"Oh, Magistrate, what are you doing? You're hurting me!"
Cai Kexin cried out in alarm, stumbling as Yun Daman pulled her, nearly falling to the ground.
She wondered if there truly were such men in the world as a magistrate, who remained unmoved and loyal, never wavering.
He disliked her so much; it must all be an act...
Yun Daman frowned, his face filled with disdain. "Cai Kexin, didn't I tell you that if you dared to come to the magistrate's office again, I'd break your legs? You really don't learn your lesson..."
Rumors and gossip about him had already spread throughout the county town. If Yun Daman were to be seen in an ambiguous relationship with Cai Kexin at this critical juncture, he would lose all face as the magistrate.
Someone had previously told him that it was quite normal for a magistrate to have several wives at home...
If Cai Kexin had a decent character, was good at managing a household, and was caring, it wouldn't be impossible to marry her.
However, in Yun Daman's view, having two wives in the household was unacceptable.
It was a sign of moral decay, a shameful matter that brought no honor...
Even if he were to achieve great success in the future, he would not allow his home to be filled with chaos and discord.
This was a matter of principle, unrelated to status or position.
"Sob, sob, Magistrate, you've been sitting in this room all day, you must be hungry. I just wanted to cook you a bowl of noodle soup..."
Cai Kexin wept, her tears flowing like rain, sobbing uncontrollably. She knelt on the ground and hugged Yun Daman's leg. "Don't worry, as soon as you've had the noodle soup, I promise I'll leave immediately and never disturb you again, okay?"
Yun Daman: "..."
He detested people who were so shameless, like sticky plasters that couldn't be peeled off once attached.
But the hunger pangs in his stomach were affecting his judgment. A rumbling sound came from his belly, making Cai Kexin break into a tearful smile. "Magistrate, look, even if you don't say it, your stomach doesn't lie..."
Saying this, she wiped away her tears, slowly stood up, and walked to the stove. "There's no scallion here, please make do with this!"
She skillfully rolled out the dough on the cutting board, spreading it into a large sheet of noodles.
Then, she picked up a cleaver and cut the noodle sheet into small pieces. Once the water boiled, she dropped the noodle pieces into the pot one by one...
"There's green onion under the bowl rack!"
Yun Daman, his face grim, turned and walked to the doorway. "Finish cooking and leave quickly. You're never allowed to come here again!"
With that, Daman returned to the inner room to wait for his meal...
The sky had already darkened, and a gloomy, overcast cloud drifted over, blocking the moonlight. It was pitch black, like a vast tarp covering the entire sky.
Advisor Zuo stood in the courtyard, having lost all patience after listening to Madam Kang's lengthy, nonsensical ramblings. "Madam Kang, do you have anything important to say? How many piglets does your sow have in a year? What does that have to do with me?"
He felt as if the old woman was deliberately stalling for time...
"I, I'm just reporting on rural life!" Madam Kang said with a fawning smile.
Upon hearing this, Advisor Zuo uttered not a single wasted word and directly chased Madam Kang out of the magistrate's office. "Get lost. Don't let me see you again..."
"Hey, hey, Advisor Zuo, my daughter is still inside!" Madam Kang waved her hand.
Hmph, judging by the time, Kexin should have finished making the noodle soup, and the magistrate probably would have drunk it by now.
The sleeping potion she had prepared was of excellent quality and had a long-lasting effect. By now, the magistrate was likely already in a state of blissful intoxication...
"You stand here and don't come in. I'll go call her!"
Advisor Zuo was thoroughly annoyed and walked into the hall without looking back.
As soon as he crossed the threshold, he saw Cai Kexin carrying a steaming bowl of noodle soup and walking towards the inner room...
Advisor Zuo's expression sharpened, and he reprimanded, "You, you, stop!"
How strange. How did this woman know the magistrate was hiding in the inner room?
And she had made a bowl of noodle soup. What was her intention?
Cai Kexin paused her steps and turned back nervously. "Advi... Advisor Zuo?"
"What's in this bowl?" Advisor Zuo walked forward and sniffed.
Upon seeing the food, he too felt unbearable hunger and wished he could swallow the delicious bowl in one gulp.
"Advisor Zuo, as you can see, this is... this is noodle soup. If you want some, I'll get you a bowl from the pot later!" Cai Kexin mumbled, lowering her head.
Hearing this, Advisor Zuo, without another word, picked up the large bowl. "No need to get another, this bowl will do!"
Cai Kexin: "..."
What was wrong with this man?
This bowl of noodle soup was prepared for the magistrate, and all the sleeping potion was in this bowl. If he drank it, how would the magistrate be able to consummate his marriage with her?
Seeing Cai Kexin's reluctant expression, Advisor Zuo twitched his lips and gestured towards the kitchen. "Why don't you go get another bowl for the magistrate?"
This woman, why was she being so difficult?
Before Cai Kexin could stop him, Advisor Zuo blew on the steam from the bowl and, without even using chopsticks, leaned over the edge of the bowl and began slurping it up.
Cai Kexin: "..."
It's over, it's all over.
What was this?
"Why is this noodle soup a bit bitter?" Advisor Zuo asked as he ate. "Did you put too much soy sauce?"
Cai Kexin: "..."
She should have added some arsenic or rat poison to this bowl of soup if she had known you would snatch it. She should have just poisoned you to death.
Yun Daman waited in the inner room for a long time, but Cai Kexin didn't bring the noodle soup. He came out to inquire, "Isn't it ready yet? Tsk, Advisor Zuo, you're eating quite heartily..."
Advisor Zuo let out a burp. For some reason, after drinking the soup, he felt a burning sensation in his abdomen and his entire body was scorching hot, as if he had been roasted by hot coals, and he was constantly breaking out in a cold sweat.
He remembered feeling this way after drinking deer blood before.
"Magis... Magistrate, I, I'll go get you another bowl!" Cai Kexin's mouth twitched violently as she cursed Advisor Zuo hundreds of times in her mind.
Yun Daman heard this and waved his hand. "No need, you can go. I'll get it myself!"
After speaking, Yun Daman glanced at Advisor Zuo and asked in surprise, "What's wrong with you?"
The sun had already set, and the temperature had dropped. It wasn't that hot at all...
But why was Advisor Zuo wiping his sweat constantly?
"Magistrate, I suddenly remembered something important at home and need to return immediately. I'll be leaving now!"
With that said, Advisor Zuo didn't even bother to put down the soup bowl. He rushed out in a few steps, shouting, "Wife, I miss you so much..."