Jia Lian, with the clandestine arrangement of Jia Zhen and his son Jia Rong, secretly took You Erjie, Jia Zhen's second sister-in-law, as his concubine, establishing a life together outside the family estate. At times, when Jia Lian was unable to visit her himself, he would dispatch servants to deliver provisions.

One day, You Erjie inquired with a young attendant named Xing'er about the habits of Baoyu in the Jia family. Xing'er responded, "When Master Baoyu is in good spirits, he plays with the servants in a '没上没下' manner, showing no regard for their differing statuses. But when he is displeased, he ignores everyone."

This description of Baoyu's behavior illustrates the idiom, referring to someone who disregards social hierarchy and acts without proper deference.