Yuenfang, a refugee originally from Shanghai, escapes the city to Taiwan following the Communists' civil war win in China in 1949. She works as a restaurant hostess, where she becomes a mentor to Juanjuan (Lilly Hsiao), who reminds her of her previous lover who took her affections, Wubao (Angelica Lee), who died during their escape to Taiwan. However, Juanjuan falls for a guest at the restaurant, a very unpleasant gangster, Ko, and they enter into a life of violence and drugs, leaving Yuenfang to come to terms with the fact that she may not see her again.
