Betelnut Beauty 2001

Fei-fei, Angelica Lee Sin-Jie, a girl trying to escape a broken family, meets Feng, Chang Chen, who has just been discharged from the military and comes to Taipei to make a living. On a rain-soaked street, Feng notices Fei-fei screaming and joins her to vent their pressures together. She finds him odd and leaves with her mother, but Feng has already fallen in love.

Back at home, Fei-fei learns her mother secretly read her diary, which she started writing after her father left home [Ko I-chen]. Angry, she seeks refuge with her friend Yi-li. Yi-li sends her to Guang’s betel nut stall—Guang, Gao Ming-Chun—her ex-boyfriend. Fei-fei becomes a betel nut beauty, wearing bold outfits to catch drivers’ attention and drive purchases. The stall sits near the building where Feng rents a rooftop hut, so they cross paths again; Fei-fei even finds Feng’s drawing of her in his wallet. The pair grow closer and eventually start living together.

Despite an old friend’s invitation to return to baking, Feng, [Chang Chen], declines because the job is too greasy and demanding; instead he spends time with Guang. Fei-fei lands a small acting role, which leads to a film opportunity and the possibility of becoming a singer. Encouraged by Guang, Feng agrees to a plan to steal money from an ATM using Guang’s car, but the attempt fails. Feng decides to take a bakery job with his friend, doing it for Fei-fei’s sake. Guang then asks Feng to drive him to ambush Tiger, Leon Dai Li-Jen, because the latter harasses Yi-li. They head to a gambling house, but Tiger is not there; they notice a pile of money on a table and shift the plan to robbery.

Feng returns home very late that night, sparking a fierce quarrel with Fei-fei, who declares she does not want to be a woman like her mother—waiting for a man who might never return. The next day, they try to reach each other, but Feng and Guang are abducted by Tiger, who believes they are the robbers. The confrontation escalates as Tiger, furious over Guang’s denial and his taunts about Yi-li, points a gun but hesitates to pull the trigger because of Ming, Tsai Chen-Nan, his boss and uncle-in-law. When Feng’s phone rings with Fei-fei’s call, Tiger pivots toward Feng and shoots him dead.