Chapter 654: Brother, Don

"Help, help!"

The Little Princess of Jinyang shouted at the top of her lungs, even rolling on the ground, making it clear she didn't want to go back.

Chen Yan was fuming, but he ignored the kid, sitting on his chair and watching her act.

After a while, Sizi seemed tired, quietly lifted her eyes to glance at Chen Yan: "Brother, why aren't you rescuing me?"

"Aren't I your most beloved little sister?"

"……You better get up right now." Chen Yan said with a dark face, "Look at yourself—acting like a brat, crying miserably, feigning illness, rolling on the ground; do you still remember you're a princess?"

"Your face is about to be completely ruined."

"Fine, I don't care." Sizi lay on the ground, pursing her lips, "I don't want to go back anyway; just let Chengyang's older sister go back. I'm fine staying at home—why do I have to return?"

"Everyone in the Chen household is talented and speaks nicely; I really like it here, I won't leave."

Chen Yan threatened, "Do you believe I'll spank your butt and then never let you stay at home again?"

Sizi lifted her head, seriously saying, "Brother, if it's not conducive to unity, you should say less, otherwise it's bad for everyone."

"You also don't want the nickname 'Kidney‑Weak Young Master' to spread throughout the Tang Dynasty, right?"

Chen Yan:???

Good fellow, are you being threatened back?

He stared dumbfounded at Sizi on the ground, laughing in anger: "This time is different; this time you have no say. You must go back and stay for two months, otherwise you won't be allowed to go out and play later—just stay at home obediently for me."

"No!"

Sizi couldn't hold back, scrambled up from the ground, and asked plaintively, "Why must I go back and stay for two months?"

"Didn't we all agree? The three of us live as if everything's fine—why do you insist I have to go back?"

Chen Yan rubbed his forehead, "I made a bet with your mother… sigh, never mind, I won't say more; you have to go back and stay for two months anyway."

Made a bet…

Sizi was stunned, saying incredulously, "You lost?"

Chen Yan said nothing, just stared at her.

Sizi felt even more aggrieved, assuming from the start that Chen Yan had bet with Empress Changsun, the wager being whether she and Chengyang would go back to stay for two months, and that Chen Yan had lost.

After all, Empress Changsun misses her daughter—a fact everyone knows—she definitely wants to live well with her daughter for a while.

Suggesting that her going back to stay for two months is perfectly normal.

"How could you lose to your mother? If you lose, you lose—why did you also lose me?" Sizi pouted, as aggrieved as possible.

"How am I supposed to live like this?"

Chen Yan helplessly waved his hand, "Alright, alright, stop pretending; it's just going back to stay for two months, right?"

"How big of a deal is that?"

"As for the bet… there's nothing I can do. Things have come to this; what can I do? Could I even go back on my word with your mother?"

"Good girl, go back and stay properly for two months; when you return, I'll take you out and have a good time."

Sizi: "But …"

"No buts." Chen Yan crouched again, comforting, "Sizi, you've grown up; you can't always cling to your childish temper. Your mother misses you a lot."

"You have to understand your mother's feelings."

"After all, you're the piece of flesh that fell from your mother's womb after ten months; she cares about you, right?"

Sizi silently nodded.

Chen Yan, seizing the moment, said, "I know you like staying at home, but I'm not saying I'll never let you return; you just need to go back and stay for two months."

"After you stay for two months, you'll have some fun in the palace, and after the two months I'll bring you back."

"Then I promise to take you out and have fun, okay?"

"…Fine." Sizi still wanted to refuse, but when she looked up she saw Chen Yan's sincere gaze, and she suddenly recalled how Chen Yan and Empress Changsun had been good to her, and she reluctantly agreed.

"Good."

Chen Yan patted Sizi's head, "I'll have someone help you and Chengyang's older sister pack some things later; we'll aim to leave early and return early."

"Mm‑hmm." Sizi reluctantly nodded.

"Alright, go then, you go have fun first."

"Oh."

Sizi, hearing that, subconsciously headed out, and just as she was about to leave, she remembered something and turned back to ask:

"Brother, what bet did you make with your mother?"

"…Don't ask questions that aren't conducive to unity; I don't want to bring this up again, sigh, my lifelong reputation."

Sizi, seeing this, comforted, "Brother, don't be too sad; losing is losing. After all, my mother is the Empress; losing to her isn't shameful. At worst I go back and stay for two months, it's fine."

"Alright, I get it, my little sister at home is still the best."

"Mm‑hmm, brother, I'm leaving; take care of your health and don't be too sad."

"…Sigh~ I get it, I'm not sad."

Chen Yan stood with his hands behind his back, gripping the flesh on his butt tightly, and with great difficulty pulled out a trace of sorrow and pain on his face.

If it weren't like this, he'd truly be afraid of laughing out loud.

He has never said that he lost.

It's all the kid's own imagination.

Anyway, everything he said is the truth: the bet is true, and the two‑month stay is also true.

Not a bit deceptive.

Sizi saw Chen Yan's expression, sighed softly, feeling a little guilty for her earlier fuss.

Brother must be sad too, right?

We've lived together for so long, and now I suddenly have to leave for such a long time, and it's all because he lost the bet.

Older brother surely feels worse than I do.

I was actually being unreasonable before, pretending to be sick and rolling around.

Really, I'm being so immature.

"Older brother, don't worry, I'll be back in two months, goodbye."

"Go... take care, Sizi." Chen Yan cried and laughed, one part painful, one part happy.

He almost even spoke his truest thought from his heart.

After Sizi left, Chen Yan sat in the chair, silent for a while, then his whole body began to tremble, and he could no longer hold back his laughter.

As the saying goes, when the demon rises a foot, the Dao rises a zhang.

Don't worry about what method I used; just tell me whether I managed to deliver that demon pill.

As for Sizi returning to the palace, will she learn the truth of the matter?

That damn thing has nothing to do with him.

Anyway, it was Li Shimin who firmly demanded that he coax Sizi and send her into the palace.

He was just carrying out the imperial order; what's the problem?

There's no problem at all!

The bet was made with Empress Changsun, and the order came from Li Shimin.

He was also quite helpless.

"..."