On the morning of April 8th, I finally saw the one I had been longing for day and night at Beijing South Railway Station. I couldn’t stop smiling with happiness.

We took the subway to Tsinghua. Thanks to Xiangming’s treat, we enjoyed suancai fish and Hei Wuzhen — “clever rice” truly lives up to its name. We strolled briefly around the northern part of Tsinghua, took photos at Tsinghua Garden and Lover’s Slope, and wondered why there was only one mandarin duck left in the lotus pond at Jin Chun Garden. We paid our respects at the Foreign Languages Department — Xiao Li’s thesis will surely pass with flying colors.

After leaving Tsinghua, we rushed to catch the suburban train but missed it again. We changed the ticket to depart from Beijing Station instead. Thankfully, we still arrived at UCAS at the scheduled time.

Xiao Li met people she had only seen in videos before, visited a canteen she’d only seen in videos, and even bought something from Manmanjia — a place she’d only ever bought things from for me.

April 10th We got up at 4:30 a.m., walked two kilometers in the dark to school, and discovered that the lights on the clock tower and the Great Wall do turn off. We went up to the observation deck with students from the astronomy institute — I was really worried we wouldn’t see the sunrise because of the clouds. But the sun did not disappoint; it pierced through the clouds — absolutely stunning, and well worth waking up early for.

We initially planned to visit the library after the observation deck, but that damned library doesn’t open until 8 a.m. — no wonder I don’t like going there. We had breakfast at the canteen — surprisingly good — and Xiao Li even got to enjoy the long-missed *炉箅子* (grilled food).

Around 8 a.m., we reached the main gate, boarded a coach heading into the city, and arrived at Palace Museum. Compared to Nanjing Museum, I found the audio guides pretty interesting, though the Palace Museum’s “smart” guide wasn’t that smart — a bit clunky, honestly.

The first part of the Palace felt a bit dull — nothing to see inside the halls, no “glorious splendor” to speak of. But when we reached the East and West Six Palaces, it was Xiao Li’s domain. Years of watching *Empresses in the Palace* weren’t for nothing — she knew everything by heart.

We even tried afternoon tea at the Palace Museum. The lychee and bayberry were tasty, though — officially called... *馥香红梅妃子饮*. I asked Xiao Li if we’d try afternoon tea again — her review: “Not even a dog would eat it.” After that, we continued our palace trek. At every palace, Xiao Li could recite lines from the drama — impressive, truly.

We thought we’d finish the Palace Museum tour by 2 p.m., but ended up staying until 4 p.m., leaving no time to visit Beijing Normal University, which was a shame since Professor Zhu helped us make the campus visit reservation yesterday.

We planned to have a sightseeing bus drop us directly at the subway, but we were left 700 meters away — unbelievable. We chose a home-style restaurant at random for dinner, but as it was nearly time for Xiao Li to leave, she had her food packed right after ordering and went straight to the train station.

In two days, we slept less than 9 hours, walked 60,000 steps — a military-style tour for sure — but every place we explored and everything we did was pure joy. Rest well. Study hard. Miss Xiao Li dearly.

Unknowingly, we’ve already spent 100 days in the Western world. In fact, the day I arrived in Canada marked our 900th day together. And now, our anniversary letter has grown from three digits to four. Looking back from day 900 to 1000, our story not only includes the symbolic milestone of 999 days, but also a shared reflection on the most fundamental question. That’s why I call these 100 days a period of “transformation.”

The sweetest moment of all has to be the night of our 999th day. Truly, the Chinese language is profound — it can give a simple real number such beautiful and sweet meaning. The character “九” (nine), symbolizing “longevity,” represents the lasting love we both strive for. Honestly, when I think of how we journeyed together from that very first tender night, through 999 days from China to North America, only one word comes to mind: “legendary.” Yes, at this moment, let’s celebrate this love of ours — we are our own legend. The sweetness we’ve experienced is now captured on your warm photo wall; the hardships we’ve faced have become catalysts deepening our bond. My dear, please accept my congratulations — we’ve made it through 999 lasting days; and please accept my gratitude — thank you for standing by me through every disagreement and challenge. That night, as I posted on social media, how I wished we could have stood side by side, facing the sea, beneath the stars, listening to the waves — because sometimes, love is best expressed in silence.

And then came the reflection on that most fundamental question: “Do I really like you?” Honestly, my first reaction was pain and shock. I couldn’t imagine why, after being together so long, such a question would arise. But as I calmed down, I realized this was a question worth contemplating together. Philosophically speaking, it’s the dialectic of “negation of the negation.” That night, when you asked me, I was truly afraid — afraid you wouldn’t find your answer. Thankfully, in the end, we reached the same conclusion: we admire each other, we’re drawn to each other, we like each other. Thank you, my love — it was a brave question, one that risked a painful answer, but transformation often comes through pain. After several days of emotional turmoil, we both found our answers.

Yes, in that moment, we both underwent a transformation. I fully agree with what you said: marriage isn’t about age, but about timing. When the time is right, we’ll make our vows and complete that solemn chapter of life. Planning the future with you is one of the happiest things for me. Someday, we’ll curl up together, reading the same book, watching the same movie. Let me add — that book will be about our story, and that movie will capture our memories.

You and I — together in the bustling Times Square of New York, walking quietly by Lake Ontario in Kingston, reminiscing our youth in Wudaokou, Beijing, and finding comfort in our own little haven. Thank you, my love, for these 1000 days of sweetness, bitterness, joy, and sorrow — they’ve all become part of how much I miss you. Please promise me we’ll continue to fight for our future. I believe that when the time is right, I will make that solemn promise — for us, for the future, for love.

Happy 1000 days.

These past two years have been a winding path in our lives, but we supported each other, helped each other along, and made it to where we are now.

Thinking back to our last anniversary — we were still video-calling, eating Qiaojiao beef hotpot together through a screen, and it still felt so special. I tried hard to recall what we did for our first anniversary, but couldn’t remember — checked Photos and realized we were probably in lockdown then.

This past year marked the beginning of our travel journey: Shanghai, Suzhou, Nanjing, Beijing, Yangzhou, Sanya, Haikou, and soon, Changsha. Our travel style has evolved — from chasing hot spots to wandering through local alleys. The restaurants loved by locals are no less than the famous ones. We’ve started enjoying museums too, with audio guides — exploring the history of each region is truly fascinating.

I think of the lockdown in Shanghai — we cooked together, lived together, sharing both joy and frustration. In Suzhou, we witnessed the end of the lockdown, got infected, but pulled through, and spontaneously went on a perfect Disney trip. Even tough times are filled with warmth and passion when I’m with Xiao Li(小璃).

Our trip to Hainan was absolutely beautiful — unforgettable moments every single day. The Nanhai Guanyin statue, the crystal-clear waters and diving at Wuzhizhou Island, the spur-of-the-moment trip to Qionghai, and the bustling night markets of Haikou. The sky always seemed to meet the sea — I felt like I could eat another bowl of Qingbuliang, and each place had its own unique take on fried snacks. Watching two nights of concerts with Xiao Li was like writing a perfect chapter in the story of my youth — a memory I’ll cherish for life.

The road of long-distance is a long one, but we won’t give up easily. We’ve had arguments, but far more sweet moments — we’re destined to be each other’s one and only. I love you. Happy 2nd anniversary 💖.

Jiming Temple was packed with people, especially those praying to the God of Wealth. Laomendong was full of small shops, and the elderly man painting palms had great skills. Fuzimiao didn’t have much to offer, apart from the boat rides and lantern fair. The roadside crispy biscuits, stinky tofu, and sweet taro soup were all delicious. We were worried about being late for dinner, so we took a cab — but a 3.3 km ride took 40 minutes. After that, we completely gave up on taxis for the rest of the trip.

The Nanjing Museum was the first place where we rented an audio guide. We learned the background of some artifacts and saw some odd items — the finely crafted Qing dynasty clocks particularly caught our attention. The beef dumplings and braised beef at Liji Halal Restaurant were amazing, but the recommended beef wontons were rather ordinary.

We had our only bowl of duck blood vermicelli soup in Kexiang — the place was frequented by locals and tasted great. We bought some fried lotus root cakes without knowing what they were until after paying — turns out, they’re meant to be stir-fried. Also grabbed some green rice cakes and water chestnut jelly from Aunt Xu. Sugarcane juice with lemon slices was incredibly refreshing — felt like I could drink one at every stand we passed. We visited Hongshan Zoo during off-peak hours — totally worth the ticket price. We saw black bears playing around and all sorts of clever primates. The constant uphill and downhill walks were exhausting. When we got to the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, it was already closed, so we spontaneously decided to walk halfway around Xuanwu Lake instead. The breeze was nice — it would have been perfect if we weren’t bundled up in heavy winter pants. We originally planned to eat at Nanjing Impressions, but there were over 200 tables ahead of us, so we switched to a Hangzhou restaurant — also very good. That night, we visited a massage place where the masseur was excellent. On the way out, we spotted a dumpling shop with fresh dumplings going into the pan — couldn’t resist and ended up having a midnight snack.

The Sanxian noodle shop we randomly found after failing to get into Yexin Snacks was quite good — it didn’t even have a name on Maps. The roast duck from a roadside stall was also delicious — the chef’s cutting board was worn into a dent. Ming Xiaoling wasn’t very interesting, but the free photo before climbing the city wall was a nice touch. Meihua Mountain was beautiful, and it was the first time I saw plum blossoms in my life. After coming down, we spontaneously went to Nanjing Impressions — the Royal Pickled Pepper Chicken was tasty, but the rest of the dishes were similar to the disappointing experience we had in Shanghai. Two Sundae cones wrapped up our trip to Nanjing.

Sometimes, street food stalls rival the internet-famous spots. Small local eateries with a touch of everyday life are well worth visiting — experiencing where locals dine is a special kind of joy.

The whole trip was all about spontaneity — apart from the advance reservation for the Nanjing Museum, everything else was decided on the fly, including canceling the plan to visit Yangzhou. We originally wanted to visit *同里/甪直* upon returning to Suzhou but were too exhausted, so we postponed our return train. Back in Suzhou, we had an offline Papa John’s meal and then spontaneously took a stroll around Jinji Lake.

Time to buckle down and study. This might be the last break where I have the freedom (perhaps I shouldn’t be *too* free) to travel at will. I’ll cherish every trip ahead and every reunion with Xiao Li.