The incident occurred on 23/2, as vehicles slowly progressed along the Shanghai-Chongqing Expressway. According to the video, a woman was traveling from Tongling back to Hangzhou. Upon noticing the license plate of the car directly ahead, she was startled by a familiar sight.

"That's a sequence of numbers I've known by heart for 10 years, even though we broke up in 2015 and lost touch," the woman stated.

The woman honked twice. The man driving the car ahead rolled down his window, leaned out, and waved back with a smile. The two vehicles drove alongside each other for a few seconds before one turned east and the other proceeded west.

The video immediately ignited widespread debate on Weibo and Douyin regarding interactions with ex-partners.

The man rolled down his window and waved hello upon meeting his first love. *Screenshot from video*

Many praised the woman's mature response. She did not stop her car, request contact information, or revisit past issues. Her action was simply to confirm the other person's well-being and continue her journey. "The dignity of an adult lies in restraint," one commenter observed.

Conversely, many expressed apprehension about boundaries in relationships. Some opinions suggested that knowing an ex-partner's license plate by heart after a decade indicated she "hadn't truly moved on" and showed a lack of respect for her current partner. "How would your significant other feel if they saw this?" one user questioned.

A subsequent online poll revealed that 68% of users would opt to smile and wave before moving on if they accidentally encountered a first love, while only 12% considered reconnecting.

From a psychological perspective, Doctor Holly Schiff (US) explained that first loves are often associated with intense youthful milestones. "You typically carry these memories throughout your life because they represent youth – something everyone yearns to preserve," the expert analyzed.

However, psychologists caution against attempting to reconnect with a first love, especially when both individuals have established separate lives. Doctor Robin Buckley emphasized: "Doing so diverts your attention from the present. It activates brain chemicals, causing you to reinforce distorted and idealized memories of the past."

Nhat Minh (Source: Sina/Bustle)