Chapter 95
Chapter 95 – Rain and Mother
News spread like wildfire on the internet. In just a few hours, headlines were filled with Su Tao's swift 21 needles to treat heart disease.
At the same time, the media had also started to investigate Su Tao's identity. The TCM Department Head of the Jianghuai Hospital, heir of the Three Flavour Hall and the Honorary Chairman of Three Flavour Cosmetic International Limited.
In just one night, Su Tao had gained fame, and his photo was also all around the headlines. It was also partly due to Yan Jing and Vera's control, since they had all the preparations made for the Beautifying Cream.
Using her chin to clamp on the phone, Vera had a newspaper in her hand while indolently laying down on a luxurious chair with a smile. "Tao, have you seen the newspaper today? You're famous now."
Su Tao sighed and helplessly asked, "Confess honestly, how much money have you earned from my quarter-finals?"
Vera placed the newspaper on the desk before she pursed her lips. "Utopia and I are in a partnership, we're after the big bucks. If I had bet back then, Utopia would surely come after me. But a few fortunate fellows bet ¥10,000 on you and became millionaires overnight."
If Vera had bet heavily on Su Tao, it's the same as fighting with the banker.
Su Tao was immediately left speechless, before he bitterly smiled. "Should I bet on myself?"
Shaking her finger, Vera smiled. "It's already too late. Eliminating Bai Fan in the quarter-finals has gained you fame in the TCM world. Everyone is treating you like a popular contestant, and your popularity rating is only second to Wang Guofeng."
Fiddling with a coin in his hand, and spinning it on the table, Su Tao joked, "What if I purpose lose to Mo Sui'er in the process, wouldn't that be interesting?"
Vera rolled her eyes and sourly said, "Tao, those are just pitiful sums of money. I have already given Three Flavours Cosmetic International Limited an evaluation by Appraisal Companies. If nothing goes unexpected, we will be able to go listed in just three years. So the Physician King's title is essential."
With the Physician King's title, it would probably increase the company by a few hundred million in the listing process. So giving up a few hundred million to win a gamble wasn't worth it.
The coin finally stopped spinning, so Su Tao stretched his waist. "I heard that you're going to return to Russia to get engaged?"
Vera was briefly stunned before she answered, "It's just a process. Engagement isn't marriage, and even marriage can be divorced. What do you think?"
Su Tao knew that the value of a marriage for a big family and ordinary people wasn't the same, so he smiled. "Then, should I wish you a happy engagement?"
Vera knitted her brows; she could tell that there was something amiss in Su Tao's tone, so she probed, "Tao, are you jealous?"
Su Tao swiftly waved his hand and replied in a composed tone, "What is there to be jealous about? I have always treated affection lightly. We don't have a special relationship, to begin with. It rains when the heavens deem fit, mother remarries when she wants to."
"What are you saying? I'm your mother?" Vera was stunned. She had never heard of this proverb before.
Su Tao burst into laughter as he explained, "It's a proverb. It means that if it's meant to come, it cannot be stopped. So let nature take its course."
Vera sighed, "I'm returning to Russia to resolve this engagement, getting rid of the marriage between the Belyakov Family and me."
Hearing her words, Su Tao felt relieved in his heart. Despite knowing that the marriage between Vera and the successor of the Belyakov Family was a sham, no one would feel comfortable having the woman he had feelings with to have something to do with another man. That's the meaning of machismo.
Holding onto his chin, Su Tao replied, "I agree to your actions. Since you don't like that man, why bother putting up a show? Betraying your soul for the sake of money and benefits aren't worth it!"
Vera rolled her eyes as she sighed, "Something that can tempt the heart of my father isn't a small sum of money. In my family, Michelle's words hold authority. Since she has promised me, then there won't be an issue to dissolve the marriage."
With the silhouette of Michelle in his mind, Su Tao smiled. "Is Miss Michelle still going to persist on her standpoint and allow her daughter to pursue a guy she loves?"
Vera's face blushed before she gently snorted, "Her view doesn't apply to everyone. I feel that a woman shouldn't be too active, or it will lower her value in the eyes of men."
Su Tao never expected a foreign chick like Vera to speak such profound words, so he bitterly smiled. "Looks like there's a contest between us."
The corner of Vera's lips rose up. "Indeed, so we're standing on the equal ground!"
There's a logic in a relationship, the one that speaks first would be the one in the disadvantage. Vera understood this, so despite her feelings for Su Tao, she would never take any action. If she became too proactive, it would add a layer of haziness in their relationship. So it must be under perfect control.
Hanging up the phone, Su Tao recalled the scenes in the garden, how Vera tiptoed as she tried to pluck the lotus.
Su Tao scrolled his phone for a long time, and when he saw Lu Shimiao's number, he hesitated for a long time, but he did not dial it. He was concerned about her, but he knew that Lu Shimiao hadn't sorted out her feelings, so he should give her some space.
Walking to the couch, Su Tao opened his hands and he laid down. He sorted out his relationship, with the image of Cai Yan, Vera, Lu Shimiao and even Yan Jing in his mind. He wasn't a playboy, but he couldn't help being attracted to those women when he came in contact with them.
The fragrance of flowers would always attract butterflies, their outstanding appearances was to be blamed, and it just so happened that he was good at discovering the beauty of others. So it's unavoidable for him to be attracted by them.
After lying down on the couch for a while more, Su Tao jumped up from the couch and changed into a set of sportswear. It's 6 a.m. early in the morning. If Su Tao had nothing special to do, he would exercise in the first glimmer of dawn, even if the sky was rumbling with lightning.
The air quality here was pretty good, so Su Tao ran around the hotel's garden. He took a deep breath to fill his body with energy before he went into a stretch posture and started to practise the Pulse Art. His stance was still the same as always, weird and awkward. There wasn't any link between his movements, and if there's someone that practiced martial arts by his side, they would feel that Su Tao's movements had gone against the logic of sports.
The Pulse Art was somewhat similar to Yoga, but they were tempering different parts of the body. The Pulse Art was tempering the acupoints and veins, while Yoga tempered the flexibility of muscles. But there's a similar factor, the two of them ware excavating the limits of the human body.
When Su Tao finished the last move, he turned to look at the stone bench not too far away from him, where Liu Ruochen had been sitting for ten-odd minutes.
Sitting under the camphor tree, her black hair draped over her shoulders like a waterfall with a silver headband with a few blings on it that reflected sunlight. She wore an elegant white shirt with tight-fit black pants that tightly wrapped her legs together. She sat there with her body straightened.
Her eyes were bright, as if there weren't any impurities in them, and a warm smile hung on her lips.
"Finally waited for you to finish. It seems to be more complicated than I have imagined." Liu Ruochen slowly stood up, revealing her outstanding curves, and gently pulled her hair to the back of her ear.
Walking towards Liu Ruochen, Su Tao sighed, "Don't you know the trouble you've brought me from you paying too much attention to me?"
"Oh? Why is that?" Liu Ruochen asked, looking surprised.
"You're a goddess in the TCM world with tons of fans around you. If you walk too closely with someone, I'm afraid that person will be the target of hate." Su Tao wiped his face with a towel before hanging it on his shoulder, while his gaze started to wander on Liu Ruochen's body. Who said that goddesses could only be seen from a distance? What harm was there for him to look at such a close range?
Not only was Liu Ruochen not unhappy, a smile even rose. She seemed to be enjoying his flirt.
Liu Ruochen was a little surprised when facing Su Tao, since there hadn't been anyone that dared to look at her in such a vulgar manner. Since young, the gaze of others would always contain a faint admiration. But Su Tao's gaze was fixated on her chest. Despite being rude, there wasn't any profanity in his eyes. Not only did she not feel discomfort, it even made her think that this man was pretty interesting.
Liu Ruochen smiled. "Your courage doesn't seem that small. There's something I'd like to discuss with you today."
Holding onto his chin, Su Tao pondered, "You want me to go easy on Wang Guofeng and Mo Sui'er? That will cost you a considerable price."
Liu Ruochen realised that despite Su Tao's lips being a little cheap, it's humorous at the same time. "Wrong. I hope that you can do your best when facing Mo Sui'er, to let her lose completely. Furthermore, don't go easy when facing Wang Guofeng, either."
Su Tao was a little surprised by Liu Ruochen's request, since her words didn't make any sense. With his hands spread out, Su Tao smiled. "Even without you requesting, that's what I intended to do. But may I know the reason?"
"Nope." Liu Ruochen shook her head.
Looking at Liu Ruochen's leaving silhouette, Su Tao felt, for some reason, that he had become her pawn.
But machoism occasionally existed, so Su Tao only felt happy that this goddess could use him.
She makes use of him, and he makes use of her. With the accumulation of feelings, Su Tao had a strong sense that Liu Ruochen might become a soul mate of his in the future.