From the first moment I saw you

     A quiet love can withstand


    the test of time, sharing common memories. When the fiery passion of youth fades into the ordinary, transforming into familial affection, it no longer feels like a desecration of love. Now, one can wholeheartedly enjoy this love that feels like family. This kind of love carries an added layer of understanding and tolerance. When love settles into the ordinary, there's no longer complaint; one learns to appreciate the love within its simplicity.

    From the first moment you saw each other

    , have you ever liked someone in an instant? Not love at first sight, you're not the type to fall in love at first sight, but at some point, in a flash, or in a sudden moment of reflection, you liked him.

    Perhaps you went to school or worked together, seeing him every day without any particular feeling. Then one night, staying up late together, you were exhausted, and he told a joke to cheer you up. Watching him perform, in that instant, he was like a refreshing mint drink on a summer's day—the crystalline green and cool taste deeply moved you. The greenness chased away your sleepiness, and you liked him so much. You may not know, but perhaps you fell in love with him the moment you first saw him, though you remained oblivious.

    He and she were classmates in the same year, department, but different classes at university. On freshman registration day, among thousands of students queuing to register, he, wearing a blue plaid shirt, happened to be behind her in line. From that day on, he fell in love with her at first sight.

    For four years, he never dared to express his feelings; he could only express his love through silence and companionship, becoming her best friend.

    She played the soprano in the choir, and he accompanied her on the piano; she had several relationships in school, and he became her devoted listener; after graduation, she went abroad to study, and while serving in the military, he wrote her letters to the United States to encourage her. She returned home and married a few years later, but unfortunately, the groom wasn't him.

    It wasn't that she thought he wasn't good enough, nor was it that she didn't know how good he was to her; it was simply that they were too familiar with each other, and she couldn't imagine what it would be like if they went from friends to lovers. Therefore, their relationship oscillated between the ambiguous boundaries of friendship and love. She always insisted that they were just good friends, unwilling to acknowledge yet dependent on his kindness. He, however, lacked courage and his habitually indecisive personality, thus missing their chance.

    At her wedding, he gave a speech wishing her happiness. A month later, he quietly lost five kilograms. From then on, she lost contact with him. Her marriage wasn't as happy as she had imagined. Because of her strong personality and career ambition, she had little heart to nurture her marriage. Furthermore, she had become accustomed to his attentiveness, thoughtfulness, and companionship, constantly comparing his kindness to her husband's treatment of her, and she began to doubt why she had ever chosen him. She became angry, feeling that her husband didn't understand, care for, cherish, or love her as much as a good friend.

    A year later, she filed for divorce. After becoming single, she was more energetic and charming at work, and after several years of hard work, she finally carved out a niche for herself in the advertising industry. After achieving success, she began to feel empty and lonely, and started to miss his kindness, but she didn't have the courage to go back to him.

    One weekend a month before his wedding, he asked her out for dinner. The meal was delightful; it felt like they were back in their student days, her singing a soprano and him playing the piano. They reminisced about their clubmates, their teachers, the activities they'd participated in…

    “Next week, I’m getting married,” he blurted out, putting down his knife and fork.

    “Yes, congratulations.”

    “There’s something I want to tell you.” His expression suddenly turned serious.

    He said, “A long, long time ago, there was a boy who had just been admitted to university. On registration day, he rushed to the school in a panic, seeing long lines of new students. He was anxious and confused, not knowing what to do, when a girl approached him kindly and asked if he needed to register. He discovered that she was a classmate in the same department but a different class. He was so happy, thinking she was truly kind and a good person.

    He noticed that she had bright eyes, and when she smiled, she had cute little tiger teeth and dimples. From that day on, he fell in love with her at first sight.” However, he never knew how to express his love for her. She was so innocent, so kind, so intelligent, so lovable. He, on the other hand, was always mild-mannered and not good with words, so he could only silently stay by her side as her good friend.

    Four years of university passed, and he planned to tell her he loved her on graduation day.

    But the day before graduation, she told him on the phone that she was going abroad to study. His newly budding courage vanished instantly.

    He knew that life alone in a foreign land was lonely, and she was someone who feared loneliness, so he tried his best to write to her in America every week to greet her, encourage her, and cheer her on. But in her replies, besides complaining about the inconveniences of living in America, she devoted a large portion to talking about how she had met a Taiwanese student there. She told him in her letters that she was in love again. Finally, she wrote to tell him that she planned to marry that Taiwanese student after returning home.

    He was heartbroken; he heard his heart shatter with a 'clang.' Love is colder than death.

    He mustered his last bit of courage to attend her wedding. He saw her in her wedding dress, her face beaming with happiness, and he also saw the Taiwanese student, now the groom. He intended to just glance at her and leave, but she spotted him and insisted he go on stage and say a few words of blessing.

    Standing on the stage, looking at the bride and groom below, he suddenly felt a vast distance between them, so vast that she was no longer the girl who had lined up ahead of him during freshman registration. He didn't remember how he fled the venue in such a disheveled state, only that he spent a whole week in bed afterward and lost five kilograms in a month. He decided to forget her. He took unpaid leave from his company and went to Tokyo, Japan, to study.

    There, he met a girl who was also from Taiwan studying in Tokyo. That girl encouraged him to get back on his feet during his most difficult time; that girl gently and attentively accompanied him, cared for him, and accepted his past; that girl helped him regain his confidence and believe in love again—that girl later became his soon-to-be wife…”

    She remained silent after hearing this story. On her way home, she cried.

    Memories of their shared past flooded her mind: his tearful wishes for her happiness at their wedding; how he accompanied her throughout Taipei when she first returned home to find an apartment and furniture; his unwavering support during her relationship with her ex-husband in the US; his constant confidant and advisor when she went to the US to study; his gift of a photo album documenting all her choir performances; his unwavering piano accompaniment when she sang soprano in the choir; and her first time registering for university, noticing a boy in a blue plaid shirt standing flustered in the crowd—a slightly naive, somewhat immature, cute, and handsome guy—her type. She fell in love at first sight.

    Some feelings are fleeting; others endure, developing into love, a long and winding road that may eventually fade away. But you will never forget how romantic it was to fall in love with someone in an instant. At least once in a lifetime, there should be

    a spark of the soul

    , a moment when you forget yourself for someone, not seeking companionship, not seeking outcome, not seeking possession, not even seeking your love, but only seeking to meet you in the most beautiful years of your life. I won't be surprised, I'll just say softly, "You've come." As if we've known each other for a long time, as if you've simply returned to my side after a long journey. This is love.

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