Yue Er spread her hands helplessly.
"You never know!"
"These days I can't see my big brother anywhere except at the academy!"
"When I go to the Eastern Palace to look for him, sometimes he isn't there, and even when he is, he just ignores me!"
Yue Er's expression carried a hint of grievance, looking pitiful and woebegone.
Xia Ruqing couldn't help but laugh.
"Your big brother is attending court now, helping your imperial father share the burdens of state!"
"You must be good, you must be sensible!"
Yue Er pouted.
"How am I not sensible! It's not like I go looking for him while he's in court!"
But perhaps out of a guilty conscience, her voice grew softer and softer, until it vanished altogether by the end.
Xia Ruqing tapped her little head.
"You, you!"
"Hasn't your brother treated you well?"
"Back when you wanted to learn to ride, he taught you behind your father's and my backs, and when you wanted to leave the palace, he took the risk of sneaking you out!"
