Chapter 10
Chapter 10 – Miss’s Game
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Miss has changed .
But how exactly has she changed?
“Do you guys have such a feeling?” During break time, a young man who served as a reserve member of the circus asked his companion, “Miss seems to have changed recently; Miss… seems to have become more humane . ”
“Now that you’ve mentioned it… It seems to be so . ”
“I originally thought that Miss favoured me alone, but from the looks of things, Miss dotes on all of us equally!”
Everyone was taking part of the heated discussion when suddenly they all zipped their mouths shut and looked in one direction .
Creak, The door opened and Chen Junyan walked in . Wherever he went, everyone’s eyes would be glued to him . Thus, it was only when he left the room did the conversations resume .
“This traitor,” one young lad expressed his disdain . “To think he had even dared to previously criticize us in a righteous manner, and now look at him . Someone that will betray a brother from the same dorm room without batting an eyelid isn’t a thing at all! Ptui!”
“Shh, speak softer, he hasn’t gone that far yet . Be careful, he might complain about you to the Master…”
“I wouldn’t do that . ”
From the doorway, Chen Junyan softly mumbled to himself before leaving with his head lowered .
Betraying Little Freckle was a decision he made because there was no other choice . He had to do it otherwise he wouldn’t have had an opportunity to meet the young miss, nor have the chance to do what he was about to . He had succeeded, but at the same time, he had also pushed himself to the top of everyone’s hate list .
Every brother that shared a dorm room with him, had now made it a point to avoid him entirely . No one trusted him, and none were willing to talk . Wherever he went, he could feel gazes filled with hatred shooting at him– penetrating his entire body .
“I’ve finally found you!” A tall man rushed towards him . “Why are you still holding onto the rice bowl? Put it down, put it down and come with me!”
Chen Junyan recognized him- he was Boss Qu’s right-hand man as well as a guard for the circus that was in charge of watching over reserves like himself . Someone that, under special circumstances, could decide the fate of the reserves . Chen Junyan was desperate to not slight him, and hastily asked, “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“Something occured in the boss’s home, quick, quick, quick!” The tall man snatched the rice bowl from Chen Junyan’s hands and threw it behind him, then dragged and hauled Chen Junyan out of the circus .
Am I going to meet Miss again? Chen Junyan sorrowfully realized that he actually felt happy deep down in his heart .
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How could I!
He lowered his eyelids and said to himself: don’t be such a joke, you aren’t like that bunch of idiots who like to deceive themselves . Ha ha, humane? They are all wrong and Miss is the true Hell . They have placed all of their hopes on her while she doesn’t even remember their names . Like her papa, she doesn’t even see us as human beings .
And unfortunately, this young miss had become his one and only hope…
Chen Junyan followed the tall man while carrying complicated emotions in his heart . Right when they had reached the room door, he could hear sounds of chaos happening inside . Boss Qu’s voice traveled out from behind the door, “Ning’er… put the knife down, quick!”
What was going on? The both of them exchanged glances, and hurriedly pushed the door open to enter .
The table and chairs had been overturned, while things had been messily strewn everywhere . Boss Qu stood panting behind a round table with half of his moustache gone, and the other half dangling from his upper lip . He had one arm raised in a pacifying manner . “Put the knife down, calm down and let’s have a talk!”
Ning Ning cut off his escape path by standing at the opposite side of the table . In her raised hand was a shiny… razor .
“There’s nothing worth discussing!” She had one hand on her hip, while the other pointed the razor at him . “It’s too ugly to leave half a mustache, let me shave it off!”
Losing one side of his mustache was already too depressing, he could not lose the other side too! Boss Qu immediately pointed at the new people entering once he spotted them . “Practice with him first!”
The tall man’s tiger-like body jolted, and almost as a conditioned reflex, covered his own sexy sideburns with a hand .
Ning Ning turned around to him, and quickly laughter traveled from behind the mask, “That’s fine . You, come over!”
The tall man sent a desperate pleading gaze towards Boss Qu, who pretended to not have seen it . Eventually, because he couldn’t go against his boss, he sat down in a chair reluctantly and shut his eyes tight in resignation to his fate . “Do it!”
Ning Ning’s skill was truly non-existent, which ultimately robbed him entirely of his sexy sideburns, as well as one side of his eyebrows!
From the side, Boss Qu watched the scene unfold while being incredibly anxious . He pushed Chen Junyan forward without waiting for Ning Ning to be done . “Yes, not bad, but there’s still room for improvement . Now, use him as practice . ”
Ning Ning took a slight pause in her busy work to glance at Chen Junyan, before rolling her eyes . “He doesn’t have a beard!”
“Hair is the same!” Boss Qu arbitrarily insisted on his own view .
No, it’s completely different!
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An unwilling Chen Junyan was forced into the seat by Boss Qu .
He couldn’t budge an inch and could only helplessly look at Ning Ning busying herself with her current victim, before walking over towards him while grinning . On the way, she waved the razor that had a bloodstain before his face, as if looking for a spot to shave .
Chen Junyan’s gaze followed the razor despairingly . He only came to his senses after Ning Ning called his name for a second time .
He turned his head around, only to see her bending over and staring straight at him . “Are you very scared?”
“I’m not scared . ” Chen Junyan lied .
Your mouth may lie, but your body does not . He couldn’t help clenching onto the armrest when Ning Ning moved the razor towards him . Because he used so much strength in the grip, veins bulging from the back of his hand .
Ning Ning put the razor down, and turned around to speak with Boss Qu, “Forget it, he’s scared . He’ll run off halfway through the shave . ”
“He won’t . ” Boss Qu smiled sardonically as he lifted the rope in his hand .
One minute later, Chen Junyan was thoroughly fixed to the chair .
His arms were tied to the armrest, and his legs were tied together . After Boss Qu was done, he proudly turned to look at Ning Ning who was touched by his act . “Papa, don’t worry, I will definitely master my razor skills and then look for you . ”
“…No need to rush, mastering your razor skills will not happen in a day or two after practicing on just one or two people . ” Boss Qu turned around and began walking out . “Wait here, Papa will bring back more practice sources!”
“Boss! I’ll help!” The tall man ran out after Boss Qu, He must leave! Leave as soon as possible! He had already become a man without eyebrows or sideburns . If he continued to stay, there was no guarantee he could save his hair! Plus, there was no way that he could stop the young miss from getting what she wanted! He wasn’t even allowed to utter a single word against her because the moment he did so, Boss Qu would point a gun to his head and say, “Leave your head behind instead of your hair!”
Only Ning Ning, Chen Junyan, and Wang ma are left in the room .
Since Wang ma mostly stayed silent in the background, now was the right time for Ning Ning to exchange script lines with Chen Junyan .
In the following scene, there would only be ‘Qu Ning’er’ in this room and no ‘Ning Ning’; she would completely forget herself and thoroughly become Qu Ning’er .
“Alright, my Papa has left, you can tell me the truth now . ” Ning Ning was just like a kid who had found her new toy . She held the razor upside down, then swayed it back and forth, before starting to giggle . “You are really that terrified of cutting your hair?”
Chen Junyan knew that he was unable to lie to her; he may be able to control his own mouth, but there was no way to stop the goosebumps from appearing on his neck as well as the sweat trickling down his forehead . To be frank, what he was afraid of wasn’t cutting his hair, but the young miss . Boss Qu’s cruelty could be somewhat predicted, but the young miss’s cruelty? There was no way of knowing what she would do next .
However, he could not tell the truth . Thus, in an emergency, he quick-wittedly found himself a decent excuse .
“Miss,” Chen Junyan spoke with a hoarse voice, “I’m not terrified of cutting my hair, but afraid that getting too close to you… will result in me becoming another Little Freckle . ”
“Little Freckle?” Ning Ning tilted her head . “Who’s that?”
“It’s that boy who performed the ball juggling a while ago . ” Scared she couldn’t recall, Chen Junyan went silent for a moment, before explaining in another way, “…The boy that peeled off your mask . ”
“It’s that boy who performed the ball juggling a while ago . ” Scared she couldn’t recall, Chen Junyan went silent for a moment, before explaining in another way, “…The boy that peeled off your mask . ”
“Oh, him . ” Ning Ning finally understood, then crossed her arms in front of herself as she walked in circles around Chen Junyan . “Why, are the both of you very close?”
Who would even admit to being close to him when Boss Qu was itching to even whip his dead body? Chen Junyan took a quick glance at Wang ma in the corner; although she had disguised herself as a potted plant, he knew that every word he sayid and every single action of his would be reported back to Boss Qu .
[T/N: disguised as a potted plant meant that she seemed not to have much of a presence . ]
Hence, he decisively shook his head . “We are only acquaintances . ”
“You said so for Li Xiulan too . ” Ning Ning suddenly halted in her steps and stood with a grin beside him . “You’re acquaintances with everyone- do you not have even a single friend?”
…Chen Junyan felt as if he had fallen into a language trap, for just who wouldn’t have a friend? Even a murderer or a chauvinist pig would have friends, and only untrustworthy people wouldn’t have any…
“You poor little thing . ” Right at this moment where he was desperately attempting to find a way to crawl out of the trap, Ning Ning started giggling . “Oh wells, I’ll be your friend . ”
Chen Junyan was stunned for a moment and thought he had heard wrongly . “What?”
Ning Ning’s expression immediately took a one-eighty, and she coldly said, “Why, you aren’t willing?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Chen Junyan hurriedly answered, “I’m really honored . ”
Ning Ning switched back to being in her happy bubble again, and she pulled up a chair next to him and sat down before she threw the razor away . Then she propped her head up on her arms while facing him, her two legs kicking the floor in excitement .
“You’re my first friend . ” She raised a finger to her lips in a ‘shh’ motion, then spoke in a feigned mysterious voice, “I’m also your first friend . Let’s discuss hmm, just what should friends do between them?”
Chen Junyan remained silent for a short moment, before resolutely deciding to give it a try . He carefully said to her, “A friend wouldn’t tie up their friend . ”
Ning Ning got up and walked off . When she came back, there were sharp scissors in her hand with which she, while grinning, cut the ropes binding him . Then, she looked at him with an expression of anticipation . “What else?”
Chen Junyan took the time he stretched out his limbs to do a scan of his surroundings . By this time, Wang ma had walked over silently and was glaring at him while pointing a dagger in warning for him to not do anything funny . He lowered his head, while his heart thumped anxiously . He abruptly lifted his head . “Next, you should free me . I have a home too, and I want to go back to have a look . ”
“No . ” Wang ma hit the nail on the head with his intentions . “Miss, he wants to escape . ”
With time not on his side, Chen Junyan had no intention of having a dispute with her, and there was only one person that could stop her…He looked directly into Ning Ning’s eyes . “Miss, no, Ning’er . Will you help her, or will you help me?”
“I’ll help you, I’ll help you!!” Ning Ning grew excited, just like a child addicted to games who wouldn’t let anyone disturb her play . At the sight of Wang ma poking her nose into their business, she resolutely pushed Wang ma away and even turned around to shout at Chen Junyan, “Alright, I’ve caught her . Go, quickly! Remember to come back soon!”
Chen Junyan sat solemnly on the chair for a second, then slowly got up, and walked towards the door . As he took step after step, he started running as if he’d gone mad .
Halfway through though, he suddenly halted and looked back .
Ning Ning stood by the room entrance in the distance, with Wang ma wanting to leave but was blocked in her path . When Ning Ning saw him look back, she started waving to him frantically in happiness, as if bidding farewell .
Chen Junyan turned his head back; the main entrance was right before his eyes, but is the other side of the door… truly freedom?
Author has something to say:
A short play:
Is the other side of the door… truly freedom?
A head pokes out from outside the door, Boss Qu, “It’s me~~~~~~~~”hurhurhur
Chen Junyan, “F!”
Translated by: Ruisi
Edited by: Ely and Mossyrabbit