After Crossing Over, I Marked the Empress

When Shen Han received Xu Zhao’s call, she was sitting patiently in her barracks.

She wore a white turtleneck sweater, simple and fresh.

Her smooth long hair was tied in a high ponytail, the ends lightly brushing her shoulders, exuding youthful vitality.

By the door, New Year’s gifts Shen Han had specially prepared were placed.

On the phone, Xu Zhao tried to maintain her usual tone.

“Her Majesty is feeling unwell. Come over first. It’s a sensitive time, so to avoid attention, find a doctor’s outfit to change into, and I’ll drive over to pick you up now.”

She added a question: “Can you find a white coat, medical kit, and such?”

Shen Han: “No problem, I can find those in the special training room at the camp.”

“By the way, how is Junwan? Did she catch a chill this afternoon? Has a doctor been called to see her?”

Xu Zhao walked out while saying: “She might have caught a slight chill, but it’s not serious. I can’t talk now, change your clothes and wait by the second road to the left outside the barracks gate.”

“Oh, okay, I’ll head out now.”

Shen Han put on her wool coat, picked up the prepared gift box, and hurried out towards the special training room.

Worried about her Omega’s condition, she called her while busy, but the call wasn’t connected.

She then sent several messages in succession.

[Junwan, don’t worry, I’m on my way.]

[If you’re really unwell, we can go to Mom’s place later.]

[If I’d known today’s operation would go so much more smoothly than imagined, you wouldn’t have needed to come along. You must have been chilled by the wind and snow-]

Empress’s villa, bedroom.

Seeing the messages from her Alpha, Gu Junwan’s heart rate increased uncontrollably.

She didn’t know what was wrong with her. The words her partner sent were all so proper.

But thinking of the person on the other end of the screen rushing over, she felt nervous and quite bashful.

Gu Junwan didn’t reply to the messages. She got up from the bed and went to sit on a sofa in another area.

She steadied her breathing, leaning weakly against the backrest, eyes closed, waiting.

……

After picking up Shen Han, Xu Zhao said nothing more, driving straight to the Empress’s residence with her.

These past few days, security in the Peace Palace had been tight.

Armed soldiers patrolled everywhere.

Even the car Xu Zhao was driving was stopped twice.

However, the checks were quick.

After Shen Han got in the car, they drove for 15 minutes before arriving at the Empress’s villa.

Shen Han, wearing a white coat with a mask and carrying a medical kit, hurriedly followed Xu Zhao inside.

She had wanted to bring the New Year’s gift along secretly, but was stopped by the special assistant.

Xu Zhao thought to herself: Is this the time to be concerned about New Year’s gifts?!

Going upstairs, Shen Han recalled the way Xu Zhao had looked at her earlier, feeling something was odd.

With no time to think further, they arrived on the second floor.

Xu Zhao led her to the Empress’s bedroom door, then stopped.

“Go in by yourself.”

Shen Han didn’t suspect anything. She nodded to Xu Zhao and pushed the door open to enter.

Xu Zhao closed the door and went directly downstairs, adjusting her glasses.

She still had to speak with the maids in the villa, telling everyone not to go to the second floor.

She also needed to handle things with the former empress for now.

In the Empress’s bedroom.

After entering, Shen Han put the medical kit down by her feet.

She removed her mask, curiously surveying her Omega’s private domain.

The bedroom was large, with areas for clothes and hats, makeup, leisure, and a bathroom.

Soft light reflected in Shen Han’s clear eyes, giving them a unique brightness.

“Junwan.”

After removing her mask, Shen Han smelled the faint plum fragrance floating in the air.

She followed the subtle scent, turning past a row of cabinets to find the person she urgently wanted to see.

The lighting in this area was dimmer. Shen Han looked up, only able to make out a figure reclining on the sofa.

Hearing the soft call, the figure only moved slightly, with no big reaction.

Shen Han took a few steps to the sofa, crouched down, and reached out to touch Gu Junwan’s cheek.

“Junwan, you-”

The heat from her palm and the more obvious cold plum scent at close range all stimulated Shen Han’s nerves.

A ball of fire seemed to surge in her throat, burning so fiercely she couldn’t continue speaking for a moment.

Gu Junwan had been leaning on the sofa armrest with her eyes closed, propped on her elbow. Feeling her Alpha’s arrival, she slowly opened her beautiful eyes.

Her dark golden pupils, brimming with allure, were like the most mysterious stars. One glance could seemingly capture a person’s soul.

Shen Han shook her head hard, her tongue pressing against the canine teeth that had already emerged in her mouth. She moved closer and said softly: “Has your heat started? Do you want me to have Xu Zhao bring in an injection?”

As soon as she finished speaking, a warm softness pressed against her lips.

The Omega’s fragrant and sweet breath surged into her mouth, directly erasing the last bit of restraint the Alpha had been maintaining.

Shen Han pressed her palms on the sofa cushion, rising slightly to gently encircle the other in her arms, deepening their kiss.

She felt as if a heart had grown in the gland at the back of her neck, pounding and aching with swelling.

She had released pheromones in the afternoon, and now being teased by an Omega in heat, she simply couldn’t contain it.

The cedar army rushed out eagerly, crashing straight into the cold plum scent before them in a large-scale invasion.

Shen Han had no previous experience with marking. Feeling her uncontrollable pheromones and fearing she might hurt her Omega, she hurriedly released the other’s lips. Pressing her own nape, she murmured in a trembling voice: “Junwan, I- I-”

The corners of Gu Junwan’s eyes were tinged red, her gaze misty.

She wrapped her arms around her Alpha’s neck, softly pulling her close. Her red lips touched the other’s ear as she breathed out like an orchid: “Silly Alpha, mark me.”

Those five short words made all the blood in Shen Han’s glands boil.

Gu Junwan’s slightly coquettish voice was like a key unlocking some gate, releasing all of Shen Han’s previous suppression.

The Alpha’s possessiveness reached its peak at this moment.

Shen Han raised her hand to grip the other’s soft waist, holding her Omega down on the sofa.

She brushed aside the long hair at the back of the Omega’s neck, burying her face to kiss that gland emitting an enticing fragrance.

Gu Junwan’s delicate hands gripped the soft leather of the sofa tightly as electricity seemed to flow from her gland.

Her brain completely lost the ability to think, all her senses concentrated on that one spot at the back of her neck.

It was a foreign sensation she had never experienced before.

An unprecedented comfort.

The cold plum fragrance permeating between them became even more intense.

Stimulated by the heat of passion, the Omega instinctively released pheromones, enticing her Alpha.

Shen Han’s eyes had long since darkened completely.

Her canine teeth pierced the thin skin of the gland. In this instant, she felt as if she had merged with Gu Junwan into one.

After biting Gu Junwan’s neck, Shen Han’s breathing became even more scorching.

She bit rather deeply, as if wanting to infuse all the cold plum she could reach with her own scent.

Gu Junwan lay on the sofa, whimpering softly.

An indescribable, intense sensation swept through her entire body like a tsunami.

She wanted to call Shen Han’s name, but only broken sounds emerged.

Nearly ten minutes passed before Shen Han slowly released the other’s neck.

Gu Junwan, like someone who had nearly drowned finding air again, gasped tearfully.

She didn’t know how long had passed, only feeling that this period seemed incredibly long.

Looking down at the deep teeth marks on that fair skin, Shen Han felt very tender.

She didn’t dare touch the other’s gland again.

She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to resist biting once more.

“Does it hurt?”

Hearing the Alpha’s soft inquiry by her ear, Gu Junwan had no strength to answer.

Her body trembled lightly, her heart beating extremely fast.

Shen Han stood up, lifting her Omega in her arms.

“The sofa is too narrow. Let’s go to the bed.”

……

Xu Zhao sat in the living room downstairs. Seeing the time had reached 8:30 PM, she couldn’t help but start to feel nervous.

Originally, by this time, they should have already arrived at the former empress’s residence for dinner.

Now it seemed dinner probably wouldn’t happen.

Although Xu Zhao was a beta, she knew that if it was just a temporary mark, it wouldn’t take this long.

Perhaps it was a case of fearing what you speak of.

Just as she was thinking about the former empress, a call came from her.

After connecting, Tang Yucai’s voice sounded first: “Neither Little Wan nor Shen Han are answering my calls. What’s going on? Didn’t we agree earlier they would come for dinner?”

Hearing this, Xu Zhao felt her scalp tingle.

With such a direct question, she didn’t dare casually lie.

So Xu Zhao carefully chose her words and said: “Teacher Tang, it’s like this. Her Majesty is feeling a bit unwell.”

Tang Yucai: “Ah? Has a doctor seen her? Should I come over?”

Tang Yucai’s medical skills were excellent, so her suggestion wasn’t out of place.

But Xu Zhao didn’t dare invite her over. She could only say reluctantly: “No need, no need, Teacher Tang. Her Majesty isn’t seriously ill. She should be able to call you back soon.”

Tang Yucai wasn’t a fool. Hearing Xu Zhao’s response, she knew the other was dodging.

She sighed lightly on the other end of the phone: “Xu Zhao, it’s New Year’s Eve. Are you trying to make me angry?”

Xu Zhao was nearly in tears.

She thought to herself: How dare I make you angry? I’m just a small assistant. I’m in a difficult position too.

If it had been Gu Qianqiu on the other end of the line, Xu Zhao wouldn’t have been so secretive.

But Teacher Tang was an Alpha, and it wasn’t appropriate for her to mention the Empress’s heat to her.

Mainly, this matter also involved Shen Han, and Xu Zhao didn’t know how to explain it.

At this point, Gu Qianqiu took over the phone on the other end.

The former empress’s voice carried obvious suspicion: “Xu Zhao, what exactly is going on?”

Xu Zhao looked around, making sure no maids were nearby, then covered the phone’s mouthpiece with her hand and said quietly: “Madam, Her Majesty’s heat has arrived.”

There was silence on the other end for a few seconds.

Then Xu Zhao heard her ask directly: “Is Shen Han there?”

Xu Zhao cautiously replied: “Yes.”

Gu Qianqiu: “I see.”