Jin Yinji reveals harrowing first date with her husband
Veteran actress Jin Yinji recently shared a story that takes the cake for the most dramatic first date ever.
The 76-year-old actress, who relocated to Singapore from South Korea in 1972, recounted in a recent episode of Just Swipe Lah the terrifying first date with Anthony Lee, her late husband.
Lee, who died last October at the age of 85, had taken Jin to a scenic spot known as "99 Bends" along South Buona Vista Road. The area is notorious for its dangerous curves and isolated location.
Little did Jin know that the scenic drive would take a turn for the worse.
Upon arrival, Lee warned her, "We have to wait until there are no cars around, otherwise we might get robbed." New to Singapore, Jin scoffed at the idea, thinking it an exaggeration for a supposedly romantic spot.
But her disbelief was short-lived. As she turned back, a car screeched to a halt, and three armed robbers emerged, brandishing drills.
The situation escalated quickly. Before Lee could even explain the threat, the robbers surrounded them, demanding they move to the back seat.
The ordeal was not just about their valuables. Jin said she was wearing hot pants at the time and the robbers harassed her.
Panicking, she thought of ditching Lee and legging it. "We weren't even that close!" she argued.
However, before things got out of hand, Lee, a former policeman, stepped in. Using his negotiation skills and fluency in Teochew (which Jin did not understand at the time), he managed to talk them down.
Lee convinced the robbers to take whatever they wanted as long as they left them unharmed.
Host Xixi Lim, intrigued, asked if the harrowing experience sparked Jin's romantic feelings for Lee. The answer? "No".
Her main concern was simply surviving the ordeal.
Thankfully, the robbers eventually relented, leaving them stranded with a promise to retrieve their car keys later.
"Only after returning safely to the hostel did I finally break down," Jin shared.
Although the first date was undeniably terrifying, it led to a love story that lasted over 50 years.
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