After Crossing Over, I Marked the Empress

At midnight.

A holographic fireworks extravaganza simultaneously began in the skies above the entire Free Federation city.

The brilliant, colorful lights illuminated countless faces filled with hope.

They also lit up the young couple kissing in the alley.

Before this, Gu Junwan had never imagined she would welcome the new year in such a way.

This night was both novel and warm for her.

Even many years later, whenever she recalled this moment, her heart would still flutter uncontrollably.

The typically proud and independent cold plum, enveloped by the passionate snow cedar, released its deepest, most intoxicating fragrance.

Shen Han’s phone was still vibrating.

For a full 15 minutes, it truly rang from the end of the old year into the beginning of the new.

The caller’s persistence and urgency were evident.

After embracing and kissing Gu Junwan for a little while longer, Shen Han reluctantly stopped on her own initiative.

She didn’t dare act too unrestrained, lest she give the Omega before her the impression of being too impatient.

Additionally, the phone in her pocket was vibrating tirelessly.

It inexplicably gave a sense of extreme urgency.

Shen Han held the slightly panting Gu Junwan who was leaning against her chest with one arm, while taking out her phone with the other hand and pressing the answer button.

“Special Assistant Xu? What’s the matter?”

As soon as Shen Han spoke, Xu Zhao’s calm yet tense voice immediately came through: “Please let Her Majesty take the phone.”

Hearing Xu Zhao’s tone, Shen Han immediately understood that there might be a problem.

Without any delay, she directly held the phone to the ear of the Omega in her arms.

Gu Junwan quickly adjusted her breathing, then began to speak: “What happened?”

Twenty minutes earlier.

Xu Zhao, who had been resting her eyes in the Empress’s office, was suddenly startled by an incoming phone call.

Because it was the Empress’s private phone that was ringing!

Earlier, to focus on her date with Shen Han without distractions, Gu Junwan had left her phone behind.

Xu Zhao had voluntarily taken on the task of safeguarding it.

Firstly, if someone had an urgent matter for the Empress at this time, only she could help handle it to some extent.

Secondly, Xu Zhao was an orphan, without a partner or particularly close friends.

During holidays, she was accustomed to spending time working.

What Xu Zhao hadn’t expected was that someone would actually contact the Empress tonight.

And there was no way she could help handle it!

Because the caller was Ms. Fei Xi, the old housekeeper of the Empress’s family.

Moreover, this was a three-way holographic video call.

When Xu Zhao saw the two projections appearing before her, she felt like her scalp was about to fly off the top of her head!

Ms. Fei Xi’s location was Gu Junwan’s residence in the base.

The other party was the Peace Palace in the capital, with the former Empress and her Alpha partner, along with their daughter Gu Yuwei.

The Empress’s family members were seated around a round dining table.

The former Empress didn’t look well, with her partner sitting beside her, ready to care for her at any moment.

Gu Yuwei sat stiffly upright in her seat, her face expressionless.

After the holographic video connected, the former Empress’s golden phoenix eyes looked towards Xu Zhao.

“Ms. Fei Xi said Junwan is still working overtime in the office. Why don’t I see her?”

Hearing this, Xu Zhao’s forehead was almost dripping with sweat.

She didn’t dare lie to the former Empress, nor could she betray her own Empress, so she could only choose to remain silent.

The air suddenly became quiet at this moment.

Even though it was a holographic projection across a vast distance, faced with the former Empress’s calm yet imposing presence, Xu Zhao still felt a sense of impending doom.

After a moment, the former Empress spoke again: “Contact Junwan, right now.”

Xu Zhao reluctantly took out her phone and quickly called Shen Han.

No one answered.

On the connected screen, the mechanical female voice from Xu Zhao’s phone saying “Sorry, the number you have dialed is busy” kept repeating.

Like the gavel in a judge’s hand, each sound affected everyone’s heartstrings.

Just as midnight arrived, Gu Yuwei, who had been sitting silently at the table, finally couldn’t resist starting to attack her rival.

“She must be out on a date with an Alpha. Mother, look! Even someone as steady as her can be blinded by emotions. I am the one who can lead the Federation into the future!”

As she spoke, there was obvious excitement in Gu Yuwei’s voice.

She felt she had finally performed well in front of her mother.

Since the power struggle, although her two mothers hadn’t openly questioned political matters or severely reprimanded her on the surface, she could sense their disappointment in her.

Now that she had finally caught Gu Junwan making a mistake, how could she not be elated?

However, just as Gu Yuwei was kicking her sister while she was down.

The former Empress merely looked at her calmly and said: “Dating an Alpha has no bearing on whether she is an excellent empress or not.”

Hearing her mother say this, Gu Yuwei immediately deflated.

While Xu Zhao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, she also couldn’t help but silently criticize Gu Yuwei.

‘You really don’t think before you speak. The former Empress is also an Omega, and she married her partner and gave birth to you two sisters. What you just said negates your own mother as well, doesn’t it?’

The call was finally answered.

Hearing her Empress’s voice, Xu Zhao almost wept with joy.

There was no helping it; the pressure from the former Empress had been too great.

Gu Junwan’s voice was as cool and composed as ever. After learning of the current situation, she didn’t reveal any nervousness.

“Mother, how is your health?”

The former Empress didn’t respond to this. After a moment of silence, she asked over the phone: “Did you go out?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Did you see the holographic fireworks in the sky above the city?”

“I did.”

“Did you like them?”

“I really liked them.”

The mother and daughter exchanged questions and answers over the phone, seemingly chatting about trivial matters.

Gu Yuwei couldn’t stand this.

She pressed her hands on the table and spoke up again: “Mother! Why aren’t you asking her-”

She had barely begun when a glance from the former Empress silenced her.

After a few more exchanges, this call ended as abruptly as it had begun.

Gu Junwan hung up the phone, and only then did Shen Han softly ask near her ear: “Did your mother have something urgent? Does she know you left the base privately? Will this cause you any trouble?”

Gu Junwan buried her head in the Alpha’s neck, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible joy.

“There won’t be any trouble, but I must return now.”

Just now, when she was talking to her mother, the former Empress wasn’t really asking about fireworks at all.

The former Empress was clearly inquiring about the Alpha who was with her.

Among all the people involved in this call, perhaps only Gu Yuwei hadn’t caught the hidden meaning in the former Empress’s words.

Of course, this wasn’t because she was slow-witted.

Rather, she had placed all her attention elsewhere.

After all, the once-unified Free Federation had been split into north and south because of her.

She always felt guilty about this.

But she didn’t regret it.

She wanted to prove to her mother, her sister, and the billions of subjects that she was more excellent than Gu Junwan and more suitable for that position.

Shen Han sent a message in her three-person group chat, saying that they wouldn’t need to assist with the next phase of the plan.

As soon as she sent it, Ning Xi’s text immediately popped up.

[Have you finally come to your senses? Are you planning to spend the night at a hotel? That’s more like it. How could you waste such a beautiful night and scenery?]

Shen Han couldn’t conveniently explain to them, so she simply didn’t reply.

She led Gu Junwan to where the car was parked, then drove back to the base.

Xu Zhao had mentioned the vehicle access permissions issue on the phone earlier.

Only then did Shen Han realize that when their vehicle had been stopped earlier while leaving, it was Special Assistant Xu who had helped.

On the return journey, Shen Han curiously asked: “Your sister launched a coup and seized half of your power. Doesn’t your mother intend to intervene?”

Previously, they hadn’t discussed family topics.

So Shen Han had just learned that Gu Junwan’s Alpha mother and Omega mother lived in the Peace Palace in the Second Northern District.

Gu Junwan thought for a moment, then said: “Ever since giving birth to my sister, Mother’s health hasn’t been good. Despite many examinations, no major problems were found. The doctors just advised her to rest more and worry less.”

“That’s why Mother handed over power to me so early. In recent years, her health has been deteriorating. After fainting suddenly once, my Alpha mother forbade her from concerning herself with these matters anymore.”

Shen Han nodded, then asked with some concern: “Now that they’re living with your sister in the Peace Palace, can they receive attentive care?”

What Shen Han really wanted to ask was, given that her sister was capable of trying to assassinate her, now that she had seized half the power, would she possibly place their parents under house arrest or something similar?

But she couldn’t ask so bluntly, so she adjusted her language.

Gu Junwan understood her worries and concerns immediately.

She turned her head slightly, smiling at the Alpha’s focused profile as she drove: “There’s absolutely no need to worry about that. My sister is terrified of Mother. I think in the entire Peace Palace now, the place she least dares to set foot in is the residence where Mother is resting.”

As they chatted, they soon returned to the base entrance they had passed through not long ago.

The same diligent young man was still on duty.

After carefully verifying the license plate, he didn’t even check the driver and immediately granted passage.

Afterwards, this ordinary business vehicle was allowed through various areas of the base.

Shen Han drove, escorting the Empress Omega back to her residence.

Perhaps someone had given advance notice, as only an elderly female Beta came out to greet the Empress.

The woman wore a housekeeper’s uniform, her hair impeccably styled, with deep lines connecting her nostrils and the corners of her mouth.

Her entire demeanor exuded a sense of stern inflexibility.

Seeing her Empress being led out of the car by an Alpha.

Ms. Fei Xi’s brows furrowed, her eyes moving to glare directly at Shen Han!

Shen Han wasn’t afraid of a staring contest and immediately glared back at her with wide eyes.

Only when she heard the Omega beside her gently remind her did she finally release Gu Junwan’s hand.

“Go back quickly, and remember to send me a message before you sleep.”