It was late in the still of night, when the moon climbed above the branches.
After a busy day, Ouyang's master had gone to bed early, hugging a pile of top-grade spirit stones he had just painstakingly earned and calculating how many recording stones he still had in his pockets.
Suddenly, a gentle force pushed the door open. A waft of fragrance drifted in, and Mu Yunhai, her white hair like snow, stood timidly in the doorway, holding an erhu and looking at him.
Nighttime, sleep, master's wife, a night visit.
These words surfaced disastrously in Ouyang's mind, instantly leaving his mouth and throat rather dry.
Looking at Mu Yunhai, who resembled a porcelain doll, Ouyang stammered, "Madam, what are you doing here instead of sleeping so late at night?"
"May I come in?" Mu Yunhai asked timidly, carefully holding her erhu.
"This... isn't quite proper, is it? Come in, quick, and close the door!" Ouyang hurriedly told Mu Yunhai.
Mu Yunhai walked in and sat on the little stool beside Ouyang's bed, studying him curiously from one side and then the other, as though looking at a monkey in a cage.
Her scrutiny gave Ouyang the creeps. Faced with this porcelain vase that seemed liable to shatter at any moment, he kept feeling a certain familiarity.
"Young madam, what are you looking at?" Ouyang braced himself and asked.
If she has improper designs on me, should I submit, or put up a little resistance before submitting?
Just as Ouyang was agonizing over this, Mu Yunhai timidly spoke. "Shall we sleep?"
?
"Madam, isn't that a little improper?" Ouyang said rather bashfully, looking into those lively yet extraordinarily pure eyes.
Whatever else I may be, I, Ouyang, am a man of principle. How could I possibly do something so indecent!