I've Transmigrated Into This Movie Before

Chapter 3

Chapter 3- Life Movie Theatre

The Sun goes down early in winter, but adding the bout of rain left the world in almost darkness.

This left the movie theatre in front of her the only light in the darkness.

It was narrow, situated between two walls. There was a wooden door that only allowed the passage of one at any given time, and two stringed rows of lanterns hanging at both sides of the doorway, lit up with a warm orange light while swaying in the windy rain. Old as it was, even the poster on the wall seemed as if it had been there since the seventies as its different coloured words were slightly blurred. It was a very memorable place. Called Life Movie Theatre, it sat at the intersection of Rogue street – the place that Ning Yuren was reminded of on her deathbed.

Ning Ning walked towards it, but was stopped on her path by someone.

It was a man, who wore a white mask and was dressed like a thug of Jianghu* from the olden days – a long white chinese-style robe with a black-cotton belt around his waist, and a pair of black cloth shoes on his feet. His voice sounded low and muffled through the mask, "It is not time yet."

"Look," Ning Ning lifted her palms up as the rain pelted down on them, "the rain is pouring down so hard, can you at least let me buy a ticket and wait inside?"

He shook his head.

Ning Ning then tried to persuade him, but was repeatedly rejected.

To think such a damnable place and guard exists! Ning Ning was itching to immediately give this place a negative review on the net. She turned around lividly, waving her arm for a taxi.

The taxi quickly drove her away, then once again drove her back to Rouge Street.

Ning Ning got out of the taxi and walked to stand before the gatekeeper, "Is it time now?"

The gatekeeper replied calmly, "5 more minutes."

Ning Ning looked down at her wrist watch, 23:55.

She could not help but be reminded of the words her mom told her before leaving, "At midnight, go to the movie theater at 35 Rogue Street to watch a movie, alone."

Midnight indeed, not a minute more, nor a minute less.

Ning Ning raised her handbag over her head as a makeshift umbrella as the rain gradually grew more intense. She walked around the area before the entrance, feeling like a moron.

"Entrance ticket."The gatekeeper spoke in his signature calm voice.

Ning Ning searched busily for a moment before finally finding and pulling out an old movie ticket from her handbag. It was a thin piece of yellowed paper that had a round stamp on the left side with the words 'entrance ticket' written on it, a rectangle which said 'Life Movie Theater' on the right, and below that, 8th row, 45.

The gatekeeper seemed to be surprised with her being able to pull out a ticket, giving her a rare second glance. Then, looked down to tear the ticket and moved away from the wooden door behind him, "One person one ticket, invalid upon admission."

Finally entering. Ning Ning breathed a sigh of relief, and before passing through the door, turned her head to take a glance at the movie poster.

An old poster. As if a remnant from the seventies or eighties, it was brightly coloured like an oil painting. Perhaps due to the wash by the rainwater, its colour and wordings were slightly blurred. The poster featured both a good-looking leading actor and actress, however, they were unfamiliar faces to Ning Ning who only just knew their names after reading the names of the cast.

Movie Title: <Republic* Circus>

Main Leads: Chen Junyan, Li Xiulan.

"Never heard of them." Ning Ning mumbled to herself then turned around and went through the entrance.