After Crossing Over, I Marked the Empress

Gu Qianqiu wasn’t truly angry, that was beyond doubt.

Otherwise, she would have rushed over to chase people away on New Year’s Eve.

Calling Gu Junwan and Shen Han here was partly to see her daughter’s condition and give her some advice.

As for testing Shen Han, it was just a minor side plot. Who told her to be so unrestrained?

Gu Qianqiu knew her daughter’s temperament better than anyone.

In any case, the one indulging in pleasure certainly wouldn’t be Little Wan!

On the boxing ring, Shen Han had already begun sparring with Sun Liying.

Both were S-class Alphas, both female, and both held the title of guard captain.

As soon as they engaged, there was an intense feeling of needle meeting wheat.

Sun Liying was now over 45 years old. Naturally, her speed and strength were no match for Shen Han in her prime.

Her advantage lay in her rich combat experience, patience, and composure.

Logically, Shen Han should have been fighting more easily.

However, the reality was that after quite a while, neither could gain the upper hand.

Captain Shen had, after all, been exerting herself for two days and two nights.

No matter how good an Alpha’s stamina, it’s impossible to maintain full energy under all circumstances.

Moreover, the injuries inflicted by Yu Xiao earlier hadn’t healed at all.

At this moment, Gu Qianqiu led Gu Junwan to a corner and began to talk.

Gu Qianqiu spoke first: “How do you plan to handle Yuwei’s matter?”

Gu Junwan had long known her mother wouldn’t ignore her sister’s situation.

In fact, even before heading north, she had envisioned such a scenario.

At the time, she couldn’t think of a perfect solution, everything was Gu Yuwei’s just deserts.

But Gu Junwan truly couldn’t bring herself to execute her.

She also knew that on this matter, her mothers wouldn’t interfere with her decision.

But if she didn’t handle it properly, they would certainly be heartbroken.

Seeing her daughter remain silent, Gu Qianqiu raised her hand, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

“Mother asking you this isn’t meant to pressure you.”

“If the price of betrayal is too small, others will do the same in the future.”

“Yuwei’s matter is for you to decide. You don’t even need to tell me in advance. I’ve always believed my Little Wan can handle anything excellently.”

Gu Junwan nodded, then spoke: “Mother, I want to put Yuwei’s matter aside for now.”

“Although Takeda Tatsuya has escaped, he’s been undercover for so many years and planted many ‘mines’ both openly and secretly. The Free Federation won’t become stable just because I’ve unified the North and South Districts this time. On the contrary, I think chaos and turbulence will continue for a long time.”

At this point, Gu Qianqiu understood implicitly.

Gu Junwan didn’t need to elaborate further and directly stated her next work focus: “I plan to shake up a batch of officials, as well as financial groups colluding with bureaucrats and even foreign enemies.”

This wasn’t the best place to discuss state affairs, so mother and daughter briefly exchanged some views before turning their attention to the boxing ring.

At this moment, Gu Qianqiu suddenly called softly: “Junwan.”

Gu Junwan turned to look at the person beside her, her beautiful golden phoenix eyes flashing with a hint of doubt.

She saw her usually decisive mother’s expression reveal a touch of hesitation.

“What is it, Mother?”

Gu Qianqiu paused, then said in a voice only the two of them could hear: “If you want to quell internal unrest, announcing the Empress’s Alpha partner will have to be delayed.”

“Otherwise, your enemies will use this to launch attacks. Once caught in a public opinion storm, it won’t be good for you or Shen Han.”

Gu Junwan hadn’t considered this aspect yet.

Mainly because she had been entangled with Shen Han in their room for the past two days and couldn’t spare any thought for other matters.

“Don’t worry, Mother. I understand, and Shen Han will understand too.”

Gu Qianqiu nodded and coughed lightly, leaning in to her daughter’s ear to add one more piece of advice: “One more thing, be careful. It’s not appropriate to conceive at this stage either.”

Hearing the last sentence, Gu Junwan’s fair face instantly turned bright red at a visible speed.

The tips of her ears hidden by her hair became so red they seemed about to drip blood.

Seeing her daughter’s strong reaction, Gu Qianqiu’s heart skipped a beat.

She narrowed her phoenix eyes and asked directly: “Surely Shen Han hasn’t already-”

Before she could finish, Gu Junwan quickly interrupted in a small voice: “No, no! She hasn’t- it’s not the right time yet. I- Mother, please stop asking.”

Perhaps the last part of the mother-daughter conversation had caused a bit too much commotion.

Shen Han, fighting on the boxing ring, immediately had her attention drawn away.

Her ears perked up, her peripheral vision constantly glancing at Gu Junwan’s face.

Originally, the two had been fighting in the center of the ring.

But now, Sun Liying found herself forcibly moved along with her opponent to the corner post closest to where the two empresses were talking.

After fifteen minutes of continuous fighting, Sun Liying’s stamina was starting to flag.

She controlled her breathing, staring at the young woman before her whose face was almost turned towards the Empress, feeling both irritated and amused.

‘What is this about?’

‘Why don’t you just jump off the ring and eavesdrop on the empresses’ chat directly!’

“Hey, can you be a bit more serious? How are we supposed to determine a winner like this?” Sun Liying couldn’t help but call out.

Shen Han raised her arm to block while responding: “I am being serious!”

“By the way, what were you saying earlier about buying some miraculous pants?”

Hearing this, Sun Liying first froze, then burst out laughing in exasperation.

She voluntarily withdrew her fist, wiping away the sweat on her brow: “Let’s stop! I can’t beat you!”

With that, she ducked out between the ropes.

Sun Liying had been an instructor at the special training camp all along. After fighting for a short while, she had already noticed that Shen Han was fighting her while injured.

It made sense when she thought about it. Yu Xiao was no ordinary person; to come out of an encounter with him not dead or severely injured already indicated exceptional skill.

Seeing their former captain jump off the ring, the team members waiting below immediately started pushing each other to rush up.

After all, the former empress hadn’t said they couldn’t fight in turns!

Gu Qianqiu spoke up at the right moment: “Alright, Liying has conceded. The rest of you don’t need to go up there to get beaten.”

“Come back for dinner tonight.”

After leaving these final words for her daughter, Gu Qianqiu had already started walking towards the door, with the guard team members immediately falling into formation behind her.

With the current unstable situation, during this period, these veteran guard team members would protect their empress as they had done before.

Until everything settled, this team summoned in the face of crisis would disband.

These old team members didn’t know how long they would be able to reunite.

But everyone treasured the time they had together.

The group of Alphas with an average age of fifty surrounded their empress, walking in formation with straight backs.

Just like when they were in their early twenties and had just officially joined the guard team.

They were no longer young, but they would forever be youthful.

After Gu Qianqiu left with her people, Shen Han immediately bent down and ducked under the ropes of the boxing ring.

She stared at her Omega’s still-flushed face and asked curiously: “What did Mom talk to you about? Why is your face so red?”

Gu Junwan couldn’t bring herself to mention the topic of conception to her.

She took a tissue from her assistant and carefully wiped away the sweat on Shen Han’s forehead: “Mother invited us to dinner at the villa tonight. Let’s go, finish work first, then we can go over earlier.”

Shen Han knew the other had skipped her question, but she didn’t pursue it.

While putting on her jacket, she said: “Alright, alright. Today’s perfect to bring over the New Year’s gift for Mom.”

……

To avoid drawing attention, when Gu Junwan returned to her mother’s place in the evening, she brought Xu Zhao and several guard team members.

These people all knew about their relationship and understood how to help cover for them.

Of course, these props acting as cover couldn’t eat at the same table as the Empress’s family.

Gu Junwan had the kitchen prepare a separate meal for them, and everyone ate very happily.

Due to the upgrade in her relationship with Gu Junwan, Shen Han wasn’t as reserved as before during this meal.

After dinner, she even took the initiative to follow Tang Yucai to the yard to help tend to the Chinese herbal medicines.

Playing happily until 10 PM, when it was time for everyone to return to their residences, Shen Han started fidgeting as soon as she sat in the back of the official car.

Gu Junwan’s Empress’s villa had a tight security system, guards, and servants.

Last time was a special situation where Shen Han could sneak in disguised as a doctor, but trying the same trick today certainly wouldn’t work.

The Alpha had just tasted flesh and was at her most clingy stage with her Omega.

The thought of having to part with Gu Junwan soon made Shen Han’s heart ache as if scratched by a cat.

But she couldn’t think of a suitable way to solve the problem at hand.

She couldn’t go back to the villa with her, and she couldn’t take her to the barracks area where she was staying now.

‘Ahhh! What should I do!’

Just as she was panicking internally, Gu Junwan’s voice came from beside her: “Why are you so restless?”

Shen Han turned to look at her, half truthfully and half lying: “When I was fighting on the boxing ring today, some of my old scrapes got kicked again.”

As she spoke, her hand, originally resting on her own leg, quietly moved to cover Gu Junwan’s hand.

Just as Shen Han was about to play up her injuries to gain sympathy, she noticed the scenery flashing by outside the window wasn’t on the way back to her barracks.

“Huh? Where is this? I’ve never been here before.”

Gu Junwan was holding up her sleeve to examine an injury on her arm. Without looking up, she said softly: “I’ve prepared another separate residence for you.”

As for why, Gu Junwan didn’t need to spell it out. Everyone in the car understood!

It was for convenience in dating, of course.

In that instant, Shen Han felt all her injuries stop hurting.

In fact, a tingling sensation seemed to seep out from those bruises.

She felt light as a feather, as if her whole body might float up from the seat!

Gu Junwan nonchalantly lowered her eyes, fiddling with the other’s cuff. The porcelain-white neck hidden under her long hair had already taken on a faint pink hue.