After Crossing Over, I Marked the Empress

Chapter 214 : The Empress's Dependence

The roar of helicopter blades had long since faded, but the inseparable embrace on the cliff-top meadow continued.

Several minutes earlier, Shen Han had already stopped kissing.

She held the person in her arms, feeling her noticeably thinner waist, and whispered in her ear, "Wife, you've had a hard time these past few days."

Hearing this, Gu Junwan raised her eyes.

Looking into those clear black eyes, as familiar as ever, her voice trembled slightly: "Shen Han, don't leave me again."

At this moment, Gu Junwan was no longer the decisive Empress of usual times.

She completely revealed her vulnerability and softness to her Alpha.

After saying these words, she could no longer hold on, her body going limp as she fainted in the embrace that made her feel secure.

In the instant she lost consciousness, Gu Junwan's mind involuntarily flashed back to the scene of her first encounter with Shen Han.

Back then, she had also been like this, overwhelmed by the enveloping scent of cedar to the point of losing her last bit of clarity.

This scene, this moment, was just like that time.

The difference was that now, these two people, these two hearts, had become each other's home.

Shen Han bent her knees slightly, lifting Gu Junwan into her arms, and turned to walk towards the forest where Xu Zhao and the others were.

She placed a kiss on her beloved's smooth forehead, promising: "I will never leave you, for all eternity."

Xu Zhao, closely watching the two from within the forest, immediately ran forward with medics when she saw her Empress faint.

"Her Majesty must be exhausted. She's barely rested these past few days."

"How are you? Do you need—"

Before Xu Zhao could finish, she saw the person before her begin to sway.

She cried out in alarm, quickly signaling two medics to come forward and support them.

Shen Han insisted on gently laying down her wife before her vision went black and she too lost consciousness.

These past few days had been extremely arduous for her, with only one full night's sleep during her feverish coma the night before.

If it had been anyone else, they would have collapsed long ago.

After all, trekking through the jungle on the brink of death was enough to break most people.

Moreover, Takeda Tatsuya had never ceased his efforts along the way, constantly trying to break through her psychological defenses.

Now that the dust had settled, Shen Han's tightly wound nerves could finally relax.

The result was a complete backlash of the mental and physical strength she had overdrawn.

Watching the two being transferred to stretchers, Xu Zhao felt an endless surge of empathy.

She thought they had been through too much, but thankfully, though the journey had been rough, the outcome was ultimately good.

Earlier, the scene of the two embracing and kissing had been witnessed by soldiers from both countries.

It seemed the time for Empress to announce her relationship was imminent!

……

Gu Junwan woke up that same night.

As consciousness returned to her body, her first reaction was to look for Shen Han.

When she realized she was lying in the border hotel of the Jiying Empire, an inexplicable panic arose in her heart.

She feared her memory had become muddled.

She feared that the scenes of reuniting with Shen Han in her mind were just a dream she had imagined.

"Xu Zhao!"

Hearing the Empress's call, Xu Zhao, who had been guarding the bedroom door, immediately entered.

She quickly walked to the bedside, crouching down to look at the Empress who had sat up with an urgent expression: "What's wrong, Your Majesty? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

After composing herself, Gu Junwan asked directly: "Where's Shen Han?"

Knowing her Empress was anxious, Xu Zhao dared not delay for a moment.

She helped her sit up against the headboard while speaking: "Shen Han is in the guest room. The military doctor has examined her, there's no major problem. With some good rest, she'll recover fully."

Hearing this response, the great weight in Gu Junwan's heart finally settled.

"I'm going to see her."

As soon as the words fell, she had already moved off the bed.

Xu Zhao lowered her gaze to her Empress's jade-like bare feet, quickly bringing slippers from the side to put on for her.

She had originally wanted to persuade her to rest a bit longer, but now felt it was unnecessary.

The Empress's desire to be by the dog's side was so strong, no one could possibly dissuade her.

Thinking of this, Xu Zhao couldn't help but muse secretly: After this ordeal, the Empress's dependence on her Alpha has grown stronger and stronger.

In the past, would she ever have shown such a flustered appearance?

……

Shen Han had been arranged in the Empress's suite, a decision made by Xu Zhao.

She figured that since their relationship had already been exposed to that extent, this made little difference.

Additionally, when the Empress woke up, she would certainly want to see her immediately. Living under the same roof would save them from running back and forth.

In fact, if not for considering that Shen Han's body was covered in medicine, she would have put them in the same bed directly.

The pheromones between Alpha-Omega partners could comfort each other. Sleeping close together might even help both recover faster.

After bringing her Empress to the guest room, Xu Zhao very tactfully withdrew.

"Your Majesty, I'll be in the living room. Please call me if you need anything."

After the assistant left, Gu Junwan walked straight to the bedside and sat down.

A portable IV stand stood beside the bed, having been working for some time before the Empress woke up.

However, it was currently idle.

Shen Han lay flat on the bed with her eyes closed, looking like a very well-behaved student.

Her cleaned hair spread smoothly on the pillow, black and glossy, forming a stark contrast with her fair face.

Gu Junwan gently brushed aside her bangs, pressing her palm to her forehead.

The temperature felt normal, further calming her heart.

After sitting by the bed for a short while, Gu Junwan stood up and walked around to the other side.

Kicking off her slippers, she carefully moved to lie beside her beloved.

Lifting a corner of the thin blanket and confirming that there was no IV needle on the back of Shen Han's hand on this side, she finally embraced her arm and lay down.

After slipping under the covers, Gu Junwan immediately smelled the strong scent of medicine.

It wasn't pungent, but its presence was very strong.

Thinking of all the hardships Shen Han had endured these past few days, her heart ached terribly.

It felt as if a mountain was pressing down on her, making even breathing difficult.

Gu Junwan never wanted to experience again that pain and loneliness of facing the possibility of losing her at any moment.

She didn't even dare to think about what she would do if Shen Han had disappeared without a trace.

A fear called 'aftershock' swept over her like a tide, and Gu Junwan quickly suppressed her thoughts.

She moved a little closer to Shen Han, like a person about to freeze to death longing for the warmth of a fire.

After closing her eyes for a moment, she felt a little dissatisfied again.

Because all she could smell was medicine, completely unable to sense her Alpha's scent.

After a brief hesitation, Gu Junwan loosened her hold on the arm she was embracing.

Trying her best not to press down on her, she found a suitable angle and buried her head in the crook of Shen Han's neck.

This position was very close to the Alpha's scent gland, and the medicinal smell finally ceased to dominate.

The Alpha's soft hair had a fresh scent, with a faint cedar aroma like lingering mist.

It made her heart itch while also feeling incredibly secure.

Pillowed by Shen Han's scent, Gu Junwan quickly fell asleep.

Xu Zhao, waiting in the living room, never heard her Empress call. Without realizing it, she too dozed off on the sofa.

She hadn't rested much lately either and was truly exhausted.

Near dawn, there was a gentle knock on the suite door.

It was the doctor and her assistant.

They had come not only to examine Shen Han but also to continue her IV drip.

After letting them in, Xu Zhao quickly tidied her slightly disheveled hair from sleep and said to the two, "Please wait a moment."

She entered the guest room quietly, finding everything as she had left it.

The floor lamp emitted a just-right soft glow, and the IV stand stood by the bed like a bare dwarf tree.

If anything was missing, it was Gu Junwan's presence in the room.

Xu Zhao approached the bed and looked closely, nearly dropping her eyeballs in shock.

She saw that her Empress had somehow squeezed into the thin blanket and was sleeping together with the dog.

But if it were just that, there would be nothing surprising.

What made Xu Zhao's scalp tingle was that the Empress was sprawled entirely on top of Shen Han.

The Alpha's collar was pulled loose and slack, even exposing one collarbone.

The Empress's head was pressed into her neck, and Xu Zhao wondered if the dog could breathe comfortably.

Xu Zhao found a clean silk cloth in the room and covered Shen Han's white shoulder and neck skin.

Then she called softly, "Your Majesty, the doctor is here to continue Shen Han's IV drip."

After these words, Gu Junwan showed some reaction.

However, the Empress showed no intention of getting up, instead burying her face deeper into Shen Han's neck and becoming still.

This situation was something Xu Zhao had never encountered before.

The usually efficient Special Assistant Xu didn't know how to handle it for a moment.

Should she forcefully wake the Empress? Or simply call the doctor in directly?

The examination could wait, but at least they should hang the IV drip for the dog.

After all, the doctor already knew about the Empress's relationship.

When the doctor entered the guest room carrying her medical kit, she immediately drew in a sharp breath.

She stood at the bedside looking for a long while, then turned to Xu Zhao and urgently whispered, "The patient's body is greatly depleted and still weak, this isn't good!"

Xu Zhao silently rolled her eyes, thinking: What can I, a mere assistant, do? Pull back the covers and separate them?

After composing herself, she spoke softly, "It's no use telling me. Why don't you hang the IV drip first?"

The doctor carefully studied the situation before her and said with a troubled expression, "That won't do!"

"When limbs are compressed, it easily leads to poor blood circulation!"

"Special Assistant Xu, please handle this quickly, lest the patient's condition worsen."

The back-and-forth dialogue between the two standing by the bed quickly brought Gu Junwan back to consciousness.

Realizing she had somehow ended up sleeping on top of Shen Han, the Empress's cheeks, hidden by her long hair, immediately flushed red.

She propped herself up on Shen Han's shoulders, raising her head slightly.

Then, in her usual steady tone, she spoke: "Xu Zhao, you two step out for a moment."