to employ or engage in schemes, tricks, or underhanded tactics

to make clear or find out the truth about a situation or fact

to make a fool out of or to dupe someone, often through trickery or mockery

to tease; to make fun of; to play tricks on

to fool, trick, or deceive someone

to fiddle with or tinker with

to play tricks on, make fun of, or mock someone for amusement

to practice fraud; to resort to trickery

to mock, ridicule, or tease someone in a derisive or sarcastic manner

to ostentatiously display one's abilities, knowledge, or possessions to impress others

narrow lanes and alleys forming a residential network

to cause the death of a person, animal, or plant, often through deliberate or accidental physical action

to make something physically dirty, stained, or unclean

to make an error or get something wrong

To be toyed with or treated cruelly, often by fate or unpredictable circumstances.

a narrow lane or residential alleyway, typical of old neighborhoods in Shanghai and surrounding regions

to physically damage an object or cause it to stop functioning

to move something to and fro with a hand, foot, or tool

to wake someone up

to attempt a clever maneuver only to have it backfire or result in a clumsy mistake; to overreach oneself

to employ or display (tricks, tactics, or skills), especially in a calculated way

unable to figure out

to deliberately make things mysterious or unnecessarily complicated to confuse or mislead others

to make eyes at someone or to signal with one's eyebrows and eyes, often to communicate secretly or to tease

to get a good grasp of

lit. to pretend to be in contact with supernatural beings; fig. to create a false sense of mystery or play tricks to deceive or scare others

to strike a coquettish pose

to put into physical disorder, make untidy, or disturb by meddling

To incite quarrels or create conflict between people by spreading rumors, telling tales, or making mischief.

to tease, provoke, or play with a child or animal for amusement

to fondle, caress, or stroke

to display one's slight skill before an expert

to fiddle with, handle, or fix mechanical objects or tools

to stir up trouble or spread rumors, often to create discord

to pervert the law or distort facts by playing with legal phraseology

to bring to a deadlock or result in a stalemate

pretense that turns into reality; to play at make-believe but accidentally make it true

to play with; to fiddle with

emperor's favorite courtier

to ruin, spoil, or mishandle a situation or task

to wave or wield something, such as a weapon or tool, in a vigorous or ostentatious way

to play around with or manipulate something idly, restlessly, or nervously with one's fingers

To enjoy a happy and leisurely old age by spending time playing with one's grandchildren.

to move things around or rearrange them

to stir up trouble or sow discord among people

to provoke or stir up trouble

to move back and forward; to tinker or fiddle with something

lit. singing of the wind and the moon; fig. vacuous and sentimental (of poetry or art)

to provoke, stir up trouble, or instigate conflict