International student Li Qi (Cherie Chung) travels from Hong Kong to New York to study alone. She thought her boyfriend (Danny Chan) would pick her up at the airport, but she turns out to be a distant relative and a boatman named Chuan Tou Chi (Chow Yun-fat) who works in Chinatown. It turns out that her boyfriend has fallen in love with someone else, which makes Li Qi sad and she locks herself in the room. Chuan Tou Chi is worried and goes to ask. When he smells the gas, he thinks Li Qi committed suicide, but it turns out it's just a gas leak. Chuan Tou Chi encourages Li Qi to live and study well even if she is alone. With his encouragement and help, Li Qi begins to concentrate on studying and working. Chuan Tou Chi also encounters many setbacks. While the two help each other, Chuan Tou Chi also falls in love with Li Qi...