Despite the glaring differences in their cultures, an African woman and a Chinese man managed to fight for their love and tie the knot before their families.

It’s one of those romantic stories we crave to hear every so often.

Tina, a native of Zimbabwe, came to China in 2014 to work as a foreign language translator.

While in Beijing, she met Li Shitong, a bidding contractor working for a construction company.

As one can expect, things did not go smoothly at the beginning. The pair had an obvious language barrier, but thankfully, a translation app helped their way through daily conversations.

It did not take long before Tina and Shitong saw the spark, but another obstacle was ahead of them. Apparently, parents from both sides were skeptical about their relationship.

According to Yomyomf, racial hierarchies remain embedded in China’s culture. While there are plenty of stories about African men marrying Chinese women, the former are still treated unequally. Their children can not even get Chinese citizenship.

But love knows no boundaries. On November 2, 2015, the couple married in Shitong’s home village, AsiaUnfiltered said. Locals gathered to witness the momentous occasion.

Now, over a year later, Tina runs her own school. After conquering many hurdles, they sure are on their way to happily ever after!