Novels like Xu Gongming's Unfulfilled First Half of Life
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Xu Gongming's Unfulfilled First Half of Life, best match first.
- 1 Leaving Beijing to Settle in Shijiazhuang 离开北京定居石家庄 (Everyday urban life, an inspiring journey of growth, and a look at all kinds of people and the harsh realities of life) Created over five years, Liu Haifeng’s first collection of essays. Life has no meaning, swaying between pain and boredom. Redefining life and shaping a new ideal way of living: that process is full of meaning. 9Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 A Photo of My Wife 妻子的合照 A Photo of My Wife 95Reads—Score214d adds
- 3 My 27-Year-Old Female Teacher 我的27岁女老师 [Based on real events] [Older woman-younger man romance] [Two female leads] [Realistic fiction] [No System] A new author with a new book. The rating just came out, but it’ll go up soon~ Based on the author’s own experiences, with pictures of some events in the comments. A realistic look at everyday life as a Chinese master’s and doctoral student. Before starting graduate school, Jiang Huai suddenly found himself surrounded by beautiful women! His underclassman Qiu Yuchang came right out and con 10.8kReads6.9Score77614d adds
- 4 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
- 5 Who Hasn’t Dated a Jerk or Two? Growing Up 谁不经历几个渣男：长大成人 Who doesn’t have to go through a few jerks on the way to growing up? This book explores women’s emotional growth. Drawing mostly on the author’s own experiences and reflections on love, and shaped with literary embellishment, it presents five stages of women’s emotional growth in the hope of offering a little guidance to women who feel lost. 124Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 A Career in Officialdom: With You in This Mortal World 仕途之红尘有你 A Song of Sorrow for the World of Dust Women of the world of dust know much sorrow; a beautiful face is doomed to a short life, with no way to escape. Adrift in the rivers and lakes, with nowhere to return, they wander through the world, drifting and lingering. Deep in the night, dim lamps cast a lonely shadow; the moon is cold, the flowers withered, and tears stream down their cheeks. Who can understand the bitterness within? Only the bright moon remains above the high terrace. This poem was th 60Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 Suspended in Desire 悬浮迷情 Celebrity architect Lu Haotian walks away from the security of a stable job and starts an architectural firm with partners who share his dreams. As they pursue success, they struggle against all kinds of unspoken industry rules. In the end, both Lu and his main partners are diagnosed with serious illnesses. His lover marries far away, and his family leaves him. Utterly despairing, he leaps toward the blue sky from the dreamlike pavilion he built himself. Ai Wen, a young architect fresh out of co 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 8 The Joys and Sorrows of Life and Death 生死欢戚 At death’s door from terminal illness, a middle-aged man is struck by lightning and reduced to a fragment of a soul. He enters the body of a junior high school student whose soul was also damaged by lightning... Qi Yiyang: Why do you think people are alive? Wei Zhengkun: What brings on a question like that, young man? Qi Yiyang: I just think life is hard for so many people! If their lives stopped, then everything would be over, and they wouldn’t have to suffer or toil anymore! Life has no meanin 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 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
- 10 Desires Beneath the Mask 面具下的欲望 Bacon said that human desire is the driving force behind social progress. This is true: desire can spur people to work harder, bring out their full potential, and push humanity ever forward. But whoever you are, if you cannot control your desires and they turn into greed, disaster is bound to follow. Those without desire are things; those with desire are people; those who can control their desires can become people of consequence. But how many can truly control their desires and know when to sto 10.5kReads8.6Score1.1k14d adds
- 11 Burning Passion 燃烧的热血 “With heads held high and spirits soaring, we crossed the Yalu River. To preserve peace and defend our motherland is to defend our home. The finest sons and daughters of China stand united as one, resisting American aggression and aiding Korea, defeating the American imperialist wolf!” Whenever I read books or watch films and TV dramas about the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, my heart surges with emotion, and I feel the deepest respect for the martyrs who gave their lives so bravel 664Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 12 Run! Your Blind Date Is from Chaoshan 快跑，相亲对象是潮汕人 Period novel / realistic fiction / ensemble cast The actual story is the opposite of what the title suggests. The heroine, Yang Biyao, eventually feels fortunate to have chosen the responsible male lead, Cai Zekun, who puts his family first. Synopsis: Through a friend’s introduction, Yang Biyao goes on a blind date with a man from Chaoshan. Her life then unfolds through negotiating the bride price, moving far from home after marriage, holding a wedding banquet, helping her husband inherit the fa 571Reads8.1Score10514d adds
- 13 A Man’s Backbone 男人的脊梁 On the eve of the college entrance exam, senior student Zhou Yangfan's world came crashing down: his father broke his leg and was bedridden, while his overworked mother was suddenly hospitalized. He could stay in school and pursue his dream of going to university, but with both parents ill and a mountain of debt hanging over the family, they could barely afford even his basic living expenses. How could he concentrate? If he went home to care for his parents and share their burden, he would have 3.6kReads9.2Score43314d adds
- 14 My Mother-in-Law Forgot She Was Once a Daughter-in-Law Too 婆婆忘了自己曾经也是媳 The moment a woman marries into her husband’s family, she is sincere and wholehearted in the way she treats her in-laws. Yet some mothers-in-law insist their daughters-in-law go through the same hardships they once endured. They suffered as daughters-in-law themselves, so why make life hard for another woman? In the phrase “mother-in-law and daughter-in-law,” the mother-in-law comes first. If she can’t be a good mother-in-law, how can she expect a good daughter-in-law? Relationships go both ways 94Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 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
- 16 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
- 17 My Years as a Male Nanny 我做男保姆的那些年 [No harem, no cuckoldry, no invincibility. Urban slice of life + mystery. To be clear, this has mystery elements. Don’t read if that’s not your thing.] I only went to interview for a male nanny job, but after meeting the female employer, I was dragged into a room with eight doors, where I encountered all kinds of bizarre things. An ex-convict, a male model, a nun, a lawyer, a beautiful streamer, a UN expert, a rich second-generation heir, and a butcher: what will happen when all eight are trappe 35Reads—Score614d adds
- 18 After She Dumped Me, My Girlfriend Became the Lead Dancer 甩了我之后，女友成了首席舞者 Betrayed by Fang Xiaohui, the ballet goddess who had been his girlfriend and the love of his life for seven years, Jin Jian loses the stable job he was about to land just before graduation. He has to start struggling to make a living on his own. Along the way, he meets wealthy heiress Xia Xueyi, shares a home with Ouyang Qing, his close friend's girlfriend, and falls in love with Bai Xiaotian, a classmate from police academy. This is the story of a boy growing into a man. There are a thousand di 642Reads8.7Score10414d adds
- 19 Chang'an County 长安县 “Golden Zhouzhi, silver Huxian, Chang’an County is where they kill and burn...” goes a saying in Shaanxi. The author takes you into Chang’an County, where they kill and burn. This panoramic portrait of the customs and local life of Chang’an County, Xi’an, Shaanxi, depicts rural life in all its unvarnished authenticity: an ancient village, a great burial mound rising from the earth, and four clans descended from the tomb guardians... A secret buried for a thousand years, the scheming and rivalrie 4.4kReads9.2Score42414d adds
- 20 Reborn in Senior Year: I Broke the Heart of My First Love 重生高三，渣了白月光 3.3kReads8.6Score18314d adds
- 21 The Rainy Night That Summer 那年夏天的雨夜 During the summer vacation of his sophomore year, Xue Yang took a summer job at a cafe to earn some money. The story between Xue Yang and Xu Yao began with a collision on a rainy summer night. With nowhere to go, Xue Yang was forced to stay overnight at Xu Yao's home. That night, Xu Yao, who had been a widower for many years, felt his heart stir. He opened his front door, and his heart as well. From their first meeting to falling in love, and from falling in love to building a life together, the 118Reads—Score—14d adds
- 22 Women on the Career Ladder 职场路上的女人们 Amid the shifting tides of the crowded world, people are always boarding ships and leaving them behind. When they came riding the waves, they carried unspoken obsessions. When they turned away, the hems of their robes swept up the stars, while the warmth frozen in their palms seeped forever into the course of the voyage. 859Reads7.1Score10414d adds
- 23 My Love, from Chongqing to Shenzhen 我的爱从重庆到深圳 One heroine, multiple supporting female characters A sugary-sweet romance + sunny outlook + everyday love + plenty of affection On the train home for the New Year, the male lead, Ma Xuan, meets a stunning beauty. He never expects that a devastating snowstorm will bring them together, leaving their train stranded on the tracks for three or four days. The story begins in the train car where he and the beauty are traveling. Though the two outstanding young people love each other, they must both f 56Reads9.1Score—14d adds
- 24 Reborn in 2009: Am I the Compass of the Business World? 重生09：我是商界指南针？ (No System) (Business Rivalry) (Entrepreneurship) (Everyday Romance) What does it feel like to go from financial freedom to having nothing at all? Zhou Zhiwen, a supplier of building materials to the real estate industry, has experienced that entire journey firsthand. In 2009, Zhou Zhiwen opens his eyes and discovers he has returned to this hopeful era. This is the year he has just graduated from high school. This is the year the real estate industry is not yet in ruins. This is the year the int 35Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 May the Sun Always Shine Bright 希望阳光永远都炽热 A castoff banished by his corporation to the Western District has a one-night stand, only to be relentlessly pursued by a beauty. Then, through a bizarre twist of fate, he even ends up at the police station. Ever since he got involved with this woman, not a single day has gone smoothly! "I'll pay you. Can you just leave?" "No!" Is it really so hard for me to be a true believer in pure love? 235Reads—Score—14d adds
- 26 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
- 27 Those Years as a Young Hooligan 小痞子的那些年 The strong grow stronger when challenged. The weak are only more wounded by defeat. Growing-up memories of people born in the 1970s and 1980s, and the distinctive flavor of Sichuan and Chongqing in the 1990s. Amidst a deep nostalgia for the era, see how wild grass grows. This book is full of nostalgia and offers an unvarnished glimpse of ordinary life. Looking back, you finally understand: those who master themselves are strong, and those who know themselves are wise. 1.7kReads8.9Score17614d adds
- 28 Shenzhen Stories: Sister Ji 深圳往事霁姐 You resent that I was born too soon; I resent that you were born too late. Though we could not live at the same time, we can still share a grave. Mo Chou happens to meet Wu Zhiji, a beautiful, kind-hearted young widow ten years her senior. Was it that love came too early, before she knew how to cherish it, or that by the time she learned to love, they had become strangers? Disclaimer: The locations, people, companies, and events in this book are unrelated to real life! 56Reads6.3Score—14d adds
- 29 The Shoe Factory Worker Holds Forth, and She Knows So Much! 鞋厂女工论道，她知道那么多！ [Urban slice of life + romance] The heroine is beautiful and works at a factory. She takes care of looking lovely while the hero works hard to get ahead. He climbs the factory's management ranks and even puts in time on the production line, all so the two of them can tie the knot and enjoy a long, happy life together. But things aren't that simple... 137Reads—Score—14d adds
- 30 Are You Crazy? You Call This Lawyer a Fraud? 疯了吧？你管这叫水货律师？ 3.7kReads6.3Score10014d adds
- 31 Those Years in Dongguan 在东莞那些年 This book tells the story of an ordinary loser who finds love while working at a factory. After his future mother-in-law demands an outrageous bride price, he works hard, sets out to build a business, and pursues his dream. Giving up a high-paying job, he leads his friends back to their hometown to start a business, transforming a place so poor that no one could find a wife into a place young women are eager to marry into. 86Reads7.6Score—14d adds
- 32 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
- 33 Darkness Descends 黑暗沦陷 [By a Twist of Fate, He Became the Savior of Southeast Asia’s Underworld Emperor] The protagonist, Yi Sheng, was tricked into becoming a “piglet” at a scam compound in the Philippines, where he was beaten and starved every day, living a fate worse than death. Then one day, a gang of thugs hijacked a tour bus. Acting on impulse, he risked his life to save an old man he had never met. The next day, he was taken out of the compound and put into a Maybach. The old man patted him on the shoulder. 33Reads—Score—14d adds
- 34 Being the Chief Is No Easy Job 所长不好当 This second volume of Police Station Stories, titled Being a Station Chief Is No Easy Job, covers the police station's efforts to crack down on crime and handle cases, as well as its community policing work. The stories about police work mainly approach the subject through individual cases and incidents. They also offer a perspective on grassroots police stations through the rule of law. The law is an important instrument of governance, and good laws are the foundation of good governance. The la 134Reads—Score—14d adds
- 35 Bold Pursuit, Secret Indulgence 强撩与暗宠 On one side, his female boss pulls him into an emotional tug-of-war. On the other, the female dean offers him a healing companionship. Caught between them, he doesn't want to give up his stable job, but he can't bear to let go of the peace and comfort she brings, either. Choosing between them becomes his greatest dilemma. 4.7kReads7.1Score42514d adds
- 36 A Matchmaking Connection 相亲缘鉴 The protagonist of this book, Lin Xuexian, starts out as an intern and works his way up to become a domineering CEO. Along the way, he finds many beautiful romances and ultimately achieves success in both his career and love life. 55Reads—Score—14d adds
- 37 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
- 38 The Workplace: Auntie Sent Me Undercover 职场：阿姨派我做卧底 Hou Xiaoqiang is caught cheating by his wife in bed, making Chen Sijie and Qian Guozhong, who work at the same company, feel that a storm is coming. Everything grows more mysterious. Watch Chen Sijie find his footing in this bizarre workplace…! 250Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 I Somehow Got My Hands Around My Career and My Treacherous Wife 一不小心，拿捏职场和背叛夫人 His wife betrayed him, then joined forces with others to take Chen Sijie’s life. Heaven gives Chen Sijie a chance to be reborn. This time, he will build a successful career and have beautiful women by his side, while taking down workplace bullies and He Qianqian, the woman who betrayed him. 739Reads—Score10214d adds
- 40 The Wife I Met at the Civil Affairs Bureau Turned Out to Be a Millionaire 民政局捡到的老婆竟然是个富婆 Zhao Muyuan was delivering divorce papers to his boss when he found himself a wife outside the Civil Affairs Bureau. “Why do you carry your household registration booklet around with you?” Xiang Qiu was at a loss for words. Zhao Muyuan held the booklet, eagerly waiting for her to act on impulse. “Congratulations, you are now legally married.” 1.7kReads6.6Score24714d adds
- 41 The Chinese Bodyguard 国产保镖 54Reads6.3Score87714d adds
- 42 The Great Physician's Fool's Dream 大医的黄粱美梦 First traditional Chinese medicine, then officialdom, and finally, where will it all lead? Read on and find out. The sections on traditional Chinese medicine are highly technical, so readers without a grounding in the subject may want to skip them. The officialdom storyline is realistic and focuses on the lessons of life. You're sure to take something away from it. Those who understand will see the many sides of life. Those who don't will only see… No one is perfect, and we're all ordinary p 8.7kReads9.1Score86014d adds
- 43 Reborn? Let's Win the College Entrance Exam First 重生？先赢了高考再说 It’s still a modern-day story. A tale of childhood sweethearts who love and torment each other. Please come check it out. Thank you so very much!!!! 301Reads—Score—14d adds
- 44 When the Clouds Part, the Moon Appears 云开见月 The protagonist had a miserable childhood. Raised by the whole village, he grew up experiencing firsthand the harsh rule that the weak get bullied. He fought his way through life with his fists, developing a fiercely defiant personality. Later, a benefactor took him under their wing and helped him work hard, and he eventually made something of himself and got into a top university. As an adult, he became lost and insecure in the face of harsh reality. In the end, he settled into an ordinary life 16.2kReads9.4Score1.9k14d adds
- 45 My Girl from Lhasa 我的拉萨姑娘 [Roommate Vibes] [Pure Love, Bad Ending] [Urban Coming of Age] [Multiple Heroines] [Folk Guitar] [Lhasa, Tibet] [Idealism] [Realistic] After his childhood friend dies in a fire, Xia Tian takes his friend's ashes to Lhasa. By chance, he meets a group of idealistic young people... They open bars and inns in Lhasa, planting the ideals in their hearts deep into every inch of Tibetan soil. Facing the sky and earth, they cry out, "Long live ideals! Long live youth!" This is an urban romance novel abo 273Reads—Score—14d adds
- 46 A Book That Continues the Spring and Autumn Annals 续写春秋的一本书 A new work is out! You can read my stories on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy them. Your support motivates me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 10.7kReads9.2Score90214d adds
- 47 The Old Woman Killed by Her Eldest Daughter Is Reborn 那个被长女干掉的老妇重生了 In her previous life, Chunhua was muddleheaded and unlucky. She spoiled her younger brother, favored boys over girls, and grew estranged from her husband. After her eldest son went missing, she spent the rest of her life in a daze. It wasn’t until she lay alone in a hospital bed, ignored by everyone, and saw her badly injured eldest daughter scream at her in despair that she finally understood how terribly wrong she had been. When she opened her eyes again, she had returned to the day her eldest 254Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 48 Don't Go Upstairs Late at Night 深夜别上楼 A ghostly figure in an old building late at night, and the little ghost chasing me turns out to be my savior… At two in the morning, I came back from working overtime to the old building where I’d lived for three years. Every motion-sensor light in the building was off. With every step I took upstairs, a faint, barefoot footstep followed behind me. I turned around. No one was there. At the turn on the third floor, a child’s voice whispered in my ear: “Big sister, don’t go upstairs.” —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 49 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
- 50 Scholar or Tyrant: Who Can Have a Good Life? 学霸和枭雄，什么人能过上好日？ (Dual male leads. Period story. Urban.) One is a poor scholar, the other a big shot in the underworld. They struggle for fifty years. What does it take to live a good life? And what is a good life? 6Reads—Score—14d adds
