They left the courtyard.
Han Yue was still in a daze. Great Elder Su Qian's meaningful words continued to echo in her mind. He knew that the Han Family was mired in trouble, while the Hong Family pressed them harder at every turn. Hong Chen had even demanded that she and her younger sister both marry him.
That Hong Chen was utterly shameless, frequently sending letters to harass her.
If her grandfather had not been holding firm against the pressure, she and her sister would probably have...
But now Hong Chen had become an inner disciple of the Wind Lightning Pavilion and had even invited a Wind Lightning Pavilion Elder to oversee matters. The Hong Family's influence grew more formidable by the day. Her sister had traveled thousands of miles to deliver a letter to her precisely because of this. In that letter, her grandfather had left the choice to her.
If she refused to marry, the Han Family would have to prepare for a desperate struggle in which the fish died and the net tore. If she agreed...
"There's still a chance... there has to be."
Han Yue was like a drowning fish, reaching out desperately to seize that last, faint chance.
"Elder sister?"
Outside the courtyard, in the corridor, stood a woman whose features were almost identical to Han Yue's, though hers carried a touch more coldness and sharpness. Concern flickered in her beautiful eyes as she approached and asked, "Did you get permission to take leave?"
"I did." Han Yue looked up and saw her sister, only then breathing a sigh of relief.
In truth, she had already spent more than four years in the Inner Academy. Taking leave to return home now would effectively mark the end of her studies. It also meant that once she