A Love That Deepens Slowly

You say that love that comes too late is worth less than grass. I say that your belated devotion is richer than wine aged for years. In his second year of high school, the cheeky underachiever Zhuang Yu somehow fell for Sun Shami, the well-behaved girl in his class. Luckily, Sun Shami didn't look down on him. To his surprise, she was sweet and liked being close to him, too. Zhuang Yu swore he would cherish his precious girl in the palm of his hand for the rest of his life. In their final year of high school, Sun Shami, a top student, was scolded to tears by their homeroom teacher in the hallway. The teacher said she was neglecting her studies and spending all her time hanging around with hooligans. Zhuang Yu clenched his fists at the back door of the classroom. That year, a lyric was popular: “Sometimes love means letting go.” Thinking he was being cool, Zhuang Yu let her go. Even as his precious girl cried her heart out, he didn't dare look back. For years afterward, Zhuang Yu was lonely, for a very long time, in strange cities and schools. The romance of spring flowers made him think of her. The cicadas' cries in midsummer made him remember her. The fallen leaves returning to their roots made him miss her. When the first snow arrived, he chose to rush back to the past, no matter the cost. Theme: Love is always worth waiting for.