That's a great weight off my mind
Since I left school
My idoelogy has changed a lot
People say I've matured
I think it's more a question
of the way we'd idealize things then
and the extent of our ambition.
And now?
I try not to think about the future
I also try not to expect too much
What I look for now really
is the simple pleasures in life
Like letters from my old teammates
or a piece of good music
Really, what rights do I have to tell you what to do?
What can I possibly tell you?
I just wanted to know: Are you happy?
Tell me first though: What is happiness?
With all that education
you should know what happiness is
Please sit
Will you and De-wei come to my conert tonight?
I'll leave two VIP tickets for you
No, I can't make it tonight
[deep sigh]
I... let me put it this way
Something happened three years ago
I remember clearly,
The morning seemed so full of promise
I walked in the fresh air
For the first time in my life I felt
a simple contentment
I could almost smell the greenness of the leaves
I walked all the way home,
I hadn't felt this good in ages
But the moment I got home
The maid told me that,
the police had called
That...
They found De-wei on some beach
Drowned
The patrol officer went to the coast guard
They are searching for your husband's body
It will be a while before he returns
How did it happen?
I'm not sure what to tell you
But this is what we know...
Yesterday around sunset
I'd packed up my net to head home
I saw this tall, skinny city guy, very clearly, sitting there and frowning
I saw him too. It was completely dark then
So I thought it was strange
Wanting to go swimming at this hour
So I kept turning and looking at him.
Later, after dinner, must've been after eight
When the tide was high...
We were down on the beach at dawn today
when we found your husband's belongings
This medicine bottle I found had your husband's name on it
It was...Cheng...De-wei, right?
The patrol officer looked forever to find clinic's phone number
The clinic's called...
Something Luo's Clinic, right?
But I don't remember my husband going to this clinic
Do you think it might be some other Cheng De-wei?
That... I'm not really sure
I don't know. You should ask the officer
Wait here. He's coming now.
- Take care of this, will you? - Okay
I took a look at your translation, Lin Jia-li
Not quite what I expected from a foreign language major like you
I don't want to tell you how to do your job
You'll be translating
all these stacks here and those there
If you can't even do this piece, what am I going to do with you?
De-wei
You see?
Let's go!
Hello?
What is it?
About De-wei?
Where are you now?
Slow down. What the hell's happened?
Ah-tsai announced his marriage around this time
The eternal playboy, Ah-tsai
with four or five girls forever in tow, marrying!
It all made sense later, when we found out
that he'd married the eldest daughter of some major financier
It came as no surprise soon then
He became the chairman of an investment firm owned by his father-in-law
Right away he strengthened his position
by gathering a loyal group of old buddies around him
To expand the business
De-wei and Ah-tsai had grown up together
And were close in class and as teammates
They understand each other without uttering a word
They were even stationed in the same army service unit
So it was only natural that De-wei became Ah-tsai's general manager
Rise and shine, Mr. GM.
Aren't you the one who's always saying
late managers get late workers?
Just another five minutes
My head's killing me
Look who's complaining
It's not all dinner and dancing, you know
There's so much you can't even imagine
Every day's the same
I seem to arrive at the office, take off my coat,
and the day's already done
So I come home with this strange anxiety
that I've left so much undone
Do you think staying home or working in office is better?
I don't have my feet up all day either, you know
Even with a maid, there's a lot I take care of myself
Shopping, cleaning, pressing your clothes
In the office you work for others
I much prefer working for ourselves
I've been thinking of taking a class in flower arranging
This is so, so unfair
I have to get up so early every morning, while you sleep in
Next time you entertain clients, at least give me a call
Pay attention, now
Fix the stem about one-third of the way in, like so
Then at two-thirds point
With the chrysanthemums at an angle of forty-five degrees
Be careful. Now go ahead!
Hsin-hsin!
Jia-li!
How old is your child?
Come on over. I live nearby
Not today. De-wei will be off any minute now
So you did marry De-wei!
He's hardly ever home for dinner he's working very hard
So I want to be there for him tonight
Promise to come and see me
in a day or two
There's so much I want to tell you!
You're kidding! They are auditioning!
Oh. The wife's back...
That's too heavy. Let me help you
We'll have to move fast
De-wei'll be home any minute
First, get a vase for the flowers
Then put the fruit in the fridge
Have her wait a moment
Hello. Yes speaking.
Yes. Okay.
The Hong Wei account is ours!
We did it!
We really did it! A new account!
Let's go out! Tonight we paint the town red. Come on...
Still here?
I'll look at your account tomorrow
Right now, join our celebration!
De-wei! Let's go
De-wei! Let's go!
It didn't even cross your mind. Tonight is our third anniversary
The apartment's my mother's
After working all these years
I can't even afford to own a place!
Hush, too hot to sleep?
Shhh... Grandma will fan you
The only thing I own now is that fatherless kid
Remember that visiting professor?
I wasted two whole years with that bastard
waiting for him to take me along to the States
before I found out he'd already married
Next it was a businessman...
Ah-tsai might even know the guy
He was big till he dropped a bundle on the stock exchange
Ran out on us all--including that
Don't know what possessed me to keep the little bastard
How does De-wei treat you?
De-wei's always been a naive guy
Remember back in college
How I'd always be telling you this and showing you that
I wish there was someone who could teach me a thing or two
That's beautiful. You're really making progress!
You have such lively color and line
I hope you will do even more beautiful work at home
Thank you!
- Hello? - It's me. I can't come home tonight
I have to go to Taichung first thing in the morning to look at some property
I'll drive down there tonight. Don't wait up
All right
Ah-De, your wife!
Go home man, your wife's waiting! [giggle]
De-wei!
Do you hear me? I'm talking to you!
What is that supposed to mean?
Are you trying to punish me?
Do you think I want to snoop on you like this?
It's been two years of business trips and entertaining
And not once have I questioned you, or doubted what you've done
because I know you wouldn't tolerate it
But you're gone from morning till late at night
without even a phone call sometimes
How should I know where you are? Or who you're with?
I wouldn't even know if something'd happened to you
All I can do is sit at home nursing my fears
Maybe that's all you'll ever nurse!
How often have I told you to stop worrying and stay out of my workspace
What did you want at the site?
To make a fool of me? Well, you did!
I work all day, then I work all night
Where am I? How, for Christ's sake, don't you know? I'm at work!
For us. I'm working for us
What do you know anyway, except how to wait for me?
What can you do?
Flower arranging!
Do you think I enjoy all this entertaining?
Do you know what happens when I drink?
I throw up! All the next day, my head aches!
I always have to measure up to your standards
Now I see just how selfish you are!
Selfish!?
If I came home every night for dinner, would it make you happy?
Would I be less selfish? What about you!
With your demands to come home to keep you company
You don't call that selfish?
De-wei, is there no chance to get back what we were?
Don't you have even a little time to share with me
to bring a little warmth back to our home?
With all that I've given you
I just don't know what more you want
Yes
Still tied-up?
Will you be off soon?
Still angry with me?
No, not really
What's going on?
The old woman's spot-checking? Keep her in line, man!
Catch you tonight, the usual place!
Don't come over... I'll pick you up
Where are you?
Got it
Can I help you?
Nothing, just wanted to let you know I moved
Here's my new number
I'll be getting my own place uptown
as soon as this deal comes through
Call me!
Have you been getting enough sleep?
Where have you been eating?
Been anywhere in particular?
What are you trying to prove? I'm just showing a little concern!
You wouldn't be afraid if you trusted me
Jia-li!
Should we eat, Mrs. Cheng?
Mr. Cheng came home but went out again
I'm surprised you are here already,
You're just in time to identify these
Then sign your name here
Is there anything else?
You mean they're not your husband's?
I'm not sure. I can't be certain
You should at least recognize this. It has his name on it
We found all these along with the rest on the beach
Who else's could it be?
I spoke with this clinic on the label
about your husband's condition
How else do you think I got your home number?
His doctor gave it to me
But I really don't recall my husband seeing this doctor
I suppose he was keeping something from you
Based on all the evidence so far nothing suggests murder.
Since he was already receiving this kind of treatment
Do you think he might have suicidal tendencies?
You'd know better than anyone else
When you saw him yesterday
Was there anything unusual?
I don't know, I haven't seen him for days
She still doesn't know!
Maybe he didn't kill himself
Maybe the medicine made him drowsy, he lied down
and he got carried off with the tide. It's possible, don't you think?
Or maybe he swam way out and couldn't make it back. Maybe
Actually, a lot of things
had changed by now. I knew it
But I had no idea what to do about it
I can't help but feel
Jia-li and I are drifting further and further apart
You know better than anyone what I...
What we've been through is so different from anything she knows
The only advice I can give you
Speaking for myself and the boys...
is not to let anything unrelated to your work
get to you
You and I are basically different
I've lived this way all my life
So I can handle this kind of thing
with one eye closed and one hand tied behind my back
It's tough out there
For every minute you waste on your personal life
Someone else gains just that one more minute on your professional career
I'll be straight with you
Don't think I'll protect you if you allow personal affairs
to affect company interests
just because you're one of my right-hand men
Remember that I am responsible for you.
What do you mean happiness in our future? Are we even happy now?
Why do you keep messing with me?
Why do you always...
Trust me a little, won't you?
Let me make a go of it. Just let me try!
De-wei, everything you say
is just one more excuse
Come off it, Jia-li
I know you're dissatisfied at the moment
Can't you think of tomorrow for a change?
Just be patient and
I promise things will be better
I don't know anymore. You sound like you're preaching
Praise the lord, and all your sins will be forgiven
What the hell am I talking about? What are you talking about?
De-wei, maybe it's all just too trivial to worry about
Just relax, for God's sake, relax.
But all I've ever prayed for is today
Let's stop all this fighting now, please
I only want to lean on you. Just rest for a while.
I'm so tired, so tired...
You'll feel a lot better
If you get away for a while
Believe me
I'm going to put you
in charge of all our Asian business.
I think it'll be good for you
What do you think?
Hi! No trouble finding the place?
Are you in a hurry?
No. De-wei went abroad
I'll just finish up in here and we can get out for a breath of air
When did you move in?
A week or two ago. He's seven years younger than me
I only knew him for a couple of weeks when he asked me to move in
Who could have guessed
at my age?
The child?
With my mother
Go wait in the other room, I'll be with you in a minute
Ping-ping
This is Jia-li
and he's Ping-ping -- my new guy's best friend
Get to know each other
Hello?
Alright
New hair?
Just an impulse
I liked it better before
I guess it was curiosity
Ping-ping was so different
He said he'd come home to write
though I have no idea what he really did
He'd travelled a lot -- been everywhere
I suppose that's why...
he talked often of his travels
Europe, South America, the Middle East, India, Nepal...
It's true I get around, but I haven't a penny to my name
There's no way I could ever settle down like you
But maybe marriage isn't just a question of money...
I guess I've always been this way
That's what I like about writing
with one book I can make enough.. if I sell.. to go back on the road
then I travel and collect more ideas for my book
I have this journal with me all the time
Like my watch
So I can keep a record of whatever comes into my head
Like some safe-deposit box
of all those precious moments of life. Don't you think?
I guess I've never really
thought of things that way
Perhaps not
But do you think you'll always want things to be so simple?
Why don't you come back with me tonight?
Wait here. I'll get the car.
Father, what's the trouble?
I'm not sure. That's why I came up to Taipei for a checkup
And?
The lab report is not in yet
How are things at home?
It's difficult to keep the practice going
Younger doctors aren't interested in private clinics
They're not big enough, and the equipment's too old
Then there's the long hours
We can't hold a candle to a big hospital
Thank God Jia-sen is about ready to take over
But it's going to be tough on him
Excuse me, Mrs. Cheng?
Could I have a word or two with you?
I'm a colleague of De-wei's
Come in
Thank you
My name is Liu. They call me Hsiao-Hui
What I came to say might startle you a little
but I hope you'll understand
that I bear you no malice
I'm here merely to straighten the record.
I believe this letter is for you
This is De-wei's writing. It's addressed to you
But the letter inside is for you
I believe you should've received his letter that's meant for me
No need to check
You can rest assured that the letter inside is mine
He mixed up the envelopes
With all the married men I've been with in the past
I took great pains not to intrude on their family lives
But this time, my hand is forced
I felt obliged to speak to you frankly, and in person
I sympathesize your predicament. After all, I am a woman
In fact, I think I can even help you
I'd advise you to soon take care of yourself, think more for yourself
You must realize as well as I do,
that De-wei isn't all that confident
There's so much he's unsure of
and he has a habit of avoiding issues
I bet this mistake with the letters was intentional
It's how he deals with problems
On the one hand, he wants you to know his dilemma right now
On the other hand, he wants me to forgive
his inability to explain things to you
He intentionally mixes up the letters
so by the time he returns
He can decide more easily, based on our reactions to the letters
From the beginning, I knew that De-wei
was the most naive in the group
Winning him over was my only hope of gaining
access to that tight group of theirs
Perhaps others will say I used him
But I've stood by him
and helped him through many difficulties
Perhaps that's just one more reason
he can't seem to do without me
I should go now
I want to re-iterate that
you no longer need to worry about De-wei and me
We're through
This whole thing has brought me too much trouble already
And I hate trouble
Just one question. Do you love him?
I can see how you grew up in a very peaceful, story-book world
How romantic
How I grew up has taught me that it's a world without love
Perhaps you'll find a moment or two of passion -- but there's no love
So we've read all the books
and take test after test,
still nobody's taught us
how to handle huge messes like this
In every book, and every movie
It's always the same
They all marry and live happily ever after
But after that?
Nobody told us.
And there's no practice run or on-the-job training
I haven't slept in days. I can't
I lie down and my mind is full of questions
De-wei will be back in a few days
But I don't know how to face him
These might help
Get a good night's rest.
At least it'll help you forget
Do you think you'll divorce De-wei?
It'd be such a waste to give up just like that
Where is Jia-li?
Where am I? I need to get home.
De-wei wil be home soon. I need to go.
Please lie down, you are still weak.
You must rest.
The doctor was just here.
He left explicit instructions, that that you must rest
[to nurse] Hsin-hsin, please don't leave me
I won't
You're the only one left
It's like we're back in school again
Done?
You barely touched it
I don't have any appetite
De-wei's here
I didn't know you were coming
I would've done something about the way I look--I'm a mess
We haven't really talked for ages
Remember how we used to spend the whole night talking
I often wonder
perhaps we know each other so well now
that there's no more need for words
Or is this what marriage does to people?
Leaving us with nothing to say? I know.
You spend your days dealing with problems needing taken care of
Problems you try to forget
And I know the last thing you want when you come home
is to go through all that hassle again
But, I try... I've tried so hard
to find something else we could discuss
It's hard, harder than any classes or exams I went through
Our whole society seems designed to tear husband and wife apart
Men have their male places to go and women have a world of their own
Sunday is the only time left to be together
But Sunday is your basketball day, you say
So... what day does that leave us?
I know people who say our problem's no kids
But if we can't convince even ourselves
that life means happiness and contentment
How can we ever bring a child into the world?
"Come with me into this world, I'll bring you happiness"
That would be irresponsible, don't you agree?
These days I've been sleeping heavily
and while I was sleeping
I couldn't stop seeing these years as a dream
Our marriage was yesterday... just before I slept...
The rest was just a dream, We forget dreams. Don't we?
Can't we?
Mrs. Cheng...
De-wei must be busy lately
Jia-li, c'mere! Come over here!
Mother, don't you feel like
scolding me for my mistakes
when you see me this way?
Mother, have you ever been afraid?
Afraid that father would walk out someday?
That there'd be no one to take care of you?
He's always been just a child. What is there to be afraid of?
It was I who took care of him!
For once it was me who left him
instead of waiting to be walked out on
Hsiao-jiang's too young
There's so much yet for him to do
I guess I knew all along
nothing much would come of it
Thank God we were reasonably calm when we broke up
No violence or bloodshed!
De-wei's work pretty much hasn't changed
Even a little busier than before, and home even less
But I have this... this kind of premonition
that he's going through something
Just last week he took me out for a walk
Who knows where he's gotten himself off to the last couple of days
I'm slowly beginning to appreciate
just how much pressure he's under
I could almost feel it in my bones, this time just before he left again
I guess I'm getting used to it
the way he comes and goes
If we can look at it with an open mind
and trust each other enough, I think we'll pull through
We've found new hope
and a new beginning...
after all these years
My precious!
Awake? Don't wanna sleep?
Look!
What's that...
It's a birdie...
Say 'morning to baby, little birdie
When did you last see your husband, Mrs. Cheng?
Can you describe what he was wearing?
Do you know if he was in some kind of trouble?
Do you know who he spent the last few days with?
I really have no idea
Is there a single thing you can say
that we can work on?
It's ok, it's ok! Let's find the body first! We can talk later
What can I do, she's not helping!
How can I investigate!
Is it really her husband...
How can a wife not know anything?
What are they up to now?
I didn't think you'd come all the way here.
It's off the beaten track, isn't it?
I wanted to talk things over with you
I can't reach you over the phone here
I'd much rather tell you in person anyway
As you know, De-wei and I grew up together
We've played basketball all our lives
Which makes it all the more difficult
I checked the company books
just before I came out here
that the $50 million dollars under De-wei's account
have disappeared
I also heard rumours
that he's got a huge pile of debt
I'm guessing your house, your cars,
other properties, have all been repossessed
But! It's just a speculation
It's going to take a few days to sort it out
Given my sixth sense, though...
But he's already...
Let me finish. The most important thing
is that he left the country a few days ago
You mean--that's not De-wei out there?
With no evidence so far
we can't jump to hasty conclusions
Wait a minute, who told you all this?
I checked up with a close friend of De-wei
after you called this morning
That "friend" Hsiao-hui?!
Everything went numb
the moment you hung up
That's not something that happens to me often
Hello? May I speak to your GM?
That beach? I've been there.
Once or twice with De-wei
In fact, we went there last week
just before he left for Japan
What, he went to Japan?
You didn't know?
I thought it was you who'd sent him
What's he doing in Japan?
No wonder I haven't seen him around
He must be back by now
Have they found his body yet?
Not yet
They did find a medicine bottle on the beach, belonging to De-wei
Jia-li said it was a psychiatrist's prescription
That's also how the police were able to call up Jia-li
You know, this could easily be the same bottle
that De-wei dropped on the beach last week
Medicine bottle... too much of a coincidence...
If that's really his game...
What kind of medicine was it?
That doctor prescribed it-- an anti-depressant
You know how De-wei is lately
He's been under a lot of pressure from work
and the way things are at home
Come. Come with me to the beach
We have to let them know about this
You go ahead
I'm not going to be dragged back into this mess!
How can you refuse to become involved
when a friend is in this kind of trouble?
You've known this about De-wei all along, haven't you?
But you're not letting on...
In fact, only you know
all the things that's going on between you and De-wei. Right?
Work at the office isn't so burdensome
to the point that he needs to see a psychiatrist, take anti-depressants
What other pies have you two gotten your fingers into?
What concern is it of mine if his investment on the side went bust?
I'm just helping him out. Is that a crime?
Helping him out, ha!
You first use De-wei, then through his ties to me, gain our contracts!
Now you want out, think it'll be so easy?
There's no need to shout
[phone] Hsiao-Lin
I always thought you were the sharpest, coolest of them all
You say De-wei went to Japan
What's he doing in Japan?
He's not there on any business of mine. I'm sure of it
I can find out myself. I'm going back to the office now
But I warn you don't ever cross my path again
Listen sonny, I was cruising my own turf when you were a toddler
Go on, run along to Mommy now.
It wasn't until I got back to the office
that I learnt about the money.
The truth is, I feel very close to De-wei
Decades of years of friendship and trust
isn't something that returning $50M will be able to fix
Maybe it all went too smoothly in the beginning
with business doing so well
Somehow De-wei got it into his head
that making money was a piece of cake
Perhaps it was my fault
I've got to go
On my way down here
I came to some theories
One, it's really he who's drowned
Two, they've got it all wrong
That bottle they found...
It could be the one De-wei tossed away last week
And who knows, De-wei's probably back in Taipei, just chilling out
My sixth sense tells me that both theories are unlikely
But going off to Japan like that
with all that cash in his pocket,
He'd been planning that for some time now
Without any of us knowing
He might even have gotten himself a South American passport
So you think he's not coming back?
Let me put it this way
If it was me, I wouldn't come back
You get what I mean?
I could be wrong
There could be any number of possible explanations
Think it over. I have to go
Think of it this way, regardless what really happened
The end result is pretty much the same to you
Isn't that right?
The power of Time is so overwhelming. It's frightening
Father died. And the clinic's dying too
The world's left us all behind
Remember the night you ran away?
We were talking here, just like now, quietly for so long
Do you remember?
I heard things aren't going too well with you and De-wei
If I had known this is what we'd become
I would never have come so naively to talk with you that night
With one thing and another, look at the state of things now
And yet, at last I know now how to set things right
between De-wei and me
What do you have in mind?
I must give him my complete trust
Do you really trust De-wei?
The best lesson I've learnt in life
is that you must depend only on yourself
Once, I blindly followed someone else...
You should never do that
Jia-li, once I believed too much in Father
Look at me now. Following him
Following all this that the time has left behind
But if you had come to me now like you did that night you left
I don't think I'd be able to tell you anything different
I know it was partly my words that gave you the courage
to leave home. But my real hope
was that you'd learn to be self-reliant
and be able to make decisions on your own
I'm guessing
that you're facing the same kind of problem now
We were both silent, deep in thoughts, for a very long time
Jia-li's eyes were fixed, looking out the window and beyond
She seemed to be quietly surveying all those distant memories
Or perhaps she just didn't want to look too directly at me
for fear I'd see how moved she was
Whatever the reason,
I felt it would be simply cruel to press her
for the rest of the story of that day on the beach
Or what the investigations found
There was an emergency company meeting that Jia-li had to attend
So, she had to leave
Only when we were saying goodbye
that I realized I still hadn't asked about Jia-sen
After all, that was my main reason for meeting with her
It was only then that I learned
Jia-sen had liver cancer two years ago and passed away last winter
The Lin clinic became an apartment building
Jia-li told me, during his final days,
Jia-sen woke up from unconsciousness one day
This ... this must be a 2pm sunlight
Its warmth does not feel like winter
Rather, it feels like a sunny day in spring
I think I hear birds chirping
I feel like I'm part of this world again
I yearn to feel everything surrounding me
What a great irony
It's cold everywhere
Yet my heart beats
in such vibrant rhythm, so full of life
I wonder what invisible force
pushes us forward
in this cruel, cold world
But... I feel blessed
No?
My miniscule life that lasted decades
That's a miracle worth treasuring
To this day, I still have no idea
whether it was De-wei who drowned
But that's not important anymore
What really matters is that
the little girl I once knew has grown into a perfect woman
I truly believe that
her transformation began that day, on the beach