POV: Natalie Park | Time: September 2025
After watching the red car disappear from sight, I immediately grabbed my bicycle and pedaled after it. It didn’t take long to catch up with the group. I gradually overtook them one by one, searching for the beautiful merchant girl I’d seen in the market yesterday. At least there would be a familiar face, even if we weren't truly acquainted.
There she is!... I found her, three bikes ahead.
From this angle, the long-legged girl’s bicycle was leaning into a curve. When she stood up to pedal, my heart almost melted... her rounded backside was like a bowling ball, and her shapely legs swayed left and right in a way that was undeniably sexy.
I followed behind her for a while until the head of the line turned into a 100-kilometer rest stop. I wheeled my bike in after her and parked beside her, waving a hand near my face.
"Hi!... You’re so good at this!"
"Huh!" She started, turning toward me with clear eyes. Although the surgical mask covered her face, it couldn't hide her powerful aura.
"Ni hao, Pai Pai!" Building a relationship by using someone's name is a powerful magnet. Remembering a name creates the best first impression... and it worked exactly as I thought.
"Wow! You remember my name? Eh!... wait a minute. This outfit is from my shop! I remember it!" She pressed her hands to her chest, looking delighted. Her bright and cute demeanor was a pleasure to witness.
"Give me your backpack, I'll help carry it."... Suddenly! She reached out to pull on my backpack straps.
"Hiss!" I flinched and swerved my body away immediately. "It’s okay! I don’t want to trouble you."
"This morning! I looked for you at the intersection but didn't see you. When did you get here?" She moved to walk beside me, making me realize she was taller than I was.
"I followed you guys from the trailer checkpoint." The truth was, I had bypassed the checkpoint by riding along the river. I hadn't gone through it at all.
She led me to the water service tent. The staff, faces beaming with smiles, encouraged everyone while handing out drinks.
"Pai Pai, don't give up! Keep trying! You can do it!"
"Pai Pai! I haven't seen you update your social media lately. I’m a fan!" a male staff member said, handing her a cold towel with a wide grin.
"You haven't uploaded any dance practice for us to see. I miss it!" a young woman beside him added, looking just as thrilled.
I felt a sense of awe toward this girl. Hearing that, I secretly "X-rayed" her perfect physique with my eyes.
"Sorry for the trouble!" Pai Pai accepted the water with grace and passed it to me.
The wide courtyard was cluttered with motivational banners and safety warning signs about the White Silence Pandemic. Many participants were scattered, sitting in their own corners, chatting loudly in the typical Chinese fashion.
"Let's go talk under that tree over there," I suggested, pointing toward a towering Yang-na tree to the left to hide from the sun.
"Are you tired?" I asked out of politeness, then looked down at a small river in the valley below. The high, complex mountain walls were grand beyond imagination. I started planning in my head how to trick her into telling me about that red car.
"A little. Modern bicycles don't take much effort," she answered casually before reaching out to grab both my shoulders and spinning me around.
"Huh!" I was caught off guard, my heart leaping into my throat. She locked eyes with me and gave a sweet, refreshing smile...
Why is my heart beating? It’s racing so fast.
"Ni hao!... I'm Pai Pai. 20 years old, still single. A Wuhan local. Graduated in acting, currently unemployed. Please look after me!" After introducing herself, she pressed her hands together in a "Saranghaeyo" pose. It was incredibly endearing.
Her charm was overflowing, drawing all the attention. Her personality was striking—whether standing or walking, she looked as elegant as if she had been professionally trained.
"Your turn. What’s your name and how old are you?" She gestured with a stylish smile.
I bowed my head slightly and introduced myself...
"Annyeonghaseyo. Natalie Park imnida. Born in South Korea, raised in America. 24 years old. Nice to meet you. Please look after me too." I mimicked her gestures and ended with a clumsy "Mini Heart" I’d seen others do.
"Hahaha!" She clapped and laughed, her energetic spirit starting to make me feel amused. She was beautiful from every angle, possessing an enviable charm... "I’m so glad you’re Korean! In that case, I have to call you Park-Unnie! You’re four years older than me." She switched to Korean and changed her pronouns immediately.
I felt very good about her friendly attitude... "You know Korean too... that’s impressive. Did you study it?" I chatted to build intimacy.
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"I can speak it easily. I speak three languages. I love Korea; I want to be an idol. I want to have a chance to debut one day," she answered with eyes sparkling like someone with a dream.
"Then why does it have to be South Korea?" I asked, reinforcing her intention.
"Talented people must be talented outside their homes. A golden eagle must hunt far from its nest. Don't think I’m bragging, but people have been contacting me to join the industry since I was 14. They keep coming, different faces every time, but I haven't taken it seriously."
"Why not?"
"Artists in Asia, even if they’re famous, are limited to their own countries. Many talented artists in China were born in the wrong country. Some are better than Michael Jackson, but once they get too famous, the government 'neuters' them under the pretext of security." The young girl pouted in frustration.
"..............." The seeds of the Yang-na tree spun down like Doraemon’s bamboo copter.
The new generation is more interested in freedom. Her face showed discomfort and frustration. Her words showed she was an adult who could think for herself, but whether she was thinking correctly... I didn't know.
"The Party has built the country into a giant prison, limiting freedom of thought, speech, writing, and even communication, which is restricted to internal use. The government monitors the citizens. Even if they don't chain your feet, they brand your thoughts and actions. Economic prosperity is a different matter from the freedom of the people." Her voice grew soft when she spoke from the heart.
"You’re not satisfied with your own country?" I smiled at her rebellious attitude.
"No! I love this country, but I don't like the crackdown. How dare they close our eyes and ears like this?" This girl was quite radical. The frustration in her eyes showed she truly disliked it.
"Aren't you a Party member? Aren't all Chinese people communists?"
"Not at all! The Communist Party only has 90 million members. There are 1.4 billion Chinese people! They use the law as a tool to deal with dissenters, no different from North Korea. I admire Falun Gong. If I had been born in time, I would have gone to protest at Tiananmen. I’m not afraid of them. The Tank Man never dies..." The young girl sat with her mouth pouted and fists clenched. If she had a white cloth tied around her head... she’d be a perfect protestor.
I only vaguely knew that most countries in Asia were authoritarian. But... what the hell is Falun Gong? And Tank Man? I didn't know them at all. I’ll save those questions for later. If I kept asking, she’d probably perform a whole Chinese opera for me...
"Do you have an idol in mind? Anyone you like in particular?" I chatted, knowing only a few Korean artists since I grew up in America. Besides, in my free time, I read books; I didn't have time for this. There was so much research to study—where would I find the time to care about others?
She smiled, her eyes drifting into a dream... "If it’s a male artist, I like Henry Lau. He’s truly talented. I like people like that—people who challenge and dedicate themselves to their dreams." She made a playful face, poking her two index fingers together.
"If it's a woman, there's one I like. I respect her determination. She went to auditions and failed nearly 20 times, but she never gave up. Just think... if your heart isn't firm, failing just once or twice and you’re done. You quit. Unnie, guess... who?" Her eyes were full of faith, her face beaming.
I was secretly impressed by her too... "There’s someone like that? So determined. Truly brave. Who is it?"
"IU."
"Who’s that?" I still didn't know.
"Hahaha! I choose to have faith in people like this. For me, the word 'idol' means they are role models worth following. They inspire us. They have proven that the formal education system doesn't lead anyone to their dreams. That amount of knowledge is barely enough to support oneself. Many people quit school to dedicate themselves to their dreams."
"If you don't reach your dream, what job will you do?"
"These days, if you want to know or do anything, just ask an AI," she spoke nonchalantly about the brainwashing education system, which was a very powerful way of thinking outside the box.
I nodded in agreement. Having a role model in life is the right thing to do. At least she still had the chance to choose what to love.
"How confident are you that you’ll become an idol?"
She picked up her phone and swiped the screen. Fun, upbeat Korean music started playing...
"Watch closely, Unnie. This is what I’m going to be!"
The first moment her toes hit the ground looked strong and stable, making me accidentally hold my breath. Her playful demeanor vanished, replaced by a determination that shone clearly through her eyes. She shrugged her shoulders and began to draw patterns with movements that were fluid yet firm. Her body moved to the beat of the music that seemed to resonate from her soul. Her thin lips moved to the lyrics with a smile full of dangerous charm.
The intense hook came with a choreography that confidently emphasized her curves. The roundness of her body moving to the rhythm left me stunned. Her skin, drenched in sweat, reflected the sunlight, shining like the skin of a queen. Every movement of hers held my gaze until I couldn't look away for even a second.
It looked a million times more alive than any microorganism I had ever seen through a microscope. Pai Pai, at this moment, looked so bright that I felt like I was just a dim shadow sitting beside her stage.
"And what if you don't succeed, Queencard?" I began to like this girl.
My life never had a dream. I was only ordered to follow others' goals and didn't even have a choice. Since I could remember, everything was prepared for me. I barely had to do anything myself. The income I had was enough to support myself like a queen until old age, so there was no struggle, no dream like others. Besides peering through a microscope at tiny microbes mating, I didn't know much else. I guess that’s all my dream was.
"Unnie, did you see the bicycle team supporters along the way? If I don't take action, I’d just be clapping and shouting praise for others. I don't know if that long path will end in victory or defeat. Even if it costs me exhaustion or injury, I’ve gained the name of a 'racer' and followed my own dream. Hahaha!" She laughed with such satisfaction, an answer I couldn't have thought of.
"In that case, you must like Korean Oppas too." I lifted my water to drink, my head still couldn't figure out how to trick her into asking.
"Not at all! Korean men have bland faces like lizards."
"Water is all over my face!"
"I'm sorry!" I rushed in to help wipe the water off her.
"I don't have a specific type. Anyone is fine as long as they are kind-hearted, warm, not petty, and have a back for me to lean on when I’m tired. I can take care of myself. A man is fine, a woman is good too." She sent a strange look my way until I had to quickly look away.
But what she said really hit home. Even though she was younger, her world was beautiful and more colorful. There were dreams, there was hope. I had never thought about these things. Around me were only old people; I’d been meeting and talking to adults since I was small. Our conversations were always business-like. It was as if our worlds were completely different.
She smiled sweetly and tilted my chin up... "Want to be my girlfriend?"
"Huh!..." Queencard is really putting me on the spot.
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- Pai Pai's energy: She’s bold, radical, and definitely a "Queencard" in the making.
- The Setting: We are moving through the scenic but heavily monitored routes of Hubei Province.
- Music Reference: If you're wondering about the song Pai Pai is dancing to, it’s . Feel free to blast it while reading for the full effect!