The Ideal Intern
A Bittersweet Tale of First Jobs, First Love, and Becoming Who You’re Meant to Be
Everyone starts somewhere — and for most, that journey begins as an intern. But surviving the workplace jungle as a newcomer takes more than just enthusiasm. The Ideal Intern is a coming-of-age workplace novel about competition, pressure, disappointment, and the courage to grow in a world that doesn't always go according to plan.
Yixiaoxi, a naïve but kind-hearted young woman, thinks she’s found love — until a shocking “flash wedding” reveals her boyfriend is marrying someone else. Humiliated, heartbroken, and furious, she crashes the wedding, vowing to reinvent herself. What follows is a journey of resilience and reinvention as she transforms from an emotional, impulsive, and slightly chubby “Cinderella” into a sharp, stylish, and competent career woman — what some in China call a bai gu jing (a “white-boned elite”: savvy, strong, and successful).
From failed job interviews to unexpected breaks, office drama to impossible bosses, Xiaoxi navigates the high-stakes world of internships with humor and heart. But as she gets closer to the career she dreamed of, her once-promising romance begins to unravel, and the truth about love, ambition, and adulthood begins to dawn.
For fans of workplace dramas and slow-burn romance, The Ideal Intern is a heartfelt, inspiring novel filled with relatable missteps, laugh-out-loud turns, and emotional truths.
Reader Praise:
“I love authors like this — grounded, sharp, and rich in detail. This book doesn’t waste time with fluff. Every chapter has weight and heart.”
“Watching Xiaoxi struggle through job interviews felt so real — I just graduated last year, and the anxiety, the rejection, the emotional whiplash of entering the workforce? Nailed it.”
“Honestly, the romance parts hit even harder than the career stuff. The scenes outside the office? So much more intense, heartfelt, and raw. It’s a workplace novel, sure — but the love story is what stayed with me.”
“There’s this one line that stuck with me: ‘People who smile tend to be luckier.’ I don’t know why, but it gave me hope. Cheesy? Maybe. But I’m hanging onto it.”
“Finishing this book left me with that I’m not ready to let go kind of feeling. Like I wasn’t just reading about Xiaoxi — I was rooting for her because I saw myself in her.”
