Novels like Private Investigation
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Private Investigation, best match first.
- 1 Cleansing the Heart 濯心 The novel follows recent university graduates Qian Jin, Li Qianjin, and others as they grow and experience love and marriage over ten years on the front lines. It portrays the little-known joys and sorrows of frontline employees working on construction projects. Centered on project manager Wu Xinshi and college graduates Qian Jin, Li Qianjin, and others, the novel explores their work and lives, telling how different people make different choices when faced with life's challenges. Each choice mar 34Reads—Score—Shelves
- 2 My Husband's Scheme to Stay Child-Free 丁克老公的阴谋 [Everyday Family Drama]+ [Brutal Revenge on Scumbags]+ [Satisfying Read]+ [Realistic Marriage] After five years of marriage, Ning Zhi earns over a million a year running two flower shops. She is gentle and generous with her in-laws and sister-in-law, bought her husband a 300,000-yuan car as a dowry gift, and lives with him in a wedding home worth several million. Yet he has been sneaking around with his first love, even plotting to take her life and seize her assets. When the truth comes out, s —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 3 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—Shelves
- 4 Don't Beg Me to Come Back After I Leave 别在我离开后，再求我回来 [The Ex-Wife Chase of Regret + Mutual Devotion + Angst and Sweetness + Push and Pull to the Limit] Jiang Fannan: I know he loves me, and I know he’ll give up on me. So I leave. He Qingyan: I know she still loves me, and I know she’ll never come back. So I wait for her! 3Reads—Score—Shelves
- 5 Life After Marriage 婚后余生 Zhang Han's best friend seduced her husband. Then, while Zhang Han was heartbroken and miscarrying, her friend stole her chance at a promotion! What do you do when life hits rock bottom? Naturally, you seduce the hot young man who took your position, dump your cheating ex-husband and your backstabbing best friend, and watch them regret it while you live life on your own terms! 628Reads9.2Score104Shelves
- 6 The Post-Marriage Era 后婚姻时代 The novel follows Zhuang Jing through thirty years of work and life, telling the story of marriage, family, and career from the perspective of a professional woman. The book recounts the protagonist's experiences in three stages of life. The first stage, from age 22 to 30, is marked by the passion and stumbles of starting a career, and the happiness and struggles of falling in love, getting married, and having a child. The second stage, from 40 to 45, sees the pressures of her career gradually e 335Reads8.9Score104Shelves
- 7 A Cruel Father, a Cursed Fate, and an Unyielding Little Flower 狠心的爹，被诅咒的命和不屈小花 (Countryside + school life + city life + friendship + romance + family + human nature + striving + female growth) Zhao Xiaohua was born on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, under a full moon. Because of a fortune-teller's words, everyone saw her as a jinx, and her grandmother died on the day she was born. Her father feels no affection for her and abandons her time and again. Her mother gives her life so Xiaohua can go to school. Her life seems to be under a curse. Faced with blow after blow 10Reads6.7Score—Shelves
- 8 The Rest of Our Lives, Unfinished 余生，未尽 After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, I quit my executive job on the spot. Everyone said Lin Xiaoran had lost her mind. She had spent over a decade building a promising career, and had never wavered from her belief that achievement came first. Then the terminal diagnosis landed in front of her, and she suddenly woke up. With only six months left, she no longer wanted to spend her life chasing fame and fortune, or bind her daughter's life to grades. She cut off her long hair and quit with 10Reads—Score—Shelves
- 9 The Abandoned Wife Xiumi: Painting Smiles with Tears 弃妇秀米：蘸着眼泪画笑容 Xiumi's story is based on the true story of my neighbor's mother and was adapted with her permission. At seventeen, Xiumi became an abandoned wife just six months after getting married. Her husband ran away with someone else, and Xiumi gave birth to his child. Decades later, Xiumi had seen her parents-in-law off and raised her daughter. Her daughter was studying for a master's degree in Shanghai, while Xiumi remained in the old house until her husband returned... But after coming back, her husba 11Reads—Score—Shelves
- 10 Hidden Away in the City 小隐于市 A minor recluse hides in the wilderness; a true recluse lives among the crowds. You don’t have to retreat to mountain springs and woodland paths to experience a leisurely, carefree life. A higher form of seclusion is finding a sanctuary for the soul amid the bustling city. 34Reads—Score—Shelves
- 11 A Match Made in a Tycoon Family: My Love, Come on In 豪门相亲爱妻请入门 [Chasing-the-wife crematorium + sharp-minded leads + domineering CEO] Wei Wenxi returns home for a blind date, only to be rejected by her match. What else can she do? She's fallen for his uncle, and she's determined to become her match's aunt by marriage! She thought wedding bells were just around the corner, but her mother, who favors sons over daughters, objects to the marriage. Why? Because she can't stand the thought of her daughter marrying so well? 11Reads—Score—Shelves
- 12 The Sound of Falling Snow 听见雪落的声音 Realism + family-of-origin issues + healing I am Lu Zhiyao, a child who isn't particularly easy to love. My parents gamble, I suffer bullying at school, I endure an unspeakable pain worthy of "The Girl in the Pic"... and then the only person who truly loves me, my grandmother, passes away. Sometimes, I wish the whole world would be destroyed. But one day, simply because I stuck my nose where it didn't belong, I found a ray of light, a light that belonged only to me. He said to me, “Come on, l 12Reads8.9Score—Shelves
- 13 The Fleas 跳蚤们 The Fleas is a crime novel about the struggles and ambitions of new Chinese immigrants in Flushing and Manhattan, New York. Set in the early twenty-first century, it follows three ordinary men, Li Xiaodong, Gao Wanli, and Xie Yuan, who came to America as immigrants, undocumented migrants, and international students. Through starkly realistic storytelling, it portrays their hardships and desires as they confront the challenges of building new lives overseas, revealing the difficulties of immigran 8Reads9.5Score—Shelves
- 14 Fired for Refusing to Frame Patients, I Became a Lawyer and Took Down My Former Hospital 不会坑病人被开除，转行当律师闪击前医院 He refused to mistreat patients and got fired, so he switched careers to become a lawyer and launched an attack on his former hospital. —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 15 My Wife Didn't Reply for Three Minutes, So I Cut Ties with Her 媳妇三分钟不回我消息，我直接断绝关系 My Wife Didn’t Reply for Three Minutes, So I Cut Ties with Her on the Spot 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 16 Ten Years After Our No-Frills Wedding 裸婚10年后 For ten years of marriage, Qin Xiaoxiao has been working toward buying a home and putting down roots. She and her husband scrimped and saved until they had 100,000 yuan, hoping to buy a secondhand house. Then her father-in-law fell seriously ill, and the medical bills wiped out every last penny. Their home-buying plans fell through, their hopes were crushed, and conflicts between the couple and between daughter-in-law and mother-in-law grew more frequent. She was desperate and full of regret. Bu 505Reads8.9Score101Shelves
- 17 The Candied Hawthorn Skewer Pierces Through 冰糖葫芦竹签儿穿 My new book is out! Everyone is welcome to read it on Tomato Novel. The story is based on real experiences. I'm writing it carefully, and the process has been smooth, without writer's block or made-up details. These experiences are like candied hawthorn skewers: the bamboo sticks pierced my body, yet became the backbone of my life. I hope this honest, heartfelt story brings you joy. Reading brings insight, and I hope you find your own independent perspective along the way. 4Reads—Score—Shelves
- 18 Blueberry, the Leftover Woman 剩女蓝莓 Blueberry is an unmarried woman who’s still living at home. She has two unreliable best friends: Mihua is a bit of a flirt who teases men and ended up kicked out by her husband with nothing, while Feifei loves mahjong and dreams only of marrying into a wealthy family… Three women, and plenty of drama. Love, ethics, human nature… They say hotpot is all about the lively world around the table. Our story begins with a hotpot meal… The story is a slow burn. I hope you’ll enjoy it! 40Reads—Score—Shelves
- 19 Housewife: My Husband Wants a Divorce 家庭主妇：老公想离婚 Chen Mofei is the head of the hospital's gynecology department, and Tao Yan is a housewife. They were once a harmonious couple, but Tao Yan has a sharp tongue and a kind heart. Her cutting, hurtful words repeatedly push her husband's patience to the limit... The messy, petty troubles of ordinary people! The story takes its time getting going. I hope you'll enjoy it! 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 20 My Girlfriend Didn't Reply for Three Minutes, So I Broke Up with Her 女友三分钟不回我消息，我直接分手 My girlfriend didn’t reply to my message for three minutes, so I broke up with her on the spot. 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 21 My Wife Didn't Reply for Three Minutes, So I Divorced Her 女人三分钟不回我消息，我直接离婚 My wife didn’t reply to my message for three minutes, so I divorced her on the spot. 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 22 The Sheep Are Here, the Sheep Are Here 羊来,羊来 The sheep are coming, the sheep are coming —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 23 The In-Laws' Web of Schemes 婆家局中局 Tang Guo, the heroine, and Lu Ziming, the hero, marry just three months after meeting. Not long after the wedding, it comes to light that Lu Ziming owes 500,000 yuan in online loans. When his mother learns what happened, her first response is to demand that Tang Guo divorce Lu Ziming and to take their property deed. Everyone else reacts differently, each with their own agenda. It turns out that behind the facade of a loving family lie nothing but schemes and calculations. Tang Guo stands by Lu Z 999Reads—Score101Shelves
- 24 800 Reasons to Want a Divorce 想离婚的800个理由 Everyone has countless moments after getting married when they feel like getting a divorce. If they don’t, it must be because they’re in love. And if they do end up divorcing, that doesn’t necessarily mean they stopped loving each other. 6Reads6.5Score—Shelves
- 25 The Boy from a Remote Mountain Village I Helped Twenty Years Ago Wants to Marry Me 二十年前救助的偏远山区小男孩，要和我结婚 The little boy I helped in a remote mountain village twenty years ago wants to marry me 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 26 I Once Flew Thousands of Miles for You 为你，我曾飞越千万里 Before being sent to Africa, An Qi imagined endless grasslands and vast starry skies. After arriving, she found a struggling economy and lawless streets. On top of that, the exhausting workload and monotonous life made her want to find an excuse to quit every day. Then, because of one person, she fell in love with this city far from home... This story is dedicated to all the girls who still believe in love! (One man, one woman; both devoted to each other; a sweet romance with no angst) 226Reads9.0Score—Shelves
- 27 Beyond the Walls, Where Do We Go? 围墙之外，何去何从 [No fixed couples, and readers with strong moral qualms should stay away! This novel loves pairing people in unexpected ways, and the ex-husband eventually becomes the son-in-law!] [All kinds of tangled relationships, mutual scheming, love and hate, but in the end everyone gets a happy ending!] [Everyone’s status gets reshuffled, and each person finds their own path to happiness! Hahaha~~] She watches her husband give her the green hat, then returns the favor in kind. Life is this thrilling, and 33Reads—Score—Shelves
- 28 After Getting Caught Cheating 出轨被捉后 After cheating and divorcing, the heroine, Pang Yan'er, finds her life in shambles. Watch how human nature changes… May her story serve as a warning to everyone! Marriage takes work, so cherish the happy life you have! 117Reads6.3Score—Shelves
- 29 The Meaning of Happiness 幸福的标准 Ye Han and He Junshan are, in everyone’s eyes, the perfect love story from campus to the altar. But how can a marriage keep feelings safe from the wear and tear of everyday life? Even their careers are gradually facing new crises… 69Reads—Score—Shelves
- 30 That Touch of Moonlight in the Mountains 山间的那抹月色 At the start of this century, a wave of migrant work swept through China’s countryside. The able-bodied young men and women left their homes for jobs in the prosperous coastal regions, leaving their young wives behind to care for the elderly and children and tend to their small plots of land. The women left behind faced loneliness and emptiness, love and hate, and the struggle to build a life, refusing to bow to fate! The men working far from home faced the temptations of a dazzling world while 32kReads9.0Score1.3kShelves
- 31 Summer and Fate 夏季与天意 An ordinary encounter: one is a talented young woman at a crossroads in her life, and the other is a dedicated high school teacher. A sweet story about down-to-earth life and love. Xu Huanyi met Xu Tian in the summer. Once lost and uncertain, she gave up the job she already had and came to this small town for a fresh start. To her delight, she discovered that Xu Tian was part of that new beginning. Back in high school, Xu Tian had inexplicably taken a liking to a girl, though all he did was wa 122Reads8.9Score—Shelves
- 32 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 96Reads—Score—Shelves
- 33 An Art Student's Road to a Comeback 美术生的逆袭之路 {Tomato Original} {Based on a True Story} [Inspirational] {Youth and School Life} {Urban Life} This story is based on real events. The first volume recalls the male lead’s childhood. Readers can start with Chapter 22 of Volume Two, set on a university campus. If you want to know why he was afraid to accept Zhang Nian’s kindness, go back and read Volume One. It will all make sense! There are no thrilling tales of defying fate or shortcuts to instant success in this book. Only genuine poverty, gen 9Reads—Score—Shelves
- 34 Nothing Major in Life 人生无大事 I was born in the abyss and raised in the netherworld. Lost, struggling, helpless, despairing. The hardships along the way shaped my body and mind. When everything had finally calmed down, when spring had come and flowers were blooming, when everything was just right, I finally reached the most important moment of my life. 4kReads8.1Score439Shelves
- 35 Stories from the Construction Site 工地上的那些事儿 [No System, entirely hand-written. Men and women on a construction site, struggling to survive in the workplace.] They say construction sites are chaotic, women are scarce, and beautiful women are even rarer. After graduating from college, I started working at a construction site. On my very first day, I met Sister Xiaoya, who was already married, and accidentally offended the site boss. It turned out that the construction site held more than just men and women. There were also stories few peopl 10.9kReads7.6Score818Shelves
- 36 Never Turning Back 誓不回头 Also titled: The Ideal Life Is One Where You Can Soar Without Cheats. This is an amusing story with a touch of melancholy. Fresh out of school, Ma Yiming feels lost. “What's a life plan? Adults make plan after plan, but in the end, all they get is a measly paycheck?” His friend Chen Guangxu is just as lost. “...Four of us were sent to intern at the fitness center, and I was the only guy they assigned to sell memberships. I'm a boxing major. What am I doing selling memberships? Damn it, all the 3.7kReads9.1Score408Shelves
- 37 Breaking Free 逃离束缚 Su Yu and Tang Yilan met on a blind date arranged by their university professor. After spending some time together, they both decided they liked each other, so they went to meet each other’s parents. At first, everything seemed to go smoothly, but after they got married, they argued over whether to rent a place of their own. Su Yu also has an older brother, Su Lun, who has been married to Zhao Yanan for years, but still has no children of his own. After finally getting married, Tang Yilan reali 1Reads—Score—Shelves
- 38 The Years of Growing Up 成长的岁月 Pingping was born in the mid-1960s and grew up in a small town in Jiangnan. Her parents raised five children, and Pingping was the fourth. Born during the Cultural Revolution, Pingping witnessed the country rise from poverty and backwardness to prosperity and strength. Through her own hard work, she grew alongside the times. 27Reads—Score—Shelves
- 39 A Working Girl’s Life Through Wind and Rain 打工女孩的风雨人生路 In the 1990s, a wave of migrant workers swept across the country, and countless young people left their hometowns for the big cities. The dazzling neon lights of the metropolis conjured one fantasy after another, while burying the youth of so many. Longing for a fresh start, the naive young Zhou Jie joined the great wave heading south. From getting a factory job to running away, from falling on hard times to fighting her way forward, she had to tread carefully at every step. She thought that a 267Reads8.2Score—Shelves
- 40 Snow in Winter, Flowers in Spring 冬有雪，春有花 When Nan Xiu was fourteen, her father told her, “Be good, don't cry. Smile. When you do, you look like a little fairy from another world.” When she was twenty, her older brother told her, “Be good, don't cry. Find a good man. He'll take good care of you.” At twenty-two, Nan Xiu rode her little electric scooter back and forth between school and her mentor's shop, smiling sweetly as she called out, “Old Liu, I've finished today's tasks!” At twenty-four, Song Shimo told Nan Xiu, “I'll love you for 124Reads8.4Score—Shelves
- 41 Lane 23, Xinkangli 新康里23弄 Even today, you are still the light in my heart. 910Reads9.2Score102Shelves
- 42 He Says I’m His Lifeline 他说我是他的命 She asked him, “Have you made up your mind?” He nodded firmly. To her, it was nothing more than a fling. But for him, from that moment on, everything was already decided. For the rest of his life, she would be his whole world. 96Reads8.9Score148Shelves
- 43 Under the Influence of Dopamine 多巴胺作祟 [Mutual pining + reunion after years apart] Sweet, with a little angst, moving moments, warmth, and plenty to relate to. "Sweet, gentle, restless small-town exam ace" vs. "handsome, gentlemanly, brooding ABC" Everyone says Liu Yuqiu is the ideal man. Only Zhou Lingwei knows just how bad he can be. Everyone thinks Zhou Lingwei is harmless. Only Liu Yuqiu knows how ruthless she is. Where’s the love in the CBD? Where’s the romance? It’s all a contest between "bad guys" and "ruthless women." A thou 775Reads8.9Score107Shelves
- 44 A City of Drizzle, Veiled in Mist 一城烟雨一层纱 Two girls, saving each other. Jiahui is a beautiful, bold, lively girl with a touch of cleverness. Luo Dan has followed Jiahui around since childhood, doing whatever she says. Luo Dan has been timid and inarticulate since she was little. Quietly talented, she and An Bin secretly love each other as children. They reunite as adults and get married, but their life together is a chaotic mess. Luo Dan works hard and strives to grow, overcoming one challenge after another. She meets Yin Song, and even 2.9kReads9.1Score275Shelves
- 45 A Cigarette 一支烟 I stood up and staggered toward the exit. I struggled to push away each person who came to help me. I didn't take the elevator. Step by step, I climbed the stairs to the rooftop. When I pushed open the rooftop door, a hint of late autumn's cool breeze brushed my face. The light was so bright that I had to squint. I could clearly see her. Across the rooftop stood a long-haired girl. She said, “Could I have a cigarette?” If you're willing, I'll love you forever. If you're not, I'll choose to pine 89Reads—Score—Shelves
- 46 Zhi You: Mom, Take Me with You 知柚：妈妈，带我一起走 [Growing Up with a Little One] [A Post-90s Mom's Comeback] [No Romance] [No Male Lead] "Mommy, don't go..." Youyou buried her face in Lin Sui's neck, her muffled sobs coming one after another. "Youyou will be good. Don't leave me..." Lin Sui stroked her daughter's back again and again. Her voice steadied, then trembled, then steadied again. "Be good and listen, Youyou. Mommy is only leaving for a little while. I'll find a way to come back for you, I promise." The man standing in the entryw 99Reads—Score—Shelves
- 47 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! 63Reads6.3Score—Shelves
- 48 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... 134Reads—Score—Shelves
- 49 Transmigration: I’m Crushing My Scumbag Ex in a Parallel World 穿越：我在平行世界爆虐渣男前夫 (Soul transmigration and a creative premise + healing from childhood family trauma) One morning, Tang Wanwan wakes up and discovers she has transmigrated... The wounds inflicted by your birth family must be healed within that family. Love is a kind of redemption, a light that gathers lost time. Somehow, it was all destined to be. She is financially independent, beautiful, and sophisticated. He is handsome and wickedly charming, but hopelessly addicted to gambling. It was love at first sight. She 2Reads—Score—Shelves
- 50 I Eventually Became an HR Person Who Does No HR Work 最终成为一个不干人事的人事 [A grind-at-work story, not a power fantasy! Not a power fantasy! Not a power fantasy! (Whether it turns out to be satisfying depends on what I write later. I don't know either.)] [This story is for venting. If you have something to vent about, leave a comment, send me a private message, or whatever you like. You're also welcome to suggest names for future characters.] The author, who was about to become famous, often says, “The world is one giant amateur operation.” What career should you choos 13.3kReads8.2Score849Shelves
