Novels like Middle Age: City of Desire
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Middle Age: City of Desire, best match first.
- 1 Borrowed Dignity, Then She Lost It 借来的体面，然后她弄丢了 Borrowed respectability, then she lost it 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 Beyond the Walls, Where Do We Go? 围墙之外，何去何从 [No fixed couples, and readers with strong moral qualms should stay away! This novel loves pairing people in unexpected ways, and the ex-husband eventually becomes the son-in-law!] [All kinds of tangled relationships, mutual scheming, love and hate, but in the end everyone gets a happy ending!] [Everyone’s status gets reshuffled, and each person finds their own path to happiness! Hahaha~~] She watches her husband give her the green hat, then returns the favor in kind. Life is this thrilling, and 31Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 A Windfall Makes a Life 横财成就人生 One lucky blow brings him a windfall. The real problem is how to launder it into legitimate personal income. It's like telling one lie and needing a hundred more to cover it: the problems just keep snowballing. Watch how the protagonist gets himself out of this mess. 445Reads6.1Score—14d adds
- 4 Blueberry, the Leftover Woman 剩女蓝莓 Blueberry is an unmarried woman who’s still living at home. She has two unreliable best friends: Mihua is a bit of a flirt who teases men and ended up kicked out by her husband with nothing, while Feifei loves mahjong and dreams only of marrying into a wealthy family… Three women, and plenty of drama. Love, ethics, human nature… They say hotpot is all about the lively world around the table. Our story begins with a hotpot meal… The story is a slow burn. I hope you’ll enjoy it! 42Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 Housewife: My Husband Wants a Divorce 家庭主妇：老公想离婚 Chen Mofei is the head of the hospital's gynecology department, and Tao Yan is a housewife. They were once a harmonious couple, but Tao Yan has a sharp tongue and a kind heart. Her cutting, hurtful words repeatedly push her husband's patience to the limit... The messy, petty troubles of ordinary people! The story takes its time getting going. I hope you'll enjoy it! 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 The Meaning of Happiness 幸福的标准 Ye Han and He Junshan are, in everyone’s eyes, the perfect love story from campus to the altar. But how can a marriage keep feelings safe from the wear and tear of everyday life? Even their careers are gradually facing new crises… 69Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 Fallen into the Mortal World 坠落红尘间 His father is critically ill, and she can’t scrape together the money to save him. A poor college girl grits her teeth and steps into the late-night world of KTV! She masks her youth with cigarettes and alcohol, trading her dignity for medical bills. Can she make it to the end of this road? Will she succumb to the temptations of the neon lights? 87Reads—Score614d adds
- 8 The Story of Fei Xin’s Daughter 飞新的女传 [Marriage + Domestic Abuse + Divorce + Blind Date + Online Romance + Finding True Love + Sweet Romance + Silent Treatment] At twenty, Fei Xin was set up by her parents, went on a blind date, got married, suffered domestic abuse, and divorced. At twenty-three, she met an online boyfriend five years younger than her. They got married and had a child! Married Life + Sweet Romance + Silent Treatment —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 The Watcher in the Wheat Fields 麦苗田里的守望者 I'll never forget that rainy summer night. The rain had turned the village's dirt roads to mud. One step could sink you in up to your calves. Clutching half a candle, I hurried home, stumbling through the muck, my heart pounding like I had a rabid rabbit inside me. Mom had promised she'd be home before dark, but it was already nine o'clock. 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 10 Peeping: The Butterfly Effect 偷窥之蝴蝶效应 The male lead is a complete loser. By chance, he discovers a female colleague's secret, turning his work and personal life upside down. Two mature adults with sharp minds and social skills engage in an intense game of push and pull. Love begins for reasons unknown and grows deeper with every passing day: they love and are loved, hurt and are hurt, grow through their pain, then fade from one another's memories. This is also the story of an ordinary worker's growth. 578Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 11 After Getting Caught Cheating 出轨被捉后 After cheating and divorcing, the heroine, Pang Yan'er, finds her life in shambles. Watch how human nature changes… May her story serve as a warning to everyone! Marriage takes work, so cherish the happy life you have! 115Reads6.3Score—14d adds
- 12 Never Turning Back 誓不回头 Also titled: The Ideal Life Is One Where You Can Soar Without Cheats. This is an amusing story with a touch of melancholy. Fresh out of school, Ma Yiming feels lost. “What's a life plan? Adults make plan after plan, but in the end, all they get is a measly paycheck?” His friend Chen Guangxu is just as lost. “...Four of us were sent to intern at the fitness center, and I was the only guy they assigned to sell memberships. I'm a boxing major. What am I doing selling memberships? Damn it, all the 3.7kReads9.1Score40814d adds
- 13 Breaking Free 逃离束缚 Su Yu and Tang Yilan met on a blind date arranged by their university professor. After spending some time together, they both decided they liked each other, so they went to meet each other’s parents. At first, everything seemed to go smoothly, but after they got married, they argued over whether to rent a place of their own. Su Yu also has an older brother, Su Lun, who has been married to Zhao Yanan for years, but still has no children of his own. After finally getting married, Tang Yilan reali 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 His Puppy-Dog Eyes 他的狗狗眼 [Younger man’s secret crush + grown-up flirtation and entanglement + an affectionate puppy who loves to cuddle] [Sincere, green-tea-flavored veterinarian × beautiful top student and lead singer of a band] “Big Sis, you’re the only one with the key to this collar. If I could, I’d hope you never opened it for the rest of your life, because I only want to be your good little dog, and yours alone.” 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 Our Long River of Years 我们的岁月长河 Our Long River of Years is divided into three parts. Following the ordinary lives of three generations of Zhao Jiafu’s family, railway workers, it spans from the 1950s to the 2020s. It recounts the joys and sorrows, happiness and heartbreak, and everyday troubles experienced by the three generations of the Zhao family and the ordinary people around them over the long river of time. It depicts the turbulent lives of ordinary people as the times change and society develops. Time flows like a river 180Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 Workplace Temptation: The Ambitions of a Middle-Aged Man 职场诱惑：中年大叔的野望 [Ultimate Temptation + Push and Pull to the Limit + Workplace Intrigue + A Rookie’s Guide to Growth] After three years of marriage, Zhang Jun is once again sent to work in another city, leaving him and his wife together only once a month. Then she appears, and everything changes. The temptation is irresistible, and he falls in an instant... (The blurb may not do it justice, but the story is absolutely gripping.) This novel is grounded in reality. There is no System or supernatural power. It is e 22Reads7.0Score—14d adds
- 17 It's Only Fifty 不过是五十而已 An inspirational, unyielding story of midlife crisis, workplace struggles, bank managers and tellers, married life, and everyday urban life. This book tells the story of Huang Wenxue, a bank manager facing a midlife crisis. She is at that awkward age when she is considered too old to find a new job, yet still too young to retire. How will she answer the unavoidable questions surrounding her career, marriage, family, children, and caring for her aging parents? Even in middle age, even when confro 432Reads8.9Score—14d adds
- 18 A Love Triangle in Marriage 婚姻里的三角恋 [Contemporary realistic fiction + the married life of ordinary people in Beijing + love triangles in marriage + real struggles] Bai Xue and Wang Yang are a young married couple living in Beijing. Wang Yang is a typical “phoenix man,” a country boy who made it big in the city. After ten years of marriage, he cheats on her. After they divorce, Bai Xue meets another man, and her new life begins… What makes this book special: A woman faces betrayal in her marriage, but after the hardship comes 1.6kReads8.8Score15414d adds
- 19 The Criminal’s Revelation 犯罪启示录 The story follows a detective's day-to-day casework, recounting how a number of representative cases are solved. The plot is full of twists and turns, and every case offers plenty to think about. I hope readers will take something away from the story. 399Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 20 The Long Summer 悠长夏季 The quiet, secluded town of Guanhai welcomed two strange young men one after the other. From then on, the monotonous life of an eighteen-year-old high school girl was filled with laughter… But all good things must come to an end, and eventually they had to leave… Many years later, they unexpectedly met again, but everything had changed… 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 Marrying Into the Tan Family, I Become Famous Across the World 赘入谭家名动天下 [Super-satisfying urban fantasy + invincible miracle doctor + astonishing encounters] Am I the pathetic loser Zhuang Xiaowei? No! From today on, I can save your life, or take it! Fortune beyond measure? That’s just my consultation fee. Power over the world? That’s just my game. Don’t talk to me about connections. All it takes is a flick of my finger to decide life and death, to command the heavens and earth! This world runs deep, but that’s fine. I specialize in putting arrogant people in their 3.4kReads8.8Score48514d adds
- 22 Nothing Major in Life 人生无大事 I was born in the abyss and raised in the netherworld. Lost, struggling, helpless, despairing. The hardships along the way shaped my body and mind. When everything had finally calmed down, when spring had come and flowers were blooming, when everything was just right, I finally reached the most important moment of my life. 4kReads8.1Score43914d adds
- 23 Stories from the Construction Site 工地上的那些事儿 [No System, entirely hand-written. Men and women on a construction site, struggling to survive in the workplace.] They say construction sites are chaotic, women are scarce, and beautiful women are even rarer. After graduating from college, I started working at a construction site. On my very first day, I met Sister Xiaoya, who was already married, and accidentally offended the site boss. It turned out that the construction site held more than just men and women. There were also stories few peopl 10.9kReads7.6Score81814d adds
- 24 System: My Master Is Acting Strange! 统子：我这主人不对劲！ A tycoon fantasy? A travel story? A food story? A romance? Or perhaps an everyday-life story without so much angst? [Double female leads + System + not reborn + not mindless + realistic] Just a middle-aged man wandering around and having fun, opening his eyes to the world and breaking free of its illusions. 326Reads—Score614d adds
- 25 The Hidden Wife 隐妻 [The comic adaptation is now available! Tap “Adaptation Theater” in the lower-right corner of any page of this book to watch instantly. The original novel and short drama each have their own appeal. Share it with your friends!] No rebirth, no transmigration, and no System golden finger, just the true golden years of an entire generation! Having fled an arranged marriage, he joins the tide of migrant workers heading south. In a southern metropolis brimming with both opportunity and challenges, he 790Reads6.2Score10014d adds
- 26 Dongguan: A Dusty Romance 东莞尘缘 Dongguan is a city full of memories, holding the youth and stories of countless young men and women. You’re only young once, so do you still remember the women who appeared in your youth? 4.6kReads7.8Score38314d adds
- 27 Sleepless Tonight 今晚无眠 I woke up to find myself married, with a beautiful wife and two daughters. But then my wife made me this request... 92Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 28 Aunt Mei 媚姨 Male Lead: Ding Yuan Female Lead: Liu Meiyi No one is reborn, and there is no System. This is an era of struggle belonging to the older generation! That year, Ding Yuan earned top marks in the imperial examinations, only to have his life stolen from him when his stepmother conspired with her family to switch his results. His father, unaware of the truth, set out on a rainy night to sell goods in the mountains and raise money for Ding Yuan to retake the exams. But the tractor overturned in a ravi 5.6kReads8.8Score47914d adds
- 29 Love Affairs in the Big City 大城情事 After my girlfriend and my best friend gave me a spectacular set of horns, I gritted my teeth and left my small town to make it in the big city. But as soon as I arrived at my new company, my coworkers started ostracizing me and setting me up... The big city is no paradise! It's a world of its own, full of all kinds of people and endless deception! As a nobody, I had to start out as a lowly network administrator, stumbling along until I finally built a small business of my own! But she was an ex 1.4kReads8.3Score13314d adds
- 30 Tibet: I Fell in Love with the Wind of Namcha Barwa 西藏：我爱上了南迦巴瓦的风 [Roommate-style story] + [Childhood Friends] + [Heiress] + [Beautiful Ex-Girlfriend] + [Love Rival Showdown] Male-oriented, male-oriented, male-oriented "Wang Dong, clear out your desk and go take care of your resignation paperwork." After working for five years, Wang Dong was fired by his unscrupulous boss. He had been praised by everyone to the highest heights, only to be hurled down hard. That night, he came across a video of Tibet. "Screw this company, I'm going to Tibet!" In Tibet, his chil 2.1kReads—Score23614d adds
- 31 A Cigarette 一支烟 I stood up and staggered toward the exit. I struggled to push away each person who came to help me. I didn't take the elevator. Step by step, I climbed the stairs to the rooftop. When I pushed open the rooftop door, a hint of late autumn's cool breeze brushed my face. The light was so bright that I had to squint. I could clearly see her. Across the rooftop stood a long-haired girl. She said, “Could I have a cigarette?” If you're willing, I'll love you forever. If you're not, I'll choose to pine 89Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 Finding True Love Inside and Outside Marriage in Midlife 人到中年婚姻内外寻找真爱 Yang Duo is a flower in full bloom. Though she’s forty, she’s still young and beautiful. A woman in pursuit of true love, she yearns for romance and has spent her life exploring and experiencing it. A passionate love affair that nearly cost her life in her youth, a joyless marriage in middle age, and an unexpected encounter outside her marriage: whenever she falls for someone, she loves with wild abandon and suffers heartbreak that tears her apart. Her three close friends have very different l 638Reads8.7Score10114d adds
- 33 Her Secret Thoughts: A Young Man’s Hidden Diary in a Small Village 致她的心事：小村青年的隐秘日记 No formulaic plot | Not a wish-fulfillment novel | Realistic fiction | Zhou Zhiqiang grows up amid poverty and chaos in her birth family, with her father instilling in her the survival rule that “you have to please people to survive.” She gets into college and lands a job at a bank. A well-off man, Ke Qingyan, pursues her, but as the truth about her family comes out, she gradually loses her self-respect and her relationship. Later, burdened with debt, she returns to her hometown and, under he 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 34 Late at Night, I Fell Under His Spell 深夜，对他着了魔 Their late-night story… It’s thought-provoking, and leaves you filled with regret. Was she too devoted, or was he too heartless? What can you even say about love? 218Reads—Score—14d adds
- 35 Love Is Simple 爱很简单 Before I became a billionaire, I was always searching for love. What is love? I hope you can find the answer in this book. This book is about love, desire, life, philosophy, gender equality, and society's discrimination against women... 40Reads—Score314d adds
- 36 No Mercy for the World 不赦人间 For the first twenty years of her life, Chen Qingxing lived by one rule: never count on a miracle. When someone else took the spot she had earned as a student in need, and her part-time wages were withheld, she signed a harsh sponsorship agreement. Her benefactor would pay for her to finish college, and after graduation, she would repay the debt with a marriage of convenience. There was no romance involved. It was a deal with a clearly marked price. She relied on careful calculations to plan eve 23Reads—Score—14d adds
- 37 Dust in the Wind: The Days of Sharing a Job 生如尘埃：打工搭伙的日子 In a bustling city, how many people shine brightly, and how many struggle just to survive? The two protagonists in this book represent two very different kinds of lives. Only after going from innocence to worldly wisdom and enduring life's hardships can they slowly come to their senses amid the mundane world. 10.8kReads9.1Score88814d adds
- 38 The Secrets of My Wife: The Truth Behind the Phone Calls 妻子隐秘：电话背后的真相 Liang Xiaojun had always worked for his father-in-law. One day, after returning home from the construction site, he heard his daughter, who was gaming, say she’d received a strange blackmail call. After looking into it, he uncovered a huge secret about his wife. Faced with a cruel reality, what choice should he make? 678Reads6.8Score10014d adds
- 39 A Marriage of Spies 婚战谍中谍 This book contains toxic material. Readers who are not emotionally mature should read it with a guardian. Married readers should read it alone while their spouses are away. This story is entirely fictional, and all events are dramatized for the plot. Please don’t compare them to your own experiences, and remember to cultivate sound values, a healthy outlook on life, and a proper worldview. 15.7kReads8.6Score2k14d adds
- 40 Middle Age 人到中年 My wife cheated on me, my brother turned against me, and at thirty, I hit the lowest point of my life! When money is at stake, everyone shows their true, ugly faces. Betrayed by family and confronted with the greed of friends, I was pushed into an abyss of despair by countless grasping hands. I had no choice but to struggle back to my feet and reach for the sunshine that belonged to me! 3kReads8.7Score38814d adds
- 41 The Billionaire Who Rose from a Sea of Women 女人堆里走出的亿万富翁 A contemporary setting, lighthearted humor, laugh-out-loud everyday life, playful banter, heartwarming inspiration, and no harem. He's penniless, yet popular with women. He's sincere, yet works in the most hypocritical industry. He's handsome, talented, and witty, and could have led a life of endless romantic conquests, but… Set in Shenzhen, Guangdong, in 2008, the story follows the remarkable career and business journey of Li Zhe, a young man from a farming family who rises steadily to success 2kReads5.9Score10814d adds
- 42 The Leisurely Life After Financial Freedom 财富自由后的悠闲生活 [No System + Urban Entrepreneurship + Traditional] In the spring of 2010, Lu Dalang, a senior at an agricultural university, was about to graduate. His girlfriend, Qian Mei, wanted to return to her hometown, where her parents had already arranged a job for her and she had familiar connections. Lu Dalang, determined to pursue his own future, angrily headed to the provincial capital. His girlfriend left him with one condition: “Buy a house, and come get me so we can live in the provincial capital. 4kReads8.2Score15014d adds
- 43 The Fierce Middle-Aged Man 大叔凶猛 “I've realized I'm liking you more and more.” Looking at the radiant beauty beside him, Lin Feng felt his heart clench. He wasn't single, and faced with such unexpected candor, he felt not the slightest bit of joy. If anything, his scalp prickled. As soon as Lin Feng took over the Jiangdong branch of Wansheng Plaza, all kinds of temptations came pouring in. What followed was a dangerous struggle of wits, without a single flash of blades. The Game of Thrones, the realities of the workplace, and t 1.5kReads6.1Score10414d adds
- 44 A Middle-Aged Woman's Reckless Years 中年荒唐的女人 The story is about Yang Liu, an ordinary woman from the bottom of society. Hardworking and capable, she refuses to settle for an ordinary life, but ends up making a complete mess of things, surrounded by chaos and constant commotion... 2.7kReads8.6Score22414d adds
- 45 A Ridiculous Romance 荒唐情缘 This is a story about what happens to a man after his divorce. It feels very true to life, so reading it is bound to stir up some thoughts. Is it good? Is it bad? Either way, it feels incredibly real. ...The factory suddenly lost power, so everyone got a day off. Chen Yong came straight home without telling his wife... And that’s where the story begins... 4.6kReads9.1Score55714d adds
- 46 My Small-Town Girlfriend 我的小城女友 No matter how long people live in a big city, they eventually return to a small town. Xiyang, a genius who made his fortune through stock trading, finds his life going nowhere after his girlfriend cheats on him and his career hits a wall. He leaves Chengdu, a city full of memories, and returns to his hometown, where he meets the girl who will become his small-town girlfriend. This is an ordinary book, but the small-town life it tells of is anything but ordinary. 66Reads—Score—14d adds
- 47 Foolish Mother 傻娘 My father was dead, my mother had gone mad. The day I came home, I saw someone destroying it... 43.1kReads9.0Score1.3k14d adds
- 48 I Held It In for Thirty Years, Until My Daughter Said, 'Dad, You Should Leave' 我忍了三十年，直到女儿说：爸，你走吧 I Endured for Thirty Years, Until My Daughter Said, "Dad, You Should Go" 149Reads—Score314d adds
- 49 Divorce: A Battle That Reveals Human Nature 离婚撕开人性的博弈 What is marriage really like? No one can say for sure. It is no longer a matter of whether you love each other, but a battle between love and money. Nor is divorce something you can simply declare with a wave of your hand. Marriage is not just a lovestruck person's complaints or a discarded wife's grievances. Once a marriage turns into a fight, it becomes a brutal clash of human nature. Reality is no fairy tale. The romance of the past eventually gives way to the petty details of everyday life. 6.9kReads9.1Score74114d adds
- 50 Power and Ambition in the Underworld: The Road to a Comeback 权欲江湖：逆袭之路 He Yu Hui started out as nothing more than a humble doctor. What opportunities did he encounter? What did he do? How much did he accomplish for the people? How high did he rise in government? What kind of story did he live as a man? This heartfelt work will show you one man’s path to growth and the rise of an honest official! [Grounded + Beauty + Political Career + Smart Protagonist] The early chapters are a bit cautious, but the later ones are incredibly satisfying. A must-read gem from Tomato 30Reads8.5Score—14d adds
