CHAPTER 687: CHAPTER 682: A DIFFERENT KIND OF GRATITUDE

(Tomorrow I need to go back to my mother’s house, I don’t know if I will have time to update. If no update by 7 pm, please don’t wait. However, after these two days, I will try to update more frequently.)

To tell the truth, Luo Dashan who was only in his twenties back then, was full of vigor and strong, and naturally curious about the opposite sex. It’s impossible to say he never thought about women.

Moreover, Xiu Tao was so beautiful that within miles around no other girl could compare to her beauty. Luo Dashan dreamt about her many times, but being an honest and kind-hearted person, he knew what he should and shouldn’t do.

But now, Xiu Tao’s delicate body was leaning against him, and the faint scent of a young girl wafted into his nose, inevitably causing his feelings and desires to stir.

However, considering his and Xiu Tao’s identities, Luo Dashan hesitated, but driven by Xiu Tao’s initiative, eventually, he couldn’t suppress his youthful impulsiveness, and picking Xiu Tao up, he headed to the bed...

Afterward, Luo Dashan was somewhat dazed, as if everything between them happened in a blur. Since it was the first time for both, besides being nervous, they didn’t really experience much intense pleasure. But once Luo Dashan came to his senses, he was still extremely excited.

How can one put it? It was like the general male vanity that one feels when a woman all men dream of chooses him, which overwhelmed him with excitement.

At that moment, he excitedly held Xiu Tao closely, and said softly, "Xiu Tao, don’t be scared, I will take responsibility. I’ll go home and tell my parents that I want to marry you and ask them to arrange our wedding."

Upon hearing this, Xiu Tao stiffened, then she got up from Luo’s embrace, dressed herself, and sat on the edge of the bed. Looking at Luo Dashan, she generously said, "Brother Dashan, I don’t want you to take responsibility. I know my status; no decent family would ever marry someone like me."

Luo Dashan thought Xiu Tao was just worried about his family’s reaction, so he immediately waved his hands saying, "No, no, my parents are good people. If they know about us, they will definitely not object."

Xiu Tao fell silent for a while, then suddenly interrupted Luo Dashan, "Brother Dashan, promise me one thing, other than ourselves, please don’t let anyone know about our relationship, including your sister, don’t tell anyone."

"Why?"

"I might still have a chance to return to the city, I..." The reason Xiu Tao was with Luo Dashan was partly out of gratitude, and as she said, if things continued this way, she would eventually lose her chastity. Rather than being taken advantage of by someone else, she preferred to be with Luo Dashan, the kind-hearted man.

Moreover, coming from a high-ranking family, Xiu Tao was pragmatic in her actions. She knew that being with Luo Dashan this way, he would only take even more care of her in the future.

Luo Dashan was not foolish; he caught the implication in Xiu Tao’s words. He asked softly, "Xiu Tao, do you despise me, have you never intended to be with me?"

"Brother Dashan, I..." Xiu Tao didn’t hide it from Luo Dashan. After a silence, she nodded and said, "I’m only seventeen, if I can return to the city, perhaps I could go back to school and even go to college. I don’t want to spend my whole life in this desolate place; what I did just now was also just out of gratitude..."

Xiu Tao didn’t finish her sentence, but Luo Dashan understood. To be honest, at that time, he felt extremely disappointed. It was the first time he had been with a woman, and he wanted a future with her, but he couldn’t force it.

In the end, he took one last look at Xiu Tao, then got up and dressed quietly, telling Xiu Tao, "I understand. In the future, if you need anything, just send someone to call me; I won’t tell anyone about today."

In front of Xiu Tao, Luo Dashan always felt inferior; in fact, if Xiu Tao hadn’t been so proactive and he hadn’t lost control in that moment, he never thought he would have any relationship with her.

Therefore, despite knowing that Xiu Tao looked down on him and the place he came from, he held no grudges against her. On the contrary, he always felt a bit guilty about their encounter.

As a result, he took even more care of Xiu Tao afterwards. Every night, worried about others harassing her, he would stand guard outside until late into the night, ensuring no one would come; he did this regardless of the weather, persisting for a couple of years.

This matter eventually spread around the village, and although it wasn’t widely discussed because of concerns about reputation, everyone knew that Xiu Tao was associated with Dashan.

Despite the disapproval from Laud Dashan’s family due to Xiu Tao’s social status, they couldn’t do anything because of Luo Dashan’s insistence. They turned a blind eye, tacitly acknowledging the relationship between the two.

In a blink of an eye, Xiu Tao had been in the village for about one or two years. Not knowing whether it was Luo Dashan’s acts that touched her or Xiu Tao feeling that returning to the city was no longer possible, her attitude towards Luo Dashan began to change.

During her private moments with Luo Dashan, she no longer despised the place and occasionally revealed her willingness to stay, to have children with Luo Dashan.

Seeing her like this, Luo Dashan was naturally happy, so for a while, the two of them were practically in a relationship.

Naturally, when two single individuals are together, especially with their past intimacies, it’s hard to control themselves, and occasionally they couldn’t help indulging in forbidden pleasures.

Of course, being as honest as Luo Dashan, he was never the initiator; each time, it was Xiu Tao who made the first move.

Xiu Tao herself was very conflicted at that time; while she still held a sliver of hope for returning to the city, she also felt exceedingly grateful for how well Luo Dashan treated her and knew no other way to express her gratitude but this.

It seemed that the two would eventually end up together, but one day, a message suddenly came from the city—there had been a resolution to the family issues at Xiu Tao’s house, and she could return to the city. This was undeniably fantastic news for Xiu Tao.

Upon hearing this, she didn’t even inform Luo Dashan; she just packed her things and went back to the city. By the time Luo Dashan received the news and went to look for her, the place she was staying was already vacant.

Though Luo Dashan felt hurt, he probably already anticipated this possibility and wasn’t too surprised. He knew Xiu Tao’s heart—if there was a chance to return to the city, she would not consider anything else.

Forget it, consider it just a dream; as long as she’s doing well, Luo Dashan harbored no resentments.

Later, due to Xiu Tao’s sudden departure, Luo Dashan’s parents were very angry, deeming her ungrateful for leaving like that despite their good relationship with Dashan, and out of frustration, they arranged a marriage for Luo Dashan.

Naturally, that arranged marriage was with Zhou Yunmei.