Phoebe Chu

A car accident leaves a 22-year-old young man bound to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. The elderly driver who hit him gives the family a house and pays monthly compensation, yet he still cannot forgive himself. The boy’s mother believes that as long as one is alive, there is hope. His unemployed father devotes himself entirely to caring for him. The physical therapist who guides his rehabilitation quietly falls in love with him. Because of the accident, the family begins gathering for dinner every night, finding a fragile sense of togetherness. But his perceptive younger sister knows the truth behind their beautiful new home: it was bought with her brother’s broken body.

Chou, a sensitive teen craving independence, struggles as the 1996 Taiwan Strait crisis hits his family's finances and worsens tensions at home. He secretly works at a billiard hall, forming a bond with gang leader Button, but faces setbacks like Button's enlistment and peer conflicts. Caught by his father, their relationship worsens. At school, his crush Min leaves due to war fears, and pressure from a teacher deepens his uncertainty.

In the late 1990s, young Yixuan grows up as a “latchkey kid” in Wanhua, Taipei. With his father busy driving a taxi, Yixuan spends lonely afternoons wandering local diners and Youth Park. In the park, he meets Liu Bin, a lonely chess master. Yixuan finds guidance and warmth in his new teacher, who challenges him to daily matches with a small wager. This bond bridges generations, revealing how love can emerge in unexpected places and how life, much like chess, unfolds in unpredictable ways.