Divas in Distress

TV cameraman CHONG KA-LONG goes to Sham Shui Po to cover a news event. His quirky ways and cheeky antics throughout the filming has shocked and irritated the fledgling journalist HEUNG NAI-HING immensely. HING has accidentally injured LAM KAI-DIN, one of the candidates in the Hong Kong Chief Executive Election, with her microphone while interviewing him, causing a great deal of havoc on-site all of a sudden. LCD News Controller LO YUK-FAN summons LONG to a meeting, during which she is so amazed by his impressive performance that she finally decides to spare him. While working at the self-owned Kan Kee Bathroom Supplies, retired actress MIU SING-HO gets a call from her husband CHONG KAN-SAU asking for a new flush toilet to be delivered to the tenement flat currently under renovation. Without a moment of hesitation, HO lifts the toilet and brings it to the tenement flat in person……

HUNG is furious with HO who has secretly picked SAI up from school without her consent. To express his regret for the incident, LONG goes to visit HUNG with a hamper and makes a formal apology to her. HUNG gives LONG a good telling-off, making him understand that she will never give up her guardianship of SAI in any circumstances. Knowing that HO and HUNG were apprenticed to FUNG HANG-MAN, also dubbed the “Titan of the Movie Industry”, as kids, HING decides to dig up more about the former actresses’ long-standing rivalry from the man. MAN is so incensed by HING’s questions that he asks to end the interview at once. HING tries to probe for more information from HUNG’s godson SO KEI. While talking about the dispute between HO and HUNG during the filming of a TV drama series years ago, KEI dare not reveal the truth and tries to make up a story to account for the sudden cessation of the drama production……

HUNG is furious to learn that SAI has got injured. Consumed with anger, she just cannot help humiliating LONG. HUNG stops HO from visiting SAI with a pack of excuses. Desperate to see her beloved grandson, HO offers to share SAI’s medical expenses so that she can visit the child anytime she likes. Nicknamed “F4”, FAN CHAU-SHUI, FAN CHUN-NEI, FAN LEI-KAM and FAN KIU-MUK still have a lot of room for improvement in their renovation skills. HEI, who is known to be excellent at interior refurbishment, has helped them a lot with different projects all through the years. SAU advises HEI to dress and behave more like a girl so as to attract the opposite sex, but HEI insists that there is no need to change anything. Hoping to supplement their income, the FANs are planning to moonlight in another renovation project, and will need HEI’s support in completing the job……

Knowing that both HUNG and HO will win the “Most Influential Artiste of the 20th Century Award”, HING starts to discuss the interview arrangements with CHOR. From their conversation FAN comes to discover the true relationship among LONG, HO and HUNG, following which she orders LONG to help interview the two former actresses. HO and HUNG have had a bitter quarrel over SAI’s medical expenses again. Hoping to solve the long-standing misunderstanding between HO and HUNG, MAN arranges for them to meet in secret, so that they can have a heart-to-heart talk with each other. MAN needs them to recognize each other’s virtues while forgetting about the vices. HO and HUNG have no choice but to accept the interview request from LCD News. HEI gets picked on by SING about her poor renovation skills when she is patching up the work done by F4……

SAU reveals to HUNG that he has been diagnosed with a fatal disease, and pleads with her not to send SAI to the UK. Knowing that SAU has seen HUNG in person, HO gets really mad at him about his stupidity, but at the same time is deeply moved by his thoughtfulness. SING keeps picking on HEI in revenge for the damage she did to his paintings, but HEI does not show fear at all and chooses to fight back from time to time. KEI points out that SING and HEI have got the same taste in art, with which SING strongly disagrees. SING and HEI go to buy handicrafts together, during which SING runs into his former colleague LOUIS and gets ridiculed in a most disgraceful way. Enraged and embarrassed, SING vents all his anger on HEI and dismisses her without a fair reason. Fearing that she will be portrayed by LONG in a negative way in the interview, HUNG decides to go to the TV station to have a look……

SING is full of inspiration after catching a glimpse of the graffiti in a slum, and decides to make a few changes to the decoration theme of the shopping mall. He is so curious about the identity of the graffiti artist, who is later found to be HEI. HEI drops her cap while being pursued by the police, and the cap goes into SING’s hand accidentally. Having been feeling very uneasy recently, HUNG decides to visit her late daughter’s grave, following which she finally gives in and promises LONG that she will allow SAI to stay in Hong Kong. HEI goes to SING’s office asking for her cap back, but is rejected. SING needs her to pick up the renovation project again and supervise the refurbishment progress, or else he will never return the cap to her. Realizing that LONG and HEI have been getting on so well, HO decides to match them up……

SING finds himself more and more deeply in love with HEI, but is just too proud to express his affection for her. HEI gives LONG a call asking him out for dinner. Knowing that LONG is hanging out with SING at the moment, HEI gives the lad a terrible telling-off at once and the pair start quarreling over the phone soon afterwards. LONG reveals to SING that the shabby old cap that HEI had been keeping was the only thing left from her late father. SING comes to realize why HEI is so concerned about the cap and starts to feel guilty towards her. LONG have some hiccups while investigating the “dog meat feast” scandal, but HING just manages to save him from the predicament in the nick of time. Taking into account his phobia of dogs, LONG finally agrees to let HING take part in the probe……

HUNG learns from the TV news that LONG has been admitted to hospital. HING has stayed with LONG overnight at the hospital, and LONG finally wakes up after hours of unconsciousness. LONG keeps criticizing HING for her poor performance in last night’s live report, leaving her very disappointed and frustrated. Judging from HING’s response, HO can tell that the girl is in love with LONG. While refurbishing the demonstration apartment of a luxurious private housing estate, SAU, HEI and F4 are shocked to see HUNG showing up all of a sudden with her friends, who are said to have come for a pre-sale site visit. Knowing that HUNG’s friends are the wives of the senior management members of Mauris Investment, which is one of SING’s biggest clients, HEI gives SING a scornful look thinking that he is trying to win the deal through his mother……

Desperate to disclose HEI’s disgraceful background to SING, HUNG claims to have lost her ring and calls the police. A police constable, while investigating the suspected theft at Pei Gik, reveals to SING that HEI is found to have a criminal record, which has come as a real shock for the lad. Now that the secret is out, HEI is overwhelmed with a sense of inferiority. She is so reluctant to confront SING that she has decided to break up with him. During a meeting at work, HING suggests she and LONG can pretend to be a couple so as to facilitate their investigation into a scandal. Without a sign of fear or shyness, she even declares her love for LONG in front of her colleagues. Unlike the rest of his teammates, LONG remains incredibly calm about HING’s confession of love, for he believes that the girl is only trying to play a trick on him. HO infers from MAN’s reaction that HUNG has already found out about HEI’s disgraceful history……

HUNG, SING and KEI go to visit YAM’s grave on the anniversary of her death. After hours of waiting, LONG still does not show up, and HUNG begins to lose her temper. SING is shocked to hear that HEI has been caught by the police. He asks HUNG if she has anything to do with HEI’s arrest, which HUNG does not deny. SING is so angry with HUNG that he has decided to move out at once. HUNG is sad to see SING go, but is not going to convince him to stay. SING is working hard on the interior decoration of the shopping mall. Towards the last phase of the project, SING is getting more and more grumpy and keeps picking on his staff for no reason. KEI tries to give him a few words of consolation but gets a terrible telling-off in return. KEI manages to get in touch with HEI, who is doing community service work at an orphanage as ordered by the court……

HING learns from an anonymous informant that DIN is having a secret meeting with a gang leader. Believing that this is going to hit the headlines, FAN needs HING to follow up the case in collaboration with a cameraman. Left with no better alternatives, HING teams up with LONG again and the pair get to wait on the hilltop for the appearance of DIN. HUNG is going to pick SAI up from HO, but HO asks her to go to a 6-star hotel instead for a reunion gathering with the long-lost porn actress CHING YEUK-CHUN, who has now become a world-famous business tycoon. Fearing that HO will create trouble for SING through CHUN somehow, HUNG goes to have a word with HO at Kan Kee, but she ends up picking a fight with her nemesis and wreaking a lot of havoc in the store. MAN’s laptop gets damaged in the confusion, and the screenplay saved on it is completely corrupted……

HUNG sends SAI to HO all of a sudden, claiming that she will be going on a trip overseas very soon. HO finds HUNG’s behavior very strange. LONG and HING are too tired that they have both fallen asleep and missed the shot of DIN meeting the gang leader in the dark. LONG would like to stay and wait for another shot, for which he gets a stern rebuke from HING. HING’s words have come as a sharp warning to LONG, helping him come to terms with the fact that his story with YAM is all over and has gone with the wind. After some thought and discussion with his team, SING has finally grasped the nature of graffiti and made a list of major amendments to the decoration plan. CHUN goes to the shopping mall for a site inspection, where she meets KEI and has a nice chat with him. Knowing that Priceless Costume Jewelry, a renowned local fashion jewelry store, is closing down, KEI offers to accompany CHUN to the store to have a look……

SING tries to find out from LONG how HEI is getting on. After a few attempts, he finally manages to find out that HEI has been doing community service work at a temple on an outlying island. HEI is shocked to see HUNG taking a retreat inside the temple, which quickly alerts her to the fact that the woman is not vacationing overseas as she claims. HUNG’s bedroom is infested with mosquitoes and fleas, and she finds the insects so irritating that she can hardly sleep at all. HEI sympathizes with HUNG and manages to get her different sorts of insect repellents in secret. Despite all her thoughtfulness, HUNG does not show a bit of gratitude to HEI. KEI brings LO-WAH to Priceless Costume Jewelry to take pictures, during which he shows her a photo of CHUN and himself that they took earlier on. WAH takes fright at the sight of the photo, and goes to see CHUN at the hotel later on asking if she is looking for a reunion with KEI……

SING hustles around to look for HEI. Not long after, the probation officer comes along, and asks HEI to submit her journal entries at once. HEI has no choice but to take out a rough draft, which is full of incomprehensible symbols. Thinking that HEI is playing a trick on him, the probation officer flies into a fury and tears the paper into pieces. SING picks up the paper strips and bring them home for analysis. Inspired by KEI’s throwaway remarks, SING comes to realize that HEI may have been suffering from dyslexia. F4 are going to renovate a flat where a bipolar disorder sufferer was said to have committed suicide. Thinking that HUNG has got all the similar symptoms as the bipolar disorder sufferer who had killed herself, HO begins to worry about HUNG. HO and WAH go to the temple to look for HUNG, who is found missing after taking an overdose of influenza medicine……

HING who is still looking to trace KEI’s biological father keeps pestering CHUN for an answer. Despite her persistent request, CHUN refuses to disclose anything about the man. LONG has a heart-to-heart talk with HING, during which he reminds her to be more considerate and to learn to respect others’ feelings. Deeply moved by LONG’s sincerity, HING gives him a big kiss on the lips. Realizing that he is seriously falling in love with HING, LONG has become very confused and agitated. The news that HUNG is taking a retreat at the temple has rapidly spread across the region, sparking a lot of media speculations about HUNG’s mental health. HO suggests holding a press conference to explain the situation, and offers to accompany HUNG all through the media event. During the press conference, HO reveals to the reporters that HUNG has been suffering from bipolar disorder, which infuriates HUNG no end……

Knowing that HUNG and HO have fallen out again, MAN asks them out for a gathering at Peony House so that they can talk through the matter thoroughly. But his effort turns out to be in vain and the former actresses remain hostile to each other. MAN goes to visit HUNG at home, and is surprised to hear that CHUN and KEI are having dinner next door. Driven by a strong sense of guilt, he finally plucks up his courage to apologize to CHUN, and reveals the biological relationship between KEI and himself. Due to her illness, HUNG is not able to take care of YAM’s grave as conscientiously as she used to. When she visits the grave again, she is shocked to see HO, who is busy doing a tidy-up around. HUNG and HO manage to have a nice chat and the long-standing hostility between them is finally dissolved……

HUNG and WAH have arranged a blind date for KEI at a vintage restaurant. On their way to the restaurant, they run into FAN, who later accuses KEI of sexually assaulting her inside the lift. FAN and KEI have soon become enemies. LONG and HING go to the beach again to carry on with their investigation into the sexual harassment scandal. A fake lifeguard approaches HING and tries to sexually assault her while LONG is not around. LONG comes back shortly afterwards and is furious to witness the sexual attack. Consumed with rage, he gives the man a hard punch in the jaw and knocks his incisor out right away. HEI boards the plane alone, although deep down in her heart she is so looking forward to SING’s company along the trip. SING finally manages to show up before the take-off, just as HEI wishes……

Knowing that MAN has misunderstood KEI somehow, HUNG and HO go to Peony House at once to make a clarification. HO suggests bringing MAN’s screenplay to the theatre stage, hoping that this will help patch up the father-son relationship between MAN and KEI. HUNG asks KEI to take part in the drama production as the Art Director, but KEI refuses unless MAN agrees to play the role of KOO MING-WA, a sissy character presumably based on himself. HING would like to have lunch with LONG, but LONG turns her down with a list of excuses. HING is knocked down by a car after waving goodbye to LONG. Severely injured, HING is sent to hospital at once. HUNG manages to record LONG’s words of confession with her cellphone, and keeps playing the sound clip to the unconscious HING taking it as the best kind of stimulus……

CHUN asks MAN out for a gathering, during which she urges him to seriously consider KEI’s request and take the role of KOO MING-WA, so as to patch up their father-son relationship. Not wanting to have any more regrets in his life, MAN finally decides to give CHUN the white pearl necklace which he has kept for decades. FAN has set LONG a new task, but HING who is still suffering from partial amnesia refuses to work with him. CHING SUM reveals to LONG that he is very fond of HING and is planning to woo her. Knowing that SUM is interested in her, HING agrees to go on a date with him at once. HEI is so unfamiliar with Japan that she needs to rely on SING all through the trip. SING blames HEI for causing him so much trouble, but deep down he treasures every moment with her and loves the feeling of being relied on……

MAN makes it clear that he is not going to perform in his self-created drama. Though shocked and disappointed, HO and HUNG still respect MAN’s decision. HUNG and HO bring SAI to the theme park to chill out. While checking SAI’s homework at night, HUNG happens to come across his assignment on blood group system, which immediately raises her doubts about the biological relationship between LONG and SAU. SUM is not able to go any further with HING, so he decides to turn to LONG for advice. Sadly all his attempts are of no avail despite the help of LONG. Knowing that LONG has given SUM a lot of advice on how to win her heart, HING gets a little irked and means to seek revenge on LONG. SING has won the top prize in an international design competition. Not wanting HEI to develop a more serious inferiority complex about herself, SING does not say a word about his victory in the competition……

LONG returns to the office and is shocked to see that HING’s seat has been vacated. FAN later reveals to him why HING is so determined to resign. SAU is so perplexed by SAI’s words that he finally decides to ask HUNG for an explanation. Following a conversation with HUNG, SAU comes to realize that LONG is probably CHUN WEI’s biological son. HUNG goes to Peony House for morning tea. Knowing that MAN is busy looking out for his friend, who has killed the whole of his family after learning of his wife’s affair, HUNG begins to worry about HO and LONG. HUNG and WAH go to see HO at Kan Kee, pointing out to her that SAU has already learnt about LONG’s real identity. HO gives SAU a stern rebuke after returning home. She blames SAU for being misled so easily and suspecting her chastity without even looking into the fact. LONG tries to intercede for SAU but is kicked out of home along with his father……

KEI reveals to HEI that SING’s asthma is getting worse because of the paint smell emitting from her body. SAU puts up at Kan Kee after being kicked out of home by HO. HO returns to Kan Kee and passes SAU the divorce petition, which comes as a huge shock to SAU. SAU gets back home in secret to do a tidy-up, but is discovered by HO later on. Filled with anger, HO throws SAU out of the flat along with the kitchen utensils. Amid the mess is a letter, from which SAU manages to find out the truth about LONG’s identity. HEI has finally finished the renovation of SING’s office, following which she announces her decision to leave the field completely. SING comes to see HEI at her home and asks her to accompany him to the award presentation. For no rhyme or reason, he deliberately provokes HEI until he finally reduces her to tears. The following day, KEI rushes to Kan Kee revealing to HEI that SING is flying out of Hong Kong……