After Crossing Over, I Marked the Empress

A week passed in the blink of an eye.

This internal commendation ceremony was not open to the public.

Therefore, the location was set in a small conference hall within the base, with a limited number of participants.

In addition to the thirty-one members of the guard team, there were over sixty people from the military and political circles.

In terms of rank, the hundred or so people attending the meeting were not the highest echelon.

But everyone present was among the ‘close courtiers’ who could appear directly by Gu Junwan’s side to serve her.

There were no chairs set up in the conference hall; all participants stood in designated areas according to their roles.

The guard team’s position was right in the center of all the formations.

Jiang Xinyue stood at the edge of the guard team, with Betas in front and to her right, but inevitably surrounded by Alpha teammates on her left and behind.

This made her feel very uncomfortable.

Anxious, nervous, her body tense.

Shen Han stood to Jiang Xinyue’s left. Sensing the Omega’s discomfort beside her, she quietly moved half a step to the other side.

This was the most she could do to accommodate at the moment.

And this subtle gesture had a substantial effect in alleviating Jiang Xinyue’s anxious emotions.

Fortunately, at this moment, Gu Junwan began to take the stage to speak.

The attention of everyone below instantly focused on the small ceremonial platform not far away.

Today, the Empress wore a dark green military dress uniform, with the skirt not falling below the knee.

Her long, slender calves were wrapped in tall boots, perfectly highlighting her flawless figure proportions.

Under the military uniform was a white shirt, with a black tie at the collar, giving a cool and restrained impression.

Gu Junwan wore no military hat on her head; her luxuriant black hair was slightly pinned up and draped over her shoulders, looking intellectual and beautiful while maintaining solemnity.

Combined with her porcelain-white skin and exquisitely flawless features, as soon as she appeared on stage, the temperature in the entire conference hall seemed to rise significantly.

Since it was called a commendation ceremony, Gu Junwan naturally couldn’t start by announcing news about the Northern talks.

And everyone present was already very clear about the previous B023 foreign mercenary armed attack incident.

As a result, many people began to multitask mentally.

It wasn’t just Alphas who were attracted to the Empress; the Betas and Omegas in the room also couldn’t take their eyes off her for a moment.

As everyone was looking, they suddenly noticed something very special.

The style of the Empress’s ceremonial dress seemed to be from the same series as the guard team’s uniforms!

The guard team members were all wearing dark military uniforms today, with wheat-ear-shaped epaulettes on their left shoulders.

The tough ceremonial fabric paired with black regulation military boots made these already handsome warriors look even more distinguished.

And among the thirty-one guard team members, the most eye-catching was undoubtedly Captain Shen Han.

Setting aside her status as a top-tier Alpha, in the past year or more, her performance on the battlefield and the many achievements she had made all made her the undeniably most dazzling presence.

She stood upright in the crowd, listening to the Empress’s speech on stage, her face calm but her eyes shining.

In this conference hall, about a dozen people already knew about Shen Han and Gu Junwan’s romantic relationship.

At one moment, these people suddenly had a feeling.

It was as if in this vast room, they and others were in a second space, while only the noble Omega on stage and the Alpha listening attentively below belonged to the same dimension.

An invisible beam of light shone on the heads of the two, allowing them to see each other with just a slight raise of their eyes.

As for everyone else, they seemed to have become mere insubstantial accompaniment.

This feeling was very subtle.

Those in the know could sense it, while the vast majority still in the dark couldn’t perceive it at all.

Ning Xi stood in place, applauding along with the surrounding crowd.

She was both happy for her boss and extremely envious of her.

That was the Empress, after all!

No wonder her boss didn’t even look at other Omegas when she had such an elegant and noble girlfriend.

In fact, Ning Xi’s thoughts were only half correct.

Shen Han didn’t ignore other Omegas because she had Gu Junwan; rather, from beginning to end, she only had eyes and heart for her.

There was no medal awarding process at this commendation ceremony.

After Gu Junwan finished her routine speech, the main event of today only truly began at this moment.

“I believe everyone present has seen the detailed files of the B023 attack incident. There are clues indicating that this incident is related to a firefight that occurred in the Ancient Medicine Preserve of the Fourth District.”

“In the coming period, I will choose a time to hold a meeting with the Northern Commander. This will play a positive role in promoting stability throughout the Free Federation.”

Due to the special nature of the Ancient Medicine Preserve incident, it had not been officially classified and filed.

Otherwise, the matter of Yihe possessing a private armed force would definitely have been unavoidable.

When Gu Junwan began to mention the Northern meeting, Jiang Xinyue in the crowd immediately activated her eavesdropping ability.

According to the plan, Gu Junwan’s announcement would last at most 2 minutes.

Jiang Xinyue could push her limit to 5 minutes, and her position just happened to “radiate” to over a hundred people nearby.

During this period, she would conduct a secret screening of those present.

As time ticked by second by second, Jiang Xinyue confirmed that she heard Awakened individuals in the conference hall muttering words in their minds.

However, they were all from Shen Han alone.

[Before the Northern meeting, I need to find a way to train more fighting techniques combining hand-to-hand combat with flames. When firearms fail, one’s own innate power is still the most reliable.]

[So, where should I stand for the group photo later? Let me think, do I look better with my left side facing the camera or my right side more photogenic?]

[Hmm, Junwan’s gun feel isn’t very good. Should I have her increase her training time? No, no, she already has too many things to deal with.]

[So, can I smile with my teeth showing in the group photo later? Junwan will definitely maintain a serious expression. Never mind, I’d better not smile to avoid ruining the atmosphere of the photo.]

Just before reaching her limit, Jiang Xinyue quickly retracted her ability.

There was no third Awakened person in the venue.

‘Although, Captain Shen beside me is still as strange as ever!’

‘Why is she always thinking about some group photo? Interspersing thoughts about the Northern meeting, doesn’t she feel it’s a waste of brain capacity?’

No one could answer Jiang Xinyue’s inner thoughts.

But she would soon find out what the group photo Shen Han kept thinking about was all about.

After the Empress finished all official business, a ceremonial officer announced that the guard team members were invited on stage for a group photo.

Amidst warm applause, the thirty-one team members began to line up and march towards the ceremonial platform.

Jiang Xinyue stared at Shen Han’s back walking in front of her, completely confirming her romantic relationship with the Empress.

In fact, she had been about seventy to eighty percent sure since their first secret firearms training.

She could still clearly remember Gu Junwan’s expression when she suddenly stopped target practice and turned her head to look at Shen Han.

At that time, Jiang Xinyue saw no blame on the Empress’s face, but rather a hint of coquetry.

And Captain Shen’s reaction was particularly endearing.

An Alpha who had once fought bloody battles on the battlefield actually blushed and froze on the spot just from being looked at by an Omega.

This response directly touched on Jiang Xinyue’s knowledge blind spot.

At the commendation ceremony scene.

While Jiang Xinyue was analyzing Captain Shen in her mind as if studying a monster,

Ning Xi and her teammate Ji Kang, walking side by side halfway, also engaged in an intense eye battle.

The guard team had three S-class Alphas, and Ji Kang was one of them.

Hearing that they could go on stage for a group photo with the Empress, he was instantly fired up.

There were only two positions beside the Empress, and Captain Shen would definitely occupy one.

So for the other one, looking around, the only competitors were himself and that fellow Ning Xi.

Ji Kang discreetly elbowed the person beside him, taking the opportunity to overtake them by half a step.

Ning Xi bumped back without mercy, and even turned her head to glare at him.

Although neither of them spoke, and their small actions were very subtle, the thick gunpowder smell emanating between the two Alphas was still felt by many people.

It’s just as well that eyes couldn’t actually hurt people.

Otherwise, Ning Xi and Ji Kang would have been stabbed into honeycombs by each other’s eye daggers by now.

This was a battle for the center position!

They absolutely could not lose!

Gu Junwan stood on the ceremonial platform, observing the reactions of everyone below.

She whispered a couple of instructions to Special Assistant Xu, who had already come to her side.

Then, when the guard team members stepped onto the stage, Xu Zhao waved to Jiang Xinyue, who was walking at the very end, indicating for her to stand beside the Empress.

Watching the back of their Omega teammate quickly moving forward, the two Alphas still secretly battling immediately “perished” together.

Ning Xi: Poof! The center position is gone!

Ji Kang: The strongest enemy turned out to be her!

Shen Han: Brilliant!

When they started to take their positions, Ning Xi still hadn’t completely given up hope.

She coughed lightly, then looked expectantly at her boss.

Shen Han raised her hand to adjust the brim of her military cap, squinting at her meaningfully.

“That’s the Empress’s wish. As a mere team captain, what right do I have to object?”

Finally, under Xu Zhao’s arrangement, Jiang Xinyue and Shen Han stood on the Empress’s left and right sides.

Ning Xi and Ma Haoyu, who were also among those being commended this time, were also in the front row.

The rest of the team members stood in the second and third rows respectively.

Taking a group photo with her Alpha for the first time, Gu Junwan’s heart wasn’t actually as calm as she appeared on the surface.

For this upcoming moment, even her military dress uniform had been rushed to completion.

Although the Omega hadn’t verbally expressed her anticipation and emphasis on the photo-taking session to anyone, it was all quietly manifested in her actions.

While the photographer was adjusting the equipment, Gu Junwan slightly turned her body towards Shen Han’s direction.

Shen Han, on the other hand, secretly moved a few centimeters to the side, eliminating the gap that should have been maintained between her and the Empress.

The young couple’s elbows lightly touched through the fabric of their military uniforms, their unique invisible aura beginning to intertwine at this moment.

The instant the shutter was pressed,

Gu Junwan’s lips curled slightly, her golden pupils flowing with tender light.

Shen Han stood straight-backed, her attitude serious, her face solemn.

But in her clear black and white eyes, there was hidden a myriad of secret joys.

Jiang Xinyue stood next to Ning Xi, whose presence was extremely strong, making her facial expression somewhat stiff.

But she didn’t dare to squeeze towards the Empress’s side, and could only pray in her heart for the photo-taking to end quickly.

Ning Xi and Ma Haoyu stood at opposite ends of the first row.

One was smiling like an idiot.

The other was somewhat shy, like an overage flower girl responsible for scattering petals at a wedding.