Chapter 55 – Michelle's Provocation

Michelle maintained her silence till they arrived at a café and ordered two coffees.

"It might be a little presumptuous of me to suddenly look for you. Firstly, I would like to thank you for treating Vera's illness." After speaking, she clapped and her secretary placed a briefcase on the table. "This is a million as repayment."

"Stop beating around the bush. What do you want to say?" Su Tao knitted his brows. He had roughly guessed what's going on.

Michelle smiled before she took a sip of the coffee that the waiter had brought over. "I'll stop beating around the bush, then. Vera is the heir of the Ormond Family with hundreds of millions of assets. So I do not wish for her to become an emotional person. I'm worried that she might place her attention on someone useless."

Su Tao shrugged as he smiled. "You must be referring to me?"

Nodding her head, Michelle continued without hiding her aloof gaze, "I'm sorry, but let me rephrase it. I meant useless to the Ormond Family. You're outstanding with exceptional medical skills. Through hard work, you might achieve results in the future. However, there are no benefits for the Ormond Family with you and Vera being together."

Michelle displayed the elegance of a matured woman. Every single sentence of hers contained spikes. However, she put things in such a manner that the other party wouldn't be angered despite being hurt.

At this moment, Su Tao felt it was a little suffocating and faintly smiled. "Firstly, I have to state that I do have some feelings for your daughter. However, I am still uncertain if they are feelings for a friend or a woman. Secondly, your thinking is too superficial. Must she bear the entire load as the family's heir and give up on her own lifestyle for her family? Lastly, you're not the one to judge if I'm useful. The moment you humiliate me, I would have already done so thousands of times in my heart. So it's childish of you to use such a method."

Michelle was stunned, since she did not expect such a response from Su Tao. Immediately, she knitted her brows. "You are very rude!"

"You are the one that started it. I'm not a gentleman that would take the insult of others. If I responded with a smile despite being humiliated, wouldn't I be a retard?" Su Tao replied calmly.

Michelle wasn't angered, but she had to admit that she had taken a new look at Su Tao. From the information that she gathered, Su Tao should be a gentle and refined person. She was thus worried if such a gentleman able to bear the pressure and become Vera's other half.

This situation was better than she imagined, since Su Tao wasn't as weak as he looked.

She tapped her finger on the table. "State your terms for leaving Vera."

Su Tao shook his head. "If I became the Son-in-Law of the Ormond Family, how much money do you think I can get?"

A cold light flashed in Michelle's eyes as she sneered, "That's impossible. Vera's feelings for you are just temporary. There will be a day that she will get bored with you. The gap between your statuses is too vast, so it's impossible for the two of you to get together."

Su Tao stared at Michelle for a long time before saying, "You must have never tasted loved."

Michelle was stunned by his words. "Love? I have naturally tasted it. It's an illusion caused by hormones."

"Looks like you have been hurt in the past." Su Tao faintly smiled.

Michelle knitted her brows. "You're provoking me?"

Everyone had a soft spot in their heart, and Michelle wasn't an exception.

She was smart, since she guessed Su Tao's intentions. Su Tao smiled. "So only you get to provoke me, and I don't get to do it in return?"

This was a show of contesting provocation, to begin with.

Su Tao could see through Michelle's intentions. She wanted to provoke him to pry deeper into his character. But this method that's commonly used in dramas wasn't the slightest effective against him. On the contrary, Michelle felt as if Su Tao read all her thoughts.

Michelle waved her hand, signalling her secretary to take the briefcase before she added two sugar cubes in her coffee. "Do you want any?"

Su Tao shook his head and smiled. "The original taste in the coffee will be ruined if you put it in."

"I don't like the bitter taste." Michelle nodded as she added on, "You have looked into coffee?"

Su Tao smiled. "Nothing to look at. But in the matters of like, you'll know it after you tasted it."

"Then, do you like Vera?" Michelle asked.

"Yes, I do." Su Tao replied without any hesitation.

Michelle sighed, "Then, you have to get stronger. Vera has many suitors, but there is only one that she can like. Unfortunately, you are that person, so a lot of pressure will soon follow."

Su Tao was stunned, since Michelle had changed in another manner of speaking. He took a deep breath and asked, "You're also one of them?"

Michelle blinked her eyes and smiled. "Me? You can only barely consider it as a test."

The oppressive atmosphere instantly dispersed with a smile on Michelle's face. Su Tao looked at the briefcase. "What would you do if I took the money?"

Michelle shrugged. "I would suggest to Vera to play with you before kicking you aside."

"What a motherly personality." Su Tao smiled as he scratched his head.

Through their previous conversation, Michelle had a rough understanding of Su Tao and also knew the reason why her daughter fell for such a guy.

From the beginning of their meeting, Su Tao never dodged her gaze. His eyes were flashing with confidence and a unique charm. Michelle was afraid that Vera would fall for a mediocre person, but through her test, she found out that Su Tao was a unique one.

Without them knowing, she had already finished her coffee. When the waiter came for a refill, her phone suddenly rang before she blinked towards Su Tao.

"Michelle, I heard you're in Hanzhou? Where are you now?" Vera spoke nervously.

"Me?" Michelle slightly smiled. "I'm having coffee with Physician Su!"

Vera had long guessed it, so she pursued, "What did you tell him?"

Michelle chuckled, "I gave him a million to leave you, but he rejected it. My daughter, looks like it's not your one-sided feelings; he seems to be interested in you as well."

Hearing what her mother said, Vera's face blushed before she replied with anger, "Michelle, how can you do this? You went to find him without my acknowledgement!"

Michelle sighed, "Isn't it because you're too soft? You're clearly in love with him and yet, you're playing crush? As my daughter, I can't allow you to be such a coward."

Vera hung up the phone and touched her face, she felt her face burning. This mother of hers had defeated her. But after a brief consideration, so what if Su Tao knew that she liked him?

It's not shameful to dare to love and hate. It's just as Michelle had said, since she liked Su Tao, then she had to woo him. Being cowardly wasn't in her character.

Vera briefly pondered before sending Su Tao a message. "Tao, I want to woo you. Are you prepared?"

Su Tao was amused by that message and replied, "As long as you're sincere enough to melt my heart."

Half an hour later, Vera sped her way to the café before Michelle looked at the cake on her plate with reluctance and shrugged her shoulders with a smile. "I'll take my leave first. I'll leave the time to the two of you."

Vera put on a stern expression, looking angry and did not bother to greet Michelle. After Michelle left, Vera sat on the seat that was previously sat by Michelle and looked at Su Tao. "Are you feeling complacent now?"

With a smile hanging on his face, Su Tao shrugged. "What is there to be complacent about?"

Vera sighed. Su Tao looked like he needed a beating from her, so she changed the topic, "I'm here for official matters. Firstly, I have already signed the contract with Yan Jing for the tourism project, City of Culture and we're prepared to start working on it next week. Secondly, you must give the Beautifying Cream in your Three Flavour Hall to me for operation."

Su Tao frowned. "Why do I feel like you're threatening me with the tourism project?"

Vera blinked her eyes and smiled. "That's right. If you don't agree to give the Beautifying Cream to me, then I will end the tourism project."

Su Tao felt that in terms of official talks, Vera completely disregarded any relationship. He helplessly replied, "Isn't it just a bottle of cream? Why are you and Yan Jing so concerned about it?"

Vera's gaze flickered. "Because there's a business opportunity!"

"Yan Jing also wants the Beautifying Cream, and I have no idea how to deal with this." Su Tao helplessly stretched his hands out.

Vera long knew that Su Tao would drag Yan Jing out, so she smiled. "Rest assured, I have already reached an agreement with her. The skincare products of the Three Flavour Hall will be invested by the two of us. You are the Chairman of the new company, investing with your skills and holding 40% of the shares. Me and Yan Jing will each invest ¥10,000,000, getting 30% shares each."

Su Tao figured that Vera had already calculated things, so he bitterly smiled. "Why do I feel that I don't have a choice here?"

"You can consider how to expand the production rate." Vera nodded.

Su Tao shook his head and smiled. "The rarer it is, the greater its value. I feel that there's no need to blindly expand the production rate, but we can make an article on the price of the product."

"Hunger marketing?" Vera smiled.

Vera was truly an expert in business, since she had figured out his intentions from one sentence. Su Tao replied, "Indeed, we'll starve the market so our products will live longer."

After briefly exchanging gazes, Vera lowered her head and took a sip of lemonade to suppress her emotions. Su Tao had a unique train of thought with regards to business management. He could always provide fresh insight and surprise, which made her feel like she couldn't read through him.

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