The story unfolds in 1960 Hong Kong, where we meet Yuddy, a charming playboy whose flirtations lead him to Li-zhen. Despite their connection, Yuddy lacks the desire for a serious relationship, leaving Li-zhen heartbroken and prompting her to depart. In search of a new adventure, Yuddy throws himself into a relationship with the lively cabaret dancer Mimi. However, his friend Zeb is also smitten with her, though she doesn’t return his affections.
As Yuddy navigates his romantic entanglements, he battles a strained relationship with his adoptive mother Rebecca, a former prostitute. Her revelation about his adoption creates tension between them, particularly after she chooses younger partners whom he believes are exploiting her wealth. Although she initially withholds information about his birth mother, she eventually discloses that she resides in the Philippines.
Finding comfort from her heartbreak, Li-zhen confides in Tide, a policeman stationed near Yuddy’s home. Tide, who harbors dreams of becoming a sailor, opts for police work to care for his mother. Their discussions touch on failed romances, upcoming weddings, and a longing for home. Li-zhen, who sells tickets at a soccer stadium, offers Tide a complimentary ticket to a game, and he encourages her to reach out through a nearby phone booth should she ever need support. Though their connection is palpable, it never fully blossoms. Following his mother’s death, Tide embarks on his journey as a sailor.
Meanwhile, Yuddy pursues the truth about his origins and heads to the Philippines, leaving Zeb with his car, all while keeping Mimi in the dark. Distressed by his departure, Mimi vows to track him down. Zeb, still yearning for her love, sells Yuddy's car to fund her journey, advising her to return to him if she fails to find Yuddy. Upon arrival in the Philippines, Yuddy seeks out his birth mother, only to be rejected when she refuses to see him.
In a twist of fate, Tide, now a sailor during a brief stop in the Philippines, encounters a intoxicated Yuddy sprawled on the street and brings him to his hotel. Not recognizing him in his drunken state, Yuddy accepts Tide's help. However, a scuffle arises at the train station over the payment for an American passport, resulting in Yuddy stabbing a man. Tide intervenes, and they manage to escape on a train. Tide, curious about Yuddy’s past, prompts him to reflect on a significant moment from his time with Li-zhen. He advises Yuddy to remain silent about it to her. Unfortunately, when Tide returns from speaking with the train conductor, he discovers that Yuddy has been fatally shot.
The film concludes with a sequence of unfolding events: Mimi, now in the Philippines, and Li-zhen tidying up her ticket stall, while a phone rings in the booth, signaling an unsettling uncertainty about the characters’ destinies. In the final shot, a young man is seen, poised and smoking, deep in thought in a dimly lit room, creating a haunting sense of intrigue.
