After Crossing Over, I Marked the Empress

At 10 PM.

An Alpha who had been waiting for a long time finally welcomed the Omega she most wanted to see.

Since Gu Junwan had sent a message in advance saying she would come to the apartment.

As soon as she sat down after entering, a warm bowl of dessert was placed before her.

“What’s this?”

“Fermented rice balls. It’s most comforting to drink this in winter. Try it quickly.”

Gu Junwan took the small porcelain bowl handed to her, looking at the small, round dumplings on the spoon, and very gracefully brought them to her lips.

The aroma of sweet wine mingled with the unique scent of the Alpha before her, both blooming on her tongue simultaneously.

Gu Junwan savored this seemingly simple but unfamiliar sweet soup.

She wondered again in her heart, why did this Alpha always know things different from ordinary people?

Shen Han ate the small tangyuan in her own bowl while unable to resist stealing glances at Gu Junwan eating.

She thought to herself, if only the other could come to her place every night for a late-night snack.

She could make many more dishes, surely able to help her put on some weight. She was so slender, how would she keep warm when the temperature dropped further in the coming days?

If Xu Zhao were here and happened to hear her thoughts.

She would calmly throw a sentence at her: The places where the Empress stays all have heating, silly child.

Although Shen Han had only served her a small bowl.

Gu Junwan still felt she couldn’t finish it halfway through.

She had just looked up to see the Alpha staring intently at her and the bowl in her hand.

“Do you want some?” the Omega asked very reservedly.

“Yes!” The Alpha happily took the other’s utensils and began to finish the remaining tangyuan in the bowl.

Watching her sip the sweet soup with squinted eyes.

Gu Junwan even suspected that she had served her so much just waiting for this moment.

“Where did you put the suona?”

Shen Han, immersed in the nourishment of sweet soup and plum fragrance, heard this natural question and just as naturally pointed towards the TV cabinet: “It’s over there!”

As soon as the words left her mouth, the Alpha’s entire eating motion froze.

As if someone had pressed the pause button.

……

After cleaning up the soup bowls and spoons, the two sat side by side on the soft sofa, enjoying this brief moment of relaxation.

“Can you tell me about your hometown?”

Gu Junwan didn’t ask where she had learned to play the ancient instrument.

Nor did she ask why she always made strange but delicious things.

Clever as the Empress was, she always knew the art of “leaving blank spaces.”

It wasn’t necessary to dig to the root, nor did it prevent her from understanding the other’s past life experiences.

Shen Han felt there was nothing she couldn’t talk about.

After organizing her thoughts a bit, she began to tell the other some interesting stories from her time on the Blue Water Planet.

This included how she had once disguised herself as an apprentice to carry out a mission to protect cultural relics.

And then was forced by her makeshift master to learn the suona for an entire year.

As she spoke, Shen Han felt a slight weight on her shoulder.

Glancing sideways, she found the Omega had closed her eyes and was resting on her shoulder.

Shen Han immediately fell silent, slightly adjusting her posture to make it more comfortable for the other to rest.

The living room suddenly became quiet.

The Omega’s gentle breathing was right by her ear.

The cold plum fragrance seemed to have turned into a warm current, dyeing the Alpha’s entire ear red.

Shen Han placed her hands properly on her own legs.

But her eyes couldn’t help glancing towards her shoulder.

From her line of sight, she could only see half of Gu Junwan’s face.

On that flawless skin like fine jade, moist red lips were slightly parted, as if hinting at some invitation, bewitching and soul-stealing.

Shen Han’s heartbeat began to quicken uncontrollably.

Like a trapped beast, pounding against the wall chamber cracked by the little cat’s claws earlier in the day.

She slowly turned her neck, moving slightly towards the nearby Omega.

The crisp scent of snow cedar fell on her cheek.

Gu Junwan’s delicate palm, hidden in her sleeve, unconsciously gripped the fabric beneath it tightly.

The kiss carrying the scent of snow cedar finally landed on the Omega’s hair.

Like a delicate butterfly, alighting then flying away.

Also like a gentle feather, brushing the depths of Gu Junwan’s heart.

The two rested leaning against each other like this for a quarter of an hour.

Xu Zhao’s gentle knock came at the door, indicating it was time for the Empress to return and rest.

Shen Han carefully woke the Omega on her shoulder.

Then reluctantly saw her out the door.

Although she wanted Gu Junwan to stay with her, she knew the other had many things to do early the next morning.

Moreover, the current situation didn’t allow for the two to stick together for long periods.

The next day, half of the trainee guard team was off duty.

Ning Xi had originally wanted to invite her newly acquainted Omega girlfriend to go to a bar.

But she received consecutive phone calls from her parents, insisting she must return to the old mansion for dinner.

Since the whipping incident, Ning Xi hadn’t returned to her parents’ home.

She had a private apartment in the Fourth District, where she happily arranged her time off with friends.

After becoming a member of the Empress’s trainee guard team, a considerable sum was deposited into her salary card each month.

Even if her parents cut off her allowance, she still lived quite comfortably.

But with her parents making several calls in a row, Ning Xi didn’t dare to deliberately defy them.

After spending the afternoon cuddling with her Omega girlfriend.

She finally drove to the Ning family’s old mansion, arriving just in time for dinner.

She had thought she would face another storm of criticism like last time.

Unexpectedly, all the Ning family members in the old mansion had greatly changed their attitude towards her today.

Ning Xi didn’t know what they were up to, so she just ate dinner as usual.

After the whole family put down their chopsticks, she prepared to say goodbye and leave.

“Ning Xi, come with me for a moment.”

Her father called her, then led her to Grandfather Ning’s study.

Ning Xi was completely baffled.

She even thought to herself: Could this meal have been a farewell dinner?

Was the Ning Xin Group about to collapse? Was her grandfather going to berate her severely and then drive her out of the family?

After entering the study, however, the atmosphere was unusually harmonious.

Her father, sitting to the side, had become completely decorative.

Most of the time, it was Grandfather Ning inquiring about his granddaughter’s daily life.

While Ning Xi answered cautiously.

Seeing that enough groundwork had been laid, Grandfather Ning finally got to the point.

“During these days of training at the base, have you had any contact with Her Majesty the Empress?”

Hearing this question, Ning Xi was stunned.

But she couldn’t not answer her grandfather’s question.

After careful consideration, she honestly told him about the few times she had seen Her Majesty the Empress.

After listening, the Ning father and son exchanged a subtle glance, both seeing confusion in each other’s eyes.

They probed a bit more before finally letting Ning Xi leave.

After she left.

The Ning father and son remained in the study for a small meeting.

“Ah, what a pity. I thought our Xi’er had stumbled upon good fortune and caught the Empress’s eye. After all, S-class Alphas are rare, and she’s right there near the Empress.”

“Isn’t that so? With Her Majesty supporting our Ning family like this, if there truly isn’t a hint of something behind it, I certainly wouldn’t believe it.”

“Forget it, we can’t guess at the Empress’s methods. Our Ning family has received such great favor now, we must produce some results. It’s best to stop these other wild thoughts right here.”

“You’re right, Elder. I was just about to tell you, that child Ning Xi has changed girlfriends again recently. I think just based on this point, the Empress’s peach blossom branch couldn’t possibly fall on her head.”

Time arrived at the end of the year.

The Free Federation didn’t have a New Year’s Day holiday, but the atmosphere of crossing into the new year was exceptionally lively.

At noon, Gu Junwan had just finished an international conference when she received a message from Shen Han.

[It’s New Year’s Eve tonight, can we spend it together?]

[Sure, I don’t have much to do today. I can probably come to the apartment to see you around 7 PM.]

After sending the message, she waited a long time without receiving a reply.

Only on the communication interface screen, it kept showing ‘The other party is typing.’

Gu Junwan’s beautiful phoenix eyes kept staring at the phone.

She was a bit curious about what kind of long discourse Shen Han would send her.

But when she finally received the message, it was only a short sentence.

[I want to take you out to play.]

Seeing this sentence, the golden pupils of the Empress Omega immediately showed a different color.

The Alpha’s next message quickly followed.

[Don’t worry, we won’t go too far. I’ll protect you so that not even a single hair will be touched.]

Gu Junwan raised her finger to stroke the cold screen, but her fingertip seemed to feel warmth.

It was the warmth in her heart.

She very much wanted to go out as an ordinary person, to see the most authentic appearance of the Free Federation.

She also very much wanted to go out with Shen Han.

Without anyone disturbing them, just like other Alphas and Omegas on ordinary dates.

Talking without worries, walking side by side on the street, then waiting for the holographic fireworks at midnight, welcoming the new year together.

Gu Junwan pulled back her thoughts, then typed a single [Okay] in the reply box.

On the other side of the screen.

Seeing that extremely simple word, the Alpha became incredibly excited.

She quickly pulled out her pre-prepared ‘action plan.’

Switching to another phone, she rapidly sent messages in the three-person group.

This was also something she had already agreed upon with Ning Xi and Ma Haoyu.

The two each took on a task and began preparing for Shen Han’s outing that night.

Ning Xi sent a voice message while busy.

[Now you’ve been exposed! I really didn’t expect it, your mysterious Omega is actually someone from the base. Why don’t you just tell us directly, which family is she from? Why do you need to sneak her out like this?]

Ma Haoyu didn’t respond in the group, but in his heart, he was mocking Ning Xi for being such a fool.

Unable to guess such an obvious answer.

How many people in this base couldn’t conveniently swipe their cards to go out in their own identity?

Shen Han planned the route while explaining to Ning Xi.

[It’s because all private floating cars can’t operate tonight, right?

Otherwise, why would I need your help? Don’t dawdle, you absolutely can’t mess up the access issue for me.]

Ning Xi nodded at the screen while feeling something wasn’t quite right.

Not being able to drive a floating car seemed to have little to do with not being able to enter and exit the base normally, didn’t it?