I Love Feel-Good Reads, but I Don't Like Sugar-Free Cola 爱爽文，但不爱无糖可乐

1. 1 七 Everyday Bargain Hunting in the Seventies 七零捡漏日常 Old Hu Eighteen老胡十八Romance1.3M WordsCompleted After working overtime, ultrasound doctor Bai Xuexi died suddenly and became the second daughter of the Bai family, living in a crowded courtyard in the 1970s. Her father was obsessed with having a son, her mother was domineering and sharp-tongued, her eldest sister was beautiful and sweet-talking, and her younger sister was clever and quick-witted. Bai Xuexi was the quiet workhorse stuck in the middle, neither loved nor cherished by her parents, bu 25.5kFavorites32.5kClicks/ch61.1kGifts

   Curator note

   This is a gossip-filled article, with more gossip (including a small amount of crime-solving) than finding hidden gems.

2. 2 公 The Little Maid of the Duke's Estate 公府小婢 Spring Is Not Green Yet春未绿Romance534k WordsCompleted After transmigrating, He Xixi found herself in the illustrious Duke Zhenguo's household. But don't get the wrong idea: she hadn't become some young lady. She had transmigrated into He Xiniang, daughter of He Dakui, the gatekeeper at the duke's residence. Even worse, the He family hadn't been bought from outside, where money could be paid to redeem them. They had been hereditary servants for generations, and unless their masters granted them their freedom, they could never leave their servile st 26.9kFavorites32kClicks/ch53.9kGifts

   Curator note

   Yes, regular customers returning will find it just right.

3. 3 穿 I Got Dropped into an Undercover Operation, and the Heroine Had to Play Along 穿到卧底现场女主被迫营业 Four Corners, Little Steps四方小步Romance443k WordsCompleted ----------New Novel------------- A Military Life in the Nineties Synopsis Chu Chen opened her eyes and found herself transmigrated into the body of an undercover police officer in a parallel world, twenty years in the past. Although she inherited the original owner's memories, she had been a timid, homebody office worker. Thanks to the original owner's track record, just an hour after transmigrating, her boss promoted her to head of security at a nightclub. But 4.3kFavorites6.9kClicks/ch8.3kGifts

   Curator note

   While this book doesn't have as many favorites as the author's other academic-themed novel, it's arguably better. Although the coincidences and accidents are frequent, they still make for a very enjoyable read – a truly satisfying read. The author might be a little unskilled with romance? The romance plot has a slightly weak ending, but it's not a big deal; the overall plot is still very engaging.

4. 4 画 No Wind, No Moonlight on the Painted Boat 画舫无风月 Weiyan Studio未晏斋Romance897k WordsCompleted Along the banks of the Suzhou River, pleasure boats bobbed on the water, with delicious food and drink and boat girls who were second to none. The ugly cook, Ce Han, worked briskly and soon brought out another tableful of delicacies. A diner glanced at the scars on half her face and teased, “Ce, shouldn’t you be getting married? Marry me and I’ll take good care of you. I’ll only make you serve me after the lamps are out.” “Keep dreaming!” Ce Han touched the scar on her face and shot him a saucy 2.2kFavorites1.8kClicks/ch5.7kGifts

   Curator note

   It's good; I hope there will be more. Aside from the female supporting character's tragic fate, everything else is pretty good. Did the author have a falling out with the editor? All the top-quality books have no data.

5. 5 带 Becoming a Doctor With a Sign-In System 带着签到系统当医生 Just Passing Through时逢而已Romance945k WordsCompleted [Thanks for your support! The main story is complete. For more medical novels, please add "Prison Doctor Gone Wild (The 1970s)" and "Huh? I'm Really Not a Medical Genius!" to your reading list. You can also check out the completed novel "Taking Over the Operating Room"!] Xu Yunke caught the transmigrate-into-a-book trend and became a colleague of the male supporting character at the hospital, a tool-like female character who appeared for only a few dozen words. The novel was called "Reborn in 35.6kFavorites47.2kClicks/ch80.6kGifts

   Curator note

   It's alright, but the plot twists are too overpowered. Plus, it has a bit of a Grey's Anatomy vibe, making it too exciting, too dry, and too fast-paced, which makes it a bit choking to watch.

6. 6 海 Stockpiling Supplies and Surviving in a Seaside Safehouse 海上安全屋囤货生存 Graceful Evening Glow翩翩晚照Romance2.4M WordsCompleted [Welcome to The God Game: Raft Survival] [New player quest: The extreme heat disaster, Scorching Season, is approaching. Upgrade your safe house as soon as possible.] He Ni, who can't swim, wakes up to find herself floating on a raft. Surrounded by an endless sea, she casts a line beneath the blazing sun and, from the start, reels in ten garbage bags in a row. Just as she's on the verge of despair, a notification appears: [You excel at and love collecting garbage. The Sea God approves of your 239.3kFavorites243.5kClicks/ch2.7MGifts

   Curator note

   It's still quite enjoyable so far, with a warm writing style that doesn't overly create anxiety, a stark contrast to the rampant extreme comments in the comment section. This might be related to the author's absurdly high male-to-female ratio, and the extreme proportions of good and evil factions, with no women currently appearing in the evil camp. It's a female-centric ensemble piece, and while it's clearly well-written, reading too many comments makes me not want to continue reading. I suggest resisting the urge to click on the comments, or perhaps the author should disable the comment section, as that would likely increase revenue.

7. 7 囤 A Hoarder's Life in Another World [System] 囤积狂的异世生活[系统] Xiu Ce袖侧Romance946k WordsCompleted Duan Lili loved sprawling on the sofa, and when she transmigrated to another continent, she brought the sofa along! She looked at the grassy riverbank in front of her, then at the mountains and forest behind her. She shut her eyes and flopped onto the sofa. Duan Lili: Can we go back to where we came from? System: Host, please survive. With no food or water and only a sofa from the start, Duan Lili had no choice but to roll up her sleeves and get to work! Food, stockpile, stockpile, stockpile! Ti 50.2kFavorites126.4kClicks/ch162.8kGifts

   Curator note

   It's alright. It's a spindle-shaped novel. The beginning isn't engaging, but it gradually gets better, and the middle chapters are quite good. The ending is too far-fetched and feels forced and unconvincing. Logically, the system's energy source is plausible, but it doesn't create a sense of crisis for the protagonist. The protagonist has no pressure to support the system and can acquire its resources indefinitely. Furthermore, as the novel progresses into its second half, the upgrade requirements become practically nonexistent, which is almost too satisfying.

8. 8 在 The Days of a Night Watchman in Ancient Times 在古代打更的日子 The Great World大世界Romance1.4M WordsCompleted New novel, The Hidden Bell, is updating daily! This novel will be available to paying readers starting August 3, 2022. I hope you’ll support it! Love you all! A cry pulled Gu Zhao from the world of the dead back to the realm of the living. Life is beautiful. Life can also be bitter. Birth, aging, sickness, death; parting from loved ones; meeting those you resent; wanting what you cannot have... Gu Zhao thought poverty was the greatest hardship in life. Unable to do hard physical labor, she c 106.7kFavorites203.2kClicks/ch313.6kGifts

   Curator note

   It's alright. It has a main storyline that keeps you reading, but the ending is just so-so. The style is warm.

9. 9 穿 A Transmigrator's Struggle as a Lowly Maid 穿越粗使丫鬟奋斗记 His Highness Salmon三文鱼殿下Romance387k WordsCompleted Upcoming novel: The Song Dynasty Palace Maid, description below Description: An everyday tale of domestic struggles One day, Tan Shuang found herself in ancient times. Her father had died, her mother had remarried, and her stepfather sold her as a scullery maid. First, there was the vicious kitchen manager, who deliberately made her life miserable over a few coppers. Then there was the old slop woman, who insisted on taking her as a goddaughter just to get her monthly wages. The maids who had e 2.9kFavorites5.7kClicks/ch1.4kGifts

   Curator note

   Highly recommended! It's a domestic power struggle story, and this type is hard to find these days. Spoilers ahead. The parts that were skipped by the "Time-Traveling Technique" were a bit disappointing, and the ending was also rushed; I didn't get enough of it.

10. 10 爱 An Idol's Nineties 爱豆的九十年代 Pearl Moon Half珠珠月半Romance499k WordsCompleted [New novel: I Became My Classmate’s Grandma. After a filming accident, a popular idol from the 5G era went back to the 1990s and became an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl named Fang Shengsheng. The superstar could sing and dance and was great at acting cute, but she couldn’t make heads or tails of conservation of energy or function analysis. She went from being a top student to a hopeless one. Fang’s father chuckled. “My little sweetheart, it’s okay if you’r 4.6kFavorites9.8kClicks/ch5.6kGifts

    Curator note

    This 24-year-old novel is packed with many popular elements, but its structure is strange. While the writing style is fine, each element feels superficial and incomplete. The idol theme, for example, might have been abandoned if it had been given more detailed development, but the constant repetition of the female lead's school days is just ridiculous. The novel starts as a slice-of-life story about farming and family life, then transitions to a school setting, which later feels like a stock market romance. Before the stock market investment even succeeds, it abruptly shifts to a crime drama, changing from investigation to law enforcement and then to undercover operations. It seems like they didn't accumulate enough compelling plot points for each element, hence the abrupt transitions. As a reader, I was completely overwhelmed. Some people say this novel has a terrible ending, but it's not just a bad ending; all the elements beforehand have that tendency. If you can't accept a bad ending or feel you didn't get enough of the undercover operations, you can read a separate undercover novel. This novel seems to try to include everything, but it doesn't satisfy the reader at all.

11. 11 秀 The Scholar Marries a Soldier 秀才娶了兵 Liang Fangting梁芳庭Romance824k WordsCompleted The story goes premium on February 26. Chapters 1–20 will be locked, starting with Chapter 21. Thank you for your support. "Bows" Lin Fengjun and Chen Bingzheng were like a sparrow and a koi, foxtail grass and a jade wine vessel... In short, they had nothing to do with each other. For martial artists, there were only a couple of ways to make a living through legitimate means: escorting caravans and guarding estates, or performing on the street. Established escort businesses were called escort 37.8kFavorites36.7kClicks/ch49.5kGifts

    Curator note

    A very engaging story. The female protagonist is a bodyguard, and it has many elements of a road trip novel. It's both touching and funny, and although there are many ups and downs, it's not like the tangled and exhausting stories of Xiao Xiang Feng.

12. 12 盲 A Blind Marriage 盲嫁 Madness on Top of Madness狂上加狂Romance523k WordsCompleted Ji Xiaochan has lived three lifetimes and been widowed twice. The first time, she carefully calculated her options and chose the top scholar on the imperial exam, marrying the newly minted top graduate. But her husband was framed by the treacherous Duan Bujing, thrown into prison, and executed in a pool of blood. The second time, she gave up literature for martial arts and chose a martial-minded young prince. On their wedding night, the entire household was sentenced to death. Duan Bujing led 97.5kFavorites113.2kClicks/ch88.3kGifts

    Curator note

    Both the romance and the plot are engaging, and the policy implementation near the end was too idealistic, but the flaws don't detract from the overall excellence.

13. 13 绿 The Tea-Green Girl's Growth Record [The 1970s] 绿茶成长实录[七零] Fu Yannian傅延年Romance537k WordsCompleted Currently updating: Lots of Fun in the Siheyuan Courtyard in the 1970s When Qu Ling was fifteen, her beloved father died and her adoptive mother left home. That was when she learned she wasn’t their biological child. Faced with the fickleness of human nature and other people’s bullying, Qu Ling had no one to rely on, so she became a green tea and schemed her way forward, one step at a time. First, she secured a place in high school. Then she became an outstanding employee at the Junzhou Mine, an 7.7kFavorites12.5kClicks/ch6.1kGifts

    Curator note

    There was a time when the "green tea" trope was quite popular, but now authors like Yang Shizi and Hongguo have relegated it back to the supporting female role [laughs]. The female lead in this book isn't a typical "green tea" character; she has principles, is kind-hearted, but uses "green tea" tactics as a means of self-protection. The plot and career storyline are both very engaging [heart emoji].

14. 14 八 The New Generation of the Eighties 八十年代新一辈 Fu Yannian傅延年Romance572k WordsCompleted New novel now updating: Lots of Fun in the Siheyuan Courtyard in the 1970s Description: Yan Danxia is an exceptionally skilled woman. With her top-notch metalworking skills, she makes a place for herself in a repair shop full of men. Qin Jinzhao is a gifted graduate, young and full of ambition, determined to make something of himself. Thanks to his intelligence and talent, he quickly joins the leadership at Haizhou Factory. The two meet at the Haizhou Fertilizer Plant, come to know and love eac 4.4kFavorites10.9kClicks/ch4.6kGifts

    Curator note

    It's a good, fast-paced novel, but it has two perspectives, with the male protagonist's perspective being more prominent, which made me feel a bit tricked into reading it. The female lead is a fitter, and while she's decent in the beginning, her character arc weakens later on, and she becomes less focused on her career and plot points. The male lead is a well-developed and multifaceted character, with a lot of content on his career/officialdom storyline. However, I usually read romance novels because I'm drawn to the female lead, and she becomes quite one-dimensional later on (reminiscent of an old-fashioned, aloof female lead in a blue-collar job). After that, the book loses its appeal. It should have ended after the male lead became the deputy factory director, because his career path was pretty predictable. His rise from engineer to factory director was quite exciting, but his ascent from factory director to minister or director-general level lacked suspense and kept me hooked. If the female lead had taken that path, I might have been able to keep reading for a few more chapters. A historical setting would have also made it more relatable.

15. 15 女 The Female Lead Has No Morals [The 1980s] 女主她缺大德[八零] Four Single Shop四单铺Romance690k WordsCompleted Xiao Hongyao transmigrates into a period novel full of passion and ambition, wanting nothing but to make money. She goes to great lengths to marry the villainous tycoon, vowing to make a name for herself. Who could have guessed that the tycoon would become hooked, never to return from their pioneering work in the wilderness? A four-foot bed, paper-thin walls. To get him back on the money-making path, she gives up so much. * Song Kuoyang's new wife is a little... out there. Blackmailing people, s 25.8kFavorites35.4kClicks/ch27.8kGifts

    Curator note

    A good, satisfying novel.

16. 16 唐 Miss Tang Is Married but Has No Children 唐小姐已婚未育 Han Yan含胭Romance593k WordsCompleted At 8:00 p.m. on May 23, 2026, the first volume of the print edition goes on presale under its new title, Miss Tang's Secret Marriage Diary. Copies with special and author signatures will be available. Interested readers, please follow Weibo @Author Han Yan for details, which will be posted there. Thank you for your support! Blurb: During the years Tang Yining was infatuated with Jiang Ke, she did whatever he said and believed everything he told her. Jiang Ke said, "The Ke in my name means hardw 81.7kFavorites125.2kClicks/ch70.1kGifts

    Curator note

    I rarely read contemporary romance novels (not fantasy romance novels) because they almost always vilify the proletariat. The male protagonists are either second or third-generation rich kids or young professors, chief physicians, criminal investigation team leaders, prosecutors, law firm partners, marketing/technical directors earning millions a year, pilots, or CEOs. These men who achieve such success and status at a young age usually come from middle-class or higher families. In reality, the probability of female protagonists getting these prodigal sons to turn over a new leaf or winning over these high-achieving men at thirty is far lower than the probability of them living a good life with an ambitious small-town student. But in the world of novels, these small-town students are always the "phoenix men" who break up with the female protagonists. Those aloof female protagonists who wear cheongsams, play the pipa, and have a master's degree somehow attract the powerful male protagonists. Their beauty is used to monetize their wealth in a completely illogical way, making them less sensible than online livestreamers who earn at least 20,000 yuan a month by selling goods themselves. In classic romance novels, when a female protagonist's parents fall ill or she runs out of money due to gambling, she'll inevitably end up working at a KTV selling alcohol, becoming a substitute for the male protagonist, or even a surrogate mother. Later tropes include signing with the entertainment industry or becoming a model, breaking up with her childhood boyfriend only to find herself unsuccessful while her ex-boyfriend becomes famous, or the ex-boyfriend becomes a wealthy tycoon and returns to seek revenge. The male and female protagonists in this story subtly face these pitfalls but overcome them through their own hard work. In contemporary romance novels, the proletariat is often portrayed as villains or cannon fodder, either as a transmigrated/reborn female protagonist or a system-controlled female protagonist using a false identity, or as a morally questionable ex-boyfriend who is unfairly maligned. Some readers say that the male protagonist in this story has no redeeming qualities other than his good looks, but his continuous learning, self-discipline, and ambition are admirable qualities that ordinary people can possess. A small-town exam-taker who gets into university doesn't necessarily become a gold digger or a rich heir (male/female). Some readers have called this a "pampered wife" novel. If it were, the female lead would have fallen in love with a major client surnamed Huo/a superior surnamed Gu (in a less greasy way), instead of marrying a programmer who barely has enough for a down payment on a suburban house and can't afford the property tax. Especially since the female lead didn't date the marketing director, it's a refreshing change from typical workplace romance novels. In most workplace romances, the female lead is attracted to and protected by the experience and power of her older male superior/investor/major client. Thanks to the author for providing such a reliable female boss in this book. PS. The male lead is stingy with himself but more generous than Sun Jie [doge emoji]

17. 17 甜 Tales from Sweetwater Well Alley [The 1970s] 甜水井胡同纪事[七零] Fu Yannian傅延年Romance781k WordsCompleted Yan Chunguang grew up in a Beijing hutong, living in the back building of a three-courtyard siheyuan. It had five rooms and was still owned by her family. Both her parents had jobs, making them fairly well-off by hutong standards. After graduating from high school, she put her artistic talent to use, got hired by the First Cotton Mill, and became a publicity officer. But every family has its troubles. The siheyuan had once belonged entirely to her family, but her grandmother donated it. Yan Chun 5.5kFavorites5.6kClicks/ch5kGifts

    Curator note

    The plot is excellent, and the romance is so good it doesn't seem like the author wrote it (the improvement is huge!). The career storyline is a little lacking. It's an ensemble piece, but the real female lead is the protagonist's mother. Her survival wisdom prevents some of the messy and melodramatic plot points from appearing. This story can be called a "feel-good" read because of the clear-headed and strong female lead like the protagonist's mother. Old Qin from the back room is practically a real-life embodiment of yandere (especially Japanese yandere male and loli yandere female) stories, vividly illustrating how a selfish yandere can't possibly have a romance. Redeeming a yandere is just self-deception by someone with rampant servility. Old Qin's death was especially realistic. The author wanted to write a lot about Xiao Yang's side story, but readers didn't like it, so the author had to write an extra chapter to explain. Maybe the author wanted to write a cute child storyline, but the chosen child wasn't quite right. But the protagonist herself didn't have time to give birth, since the story ended quite quickly, leaving readers wanting more.

18. 18 山 The Mountain Temple Came to Life 山里的道观成精啦 A Few Snowflakes数枝雪Romance1.2M WordsCompleted In the modern era, with incense offerings dwindling, Yuan Manyue, a Taoist temple that has gained sentience, must descend from the mountain and gather faith in order to survive her tribulation and ascend to immortality. But with no incense offerings in her belly and her magic gone, she has no choice but to return to her old trade: fortune-telling. At first, everyone sees her youthful beauty and assumes she’s a lazy fraud. Then “Your nanny is a human trafficker. She left your house with your dau 18.9kFavorites29.2kClicks/ch32kGifts

    Curator note

    The plot is engaging, resembling a series of short stories, but lacks a romantic subplot. The ending feels rushed, with attempts to fill in plot holes at the very end.

19. 19 警 I’m a Police Officer, But I Have the Criminal Master System (Crime Investigation) 警察，但犯罪大师系统[刑侦] The Rabbit Who Learns to Cook学做饭的兔子Romance1.2M WordsCompleted Jiang Xia closed her eyes, opened them again, and found herself in the 1980s. She had become a police officer at a local station, fresh out of police vocational school and newly assigned to her post, with a Master Criminal System bound to her. As long as she kept committing crimes and making a name for herself, the System would reward her with all sorts of criminal skills. Looking at the master-level pickpocketing skill the System had granted her, Jiang Xia fell apart. What am I supposed to do w 121.2kFavorites133.4kClicks/ch496.3kGifts

    Curator note

    The career storyline is exciting and engaging. To some extent, it's an episodic story that involves a lot of criminal investigation techniques. Although the protagonist has a lot of cheat abilities, the clever plot design prevents the reader from getting bored. Criminal investigation novels are better when they rely on research and technical analysis or logical reasoning. A good criminal investigation novel can't be made solely by cheat abilities or bizarre cases. Waaah, the ending was so sudden! The author just dropped the last chapter like a fish dropping its eggs and declared it over. As a reader, I was really confused. But the author said they ran out of inspiration [crying]. Please squeeze in some more extra chapters. It's so good, I don't want it to end.

20. 20 婆 My Mother-in-Law Is a Master of Keeping Everyone Happy 婆婆她是顶级端水大师 Little Little Little Evil One小小小邪子Romance454k WordsCompleted *The Yun Family’s Daughter* is now underway Zhao Xian transmigrates into two novels by the same author. The books are companion stories: one is a tragic romance, the other a sweet one. The tragic story follows the eldest son of the Jiang family and his wife. Misunderstandings, false accusations, a miscarriage, having heart’s blood carved out, and one cruel ordeal after another lead to a desperate pursuit of his wife. The sweet story is about the youngest Jiang son and his wife, a pai 17.9kFavorites37.7kClicks/ch6.6kGifts

    Curator note

    It's alright. "Shifting the blame" to the original owner is usually a point of conflict in transmigrating into a book or time travel. This book might have a bit of a critique of that, which is quite interesting.

21. 21 我 I’m Really Not a Fortune Teller (Hong Kong) 我真不是算命的！[香江] Hu Tu湖涂Romance1.6M WordsCompleted Blurb: As a qualified barefoot doctor, Su Fuling originally wanted nothing more than to carry on her family's medical tradition in Gangcheng, do good deeds to earn merit, and send the System home. But after discovering a new use for the System, she gradually started hurtling down the path of a fortune-teller. At the clinic, Su Fuling warned a man, “Sir, you'll take a tumble tomorrow and might hurt your head. It's nothing serious. You can come see me to have it bandaged.” The next day, a certain 45.2kFavorites55.4kClicks/ch107kGifts

    Curator note

    Currently, the level of enjoyment is still within a reasonable range (800,000 words), but as the Kowloon Walled City map unfolds, it tends to go a bit too far. The sister story features max-level players crushing everything, maximizing enjoyment, but it lacks suspense and is not very interesting.

22. 22 盈 The Bountiful Lady 盈娘 Spring Is Not Green Yet春未绿Romance700k WordsCompleted Original title: Reborn into a Farming Family The Feng family had been refugees for three generations. With shallow roots, they had endured endless contempt. Only by Yingniang's father's generation, after countless hardships, had they finally acquired farmland and earned him the degree of provincial graduate. Their lives had only just begun to improve. Who could have expected that, while the poor go unnoticed even in a busy city and the rich find distant relatives even in the deepest mountains, 28.7kFavorites37.1kClicks/ch46.3kGifts

    Curator note

    The "good father" trope returns; everything else is on par with the author's average.

23. 23 从 Starting Out as a Novelist in Chinatown [The 1960s] 从在唐人街写小说开始[六零] Sang Xueqing桑雪青Romance748k WordsCompleted In 1965, Hollywood was alight with stars. Taylor and Monroe were making waves on the big screen, while the Beatles had become idols to young people everywhere. The old, conservative era had passed. Rebellion, awakening, upheaval, and the pursuit of freedom became the defining marks of a new age. But none of that had anything to do with Yang Leyi, who had just arrived in Manhattan's Chinatown. Her predecessor's father had just died, and her mother worked in a laundry. Their income was so meager t 28.6kFavorites36.3kClicks/ch53kGifts

    Curator note

    This is a story primarily focused on the female protagonist's career, with a decent plot in the early stages but weakening later. The romance is almost nonexistent. The first 600,000 words are quite enjoyable, but after she enters university, the career focus takes off, and the plot essentially disappears, making the reading experience less enjoyable. While the early career development is exaggerated to boost the protagonist's enjoyment, with the popularity of her works being somewhat illogical, it's still quite engaging thanks to the supporting plot. However, by high school and university, the protagonist becomes a superhuman. Not only are all her works phenomenal bestsellers, but she also has the energy to win national research and debate competitions, possesses strong research skills in the electronics manufacturing industry, excels in product marketing and promotion, and runs a successful film business. This overly perfect portrayal makes the story feel impersonal. The logical way to depict this superhuman state is through a system, but if she actually had one, the story would be even more bloated and less engaging. The beginning is like a freshly opened bottle of ice-cold cola, but by the end, it's like a flat, sugar-free cola.

24. 24 九 Back to the Day Before the Demolition in the 1990s 九零:重回拆迁前一天 Yi Nan Suyi易楠苏伊Romance708k WordsCompleted Lin Qionghua is an only child, the apple of her parents’ eyes. She grows up carefree and happy until the age of eight. That year, the whole village is demolished, and overnight everyone becomes rich. They think the windfall will bring them a happy life, free of worries about food and clothing. Instead, everything goes wrong. In her previous life, her father is slandered with a sexual rumor by his “good brother.” His relationship with her mother falls apart, and then the “good brother” and a c 5.2kFavorites8.3kClicks/ch4.8kGifts

    Curator note

    This is a plot-driven, fast-paced novel featuring everyday family life, a diverse cast of characters, and a career path that's more about opportunistic than hard work. The first 180 chapters are quite good, and the story is very engaging and worth reading. The last twenty chapters are not recommended. In the final stages, the female protagonist pulls out 20 million to aggressively invest in a startup new energy company (of course, the company she built in her previous life with the largest market share). This act of using a prophet's knowledge to seize the fruits of someone else's ten years of hard work isn't exactly noble or righteous. Furthermore, all the disharmonious aspects of the female protagonist's personality are magnified through the lens of money. If the ending had shown the female protagonist's tireless efforts in developing the new energy business, it wouldn't be so repulsive. But what is the author focusing on? She has a one-sided, manipulative relationship with the foolish son of an investment bank general manager to attract investment; her academic journey is glossed over (no diligent study or research); there's no mention of managing the team; her involvement in R&D is completely plagiarized, with only a few words left out before she leaves; she releases positive news in the financial market to exploit investors, then kicks someone out because they're not technically competent; she pretends to marry a major shareholder to prevent them from cashing out. The entire process lacks any real effort, is pure speculation, and is truly increasingly repulsive. When she was poor as a child, her actions were extreme (for example, she defrauded 200,000 yuan for three years without telling her parents and smugly sold information for profit). She was still under the protection of minors. After becoming rich, her ruthless pursuit of profit by using her advantages is disgusting, giving off a sense of a pseudo-human being alienated by money. It can be said that in just over twenty chapters, the female protagonist's behavior is more sophisticated than that of the Wahaha successor, but the successor has a loving and prolific father, a calculating stepmother, and a saintly uncle who only knows how to morally blackmail, which makes her seem normal in comparison. The female protagonist's parents are both well-rounded. Her mother is shrewd, capable, beautiful, and good at business, and her father, although he is not good at judging people, is family-oriented and loves his daughter. Because her parents are too normal, it makes her seem abnormal. The female protagonist never suffered because of her gender in either her past or present life. In the end, she even tricked a college student into having her child out of fear of being exploited. If the author hadn't packaged her with the label of an independent woman, her actions at the end would have seemed like excessive self-defense. This part of the romantic storyline didn't make the reader feel that it was criticizing exploitation. After all, in the "shower marriage" between the daughter of a gambling tycoon and a male celebrity in the entertainment industry, the man didn't gain anything and even had to pay for the wedding. The wealthy have very sophisticated ways to protect their assets nowadays, but the female protagonist doesn't seem to cherish the wealth she has reaped in the financial market through prophecy rather than her own efforts (tickets), like an Indian hopping on a train. Her understanding of asset protection is as barren as a beggar imagining an emperor with a golden hoe. Her diligent adherence to the principle of not getting married is like Bao Beier's wife, Baby Egg, carrying her husband.

25. 25 你 Your Cultivation World Has Way Too High a Moral Standard 你们修真界道德太高 Qingqiu Qianye青丘千夜Romance980k WordsCompleted [Main story complete. 70% anti-theft threshold. Extra chapters update every night at 8.] What do you do when the most celebrated genius in the cultivation world breaks off your engagement? Shu Xin slid in and latched onto her fiancé's golden thigh. "You can break off the engagement, but I want compensation. Otherwise, I'll never agree to it!" When he offered too little, Shu Xin challenged her fiancé on the spot. "Is your chastity really worth so little?" When people condemned her for being greed 43.8kFavorites44.6kClicks/ch75.2kGifts

    Curator note

    Most of this author's works are BL (Boys' Love), which I really can't read. I also had trouble getting through some of her previous romance novels. This one has a fresh premise and is quite good; the plot is very enjoyable and interesting. However, in the epilogue, the female lead starts creating a system and selecting cultivators from the cultivation world to be placed into it. While her intentions are good, it also reflects her transformation from a rebel to a representative of the Heavenly Dao—she thinks she's a god who can control the fate of cultivators and mortals. I stopped reading after that. It might be a way to cultivate talent in advance to rebel against the immortals, but this offer feels forced. The system's host is unaware that the female lead is spying on their future, which feels a bit off. But the main text is good, and I recommend it.

26. 26 八 Selling Everything to Go to School in the 1980s 八零之砸锅卖铁去上学 A Blade on the Snow雪上一枝刀Romance476k WordsCompleted 1: Lin Doukou loses her father when she’s young, then her mother as well. Left with no family or support, she becomes an orphan. She studies her way from a small town to the imperial capital, thinking she can finally catch her breath. Little does she know that this is only the real beginning. 2: Zhou Helin has met plenty of pretty girls, but never one who could eat four big steamed buns in a single sitting. Theme: A sound outlook on life and values 6.2kFavorites9.2kClicks/ch3.7kGifts

    Curator note

    It's alright, you can read it if you're looking for something to read.

27. 27 暴 Has My Tyrant Husband Been Unmasked Today? 暴君夫君今天掉马了吗？ Lemon Nine柠檬九Romance275k WordsCompleted In the fourth year after taking over the family business, Xie Wan finds herself a live-in husband to prevent her relatives from taking advantage of her as the family’s sole heir. The man is handsome, with refined features and an elegant, easygoing air. He has a gentle temperament and good character. At least, he’s nothing like the new emperor, who is volatile, cruel, and feared by all, yet hated just as fiercely. On her return from a business trip, she passes through three cities where people h 3.2kFavorites2.6kClicks/ch2.6kGifts

    Curator note

    The early part was excellent, especially the suspenseful plot and the romance was well done, but the last few chapters were written in a very clichéd way. It felt like the author's writing skills were not up to par for such a mindless and predictable plot, and it felt a bit like a rushed ending.

28. 28 真 The Real Heiress Refuses to Follow the Plot 真千金拒绝走剧情 Coral and Summer珊瑚与夏天Romance592k WordsCompleted Ten years after transmigrating, Tao Sheng unexpectedly discovers that she’s the true daughter and supporting female character in "A Lifetime of Glory", a story about fighting for power within the household. According to the plot, she’s supposed to return to her birth father, Marquis Wen Yuan Shen Yu’s residence, and fight the fake daughter and true heroine Shen Ruojin until they’re at each other’s throats. On one side are the people in the marquis’s household, who keep her at a distance and dot 62.1kFavorites185.8kClicks/ch27.6kGifts

    Curator note

    I couldn't get into the side stories, but the main story was alright; aside from the romance, it was fairly well-balanced.

29. 29 嫁 Marrying a Terminally Ill Relocation Household Head (Period) 嫁给绝症拆迁户后[年代] Huan Ruojun浣若君Romance632k WordsCompleted Wanru was the prettiest young wife in the village. Then her husband betrayed her, and her son was abused to death by his mistress. She returned to 1990, beat the scumbag and his mistress until they were wailing for their parents, then took her child to the city to make a living. Someone offered to set her up with a military officer who had lost his sight on the battlefield and was terminally ill. If she cared for him until he died, she could keep his big house and the compensation home. The av 30.5kFavorites42kClicks/ch25.3kGifts

    Curator note

    The author probably rushed the ending to avoid arguments between those who advocate remarriage and having children and those who want to avoid certain topics after having children. It's a pity the female lead's career development wasn't fully explored, but it's not entirely a bad thing. Sometimes, when this author writes too much, they make the female lead too powerful, making it hard for readers to empathize. Her transformation from proletariat to bourgeois, culminating in her excessive flaunting of wealth and power, becomes off-putting. This time, the ending conveniently stopped at the delicate point where the female lead had just acquired state-owned enterprise assets and land resources, which is good; it doesn't evoke too many negative associations.

30. 30 新 My Husband Transmigrated to Steal Me From the Male Lead 新聘 Yu Shi榆莳Romance538k WordsCompleted Gu Lingyi, daughter of the Minister of Revenue, had two great regrets in her life. First, her childhood sweetheart and fiancé, Jiang Xuanqing, who had placed third in the palace exams, broke off their engagement in public: “I have no romantic feelings for you. From now on, you can think of me as your older brother.” Second, she believed Cui Yi’s empty promises that he would one day rise to the highest offices and always outshine Jiang Xuanqing. In a moment of foolishness, she agreed to marry h 307.1kFavorites265.2kClicks/ch349.7kGifts

    Curator note

    The beginning is all about the plot, and since it's a historical novel, one might assume the female lead has no career path, but she actually does, which unfolds after marriage. The male lead has a significant role, and it's told from a dual perspective, but it's not off-putting. The author's writing is excellent, and the plot is well-designed; recommended.

31. 31 末 The Apocalypse Big Shot Travels to the Seventies 末世大佬穿七零 Half A Liang Of Green Ink半两青墨Romance746k WordsCompleted [Synopsis] This is Shen Banyue’s eighth year in the apocalypse. She has awakened several abilities and struggles to survive in a world overrun by zombies. One day, while searching for clean water, Shen Banyue encounters zombies. One moment she’s fighting them, and the next, everything goes black. She wakes up in the world of a period novel. The good news: Although this era is poor, it’s far better than the apocalypse. At least clean water is everywhere, and she still has the abilities she awake 76.4kFavorites123.1kClicks/ch156.2kGifts

    Curator note

    The protagonist has a rather overpowered cheat ability, but the plot is also exciting, so it's not too bad; it's an exhilarating and satisfying story.

32. 32 大 The Young Lady Joins the Army While Pregnant [The 1960s] 大小姐揣崽随军[六零] Hai Dai Miao海岱苗Romance742k WordsCompleted Yun Duo transmigrated into the food- and clothing-scarce 1960s, becoming a uniquely outrageous character in a period novel. With a bad class background, she drugged the male lead’s stern, old-fashioned uncle to secure his protection during a turbulent era, then used her pregnancy to marry into the family. Unluckily, when Yun Duo arrived, the deed was already done. Yun Duo: ... Being outrageous is great. Being outrageous is wonderful. Outrageous people aren’t bound by moral scruples. She just ha 49kFavorites69.9kClicks/ch34kGifts

    Curator note

    It's been months since it ended, and the status hasn't changed to "finished." I've almost forgotten the plot; I only remember that the romance was well-written.

33. 33 重 Reborn in the 1970s, Making a Pity Play 重生回七零，卖惨 July Plow七月犁Romance820k WordsCompleted (Main story complete) Reborn at the turning point of her fate, Zhan Lin had just figured out how to get back at Ning Yunshu when she accidentally overheard her parents talking late at night. What? The letter reporting the Ning family, which led to their terrible misfortune, had been written by her father. Zhan Lin was stunned. So everything Ning Yunshu had said in her previous life was true? She went back to her room and decided to lie flat. What was the point of being reborn? So Ning Yunshu cou 21.2kFavorites30.4kClicks/ch42.2kGifts

    Curator note

    It's very exciting. There are quite a few names in the beginning, but in a group story, it's hard to develop the plot if there aren't many names. So, it's not possible to listen to the audiobook version of this book, as you might miss some of the foreshadowing.

34. 34 论 How a Corporate Drone Won Over the Strongest Boss 论社畜是如何攻略最强boss的 Seven Cups of Wine七杯酒Romance368k WordsCompleted (The main story is complete. Bonus chapters are updating slowly~) Shen Run is an office drone. Right after graduating from university, she joined a subcontracting company and became a workhorse. Getting only two days off a month, having her phone on 24/7, and being paid late were all par for the course. She also had to deal with her supervisor's harassment from time to time. Her life's ambition was to become a full-time employee at a major company. Just as she was scrambling to find work and p 9.1kFavorites12.9kClicks/ch7.8kGifts

    Curator note

    It was poorly written, but the reading experience was very enjoyable.

35. 35 我 I Was Jailed in the Kaifeng Prefecture 我在开封府坐牢 Fish in Seven Colors鱼七彩Romance989k WordsCompleted After returning from quick transmigration, Cui Tao finally gets the chance to be reborn with all sorts of skills at her disposal. The moment she opens her eyes, the execution blade comes crashing down! “Your Honor, I have something to say!” “Your Honor, I want to name my accomplices!” “Your Honor, I can examine corpses.” “Your Honor, I can identify poisons.” “Your Honor, I can track suspects.” “Your Honor, I can go undercover too.” Everyone in the Kaifeng Prefecture: “Miss Cui, is th 114.5kFavorites333.2kClicks/ch171.4kGifts

    Curator note

    The plot is engaging, the writing is average, and there are occasional somewhat childish sentences.

36. 36 打 If I Beat the Ghosts, You Can't Beat Me, Okay? 打了鬼就不能打我了哦 Lin Zhilu林知落Romance460k WordsCompleted Original title: Office Drone Heavenly Master Shi Pengpeng graduated at the top of her class in mystical arts. Faced with a brutal job market, she became an office drone, working nine to five. Big cities offer plenty of opportunities, and all sorts of clueless demons and ghosts often show up in front of her. Scene One: In a CBD office tower, a vengeful ghost, brimming with resentment, drops to its knees in front of her with a thump. “Master, please, I’m begging you, send me to the next life! The 44.7kFavorites51.5kClicks/ch61.9kGifts

    Curator note

    Good.

37. 37 族 Dream of the Red Chamber: The Clan Chief's Wife Enjoys Her Retirement [红楼]族长夫人养老日常 Witnessing the Bright River悉见明河Romance616k WordsCompleted The next book is "Beloved Eighth Princess in the Qing Dynasty". Please add it to your reading list! [Middle-aged couple, a grandson from the start. Daiyu and Baoyu stay together.] Liu Yan spent over twenty years as an ordinary girl in the modern world before waking up in her previous life. As the legitimate daughter of a Duke’s household, she married Jia Jing in her teens. He had passed the imperial examinations at a young age and was the sole heir to the Ningguo household, a family of comparabl 3.8kFavorites6.1kClicks/ch4.2kGifts

    Curator note

    The plot, career development, and romance are all excellent, and although it has few favorites, its quality is truly outstanding. Especially towards the end, it doesn't dwell too much on wealth and power, and the male and female leads' arrangements for their descendants don't have the feel of old-fashioned power succession or the tycoon-like monopoly of wealth. Whether it's a historical or modern novel, those with compelling career storylines in the early stages often reveal multiple safeguards the protagonists have against class stratification towards the end. In historical novels, this is often shown as the male lead reaching the pinnacle of power and gaining the emperor's exclusive trust with his son, the female lead's enviable life, her meticulously arranged marriages for her daughter and son, and the envious and resentful antagonists. In period novels, it's shown as the female lead's ability to make money and invest, getting involved in every lucrative industry, constantly striving to become a tycoon, and then her children being educated and finding excellent partners. Too much of this only breeds resentment towards the wealthy and hatred of class stratification. The male protagonist of this story retires gracefully and leaves without planning for his grandson to become a minor high-ranking official, his second son to pursue art, and his daughter to pursue charity work without marriage. The female protagonist doesn't interfere in other people's lives or become a women's federation director to demonstrate her influence. Although there is an unpleasant BL (Boys' Love) subplot, it doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment of the story.

38. 38 人 In the 1950s, I Refuse to Be Cannon Fodder 人在五零，拒当炮灰 Huan Guiyi缓归矣Romance515k WordsCompleted Lin Sangyu transmigrated into an era novel as the female lead’s younger sister. According to the plot, she was about to die, and her whole family would die with her. After their deaths, the female lead would have only her husband, the male lead. He would build his career away from home, while she took care of his difficult, paralyzed parents, raised his headstrong younger siblings, brought up his mischievous nieces and nephews, and adopted six orphans left behind by his fallen comrades. The stra 27.1kFavorites46kClicks/ch47.5kGifts

    Curator note

    The first hundred chapters were alright; the plot was quite enjoyable. After the hundredth chapter, it became uninteresting, with a bland romance interspersed with descriptions of the privileged lives of the upper class, lacking any dramatic twists and turns.

39. 39 十 The Department Store Princess of the Nineteenth Century 十九世纪百货公主 Frozen Orange冻京橙Romance662k WordsCompleted Blurb: Dai Li transmigrated into a minor character in a classic Western novel. Nineteenth-century London, the golden age of the Victorian era. The surging steel tide of the Industrial Revolution had forged the world-famous metropolis of London. The West End was a paradise of glittering excess, while the East End was a hell of sweatshops. Dai Li's entire family was crammed into a narrow little house in the slums of East London. They scraped by on the income from half of a dilapidated general 76.6kFavorites90.5kClicks/ch144.5kGifts

    Curator note

    It's a pretty good story with a focus on the protagonist's career, and the romance is also well-written. However, the career story becomes less interesting when the protagonist earns too much money, and it ends quickly around the tenth or so chapter when you start to get tired of it. At the beginning of the novel, it seems that the female protagonist was not Chinese before her rebirth, but most likely from Europe or America, because she is very familiar with the social customs and etiquette of Europe and America. This setting feels quite novel. However, the wording becomes less rigorous later on, and some Chinese proverbs and sayings occasionally appear, which is a bit jarring. Overall, it is still acceptable, and it is still a little bit better than the Hong Kong-style novels with a strong Northeastern flavor.

40. 40 穿 The County Magistrate's Kitchen Maid 穿成县令家的烧火丫头 Above the Clouds尚云端Romance1.1M WordsCompleted While chasing a Star Wolf across the galaxy, Li Xiaoxiao somehow transmigrated to the Great Wu dynasty more than thirty thousand years in the past. She became a refugee fleeing the aftermath of a great flood. With no household registration, travel permit, or anything else to her name, she was hired by the family of the newly appointed magistrate of Miyang County because of her brute strength. She became a kitchen maid in charge of tending the stove. Mama Mao, the kitchen supervisor, breathed a 39.2kFavorites39.1kClicks/ch79.2kGifts

    Curator note

    It's alright. Perhaps the writing is quite good; she's one of the few female protagonists with high combat abilities that's acceptable to readers. For example, Huan Ruojun's "The Eldest Sister-in-Law" overemphasizes the element of high-combat-ability women, focusing too much on how they defeat men with force rather than achieving great things. The only problem with this book is that the extra chapters are too long to read.

41. 41 总 The Steward's Real Name Is Grace 总管原名格蕾丝 Pure Offering清供Romance974k WordsCompleted One spring day in 1842, Grace awoke in the poverty-stricken East End of London. The more than twenty years she had lived in the modern world and the decade she had spent in the Regency era felt like Zhuangzi’s dream of being a butterfly, leaving her unable to tell reality from illusion. At that moment, Grace was in dire straits. Her mother had just given birth to twins and was weak, while her father had broken his leg in an accident at work. Without a job, they had no way to make ends meet. 25.1kFavorites40.4kClicks/ch36kGifts

    Curator note

    I couldn't finish reading it many times, but I was really desperate for something to read. The advantage is that the author did a lot of research, but then added a strange filter that Chinese people have for Europe. Also, it's too long. My Chinese stomach felt uncomfortable halfway through because of the incompatibility of our values. I might have been able to read the novella because of the proper research or out of curiosity, but the fact that it's too long makes me lose the filter. The female lead has fairytale-like luck. At 17, she is discovered and hired to manage the Duke's estate. Although she has 25 years of modern memories, I think it's hard to find a manager in investment banking with such good business skills at 25. Moreover, she is lucky to meet a Duke who is not arrogant and has the ability to solve cases but gives way to the female lead. The male lead is no worse than the female lead in solving cases, but he still insists on letting the female lead do the work. This kind of setup is a waste of resources and quite boring.

42. 42 怎 Why Does Everyone Have a Secret Identity Except Me? 怎么人人都有马甲，偏我没有！ Moonsea Demon Queen月海妖后Romance745k WordsCompleted Ning Ya was the villainous supporting character, Consort Ning, in a palace intrigue novel. After accidentally taking over the protagonist’s role, she was banished to a modern corporate warfare novel. In this story, everyone has more than one identity. The assistant is a business mogul with connections on both sides of the law, the bullied girl at school is the real heiress of a wealthy family, and the internet cafe attendant is a top hacker. She alone is nobody special. She is just a timid lac 2.1kFavorites2.9kClicks/ch17.7kGifts

    Curator note

    I'm not a big fan of time-travel stories. The female lead's background wasn't particularly compelling. Her experience as a concubine honed her public relations skills, and the emperor was like the tycoon in "Raise the Red Lantern." The ancient storyline resembles a young woman who follows a powerful figure, gaining experience and acquiring professional skills, only to be abandoned by the aging, older man after a period of decline (the female lead once resolved a public relations crisis by securing cultural relics with the emperor's endorsement). She then travels to the modern era and uses her acquired skills to develop a public relations career. It's an inspirational story, but considering the path to growth, it's not very satisfying. The ending was also a bit rushed. Looking forward to the next book.

43. 43 唐 A Little Physician from the Tang Dynasty 唐朝小医娘 Pine Snow Pastry松雪酥Romance797k WordsCompleted In her previous life, Le Yao had finally opened a clinic for the blind and earned enough to support herself, only to die in a fire. When she opened her eyes again, she had transmigrated to the Tang dynasty. Then she heard a cold voice ordering someone to dig a pit and bury her. Le Yao: "...W-wait! Don't bury me just yet!!!" She desperately reached out and grabbed the man's robe. Looking up in alarm, she unexpectedly met a pair of eyes clear as snow on a mountain. The original owner was the daug 120.6kFavorites135.1kClicks/ch306.8kGifts

    Curator note

    The career storyline is captivating, but it inexplicably adds a romanticized dimension to the medical profession, making some perfectly ordinary things for doctors overly sentimental. For example, dating based on a woman's beautiful bone structure, creating a skeletal model, and using the model as a handbag charm—this childish behavior is a bit cringe-worthy. Whether in Western or traditional Chinese medicine, this obsession with skeletons is strange. Furthermore, to heighten the excitement, the female lead's work almost exclusively involves rescuing patients in the emergency room or ICU. Given the limited transportation in ancient times, it's remarkable that all the patients survive until she arrives. Her luck is even better than Conan's; there's never a instance where she arrives at a patient's death, always managing to save them. The cases are primarily from the emergency room and ICU, focusing on acute and severe illnesses, with very few cases of common diseases, frequently occurring diseases, or mild to moderate symptoms that are difficult to diagnose. Despite being a TCM practitioner specializing in internal medicine (in terms of skill level), the cases are more critical than those of the intern Grey. There are very few cases in the House-style approach. I personally believe that the charm of TCM lies in diagnosis, but as an outsider, the author may not be able to write this style of plot because it would require a lot of research.

44. 44 年 The Stepmother in This Period Novel Quits 年代文后妈不干了 Chang Xin长欣Romance540k WordsCompleted Book blurb At sixteen, Zhao Yongmei had a dream that she became the stepmother of another sixteen-year-old child! In the dream, things started out well enough. Her husband was married for a second time, but they were loving and harmonious, and although her son wasn’t her own, he was obedient and filial. Then the boy’s birth mother returned from overseas. Her husband and stepson wavered between the two women, and only then did Zhao realize that the happy life she had enjoyed for years was noth 5.9kFavorites15.5kClicks/ch3.5kGifts

    Curator note

    The quality of the story is generally poor, so I read it after it was finished. I couldn't continue after reading around chapter 100, which was also when I was struggling with writer's block. It was just too rambling and pointless, and the more I read, the more uncomfortable I felt. The female lead's attitude towards other characters and her attitude towards the college entrance exam were all tinged with arrogance, like a mannequin that had been spoiled.

45. 45 被 After Being Cast Aside by a Hong Kong Tycoon, I Made My Fortune on the Mainland [Period] 被港城豪门抛弃后在内地发家了[年代] Gong An恭安Romance1.0M WordsCompleted Back in Hong Kong in 1979, Luo Baozhu’s wealthy father died, setting off a battle over his estate. Her powerful brothers and sisters divided up the family fortune, then planned to exile their overlooked younger sister to the mainland. “We’ll leave you a few hundred mu of land around the ancestral home in Shenzhen, ten buildings, and a few small shops to support you in your old age. Don’t set foot in Hong Kong again.” Her mother urged her through tears, “That’s a poor fishing village in the count 15.2kFavorites28.6kClicks/ch10.6kGifts

    Curator note

    The career storyline gets four and a half stars; it's incredibly satisfying but too simplistic. The revenge plot becomes overly sentimental and harmonious towards the end, barely earning four stars. The romance is weak, half a star; it feels like a student who can't answer a test scribbled a solution on the paper. A no-romance story would have been more appealing to that audience. The author clearly didn't want to waste the romance section's traffic, so they just threw in some weak stuff, using a template, even a modern Cinderella-esque one. A British aristocrat inexplicably falls in love with an outstanding female protagonist and "waits" for her for seven years without any romantic progress. It's not that the female protagonist is unworthy of such treatment because she is so outstanding, but it doesn't make sense. It seems that the author's love has a shelf life longer than the lotus seeds in an ancient tomb thousands of years ago, and he has unrealistic fantasies about men (he's practically a man with a female-centric emotional logic). At the same time, most of the men in the story are scumbags who indulge in drinking, gambling, and prostitution. It's too disjointed. The male protagonist's character design seems to be both Western-worshipping and obsessed with the rich. As a reader who enjoys period romance novels, I find it very irritating. I guess recommending this novel on Xiaohongshu would get me a large number of loyal fans. Furthermore, Cheng Peng's family must have saved the author in a past life. Cheng Peng's sister was a serial mistress who caused all sorts of trouble, leading Zhang Lijuan astray. Cheng Peng also caused his brother surnamed Huang to lose a leg and refused to admit it. Yet, the whole family lived a smooth and fulfilling life, even more so than the female lead (the family was healthy, safe, wealthy, and had extensive social connections). On the contrary, the female lead's family, with too much money, either died or became mentally unstable because of their wealth, and were bound by capitalism, toiling their entire lives without ever enjoying life.

46. 46 九 Moving to Shanghai in the 1990s 九十年代迁居沪上 Sang Xueqing桑雪青Romance481k WordsCompleted [Advance notice: Please add Sixies: I Become a Detective on the Revolutionary Travel Route and Starting Out as a Chinatown Novelist [Sixies] to your reading list~] In 1994, Dongping Village, long rumored to have a coal mine in the mountains, posted a notice: Villagers could pay a fee to claim an area of the mountain and prospect for coal. If they struck a deposit, they would receive half the shares in the new mine. The notice caused an uproar. Some cursed the village leaders for being crazy abou 16kFavorites26.6kClicks/ch8.7kGifts

    Curator note

    The ending is just right; any more would be tiresome. The process of class leap from the proletariat to the bourgeoisie is the most interesting. The flaunting of wealth after becoming rich, how successful their children are, how successful their careers are, etc., Are just long and tedious pandering to the rich.

47. 47 女 The Heiress [Hong Kong] 女继承者[香江] Four Single Shop四单铺Romance676k WordsCompleted After drinking herself into a stupor, Ye Baoling woke up inside the script of a short drama. She was the eldest daughter of a wealthy fifth-generation family, whose parents were divorced and whose life was miserable and pathetic. Staring at the unfamiliar words “wealthy fifth generation,” she was utterly confused. This plot seemed to demand that you go crazy or perish. Who couldn’t lose their mind? Fine, then: let’s stir things up. After she did all kinds of outrageous things, people began to lo 69.8kFavorites94.1kClicks/ch129.7kGifts

    Curator note

    The author's locked-room mystery plot has reappeared, but it's quite enjoyable. The female lead's career path is the most satisfying to read among the author's works so far (I didn't finish reading the "Hey Rice" story).

48. 48 从 From Beat Cop to Crime-Solving Expert 从片警到破案专家 Shattered Misty Waves烟波碎Romance782k WordsCompleted Chen Ran grew up in a Taoist temple. She was strong and skilled in combat. After graduating, rather than taking a job related to her field of study, she became a local police officer at Lianshan Police Station. She had an exceptional memory, knew the law, and learned quickly. Within a month on the job, she had become the station’s best young officer. She handled all kinds of station business with ease, caught several wanted criminals who had been on the run, and caught the attention of the head 19.2kFavorites27.8kClicks/ch37.4kGifts

    Curator note

    The career storyline is as fast-paced, concise, and down-to-earth as ever, without any outrageous cheat codes. The romance doesn't feature a detective captain as a boyfriend; the female lead eventually becomes a squad leader herself. It's rare to find female protagonists with management and coordination abilities in crime fiction; usually, they either have cheat codes or become the male lead's wallflower apprentice. As for the plot, well, the author, as always, loves writing fairy tales within the system. She either finds a second-generation official as her boyfriend/husband or is herself a military descendant who has fallen from grace. All her other children are pampered daughters among her fathers and uncles, who are all extremely protective of their sons. I suspect the next book will feature a third-generation red (high-ranking official) family, but I really don't want to see this kind of class-based stratification in a period novel.

49. 49 大 A Young Woman from a Humble Family in Great Ming 大明小户女 Spring Is Not Green Yet春未绿Romance800k WordsCompleted People say, “Better to treat ten men than one woman.” Even the women of an esteemed clan like the Cheng family of Jinling were no exception when it came to seeking medical care. Because of the barriers between men and women, female patients had to consult male doctors from behind a curtain, with their husbands describing their symptoms for them. As a result, they were often prescribed the wrong medicine. Having heard that Wu and Yue had many women doctors, the Cheng family invited several of th 62.3kFavorites78.8kClicks/ch143.9kGifts

    Curator note

    The author consistently portrays women in historical fiction; their career paths are depicted in a pragmatic and down-to-earth manner, pursuing female independence and autonomy without going to extremes. Their ideals are quite grounded, forming a stark contrast to contemporary fantasy novels that proclaim women's rights while simultaneously advocating for widowhood and a life of complacency, those that claim to uphold reproductive freedom but then remain childless in ancient times hoping for a virtuous clan and not being greedy for wealth, and those that preach equality while actually creating a false utopia through time travel, technology, and plagiarism.

50. 50 在 Raising a Child in a Western Han Kitchen 在西汉庖厨养娃 Ten Thousand Springs万重泉Romance765k WordsCompleted Ji Xu transmigrated to a time before the Common Era, into the body of a woman from the imperial palace laundry who had just been freed and sent home. Her parents were both dead, and she had two younger sisters left to care for. Her eight-year-old elder sister worked herding pigs for a wealthy family, while her five-year-old younger sister already knew how to gather firewood and cut grass. Their cooking pot held bran gruel, they wore patched hemp clothes, and the wind whistled through the thatche 21.9kFavorites32.1kClicks/ch27.7kGifts

    Curator note

    It's good and to my liking. The main focus is on the career and plot lines, with some romance at the end. Compared to the author of "Green Bean" who deliberately made the plot and romance lines strange in order to maintain women's rights, I can accept the author's arrangement of putting romance aside and focusing on the career line.

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