As soon as she heard she was to be punished, Zi Su dared not speak further and obediently followed them inside.
Outside, the sun gradually grew venomous. Under the blazing sun, even the grape trellises in the courtyard wilted. The bamboos in front of Xia Ruqing's window were motionless; not even a breath of wind stirred. In summer, it wasn't the heat one feared, but the lack of wind. Everywhere under the heavens was stifling, and inside rooms, it was like a steamer, leaving people with nowhere to hide.
Xia Ruqing lay on a cool couch woven from rattan, fanning herself, yet she still felt hot. Even with ice in the room, it wasn't cool enough. Her clothes were soaked through with sweat. Zi Yue had cut up fruit, but Xia Ruqing didn't want to eat a single piece, feeling entirely listless.
"Mistress! How about we speak to the Emperor and stay at The Summer Resort for a while?" It was cooler there, near the mountains.
