I've Transmigrated Into This Movie Before

Chapter 3

Unlike the worn-out exterior, the interior was unexpectedly neat.

Rows of carved wooden chairs sat in the middle, making it seem like a play theatre from the Republic days. However, up front was not a stage with crimson red curtains, but a white cinema screen.

"Your seat is here, miss." A staff member – a young maiden in a flower petal decorated cheongsam, escorted Ning Ning to the seat. She had a soft voice and similarly wore a mask on her face, though not a boring white like the gatekeeper's. Instead, the mask was in the style of a beaming court lady with red lips from the olden days.

Ning Ning sat down and surveyed her surroundings. Everyone around her wore masks– even the auntie sweeping the floor was wearing a crying mask.

"Why do all of you wear masks?" Ning Ning asked as she warmed her hands with the hot drink given to her by the young maiden in the cheongsam.

The young maiden replied while beaming, "All staff members have to wear masks."

Finally, Ning Ning realized the reason behind the strange feeling she had had since entering. When she looked around, there were only staffs wearing masks in sight and she was the only one without a mask– the only customer.

I know it's a midnight show, but does it have to be this cold and quiet here?

Right when she wanted to ask 'are there no other customers?', the auntie sweeping suddenly straightened her back from its previous slight bend and walked towards the door. The other staff also gradually stopped whatever they were doing and started walking out. It's as if they had heard a bell only audible to them.

This situation bore an uncanny resemblance to escaping during a fire alarm so much so that Ning Ning could not help but to stand up and ask, "Where are you all going?"

The group of people stopped in their footsteps and turned their heads back in unison.

A crying mask, monkey mask, scholar mask... various masks stared at her. Behind the court lady of the olden days mask, the voice of the young maiden in cheongsam rung out, "The movie is about to begin, please enjoy yourself."

Ning Ning had more to say, but suddenly, all the lights went out. Around three seconds later, the screen in the distance lit up, a shining bit of light in the darkness.

"I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid." Ning Ning tried hypnotizing herself by chanting as she sat down and sipped on the straw of the hot beverage to try to calm her nerves.

The screen was a blank white for quite a while, before, very slowly, a row of words came into view.

"This film is based on a true story."

Following those words was a male voice unhurriedly singing, "Kidnapped kids are made to pick a wooden man. Whoever picks a lame, will have their legs broken; picks the blind,  will be blinded; picks the amputee, we cut their limbs. Then, as beggars, they'll beg for money."

Beads of sweat trickled down Ning Ning's head.

She sat unmoving in the seat with only her eyeball moving around anxiously.

Not that she did not want to move, but because she became unable to since this man started speaking.

She struggled with all her might to part her lips and let out a cry for help, but yet, she could not produce a single sound. On the contrary, the other sounds increased gradually in volume, the man's voice, a woman's voice, traveled from a distance to close by. Ning Ning could slowly make out the voice that was shouting by her head, "Wake up, wake up, wake up..."

"Ning er, wake up!"

Ning Ning abruptly blinked her eyes.

Finally, she could move, but was too frightened to do so.

Finally, she could speak, but did not know what to say.

Before her were three people, three unfamiliar faces.

One of them was an old physician in a white gown, who had a grey beard, and was currently using two fingers to pull apart her eyelids. Another one was a middle aged woman dressed like a maid during the Republic times. Presently, she held her hands, palms together, and was reciting 'Bodhisattva' incessantly. The last one was a man in his thirties, who had a thin and refined face with a moustache on his upper lips that resembled whiskers. His hair and clothes seemed like they had gone without a wash for days, while his red eyes showed that he had not also slept for days. His tears were flowing out as he grasped onto her hand, "Ning er, don't sleep anymore, don't give papa a fright."

Ning Ning looked at her hand held in his, a small white and thin hand, in his huge bronze coloured one.

The screen paused on the two hands as the camera shot slowly pulled away to a distance. In the movie theatre with not a soul in sight, there was only a cup of a hot beverage, its final steam rising quietly, placed where Ning Ning previously sat.

Outside the entrance, rainwater flowed from the roof and hit the ground, pitter patter, pitter patter. The gatekeeper slowly turned his head, looking towards the poster on the wall.

After the main leads' names, an ink dot suddenly appeared on the spot where there was previously only a blank space. Then slowly, as if there was an invisible brush writing, there was a stroke and a line. A new name had been added to the poster.

Movie Title: <Republic Circus>

Main Leads: Chen Junyan, Li Xiulan, Ning Ning.

Uncommon terms:

Jianghu – A community for martial artists, which in some ways (a martial world?)

Republic – In direct translation of 民国（mínguó）which is short form for Republic of China. Used to describe the Republic of China period 民国时期 mínguó shíqí（1912 – 1949）

As for the court lady mask I was envisioning something like this.

Translated by: Ruisi

Edited by: Ely

Thanks for reading~