Downsides

However, not all the stories are so romantic. More than 500 netizens shared their stories in a survey conducted by People magazine, with some speaking about relationships that didn't pass the test.

Ayumi wrote: "We broke up. The straw that broke the camel's back was that he didn't offer me one of his many face masks during the critical phase of the epidemic."

Xiaolin said the intimacy she had enjoyed with her boyfriend had gone. Trivial matters－such as who washed the dishes, cooked breakfast or tidied their apartment－became major issues. "All I can think about now is resuming work as soon as possible," she wrote.

Miemie described "a pathetic partner tied by the epidemic". She added that the troubled period was supposed to be a time to cultivate love and understanding, but, instead, it was filled with quarrels and even fights caused by extreme proximity.

"We broke up twice in three days, and reconciled because we literally couldn't separate," Miemie said.

Though some respondents reconsidered their relationships during periods of enforced cohabitation or separation, the survey, published on the magazine's WeChat account, showed that some couples reaffirmed their feelings or valued mundane aspects of love they had ignored before.

"L" said the outbreak prompted her to approach a man she had liked for five years and invite him on a date when the epidemic is over. "My story is simple and may not have a happy ending, but I hope people can live without regrets," she wrote.

Treasured moments

Though Ji Tian and Zhang Junjie failed to watch a Valentine's Day movie in Xiangyang, they treasured the day they spent together.

Ji said that compared with people working on the front line or fighting the virus to survive, they were lucky enough to be able to stay home and live a simple life.

When the city's lockdown ends, Ji will go back to Wuhan and Zhang will return to Shanghai.

"I used to complain about him not joining me in the same city. But as we both learned more about our respective jobs via remote working, I understood what he wants to pursue in his career, and I respect his choice," Ji said, adding that her love for Zhang has grown during the time of the coronavirus.