At 38, I Became the Heroine of My Own Feel-Good Story

Dong Jiayan is 38, works in film and television, and is the only daughter of a family in the imperial capital. She looks young and has a soft heart. Believing in the fairytale love her parents share, she’s determined to wait for her true soulmate. But reality hits her hard: age-shaming at an elite matchmaking event, vicious online attacks, harassment by her scumbag ex, and the manipulation of a supposedly perfect man… Everyone tells her that at 38, a woman should accept her fate.

Just when she is about to give up, fate brings her together with Su Liangyong, a refined and gentle investor who has returned from overseas. He is divorced and has an eight-year-old daughter, but he has no prejudice about age. Through his actions, he tells her: You deserve to be treated with tenderness by the whole world.

This is a fight back against ageism, for true love and self-worth. With courage and perseverance, Dong Jiayan proves that a woman’s life should never be defined by her age, and that true romance is never too late. From turning the tables at work to finding a happy family, from being besieged by online abuse to becoming an inspirational role model, she finally understands: 38 isn’t the end, but a new beginning.

This is a love letter to every single woman who feels she’s getting older, and a message to anyone struggling with anxiety: Don’t be afraid. The best is yet to come. You are worth waiting for, and you have time.