"Dad, do you know that Virtual Dust Master?" Jiang Yichun asked just as Bai Ruozhu knocked on the door and walked in. She also looked at Gao Zhou, waiting for his answer.

Gao Zhou looked bewildered, "How would I know her? I didn’t even greet her earlier, why are you all asking me?"

"When I got back earlier, she seemed quite surprised to see me," Jiang Yichun mentioned.

"Not just that, later when Achun called you Dad, the Virtual Dust Master paused for a moment. It seemed like she recognized you, as if she saw your shadow in Achun," Bai Ruozhu added.

"No way, it’s my first time in Fusang Country, even if you know someone, I might not. How could we have other acquaintances..." Before he finished speaking, his expression changed and then turned into delight, "Could it be Chushuang?"

Gao Zhou suddenly stood up and was about to walk outside when Bai Ruozhu hurriedly pulled him back.

"Don’t be impulsive; you can still see her at dinner later. What if it’s not her, how would you explain yourself rushing over there?" Bai Ruozhu said, giving Jiang Yichun a meaningful look, and Jiang Yichun joined in to persuade him.

In fact, Bai Ruozhu wasn’t worried about explaining but was worried that Gao Zhou would be disappointed for nothing. As she calmly thought it over, the Virtual Dust Master didn’t resemble Achun at all.

And her Exterminator personality didn’t match Gao Zhou’s description of Chushuang.

During that time, Bai Ruozhu and Jiang Yichun stayed by Gao Zhou’s side, and Jiang Yichun gently mentioned that the Virtual Dust Master didn’t look like him, implying she probably wasn’t his mother.

But Gao Zhou said, "Even if it’s not Chushuang, she might know someone related to her; otherwise, how would anyone else recognize me?" 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Bai Ruozhu considered this too, but was worried it might not be what they suspected, which could mean Gao Zhou would be disappointed for nothing.

As dinner time approached, Gao Zhou’s anxious heart finally calmed a little as he walked towards the hall with large strides.

Bai Ruozhu and Jiang Yichun exchanged a hopeful glance, wishing for a favorable outcome.

Bai Ruozhu personally invited the Virtual Dust Master and Shanhu out and then remembered something, quickly heading to the kitchen.

"Teng Ya, remove the fish soup, and don’t serve this sashimi..." Bai Ruozhu pointed at several dishes, removing about a third of them.

Teng Ya was a bit puzzled, "Master, this way there won’t be enough dishes."

Bai Ruozhu knew this but had no choice; she was previously doubtful and forgot to instruct Teng Ya not to prepare dishes with strong smells. Otherwise, if Shanhu had a pregnancy nausea reaction during dinner, wouldn’t her master notice?

"It’s okay, serve these dishes first, and I’ll add a few more," Bai Ruozhu glanced at the remaining ingredients and quickly got to work.

Fo Lanying came to help serve the dishes, so Teng Ya simply let her serve while she assisted Bai Ruozhu in preparing the dishes, significantly increasing their speed.

After being busy for a long time, Bai Ruozhu finally prepared a few more dishes, including a Sour Spicy Soup that could make a pregnant woman feel more comfortable. However, taking Shanhu’s current condition into consideration, the flavor was still relatively mild.

Once she finished, she went over, and the Virtual Dust Master even smiled at her, saying, "Thank you for your hard work, young friend."

Bai Ruozhu knew Fo Lanying had mentioned she was going to show off her skills, so she quickly replied with a smile, "I didn’t do a great job; I hope you don’t mind, Master."

"You’re too modest. These dishes have superb color, aroma, and taste. I’ve been to many places and never had such exquisite cuisine," the Virtual Dust Master remarked.

Gao Zhou’s eyes lit up, "I wonder which places have the Yin Yang Master been to? Have you ever been to the Danliang Country in Zhongyuan?"

The Virtual Dust Master froze a bit upon hearing his voice, "I haven’t been there. Zhongyuan is across a vast ocean; it’s difficult to get to."

Bai Ruozhu didn’t want the atmosphere to be too awkward, so she smiled and said, "Let’s keep chatting while we eat. How about we first raise a glass to welcome the arrival of the Virtual Dust Master?"

Everyone raised their glasses; Shanhu hesitated a little, then seeing Bai Ruozhu subtly signaling to her, she raised her glass. As she brought the cup to her nose, she realized it wasn’t wine but plain water.

She quickly drank it all, worried her master might notice.

After everyone clinked glasses, they relaxed a bit, waiting for the Virtual Dust Master to start eating, before they all followed suit.

Qiu Zhi kept his head down poking at the rice in his bowl, not even taking a bite of the dishes, his thoughts unknown, looking rather foolish.

It was Tang Feng who discreetly kicked him under the table, helping him by picking up a piece of food with his chopsticks, which finally snapped Qiu Zhi out of his trance.

But then he buried his head again, almost wanting to shove his face into the bowl, as his face turned red from fear of being noticed by Shanhu’s master.

Luckily, he wasn’t the most handsome among the young people, nor did he have the best demeanor, so the Virtual Dust Master didn’t pay attention to him at all.

After a while, the Virtual Dust Master suddenly looked at Gao Zhou and asked, "Is it true that Minister Gao and Minister Jiang are father and son? I’ve heard Zhongyuan people follow their father’s surname, yet you two don’t share a surname and don’t resemble each other much."

Gao Zhou had many questions for the Virtual Dust Master but knew he couldn’t rush into things in case she wasn’t an acquaintance of Chushuang.

"My real name is Jiang Xuerui, but due to chance and coincidence, I took on the name Gao Zhou and disguised myself to practice medicine everywhere. Over the years, I’ve grown accustomed to it." Gao Zhou said as he touched the edge of his cheek, still wearing his leather mask.

The Virtual Dust Master seemed surprised, "Even though you’ve left Zhongyuan, why do you not show your true face? I’ve heard wearing a leather mask long-term isn’t comfortable."

Gao Zhou chuckled, "Yin Yang Master, you’re quite right. It’s been uncomfortable recently, so I won’t wear it starting tomorrow."

The Virtual Dust Master didn’t reply, continuing with her meal.

"I wonder which island Yuchen Palace is located on, is it convenient for the Yin Yang Master to come over?" Gao Zhou seized the opportunity to ask.

The Virtual Dust Master’s expression turned cold, "I’m afraid I can’t disclose that."

The response was extremely blunt, causing Shanhu to feel a bit nervous. She gave Gao Zhou an apologetic smile and explained, "It’s the sect rules of Yuchen Palace; the location of the sect can’t be shared externally."

Bai Ruozhu skillfully intervened, "Master, please don’t mind. My father-in-law was just casually asking."

"It’s fine," the Virtual Dust Master replied coolly.

The atmosphere instantly turned awkward, and everyone felt they had to be cautious with their words, given the Virtual Dust Master’s Exterminator expression.

Shanhu was perhaps too nervous, suddenly feeling nauseous again, with her face turning pale. She quickly grabbed her rice bowl, shoveling rice into her mouth to prevent herself from retching.

Bai Ruozhu watched in alarm, wondering if she should get some anti-nausea medicine for Shanhu. But since all medicine has some toxicity, she thought it better to avoid it if possible.

At this moment, she noticed the Sour Spicy Soup nearby and quickly ladled a bowl for the Virtual Dust Master, "Master, try this soup; the taste is quite distinctive."

She then served a bowl to Shanhu as well, who, despite feeling nauseous, had a liking for sour foods.

---

Mouka experienced dry retching during early pregnancy and later developed a strong preference for sour flavors, eventually placing a bowl of vinegar in the room...