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Originally written in Traditional Chinese, translated by OpenAI.
This is someone’s first time documenting their “Slowly Story”—dedicated to Prince. Beyond wanting to immortalize our mutual understanding and cherished bond in words, I also hope to present this “open letter” as a unique birthday gift for my best pen pal.
We first connected on the opening day of school when he responded to my open letter. Typically, I ignore the first letters I receive because I don’t want a pen pal relationship to start off casually and end just as easily. I prefer to carefully select my connections, even searching for that special someone amidst the crowd. But when the postman delivered a unique and soul-stirring letter, my intuition told me it was him—my destined emotional confidant. Anyone who has received such a letter understands that some replies are simply copy-pasted, or even just generic responses to their open letters, essentially like photocopies. But when he wrote for me, and wrote with heart, he left a strong impression. He created space for reflection, sprinkled in some encouragement, and between the lines, it was clear that he was a sincere and sensitive person.
For someone who wears protective armor like a second skin, building trust is difficult. Yet, miraculously, by the second letter, I was already sharing my blog with him—something even my real-life friends don’t know about. You’ll find that with some people, even after years of knowing them, they remain strangers; while with others, you meet for the first time and feel like old friends, regretting not meeting sooner.
“We share so many similarities; being on the same wavelength was the beginning of our connection.
We both shed our porcupine-like defenses; trust became the bridge that connected our hearts.”
Both of us fell in love with writing during our school years, only to abandon this indulgent passion in the race of life. We even shared the same dream once. We both love pets, art, daydreaming… photography, which also brought vivid colors to our letters. We both have phone anxiety and express ourselves best through words. But most importantly, we’re both deeply devoted individuals who reciprocate each other’s efforts. Though we don’t exchange diaries daily, our letters are detailed and heartfelt. And while we don’t let too much time pass between letters, we know how much we weigh on each other’s minds. We talk about everything, even long-buried secrets—one of only three people I’ve ever confided in. This was unexpected but happened so naturally. Fate works in such mysterious ways, defying explanation. When someone willingly shares not only their joys and sorrows but also their silliness and wildness, it’s a small happiness, even a feeling of being cherished.
If not for Slowly, she—someone who rarely leaves her home in Hong Kong—wouldn’t have met him, living in another part of China. If not for fate, they wouldn’t have both left their homes for a long time only to cross paths again upon returning. Most social apps rely on profile pictures as bait, but Slowly hides appearances, instead offering warmth through words that gradually comfort each other’s souls.
Many say that it’s hard for men and women to have pure friendship if they grow too close. If that’s true, then long distance must be the reason we’ve managed such a natural relationship. People sometimes grow closer out of a surge of emotion, thinking that the right match guarantees forever, only to find themselves bewildered by an empty ending after lofty promises. So isn’t this steady, flowing relationship—more than friendship, but not quite lovers—even more precious? I hope this bond, where we share everything and remain eagerly anticipated by each other, continues forever. To grow old while bearing witness to each other’s lives—that thought alone brings immense happiness.
