"How can this beest? Thee mustn't talk tush tush!"[1]
Rong Qiuchen shakes his head repeatedly, but seeing that Yuan Ge doesn't seem to be lying, tears quickly wells up in his eyes again as he looks around at the unfamiliar furnishings and filming equipment in the room. Holding back his tears, he grabs Yuan Ge's hand in fear and asks in a trembling voice, "Childe Yuan, is this the fourth year of Guangxu?"
"Yes, yes, the fourth year of Guangxu. You seem to have put a lot of effort into trying to get into my cast. The acting isn't bad at all. The tears come naturally enough, and the basics are all there."
Yuan Ge still has the same mirthless smile on his face as if telling him to stop fooling around.
"By the way, I say Rong - Qiu - Chen, are you a student of NATA[2] or IFA[3]?"
"Student?" Rong Qiuchen looks puzzled, "But I am an act'r."
"Okay, so you must be from NATA. Now, let's stop playing games, and tell me honestly, how on earth did you get my script?"
Yuan Ge waves the master copy in his hand. He has come back specifically to get this, and it looks like this kid has probably gone through it first. If he doesn't get to the bottom of it, and it did leak out, the damage would be unthinkable.
Seeing that the boy still looks confused and frightened and has no intention of telling the truth, Yuan Ge decides to apply some pressure even though he feels pity for him.
"In the film I'm making now, the male lead is called Rong Qing, who is based on a real historical figure happened to be called Rong Qiuchen[4], but Flowers of the Opera Stage, which records this fact, is a rare ancient book that I've never shown to anyone, not even the actors in our cast. How could you, a student, know about it?"
Yuan Ge pulls down his face and stands up, towering over the boy, assuming the stance of an official interrogating a prisoner.
The boy still looks confused, "I... I am Rong Qiuchen."
When Yuan Ge sees how stubborn he is, he can't help but raise his voice impatiently, "Still talking tough, right! Believe it or not, if I tell your school about you sneaking into my film set, stealing my script, and doing porcelain bumping stark naked, you'll be expelled immediately!"
"I might not but beest dreaming, dreaming! Wherefore art thee falsing to me? This might not but not beest the fourth year of Guangxu! Whither is the emperor? Whither is the Empress Dowager?" [5]
Rong Qiuchen, however, ignores Yuan Ge's threats and instead carefully surveys Yuan Ge's clothes, hairstyle and the various filming equipment in the room, shrinking on the sofa and clutching his knees, terrified and unsure of what to do.
"I say, little fellow, stop acting! The Qing Dynasty is long over! No more Tongzhi, no more Guangxu, no more Cixi! It's the People's Republic of China now! PRC!"
"The Qing Dynasty is long ov'r? 't's long ov'r! 't's ov'r ..."[6]
Rong Qiuchen mumbles at Yuan Ge's words and suddenly stands up like a madman, stumbling towards the door.
"Stop! I haven't finished! Come back, it's cold outside! Ah... That's my overcoat!... "
When Yuan Ge puts down his coffee and hurries out after him, there is only darkness outside, and no sign of the boy anywhere.
The only sound coming from the distant wind is the clear, melodious and mad chant of the boy, "The Qing dynasty is ov'r… "
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[1] How can this be? You mustn't talk nonsense!
[2] NATA: National Academy of Theatrical Arts
[3] IFA: Imperial Film Academy.
[4] The name Qiuchen is made up of two Chinese characters that literally mean 'autumnal person' or 'autumnal theme'. Autumn has a number of specific metaphorical meanings in the Chinese literary tradition. It usually evokes a noble feeling of both melancholy and solitude.
[5] I must be dreaming, dreaming! Why are you lying to me? This must not be the fourth year of Guangxu! Where is the Emperor? Where is the Empress Dowager?
[6] The Qing Dynasty is long over? It's long over! It's over.