The story unfolds starting in 1994 with an exceptional student, Shen Chia-yi, who is widely admired by teachers and classmates alike. Her path crosses with a mischievous, comparatively poor classmate, Ko Ching-teng, who insists he has no interest in her, even though they have known each other since junior high. A pivotal moment occurs when Ching-teng is caught in a compromising act during class, and the principal reshuffles seats him right in front of Chia-yi.
One day, Chia-yi forgets her English textbook. In a small, telling act, Ching-teng offers her his own book and tells the teacher that he forgot his. He endures a long, chastising lecture, yet Chia-yi is moved by the gesture. This leads her to help him, as she prepares a practice exam to encourage him to study and even convinces him to stay after school to study with her. What begins as a simple act of kindness gradually draws them closer, and Ching-teng’s grades begin to improve under her patient guidance.
After graduation, Ching-teng enrolls in the National Chiao Tung University, while Chia-yi, due to illness on the admission day, does not fare as well. She ends up at the National Taipei University of Education, feeling the sting of a result that doesn’t reflect her potential. Despite the distance, Ching-teng keeps her in his thoughts, calling her every night from his new university. During the winter holidays, they share their first real “date” in a sense, but Ching-teng, worried about hearing the truth, chooses not to press for a response to a central question: whether she loves him. Later, it’s revealed that her reply would have been a quiet, affirming “yes.”
Ching-teng tries to prove his strength by organizing a fight night and inviting Chia-yi to witness it. Instead of impressing her, the display feels childish to Chia-yi as Ching-teng hurts himself for attention, and the moment ends in a painful quarrel that ends their relationship.
In the two years that follow, they drift apart, with no contact between them. Ching-teng advances to a graduate research track at Tunghai University, where he channels his experiences into online stories. It isn’t until after the 1999 Jiji earthquake that his connection to Chia-yi is rekindled, as he reaches out to make sure she is safe. In that long conversation, both acknowledge the shared sense that fate didn’t decree they would be a couple, even as their bond deepens in its own quiet, enduring way.
Time passes, and in 2005, Chia-yi unexpectedly calls Ching-teng with news of an upcoming marriage. Old friends gather at the wedding, trading jokes and light teasing as they watch the once-spirited pair settle into a mature, comfortable friendship with the groom. The mood is celebratory, yet the past emotions have transformed into a sense of lasting companionship and inner peace. Ching-teng finds a new purpose as he starts writing a web novel that centers on his experiences with Chia-yi, turning their memories into storytelling.
As the wedding festivities continue, friends tease that the bride should be kissed. The groom invites them to try, and Ching-teng playfully grabs the groom and kisses him—an act that mirrors the intimate moment he once imagined with Chia-yi. In that impulsive kiss, memory and regret mingle: he recalls the fight from years ago and realizes what he might have said or done differently, had he offered an apology earlier. The moment crystallizes a truth that runs through the film: love can evolve into steadfast friendship, and reconciliation often arrives softly, long after the youthful drama has faded.
