Beneath the shade of a parasol tree on a youthful early-summer day, I glanced up without warning and caught sight of Lin Zhi Nian, a breathtaking vision of beauty.
I was ordinary and unremarkable, born with a low opinion of myself and raised in an average household. Like a weed by the roadside that no one notices, I hid my insignificance in the crowd.
She had gentle features and peerless beauty, cherished by love and a privileged upbringing. She was like a bright moon and a gentle breeze, born to shine.
I fell for her at first sight in elementary school, and from then on, I buried my feelings deep in my heart.
Separated by the gulf between our looks, the chasm between our families, and the barriers of convention, I watched her from afar, careful and hesitant, secretly loving her year after year.
Some feelings begin with a fleeting glimpse, are trapped by insecurity and cowardice, and end with nothing but a distant gaze.
To you, the most wonderful person in all my youth: so gentle, forever out of reach, and someone I could only admire from afar.
