Instinct took place in a 1995 modern day Hong Kong , focusing on
the
lives of basically two families. One a middle class trying to make ends meet, and
the other a rich family trying struggling to find each other. The middle class family
owns a small clothing store. Mr. and Mrs. Bao have three children, Long (Ekin
Cheng) , Phung, and Ho. They also take care of Long's best friend, Phan Lanh Thanh
(Roger Kwok) whose father was put in jail twenty years ago
because of them. Huynh Thien (Adam Cheng) is a wealthy
business tycoon with an insurance empire. He lives alone because his youngest daughter,
Huynh Han, is in the U.S. studying, while his ex-wife and oldest daughter, Huynh Loi (Amy Kwok), live somewhere else he doesn't know. Huynh Thien is a
good man who always stands by his word and is in regrets over the loss of his wife and
oldest daughter.
Nnadia plays a lonely girl, Lam Trinh Liec. The only friend
she has
in the world is her dog, Trinh. When she moves into the apartment next to the Bao family's
she causes a stir because they have rented out that one too for Thanh's father. Phan Trong
is released from prison and the family feels like they owe him because many years ago he
was put to prison for possession of drugs that weren't his and had all to do with them.
Phan Trong also happens to be childhood friends with Huynh Thien. Mr. Bao wants to get
Liec out of the apartment or make her pay rent. Long tries to gain Liec's trust, and
unlike his father feels some compassion towards her situation. Liec, however, has lived
her entire life without a friend, so she doesn't trust anyone easily. She runs away from
him repeatedly and lies too. In the beginning Long finds Liec to be a very silly girl.
Always hiding in her apartment and never opens the door. One day when her dog is lost,
Long drives Liec around to find Trinh. Driving her to all her old houses. Finding out that
she was a girl with many parents. Because of this Liec begins to see that Long isn't that
bad, and vice versa.
Thanh, in the meantime, distances himself from his father who has returned
from prison. He works selling insurance at Huynh Thien's company, but finds it
unfullfilling. He wants to rise to the top and do it fast, so with the help of a friend,
Yin Suong, he gets involved with smuggling and other things that cause debt on him and
even get the Bao family into trouble too. Later, one of Huynh Thien's most trusted
employees betrays Huynh Thien by forming an opposing company and attempting to steal all
of his employees away, including Thanh. However, Huynh Thien manages through some
difficulty to rebuild his company.
Liec invites Long on a bus trip, and he says yes jokingly only to later find
out she was serious. So he goes reluctantly, with her. There she tells him about her
lonely childhood, how she never had friends because the kids at school didn't want a
friend with so many parents. Her mother and been married and divorced and the same with
her father, so she had many parents and step parents. She told him that she had never gone
on a school trip because no one ever wanted her in their group. So Long decides to make it
up to her. And that day they end up having a fun time together. By the end of the day,
Liec is worried about her feelings towards him, and Long is at this point only seeing her
as a friend. After this day Liec tries hard to distance herself from, running away at the
sight of him. Long is confused and doesn't understand why she is acting so strangely.
Huynh Thien's company is always in bouncing in and out of trouble because
of corrupt business men who want to ruin him. And because of this he meets up with Long
who is a police officer. They become good friends. Huynh Thien's ex-wife and oldest
daughter return to do business, but Huynh Loi is not willing to accept her father. Many
years ago she had seen her father kick her mother out of the house and from that point on
her mother had cried night and day. She was determined to hate her father forever.
However, what she didn't know was that her mother had had an affair and that was why her
father had kicked her out. When Huynh Han returns from the U.S. she hates her mother. She
is upset with the fact that her mother always acts as if there is nothing wrong in the
family.
Huynh Loi is also a stubborn girl who mainly keeps to herself. One day
when she and her friend go see a fortune teller on the street he tells her that she will
meet her destiny that evening. And that evening is when she, by chance, sees Long on the
street. From that point, everywhere she goes she sees him, but she doesn't know who he is.
All she knows is that she feels attracted to him. At this same time Thanh is starting to
like her and pursues constantly without success. Long and Liec are at a standstill, until
one fateful day. Liec knew of the fact that Long was an officer and that he was out to
capture Luu Bich Thao, but the problem was this man not only hurt Huynh Thien he also
killed his policemen friend. Long was so upset that he threatened to kill Mr. Luu, causing
his forced resignation on the day of Mr. Luu's capture. Losing his entire life's dream he
went into a deep depression. Liec had bought a toy police truck for Long, a toy he said he
would buy once he captured Mr. Luu, but when she found out of his job loss she felt sad
for him. Besides this, his family went into money troubles because of Thanh's scheming.
Liec spent an entire evening with Long in the rain, walking here and there with him,
keeping him company. Finally, the family is forced to sell there big apartment and move
into Liec's. So, Liec must move out. Unfortunately, she has no where to go so she lies and
says she is going to live with one of her father's. She sells all her things and gives the
money to the family and then leaves. Long later finds sitting on a park bench, and she
lies and tells him that she is simply waiting for her ride. He knows she is lying, so he
takes her things and has her move in with his family. Her bags accidentally fall with a
struggle and the toy truck is revealed. So he accepts the gift happily.
Eventually Phan Trong meets up with his childhood friend, Huynh Thien.
Long and Thanh start working as stockbrokers in Mr. Huynh's company. Long and
Liec grow closer with time. Liec has a habit of writing little poems and sayings on
small strips of paper. And soon they start dating and together they write little
messages on scraps of paper scattering them on the streets of Hong Kong from
their apartment rooftop.
Difficulties arise in the Huynh household, resulting in Loi's discovery of her
mother's shameful secret. Feeling betrayed she takes comfort in Thanh, and on a
whim, decides to marry him. She writes a little message on a dollar bill, and one day in a
bar Long completes the message with another sentence on what is now Thanh's dollar. When
picking out rings, Loi sees the message and asks who wrote on it, and Long suddenly
appears in the store. Thanh introduces the two, and Loi realizes she cannot go through
with the marriage. She instead takes Long out to her special place and starts rambling on
about her childhood. Long doesn't have a clue as to what she is talking about and takes
little interest in her.
Thanh is hurt, and is saddened for a long time. Long continues happily with
Liec. There are many very sweet moments between them. Long does everything in his power to
make her happy. Liec and Long's pictures are accidentally brought to Loi's office, and she
is now confronted again to his face. This time, however, with pictures of him and his
girlfriend. They eventually get back to Liec and Long.
Eventually Loi becomes friends with the two, but in her heart she is in love with
Long. She tells him one day and leaves before he can respond. He feels sorry for
her, but doesn't love her. So, when she gives him a watch as a gift he flatly rejects it.
He comes home and finds a similar package on the table and calls her to tell her that he
didn't want it, so why did she send it to him. Liec overhears, and says that the gift was
from her not Loi. She runs out in tears, and Long explains his situation with Loi, telling
her he doesn't have any feelings for this new girl. Liec is eased with this news.
The Bao family after losing their clothing store and moving into this smaller
apartment regain themselves. They buy a small clothing factory in China and even
have a house up there to stay at. Things seem to be going well for them.
Misunderstandings occur between Long and Loi resulting in him apologizing
to her when she is somewhat drunk on the beach. He lies to Liec saying he is just out
meeting a friend, when in fact he is speaking to Loi all evening. It is innocent though
and nothing happens between them, but when Liec calls Loi's cellphone Long answers and she
is upset. When Long returns home the next morning Liec has moved out. He pages her
constantly, but it is no use because her pager is left behind at the house. Long finds out
she is staying at their house in China and he goes there immediately. He spends all day
yelling to her from the street, telling her to step out on to the balcony so they can
talk. Back in Hong Kong he has bought 333 yellow roses, each with a little paper note. 333
means I love you on a pager. Anyway, she tries to ignore him. When he leaves to go eat at
a restaurant with his mother, Liec goes outside and sees his message on the ground, 42 308
333. I am sorry. I love you. She crosses it out and it says 43 308 345. I am sorry. I have
left. When he returns the rain is pouring down over the new message and he is very sad. He
walks in the rain very sad, while she has returned to Hong Kong to get the rest of her
things. She sees the roses and sits on the couch thinking until morning. When morning
comes she is about to leave when the wind from the window blows on the roses revealing the
strips of paper and Long appears at the door. They embrace.
Loi decides to back off and for a time things go well with Long and Liec.
However, because of Thanh's corrupt business practices he gets into some trouble and Loi's
mother finds out. He chases her with his car and she accidentally drives off the cliff.
With the loss of her mother, Loi is vulnerable and seeks comfort in Long. Huynh Thien sees
how much happier Loi is when she is with Long, so he asks Long and Liec if it is okay for
them to help out Loi. They don't want to, but they do anyway. On Long's birthday, instead
of spending the day with Liec he is forced to change his plans and spend it with Loi. He
doesn't feel anything for her, but obligation. Liec grows troubled by all the time Long is
spending with Loi so she moves out and lets Trinh stay with Mr. Huynh.
While she is away Long spends evenings looking at her pictures in his room. Phan Trong
tells Huynh Thien that the charade can't go on anymore. He says that to break up Liec and
Long is just not right. So Phan Trong tells Loi that Long is not her boyfriend, that it is
all a lie so that she won't be so sad anymore. She confronts Long and asks if that is all
true, and he says yes. She is now angry with her father. Huynh Thien tells Liec he is
sorry, and Liec wants Loi to accept her father. So through some trouble, Loi accepts her
father back and Liec and Long get back together.
Many things happen after this. Long and Liec are very happy together. Growing closer every
day. Thanh dates Huyhn Han and gets her pregnant, Long's younger brother falls in love and
gets broken hearted, and Mr. Bao has a mistress in China. Long is wrongly accused of fraud
and Mr. Huynh and his new wife, a
lawyer must attempt to rescue him. He ends up with only two years probation. This results
into Long and Liec's engagement. Towards the end Long's younger brother becomes a reporter
and investigates into the many car accidents off the cliff. He brings home many vital
documents that Thanh wants destroyed.
They are at the apartment, and believing no one to be home Thanh burns
them and the apartment. But Liec was sleeping in her room the whole time. She was sick and
took pills to help her sleep so she didn't hear the commotion Thanh was causing in the
living room. At this same time, Thanh's father, Phan Trong, returns to apartment and
finding out what Thanh had done goes into a rage. Thanh ends up pushing his father down
the stairs. When the family finds out, Phan Trong ends up in the hospital amnesiac and
Liec ends up with burns all over close to death.
Long is so very sad. They only have 14 more days until their wedding day,
and all he wanted was to be able to put the ring on her finger. Thanh tries to make
sure his father doesn't recover, but it is no use. By now he has married Huynh Han and she
has found out. Things piece together with a video camera that was on the day of the fire,
and all of Thanh's wrongdoings are found out, but all too late. Liec is dying, and doctors
say that she will not live. Long is so depressed, but goes into a denial buying rings and
making the rest of the preparations anyway. He stages the wedding at the hospital. But
when he attempts to put the ring on her finger it won't fit due to bandages, and he starts
to weep. He begs her to wake up because it is there wedding day, and suddenly her eyes
open. She slowly is able to say a few words before dying.
Long is in a state of complete depression over her loss. He constantly
daydreams of her. Loi wants to comfort him, but he is unresponsive. He had moved out into
a new apartment a few months before, spending most of his time there with Trinh, Liec's
dog. Now he was left alone and sad. Loi writes messages on hundreds on dollar bills one
evening asking Long to meet her at a restaurant at 9 pm. Hoping that fate will bring one
bill to him. He does recieve one, but it is useless because all he can think about is
Liec. Even one year later all that is one his mind is her.
Summary by Kim Anh
GO TO:
The Songbird
Beside the
Seaside,
Beside the Sea
Knot to Treasure
Cold Blood Warm
Heart
Once Upon a Time in
Shanghai '96
Star.Moon.Sun
Happy Ever After
TVB's / Other
Previews in RealMedia
(downloadable file) :
The Songbird
Beside the Seaside,
Beside the Sea
The Zu Mountain Saga II
The Mark of Triumph '92
The Spirit of Love
Knot to Treasure