Yen and Ai-Lee

The opening sequence follows Yen as she cycles to a police station, drenched in blood, to surrender after killing her abusive father to protect her mother Ai-Lee. The act defines her moral compass and begins a long period of imprisonment that frames the rest of the story. This moment establishes the loyalty and danger that tag along with her family bonds.

Eight years after the murder, Yen is released from prison and returns to a new house where her mother greets her. Ai-Lee shows Yen the updated bedroom and tries to reestablish a sense of home. Yen begins navigating a life she left behind while wrestling with lingering anger and loyalty.

Yen encounters Ren, Ai-Lee's new boyfriend, at the house. Ren is rude and domineering, and Yen immediately despises him for threatening the family’s fragile peace. The tension between Yen and Ren foreshadows future conflict.

A young woman who looks identical to Yen arrives at a community college drama class and introduces herself as Allie. The class explores the concept of ‘filial piety daughters’ who mourn at funerals, a role that unsettles and intrigues Allie. She excels in the class and grows in confidence through her performances.

A woman claiming to be Yen's deceased father's mistress contacts her and urges Yen to take care of her younger half-brother Wei. Yen refuses, but the mistress leaves Wei outside Ai-Lee's grocery store, setting up Wei’s next steps. Yen’s initial reluctance complicates her loyalty to Ai-Lee.

Feeling pity for Wei, Yen brings him to Cheng, a former classmate, asking Cheng to keep him safe. Cheng agrees, but his father resents the arrangement and wants Wei out quickly. This triggers a strain on Yen as she tries to balance responsibility and family pressures.

Uncollected letters left outside the mistress's home hint that she once worked at a community college before resigning. Yen investigates the letters and discovers little concrete about her, heightening the mystery. The discovery pushes Yen to search for connections to Allie and Yen’s own past.

Yen is drawn to a drama class advertisement and reluctantly returns to performing. Through caring for Wei and engaging with acting, she forms a deeper bond with him and begins to see a path toward healing. The drama program becomes a mirror for her own suppressed emotions.

Ren brings his friends to Ai-Lee's grocery store and pressures her about fake scratchcards. Yen confronts Ai-Lee about the scheme, and Ai-Lee argues that the money is necessary for survival, blaming Yen for destabilizing the family. The confrontation exposes the economic desperation behind their choices.

Ai-Lee refuses to continue selling fake scratchcards despite Ren's pressure and even slaps him in fury. Ren responds with a violent threat, but a passing policeman intervenes before anything happens. This incident marks a turning point in Ai-Lee's defiance and Yen's attitude toward their family conflicts.

In class, Allie wears a white mourning cloth and delivers an emotionally charged performance that brings her to tears as she imagines conversations with her deceased father. After the scene, she reveals her real name, Yen, to the teacher, signaling a partial reclaiming of her identity. The moment links Allie to Yen and foreshadows the belief that she can confront her past.

When Yen learns Ai-Lee has ended up at the police station, she returns to Meinong to bail her out. Ai-Lee tells Yen that Ren has moved out and that she stood up to him to bring Yen home. Yen finally voices her complicated feelings about her father to Ai-Lee, initiating a deeper conversation between them.

Ai-Lee's confession about Ren's departure and her decision to stand up to him helps clear a path for Yen to come home. Yen begins to press forward toward healing, albeit cautiously, and the two women start to rebuild their relationship. The film closes with a sense that reconciliation is possible, even if fragile.