Age 13: She beats out 3,000 people to become the first Chinese trainee at China's biggest entertainment company. Her father calls her “naive.”
Age 14: She can't speak Korean and gets called “stupid.” Late at night, alone in the practice room, she faces the mirror and counts out the beats in Chinese.
Age 16: Her work is stolen, and the whole internet calls her a “copycat.” When the truth comes out, she says, “One day, I'll be the one who makes the rules.”
Age 19: She debuts as the center. Her father sends four words: “Not bad at all.”
Age 24: She starts her own agency. Her mother shares a news story about her on social media: “My daughter's work.”
Age 28: She earns a Grammy nomination. Her father sets her red-carpet photo as his phone wallpaper.
It took her 12 years to reach a place where her parents could see her.
Then she realizes...
She had long since reached a place only she could see.
