Original subtitles

What you just heard,

is Beethoven's No.3 Piano concerto.

Played by the young pianist

Miss Tan Wei-Ching.

As you know,

Miss Tan is having her concert at the concert hall

tomorrow night.

She just returned today.

She is very busy,

But luckily,

We invited her to our program,

To talk to the classical music fans

in the air.

Hello,

Hello, Miss Tan. - Please put me to extention number 2681.

Hello, everyone.

Hello,

can I speak to Jian Lan Shin from the cultural vision?

Hey Lan Shin, I am Jia-Li

Do you know the pianist who just returned,

Tan Wei-Ching?

After the concert tomorrow,

I will go to the Japan.

How long have your travel abroad?

13 Years.

- Wow! 13 years. - Right.

Is this your first time back to Taiwan?

Yes

How come it take so long? Are you busy at work?

At first I stayed in school

practice a lot.

I also participated several competitions in Europe.

There are many competions in a year.

One after another.

I need to gain more experience.

Then I started to played in concert, one after another.

Can you tune for me? The touch is loose.

Of course. But, it'll take time.

Can you start now and finish tonight?

Certainly.

The hotel room is settled.

They found the luggage. It's in your room now.

This is for you, from the hotel.

What's wrong?

It's nothing.

My sister is 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… I'm Lin Jia-Li.

Are you OK?

Just a little tired. I think I'll go back to my hotel.

The press conference is at three.

The limousine 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…

Our Cathay Pacific Flight 450 leaves for Tokyo at 10:50 a.m.

And we arrive three hours later…

Don't forget the press at three.

Birgit come over.

Hi

You're back.

Father.

How is the weather in Taipei?

It seems so much hotter than usual this year.

This is the photo I took in competition when I was little.

Is this you?

Yes.

This is Jia Sen.

He was the champion.

And this?

I don't remember.

He looks like his mom.

They said I look like dad.

Agree.

I didn well in pathology and analysis.

But when it comes to dissection,

I always feel…

Don't worry.

I'll give you a little practice during the vacation.

But you must force yourself to watch during surgery.

The closer you look

the quicker you'll get used to it.

How do you like it?

What did you say?

Do you feel at home here?

It's fine.

Just smells a little like a hospital.

Can we cancel this afternoon's press conference?

I'll see what I can do…

But why?

There's someone I must go and see.

It's that hotel message, isn't it?

I don't know if I should go or not.

You go if you think you should.

But remember,

A pianist should concentrate on the performance.

Relax and I'll take care of the press conference.

How did you find me?

From a journalist friend.

Hot coffee.

How long has it been?

13 years.

You left in a hurry.

I'm not even sure when you left.

The scholarship was a bit of a surprise.

School was starting and they expected me in Vienna right away.

I was in a rush.

I guess a lot of water has passed under the bridge…

But I think you ought to know.

I tried more than once to get in touch with you.

I 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.

Do you remember

the summer before my college freshman year?

Come on. Choose one.

Call it my graduation gift.

Go ahead dummy!

My paycheck can take it.

It's from Ching-ching.

What's up?

Can't bare to go home and leave Ching-ching?

Home to dinner with Dr. Chen.

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 practive

is as well-known as Dad's.

School starts in July, doesn't it, Jia Sen?

So it's settled.

You'll exchange rings with Wan-jen in early July,

and we'll set the wedding for the Autumn festival.

Or should we wait another month until Confucius' Day?

Everyone has a day or two off.

They will be able to come.

What do you think?

It's fine if you don't have other oppinions.

Then Tetso can attend his sister's wedding before he goes overseas.

Tetso, if possible,

you'll have you Ph. D, in four years.

Jia-li will graduate at that time.

I'll be out of another wedding gift!

I hardly even know Wan-jen.

If you marry Wan-jen,

what about Ching-Ching?

It's not fair.

What's your problem?

You know.

Jia-sen is taking the whole thing very sensibly.

Jia-sen?

He certainly knew how to let himself off the hook.

No, I shouldn't have said that.

What chance do we have

when it comes to honor… face.

It's all so superficial.

Sometimes my hypocrisy scares me.

The way we protect ourselves is phoney.

Like insects changing its colors.

To tell the truth, I had no desire to go abroad.

All I ever wanted was to make a little money teaching,

and wait for your brother graduate.

But we broke up.

Everything changed.

All that was left was the music.

And all I wanted was to leave.

I know you came looking for me,

but what use was there in meeting?

Words couldn't change a thing.

Is Ching-ching home, Mrs. Tan?

No, she isn't in.

Will she be back soon?

I'm not sure. She's been getting in very late.

Please give this letter on to her.

- Sure. - Thank you.

Goodbye.

This is for you.

I hadn't the courage to see you to this very day!

Married?

Your parent's choice?

What're you having?

It's Ah-Tsai.

Ah-Tsai! Over here!

Sit here!

I'm Ah-Tsai.

This is Chen De-Wei. What do they call you?

Lin Jia-li. Western Languages.

Interested?

Not specially.

All right!

Afterwards?

This dump is mine, now.

Everything you see is mine.

I can hardly hear myself think.

My old man picked up the mortgage

when a friend of his went broke.

Now the old man's passing it on to me.

No power?

No water.

Little fucker couldn't pay. They cut if off eons ago.

When do you move in?

Who knows.

Possibly next week

My old man might have to mortgage it himself!

Creep!

De-wei is a bit of a childish.

But he's straight, and that has its advantages.

No matter what,

At least he won't walk out,

unless you drop him first.

Take a chance

You can always find someone else,

if you're not satisfied.

And he'll always be around,

if you don't find anything better.

De-wei'll be training all summer.

What about you? Going home?

Let's get together before you go

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.

As soon as I graduated.

He rented out the Taipei house

I had no choice but to move back home.

It was only with De-wei gone off to the army

that I realized he wasn't there anymore, I was kind of dazed.

At that time,

I hardly know what I was doing.

Four years of college were over just like that

Like everyone else,

I took a toefl tested and applied to schools,

I don't know what I really want.

De-wei wrote me often during his service;

He's no poet,

but his letters gave me

a sense of contentment.

But two years is a long time to wait,

and he often asked me

to meet him in Taipei.

Come, Jia-li.

An American Ph.d. In just four and half years.

Tetso's no fool.

Your father always hoped 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 an August engagement.

Jia-li can then go abroad with Tetso

just in time for school.

A son and a daughter.

It's all settled.

So that's a great weight off my mind.

My ideas have changed a lot since college.

People say I have matured.

I think it's more a question of the way

we'd idealize things

and the extent of our ambition.

And now?

I try not to expect too much of the future.

I don't ask much,

Just hope for

a share of the small pleasures of life.

Like a good piece of music

or a letter from old team-mates back in college.

But I have no right to be telling you what to do.

What can I possibly tell you?

I just wanted to know are you happy?

First tell me what you call "happiness?"

With all that education

you should know what happiness is.

De-wei it's for you!

Have a sit.

I'll arrange a couple of tickets for my concert.

Bring De-wei along.

Not tonight.

I… let me put it this way

Something happened three years ago.

I remember it so clearly-like that morning.

The air so fresh and full of promise.

For the first time in my life I knew

a kind of contentment.

I could almost smell the greenness of the leaves.

I walked all the way home.

I hadn't felt so good in ages.

But the moment I walked in the apartment door.

The maid told me

the police had found De-wei on some beach;

Drowned.

The duty officer will be a while.

He's getting some coastguard frogmen

to drag for your husband's body.

How did it happen?

It's none of my business, really.

But as far as I can tell…

I'd collected my nets

and was on my way home last night around dusk.

There was this city guy;

tall and skinny… sitting over there;

I could see it clear as day, he was frowning.

I saw him too, it was darker now.

I thought it was strange

to go swimming at that time of day.

I truned and looked

Later, after dinner,

must've been around eight,

When the tide was high…

We were down on the beach around dawn this morning.

And found these things of your husband's

A bottle with your husband's name.

It was… Cheng… De-wei, right?

The Duty Officer looked forever in the phonebook,

before he found that… something Luo's Health Clinic,

But I don't remember my husband going to any Dr. Luo

Do you think it might be some other Chen De-wei?

I'm not too clear.

You should ask the officer

Wait here.

He's coming.

Take care of this, will you?

OK.

I've seen your translation, Miss Li

It's not quite what I expected

from a language major like yourself.

I don't want to tell you how to do your job

You are in charge of the translation

for all these documents in future.

Your incompetence is rather unsettling!

Come on, De-wei

You see

Come.

Hey!

What?

De-wei!

Where are you?

What the hell's happened?

Take your time.

Ah-tsai announced his marriage around this time

The eternal playboy, Ah-Tsai

with four or five girls forever in tow, marrying!

T only made sense later, when we found out

that he'd married the daughter of some big financier.

It came as no surprise when not much later

Ah-tsai was named his father-in-law's new Corporate Chairman.

Right away he strengthened his position

by gathering a loyal group of old buddies

to work with him.

De-wei and Ah-tsai had grown up together

they were closest in school or on the basketball court

they were even stationed in the same army service unit

So it was only natural

that De-wei became Ah-tsai's general manager

Morning call, Mr. Manager. Wake up, sir.

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

You can't imagine,

there are so many things to do.

Everyday's the same

I arrive 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 like hanging around here or going to work 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

While you're working for others, I'm here working for us

I've been thinking of

taking a class in flower arranging

But it's still not fair

I have to get up every morning,

while you sleep in

Next time you entertain,

at least give me a call.

Pay attention, now

Fix the stem about one-third of the way in,

with the chrysanthemums at an angle of forty-five degrees

Take care with the petals to the front and back

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!

It's true.

They will hold a singing competition?

The wife if back.

Let me help you

I am late.

We'll have to move fast

De-wei'll be home any minute

First, take a vase for the flowers

OK.

Then put the fruit in the fridge

OK.

Have her wait a moment

OK

Hello

This is he.

OK

The deal is confirmed.

Great!

We will make a fortune! Cool, a 7 milliard deal!

Let's party tonight!

Let's go!

You're still here.

I will have a look of your proposal.

Let's have dinner together.

De-wei! Move your ass

It didn't even cross your mind.

Tonight is our third anniversary.

The apartment's my mother's.

After all the crap I've been through.

I don't even end up with a place of my own!

Hush, too hot to sleep?

Shh… Grandma will fan you

All I got for my trouble was that fatherless kid.

Remember that visiting professor?

I wasted two whole years with that bastard

expecting him to take me back to the States.

Before I found out he'd been married for years

Next it was a businessman…

Ah-tsai might know the guy

He ran away and left debts.

He only left the baby.

At that time,

I don't know why I will keep the baby.

How does De-wei treat you?

De-wei's always been a straight-shooter

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, now

It's beautiful.

Thank you.

You're really making progress!

Very impressive.

You have such lively color and line.

I hope you will do even more beautiful work at home

Thank you, I will.

It's me. I can't come home tonight.

I have to go first thing in the morning to look over a Taichung site.

I'll drive down there tonight.

Don't wait for me.

OK

Please.

Come one.

Stop.

No.

See, your wife

Go home, your wife if waiting.

Go home.

De-wei

Do you hear me? I'm talking to you!

What is that supposed to mean?

Are you trying to punish me?

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 said

because I know you wouldn't tolerate it

But you're gone from morning until 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 happen 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 to stay out of my work space

I don't want you to interfere my work or to worry.

What did you want at the site?

You make a fool of me.

I am embarrassed.

I work day and night.

Where am I? How, for Christ's sake, don't you know?

I am working.

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

I hate drinking.

I throw up!

All the next day, my head aches!

I always have to measure up to your standards

It's taken me so long to see just how selfish you are!

Selfish?!

If I come home to you 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 to where we were?

Don't you even have a little time to share with me

to bring a little warmth back to our home? Are we family?

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?

Not really

OK

What's going on?

The old woman's spot-checking?

Keep her in line, man!

Catch you tonight, our old table!

Don't come over… I'll pick you up

Where are you?

I know the place

Can I help you?

I just want 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

I will move to TienMu

Call me

Have you been getting enough sleep?

Where do you eat?

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

Excuse me,

Should we eat, Mrs. Cheng?

Your husband's been and gone already

I don't know you will come.

I'm glad you're here

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.

It was with all this stuff

we found on the beach.

It could not be wrong

I spoke with this clinic on the label.

About your husband's condition

That's how I got your number.

His doctor gave it to me.

But I really don't recall

my husband seeing a psychiatrist.

I suppose he was keeping something from you.

Logically speaking,

There's no other explanation for his death.

Since he was already receiving this kind of treatment

Do you think he might have considered suicide?

Only you could really know.

Was there anything strange

About his behaviour yesterday?

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 laid down

and 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.

Honestly,

I know something was wrong

It's all different.

I don't know

how to find way out…

I felt

Jia-li and I are drifting further and further apart.

You know better than anyone what I…

In these few years

What I been through,

what we been throguh

is different from anything she knows

The only advice I can give you

Speaking for myself and the boys…

Don't let the external issues

influence your moods

and work

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

You should know

This is a competetive world.

The more time you waste on your minds

The more people will surpass you.

I'll be straight with you

Don't think I will protect you if you allow personal affairs

to affect company interests

just because you're one of my right-hand men

It's for that reason

that I'll make an example of you.

What kind of future did you have in mind?

Do you call these days "happy"?

Thanks for the encouragement.

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

Cut if off, Jia-li

I know you're dissatisfied at the moment

Can't you think of tomorrow for a change?

I promise things will be better

Just be patient

I don't know anymore.

You sound like you're preaching

Trust in the lord,

And all your wrongs will be right…

What the hell am I talking about? What are you talking about?

De-wei,

Maybe it's all just too trivial to worry about

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 awhile.

I'm tired.

You'll feel a lot better

If you get away for awhile

Trust me.

In the future,

I'm going to put you

in charge of all our Asian business.

I think it'll do you good.

What do you think?

Okay

Hi! No trouble finding the place?

Are you in a hurry?

No. De-wei's abroad

I'll just finish up 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'd only known him a couple of weeks

when he asked me to move in

Who could have guessed

at my age?

Things like this just happened.

What about the chile?

With my mother.

You can relax in the other room.

I'll be with you in a minute.

Here

Ping-ping

This is Jia-li

and he is Ping-ping, my "old man's" best friend

Get to know each other

Hello?

Alright

What do you call that?

Just an impulse

I like your own look.

I guess it was curiosity

Ping ping is different… from others

I have no idea

What he really did

He said he'd come home to write

he'd travelled a lot-been everywhere

I suppose that's why…

he talked often of his travels

to 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 next book

It's with me all the time

Like my watch

In this way

I can keep a record

Of whatever comes in to my head

Like some safe-deposit box

for all those precious moments of life.

What do you say?

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.

Dad

Are you feeling well?

I'm not sure. That's why I came for this checkup.

And?

The lab report is not in yet.

How's things at home?

T'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 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 am going to say

might startle you a little

But I hope you can appreciate

That I bear you no malice

I'm merely here to straighten the record.

Now

I have something here that is rightfully yours…

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 to me!

That's hardly necessary

You can rest assured that the letter inside is mine.

He mixed the envelopes

With all the married men I've been with in the past

Tok great pains not to intrude on their family lives

But in this case,

Because of this,

I cannot walk away,

I felt obliged to speak with you frankly,

I sympathize your situations.

After all, I'm a woman too

In fact, I believe I can even help you

For your own benefit

I'd advise you to get better prepared

You must realize,

That De-wei is not exactly full of confidence

There's so much he's unsure of

And he has a habit of avoiding issues

This mistake with the letters is a perfect example.

He intentionally mixes the letters

Only he will do things like this.

On the one hand,

He wants to tell you his difficulties

On the other hand, he wants me to forgive

his inability to explain things to you.

By the time he returns

our reactions to the situation allow him a fairly simple choice.

From the beginning,

I suppose I can see

De-Wei is the most inexperience man in the company

Winning him over was my only hope

Of access to that tight group of theirs

Perhaps others will say I used him

During this period of time, however,

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 must leave

The only other thing I wanted to tell you

Is not to lose anymore sleep over De-wei and me

We're through

This whole thing

has brought me too much trouble.

And I hate trouble

Just one question. Do you love him?

I imagine that you grew up

In a very peaceful, story-book world

The world I grew up in taught me

That it's a world without love

Perhaps you will find a moment or two of passion…

But there's not much

So we've read all these books

And taken test after test

But nobody's taught us

How to handle the big questions 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's Jia-li?

Where does she go?

Where am I?

I must leave.

De-wei is getting off work.

Take it easy,

Mrs. Cheng Relax, you're still weak

Just now,

When the doctor was in to see you

He left specific instructions for you to get more rest

Hsin-hsin have you been here long? - Take a good rest.

Will you keep me company?

I will.

You're the only one left

It's like we're back in school again

I'm done.

You've hardly touched it

I don't have an appetite

De-wei's here

I didn't know you were coming

Otherwise

I would've done something about the way I look…

I'm a mess

We haven't really talked for ages

Do you remember

How we'd talk half the night sometimes

I often wonder

If we know each other so well now

That there's no need for words

Or is this what marriage does to people?

Leaves them with nothing left to say?

I know

There are plenty of problems

waiting you to solve

And worries you want to forget

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 test I can think of.

The whole society seems designe 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 you said

Sunday is your basketball day.

So… what day does that leave for us?

I know people who say our problem's no kids.

I disagree.

If we can't convince even ourselves

Life means happiness and contentment

How can we ever bring a child into the world?

Come with me, 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

We forget dreams. Don't we?

Can't we?

Mrs. Cheng…

De-wei must be busy lately

Jia-li

Come

Mom.

I am disappointing you?

Will you blame me?

I was wrong.

Mom

Have you ever been afraid?

Afraid that papa would walk out someday?

That there'd be no one to take care of you?

He's always been such a child. What is there to be afraid of?

It was I who took care of him!

I scare of nothing.

It's a change for me to make the move

instead of waiting to be walked out on

Hsiao-jiang's too young

There's so much he has yet to do

I guess I knew all along

Nothing much would come out of it

Thank God we were reasonably in control when we broke up,

No violence or bloodshed!

De-wei's pretty much the same

Even a little busier than before

He's usually not at home.

But I have this kind of premonition…

That he's going through something

Just last week he took me out walking for a change

But on the last couple of days

Who knows where he's gotten himself off to

I slowly appreciate

just how much pressure he's under

I could almost feel it in my bones this last time

He went off.

I guess I'm getting used to it

The way he comes and goes

But I think

If we can look at the bright side,

And trust each other enough

I think we'll pull through

We've found new hope and beginning

After all these years

Babe, why don't you sleep?

Why are you awake?

What's wrong

Look

What's that?

A bird.

A bird is saying good morning to babe.

Mrs. Cheng

When exactly was it

That you last saw your husband, Mrs. Cheng?

Can you describe what he was wearing?

Do you suppose he was in some kind of trouble?

Just who has he spent the last few days with?

I really have no idea!

You mean there's not a single thing

you can give us to work on?

Forget it.

Let's get on with the search. We can talk later

- Let's go. - How can I make my report

with her humming and hawing like this?

All I'm asking is whether or not it's her husband!

What kind of a wife can't answer a question as simple as that?

What are they up to now?

What are you doing here?

It's a little off the beaten track, isn't it?

I wanted to talk a few things over with you.

But there's no way to call you here

Anyway, I thought I'd better tell you in person.

You know

I grew up with De-wei

We've played basketball together all our lives.

Which makes it all the more difficult for me to tell.

Befero I drove here,

I checked with the company,

No one knows what happened to the 5 billion dollars in securities

that De-wei was responsible for!

I also heard that recently

He's hussled up quite a pile of cash.

It's my guess that your house, car, and

Have all been mortgaged off

Of course these are only rumors and speculation

It'll all take a day or two to confirm

But I have a certain sixth sense about this kind of thing

He already…

Let me finish. The real news 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 conclusions

Just a minute.

Who told you all of this?

I spoke to a close friend of De-wei's

After you called this morning

Not that "friend" they call Hsiao Hui, by any chance?

Everything went blank

the moment you hung up

That's not something that happens to me everyday

Hello,

I'm looking for your general manager

I've been to that beach, once or twice with De-wei.

In fact, we went there last week

Just before he went to Japan

What, he went to Japan?

You didn't know?

I thought it was you who 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

But they found a medicine bottle

Which belongs to De-wei

Jia-li said it was a psychiatrist's prescription

That's what got the police onto her in the first place

That could just as easily be the bottle

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?

The doctor prescribed it…

An anxiety suppressant.

You know how De-wei.

He's been under a lot of pressure from work

And the way things are at home

Come on. 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 that mess!

How can you refuse to become involved

When a friend is in this kind of trouble?

This whole thing with De-wei.

You've known all along, haven't you?

But you're not letting on…

Come to think of it

Who could possibly know

All that's gone on between De-wei and you?

Only you, right?

There is nothing so big or bleak at work

send him running off to a psychiatrist, taking all these medicines

What other pies have you two gotten your fingers into?

What concern is it of mine if his side interests go bust?

I'm just helping him out. Is that a crime?

Helping him out?

De-wei…

First you use De-wei then you try to capitalize on our contracts

But now you want out.

You can go it alone, huh?

Shouting's not going to change things.

Lin

I always though 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.

That's for sure.

I can find out myself.

I'm going back to the office now

I warn you don't ever cross my path again

Listen sonny

You are still a baby

Go on, run to Mommy now

It wasn't till I got back to the office

That I learnt about the money.

The truth is, I feel very close to De-wei

50 million dollars can buy

Twenty-odd years of friendship

Maybe it all went too smoothly in the beginning

With business so good

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

I came to such different conclusions

On my way here.

At first, I was sure that's him out there

Then. I got thinking we'd got it all wrong

That bottle they found…

Could be the one De-wei tossed away last week

And now,

He might be fooling aournd somewhere in Taipei

However, base on my instinct

Chances like that are low

But going off to Japan like that

With all that cash in his pocket,

He'd been planning that some time now

Without anybody's knowledge

He might even have gotten himself some South American passport

So you think he's not coming back?

Let me put it this way

If it were me, I wouldn't come back

You know 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, whatever the explanation

Things end up pretty much the same for you

Don't they?

Time is so overwhelming.

It's frightening

Papa died, and the clinic's dying too

The world's left us all behind

Remember the night you ran away?

We were talking here, 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 one lesson I've learnt best in life

Is that everything depends on yourself.

I depent on myself all through my life

Once, I blindly followed someone else…

You should never do that

Jia-li, once I believed too much in Papa

Look at me now

Following him

Following all this that time has left behind

But if you came to me again like you did that night you left

I don't think Id 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 intention

Was that you'd learn to rely on yourself

And come to make your own decisions

It's my guess

That you're facing the same kind of choice again now

We kept this fragile silence for a long time

Jia-li's eyes were fixed, looking out the window and beyond

She seemed to be quietly surveying all those distant meJia Senes

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 now

For the rest of what happened that day on the beach

Or what the investigations might have turned up

There was an emergency company meeting that

Jia-li was called to convene.

So she had to hurry off.

It was only when we were saying goodbye

That I realized

I still hadn't asked after Jia-sen

After all, that was my main motive in coming

It was only then that I learnt

Jia-sen died of cancer the previous winter

The family clinic was now an apartment block

Jia-li told me how, in his last couple of days

Jia-sen woke suddenly one day from deep sleep

It feels like the two-o'clock sun

Taking the winter away

Just like the sunlight in the spring

When even the birds are singing

Things seem to be coming to life all around me

I want so much to know it all from the start

What a violent contrast

Everything here is so cold

But my heart is hot and beating hard

With some strange,

Formless energy against that icy world

What makes it work so hard I wonder?

But, I'm happy enough

Am I wrong?

You know? Just keeping this small life going so long

Is something worth celebrating in itself

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 girl I once knew has grown into the woman

Who walked away from

That day on the beach.