Couple decides to get married 4 months after meeting virtually on an e-commerce livestream

Facebook livestreams are where one can get anything from lobsters to Longchamps these days, but for Zhang Kaifeng and Zowin Kng, it's also where they found another L-word — love.

The pair, who are both avid collectors of crystals, got to know each other through the Facebook page of a local crystal seller in August 2021.

Says Kaifeng, 41, an admin executive: "One day, I saw an item that I wanted to bid for on the livestream. And because I noticed that she (Zowin) is often in the channel, I texted her through Facebook Messenger.

"I wanted to ask for her help to notify me when the item is up for bidding as I knew I'd be too busy with work, and that's how it all started."

Kaifeng admits that he had taken a brief look at Zowin's Facebook profile before asking for her help, but maintains that the reason he contacted her was "more about the crystal".

His initial text sparked off days and nights of long conversations through text messaging.

He shares that their conversation progressed from small talk — asking each other about their jobs — to more personal details as their conversation deepened.

"She has a good listening ear, and I found she was willing to listen to me talk about my experiences," Kaifeng says.

"Of course, I tried to find out whether she was single or not," he adds candidly.

Although he felt his interest developing, he was glad that this was no one-sided affair.

Zowin, 40, an assistant manager in the banking industry, felt good vibes from Kaifeng from the get-go. "I was drawn by his sincerity, and I admired him for his truthfulness in sharing his flaws.

"He is not perfect, but he is not fake. That attracted me."

But the intensity of their connection was almost too hot to handle from the start.

For the first 10 days, the two found themselves texting non-stop for up to seven hours each night till the wee hours of the morning. One time, their conversation ended only at 6am.

More specifically, says Zowin: "The longest chat clocked in at seven hours and the longest call lasted for two hours and 48 minutes."

Exhausted and feeling like they needed to rest, Zowin called for a time-out. The pair decided to stop all contact for the next 20 days, including "no liking and commenting" whenever they participated in livestreams.

For Kaifeng, it was definitely a painful and abrupt transition.

"I felt horrible that I was not able to talk to her during that period. It was very uncomfortable."

That was when he realised that the feelings he had for her were more than just a friendship, "even though we hadn't met yet at that point".

The break ended up affirming their feelings for each other.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder and I found myself missing him," shares Zowin of that period.

They eventually picked up where they left off after the 20-day break, and "the rest is history", says Kaifeng.

Their first date was on Sept 24, about seven weeks from when they first made contact online. It's also when Kaifeng made the first move to hold Zowin's hand in the cinema, making their relationship official.

The loved-up couple share that friends and family have welcomed their romance with open arms, despite knowing the unusual circumstances of how they met.

Says Kaifeng, who has only been in one prior relationship that lasted for a few months: "I've been single for most of my life, so I think many of my friends are very happy that I've finally met my special someone.

"Most people who know that we met through a Facebook livestream would be like, 'Wow, like that also can!' But sometimes affinity and fate strike when you least expect them to," he adds.

Asked what they love most about the other, Kaifeng says he fell in love with Zowin's voice and her patient character. He lets on shyly that his favourite physical feature of hers is her lips.

For Zowin, it was Kaifeng's voice, eyes and laughter which captured her heart. "But most of all, it's the way he loves me." 

If there is any obstacle in their relationship, it would be how time is working against them, as both of them hope to have kids in the future.

Kaifeng shares how he broke down when Zowin told him she would walk away from the relationship out of guilt if she's unable to bear any children.

"I told her that it's fine [if we don't have a child]. To have her as my life partner is already more than I hoped for."

ROM in March

Perhaps more surprising than the way they met, however, is the breakneck speed at which their relationship has progressed.

Barely two months after they first laid eyes on each other, Kaifeng and Zowin decided to file for marriage on Nov 30 and have set a date for their solemnisation next month.

We couldn't help but ask: why the rush to walk down the aisle?

Kaifeng clarifies that it's not the age factor nor their desire for babies soon.

"It's not that we feel there is an urgency," says Kaifeng. He explains that the more pressing matter is because Zowin had successfully balloted for a two-room BTO flat under the Singles Scheme and is due to collect the keys to her unit by the end of the year.

"Because we decided that we're going to be together, she is hoping to cancel the flat. And to do that, the housing board would need a Registry of Marriage (ROM) certificate in order for her to get a refund. That's why we made the slightly quicker decision to register for marriage," he shares.

But more importantly for Zowin, however, it was meeting "the right one" that sealed the deal.

Says the Penang-born Singapore citizen who has lived here for the past 15 years: "There is no magic number for how long one should date before getting married. When you meet the right one, you will know it."

She adds: "Love isn't something that you find, it's something that finds you. And it's usually something you never expect."

Agrees Kaifeng: "I could sense that she's the soulmate that I've been looking for."

candicecai@asiaone.com