HAPPILY EVER AFTER

(Synopsis)

　　Artist King Wen-O (Chiao Hung) breaks with business-minded father (Lee Ying), because his wealthy old man insists on his taking up commercial courses in school instead of painting. He walks away flatly broke. Mary Lee (Hsieh Chia-hua), his girl friend and later his fiancee, finances him to open up a studio.

　　When a customer orders from the studio a portrait of “Merry Angel” to promote a brand of woolen jersey, he insists on using Mei Wan-ping (Yu Ming), daughter of store owner next door, who drops in to collect payment. After much begging and persuasion, Wan-ping’s mother agrees to let her model for Wen-O just once, and only in the evenings. Wen-O keeps her sitting up deep into the night, and when the work is done, it’s already in the morning. Auntie Yun (Wan Lai) rings Wen-O up and urges him to rush back to his dying father, who wishes to see his daughter-in-law for the first and last time. But it’s impossible to get hold of his fiancee Mary Lee for the moment, so he begs Wan-ping to play the substitute if just for consoling the departing soul of his father. Wan-ping’s mother gives nod to this strange request, mostly cut of her sympathy with the young artist.

　　The mere presence of Wan-ping almost miraculously cures the ailment of the old man. Her magic power obligates her to stay on in order that Wen-O’s father may be fully recovered. Auntie Yun manages to bring Wan-ping’s mother over to the mansion, hoping that a date should be set for the marriage, as she is totally ignorant to the fact that Wan-ping is not Wen-O’s fiancee. Complication arises when Mary Lee and her mother (Kao Hsiang) rush to the house, insisting on being introduced to the old man. But Wen-O declines on the ground that father cannot stand the shock that Wan-ping isn’t his fiancee. When she reappears three days later, Wen-O introduces her to his father as the wife of another guest (Chiang Kuang-chao) who happens to be on the spot. Mary is furious, but unable to find a chance to deny it. The old man, now fully recovered, gives a big party to announce his intention to take Wan-ping as daughter-in-law. He is infuriated by Wen-O’s correction that Mary Lee is his fiancee. The old man turns to Wan-ping quickly and declares her as the only heiress to his fortune. On hearing of this decision, Mary and mother walk away and even close down the studio, as both are primarily interested in Wen-O the possible heir to a huge fortune and not the penniless young artist.

　　When they meet again because of a recurrence of the old man’s illness, Wen-O finds himself deeply in love with Wan-ping!