Bailee kept watching until Julie's figure disappeared before lowering his gaze.
His eyes were filled with surprise, hope, and a bit of shyness.
He was never a greedy person.
Things were good just the way they were.
People aren't made of stone—everyone has feelings.
It's just that everyone grows up in different environments and meets different people, which is why some are warm and outgoing, while others are quiet and slow to open up.
He understood this, and he believed Julie wouldn't always stay distant.
As long as they had no bad intentions and kept showing her warmth, she would eventually open up.
Even if she didn't, it was okay.
Very few people in the village had a life better than theirs. Not just the village—even in the town or in wealthy households—how many husbands or concubines were treated as well as they were by their wife?
Some were too favored, others completely ignored.
The favored ones lived like royalty. The ignored ones? Sometimes even the lowly servants stepped on them.
The main wife still had a bit of status. Even if she wasn't loved, others wouldn't go too far.
But husbands and concubines didn't have it so easy.
Without money or favor, even getting two meals a day could be uncertain—and those meals might not even be as good as what the servants ate.
If the wife didn't care about you or look after you, how could you expect the main wife to stand up for you? What a joke.
Julie was good to them—really good.
Every time she went out, she thought of them, brought things back for them.
Sometimes it was just food to share for a nice meal.
They were small things, but life was made of small details.
So, from the moment Julie started patting his head, and just now even pinched his cheek—wasn't that a small step forward?
Next time, he hoped Julie would let him sleep in her arms. Her embrace was warmer than any fire.
…
Julie had just stepped into the county office's main hall when Gong Yun, who was sitting and drinking tea, lit up at the sight of her and waved her over. "There's an open seat here, come sit." Their last conversation had gone well, so seeing a familiar face naturally made her more welcoming.
She never really got along with the other village leaders.
Or rather, the other leaders didn't bother with Gong Yun at all.
No matter the place—work or school—there were always little cliques. That's how it had always been.
When you meet someone, the first thing you notice is their clothes, then how they talk and carry themselves—whether your values align.
If you look poor and awkward and can't flatter or sweet-talk, who would want to include you?
People are realistic. They want to befriend those who are similar or better than themselves.
Some want to be around weaker people just to feel superior.
That way, it proves they're stronger. The weaker ones are just there to make them shine and never surpass them. That's usually what it is—but not always.
Some just like being the protector. They enjoy feeling like the hero.
So among the many village leaders, Gong Yun was always at the bottom of the food chain.
It wasn't that they purposely excluded her—she just wasn't respected.
That's why there was always an empty seat next to her.
Julie walked directly over to sit by Gong Yun. Since she had warmly offered and there were hardly any seats left, it wasn't something to refuse.
Out of the corner of her eye, she locked eyes with Wu Chun, who had been watching her the whole time.
Julie quickly remembered who she was. Last time she had missed the meeting due to leave.
This time, though, she had shown up right on time.
Wu Chun naturally noticed Julie as soon as she walked in.
There was still a bit of disdain in her eyes. She didn't realize that it was this woman in front of her who had caused her so much trouble last time.
This is what it means to strike where it hurts most—when you don't even know who your enemy is, you can't fight back or hold a grudge properly.
This time, though, Wu Chun didn't say anything sarcastic.
She had enough problems of her own and wasn't in the mood to pick a fight.
She felt anxious and uneasy, like ants crawling all over her heart.
With a new county magistrate in charge—someone she didn't have a good relationship with—everything had changed. The new official, Dong Miao, wasn't someone who could be easily pleased with flattery or bribes.
Dong Miao wasn't the type who could be fooled or won over easily.
Wu Chun worried that Dong Miao would settle old scores with her. After all, before Dong Miao got promoted, Wu Chun hadn't treated her very well.
And Dong Miao wasn't known for having a forgiving nature.
Wu Chun had tried to visit her privately once but was turned down.
Though the new advisor politely said the magistrate was too busy with official duties to meet her, anyone with experience could understand the real meaning.
It was clearly just an excuse—they didn't want to see her.
So, after her leg healed, she quickly made her way over this month.
She came early today too.
She chatted politely with village leaders from other villages, trying to find out what happened at the last meeting, what people had said afterward, and what Dong Miao's attitude and intentions were.
Julie glanced at the small groups whispering among themselves, then calmly sipped the tea a servant had just brought over.
It wasn't as sweet and delicate as the tea she had in Dong Miao's office, but even though she wasn't an expert in tea, she could still tell which tasted better.
Still, she didn't mind. Since she'd finished her noodles this morning, a few sips of hot tea were just right.
Gong Yun saw that Julie seemed to enjoy the tea, so she had a few more sips herself. She thought it tasted pretty good too.
After the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, Dong Miao arrived, wearing the same official robe as before, smiling as she walked in. Beside her were the advisor and the new accountant.
The accountant had been replaced?
Dong Miao had placed her own person in that important role.
The previous accountant had been close to Wei Zhen, and after dealing with him for years, Dong Miao knew exactly what kind of person he was.
At first, she didn't plan to replace the accountant.
But he didn't behave properly—clearly unhappy and unwilling to accept her leadership.
The reason was simple. He used to work under Wei Zhen, while Dong Miao had been just a poor scholar. The old accountant was actually a distant relative of Wei Zhen.
Normally, advisors outrank accountants, but this guy didn't respect her at all.
It wasn't that the old accountant was deeply loyal to Wei Zhen either. He just liked sharing in the benefits from Wei Zhen's corrupt dealings.
Now that Wei Zhen was dead and Dong Miao had taken his place, things had to change.
If he wanted to make trouble for her, Dong Miao wasn't someone to mess with.
If he couldn't understand his place and thought things were still like before, then he had to go.
Even though Dong Miao didn't have many trusted people yet, she wasn't completely alone.
She would rather have someone loyal and trustworthy—even if they were inexperienced and needed training—than keep someone skilled but disloyal.
There was no point keeping someone who wasn't on her side.
Better to get rid of him.