Lim Shi-An on loving and being loved

Everything significant in our lives can often be traced back to a single encounter. For Lim Shi-An, that moment arrived on an otherwise unremarkable weekday. Then an undergrad at the National University of Singapore, she had just finished track practice and was waiting for the bus back to the campus student residence, Sheares Hall.

Just then, she spotted a familiar face – someone she had seen around the hostel before. He was part of the university’s Track & Field team as well, and he, too, was waiting for the bus. The two had never spoken. That day, however, the two familiar strangers struck up a conversation as they headed back.

The encounter was brief, and by no means extraordinary. And yet, it stayed with her.

“I remember having a conversation about his double degree,” she recalls, “and realising that he’s very hard-working.”

Nearly a decade later, that fleeting exchange has become a life shared. Last November, he proposed in New Zealand. The couple are set to marry this coming November, with plans for an outdoor solemnisation ceremony. The bride-to-be is in the midst of gown fittings with The Ivory Bridal and its sister label Muse – a process that she’s very excited about.

“It’s shaping up to be a much larger wedding than we initially thought,” she says with a small laugh when asked about wedding plans.

“But you know, I’m an only child, and the only grandchild on my father’s side. I want all my family to be there to celebrate. How many times are you going to have all your friends and family in the same room?” she muses.

Saying yes

Shi-An announced her engagement to Nicholas Yeo – a 30-year-old finance professional – on Instagram with a series of photographs framed by sweeping mountain views, making it easy to assume the proposal happened there. The reality, she shares over coffee one idle morning in Joo Chiat, was far more low-key.

Nicholas had popped the question the day before, while they were “just taking a walk” around Kelvin Heights, a quiet suburb in New Zealand known for its stunning scenery. She was dressed in hiking gear, her face bare and nails unmanicured. That might not have been an ideal scenario for some, but to Shi-An, it was perfect.

“It was an intimate proposal, which is what I prefer. I’m a simple person!” she laughs, almost sheepishly. The following day, they hopped on a helicopter, landing in the mountains for a photo shoot that Nicholas had arranged.

Despite being in a long-term relationship for eight years – and having made plans for the future (they balloted for a BTO seven times, all unsuccessful) – the proposal still came as a surprise.

“I’ve been very focused on my work,” she admits. “We’ve talked about marriage, and we knew it would happen eventually. I just didn’t know when.”

In fact, Shi-An had to cut the trip short for filming.

“He’s very understanding of my career,” she says of her fiance. “He knows it comes first.”

For Nicholas, this proposal had been in the works for some time. He had designed the ring himself, and even took Shi-An’s parents – veteran thespians Tan Kheng Hua and Lim Yu-Beng – out for dinner to ask for their blessing. He recorded the entire conversation, all 40 minutes of it, to show her later.

“I was very moved,” Shi-An says quietly. “From that conversation, you can tell they just want the best for me. That’s not something I should take for granted.”

She pauses, lips pursed in thought, before adding: “I am so loved by the people whom I love really dearly. I don’t deserve it.”

The realisation feels deeply personal. Almost as if sensing this, Shi-An explains that she hasn’t spoken much about the engagement. Work resumed almost immediately – two months of filming in Malaysia, followed by a short stop in Singapore, then about a week of filming in Taiwan.

“It’s been a whirlwind, so I haven’t had time to sit down and process it” she confesses, taking a sip of her iced chai latte. “This is probably the first time I am talking about all of this.”

More than a crush

All lovers begin as strangers, brought together first by an encounter, however brief. After theirs, the pair grew friendly, and before long, found themselves playing in a band together, with Shi-An on vocals and Nicholas on the guitar.

“I made the first move,” she says, a cheeky glint in her eyes. “I asked him out for dinner more than a year after we first talked.

“But he claims that he developed a crush long before that!” she adds with a laugh.

The actor, who turns 28 next month, admits she never spent much time envisioning her dream wedding as a girl growing up. What she did think about, however, was the kind of partnership she wanted.

“I want someone stable, very family-oriented and goal-driven. Someone with hobbies and interests outside of me – things that fulfil him in his own time,” she lets on. “And these are all boxes that Nicholas ticks very naturally.

“He’s someone who is very trustworthy,” she adds. “Capable. Productive.”

She is also aware that they are something of an outlier – university sweethearts who committed to each other early, before life had fully taken shape. Perhaps because of this, she is hesitant to offer relationship advice. Yet, while reflecting on her own, she makes a clever observation.

“The good thing about getting to know someone in school, especially through co-curricular activities, is you see how they work: how they deal with other people, how they operate as leaders. It gives you a very good insight into their personality,” she says.

Imprints of love

As a child of divorced parents, Shi-An’s outlook on love is unexpectedly positive – shaped not by absence, but by continuity.

“The love between them is still extremely strong, even though that has evolved,” she shares. “They prioritise love over everything. Just because their relationship ‘failed’, doesn’t mean they love each other any less as people. And it certainly doesn’t change how they love me.”

It was, she adds, a deeply secure environment. That shaped how she approaches her own relationships, and the sense of security they’ve given her carries into how she gives and receives love today. Quality time with loved ones matters most to her, and is something she holds especially close amid a demanding schedule.

“As long as I am in the presence of the people I love, that is enough,” she states.

True to her low-key sensibility, romance for Shi-An has never been about grand gestures. Her last date with Nicholas was spent rollerblading at East Coast Park on Christmas Day. It was simple and fuss-free, and exactly her kind of joy. More often than not, love looks like time spent at home, or a shared run in nature. Some days, it’s simply hanging out with their cats.

They are also drawn to spaces with character, which is why these days, the couple is looking beyond BTOs for their future home.

“We want something that is a bit unique… so we’re not opposed to things like a walk-up, or older houses,” she says. It is, no doubt, an exciting chapter for

Shi-An, one that’s filled with possibility. But the up-and-comer is clear about one thing: At this stage of her life, there is another relationship she is equally devoted to – her work.

Honouring her own unique path

As the daughter of two acting powerhouses, it might seem inevitable that Shi-An would be drawn to the craft. A School of the Arts alum who majored in theatre, she has been steadily building her career since 2013, appearing on both stage and screen.

Her credits include the television series Third Rail (2022), which starred Rebecca Lim and Jason Godfrey, and the miniseries Alienated (2023), where she appeared alongside her father, Lim Yu-Beng. More recently, she starred in Amoeba (2025), which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and earned director Tan Siyou a Best New Director nomination at the Golden Horse Awards.

When asked what first drew her to theatre, she answers without hesitation: her parents.

“They are wonderful theatre actors. Seeing them on stage is a different experience, because theatre requires a very different set of skills. My parents really come alive on stage – they’ve got real presence and their passion shines through,” she gushes.

At the time of our interview, Shi-An had just wrapped filming for The House on the Moon, a feature by Singapore filmmaker Nelson Yeo. In the sci-fi meets mythology reimagining, she plays Chang’e - but not as we know her. In this iteration, the moon goddess wields weapons, from swords to bow and arrow. In preparation, Shi-An underwent stunt and weapons training, something that she excitedly embraced. The film’s release is planned for later this year.

She is also returning to her theatre roots, joining the ensemble for a restaging of Secondary: The Musical by Checkpoint Theatre this April. The musical, which examines the pressures of Singapore’s education system through the perspectives of students and teachers, previously won Production of the Year at the 2025 ST Life! Theatre Awards.

Beyond acting, Shi-An also does freelance graphic design work and teaches English tuition – an unconventional portfolio that reflects both pragmatism and independence.

“I’m not signed to anyone,” she explains. “I don’t draw a salary, and social media isn’t my main source of income. If I want to live by my own means, I have to support myself.

“And that’s not something I’m ashamed of,” she adds with quiet resolve. Her acting career, she notes, has been gaining momentum, and she is looking ahead to the coming years with optimism. Her hope is to break into the North American market. Slowing down is not part of the plan.

“I don’t think getting married or starting a family means my career has to slow down,” she says with a laugh. “They can go hand-in-hand – my mum did it.

“She had a child and continued to act. She even went to Hollywood. Nothing held her back,” Shi-An adds. “So I don’t think anything has to hold me back either.”

PHOTOGRAPHY Joel Low, assisted by Kevin Khng
CREATIVE DIRECTION & STYLING Lena Kamarudin, assisted by Jeon Jae Won
ART DIRECTION Ray Ticsay
MAKEUP Lasalle Lee, using Chanel Beauty
HAIR Ken Hong
MANICURE Rebecca Zhuang/Fluttery Tips
JEWELLRY FOR FEATURED IMAGE Coco Crush 18K beige gold earrings with diamonds, Coco Crush 18K yellow gold small necklace with diamonds and Coco Crush Les Infinis de Camélia 18K rose gold transformable long necklace with diamonds, Chanel.