Finally...

"See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me." Songs of Songs 2:11-13 Spring 2013 - He got off the car, grabbed his luggage, poked his head back in and said: "You know, that day, I was actually thinking about you." And before giving her a chance to respond, he shut the door, and walked abruptly into the airport. That was his first ever confession to a girl - and he had one week before seeing her again; to let that adrenaline cool down, that awkwardness to wash away, and to let the heart beat normal again.

Zhe & Siyu crossed paths in March of 2013 in Salt Lake City. After getting introduced, they found out that they work at the same company, go to the same church, and both had extracted their wisdom teeth within the same week. Attraction is something never easy to describe, but it often materializes in action. Zhe started to bring lunch to Siyu's desk more and more often, prompting interesting gazes from some of her curious teammates. Off work, they enjoyed outdoor activities as well as watching movies together. As an early impression that appealed to Zhe, Siyu has a side of sweetness and gentleness in heart while also reflects a thoughtful acumen to knowledge, ideas, and the Truth. On the other hand, Siyu thought Zhe was clumsy but genuinely cute and attentive, was amazed at his moving taste and inner romance...e.g. he can recite all the classic lines in Sleepless in Seatle...

Canadian Ice Wine - that sweet nectar flavor can be compared to the passionate beginning of a relationship. For Zhe and Siyu, it was no exception. They spotted each other at work, and hung out as much as they could off work. Going to church and participating in their youth fellowship was a big part of their collective time as well. It was a period of mutual discovery and molding - learning about each other's personalities, favorite foods, likes & dislikes. Siyu tried to cultivate Zhe's fashion sense beyond hoodie & sweatpants, and Zhe, on the other hand, dragged Siyu to hike, tennis, golf and ski (all the perks of Utah!)

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5 May 2015 - Zhe dropped Siyu off at the airport and it marked the start of their long distance relationship. Siyu was due to start her Masters program at Columbia University in New York, while Zhe would temporarily remain in SLC. Over the next 2.5 years and counting, they would visit each other every 2 months or so. And with every visit, every goodbye became harder to say. Yet their relationship stayed not only resilient, but developed even stronger. They learned to cherish these moments and became more thankful for the time God has given them together. Frequent dating activities were replaced by mutual prayer and encouragements - through all the highs and lows. Family, friends, brothers and sisters from churches in both SLC and NYC all showed so much support and love for us, and we are grateful. We do not deserve any this - it is by God's grace alone that we got to where we are today as a living testimony. We place our firm trust in God that he will guide us together into the future, accordingly to His will. ...To be Continued

It has been almost a year and half since the start of their long distance relationship. Nonetheless, Zhe believed the time to pop the bigger question. He and Siyu took a trip to Puerto Rico right before Siyu returned for her sophomore year. On the island of Culebra, as they strolled along the beach along the Caribbean Sea, Zhe took the knee and asked for Siyu's hand in marriage...and she said "Yes".