In the afternoon, Julie stayed in her room the entire time.
She sat cross-legged with her eyes closed. A faint layer of sweat formed on her forehead, and her brows were slightly furrowed.
After about the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, she finally let out a soft breath—she had broken through the third level, and her skills had improved again.
Around early evening, Bailee finished cooking and walked to her room. He gently knocked on the door and said, "Wife, dinner is ready."
"Alright, I'll be right out." She was in a good mood since her skills had improved. Even though she didn't smile, her expression seemed more relaxed.
Dinner was braised ribs, stir-fried bok choy, and stir-fried eggs with rising sun grass. When Julie saw the last dish, she couldn't help but feel a bit helpless.
If Bailee ate this, would he even be able to get out of bed tomorrow?
She glanced casually at him and noticed that while he was eating with his head down, his ears and side of his face were flushed pink.
Fine…
As long as he was mentally prepared, it was alright.
Julie sat down to eat and got up after finishing a bowl.
Before leaving, she told Bailee, "I'll come to you tonight."
With that, she returned to her room.
...
Before it was completely night, Julie went to Bailee's room. Thinking it was about the right time, she decided to come a little early.
She hadn't finished that dish, but its effects were better than she expected.
Though her body felt uncomfortable.
Bailee sat on the bed wearing white underclothes, looking at her with affection in his eyes. When she looked back at him, he shyly lowered his head.
Julie's body was heating up, but she forced herself to stay calm.
Once he wasn't so nervous, she slowly approached him...
The night passed without a word.
It wasn't until after midnight that things finally calmed down.
Bailee had long fallen into a deep sleep.
Julie actually... but she just sighed and closed her eyes to rest.
The next morning, after dawn, she quietly left Bailee's room.
She greeted Mr. Leng and Haven, who were already up, then rode her black horse to the magistrate's office in town.
She told Mr. Leng that she might come back late today and asked him to take good care of the three others.
After about the time it takes to burn one stick of incense, she arrived at the magistrate's office. An officer led her to the stables to tie up her horse.
After securing her horse, she followed the officer to the government hall.
Several people were already seated when she arrived.
Julie didn't know any of them. She silently walked to the nearest empty seat and sat down.
Sitting next to her was the village head of Hongyun Village, a woman in her thirties with a square face, a righteous look, and firm, handsome features.
She had heard of Julie's story before—after all, their villages were nearby.
She didn't have a strong connection to Pan Li, so the leadership change in Dashan Village didn't affect her.
Since they had no conflict or interaction, she had no reason to pick a side.
Still, she was curious.
After all, someone with such a bad reputation had managed to take control of the village on the first day.
To be honest, even she might not have been able to do that.
Though she was curious, she didn't try to offend or please Julie—there was no need between equals.
"Nice to meet you, Village Head Julie. I'm Gong Yun, the head of Hongyun Village," Gong Yun greeted her with a friendly smile.
Julie wasn't the type to ignore politeness. "Nice to meet you. I'm Julie from Dashan Village." Her reply was short and to the point—typical of her style.
People who knew her were used to it.
But those who didn't…
Wu Chun, the head of Shili Village, was in her forties. She wasn't particularly close to Pan Li, so she wasn't here to defend her.
Besides, Pan Li was gone—what was there to defend?
She just felt it was unfair.
How could a teenage girl be a village head?
She herself had worked hard through her twenties to earn her position.
Now someone her daughter's age was sitting beside her as an equal—it didn't sit well with her.
So her words came out a bit harsh.
"Hmph. What's a young girl like you doing as a village head? If you were smart, you'd step down and let someone more capable and experienced take over," Wu Chun said with disdain, glancing at Julie.
She'd heard things about Julie before and assumed she was still weak and easy to push around—so she didn't bother hiding her scorn.
Julie didn't even lift her eyelids. In a calm voice, she replied, "Like a dog meddling in things that don't concern it. Is your village by the sea?"
Wu Chun didn't expect someone who looked so soft to have such a sharp tongue.
She was furious but knew better than to lash out in this setting.
She looked Julie up and down with contempt, thinking to herself: After the meeting and lunch, once they're outside, she'll make sure to teach this girl a lesson.
Julie hoped she would.
She'd been looking for someone to practice on, but Mr. Leng always ran away saying he had too much work.
If Wu Chun dared to try anything, Julie would be delighted.
After all, why waste a free punching bag?
Before long, the adviser and the county magistrate came over together.
The adviser, Dong Miao, was someone Julie had seen before in the village.
But this was her first time seeing the magistrate. She glanced at her quickly, then looked away.
Wei Zhen casually glanced at Julie.
She didn't care at all who took the position, as long as Pan Li continued sending her gifts like before. As far as she was concerned, she had no problem with her.
Pan Li had already delivered her gift this month, so Wei Zhen wasn't paying much attention.
Everyone greeted the magistrate with respect, and Wei Zhen just waved her hand casually.
Everyone sat down.
They started the usual routine—each village head reported on what had happened in their villages during the past month.
Mainly, they reported if anyone had died or gone missing, or if there were any changes to the land or fields. If there were, they needed to report them to the adviser immediately.
After everyone finished reporting and Dong Miao noted everything down, he asked the finance office to give the monthly payments to the village heads.
Then, everyone moved to the back yard to have a meal.
Wei Zhen took the chance to go change her clothes.
She was thinking to herself that her little sweetheart was probably waiting impatiently.
Recently, Wei Zhen had become obsessed with Qing Feng, the top performer at Drunken Flower House. But he was the type who only sold his art, not his body—very proud and aloof.
She wanted to buy his freedom and make him her concubine.
But he kept turning her down with polite excuses, playing hard to get.
That only made Wei Zhen want him more. The harder he was to get, the more attractive he became.
Dong Miao watched Wei Zhen leave and quietly sighed.
At the dining table, the village heads were all seated close to one another. They sat in silence, waiting for Wei Zhen to arrive.
After all, she was the highest-ranking person there. No one dared to start eating before she arrived.
After a while, Wei Zhen finally showed up.
She didn't come alone—Qing Feng was with her.
She had her arm around his waist, and the two of them were laughing and chatting, clearly having a good time.
Each village head reacted differently.
Some sipped tea calmly, others sat in silence. A few looked angry but didn't dare speak. Some were already used to it and looked indifferent. And then there were the flatterers.
Julie was one of those calmly drinking tea. There was nothing else to do while waiting, and she couldn't eat yet, so why not have some tea?
What were they going to do—play "Red Light, Green Light"?
Wu Chun flattered Wei Zhen with a big smile, saying how youthful and elegant she looked, praising her charm and presence.
Wei Zhen was in a good mood today and gave her a rare smile in return.
Qing Feng leaned charmingly against Wei Zhen, and his eyes casually swept over everyone at the table. When he saw Julie, his gaze lingered for a couple of seconds.
Wei Zhen smiled and said, "Everyone, sit down. It's just a simple meal. Relax, enjoy your food and drink. If anything's bothering you, feel free to speak up."
It was the kind of polite talk no one took seriously. Only a fool would.
Everyone agreed politely. Julie used the moment of confusion, while others were getting up to toast, to sneak a few slices of the braised beef in front of her.
She had left home early that morning without eating, and now it was past noon—she was starving.
Qing Feng's eyes kept drifting toward Julie.
Julie looked back at him with a calm expression—no judgment, no desire.
He hated women like her the most. Women who pretended to be righteous and proper.
Who knew what kind of perverted or lustful thoughts they really had?
Just like Wei Zhen—so kind and obedient to him—only because she wanted to sleep with him.
And once she got what she wanted...
He hated women.
Especially women like Julie. To him, they were the most fake of all.
After a few people finished their toasts, the meal officially began.
Qing Feng sat next to Wei Zhen, with two seats between him and Julie—not too far.
While she was eating, Julie felt something moving under the table.
Someone was brushing against her.
Most people might have assumed it was a mistake or chosen to stay quiet to avoid trouble.
But this was Julie.
"Ah!" A loud shriek, like a pig being slaughtered, came from Qing Feng.
He clutched his foot, head down, eyes filled with tears and fury.
He never expected that his usual tricks would fail today.
Julie didn't know who was under the table… but there was only one man present.
She didn't care who it was. If someone tried to harass her, she wouldn't just let it slide. She stomped down hard—he got off easy.
She didn't judge male courtesans. She didn't feel sympathy or disdain for them.
To her, they had nothing to do with her life. Why waste energy thinking about them?
But if one of them dared to disgust her, she'd make them pay.
Wei Zhen looked worried: "What happened, Feng'er?"
Qing Feng tried to smile through the pain: "It's nothing. I accidentally kicked the table leg."
Wei Zhen teased him and playfully tapped his nose: "So naughty, so silly."
Then her eyes lit up: "Feng'er, your foot is hurt. Why don't you stay at my place tonight and go back tomorrow?"
Qing Feng saw right through her plan: "No need. I'm fine. My 'father' would worry." His "father" was the madam of the brothel.