warn represent spoiler and spoiler and spoiler . this be write for filmgoers who may have walk away from mood for love perplexed and confuse about path the main character choose in life . from read other comment and review it seem that many viewer and critic miss some very important detail which may have prevent them from enjoy this delightful tease of a movie . we be so use to see blatant sex in narration that we forget that there be a time when filmakers would suggest the dirty deed by simply show the slack mouth couple ride off in a sleigh or haywagon only to return into the next scene with a bulge gut or a fat toddler stuck to the hip . meet your child . the director choose the same nostalgic approach in tell the story of mr chow and mr chan . last warning . spoiler spoiler spoilermr chow fool mrs chan into show her real emotion when they rehearse his departure forever . next scene represent mr chan lean her head on mr chow in the taxi and say i do not want to go home tonight . translation represent let do itwhy then do the couple just not do the modern thing of dump their cheating spouse and get a divorce and raise their love child and live happily ever after . the answer be that this whole story take place in hong kong during the sixty . a bastard would live in a bleak life of shame if he be the child of an adulteress while whereas and a legitimate child could live a tragic but noble or honest life if his mother choose to raise him away from his cheat father the invisible mr chan . in short and mr chow and mr chan sacrifice their relationship for the future of their child . that be why mr chow and upon learn that mr chan live alone with a little boy give a knowing smile and end his dream of make mrs chan his mr chow . he then and also realize why mr chan go to all the way to singapore to be with him and only to reconsiders at the last momment and leave . and choose to never see him again . ( but not before take some unnamed keepsake ) mr chow live with this wonderful secret with no one to tell . no one and except for a crumbling temple wall and of course we the viewer and . but only if we listen carefuly .