Married couple make heartwarming admission after spotting ‘one in five trillion’ detail in decade-old photo

A couple who had no idea that a photo of of them was ‘one in five trillion’ until over a decade later have made a touching admission after their story went viral.

If you’re someone who’s not on board with the whole idea of fate and the ‘invisible string theory’ - this duo's story might just convince you.

For those that don’t know, the theory suggests that the universe keeps two people apart until the timing is right - the metaphorical string connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of geography, time, or circumstances.

In this instance, it’s no secret that as a generation we’re more obsessed with taking photographs than ever, especially in this era of documenting everything on social media.

But, imagine posing for a picture on holiday and later realising the man you’re now married to is in the background - sounds like a fairytale right?

For this couple, one photo has changed the way they view their whole relationship (Getty Images/Christina Reichl Photography)

As unbelievable as it may sound, this is exactly what happened to Xue and her now husband Ye, who have only been identified by their surnames in local media reports.

Without realising it, the now couple were just a few meters apart as they posed for a picture in July 2000 - 11 years before they met in a completely different city.

They were both posing in front of the same sculpture - the red sculpture in May Fourth Square in the beachside city of Qingdao, China - at exactly the same time.

In the background of Xue’s image, Ye can be seen posing in front of the same structure to have his photo taken.

At the time they were just two strangers on different trips and had no idea the other person existed.

Xue was on holiday with her mother who was recovering from surgery and the duo went on a trip to raise her morale. Ye, meanwhile, was part of a package tour group.

That's right! The man in the background of this photo went on to become the woman's husband (ChannelNewsAsia)

Unaware of each other, the two tourists went their separate ways and lived the next decade with the memories of their respective trips.

Then, they officially met and fell in love in 2011 and tied the knot in 2012, but were unaware of their missed connection until 2018 when they found the picture of Xue.

Speaking to The Guardian in 2018 about the moment they realised, Xue said: “When I saw the photo I was taken by surprise and I got goosebumps all over my body.”

Meanwhile, Ye made a heartfelt comment about what the city means to them now.

He added: “It seems that Qingdao is certainly one of the most special cities.”

Now, the meant-to-be couple share twin daughters and according to the publication, their pals said the picture is ‘incontrovertible proof’ they were always meant to be together.

The father-of-two heartwarmingly added: “When the children are older we’ll go to Qingdao again and the family will take another photo."