The Trial Game of Life – Chapter 77
Table of Contents | Character Guide
Chapter 77: Sudden Changes
T/N: So, weโre finally here. One of my favourite chapters of the entire novel. I feel soโฆ sentimental now.
The movie theaters in Yong Ye City werenโt very good. After all, there werenโt many people who would have a mind to leisurely watch movies in a place like this. However, there were many kinds of movies here, including those of 20 years ago and new ones that had just been recently released.
There were also two types of theaters. One was a large theater that was showing new films, and the other was a VIP room that could be rented for private use.
Jin Cheng chose a romance film released after Tang Cuo died that starred two young actors he didn’t know. He asked Tang Cuo, but Tang Cuo didn’t know them either.
Speaking of this, not only did Tang Cuo not know most of the movie stars, but he also had never even entered a movie theater before. When he was mingling with people on the streets as part of his job, he heard that this career could quickly bring in money. He did think about making some money with his face, but then he found out that the scouting agent was tricking the girls who wanted to rise to stardom. Tang Cuo exposed him and immediately took his leave.
There were thousands of paths to turn in life. Tang Cuo had no idea how he had been taking them such that eventually, his path crossed with Jin Chengโs.
They were people from two different worlds. One was a proud child from a superior background, and the other was a wild child struggling at the bottom of society. The moment Tang Cuo passed the assessment and entered Jin Chengโs team was when Tang Cuo felt that they were the closest to each other.
He wasnโt called Tang Cuo (ๅๆช) back then. The โCuoโ of his name originally was โ้โ, which actually meant โmistakeโ, because his biological mother felt that his birth was a mistake. The head of the orphanage felt that this wasnโt a good name and insisted on changing it for him, but Tang Cuo wasnโt so sure about the details either. His real surname also wasnโt Tang.
Tang Cuo had been smart since his early years. He could remember everything at the age of four, but he lied that he had forgotten and gave himself a random surname. The head of the orphanage wanted to help him find his mother, but Tang Cuo actually always knew where she lived.
After being abandoned, Tang Cuo also abandoned the other person, because since childhood, he had been that kind of unemotional guy.
When this unemotional guy was alive, he never actually thought about being together with Jin Cheng. Their relationship was simple and unambiguous, not too close yet not too distant, having no past yet also no future.
Tang Cuo kept all his feelings hidden in his heart and didn’t intend to ever voice them out. However, one of them died earlier than the other, and the obstacles that they might face in the world of the living didnโt exist in Yong Ye City.
But when did Jin Cheng start falling for him?
He used to say that he liked Marilyn Monroe, then later he loved Scarlett Johansson. In short, Tang Cuo was never in the picture.
During the movie, Tang Cuo spent half the time looking at Jin Cheng. The thin barrier between the two of them hadn’t yet been broken, so he naturally wouldn’t want to ask directly. The thought lingered in his mind throughout the entire time, and after thinking left and right, he could only feel that โ the movieโs lead was nowhere as good-looking as Jin Cheng.
Whether it was the male lead or the female lead, neither of them was comparable to him.
And the plot was very idiotic. Every second was challenging Tang Cuo’s endurance limit.
“Isn’t it good?” Jin Cheng turned around and asked him in a low voice.
“Which one?” Tang Cuo asked back.
Jin Cheng blinked a few times, and under the dim light of the theater, he felt that Tang Cuo’s question made his heart tremble a little. At this moment, the movie happened to jump to a sweet scene where the male lead and female lead had reconciled after their misunderstanding. The two were hugging tightly, their foreheads were pressed against each other’s and the corners of their mouths were tugging up into some eerily wicked smiles.
The camera began to rotate 360 degrees in slow motion. As the wind blew the female leadโs hair, the camera zoomed in close and her eyes beamed brightly under the light effect.
“Do you love me?”
“I do.”
When the male leadโs answer came, the girl from a young couple sitting in front of them rested her head on the boy’s shoulder, and the two clasped their hands, their movement all quiet yet noticeable.
There were only four people in the theater.
Tang Cuo looked up at Jin Cheng, and Jin Cheng also looked back at him. There was no follow-up on the topic of “isnโt it good”, but the ambiguous tension was boiling. All the words they both hadnโt said now became the evidence of their feelings.
Any teenager might feel shy, but Tang Cuo had never been like that. He just felt a little heated and a tiny bit nervous.
And all the cells in his body were shaking.
Were they playing a game where whoever looked away first would lose?
Tang Cuo didn’t quite understand.
Jin Cheng, on the other hand, was playing this game gleefully. He simply put one elbow on the armrest of the seat and moved his body closer and closer: “If I ask you whether I look good, how would you answer?”
Is something the matter with you?
If you want to confess, hurry up. I don’t want to see the peacock showing off his tail again.
Tang Cuo remained expressionless and shifted his gaze a little away, at which point Jin Cheng spread out his palm. Puzzled, Tang Cuo looked down to see a chocolate candy filled with alcohol in his palm.
“If you think the movie is bad, just eat something sweet. Next time Iโll rent a CD and we can watch at home.โ
Tang Cuo took the chocolate: “I don’t particularly want to watch it.”
Jin Cheng smiled and leaned back to his own seat: “Then just be my company. I like watching movies and taking photos, and occasionally Iโll take on painting or playing musical instruments. I actually wanted to go abroad to study arts, but my brother had an accident and was discharged from the army, so I had to take over.”
It was the first time that Tang Cuo heard him talk about his family. Of course, it wasnโt like he was oblivious about everything, but he had only been hearing it from other people.
“Your brother?” He asked.
“Yes. He hurt his arm, but it doesnโt affect his everyday life. Apart from being too strict, heโs a great man. Heโs more meticulous than me and understands the workings of this world even better. I wonโt need to worry about my parents if heโs there. The year that I died, he finally got a girlfriend. If it goes well, he should already have children now.”
Tang Cuo: “Uhm.”
Jin Cheng: “Whatโs the meaning of that โuhmโ?”
Tang Cuo: “Good meaning.”
Jin Cheng: “For a while, my mother was keen on me going on blind dates.”
Faced with the sudden change in topic, Tang Cuo was slightly stunned.
Jin Cheng raised his eyebrows: “I know you all were gossiping that I was dating someone. Sheโs the daughter of my mother’s friend. I tried so hard to find time to go home and totally didn’t expect her to send me to a blind date. That lady and I only met once. I told her I would rather spend the time training you.โ
At this point, Tang Cuo finally understood what Jin Cheng was doing. All the information that should be given had been given and all the misunderstandings that should be explained had been explained, but did they need to be so formal?
This was Yong Ye City. Without the laws and restrictions of human society, the only thing that would bother them every day was the problem of life and death. Everything else seemed unimportant.
For the past two days, Tang Cuo had been thinking that if Jin Cheng confessed to him, he would willingly accept it. Just like that. He didnโt need anything else, just the most primitive and purest love.
A soulmate, or a place to call home, was something he had never desired. Be it before or after he died.
“I’m serious about this.” Jin Cheng said.
Tang Cuo was silent. At the end of the movie, the male lead and female lead reunited at the place where they met for the first time. There was no dialogue and they just looked at each other. Under a mesmerising slow motion, the music began to flow.
The young couple in front was still immersed in the movie, completely unaware of what was happening behind.
Tang Cuo’s heart was beating a little too fast. He turned the other way, feeling as though his mind was malfunctioning for a moment. At this point, he was convinced that people might indeed do things that lowered their intelligence when they were in love. Even that movieโs plot wasnโt so idiotic.
“I โ” When the words he was determined to say came to his lips, Tang Cuo paused. He struggled to calm down and planned to make a final decision, but another melody suddenly came up.
The blending of the two melodies had everyoneโs expression change at once.
It was the [Song of God, Lambs and Crow].
As Jin Chengโs eyebrows furrowed, all the ambiguous tension and charms of the moment vanished without a trace. The couple in front stood up in shock. The girl nervously grabbed her boyfriendโs arm: “Didnโt it come once yesterday? Why did it come again today?”
The boy was also surprised: “Donโt worry about it. Maybe it’s something else.”
But the girl was still very scared and squeezed closer to her boyfriend. The boy had no choice but to continue to comfort her: “You see, wasnโt everything okay after yesterday? We can watch movies now, which means that things are going for the better. Don’t be scared, no matter what happens, you still have me.”
Both Jin Cheng and Tang Cuo knew that they didn’t have another movement in their hands. If the singing was circulating in the air, it could only mean that something had gotten out of their control.
Indeed, five minutes later, the familiar system announcement brought on the worst news.
“Ding!”
“The 5th Movement has been detected, the holder is civil-servant player D11119.”
“The laws are within permissible authority. They are accepted and will take effect immediately.”
โAn announcement will be made to the entire city.โ
โCommand: Forced missionโs time limit will change from one month to one week.”
โCommand: From now on, among all the dungeon rewards, [Black Dragon Scale], [The Pale Heart], [Drake’s Gem] and [Spark of Forgiveness] will come into possession of civil-servant player D11119.”
“The laws will take effect immediately.”
The announcement was made three times in a row. After the first time, the girl in front slumped to the ground crying. Her boyfriend hurried over to help her, but before he could even comfort her, the girl turned into a flash of white light and disappeared from the theater.
โNannan!” The boy panicked, his whole body shivering like an ant crawling over a sizzling pan. He immediately thought of something and rushed outside.
The girl must have triggered a forced mission.
“Civil-servant player D11119, Black Hat.” Jin Chengโs voice sounded slightly coarse.
People like Jin Cheng and Lin Yandong knew about Black Hat holding onto the 5th Movement, but since he was already a civil servant, he only needed to wait until the end of his karma-serving period to reincarnate. Now it turned out that he had waited till after Jin Cheng used the 6th Movement to catch everyone off guard.
Tang Cuo thought of something and asked: “Donโt you sometimes work with him? Havenโt there been any signs until now?”
Jin Cheng: “Black Hat is different from K. He doesn’t interact with others often and rarely shows up. This person has an odd temper. Iโve done a few transactions with him but havenโt dug up much of his background. If anyone can understand him, it can only be K and the lady boss of the izakaya. Lin Yandong may also know something.”
K was the boss of the Ruby Bar.
The current situation was very bad. Most ordinary players wouldnโt continuously enter the dungeons, so anywhere around here, there would definitely be people who hadnโt done any mission for more than a week. The 5th Movement had barely emerged but a large number of players must have triggered a forced mission.
Jin Cheng and Tang Cuo quickly walked out of the theater to see the streets much emptier than before. Everyone was freaking out with overwhelming anxiety on their faces, and the atmosphere that had just eased out yesterday became suffocating once more.
But at this moment, the melody that should have stopped resumed again, abruptly striking the players like a lightning bolt.
“Ding!”
“The 12th Movement has been detected, the holder is civil-servant player D11119.”
“The law is within permissible authority. It is accepted and will take effect immediately.”
โAn announcement will be made to the entire city.โ
“What’s going on? How come thereโs another one?!”
“Oh my god โ”
“Stop, I beg you, please stop!”
“Donโt read it out!”
“……”
The begging and the noise couldnโt stop the system from ruthlessly making its announcement.
“Command: From now on, the Black Hat Miscellaneous Store will open up the Infinite Market of Dreams. All players are welcome to visit.โ
The translator has something to say:
So, you all thought that you would finally get the confession and some lovey-dovey moments of our two idiots?
Well… (๏ฟฃโฝ๏ฟฃ)

Translator and reviewer at Strictly Bromance blog. In essence, she lives to indulge in plot-driven stories sprinkled with camaraderie and slow-burn drama-free romance, especially more so if they belong to adventure, mystery or supernatural genre. A trope that she always thirsts after: “Comrades who go through life and death together”.
NOoOOOoOooo i was blushing and everything ๐ฉ
Really, black hat. You really know how to pick a time to use the movements. *Sigh*
NOOOO black hat youโre #1 in my black list for disturbing their date
AAHHH BLACK HAT YOU BASTARD!! COME HERE!
i promise i wont beat you up(๏ฟฃฮต(#๏ฟฃ)โโฐโฎo(๏ฟฃ็ฟ๏ฟฃ///)
U JUST F*CKING RUINED THE GOOD AMBIENCE!! (โฏโตโกโฒ)โฏ๏ธตโปโโป
IM SO MAD I COULD DIE(ๅธเฒ ็เฒ )ๅธ
When he said, ‘I’m serious about this’ I was about to shout when suddenly the 5th and the 12th movement announced I was finally able to shout ‘the fck’!!!’
why can they let these two finish their date first before having this bad news??!!! and damn, will others able to see how merciful jin cheng is for having a generous command for the 6th movement. black hat’s command is cruel in comparison
I feel like I’ve been stuffed with dog food then forced to vomit it all out immediately…
I hope this Black Hat dies for implementing these laws, and also for ruining the JinTang date ๐
๐ฉ๐ญ๐this close
I was blushing half way when suddenly the announcement rang out, at that point i frustratingly sighed, goddammit. And i was so looking forward to their date too..
NOOO damn it!
The slur half way through the date kinda ruined the chapter for me. I know I see it all the time on Reddit and the hate filled portions of the forum, but I just… kinda feel like BL should be better than that, you know? Guess thereโs not much you can do if the slur was used in the original Chinese. Maybe itโs not a slur to them.
Thank you for translating, btw. I know I never comment, because I find it too much trouble to have to go to a different browser to do so, but I have been reading since the first few chapters were released and enjoying the story.
Hi Anra7777, Iโm sorry but Iโm not quite sure what do you mean by โthe slurโ and making the connection back to hate-filled forums, at which point in this chapter did that happen? Perhaps you could let me know so I could help clarify.
In any case, I appreciate your support and Iโm glad that you like the story ^^ Thanks so much!
The word โretardedโ is considered a slur. Not by everyone. But it is offensive to enough people that I was disappointed to see it here. Iโve personally known people with Downs Syndrome before, and the ones I knew were good people. But even before that, I remember learning as a very young kid that it was a word I should never use negatively, as it was considered a bad thing to do.
I see your point. Indeed the original word didn’t mean as much as a slur as it would be in the English language. That’s something I should have taken into consideration. Thanks for the note and I’d change it ^^
…IIRC, if Black Hat dies dies or reincarnates, his fifth and twelfth movement laws will go away. Imposing on the players’ lives like that, will he even live to get what he wants?
Anyway, Jin Cheng and Tang Cuo are so, for lack of a better phrase, freaking delightful lol. Funny moments, sweet moments, cool moments, it all puts a smile on my face ^^ I ended up burning through the chapters so fast _(:ะทใโ )_ Wonder how they’ll react to this mess and how they’ll move forward after this almost confession.
Thank you for the chapters ๐
Hi jujube, thank you so much for checking this out and leaving such a hearty comment. Truly appreciate it ^^~ I’m so glad you like this.
Indeed, let’s see how these two idiots unfold their romance in future chapters (๏ฝกโขฬแด-)โง Hope to see you around!
damn, i got goosebumps…wah it is too much…
Hi Jeyee, I think this is the first time I see your comment? Thanks for reading this novel ^^ Hope to see you in future chapters too!
Hi, yeh its because I tend to be too slow so if I really can’t control myself from commenting only then will i comment…thanks for replying though.. XD
Wah, so hatefull! Ruined the atmosphere!! I was glad to see their relationship progressing so smoothly and then we got sidelined by the plot so hard! So very hateful!! QAQ
Also I’ve always been interested in Black Hat, but i sure didn’t see this coming. Is he trying to get more points? The fact that he forced people to go into games every week and then immediately started his own “dreaming” business seems to point in that direction, but it’s very weird since he’s already a civil servant. But the fact that he wanted some very specific materials feels like he has a bigger plan.
All in all thanks for translating this novel!! I liked it so much i caught up in 2 days!! Maybe I’ll be leaving more comments now that i have to wait for the other updates :’D
Hi BlueOddesssy,
Thank you for checking this out too! Very glad that it got you hooked enough to finish it in 2 days. Reading long comment like this is very encouraging. I’ll be looking forward to see you more in future chapters then ๐
What! Where is ny confession! Heelllllllllll! QAQ! This goddamn Black Hat!!
The atmosphere was so gooddddd ( TะT)ๅธ
Ai, guess we will have to wait much longer for it…. Hopefully Jin Cheng won’t get mad… Though I kind of wanr to see him get mad because his lovey-dovey moment was interrupted? hehe.
Oh well……
Thanks for the chapter…๐
Ai, you guess correctly, it will be quite a wait to see them being lovey-dovey again *translator is smiling evilly*
This is what we probably call a classic trope of ‘getting interrupted in the middle of a love confession’…
And as always, thanks for reading <3