Scene 41 Time/Day Setting / Outside Chen Family House, Window Ledge
Characters / Michael, Chen Zhen-xing

△ At the entrance of the Chen family house, Chen Zhen-xing kicks the kick-start lever of a Yamaha motorcycle several times, but the engine will not start, so he squats down to inspect it.
△ Michael walks over and also squats down to take a look.

Michael: Can I help you, Mr. Chen?

Chen Zhen-xing: My black “oh-to-bike” won’t start.

Michael: Auto bike? Motorcycle? Yeah, let me see.

Chen Zhen-xing: Michael, you can fix motorcycles?

Michael: Yeah, I can.

△ Chen Zhen-xing opens the side compartment and takes out several tools. Michael picks up a double-ended wrench, loosens the spark plug, takes it out to examine it, then uses a small wire brush to clean it, and puts the spark plug back in.

Michael: (gesturing with his hand and foot) Try it again, now.

△ Chen Zhen-xing understands, gets on the motorcycle, and kicks the starter lever again. The engine starts successfully.

Michael: (gesturing) Spark plug is too old to be replaced.

Chen Zhen-xing: (smiling) I know! Later I will take it to the motorcycle shop to replace it with a new one. Michael, you used to fix motorcycles, right?

Michael: Yeah, my father runs a repair shop, a car-repair shop.

Chen Zhen-xing: (laughs) So you come from a mechanic background? No wonder!

Michael: (spreading both hands) Mechanic? Background? No wonder? I don’t understand…

Chen Zhen-xing: (laughing heartily) Ha! You’ll gradually understand Taiwanese.

△ On the second-floor window ledge, Chen Meng-ru, who is hanging clothes, witnesses the entire scene with a happy smile.

Scene 42 Time/Day Setting / Shuishshe Pier Portrait Stall
Characters / Chen Meng-ru, Michael, Tang Huai-min, Wen Aihua, tourists

△ Chen Meng-ru, Michael, Tang Huai-min, and Wen Aihua set up a portrait drawing stall by Shuishshe Pier, drawing portraits for tourists. On both sides of the stall are caricature bust portraits of the two artists, and in the center are caricatures of political figures and movie stars.

△ To liven up the atmosphere, Tang Huai-min takes out a guitar, connects it to an amplifier, and energetically sings indigenous songs.

△ Michael holds a tambourine, keeping rhythm and dancing enthusiastically. The two boys wear Tsou traditional clothing, attracting curious tourists to gather and watch.

△ A large group of tourists surrounds the stall, commenting and discussing.

Tourist A: This caricature of Lee Teng-hui is so kawaii!

Tourist B: That one is Ma Ying-jeou, you can tell at a glance. The one next to him with a dark face is U.S. President Obama.

Mainland Tourist C: Is this Chiang Kai-shek? He looks quite cute.

Mainland Tourist D: Is this female singer Teresa Teng?

Hong Kong Tourist E: This is martial arts star Bruce Lee! It is drawn so vividly…

△ One after another, tourists sit down to have Chen Meng-ru and Wen Aihua draw their portraits.

Scene 43 Time/Day Setting / Shuishshe Pier Portrait Stall
Characters / Chen Meng-ru, Michael, Tang Huai-min, Wen Aihua, tourists

△ It is lunchtime. The four sit together eating boxed meals.

Chen Meng-ru: When school first started last year, Michael and I set up a portrait stall just like this under the shade of Beitou Park. This time, Brother Tang and I specially discussed letting Aihua also experience the life of a street portrait artist.

Wen Aihua: (smiling) No wonder you three were acting so mysterious before we left this morning.

Tang Huai-min: It was Meng-ru’s idea! At first I was even worried we wouldn’t attract any customers!

Wen Aihua: Among these tourists, besides Japanese, Koreans, and Hong Kong visitors, I actually hear the most Mandarin accents from Mainland tourists—southern and northern dialects alike. Sun Moon Lake really is endlessly charming!

Scene 44 Time/Day Setting / Surface of Sun Moon Lake
Characters / Chen Meng-ru, Michael, Tang Huai-min, Wen Aihua, Chen Zhi-jia

△ Chen Zhi-jia operates a small sampan, accompanying the two couples on a lake tour.

Wen Aihua: This is my first time being so close to the lake water. It feels very fresh and new!

Michael: In my hometown Venice, you see boats passing through the streets every day. To cross the street, you have to use bridges.

Chen Meng-ru: So you’re used to it, then?

Michael: Yeah! But I prefer this place more. The water here doesn’t smell dirty or foul.

Chen Meng-ru: Of course. This is a big natural pond!

Tang Huai-min: Alishan is steady and reserved, like a boy; Sun Moon Lake is graceful and gentle, like a girl.

Wen Aihua: (smiling) Brother Tang, I didn’t expect you to be so poetic.

Tang Huai-min: (scratching his head and laughing) I just thought of it suddenly.

Scene 45 Time / Late Night Setting / Chen Family Bedroom, Sun Moon Lake
Characters / Chen Meng-ru, Chen Zhen-xing, Li Wan-hua

△ In the Chen mother’s bedroom, the three are holding a family meeting.

Li Wan-hua: Ah-Ru, when did you start being together with that foreigner?

Chen Meng-ru: After school started last year.

Chen Zhen-xing: This Michael seems quite honest and simple. I like him as a son-in-law. But if you marry him, in the future you and your home will be like a kite with a broken string—completely separated. You must think carefully about this.

Chen Meng-ru: Dad, Mom, I have already considered all of this.

Li Wan-hua: Ah-Ru, Mom hopes that after you get married in the future, we can still visit you from time to time.

Chen Meng-ru: Mom, don’t worry about these things for now. I haven’t agreed to marry Michael yet.

Li Wan-hua: Unless Michael, after marrying you, is willing to stay and live in Taiwan, otherwise you should find another partner.

Scene 46 Time/Day Location / Chen Family Entrance at Sun Moon Lake
Characters / Chen Mengru, Chen Zhenxing, Li Wanhua, Michael, Tang Huaimin, Wen Aihua, Chen Zhijia

△ The Chen family is at the entrance seeing Mengru and the group off.
Chen Zhijia: Michael, Brother Tang, you are welcome to come again when you have time!
Michael: You are all very warm and welcoming, thank you.
Tang Huaimin: You are welcome to come to Alishan when you have time to play!

△ Mengru and her mother embrace in farewell.
Li Wanhua: A-Ru, make sure you clearly tell Michael the condition Mom raised. Next time he comes back, I want an answer.
Chen Mengru: I will find a chance to bring it up with Michael, but I have no confidence I can persuade him!
Li Wanhua: (serious) If that foreigner refuses to stay in Taiwan, then don’t even think about marrying you.

△ Mengru does not want to argue further with her mother, and immediately opens the car door and sits into the sedan. The Chen family and the group wave goodbye, watching the sedan drive away.

Scene 47 Time/Day Location / School walkway
Characters / Chen Mengru, Michael, students

△ On the school walkway, Michael holds a bicycle with one hand and holds Chen Mengru’s hand with the other, walking slowly.

△ Camera moves closer.
Michael: What happened yesterday? I feel like you are angry with me.
Chen Mengru: I am not angry with you, but I feel troubled in my heart. Do you really want to know the reason?
Michael: Tell me, I will listen.
Chen Mengru: The night before leaving Sun Moon Lake, my parents called me into the room for a serious talk. My mother proposed a condition: if you want to marry me and take me as your wife, then after marriage you must stay in Taiwan.
Michael: (thinking for a moment) So that’s how it is. I think my father and mother should agree for me to live long-term in Taiwan. I have an older brother at home; he has always been working with my father. My brother will take care of them.
Chen Mengru: (smiles with relief) I was originally still worried that I would cause you trouble…
Michael: Your mother does not want you to follow me back to Italy. She wants you to stay in Taiwan so she can see you anytime.
Chen Mengru: (moved) You won’t blame my mother, right?
Michael: No, I should be thinking about this for you.
Chen Mengru: Then next time when you come back to Sun Moon Lake with me, personally tell my mother your own decision.
Michael: (pointing to his forehead) Okay, I will remember it here.

Scene 48 Time/Day Location / Fine Arts Department Classroom
Characters / Michael, Chen Mengru, Wen Aihua, Wu Benyun, Gu Meiyun, Tang Huaimin, Liu Tianlin, Xu Manfei, teacher, classmates

△ Wu Benyun and Liu Tianlin have already noticed obvious changes from the seating arrangement.

Wu Benyun: (OS) Just after winter break, three couples have clearly formed—Mengru, Wen Aihua, and Xu Manfei. These three women are truly foolish. Especially Mengru and Wen Aihua, they actually chose Michael and Tomas, who are far worse than me by hundreds or thousands of times. I really cannot understand the structure of these women’s brains…

△ Camera shifts to Liu Tianlin, zoom in, focusing on his facial close-up.

△ Xu Manfei’s gaze drifts, sometimes toward Wen Aihua and Tang Huaimin, sometimes back to Tianlin’s side profile.

Liu Tianlin: (OS, secretly glancing at Wen Aihua) It looks like Wen Aihua has already been taken by that brute bull. What point of that bull can compare with me? What exactly is Aihua thinking in her heart? I am unwilling! I must find a chance to ask Aihua clearly…

Xu Manfei: (OS) Wen Aihua and Brother Tang sitting together… my Tianlin can give up hope…

Scene 49 Time/Day Location / Campus corner under tree shade
Characters / Liu Tianlin, Wen Aihua, Tang Huaimin, classmates

△ Under the shade of trees in a campus corner, Wen Aihua sits on a bench reading the magazine Contemporary Art. Liu Tianlin rides a bicycle past, sees Aihua, immediately turns back, stops the bicycle, and stands in front of her.

Liu Tianlin: Aihua, there were some things last time I didn’t have time to explain clearly. Can I take a few minutes of your time?
Wen Aihua: I already know what you want to say. Please treat Manfei well and do not hurt her, okay?
Liu Tianlin: (frustrated) Why do you firmly assume I will hurt Xu Manfei? I do not deny that Manfei has always been very good to me, but I treat her like a sworn younger sister. I have no idea of forming a family with her at all…
Wen Aihua: Is that so? Your explanation makes me strongly suspect that you are just playing with Manfei.
Liu Tianlin: I am not playing with Manfei, heaven and earth as witness! Even when going back to California with her and staying at her house, I have never acted disrespectfully toward her. The reason I am going back with her is because she said her father can arrange for me to study graduate school there. I want to settle down there and obtain residency.
Wen Aihua: Are you telling me you are using Manfei’s infatuation with you? How is that different from playing with her?
Liu Tianlin: Of course it is different. I have never given Manfei any promise.
Wen Aihua: So you are saying all of this is just Manfei’s one-sided wishful thinking? Sorry, I cannot accept this irresponsible thinking, and I do not want to waste time listening to your absurd statements.

△ Wen Aihua stands up to leave, but Tianlin presses her shoulder.

Wen Aihua: Don’t do this. Huaimin went to buy lunch and will be back very soon.
Liu Tianlin: Give me a few more minutes and let me make things clear. The person I have always liked is you, Wen Aihua. At the beginning of last semester, I noticed Tang Huaimin was pursuing you. At first I did not take that barbarian Tang seriously. I believed you had good judgment. But when you saw Manfei starting to entangle me, you gradually distanced yourself from me, deliberately giving me no chance and ignoring me. I only then realized the situation was serious, but you refused to explain clearly.
Wen Aihua: Classmate, do you think I should give you a chance to explain? I saw with my own eyes you and Manfei going everywhere together. Is that not enough? Moreover, I later understood clearly myself—you are not the white horse prince I am looking for. You are just an arrogant bystander. I do not want to have any connection with you…

△ At this moment, Tang Huaimin walks over carrying a bag of lunch, but Liu Tianlin does not notice at all and continues speaking passionately. Huaimin stands behind him listening.

Liu Tianlin: (emotional) Aihua, can you please clear your mind? What point does someone like Tang Huaimin, a low-level culturally backward Taiwanese native, have that is better than me? In painting, he is unskilled; his personality is careless and rough; his thinking is wavering and he lacks his own stance. Being with this kind of person, isn’t it like a good flower stuck in cow dung, being ruined by him for nothing!

△ A cold voice suddenly sounds behind Tianlin.
Tang Huaimin: You are right.

△ Tianlin turns around and is shocked to see Huaimin with a serious expression, and is momentarily stunned.

Tang Huaimin: Liu Tianlin, a student from Peking University, I, Tang, am a lump of cow dung, but I have always been fresh cow dung, emitting the smell of grass. Unlike you, who are a self-important plaster statue, odorless and tasteless, completely indifferent.

△ After speaking, Tang Huaimin reaches out and takes Aihua’s hand. The two leave without looking back, leaving Tianlin standing there dumbfounded.

(After six months)

Scene 50 Time/Day Location / Chen Family Living Room and Dining Room
Characters / Chen Mengru, Michael, Li Wanhua, Chen Zhenxing, Chen Zhijia

△ In the Chen family living room, on the sofa, Chen Mengru holds Michael’s arm, sitting opposite Chen mother Li Wanhua.

Michael: Aunt Chen, I really like staying in Taiwan, I will not take Mengru away.
Li Wanhua: You must remember your promise to me. I do not want to finally raise a daughter only to marry her off and then lose her forever.
Michael: I understand your feelings. I will keep my promise.

△ In the Chen family dining room, the Chen family prepares a table full of dishes, sending off Michael who is about to leave Taiwan.

Chen Zhenxing: Michael, after this period of time together, we already treat you as family.
Michael: Uncle Chen, you are all very good to me. You are all my family.
Chen Zhenxing: If you want to be my son-in-law, you must learn at least some Taiwanese.
Michael: Ya, Mengru has taught me some Taiwanese. I like Taiwanese.

△ Chen Mengru hands Michael a paper bag, Michael accepts it, deeply moved.
Chen Mengru: The money you deposited with me, I have exchanged it into Euros for you.
Li Wanhua: Michael, when will you come back to Taiwan?
Michael: Maybe two years later, after finishing my studies, getting a stable job, and obtaining my family’s approval, I will return to Taiwan and propose to Mengru.
Li Wanhua: Mengru will wait for you to come back. She is very stubborn, but you also cannot make her wait forever.
Michael: I know. I will not let Mengru be disappointed.
Chen Zhenxing: A man’s word must be kept!
Michael: Ya, I will.