Novels like A Crooked Road Through Life
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as A Crooked Road Through Life, best match first.
- 1 A Pig Hoping to Take Off on the Wind 想在风口起飞的猪 Riding the wave of entrepreneurial opportunity, Chen Fei delves into how human nature is distorted and struggles amid the tides of capital, exposing the absurd fate of individuals reduced to bubbles beneath a glittering surface. Chen Fei (male lead): Once a young man from a small town, he is perceptive and persuasive but lacks depth. Starting from the grassroots, he is swept upward by the latest boom. Lost amid the glamour and lies, he eventually confronts the price of his choices and what truly —Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 2 Flowers Bloom in the Clouds 云展花开 Amid the bustle and desire of a prosperous city, a gripping tale begins. This book takes you through the twists and turns of romance, the high stakes of business warfare, the complexity of human nature, and the arduous struggle to cross the barriers between social classes. Leng Hao is a mysterious, resolute man who commands the business world, yet hides a past no one knows. Cui Xinyi is beautiful and intelligent, and her arrival is like a ray of light entering Leng Hao’s world. Their love sways 130Reads7.3Score—14d adds
- 3 Little Days with the Kids 伴娃小岁月 As a mother of two, I’ve kept learning and growing while accompanying my children as they grow up. After I shared stories about raising my children with colleagues and friends, they all encouraged me to write down these little episodes. So I gathered my courage and began recording the small moments of growing up with my children. I hope they can offer a little inspiration to you reading this online. 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 Fog City: The Tragedy of Snow 雾城：雪之殇 Fog City: The Tragedy of Snow —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 An Unconventional Family 非正常家庭， Among the many discussions of love and marriage, one thought-provoking saying goes: “If you can still feel a spark for the person beside you in bed for your whole life, that’s true love.” These brief but powerful words capture the ideal of love and marriage. In people’s dreams, love burns like a blazing fire, and marriage is the vessel that keeps it alight forever. Husband and wife spend their lives together, nestled in the warmth of their love, with neither passion nor excitement ever fading. B 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 The Riddle of Time: A Nightclub Girl's Redemption and Rise 岁月如谜：夜场女的救赎与逆袭 As Yu Wei walked along the entrance to an alley behind the school, he suddenly heard someone calling, “Hey, handsome! Handsome!” Yu Wei looked around, bewildered. “Over here! Come here!” Only then did Yu Wei notice a flamboyantly dressed woman waving at him from the roadside alley entrance. She had brashly dyed yellow hair, heavy eye makeup, and a thick layer of powder on her face. A leather miniskirt hugged her hips as she waved energetically at Yu Wei. Could she be...? Yu Wei’s heart skipped a 4Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 7 Half a Life as a Boy 男孩子的半生 It's strange, they say that those with no close relatives are destined for a hard life. Zihan never knew who his father was, and when he was six, his mother secretly hopped on a train and ran off to Shandong. From then on, Zihan was raised by his grandmother. She was running a steamed-bun shop with his eldest aunt, so neither of them really had time to look after him. When he reached school age, his uncle by marriage rode an old bicycle, taking Zihan and his older sister to preschool. From then —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 8 A Conspiracy Within the Marriage 婚内合谋 After the passion fades, the leads settle into a dull married life, paying off their debts and living without intimacy. Then the male lead's best friend cheats, and through a twist of fate, the female lead receives hush money of 300,000 yuan. Her desire to make money suddenly awakens, and she joins forces with her husband to start a business. As they make money hand over fist, they rediscover the passion of their romance. Greed and the desires of love and hate collide in a tangle of human nature 61Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 Long Time No See, Miss Lihua 好久不见，梨花小姐 [One heroine] + [No cheat abilities] + [Ordinary person's perspective] I'm Wu Feng, a college graduate who's been unable to find work for two years and has never been in a relationship. I live with my best friend Chen Sheng in a rundown little house, searching for a place in the world that belongs to me. I thought life was hopeless, and that I would have to go through it all alone. Then I met her, and everything changed... (The story is very low-key, with no dramatic twists or earth-shattering 21Reads8.6Score—14d adds
- 10 King of the Reverse Scales 逆鳞之王 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 Foot Massage Is a Way, Technique Is a Method: Follow the Way of Nature 足道也是道手法也是法道法自然 A young man’s journey through love brings surprises and disappointments, laughter, and moments that leave him wanting to cry but unable to shed a tear. What is love, really… Perhaps it means being together forever, or perhaps it means having loved once. The answer lies in the hearts of all you fellow cultivators… —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 12 The Fake Live-In Son-in-Law 挂名赘婿 Tian Yougen, the 17th-generation heir to the Tian family’s traditional Chinese medicine lineage, has been bright and quick-witted since childhood, yet rebellious by nature. First he gives up medicine to pursue literature, then falls out with his future in-laws over marrying into their family. Proud and haughty, he has only his exceptional medical skills to rely on. With those skills in hand, he travels the world, healing the sick without seeking fame, asking only to keep a benevolent heart and a 795Reads7.3Score10114d adds
- 13 First Love, No Goodbyes! 初恋，不说再见！ A lawyer and designer pairing, chronicling the everyday lives of ordinary office workers. There is no angst throughout, and the story progresses at a steady pace. Readers who prefer fast-paced power fantasies should give it a miss. Two people who liked each other missed their chance to confess because of a series of misunderstandings, and years passed before they met again. When they finally did, Gu Jin realized just how badly she had been mistaken. When you like someone, you really do like the 32Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 Black Exclamation Mark 黑色感叹号 Just before Gu Xier decided to die, she suddenly asked me, "Dr. Luo, why do the people in this little town always cruelly devour the kind, obedient little white rabbits, while worshipping the vicious big bad wolves as if they were gods?" I... had no answer...!! 15Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 After Tearing the Scumbag to Shreds, the Heroine's Life Goes into Overdrive 手撕渣男后，女主的人生开挂了 They once loved each other so deeply, from their school days to their wedding. But even the strongest love can apparently be no match for temptation. The male lead betrays the female lead, who, lost and confused, searches for a new direction in life. This is a slow-burning story. I hope you enjoy it. The story is entirely fictional, and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. Please don’t assume it’s about you. 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 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
- 17 You Made Me Your Nanny, but Heaven Made Me the Heroine 你逼我当保姆，老天让我当女主 Because of her sweet, pretty looks, the female lead was bullied by her cousin from a young age. But fate seemed terribly unfair to her. When she was 28, a car accident killed both her parents, leaving her all alone. Her well-off cousin took pity on her and invited her to move to the city. From then on, her life changed completely. 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 The Rules of Love for Urban Men and Women 都市男女的恋爱法则 Gu Ziyi: An ENFP woman, sweet and innocent-looking on the outside, but sharp-tongued and fiery by nature. When she falls in love, she never thinks about the consequences and always ends up being taken advantage of. Though every relationship has ended in failure, she remains a romantic who believes in love. Will the man she meets this time turn out to be a good one…? Gao Yingzhen: A typical ISFJ man who finds it hard to open up, but once he lets someone into his heart, he holds nothing back. Bor 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 19 An Unlawful Marriage 不法婚姻 This is a slice-of-life story that doesn’t follow conventional web-novel genre formulas. One unmarried woman is devoted to a married man, while another woman, his wife, swears to defend her rights and dignity. In the end, the devoted woman cannot let go of her obsession, while the woman who fought for her dignity lets go of hers and frees herself. 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 The Good Girl Who Became a Clear-Eyed Force to Be Reckoned With 乖乖女熬成了清醒的悍妇 [Women's Growth + Married Life + Everyday Life + Comeback] A slow, warming story, not a wish-fulfillment novel. Drawn from the realities of everyday life. At thirty, Lian Fangfang still got to marry for love. She could hardly believe her luck. But this well-behaved girl, who had grown up surrounded by praise and applause, never expected that when faced with her domineering mother-in-law, her husband Wang Wenbo would choose to stay silent. What does marriage really bring women? Is it a descent in 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 21 My Beijing Girl 我的北京女孩 A young man with nothing going for him can't move on after a breakup. When he accompanies a friend to Beijing, he encounters new things and new people... His life quietly changes course. What kind of love story will he find as he sets out to reclaim his dream? 135Reads—Score—14d adds
- 22 Derailment: An Inverted Palette 变轨：倒置的调色盘 [Not a feel-good story] [Not pure romance] People say that if the water from your heater keeps turning hot and cold, there’s probably another tap sharing the same supply. But if the water is always cold, the only explanation is that you may no longer be the one holding the controls. And if it suddenly gets scalding hot, the same may be true. 1.1kReads8.1Score10014d adds
- 23 The City’s Masked Man: Go Ahead, I’m Watching You Act 城市假面人，演，我看着你演 An ordinary person acts so convincingly that he could win an Oscar, living behind a mask as marriage, family, and career all deal him blow after blow. Like a cockroach, he is reborn against all odds. See how he copes with the chaos of everyday life and becomes a master of life's many skills! 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 My Wife Comes First 老婆最最大 Fang Jianqiao never imagined that his first time would change his life so dramatically, all because of a married woman. What shattered him even more was that after just one brief lapse, the woman became pregnant with his child! From then on, the wheels of fate spun wildly. Su Jiaoru entwined herself around his life like a vine, pressuring her husband to divorce her at any cost and stubbornly demanding that Fang Jianqiao marry her, dragging him into a storm of emotions and moral conflict. This s 215Reads—Score10214d adds
- 25 The End of Ordinary 平凡的尽头 The story began in 2019. It was a turbulent time, and I stopped writing after a hasty 50,000 words. Then, in May 2020, I finished it. At 250,000 words, it is too short to cover all the joys and sorrows of this bustling world through the changing years. It tells only of several years spent wandering through life. The story is based entirely on real events. Freedom, marriage, career, money, family, friendship. As someone born in the 1990s, I have always questioned the world. I hoped to find answer 36Reads—Score—14d adds
- 26 The River at the Village Entrance 村口那条河 I once thought this river would flow forever, until that summer, when it carried away every secret and brought new stories in their place. 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 27 The Way of Heaven Turns: Who Are You? 天道轮回，你是谁？ A woman's privileged life is shattered, and what follows is a life in pieces. That word “shattered” holds so many bitter stories. After experiencing everything she should and should not have had to endure, she comes to understand the true meaning of life. She breaks out of her cocoon, transforms into a butterfly, and reaps what she has sown. Those who have never been through it won't understand, and neither will those who lack insight. Life isn't about right or wrong; it's all part of the journe 16Reads—Score—14d adds
- 28 Us in Xiangyang Lane 向阳里的我们 [#Real life, #warm neighborhood stories, #healing family bonds, #raising a child and turning life around] Delivery worker Wang Xiaojun had a pain he couldn't put into words: his six-year-old son Xiaobao lived in his own world, like a star. One moment of carelessness nearly resulted in Xiaobao getting lost, sending the entire Xingfuli residential community into chaos. The incident tore open the cracks in Wang Xiaojun and his wife Li Xiujuan's strained marriage, while also revealing the troubles 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 29 Only After We Parted Did I Realize I Loved You 别后方知爱上 [Workplace Romance + Golf] Jiang Mo has no idea that Yang Zichen has been secretly in love with her for eight years. Time passes, and when they meet again, she is still herself, yet no longer the person she used to be. Can fate’s strange twists give them another chance to start over? In the days that follow, he winds around her like a vine, quietly entwining himself with her life. But she has a solemn vow to protect her: handsome men are absolutely off-limits! And yet... P.S. A heartwarming sto 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 30 The College Loser's Comeback 大学校渣逆袭记 Poor young Gao Xiaojian secretly loves Zhao Lusi, the daughter of the richest man in the country. At university, a moment of lust leads him to make a mistake, and he suffers relentless bullying from his wealthy classmates before fighting back. By sheer coincidence, he becomes the son-in-law handpicked by the richest man and unexpectedly inherits his fortune. He navigates the ups and downs of the business world and the tangled love and hatred of wealthy heiresses like Feng Yuanyuan, eventually ri —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 31 Chang'an Road Is Long 长安路远 [Urban daily life + romance + campus + friendship + work + emotional journey] Lin Da cherishes friendship, loves life, and longs for a beautiful future. He had a wonderful childhood and a colorful youth, and chose the love he wanted. Then, for the sake of making a living, he went far from home to work, and before he knew it, half his life had passed... Every encounter in life is part of its journey, and every encounter brings another story... 11Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 Desperate Counterattack: Facing Setups and False Accusations 绝地反击：直面陷害与栽赃 After a dream that felt like a lifetime, Zhao Xu finally realized his marriage had been a lie from beginning to end. Everything had been carefully staged by his wife and her lover. They had taken advantage of his status as an orphan with no one to rely on, deliberately choosing him as the perfect fall guy. Frame him? Set him up? Zhao Xu clenched his fists and secretly vowed he would never let the dream become reality. With careful analysis and plans that fit together perfectly, he began to fight 68Reads—Score—14d adds
- 33 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
- 34 Bargaining Chips on the Road to Promotion 升职路上的筹码 Song Minghui is like a spider at the center of a web, maintaining relationships with three women in different ways. A 26-year-old workplace newcomer, a 35-year-old sales director, and a 41-year-old corporate executive: the web is beginning to unravel as its three “bargaining chips” awaken. - The rules of survival in the workplace's dark forest - How the “prey” turns the tables from a male perspective - The growth of three women, from being used to awakening - Emotional manipulation and counterma 2.3kReads6.3Score14514d adds
- 35 Since I Stopped Putting Up with My Marriage, I've Been Living My Best Life 自从婚姻不再忍着过老娘我爽爆了 Hua Roulan stayed in the big city of Hailing after graduating from university. Her husband, Cheng Chuanhe, had a doctorate and ran a company. “You don't earn as much as I do. What gives you the right to make me do the housework?” Whenever Cheng Chuanhe flew into a rage, he erupted like a landslide, completely hysterical. Arguments between married couples are inevitable, but he resorted to verbal attacks and emotional abuse... She really couldn't take it anymore. She didn't want to keep enduri 49Reads7.1Score—14d adds
- 36 A Salaryman’s Springtime 社畜的春天 A virgin college student and office drone has barely set foot in another city when a flight attendant mistakes him for someone else and takes him to bed. Then a wealthy young woman pursues him relentlessly, and a tycoon mistakes him for the son who died in a car accident... Is this an opportunity, or a disaster? Behind his life on easy mode, danger follows like a shadow. He dances on the edge of a knife, and one careless move could doom him forever... 6Reads6.6Score—14d adds
- 37 Taking the Stage After the Curtain Falls 落幕登场 Liu Mingming heads to Beijing alone, carrying his dream of making music, only to be swindled out of every penny. Doused in the cold reality of life, he grits his teeth, sets aside his passion, and bows his head to make a living. In the end, he finds success in both love and career. 13Reads—Score—14d adds
- 38 A Feast of Empire and Beauties 江山美女一碗宴 Livestreamed to the entire internet, with millions watching, Zhang Qingshan, the "God of Cooking," tastes a twelve-yuan prepackaged meal kit and passes it off as handmade cuisine. His reputation is gone, his endorsements are gone, and he slinks back to his hometown of Hongshan. Beneath the old stove at his family home, he finds a handwritten cookbook, a kitchen knife engraved with numbers, and a bronze fragment dating back three thousand years. His grandfather left him one instruction: Take t 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 By the Time She Came to Her Senses, I Was Already Gone! 待她醒悟过来，我早已不在！ “If one day we both stand beneath the same falling snow, then in this life, we can say we've grown old together.” “If love between two people is to last, why should it matter that they can't be together every day?” Yuan Xia and Su Mu were childhood sweethearts, a couple others envied. One heart gave everything to the other without asking for anything in return. But endless selfless devotion only makes the other person take it for granted. If they don't cherish each other, then one day their rela 185Reads—Score—14d adds
- 40 I Sold Used Cars and Earned My First Fortune 我做二手车，赚了人生第一桶金 I Made My First Fortune Selling Used Cars 41Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 Wang Meili, Unemployed 失业的王美丽 Wang Meili, in her early thirties, has lost her job. Doubt and despondency consume her, and she has no idea what to do next. Then one day, she figures something out, and from that moment on, nothing is the same. 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 Burying Myself in Love 以身葬爱 Burying Love with My Life 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 43 My Girlfriend and Sister-in-Law Are Both Gold-Digging Teases 女朋友和小姨子是绿茶婊 My Girlfriend and Sister-in-Law Are Green Tea Bitches —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 44 The Crazy Women 疯狂的女人们 Crazy Women —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 45 I'll Wait for You in Gusu City 我在姑苏城里等你 After failing the college entrance exams, I left home alone and came to Suzhou, where I met two girls who would shape my whole life... One was as passionate as fire, the other as gentle as jade... At eighteen, I didn't understand what love was... A cigarette, a glass of wine, and so much sorrow in the city of Gusu... Note: This isn't a wish-fulfillment novel, and it takes its time getting going. If you enjoy plot-driven stories, you can start at Chapter 39. Thank you! 2kReads—Score19514d adds
- 46 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... 45Reads—Score—14d adds
- 47 An Ordinary Person's Unordinary Journey Through Life 平凡人不甘平凡的人生路 An ordinary person’s life has its occasional ups and downs, but where does a life without guidance lead? After three years working in a factory, a twist of fate sends him into real estate brokerage! He grows immensely proud after enjoying some of the real estate boom. But after the tide goes out, how will he face the decline and deal with family, love, and friendship? This is your story, and it’s mine too. So I’ve heard... 10Reads—Score—14d adds
- 48 Out of Control: Emotions Run Wild 失控：情绪蔓延 The biggest problem in a secularized society is its lack of spiritual belief. When faith is lost, so is reverence. Without reverence, there can be no restraint. True happiness is like a gentle, unbroken stream, and can only be achieved through restraint. There is little sincerity and even less purity in a city of desire, only a host of problems that defy easy answers. This is just a fictional tale. If it’s not for you, don’t read it, and don’t take it too seriously! 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 49 The Bad Girl Won't Redeem Herself 渣女不洗白 Whose youth is free of scars? Who hasn’t smiled while crying inside? But flowers bloom beyond the mountain, and beautiful scenery stretches beyond every hurdle! Life is precious, so don’t waste it! To those of us who never got to be young properly back then! “Why are you here?” “Because I know my girl wants to try flying. And I want her to know that I’ve never been a cage keeping her from spreading her wings. I’m the tree she can always come home to, the safe harbor where she can rest, and the p 159Reads8.4Score—14d adds
- 50 Lovers and Beloveds 情人爱人 Lovers and Sweethearts 6Reads—Score—14d adds
