After Crossing Over, I Marked the Empress

Chapter 169 : Silly and Naive

On this day, the weather was fine and pleasant.

The late April sunlight was bright and splendid, with vibrant energy permeating throughout the Free Federation.

Gu Junwan had the day off and wasn't accompanied by her usual retinue of guards.

She brought only Shen Han and Xu Zhao as she headed to her mother's villa.

Special Assistant Xu was also supposed to be off today, but she didn't have many close friends or relatives to visit, so Gu Junwan simply invited her along for the family meal.

Xu Zhao was naturally delighted by her monarch's invitation.

Not only could she enjoy a free meal, but she could also watch a certain Alpha behave docilely in front of her mothers-in-law. What a wonderful holiday!

Xu Zhao knew it wasn't nice to take such schadenfreude in others' misfortune.

But schadenfreude is human nature, not something one can simply switch off.

Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder secretly: Did Shen the puppy clash with her two mothers-in-law in some ways?

Otherwise, why was she always caught at important moments when with the Empress?

Xu Zhao would never forget the feeling of mountain-like pressure crushing down on her as she reluctantly answered the former empress's calls on the previous two New Year's Eves.

She nearly lost her sense of self under that pressure.

Additionally, she was somewhat aware of the incident half a month ago when the Empress visited the hospital room at night.

Though she didn't know the details, she could imagine the awkward scene with her toes.

Shaking her head to dispel these stray thoughts, Xu Zhao's gaze fell on the Alpha closely following her monarch's other side.

Shen Han was dressed casually today.

She looked less serious and stern than during her daily work, with more of the vitality and energy unique to young women.

Judging by appearance alone, she looked like a college student who hadn't yet graduated.

Gentle and obedient, full of youthful vigor.

Gu Junwan was also dressed casually today.

A light-colored t-shirt paired with a knee-length pleated skirt - simple in style, the most common outfit for young women in the Free Federation.

But due to the Empress's innate noble aura and perfect body proportions, even this simple dress ensemble looked fashionable and alluring on her.

Though Gu Junwan and Shen Han maintained some distance between them, their invisible auras constantly intermingled, harmonious and natural.

Xu Zhao looked at one, then the other, thinking how well-matched they appeared!

......

After lunch with the two mothers, Shen Han was thinking of asking her wife to give her some private tutoring, sharing tips on learning Ksenrodean.

She had heard Gu Junwan conversing in that language before.

At the time, she didn't understand the intricacies involved, only feeling that her wife sounded incredibly fluent and charming speaking a foreign language.

Now that it was her turn to learn this minor language, Shen Han realized just how difficult it was to truly master Ksenrodean.

Seeing that neither mother-in-law was paying attention to her, Shen Han winked at Gu Junwan beside her.

She whispered: "Wife, shall we go to your room?"

Before Gu Junwan could respond, Tang Yucai's voice floated over: "Little Shen, I've recently cultivated a new medicinal herb. Would you like to take a look?"

Shen Han looked innocently at the Alpha mother speaking to her, wanting to refuse but not daring to speak up.

So she could only secretly squeeze Gu Junwan's fingers, sending a signal for help.

Gu Junwan held her hand, about to find an excuse to reclaim her Alpha's companionship time.

But Gu Qianqiu, sitting nearby, spoke first: "What new herb have you cultivated that you need to specially show off?"

This was naturally directed at Tang Yucai.

The purpose was self-evident.

Seeing her mother come to her aid, Gu Junwan smiled, hurriedly leading Shen Han towards her room.

Only after the two had completely disappeared did Gu Qianqiu pinch Tang Yucai's ear, saying irritably: "We're both mothers now. How can you still be so childish?"

Tang Yucai shrank her neck, pleading softly: "Madam, I was just joking earlier. I'm not really jealous of those two little ones."

......

Shen Han had been to Gu Junwan's room twice before.

It preserved many traces of her growth.

There were photos of Gu Junwan as a child, books she had read, and some dolls and crafts from her adolescence.

Every time Shen Han came, it was like a treasure hunt.

She would fondly flip through her wife's adorable childhood photos, then pester her to talk about those times she couldn't participate in.

But today, Shen Han's mind was preoccupied with worries, so she couldn't play around as usual.

Gu Junwan's room was a suite, divided into areas like a living room, bedroom, and study.

Shen Han pulled her into the study. As soon as they sat down, she began to whine: "Wife, it's so hard to start learning Ksenrodean! I've been studying for over half a month, but I still can't grasp the pronunciation."

"I've memorized a lot of phrases by rote, but when I put them together it becomes gibberish. What should I do? I've only mastered some of the most basic daily greetings. I'm afraid if someone cursed me in Ksenrodean to my face, I'd think they were just saying hello!"

Shen Han buried her head against Gu Junwan's soft abdomen, squirming while continuing to complain.

Gu Junwan gently stroked the Alpha's head, smoothing her hair while comforting her: "The hardest part of Ksenrodean is the basic entry level. It gets much easier to learn after that."

She traced the Alpha's delicate ear with her fingertip, finally resting on her cheek.

She caressed a small lock of Shen Han's hair, saying softly: "I've seen the guard team's learning progress. You're already doing very well. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. When I was learning this language, it took me three months just to barely get started."

Under her Omega's gentle reassurance, Shen Han's anxiety gradually subsided.

She even felt a bit pleased, because Gu Junwan rarely praised others.

If she thought something was not bad, it meant it was very good!

After lounging on the Omega's lap for a while, Shen Han suddenly thought of something and quickly sat up straight.

She held Gu Junwan's hand to her throat, asking earnestly: "Wife, I heard that to quickly find the correct pronunciation position, you can use a method of pressing on the throat to find the technique."

Hearing this, Gu Junwan was slightly stunned.

She carefully searched her memory but couldn't find the technique Shen Han mentioned.

But Shen Han was very enthusiastic, directly pulling her to start experimenting.

"Wife, I'll say a couple of sentences for you to hear. Please don't laugh at me."

After saying this, Shen Han began spouting sentences in her clumsy Ksenrodean.

The sentences were all simple, just some daily phrases like "The weather is nice today" and "It's an honor to meet you."

Listening to her Alpha's stiff recitation, Gu Junwan's eyes curved slightly.

She felt like laughing in her heart but worried that laughing would discourage the other's enthusiasm, so she had to pretend to be calm and hold it in.

As Shen Han spoke, she noticed her Omega watching her with an expression as if listening to an incomprehensible text.

There was a glimmer of light flickering in her pupils.

She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head, asking: "Wife, are you laughing at me?"

Gu Junwan hurriedly shook her head: "No, how could I laugh at you? I-"

Before she could finish her explanation, a pair of warm lips pressed against her red ones.

Shen Han released her grip on the other's slender hand, wrapping her arms around Gu Junwan, trapping her between the sofa backrest and her own body.

She gently plundered the other's breath, savoring the sweetness that blossomed on their tongues.

Shen Han's sudden kiss gave Gu Junwan an inexplicable feeling of nervousness and excitement.

Who could have imagined that someone who had been talking about studying seriously would suddenly lean in for an intimate moment?

Gu Junwan closed her beautiful eyes, her long lashes trembling incessantly, like two bewitching raven feathers, brushing against the Alpha's heartstrings.

As the kiss deepened, Gu Junwan's arms had unknowingly wrapped around Shen Han's neck.

She gently responded to the other, drawing in the scent she loved.

After about 10 minutes of kissing, Shen Han reluctantly released the other's red lips.

She reached out to smooth her Omega's hair, speaking with unsteady breath: "Shall we... continue studying?"

The pine-scented breath fanned across Gu Junwan's forehead, dyeing her porcelain-like face with a blush.

She raised her eyes and gave the other a gentle glare: "You rascal, you still remember we're supposed to be studying?"

The Empress's phoenix eyes were typically sharp, their golden color often giving people a deep sense of pressure, symbolizing authority.

But at this moment, her upturned eye corners and the faint mist floating in her golden eyes appeared incredibly alluring to Shen Han!

Shen Han felt her heart was about to leap out of her throat.

She forcibly suppressed the urge to kiss the other again, placing her palm against Gu Junwan's neck, whispering: "Wife, why don't you say a few sentences too? I want to feel the difference between us when we use the same language."

Seeing the other's serious attitude, Gu Junwan also put aside the romantic thoughts the other had just stirred up.

She composed herself a bit, enunciating clearly as she repeated the few greetings the other had said earlier.

In an instant, Shen Han was stunned in place.

She knew there was a big gap between herself and her wife in Ksenrodean.

But she hadn't expected the difference to be so vast!

The same short sentence, when spoken by her wife, sounded so melodious and pleasant.

Shen Han felt her ears were about to get pregnant!

After Gu Junwan finished saying the common greetings, seeing Shen Han motionless as if in a trance, she softly cursed in Ksenrodean: "You silly thing."

Shen Han hadn't learned this phrase and thought it sounded a bit like "It's an honor to meet you."

So she stumbled through a reply in Ksenrodean: "I'm glad you can say that."

At this, Gu Junwan could no longer hold back and burst out laughing.

Shen Han pondered the phrase the other had just said and realized it wasn't the greeting she had learned.

Seeing her wife's reaction, she immediately understood she must have been teased.

"Oh you! Wife, what did you just say? Quick, confess!"

As she spoke, she had already moved her hand to cup the other's head.

Then she pressed her whole body against her, pinning her to the sofa.

The soft leather cushion sank slightly, bearing the weight of the loving Alpha-omega couple, playing out a joyful melody.

The early summer afternoon sun blazed outside.

The two in the study room tumbled together in laughter, like flowers in full bloom, their fragrance intoxicating.