51: Li Na reveals her true feelings

Cao Lang felt uncomfortable playing while sitting, so he switched to lying on his stomach, his face pressed against the blanket that Li Na had slept on. His breath was filled with Li Na's faint body fragrance. Cao Lang took a deep breath, feeling delighted.

Li Na looked at Cao Lang, who was lying on the bed seriously playing a game, and waves of emotion rose in her heart.

She would take off her outer clothes every time she got on the bed to avoid getting bacteria or mites on it, but seeing Cao Lang like this, she couldn't feel the slightest bit of dissatisfaction.

After all, Cao Lang's extravagant generosity had saved her from the abyss of bankruptcy; she had always maintained a mindset of repaying his kindness.

Besides, this boss was still a young "younger brother."

He felt like a sunny boy who was young at heart, compassionate, and incredibly wealthy.

She couldn't help but sigh; someone who grew up in such a honey pot really had a good life!

Li Na went to the shoe cabinet by the door, took off her high heels to reveal her fair feet with red nail polish, put on indoor slippers, and thoughtfully went to boil some mineral water for Cao Lang.

That gentle appearance of hers was like a beautiful, intellectual sister-next-door.

"It's no fun, I'm about to lose." Cao Lang tossed his phone aside, prepared to go AFK.

"My top-lane Arthur already has 20 kills, but the bottom-lane Luban actually fed 21 deaths. He doesn't take the dragon or the Overlord; he just stayed in that damn bottom lane like he built a three-bedroom apartment there."

A single mobile game match had dragged on for so long; it was truly exhausting to play.

"Boss, let me play for you."

Seeing that Cao Lang was unhappy, Li Na smiled and reached out her hand, asking for his phone to join the battle.

"You play then. Let me take a look at your lady's bedroom."

Cao Lang handed the phone to Li Na without any defenses at all.

Li Na's face turned slightly red as she took the phone and began to play.

This action warmed Li Na's heart. Generally, big bosses were very protective of their personal privacy. At Cao Lang's level, his phone must be full of commercial secrets.

Yet he handed it over so openly, which meant he didn't treat Li Na as an outsider.

Cao Lang stood up and walked around the small space a few times. This was also his first time in a girl's bedroom, and everything was filled with elements that sparked the imagination.

In the wardrobe, clean underwear was neatly arranged. The styles of stockings were also dazzling, with white, black, and gray ones all present.

Cao Lang took a few glances and swallowed. If he had the chance, he would definitely have Li Na wear gray stockings, because he had never experienced them before.

In the corner of the balcony, there was also a reading nook with a neatly folded lounge chair next to it. It seemed Li Na usually liked to lie here and read?

The reading nook was packed full. Besides thick professional law books, there were many literary classics: One Hundred Years of Solitude, The Red and the Black, Pride and Prejudice... Next to them was a stack of notebooks. On an open page, there was elegant and neat handwriting containing some small literary insights.

Cao Lang possessed eighty years of literary prowess. Although he hadn't read these classics, he could roughly understand their contents just by glancing at Li Na's notes.

"I didn't expect Secretary Li to be a literature lover." Cao Lang casually picked up a copy of anna karenina and flipped through it.

"But it's not much damn use. If you have the time, you'd be better off playing games to relax."

Cao Lang's tone was casual, but to Li Na's ears, it seemed to have a deeper meaning.

It felt like a sense of relaxation from someone who had seen through life!

Li Na lost the game. Her slender, delicate fingers pressed the power button, and she stood up to walk over to Cao Lang, respectfully handing the phone back to him.

Li Na had spent three months reading the copy of anna karenina in Cao Lang's hand, and she had been deeply moved by it. The book told the tragic love story of from Anna Karenina—a Cinderella who abandoned her husband and son for a nobleman, but their love was rejected by society, eventually leading to from Anna Karenina's desperate suicide under a train.

"Do you mean that from Anna Karenina's tragedy stemmed from her own persistence? As women, we should go with the flow and balance work with leisure—is that what you mean?"

Li Na tentatively offered her interpretation.

How could Cao Lang know what the book was about? He never read books. Before, he was a loyal fan of power fantasy novels. The only "nutritious" book he had read was: "A cold wind all the way, a body like catkins; floating in the sea of fate, a lonely traveler!"

In response to Li Na's question, Cao Lang coughed and let out a hum of contemplation.

"Mm, you could understand it that way."

Cao Lang put down the book, turned around, and his gaze fell upon Li Na.

Her deep-V lace dress outlined her mature and seductive curves, noble and elegant. Her fair swan-like neck sparked the imagination, and in her beautiful eyes was the confidence of someone well-read.

Facing such a disciplined, almost perfect top-tier young woman, the old Cao Lang would have definitely been stuttering and unable to speak.

But the current Cao Lang, besides his financial backing, also had a broader horizon in terms of literature.

Even though he hadn't read a single classic, it was more than enough for him to casually lecture Li Na, who had been reading for over twenty years.

"Do you read these books because you truly like them, or because you feel you 'should' read them?" Cao Lang suddenly asked.

As soon as he said this, waves of emotion surged in Li Na's heart. Did she truly like reading these books? The question seemed simple but was actually complex.

Li Na also wanted a beautiful life, like having a passionate romance, traveling the world to clear her mind, or going clubbing, skydiving, and having a good fight with someone she disliked. Reading was just something she forced herself to do to deliberately improve her temperament.

Cao Lang's voice softened a bit:

"Li Na, the feeling you give me is like these books on the shelf—neatly arranged, but living too intensely. Like from Anna Karenina, you pursuit freedom but are bound by rules. Have you ever thought that you could occasionally relax and not always keep that string so tight?"

"Actually, what we ultimately need are not the biographies of great people, but the stories of our own lives."

"At your age, you're not a little girl anymore. You should learn to enjoy life and love yourself a bit more."

These words were just nonsense Cao Lang made up based on Li Na's interpretation.

But in Li Na's heart, they were incredibly moving, touching her soul directly!

All along, she had been playing the role of the omnipotent, perfectly elegant Secretary Li Na. The pressure of the workplace, the burden of her family, and the hopelessness of her secret crush had made her habitually hide her true self deep within.

Cao Lang's words were like a key that unexpectedly unlocked the shackles in her heart.

Like a heart that had been neglected for years, it was watered and nourished by Cao Lang, and flowers began to grow once more.

Recalling the helplessness and despair of last night, years of experience surged back into her mind, and Li Na's eyes grew slightly warm.

"Boss... you don't understand." Li Na's voice was a bit choked up as she began to bare her heart.

"I... my family background isn't good. From a young age, I knew that if I wanted to escape that kind of life, I could only rely on my own hard work. I have no sense of security; only by constantly working and earning money can I feel a bit more at ease."

Cao Lang raised his hand to interrupt Li Na, gently supporting her rounded and full shoulders, feeling the burning body temperature of this top-tier secretary.

"I understand. I understand better than anyone."

"I've basically tasted all the bitterness you've endured."

"We can't decide our family background, but we can decide our own lives in the future. I see that you're living too hard, and it pains me."

...Cao Lang's words of pity made Li Na tremble uncontrollably.

For so many years, no one had ever told her they felt for her. Only the man before her saw through the fragility in her heart... [Reminder: The website will be updated soon, which may cause loss of reading progress. Please save your "Bookshelf" and "Reading Records" in time (screenshot suggested). We apologize for any inconvenience!]