Half a lifetime of wandering, and then I met you.

 　　Life's fleeting years are always consumed in the journey. In God's eyes, the magnificent scenery along the way is beautiful because of youth, the choice to travel far, and the encounters that make it all so. Half a lifetime has been spent, yet I just happened to meet you.

　　Spring waters are just beginning to rise, spring forests are just beginning to flourish, spring breezes are blowing for miles, spring flowers are blooming everywhere, but none of these compare to you. So, having drifted all the way from the source of the Xinjiang River, I have stopped here. And so, a restless heart finds the road to the distance growing shorter and shorter, life seems to have a center, and the distance between you and me has become the radius, this circle locking in my sphere of activity.

　　That year, we went to see the sea together, our footprints side by side on the beach, our shadows stretched long in the sunset, our playful antics on the beach, the tranquil night sky, the stars like water, only the sea breeze blowing softly, everything felt young again. That year, we sang as we walked, sailed down the river, visited scenic spots, prayed under ancient camphor trees, and divined our future lives in a Taoist temple with flourishing incense. That year, chasing the vibrant spring, bees and butterflies danced, making the most of our youth, frolicking in the grass, and reveling in the flowers. That year, we wandered through ancient streets, the little flower girl in the rainy alley, indulging in street food, and drinking until late at night; that year…

　　Life is always like this, all beauty is like a shooting star streaking across the summer night sky, fleeting yet beautiful. Willpower is never the main theme of life, because there is something called reality, because there is a kind of love that always protects, because there is a kind of choice that relies on experience. In the years that followed, we experienced a grueling “war,” without the smoke of gunpowder, yet still incredibly “fierce.” The torment we endured felt like centuries of weathering, countless ancient images playing out in our minds: Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai turning into butterflies, year after year on the Magpie Bridge, separated by the Milky Way, who paints the frost-covered forest at dawn, always shedding tears of parting, Zhang Sheng, that poor Zhang Sheng.

　　No matter what, my initial intention remains unchanged. You took my hand and walked forward without hesitation. At this moment, I am absolutely certain. If you are sure, if I decide, nothing can stop me from walking towards you.

　　Half a lifetime of wandering, I didn't meet you in my prime, but at the same time as encountering love, I met the best version of you; half a lifetime of wandering, the world is so big, and for decades we never met, yet the world is so small, and in the next turn, I found you; half a lifetime of wandering, because I don't know if I will meet you again in the next life, I always want to present the best version of myself to you. Because of meeting you, from now on, there is no longer any feeling of rushing through life, and everything is starting anew; because of meeting you, I will no longer choose to wander, I will build a city for love, and from now on, I will not let your heart wander elsewhere; because of meeting you, I am willing to grow old slowly with time.