Novels like The Desperate Wife
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Desperate Wife, best match first.
- 1 A Sichuan-Chongqing Love Story 川渝爱情故事 A top scorer on the gaokao from a prestigious 985 university, he stumbled into working as a porter, drove a taxi, and eventually became the owner of a construction company. Chongqing’s noodles are spicy, and so is its hot pot, but the women of Chongqing are even spicier. These fiery women love fiercely and hate fiercely, and will take you on a tour of a different kind of romance in Sichuan and Chongqing. Noodles, hot pot, porters, and taxis: through Chongqing’s four iconic calling cards, you’ll 17Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 Our Beautifully Broken Lives 破破烂烂的我们 The two most realistic states of marriage today: separated but not divorced, and being divorced. With the support of her cheating husband, Li Jinze, Zhang Muge has developed a tough heart. She enjoys the status of the legal wife along with the perks of being the other woman. Together with her love-struck best friend Fang Feijing, she faces life’s challenges. With their very different personalities, the two women stumble through messy, inescapable stories as they seek love and fight to survive... 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 The Delinquent 不良青年 Urban + Realistic + Hardship + Struggle Based on real events, this novel explores a question everyone knows by heart: “Can ordinary people really change their fate against all odds?” And what kind of inhuman torment must they endure to do it? I'm sure you'll find the answers in this novel. 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 Mo Xiaoke's Life as a Medical Companion 莫小可的陪诊人生 [Heartwarming and Healing + Rekindled Romance + Slice of Life + Niche Professions + Episodic Stories + Ensemble Cast] Have you ever gone to the hospital alone? They say everyone who goes to the hospital alone has a story to tell. Companion-care specialist Mo Xiaoke knows this better than anyone. For example, there's the girl neglected by her parents, who goes through abortion after abortion just to get a little of what she calls “love.” Or the young woman who loses her husband unexpectedly six m 105Reads8.9Score1014d adds
- 5 Lin Yu’s Journey of Growth 林雨的成长之路 Lin Yu was plain-looking and had no connections. After graduating, she joined Fengbei Group and, through hard work, intelligence, sincerity, and kindness, rose to become an administrative director in just four years. Then she found herself ostracized at work. At the same time, to avoid becoming the “other woman” in Jiang Yan's relationship, she chose to date someone suitable. But just as their feelings were growing strong, she was betrayed. Disheartened, Lin Yu left everything behind and moved f —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 Water and Fire in Harmony 水火共融 Five years ago, after a failed romance and being ostracized at work, Lin Yu lost all hope, gave everything up, and left for a faraway place. Five years later, Lin Yu returns stronger than ever. This time, she refuses to put up with anything or suffer in silence. She throws herself back into the cutthroat world of work, only to discover that the failed romance she had brooded over for years had hidden complications, and that Jiang Yan, the man she once secretly loved, has another identity... Just 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 After My Husband Betrayed Me, I Tore My Best Friend Apart 老公背叛之后，我手撕闺蜜 [Workplace | Romance | Entrepreneurship | A Woman's Journey] After twenty years of marriage, she took a knife meant for her husband. In the ICU, she discovered that he had been cheating on her for ten years with the best friend she had known for thirty. Years of devotion turned into a blade that cut her to the bone. Facing three blows at once, her physical injuries, betrayal by both her husband and best friend, and a crisis threatening the group, she put her vulnerability aside and carefully pla 37Reads—Score—14d adds
- 8 My Ex-Husband from the Past, Ready to Crash My Lover’s Trap 昔日前夫，欲闯情人劫 It's not that I don't dare to love. I just haven't met anyone brave enough to love... “I don't want to promise you a past life or a next one. I only want to promise you this life, this lifetime. You will be the only one I love!” 20Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 No Talk of Love on the Road to Revenge 复仇路上不说爱 Ten years ago, Zhou Yang’s father, a bank loan officer, fell to his death. A huge sum of cash was found in his office, and he was branded a guilty man who had taken his own life. Zhou Yang refused to believe it. After enduring countless hardships and following the clues piece by piece, he finally uncovered a vast conspiracy. The revenge plan begins. On the road to vengeance, there is no talk of love... 10Reads—Score114d adds
- 10 The Campus Belle Wants to Kill Me 校花想要杀我 The Campus Belle Wants to Kill Me 53Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 The Past-Her-Prime Girl Is a Little Sweet 过期少女有点甜 [Academy professor + airline executive] Professor Zhang Rongshi discovers that the man whose affair he exposed is the husband of Bei Yining, a beautiful woman with whom he jointly holds five million yuan in assets. Her junior colleague, whom she personally helped get a job, has betrayed her. Can Bei Yining get past it? Bei Yining’s ex-boyfriend, Jiang Jiachen, is powerful and influential. When he pursues her again, Bei Yining sees through him and realizes that what matters most to him has never —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 12 The Layoff Specialist 裁员专家 [Gorgeous Layoff Consultant VS Cunning Headhunter Partner] [Interconnected Stories + Workplace + Layoffs + Perfect Match + Face-Slapping the Scumbags + 1v1] Xi Rao is a layoff consultant, also known as a professional villain. Her job is to take away people’s livelihoods. Her latest assignment, however, is to fire the ex-boyfriend she broke up with five years ago. Well, anyway, she doesn’t mind kicking him while he’s down! Her ex-boyfriend: “You’re doing this to me because you still love me and h 186Reads9.2Score—14d adds
- 13 The Muddy Waters Will Clear Someday 浊浪终有清澈时 A thunderous kick at the door sent a man and woman in the bedroom jolting upright in terror, springing out of bed like they were on springs... Marriage is life's most sacred covenant. When either partner betrays that covenant, the road ahead is bound to be anything but smooth. Desire, lust, the hunger for power, and materialism drive people to madness. Note: This is neither a cuckold story nor a wish-fulfillment novel. It seeks to explore social ethics and morality, and expose the ugly souls lef 2Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 14 My Wife Says She's Getting Her Hair Done with Her Best Friend, but Her Best Friend Says She's Home Alone 老婆说和闺蜜在做头发，闺蜜却说她一个人在家 My wife said she was getting her hair done with her best friend, but her best friend says she’s home alone. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 Three Phones, Three Secret Identities: A Charity Gala Exposes Him and Sends Him to Prison 三部手机藏三重身份，慈善晚宴当场翻车送他入狱 Three phones conceal three separate identities. A charity gala goes spectacularly wrong, sending him straight to prison. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 Back to Youth: Wang Xiaoqiang's Rise 梦回青春：王小强逆袭记 Wang Xiaoqiang is 35 years old and owes two million yuan. He has elderly parents to care for and young children to raise. One day, while driving, he gets into an argument with his wife. At the brink of life and death, he turns the steering wheel to the right, giving his wife a chance to survive. He is severely injured and admitted to the intensive care unit, where he falls into a deep coma. A car accident sends him dreaming back to his college days, and a wonderful journey begins anew. He once d 12Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 17 The Bluebird Chasing the Wind 追风的青鸟 Thirty-three-year-old Yu Jiang works at a technology company. During a business trip, he meets Lin Xiazhi, who works at another tech company. This is mainly a story about the two of them. It captures some of the bitterness and loneliness of life as an office worker. The story is as gentle as still water, half dream and half waking. It's especially suited to introverts, so recommend it to the introverts in your life. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 A Match Made in Heaven 佳偶天然 Xiao Tianran meets her boyfriend, Fei Le, who is five years younger than her, by chance. Their relationship is like a glass of red wine warmed to just the right temperature on a winter's day: cozy and sweet. However, an accident entangles Xiao Tianran emotionally with her boyfriend's uncle, Li Chen, triggering a crisis in her relationship with Fei Le. At the same time, Xiao Tianran's company is drawn into a long-planned dispute. As the story unfolds, Xiao Tianran finally remembers that she first —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 19 At Thirty, I Was Forced to Sign a Marriage Contract 30岁，被迫签下一纸婚约 It has been six years since Lin Dan graduated from college. After the holiday, she once again drags her suitcase from her rural hometown, changing buses several times and crossing mountains to reach Beijing. She lies down in her tiny rental room, finally able to rest her exhausted body, but then a message from her mother arrives: “The young man your cousin-in-law introduced you to seems nice. Make sure you talk to him more. You have to get married this year. I can’t take the gossip in the villag —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 A Woman at Forty Is in Full Bloom 四十女人一朵花 The story begins with the childhood of its protagonist, Lin Yuling. It follows her struggles with school as a child and how the college entrance exam changed her life, from workplace grudges to the ups and downs of the business world, from the comforts of ordinary life to working as a nanny during the pandemic... Beginning in the 1980s, the story spans rural urbanization, the rise and fall of the real estate industry, and the conflicts triggered by reform of state-owned enterprises. It covers ma 25Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 Look at That Life! 你看，那生活！ Synopsis [Family life + epic family drama + mother-in-law and daughter-in-law + sisters-in-law + family of origin + face-slapping scumbag + school days + non-mainstream culture + reborn] One day, young Wang Junmeng awakens from a dream and takes you into the turbulent 1990s. What fate awaits a group of people whom the locals call “barbarians”?! In the innocent days of school, a boy sees Wang Junmeng’s hands, red from the cold, and says, “Want me to warm them up for you?”!! How should Wang Junmen 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 22 Three Generations 叁代人 [Liu Haifeng's fourteenth novel] Three generations make up half of modern history. The story begins in 1938, the second year of the War of Resistance Against Japan, and tells the different fates of three generations of the Liu family from the perspective of grand historical and global visions. It closely links the twists and turns of individual lives with the development of the nation and the times, exploring the missions and limitations faced by each generation, from individuals to the nation a 5Reads—Score114d adds
- 23 Thirty Is Just Right, Forty Is Wisdom, and Fifty Is Beautiful Too 三十正好，四十不惑，五十亦美 [A woman’s growth + marriage and romance + workplace + relationships] A cheating husband, a troublemaking mother-in-law, a biased mother, a greedy nephew... Is middle age really nothing but one mess after another? Once a married couple who knew each other better than anyone become the most familiar strangers, divorce is inevitable. Even after spending 19 years as a full-time housewife, there will come a day when she shines. She’ll build a successful career, make a good life for herself, and turn 210Reads8.8Score—14d adds
- 24 The Unhinged First Love Turns the Tables and Rises Like a Phoenix 疯批白月光，逆风翻盘变凤凰 [Devoted sweet romance / mutual salvation / reunion after a long separation / intense push and pull] [Wealthy heir vs. cool-headed female lawyer] From campus to the workplace, they reunite after a broken relationship. No rebirth. Grudges are settled in this life. ◎ The electronic lock announced, “The door is unlocked.” Mo Li startled and opened her eyes, instantly on guard. Su Che stood in the doorway. “How did you get in?” “I walked in.” … “My name is Su Che. Do you remember me?” “Let go! I do 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 The Hedgehog’s Secret 刺猬的秘密 Abandoned as a child, she survived by scavenging for scraps. After returning to school, she gradually emerged from the darkness, helped a friend build a business, and rose to become a corporate executive. Then she left behind the glittering nightlife and opened an inn in a small border town... She met people along the way, caught in tangled conflicts and contradictions. Some kept their love hidden in their hearts; others gave in to temptation for a moment. In the end, she would forget every one —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 26 Qianmo Xuan’s New Book 浅墨萱的新书 At 16, Xu Ling gave up taking the high school entrance exam after her mother slapped her. She met Chen Wen, her boyfriend, who was 12 years older than her, but her parents opposed their relationship too. During their ten-year romance, she wavered more than once. But neither the vibrant college student she had an emotional affair with, nor Lin Yiming, her classmate who had always loved her, nor the company executive introduced to her by others could make her leave Chen Wen. In the end, their love —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 27 Ten Years in Sales, and the Girls I Loved 销售十年，我爱过的姑娘 Shenzhen: paradise for the rich, hell for the poor. Hoping to make his dream come true, Yang Lin leaves his ordinary family behind and comes to this promising city. But after his girlfriend betrays him, he refuses to accept his lot and resolves to make serious money, taking a job at a sales company. Ten years in sales bring him money, but also a tangled love life he can’t escape… 48Reads6.3Score12014d adds
- 28 A Good Girl Joins the Bank, Then Smashes Her Golden Rice Bowl! 乖乖女进银行，砸碎金饭碗！ Yu Xiaoyang, a well-behaved young woman who graduated from a top university, made the most rebellious decision of her life: she went into bank marketing. Behind the bulletproof glass, a customer’s spit speckled the partition. “You can’t even calculate the interest on a deposit? You’re just a human cash-counting machine!” In the office, the dull thud of a file hitting the floor mingled with a furious roar. “You want me to sign a statement admitting I left early? Dream on!” Worst of all, a colleag —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 29 After Cutting Ties, Zhou Yuwei's Nails Grew Back 断亲后，周雨薇的指甲长出来了 [Memoir of My NPD Mother] I feel like I've been cursed. I think I'll only be okay once my mother is okay. But it took me a long time to realize that the best way to heal the pain buried inside isn't medication or therapy, nor putting up with everything, and certainly not praying and keeping a vegetarian diet. It's revenge. The best way to heal from being hurt isn't to let it go. It's to hurt them back. At 33, Zhou Yuwei told her mother over the phone, “I've finally accepted that you don't love 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 30 Tales from the Xuefeng Mountains 雪峰山区的往事 This story follows three generations in the Snowpeak Mountains over half a century, tracing the love and hatred that bind them. Centered on the blended family formed by Shi Shanbao and his son, and Chen Wanying and her son, it tells of the joys, sorrows, separations, and struggles of ordinary people trying to make a living in that era. 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 31 The Shadow Warrior of the Workplace 职场影武者 The new urban workplace novel The Shadow Operative centers on “collective intelligence fighting back against systemic exploitation.” It establishes the “Shadow Alliance” and creates “Phantom,” the one and only top-tier talent. By sharing knowledge, collaborating in real time, and exploiting gaps in information and timing, they simulate an all-powerful “super-individual”: the “Shadow Operative,” who sets out to rescue workers trapped in the gig economy. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 My Wife’s Best Friend Is Pregnant 老婆的闺蜜怀孕了 My Wife's Best Friend Is Pregnant —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 33 I’m Numb to Your Cheating 你的出轨我已麻木 He Xi once had a family anyone would envy. Her husband, Zhang Ran, was young and successful, and treated her lovingly on the surface. But one day, by chance, she found a photo of him with another woman. She began pressing him for answers and searching for evidence of his infidelity. Though Zhang Ran always had the perfect excuse, clever He Xi still managed to uncover the women hiding behind him, one after another. The battle between husband and wife was like a fight between spies and counterspie 1Reads8.8Score2114d adds
- 34 Is It Really Wrong for a Son-in-Law to Skip His Mother-in-Law’s Funeral? 丈母娘去世，女婿不去合理吗 My Mother-in-Law Has Passed Away. Is It Reasonable for Her Son-in-Law Not to Go? 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 35 To Steal My House and Demolition Compensation, My Adopted Daughter Spread Rumors That I Was Having an Affair with Our 38-Year-Old Nanny 为了谋夺拆迁款和房产，养女四处造谣我和三十八岁保姆有染 I died on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival! The adopted daughter I had raised from childhood blamed me for not giving her the five million yuan in demolition compensation and my property. She spread rumors everywhere that I, bedridden and paralyzed, was having an affair with the caregiver who looked after me. She claimed I refused to give her money because I wanted to give it to the caregiver. She even brought her whole family to the caregiver’s home to make a scene. Unable to bear the humili —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 36 I Am a Research Animal 我是研究牲 For most people, graduate school is about studying. For me, Zhao Linlin, it’s an immersive crash course in the many sides of human nature! Every day, I’m holed up in the lab battling centrifuges and pipettes, botching Western blots 800 times, losing my hair from my advisor hounding me for data, and revising my thesis until I question my very existence. It’s all standard fare for a research slave: exhausting, but bearable! But the lab group gossip is what really opened my eyes. Our supervisor w 8Reads—Score—14d adds
- 37 Internship and Love 实习与爱情 Time flies, and the years have been kind. Let’s make a little keepsake of our youth and the times we’ve lived through. This book draws on a few true stories, lightly embellished, and offers my best wishes to the medical workers who are still on the job. You work so hard. May every girl experiencing the stirrings of youth have a clear heart and learn to cherish herself. A crush is innocent, a flutter of the heart, a tremor of excitement. Love, however, comes with responsibility. You may find the —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 38 A Joyful Face in the Distance 远方的欢颜 Yi Fei and Wen Lai are literary and poetry enthusiasts who met online. Their souls are a 99 percent match. This book follows the development of their extramarital relationship, the obstacles posed by real life, and the experiences of two other couples caught in affairs. Where will their relationships lead? Can they overcome the obstacles of reality and finally end up together? 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 She Said She Was on a Road Trip with Her Best Friend, but Her Friend Was at Home? 她明明说和闺蜜自驾游，可闺蜜却在家？ She clearly said she was going on a road trip with her best friend, but her friend is at home? 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 40 The Wife's Lies: Bonus Stories 妻子的谎言番外篇 I watched as my wife got into the car. It was a long while before she got out. What shocked me was that after she stepped out, she straightened her skirt, then even reached out a finger to wipe the corner of her mouth. 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 He's Kept Patient Records for Over Thirty Years, but Can't Pass a Single Certification Exam 他记了三十多年的病例，但考不出一个证 He kept medical records for over thirty years, but couldn't pass a single licensing exam —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 The Grammar Book of a Girl Who Quit Her Job 离职少女的语法书 “They want lobster in liquid nitrogen, still fresh and lively even after being frozen. And me, a history major, can only offer the truth.” When that yellow hard hat rolled to her feet, Shen Qingyue decided to quit her job as an archivist at a state-owned enterprise and escape this vast vortex of red tape. “Fine. My N+1 severance pay, plus the additional compensation for leaving, please have Principal Yang tell Finance to deposit it into my payroll account on time.” The police notice was posted i —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 43 One, Two, Three, Take Your Seats 一二三儿，请对号入座 In this world where values had gone mad, Xu Yiyi was like so many women in marriages today, trapped in a miserable, abnormal relationship that was like being widowed while still married: she left home but didn't divorce. Her turning point came after she greedily enjoyed the pleasures of being with Luan Han, a college student in his early twenties. Then she unexpectedly ran into her first love, Song Ning, who had “come back from the dead,” and paid a price for it. The appearance of her first love 126Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 44 Your Childhood Sweetheart, Her First Love 你的青梅，她的竹马 “A steed comes riding on bamboo stilts, circling the bed to toss green plums.” It's the kind of lovely scene that makes people long for childhood sweethearts. But when that cozy picture is made up of your lover and someone else, it all goes out the window. You're on a date, but she's always waiting for him to go comfort her. You're getting close, then suddenly she pops up between you, laughing and joking. You even spend the night together, only to find her sitting in the living room waiting for —Reads7.1Score—14d adds
- 45 A Comeback: The Most Thrilling Lives Belong to Those Who Never Give Up! 逆袭，不服输的人生最精彩！ Hua Feng was on the verge of reaching the pinnacle of his life. But overnight, not only did his beautiful wife run off with a pretty boy, the woman also made off with the millions he had scraped together through countless hardships, leaving nothing but a complete mess... Life’s dramatic ups and downs came far too quickly. He could only start over from scratch! Want to laugh at me? Get lost! What, you want me to back down? Who do you think you are? Keep dreaming! Watch as a man who has hit rock b 118Reads—Score—14d adds
- 46 After My Husband Betrayed Me, I Began Taking Savage Revenge 被丈夫背叛后，我开始疯狂报复 The arrival of a 24-year-old private tutor puts a crack in what seemed like a peaceful, happy family. The life Yao Yuqin thought was perfect begins to crumble, shattering her faith in marriage and her resolve to stand by it. Faced with her husband's betrayal, Yao Yuqin swears to make them pay! 91Reads—Score—14d adds
- 47 Lend Me the Stars Along My Way 借我来路星辰 [Mutual salvation + an agonizing push and pull] Lu Xingchen and Xu Xu grew up together as childhood sweethearts, innocent and inseparable. But that year, she met the unruly Jiang Shan. Their love burned too brightly to last, and the sharpest minds are often the most vulnerable. After ten turbulent years, Lu Xingchen finally returned, and he was on the verge of making a life with Xu Xu. But he never expected... Xu Xu vanished without a trace. Lu Xingchen searched high and low, crossing mo —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 48 The Twilight Years 残年 “With you, I finally know how to go on living.” These are the most tender words of love in old age, spoken by Wang Ye to Xu Ying, and by Xu Ying to Wang Ye. After Xu Ying suffers a sudden stroke, she is left partially paralyzed and unable to care for herself. Her children’s feelings and attitudes undergo a series of changes as they face what has happened to their mother. When Xu Ying is sick, lonely, despondent, and helpless, her husband, Wang Ye, despite being over eighty, stays by her side and 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 49 The Evolution of Love 爱情的演变 This book is a collection of the author's novellas and short stories. The author, Yunduan Niao, whose real name is Tian Weitang, has published fiction and essays in numerous literary journals. After appearing in Shanhua, his essay "My Dream of Reading" was reprinted by many websites and became a model composition for middle school and college students. Tian Weitang's fiction is written in plain, unadorned language, yet has a distinctive charm and reflects his independent thoughts on life. His es —Reads—Score114d adds
- 50 The Sunset Is Still Young 夕阳不晚 The Sunset Is Not Late 2Reads—Score—14d adds
