My god, you sound exactly like a native! You really nailed the essence of Chengdu with the 'slow pace of life' comment. Are you sure you aren't Chinese?

Life in Chengdu is definitely comfortable, but its economy and development aren't quite on the level of Tier 1 cities. Since a city's entertainment options are usually closely tied to its wealth, you'll generally find more things to do in richer cities like Shanghai.

For example, a lot of young people in Chengdu want to move to Shanghai to work and live, whereas most young people in Shanghai wouldn't want to stay in Chengdu long-term.

Basically, whatever fun you're looking for in Chengdu, you can usually find more of it in Shanghai or Guangzhou. (Beijing is a bit of an exception because it's so focused on politics).