Heartbreak at its finest moment

A man and a woman sit in a coffee shop, the table between them maintaining the proper distance. Neighbors in the same cramped apartment building, they have agreed to meet away from the prying eyes of their landlords. While both know what they wish to discuss -- namely, their suspicion that their respective spouses are having an affair -- they say nothing directly.

A strange bond is formed between them, one of shared betrayal, as they rehearse how they will confront their partners. While the journalist, Mr. Chow (Tony Leung), and the secretary, Mrs. Chan (Maggie Cheung), assure themselves during their meetings that "we won't be like them" -- their adulterous spouses -- their mutual loneliness gives rise to something.

As Mr. Chow remarks, "Feelings can creep up, just like that."