Novels like There Really Was an Affair
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as There Really Was an Affair, best match first.
- 151 The All-Powerful Soldier King in the Political Arena 全能兵王混官场 1.8kReads8.2Score21714d adds
- 152 A Promise Heard 诺言有听 A promising young Party secretary and his stubborn little secretary save each other. Their relationship grows from a first flutter of attraction into mutual uncertainty, before finally reaching a sunny ending. The dust motes floating in the sunlight are life, love, and hope for the future. 52Reads7.3Score—14d adds
- 153 Yu's Heart Turns South 聿心向南 [Both are physically capable + Mutual firsts + Secretly in love with each other + Sweet romance] Cool, reserved prosecutor at the Supreme People’s Procuratorate VS gorgeous translator at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs The leads are childhood friends. Their mothers arranged their marriage when they were little. At the male lead’s eighteenth birthday party, a misunderstanding causes her to gradually distance herself from him. Nine years later, she returns home. He stares at her with bloodshot eye 624Reads7.0Score10014d adds
- 154 My Secret Crush Echoed Back 暗恋听见了回响 [Patriotic Entrepreneur × Cultural Relics Restorer] [Love After Marriage + Secret Love Comes True + Both Pure + Cadet Family Backgrounds + Seven-Year Age Gap + Slow-Burn, Sweet Slice of Life] Huo Silü always thought his marriage to Lin Jinxue was a matter of mutual convenience. She was quiet and low-maintenance, the perfect match in the eyes of their elders. He, too, had always played the role of an exemplary husband, fulfilling his duties. But his wife seemed a little too low-maintenance: she n 2.6kReads8.9Score40314d adds
- 155 Reborn on the Road to Power 重生之官道 [Not Wish Fulfillment + No Mindless Protagonist + Everyday Life + Wits and Strategy] Enter at your own risk To most people, officialdom looks calm on the surface, yet beneath it currents run deep, full of deception and intrigue. Is it a web of power and influence, or a battle between black and white? The truth is, choosing the right path matters more than working hard! In his previous life, Wang Ze was conscientious and responsible, but lacked the heart of a strong man. Timid and afraid to make 801Reads6.8Score10414d adds
- 156 After Our Flash Marriage, My Late First Love Came Back 闪婚后，死去的白月光回来了 [Marriage first, love later + Long-planned schemes + Rekindled romance + Brother-in-law and sister-in-law romance + An all-out battle for love] Her mother threatens to kill herself unless she marries her obsessive stepbrother, the very man who once tried to ruin her life. With no other way out, He Yining grits her teeth and makes a decision: she turns to Zhou Yiheng, the youngest and most powerful political figure in Shanghai. He comes from a distinguished family and wields power with an iron fi 37Reads—Score—14d adds
- 157 The Prequel to In the Name of the People: Stories from Handong's Political Circles 名义前传：汉东官场的那些事儿 At the bottom, you're a pawn in someone else's hand. At the top, you're the one moving the pieces. From the early power struggle between Zhao Lichun and Liang Qunfeng to the later rivalry between Li Dakang and Gao Yuliang, the fighting never stops. All kinds of people and events combine to weave the tangled, ever-changing web of Handong. Born in the countryside, Li Dakang rose through hard work and political savvy to become Zhao Lichun's secretary. Starting out in Jinshan County, he went on to g —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 158 Calculating Love After Marriage 婚后算爱 [Two Strong Leads + Marriage First, Love Later + Workplace Couple + Healing] Gu Jing and Zhou Ling's marriage began with a clearly itemized prenuptial agreement. Social performances had to be graded, physical contact had to be reported, and everything had to be reviewed and improved afterward. They were the most by-the-book couple in the workplace, and each other's perfect project partners. Until one night of drinking got out of hand, and Gu Wan calmly added Zhou Ling's marital duties to the “su 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 159 A Book by Xingbao 星宝的一本书 My new work is out! You can read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support motivates me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 30Reads8.6Score—14d adds
- 160 Reborn: An Ordinary Career in Government 重生之平凡官路 Xu Wen was once a minor deputy section-level official, an ordinary grassroots worker with no connections. He was fixated on getting promoted, but never managed to achieve it. Then he suddenly returned to the day he first joined the workforce. Determined to live well and make up for his past regrets, he never expected that, little by little, he would rise to the heights he had once admired from afar. —Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 161 Dawn Ferry on the Huai River 淮水晓渡 Why did we break up? “My mom said you don’t work in government.” Xiao Xiao was speechless. She never thought the trope of “passing the exam, then dumping your sweetheart” would happen to her. “I can pass it too.” A year later, she started working at the district science and technology bureau. Meeting Jiang Huaixu was the biggest surprise of her life. At first, she thought it was an unrequited love that would go nowhere. Only later did she learn that, to win her over, he had even considered marry 6kReads8.6Score55514d adds
- 162 The Dominating Workplace Big Shot and the Newly Widowed Woman 霸道的职场大佬，新寡的她 Her husband died unexpectedly, leaving her a new widow whom everyone avoided. She had planned to spend the rest of her life in peace, but accidentally fell into the arms of the most powerful man in the city. He was a ruthless, cold-hearted business tycoon who could make or break anyone, and had no interest in women. Yet with her, he pursued her at every turn and kept her firmly by his side: “From now on, your body and your heart belong to me alone.” Everyone urged her to remain faithful to her l 19.4kReads8.7Score2.4k14d adds
- 163 Her Waist Is Soft and Her Lips Are Sweet! The Big Shot Loses Control and Falls for Her 她腰软唇甜！大佬失控沦陷 Short drama adaptation coming soon [Over-the-top Devotion | Powerful Man Bows His Head | Age Gap | Both Pure | Guiding Lover] Delicate, sweet-tempered inheritor of traditional crafts / Powerful, fatherly man The most outrageous thing Lin Wan ever did was spend that one night with Zhou Yanling. He was her ex-boyfriend’s boss, the powerful leader at the top, and the last person she should ever have gotten involved with. After that night, she did everything she could to draw a clear line between th 8.9kReads8.4Score88914d adds
- 164 Boss, We're Not Close 领导，我们不熟 When they first met, he was the vibrant boy next door, and she was a sensitive, insecure girl who knew little of the world. Song Jinyan would grin and call Su Niannian “Little Stutterer,” and he would also patiently tutor her in her studies. When they met again, he was an ambitious senior leader, and she was an earnest staff member. Su Niannian thought Song Jinyan had long since forgotten the girl next door, until one day after an event, a drunk Song Jinyan stopped her in the corridor and asked 9.3kReads9.1Score1.1k14d adds
- 165 After Leaving the Spotlight, I Became a Foreign Ministry Spokesperson 退圈后，我上岸成为外交发言人 (The rating was just posted, so it’s low for now! A long story with a gradual plot and satisfying power progression.) A tsunami claims the life of Qin Zhizhi, an elite diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But she is reborn twenty years later as a nineteen-year-old child star mired in scandal! Accused of bullying classmates and caught up in a sexual scandal, she’s vilified across the internet. A suicide note is already spread out on the table! But who is the new owner of this body? A d 9.3kReads8.4Score80114d adds
- 166 Team Leader Lin's Beloved Wife 林组长的心尖娇妻 [Completed, dive right in] Lin Zhizhou, a levelheaded and prudent leader of the inspection team with a keen eye for justice, and Shen Tinglan, an optimistic, confident, kindhearted party girl. From the male lead's perspective: love at first sight. From the female lead's perspective: she had been plotting it all along. One day, Shen Tinglan turned back and teased Lin Zhizhou, calling him a “gentleman.” The man furrowed his brows slightly and lowered his voice. “What does that mean?” Shen Ting 9kReads9.2Score1.2k14d adds
- 167 I Broke Off My Engagement to an Abusive Man and Married a Cool, Powerful Leader! 退婚家暴男，嫁给高冷大领导！ (Mutual first love, unequal status, nearly eight-year age gap, the aloof beauty falls from her pedestal) At 27, Qu Zhiyao has grown up in a blended family and is painfully shy and insecure. After years of hard work and saving, she finally buys a small apartment, only for her tenant to turn out to be Yuan Mingxi, a powerful man from the provincial capital who is 34. From then on, the apartment’s utilities and heating keep breaking down, and after a long day at work, she always gets a complaint ca 2.9kReads8.7Score41914d adds
- 168 Half Coaxed, Half Spoiled, I Fell into His Tender Trap 半哄半宠，落入他温柔陷阱 [Marriage Before Love] [Sweet romance] [Whirlwind marriage] [Powerful man lowers his head] [Overwhelming possessiveness] (Gentle, elegant beauty / slow to warm up) ✖ (Steady, powerful man) Meng Jingsi was forced to break up with her first love and marry the “perfect man” her parents had chosen. She always believed in treating each other with respect and courtesy, and fulfilled her “marital duties” to the letter, leaving no room for complaint. Zhou Zhengyan held a powerful position, and countle 4.9kReads8.4Score41114d adds
- 169 Chu Huaixu, the Lost Little Daisy 楚淮序，弄丢的小雏菊 Both leads work in the public sector + age gap + love at first sight • Chu Huaixu was hosting a symposium on arts education at universities. Jian Chu, a young art teacher, spoke as a representative, and her fresh, refined presence and original insights caught everyone’s attention. Until the day his diplomat first love returned from overseas. “She’s just your substitute.” I heard him say it with my own ears. I hid the ultrasound in my sketchbook and fled the city that very night. Months later, he 1.3kReads6.6Score10114d adds
- 170 Mr. Gu's Adorable Little Wife 顾先生的小娇妻 “Mom, what do you like about that old man?” Five-year-old Gu Jiang asked, his little brows furrowed and his eyes brimming with tears. “That’s your dad. How did he bully you this time?” Jiang Niannian picked Gu Jiang up, wiped away the tears at the corners of his eyes, and asked gently. “He, he won’t let me sleep with you. He’s so embarrassing!” “He, he even stole the flowers I picked for you. He said, he said…” Gu Jiang’s tears fell again as he pouted in grievance. “All right, all right, don’t c 646Reads8.1Score10214d adds
- 171 Shedding My Uniform for a Career in Politics, I Fear No Man 褪去戎装入官场，巾帼何惧男儿郎 The rating just came out. It should go up later. Probably. Enjoy! Women's fiction + politics + strong female lead At 28, Shen Ke leaves military service as a regimental-level female officer and is assigned as executive vice county magistrate of economically underdeveloped Qing County. On her very first day, she is confronted by a mass petition. Watch Shen Ke show her unique strengths in a political world dominated by men and carve out her own path to success. 588Reads7.7Score10014d adds
- 172 I Pray to the Gods for You 我向神明祈求你 Jin Xiangyu, secretary-general of Yunshui Municipal Party Committee, age 35. Jiang Xiangyang, a staff member at the Xiahe Town Government in Yunchuan County, Yunshui City, age 28. Jiang Xiangyang felt that a happy love life was beyond her reach. First, a gay man deceived her into a sham marriage, then she met a scumbag. She had all but given up on love when fate brought her together with Jin Xiangyu. What sparks will fly between an ordinary female civil servant from a small town and the secretar 14.7kReads9.2Score1.5k14d adds
- 173 My Government-Worker Boyfriend Is Irresistible, and He'll Spoil You to No End 体制内男友真香，宠你没商量 Her cousin was determined to stay single, so she asked Ling Ting to go on a blind date for her just to get everyone off her back. Ling Ting went, and although she thought her date was handsome and gentlemanly, she didn't give him another thought. So why was the new boss in front of her, smiling warmly and greeting her, so familiar? He was her blind date! Ji Zhengyao: “Comrade, we meet again.” Ling Ting: “…Hello, sir.” 10.3kReads8.1Score89314d adds
- 174 The Pinnacle of Power: Taking the Road Less Traveled 权力巅峰：不走寻常路 As the ancients said: A man in office should command the power of the realm by day and sleep with beauties in his arms by night! Today, some say: A position needn't be high, as long as you have power. After all, a county magistrate can't hold a candle to the local official in charge! Those who wield power hold a double-edged sword. Used well, it benefits the country and its people; used poorly, it can hurt others and themselves. People say it's hard to be a good person. What about being a good o 246Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 175 A Smooth Rise: Starting as a Grassroots Police Officer 平步青云：从基层民警开始 Wang Meng is a grassroots police officer, born with a cold, stern face but kind at heart and with a deep hatred of evil. After offending the criminal underworld, he was framed and fired, and spent his life in poverty and hardship. On the verge of death, he finally understood one thing: only by holding power could you control your own fate. When he opened his eyes again, he discovered that he had been reborn in 2001, three days before he was framed. Drawing on his knowledge of how events woul 372Reads6.2Score—14d adds
- 176 Xiangyang Is a Flower 向阳是朵花 My name is Xiang Yang. My family has farmed for three generations. I'm a farmer through and through. My name is Xiang Yang. I'm beautiful as a flower, a little fairy no one in ten miles around can compare to. My name is Xiang Yang. I have a lover I can't speak of. He gives me everything except marriage... He feels guilty, But I don't care! As a child, I watched my dreams unfold on a big-screen TV. I fought to grow up, wanting only to live the way I chose. After learning how cruel society could b 85Reads7.2Score—14d adds
- 177 His Wedding Dress 他的婚纱 Her Wedding Dress 23Reads—Score—14d adds
- 178 The Whole Internet Blacklists Me for the Civil Service Exam, So I’ll Take Down Showbiz First 全网封杀我考公，上岸先斩娱乐圈 Jiang Feng was reborn five years in the past. Back then, he was a nobody in show business, just fresh off a blacklist that had shut him out across the entire internet. When he went to his boss to terminate his contract, the boss demanded a penalty of five hundred million! Given a second chance at life, Jiang Feng refused to repeat his old mistakes. Instead, he went straight out and took the civil service exam for the National Radio and Television Administration. The day he passed, he tore up his —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 179 Spring Blossoms at the Touch of Her Beauty 娇色惹春山 Synopsis [Commanding leader × gentle teacher] Senior official and darling wife, eight-year age gap, devoted to each other. Once the male lead realizes he’s in love, he fiercely pursues her and protects her at every turn. In a sentence: A calculating senior official carries off a sweet, soft little bunny, only to be thoroughly outmaneuvered by her. Campus belle Jing Ni has a boyfriend everyone envies, Zhou Li. He’s not only a star at their university, but also the son of a bureau chief and a 15.4kReads8.5Score1.7k14d adds
- 180 Hidden Charms of the Capital 京华藏娇 [Marriage First, Love Later / Sweet Romance with a High-Ranking Official / Age Gap / Well-Matched Families] [Smiling-Tiger Dad-Type Official × Mischievous Little Darling] The most pampered little princess of Beijing’s elite compound, Guan Jingyi, graduates from Peking University with a master’s degree at 22. Just as she starts work at a key government agency, her family pushes her into an arranged marriage. Her match is the famous “smiling tiger” from the upper echelons of decision-making, fourt 7.9kReads8.9Score1k14d adds
- 181 A Marriage of Convenience with Extra-Sweet Romance 凑合夫妻，糖分超标 Originally titled The Secretary’s Little Lamb [Clearheaded, sensitive saleswoman X composed, divorced male official] [Heroine: 28, hero: 35, seven-year age gap, flash marriage, lightly sweet] Yang Mian & Xie You’an What is love? Yang Mian didn’t understand it, nor did she expect it. With thirty fast approaching, at an age when even friends, family, and dogs were sick of her, she hurriedly got married. Love was nothing at all. Xie You’an had seen through it. At an age when he still had ne 3.8kReads8.9Score35514d adds
- 182 With the System in Hand, I Become a Top Government Official 手握系统后，我成为超级公务员 [Wish fulfillment + male lead focus + play the pig to eat the tiger + growth] Just as graduation approached and Lin Chuandong was looking for a job, he unexpectedly got a Super Civil Servant System! Lin Chuandong was a graduate student at the nation’s top-ranked university of political science and law, with a brilliant future ahead of him. Yet he took a grassroots civil service job in the obscure Linjiang District. It left his classmates and teachers utterly bewildered. They thought his talents 203Reads7.2Score—14d adds
- 183 A Beautiful Civil Servant's Resignation Diary 美女公务员辞职记 How are young people taking the workplace by storm these days? Watch this woman quit her civil service job with a flourish, walk away with style, and marry into a wealthy family. Then she and her dream man climb to the top of the world together. No matter how many joys and sorrows she faces along the way, she always meets life with a smile. If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight! 1kReads8.8Score10114d adds
- 184 The Municipal Compound 市委大院 Qingshan City is surrounded by mountains and blessed with beautiful scenery. After his predecessor was dismissed over a major safety accident, Ding Junru became the “firefighter.” Can Ding Junru break through the encirclement and help Qingshan City rise from the ashes? 29Reads8.8Score11014d adds
- 185 Promotion 提拔 The road to a brilliant career in government begins beneath your feet! On his first day as deputy township head in a poor rural township, Zhou Xiangbei was framed. With exceptional intelligence and political skill, he launched a stunning counterattack, advancing one step at a time until he reached the pinnacle of a brilliant government career! Guided by the simple belief that a good official should serve the people and improve their lives, he created one economic miracle after another. As he cli 121Reads9.1Score—14d adds
- 186 Director, Please Behave Yourself 主任，请自重 [Government Officialdom + Age Gap + Devoted to Each Other + Forced Love] A powerful and highly capable director of the General Office unexpectedly encounters a young woman he once met briefly, setting the wheels of fate in motion. 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 187 A Nobody's Great Love 小透明的大爱情 [Both leads work in government × age gap and workplace hierarchy × helping an overlooked employee overcome her insecurities × a caring senior colleague opens his junior's tightly closed heart] Lin Wanqing believes that even when an overlooked nobody is falsely accused, she can only investigate in secret; even when people bully her openly, she can only endure it in silence. “That's just how society works. Without connections, you have to follow the rules. I can't afford the price of crossing the 20Reads—Score—14d adds
- 188 A Reborn Couple in Government: The Daily Grind 体制内夫妻重生奋斗日常 A new work is here. In a sense, this one continues the previous one. Follow a young couple working their way up from the grassroots within the system, and see how they write their own story in an era when the old century gives way to the new. Once again, I sincerely invite you to read my work on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support inspires me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 39Reads7.6Score—14d adds
- 189 I Met You the Day We Divorced 离婚那天遇见你 After five years of marriage to Tang Mingyuan, Song Xinzhu quit her job to try for a baby and embarked on the grueling road of IVF. In just two years, she suffered three missed miscarriages. She couldn’t take any more of it. She didn’t want to keep trying for a baby and wanted a divorce. Just when she was at her most lost and helpless, she met Qin Bozhang. She felt an irresistible physical attraction to him. Whenever she saw him, her heart raced, her cheeks flushed, and she couldn’t stop hers 4.3kReads8.2Score36314d adds
- 190 A Beloved in the Capital 京北有伊人 [Age gap + both pure + forced love + physical and emotional torment + heroine starts out weak and grows strong] [Noble, dignified heir + aloof student at a foreign languages university] On a rainy April day in Jingbei, Shu Yiren enters Yan Zhenghe’s world beneath a red umbrella. They meet at a Chinese-Russian exchange forum. From then on, Yan Zhenghe keeps that red umbrella by his side and never lets go. After an accident, Yan Zhenghe sends Yiren to Zurich, Switzerland, for graduate school. Afte 3.7kReads8.6Score30414d adds
- 191 The Policewoman Everyone Loves 警花万人迷 [A romance between government employees, a nine-year age gap, sweet and doting with no angst, no awful characters, love at first sight, and a long-laid plan] A stunningly beautiful policewoman who had just graduated from the police academy joined the cybersecurity detachment of the municipal public security bureau. One photo of her caused a sensation throughout the city's judicial and administrative system. After she arrived, a single video gained the detachment's short-video account a million f 1.4kReads8.6Score11614d adds
- 192 How Did Bringing Him Lunch Get Me on the Big Boss's Radar? 送个饭怎么就被大BOSS盯上了 [Powerful Man Bows His Head + Sweet Innocent Girl + Fluffy Romance + Both First-Timers + Age Gap] Luo Fanshuang is about to graduate from college when she accepts her boyfriend’s invitation to meet his parents. Instead, she witnesses his bizarre parents pulling an outrageous stunt. They look down on her for being from out of town, so Luo Fanshuang tears into the scumbag mother and son. Give in and put up with them? Not a chance. She’s done catering to them! After graduating, she goes home to pre 30.4kReads8.6Score4k14d adds
- 193 A Hound on the Official Road 官路犬踪 A dog follows its master through many hardships and twists of fate. It also witnesses the master's despicable abuse of power and schemes. But justice prevails in the end, and there is nowhere beyond the reach of the law. Ultimately, the master receives the punishment he deserves. 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 194 Career in Government: Starting with Unwavering Loyalty 仕途：从忠心耿耿开始 430Reads6.2Score—14d adds
- 195 Reborn, I Meet Director Gu, Who Has Missed Me for Half His Life 重生遇上顾厅，他却已念我半生 The score is low because the book has only just started; it’ll rise later. Scores on Tomato Novels are tied to readership, and this author’s writing is pretty niche, so please don’t let that put you off. The leads have a 26-year age gap. Don’t read if that bothers you. A slow-blooming love story, both are each other’s first, happy ending. [Steady, mature man in a position of power x cute, naturally gifted designer] The male lead is aloof and commanding, with a calculating mind, but he’s gentle a 362Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 196 Warm Days and Drizzly Nights in Jiangnan 江南日暖夜微雨 [Signed for a print edition] [Elegant Jiangnan power player VS Radiant Beijing socialite] [Older man + both each other's first + 11-year age gap + love at first sight + healing romance] Meng Xi was Beijing's most dazzling ray of sunshine, born into a distinguished family, bright and bold. That year, during a misty, rainy trip to Jiangnan, she accidentally smashed a box of pastries from a century-old shop, and also found her way into the heart of a gentle, refined man. Mu Qian, heir to a century- 4.7kReads8.6Score55914d adds
- 197 Love Deepens as the Moon Rises 月升时爱浓 [The lively and adorable Section Chief Lan from the seventh-floor government office] VS [Director Yang from the fourth-floor political and legal affairs committee, gentle, composed, and skilled in martial arts] [Both devoted to each other + mutual unrequited love + warm everyday life + lighthearted, sweet comedy. Not about wealthy families, domineering CEOs, pampered wives, or any of the other usual tropes.] Before he met Lan Yueyue, Yang Yu was against marriage. Afterward, he couldn't stop thi 2.3kReads8.7Score22914d adds
- 198 Fate Has a Special Favor for You 命中偏爱你 Ye Youning had fair skin and a sweet face, and was widely regarded as a beauty in the making. After graduating from college, she resolutely took a job far from home to get away from her overbearing mother. At a dinner party, a drunken Ye Youning was drugged. While trying to escape, she happened to run into Jian Yunzhou, who was meeting a friend. “Please, take me with you.” Ye Youning’s whole body flushed red, and she begged him with unfocused eyes. Jian Yunzhou frowned in silence, his mind racin 2.8kReads7.6Score37014d adds
- 199 When the Wild Geese Return, the Moon Fills the Western Tower 雁字回时月满西楼 (Realism + a love held back with patience and restraint + a strong female lead + sweet on the outside, dark within + games of power)… 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 200 Snow Clears in December, and Haitang Writes Back 十二月雪晴，海棠回了信 [Mutual devotion] + [Marriage Before Love] + [Secret Crush Comes True] + [Wife-Chasing Hell] + [High-Ranking Officials] A domineering, abstinent senior diplomat as the male lead vs. a cool and refined academic overachiever who seems like a slightly scatterbrained lamb but is actually a brilliant research scientist as the female lead. What kind of sparks will fly between a diplomat stationed in Russia and a highly educated research chemist? Pei Sichen thought that after closing off his heart, he 21Reads7.6Score—14d adds
