The Ten Canvases

Chapter 6

Chapter 6 

The moon, half-obscured by clouds, shone down on Zhao Wanyan’s silhouette. It outlined her curvy figure, graceful and slender. Her skin was remarkably fair, to the extent of sharing the same shade as the moonlight. It was almost impossible to tell them apart. What was the scream about then? It was not because of an intruder. Instead, it was due to a golden koi fish that leaped out of the river right in front of her. Xiang Yang happened to witness this scene due to his swift response. The golden koi fish was strikingly colorful, yet it paled in comparison to Zhao Wanyan’s flawless and refined body. With a leap, its body slid past her firm breasts, drawing up a water arc as its tail flicked. The water splashed over Zhao Wanyan’s wet body, as if she was draped in a layer of crystal slivers. Plop! Then, the golden koi fish returned to the water.  

With her left hand caressing her breast, Zhao Wanyan bent over and looked into the water. Her unkempt hair had been washed and was now as soft as silk. When her hair spread out across the water, ripples were formed, layer by layer. However, the golden koi fish had already swum away. A smile worked its way across Zhao Wanyan’s face as she murmured to herself, “I’ve never seen such a beautiful koi fish before…” It was then she realized the presence of another silhouette beside her. Turning around, she found that Xiang Yang had crossed the bridge and was staring at her in stupefied amazement.  

“Ahh!” Startled and embarrassed, Zhao Wanyan hastily covered her breasts with her hands. She then hurriedly hid in the water with only her head exposed. “S-sorry!” Xiang Yang cried out his apology, as though he had just woken up from his dream. With that, he sprang over the bridge in a flash. After catching his breath, he was still dazzled by what he had seen. The previous mesmerizing scene was engraved on his mind, and it would be unforgettable for his entire life. Even though he was bold and straightforward when dealing with ladies, he treated them with respect. He had never seen a naked lady, not to mention such a gorgeous lady. He did not know how mad Zhao Wanyan was going to be. It’s up to her whether to give me a piece of her mind or beat me up. It’s all my fault for making her embarrassed. I shouldn’t have rushed out before checking properly. He pondered silently to himself. However, he lost control of his mind as he recalled how she looked like in the water again. At a loss of what to do and perturbed, he struck twice out of exasperation, carving a palm print on the stone bridge. Although the bridge was a famous art piece, he could hardly care about that fact anymore.

After an unknown length of time had passed, Xiang Yang heard Zhao Wanyan summoning him, “Mr Xiang, Mr Xiang…” After he left the bridge, he saw Zhao Wanyan wearing his robe. Her upper garment had been washed and was not dry yet. She had left it hanging on a tree. It was rather amusing to see her dressed in a man’s loose robe, coupled with a long cotton skirt. Normally, if Xiang Yang were to witness this, he would have laughed out loud. However, the current situation was quite awkward, thus leaving both of them completely speechless. Despite Zhao Wanyan’s fair complexion, the rosiness of her cheeks were very conspicuous. She pursed her lips and played around with the corner of her clothes, trying to hide her embarrassment. Earlier, she managed to yell Xiang Yang’s name when he was not in front of her. However, she was at a loss for words now.

“How old are you, Miss Zhao?” She heard Zhao Yang asking her all of a sudden. Stunned, Zhao Wanyan simply lowered her head and gestured 18 with her fingers. Her heart fluttered, for she was unclear of why he asked about that.

Slap! Slap! Slap! The sounds of slapping abruptly broke the silence. Xiang Yang was slapping himself with his right hand consecutively. In one breath, he had slapped himself for a total of 36 times. Zhao Wanyan exclaimed in shock, “What are you doing?” Xiang Yang then replied, “I’m extremely ashamed! You’ve asked me to keep watch, but I’ve accidentally seen your body. Your parents have nurtured you for 18 years. I would like to apologize to them with these 36 slaps.”

Upon hearing his words, Zhao Wanyan smiled shyly as she spoke, “Why would you do that? It...It’s not like you’ve seen their bodies.” Xiang Yang clapped his hand again and agreed, “Exactly! I should apologize to you.” As he spoke, he raised his hands and was about to hit himself again. Zhao Wanyan quickly held his hand and stopped him. “Enough, don’t hit yourself anymore!” Xiang Yang felt nothing but the tenderness of her palm the moment she took him by the wrist. Distracted, he could not hit himself anymore and ended up gazing at her. However, this somehow brought a blush to Zhao Wanyan’s cheeks. Hence, she quickly let go of his hands and ran away.