Heartbreaking Period Dramas 古风虐文超虐

1. 51 敖 Ao Guang's Tale: The Love Tribulation of the Rainmaking Sea God 敖光传：司雨镇海之神的情劫 Armor and Fish铠甲和鱼Ancient Romance159k WordsCompleted [Not a Nezha story + set after the War of the Witches and Demons + love tribulation + divided divine soul + vast difference in status + bittersweet romance + joy after hardship + rekindled love] Dragon King Ao Guang rules over the Four Seas and the Eight Wastelands, commanding the Four Seas and earning the respect of the Three Realms. Ao Guang's love is the love of a god: powerful, domineering, and eternal. But he always looks down at her from on high, never truly entering her world to understan 89Reads9.4Score—14d adds

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   No one commits evil, yet the heart-wrenching story is deeply moving. There's no villainous female supporting character. The male lead is the Dragon King who rules the four seas, and the female lead is Qingheng, a sword cultivator undergoing tribulation and splitting her soul as Princess Honglian. Every step Qingheng takes into Ao Guang's world is a process of shattering herself and reshaping herself to stand beside him. The male lead isn't a scumbag; a scumbag wouldn't deserve the female lead's suffering. The female lead gives her all to return to his side.

2. 52 十 Ten Realms: I Was Ordinary 十界：我本平庸 Sanqi Confused Fish三七糊涂鱼Eastern Fantasy1.8M WordsOngoing (We are all ordinary people. Some say they don’t understand what I’m writing! The truth is, I simply want to tell the story of an ordinary person who keeps growing, improving, and learning. He feels lost and helpless, never knowing what to do. His life is full of stumbles, but through repeated setbacks and lessons, he slowly grows! Some people are born in Rome, while he is stuck in the mud. In Rome, it’s easy to cross the finish line. But there’s something all the more inspiring about perseverin 7.1kReads9.1Score59514d adds

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   Life always leaves something for those who hold onto hope.

3. 53 京 The Tide Between Beijing and Hong Kong 京港澜渡 A Book Worth a Fortune一本千万利Modern Romance631k WordsOngoing [The rating just opened, slowly climbing] [Hong Kong old-money style vs. Beijing political circles] [Intrigue and covert battles among the wealthy] [High-IQ business and romance] [Slow burn, not a fast-paced power fantasy; feel free to skip chapters] Four pairs of hunters, four hunts. The rain pours over Hong Kong. Come enjoy a TVB-style romance, business-war, and suspense drama! Sweet nothings go beyond “Stay a little longer” and “I adore you” to include “I’m crazy about you.” Duplicity is the 8.5kReads8.9Score77514d adds
4. 54 明 The Bright Moon Keeps You Company 明月伴君 The Tranquil Young Master公子寂然Ancient Romance248k WordsCompleted One day, high school student Si Yue suddenly finds herself in a cultivation world, where she becomes a good-for-nothing who can't cultivate. She has a crush on the chosen genius Xie Jing, but their difference in status makes her too shy to confess. She thinks that if she stays by his side, her young hero will eventually accept her. But things don't go as she hoped: Xie Jing's childhood dream girl, Jing Huan, appears. The dream girl is a heaven-blessed beauty, exceptionally talented and stunningl 261Reads6.1Score—14d adds

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   First the second male lead suffers, then the female lead suffers, and finally the male lead suffers—everyone ends up with a tragic ending.

5. 55 迷 Lost in the Mist, the Fallen Princess Can't Escape 迷雾中，亡国公主逃不掉 Desire for a Splendid Journey欲华游Ancient Romance252k WordsCompleted Jiang Nuanyue: “Why does everything I want have to leave me?” Yun Yuan: “Your name is Nuanyue, Warm Moon. Why won't you let your warm moonlight shine on me?” Jiang Yan (Yue Yi): “Don't worry, my princess. Wherever you are, I'll be by your side.” Qing Luo: “Little Nuanyue, I'm so cold. Just like that frozen lake in winter all those years ago. Will you hold me?” Why is everything I reach for like grains of sand slipping through my fingers, impossible to hold on to? 3Reads8.3Score—14d adds
6. 56 去 The Lanterns Shone Like Day on Last Year's Lantern Festival 去年元夜灯如昼 Xu Wei栩唯Ancient Romance589k WordsOngoing [Amnesiac Grand Princess × Cold-Faced Court Official | Escape from the Imperial Mausoleum | Palace Intrigue and Political Scheming | Mutual Redemption] A great fire turns her from the most honored princess of the Li Song dynasty into a palace maid assigned to guard the Yanyang Imperial Mausoleum, someone everyone avoids. She has forgotten who she is and everything she once had. Her greatest wish each day is to make it out of the mausoleum alive. But its rules are strict, and the first one is nev 22Reads8.5Score20014d adds

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   Author Xu Wei excels at writing about ancient Chinese society, and this book, "Last Year's Lantern Festival: Lanterns Like Daylight," perfectly balances angst and sweetness. If you like this genre, just give it a try!

7. 57 吾 My Three Wishes 吾有三愿 Mechanical Wang机械汪Ancient Romance787k WordsOngoing [Mad Queen x Reclusive Power Behind the Throne] [Past and Present Lives] [Sweetness and Angst] [Fated Redemption] [Alternate World] (This story focuses on [Two Powerful Leads Growing Together] and [Profound Devotion]. Sweetness and angst intertwine. This is not a mindless power fantasy, so read with care if that's not your thing!) In their previous life, in the modern world, the two parted forever on a snowy night! He sat in a wheelchair dusted with snow, and his three wishes ended in regret as 59Reads7.7Score—14d adds

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   A bittersweet mix,

8. 58 与 Parting from You in This Life 与君生别离 Quite Possibly a Monster很可能是妖怪Ancient Romance17k WordsCompleted Parting from You in This Life 50Reads—Score—14d adds

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   People who enjoy reading historical romance novels have such great taste!

9. 59 帝 The Emperor's Lament 帝王之殇 Quite Possibly a Monster很可能是妖怪Ancient Romance12k WordsCompleted The Emperor's Tragedy 17Reads—Score114d adds
10. 60 念 Fragrant Thoughts Beneath the Silk Quilt 念香衾 Companion in the Mist烟霞侣Ancient Romance963k WordsCompleted 5.5kReads8.9Score50914d adds

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    I recommend these three books 1. In ancient times, cousins were not allowed to live together. 2. I like stories where both characters are "clean" (meaning they are pure and innocent), including those involving past and present lives. 3. The love in this story makes my heart race.

11. 61 相 Husband, Spare Me Your Blade 相公，刀下留我 Many Blessings福多多Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted Ye Qingcheng transmigrated, and couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Later, she realized that someone had been setting her up all along. Qin Shao was reborn, with every detail of his past life still vivid in his mind. If he let a woman set him up again in this life, he might as well give up on life. “My lord, what will it take for you to let me go?” the alluring woman asked with a charming smile. “If you die, I'll be done for.” “Come on, you've loved me so much you want to kill me. 10Reads8.8Score—14d adds
12. 62 祸 The Calamity Consort 祸妃天下 Jiang Youyou姜右右Ancient Romance1.7M WordsCompleted She was a scheming, calculating spirit. He was a ruthless, sinister prince lying low in a corner of the empire. Born for revenge, she laid a vast web of traps and plotted to overthrow the dynasty. He was the most obedient piece on the board, yet he bound her heart with love, advancing step by step until she could never leave his side. Xuan Yuan Mo wrapped his arms around the woman from behind. “I know you’ve always been using me, but I like being useful to you…” Ye Qingwan’s lashes fluttered, bu 516Reads8.6Score10114d adds
13. 63 繁 A Splendid Mistake 繁华错 A World of Splendor繁华锦世Ancient Romance1.9M WordsCompleted If I had another life, I would never put my hand in yours again. Never. · Hengzhou’s richest man, the Yun Sect’s Iron Cavalry, Qiongzhou’s pleasure quarter, the Four Great Houses of the capital: what earth-shattering secrets lie hidden among these people and places, so seemingly unrelated? What turmoil does a peerlessly beautiful woman, moving through the world of courtesans, stir up with her delicate hands? Everything should have been in the palm of her hand, effortless and under control. But t 570Reads8.4Score10314d adds

    Reader note

    I think these three books are good! The first is unpredictable and treacherous, full of schemes and plots, capable of turning the tide of events. Secondly, it depicts the love, hate, and grudges between the human world and other realms. Thirdly, it compensates for the inevitable fact that all good things must come to an end.

14. 64 魅 The Enchantress Who Bewitched the World 魅姬惑天下 Black-Hearted Cat黑心的猫Ancient Romance2.0M WordsCompleted Chu Xiao, regent of the Yan Dynasty. Yu Ge, a peerless dancer. He used her as a pawn to win over the powerful, climb to the heights of power, and marry the treacherous chancellor's daughter. They took her body, killed her child, and murdered her mother. She swore to make these hypocrites pay for their blood debt. Then, in a single day, her astonishing true identity was revealed. Three thousand bewitching women, five hundred poison masters, and over ten thousand elite soldiers knelt throughout th 823Reads8.8Score17414d adds
15. 65 凤 The Phoenix Rules the Ninefold Heavens 凤倾九重 Crayon Immortal蜡笔仙人Ancient Romance1.7M WordsCompleted In her previous life, Chi Jingshu was dutiful and kept to herself, yet still suffered endless torment and ultimately earned the title of “the disastrous seductress who brought down a kingdom.” When her country fell and she was strangled to death against the towering red-lacquered walls of the imperial city, she thought, If I get another life, I'll live up to the name “calamity who ruins kingdoms and brings disaster to the people”! Reborn one day at the age when girls wear their first hairpin, Ch 2.8kReads8.8Score60514d adds
16. 66 瑾 Madam Jinning 瑾宁夫人 Qi Ran Liuli七媣琉璃Ancient Romance2.9M WordsCompleted Meng Jinning wasn't exactly the laid-back type, but she understood the principle of not bothering others unless they bothered her first. She also knew that being a stepmother was no easy task. She figured the children's maternal relatives and their own father could take care of them, and the most she could do was turn a blind eye. She never expected that, even though she had no intention of meddling, someone else would insist on dragging her into their business. 309Reads7.7Score10514d adds

    Reader note

    Book 1: The inner thoughts of the orphaned girl living under someone else's roof are described very well. Book 2: The Empress's fate was to be abandoned by all her relatives and friends.

17. 67 锦 Return of the Swallow 锦堂归燕 Breezy and Bright风光霁月Ancient Romance3.2M WordsCompleted As the legitimate daughter of the prime minister, she was switched at birth and forced to struggle for survival among the common folk. At long last, she was reunited with her family, only to be caught up in endless domestic power struggles. She wanted to get along with her sisters, honor her elders, and live a peaceful life of her own, but every one of those awful people was determined to thwart her! So she faced reality: if she wanted a good life, she would have to scheme and fight within the h 2.3kReads8.4Score31914d adds
18. 68 蝶 Butterfly Shadows Return to Dust: Sold into Prostitution by My Mother-in-Law, My Ex-Husband Searched for Me for Ten Years 蝶影归尘：被婆母卖入风尘，前夫寻了我整整十年 Ni Ah Ni Ge Ni氼啊氼个氼55k WordsCompleted The Butterfly’s Shadow Returns to Dust: Sold into a Life of Vice by My Mother-in-Law, My Ex-Husband Searched for Me for Ten Years 319Reads—Score—14d adds

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    I loved him for ten years, yet I was only fit to be her shadow. The first time I saw him, I was being chased and pushed into a fire pit. He rescued me from human traffickers, took off his outer garment and draped it over my shoulders, saying gently, "Girl, you are free." From that moment on, I knew I was destined to follow him for life. Not out of gratitude, but because—he was the first person who didn't want anything from me, but simply wanted me to live. I followed him all over the country, accompanying him in his search for someone. For ten whole years. One year, his temples turned completely white overnight at the Anqing ferry crossing. Because someone told him that his wife had appeared there. He chased for three days and three nights, but the one he caught wasn't you. He squatted at the dock all night, and when I found him the next day, his temples were completely white. He never cried when he drank. When sober, he wouldn't shed a single tear. Only when he was drunk, lying alone on the inn's bed, calling out, "Butterfly, Butterfly, where are you, where are you?", Would tears stream down his face and soak into the pillow. I wiped it for him. He never knew. He bought that house in the south of the city. The yard was full of gardenias, the swing was set up, and the children's room was furnished. Every year he went there, sitting alone in the empty yard, staring blankly at the gardenia tree. The flowers bloomed and withered, withered and bloomed again. You never came back. Later, he finally found her. She stood in the pavilion, wearing an elegant kimono, her eyes cold and aloof, like someone who had stepped out of a painting. I stood outside the pavilion, suddenly feeling very small, very small—like a blade of grass by the roadside, looking up and seeing a flower blooming in the sky. I am illiterate, my hands are calloused from washing and cooking, and I wear faded coarse cloth clothes. But she, even the wrinkles on her cuffs are beautiful. No wonder. No wonder he missed her for so many years. That day, he knelt in front of the Yang family mansion for a whole day, exchanging all his wealth for betrothal gifts, just wanting her to come back. She refused. She spoke to him in broken Japanese, "Sir, you've mistaken me for someone else." When he came out, the light in his eyes had died. He walked past me without even seeing me. His eyes were always only for her. I rushed into the pavilion, knelt before her, and tearfully told her every word of the suffering he had endured over the years: his searching, his longing, his drunkenness, his insomnia, his gray hair. I asked for nothing else but for her to come back—if she would come back, I could leave. I could disappear completely. She just stood there, looking at me expressionlessly. Finally, in that broken tone, she coldly said, "If you love him, stay by his side. Warm him. Sooner or later he will feel your love and accept you." Then she turned and walked away, step by step. I knew she wasn't heartless. The blood from her fingernails had stained the lining of her sleeve. Like me, she was hiding her deepest pain behind the coldest expression. Later, he finally married me. On our wedding day, he drank heavily, becoming completely drunk. I helped him back to his room, and as he leaned on my shoulder, he kept calling her name. A year later, I gave birth to our daughter, and he named her Nian Die. Zhang Zhiming's daughter, Zhang Nian Die. At that moment, I understood. In his heart, I would forever be nothing more than a shadow of her. Nian Die, Nian Die. Unrequited love will never be reciprocated. Until his death, he carried the silver butterfly hairpin she had left behind. I stood before his grave, without weeping. I simply placed another hairpin—the one she wore last—with his. "You are finally reunited," I said. "She waited for you her whole life, and you waited for her your whole life. In the next life, don't miss each other again." And that exquisite crystal ball—the only gift he had personally chosen for her—I quietly placed in my daughter's swaddling clothes. Let Nian Die grow up with it; it was the only remaining tenderness her father had left in his life.

19. 69 惟 Wei Qisu 惟七溯 I'm Not a Wizard我不是魔法师Ancient Romance527k WordsOngoing She was born with the Heart of Ten Thousand Blossoms, the most precious secret of the Se Xian Clan. The Celestial Emperor imprisoned her in the Ninth Heaven, binding her with the Milky Way and caging her in clouds and rosy mists. Then War God Zhan Qi cleaved open the gates of heaven with his giant axe. At the sight of his resolute gaze, she turned into a rain of countless blossoms and scattered across the world. A hundred years passed. She awoke once more at the Source of Life, but had forgotten 15Reads6.3Score—14d adds

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    Ancient Chinese style angst novels – you absolutely must have this!

20. 70 凰 The Phoenix Empress Returns 凰后归来 Ye Lian Ning夜恋凝Ancient Romance838k WordsCompleted In her previous life, Xiao Xiwei died at the hands of her husband and younger stepsister. Only just before her death did she learn that her life had been a falsehood, painstakingly fabricated by someone else. Reborn through fire, she proceeds cautiously at every turn, learns to read people’s hearts, and sees through their schemes. Together with the Seventh Prince, who has pursued her from her past life, she builds a splendid life. 21Reads9.0Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    I recommend these three books 1. There are power struggles within the inner palace and in the imperial court. 2. I don't know how many tears I shed. 3. Women are born with superhuman strength, which enables them to protect themselves.

21. 71 芜 The Phoenix of Wu 芜凰 Chen Xiaochen晨晓晨Ancient Romance711k WordsCompleted "If this girl is born in the north, the Phoenix will dance across the heavens, and her status will be beyond measure. If she is born in the south, the Phoenix will break a wing, bringing ruin upon her clan from below and chaos to the imperial court from above." Grandmaster Tian Yi's words came true. The "Song of Great Song," the most exalted young lady in Jiankang, never did manage to "spread her golden wings and bring peace to the world..." A Che said, "You may not be fit to be empress, but you 7kReads9.1Score69214d adds
22. 72 愿 May We Grow Old Together, Zhaozhao 愿与昭昭共白头 Plain Robes, Pure Melody素衫清韵Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted Zhaozhao got married. For five hundred copper coins, she was bought to bring good fortune to a sickly man. Who could have guessed he would still die, leaving her a young widow? Zhaozhao married again, this time to a strong, strapping man. Hopefully, this time they can grow old together and stay by each other's side forever. The ten-thousand-year-old iron tree has finally bloomed. The eminent general has fallen in love, but the woman he has set his heart on is a young widow. His advisors: “Gener 1.3kReads9.1Score17514d adds
23. 73 穿 Transported into the Story: Where Do I Go from Here? 穿到剧情里，我该何去何从 Ordinary NPC平凡人Npc6k WordsCompleted I’ve Landed in the Story. What Should I Do Now? —Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    Ancient style story

24. 74 以 I Thought You Were Helping Me, but You Were the Mastermind 以为你在帮我，没想到你是主谋 Ordinary NPC平凡人Npc9k WordsCompleted I thought you were helping me. I never realized you were the mastermind —Reads—Score—14d adds
25. 75 我 They Tried to Kill Me for Saving Someone. After I Left, They All Lost Their Minds 我因救人被害，离开后全傻了 Ordinary NPC平凡人Npc8k WordsCompleted I Was Murdered for Saving Someone. After I Left, They All Lost Their Minds —Reads—Score—14d adds
26. 76 我 I’ve Been Tangled Up with Two Foxes, One Big and One Small 我被一大一小两只狐狸缠上了 Ordinary NPC平凡人Npc8k WordsCompleted I'm Being Hounded by Two Foxes, One Big and One Small 17Reads—Score—14d adds
27. 77 被 After They Set Me Up, I Went on a Rampage 被算计后，我杀疯了 Ordinary NPC平凡人Npc8k WordsCompleted After I was set up, I went on a killing spree. 2Reads—Score—14d adds
28. 78 穿 Reborn as a Doomed Extra, I Decide to Bet Everything 穿成早死炮灰，我决定赌上一把 Ordinary NPC平凡人Npc10k WordsCompleted Reborn as a doomed cannon-fodder character, I decide to risk it all —Reads—Score—14d adds
29. 79 我 My Lover Came Back from the Dead, but I Dared Not Approach 我爱人死而复生，我却不敢向前 Ordinary NPC平凡人Npc12k WordsCompleted My beloved came back from the dead, but I don’t dare step forward 1Reads—Score—14d adds
30. 80 背 The Follower Who Betrayed the Snake God 背叛蛇神的信徒 Peanut Lamb花生小羊Ancient Romance196k WordsCompleted The Wen clan of Huazhou excelled at chess and had worshipped the Snake God for generations. But the emperor's wife and daughter were mysteriously killed by a snake demon. The emperor decreed that all demons be exterminated. The Wen clan defied the decree and was wiped out. The clan's legitimate daughter escaped and swore revenge. With nowhere else to turn, she returned to Huazhou to beg the Snake God for help. The god was powerless to undo what had happened to the Wen clan. Devastated beyond mea 21Reads8.6Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    This heart-wrenchingly tragic novel made me cry the whole time!

31. 81 蝶 Butterfly Shadows Return to Dust: My Husband's Enemy Seizes Me by Force 蝶影归尘：丈夫的的仇人对我强娶豪夺 Ni Ah Ni Ge Ni氼啊氼个氼15k WordsCompleted Butterfly Shadows Return to Dust: My Husband's Enemy Forces Me into Marriage 24Reads—Score—14d adds

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    Xiao Qihao's Perspective | "Butterfly, I love you, not because you're my brother's woman" 😢 In the Republican-era tragic love story "Butterfly Shadow Returns to Dust," everyone remembers Zhang Zhiming's ten-year search and Yang Yanchen's life-risking protection. But few are willing to stop and look at the illegitimate son nailed to the "villain's" pillar—Xiao Qihao. Today, I want to use his eyes to show you this story again. --- I am the illegitimate son of the Zhang family. I took my mother's surname, had no official status, lived under someone else's roof, and suffered endless cold stares. My brother, Zhang Zhiming—the legitimate son of the Zhang family's first wife, the heir to a business empire—everyone praised him for his gentleness, uprightness, and gentlemanly conduct. Why? Why did he have everything from birth, while I didn't even have the right to call my father "father"? This resentment clung to me like a venomous snake for twenty years. Until I met her. That day, I went to the Zhang residence to discuss business. Zhang's mother was snobbish; I was just someone who came to deliver money. During the pleasantries in the main hall, she brought in tea. Lin Die'er. The heiress my brother married. She's truly beautiful. The stubbornness in her eyes is like a bird unwilling to be caged. She speaks coldly to my brother, her eyes piercing, unlike the meek and obsequious women of other women. At that moment, I knew—I wanted her. Not because my brother possessed her. Because she was who she was. The inextinguishable fire in her eyes was something I had never seen in anyone else in my life. I was jealous of my brother, jealous of his status, his family fortune, and her. But I was even more jealous—that he could openly stay by her side even when she didn't love him. And I, I had to pretend to be indifferent even to glance at her. --- I started staying at the Zhang residence for a few more days, using business as an excuse to learn every detail of her routine. When she went to the cosmetics shop in the morning, when she returned home at dusk, when she sat alone by the pond at night, lost in thought. She didn't know. She never knew. Her heart was filled with hatred for my brother; she couldn't see the pair of eyes lurking in the shadows, practically watching her every move. Later, I got her. Through dishonest means. Zhang's mother was greedy, the Zhang family was ruined, and I took advantage of the situation. I had clashed with my brother in business, but this battle was the real prize I wanted—I imprisoned her in a separate courtyard, guarding her day and night; I wanted her to be my woman. She hated me. She bit her lip until it bled, refusing to let me touch her. But later, she became obedient. She stopped resisting, even curling up in my arms to sleep at night. I thought she had finally resigned herself to her fate. Until one night, I heard her call out in her sleep, "Zhiming..." Not hatred, not resentment. Those two words were very soft, as soft as a dream, but I heard the dependence in them—something she would never admit in her waking life. I trembled. Not with anger, but with fear. I suddenly realized that even if I kept her locked up by my side for the rest of my life, she would never call my name in that tone. I numbed myself with opium. I can't give up her, nor can I give up the only thing in this world that can make me forget her. --- She gave birth to a son for me. I was ecstatic. I had a son, my son with her. I named him Yi'an—meaning "unwavering" and "peaceful." I poured all my hopes and dreams into this child. I thought that as long as this child was here, she wouldn't go far. But she left. While I was in seclusion to quit opium, my mother sold her to a brothel far away. The day I came out, the villa was empty, not a single one of her belongings remained, as if she had never lived there. I searched frantically. Streets and alleys, docks and wharves, everywhere she might have gone. Nothing. Like a stone sinking into the sea. For those few years, I was like a walking corpse. Ping'er took care of Yi'an, managing the household perfectly. I was grateful to her, but I couldn't give her anything else. I made Ping'er my official wife, and we had a son and a daughter. But I knew in my heart that Yi'an was different. I favored Yi'an, so much so that everyone could see it. Because Yi'an was the only remaining connection between her and me. Until that day—a trusted confidant brought news. She was dead. She took a bullet for someone else, a bullet through her heart. The book in my hand fell to the ground with a "thud." Yi'an called my name beside me, but I couldn't hear her. I rushed out of the room, the wind and rain rushing into my collar, the wind in my ears sounding like it was calling her name. So many years of searching, so many years of waiting, so many years of obsession. And in the end, all I got was news of her death. I didn't even get to see her one last time. I didn't even have a chance to say "I'm sorry." I returned to the Xiao residence and secluded myself for three days. I found the golden butterfly hairpin she had left behind—it was a gift from my brother, she took it with her when she left, and it was later left in the other courtyard, becoming my only memento. I clutched the hairpin, remembering the words I had spoken to her that night when I lost control. She said, "I'm just your trophy." In the empty room, I said to the hairpin, "Butterfly, I love you. Because you are you, not some trophy." No one heard. She wouldn't hear me anymore. From then on, I poured all my energy into the front lines of the War of Resistance. Medicine, food, cotton clothing—all the methods and connections I had used in business warfare were transformed into the power to save the country and its people. I hated Zhang Zhiming, hated him my whole life. But when the country was in peril, I had wronged too many people, but I could never wrong this land. For the rest of my life, I would only do two things—save the country, and raise her son. Yi'an grew up day by day, his features becoming less and less like mine. But I dared not think about it too much. I poured all my guilt, indebtedness, and obsession into him, teaching him to read and write, to love his country and do good. I believed until my death that he was my own flesh and blood. But I will never know, and no one will ever tell me—Yi'an is her and Zhang Zhiming's child. She gritted her teeth and survived, just so that I could raise the child of my enemy for the rest of my life. --- This is my life, Xiao Qihao's life. Not a good person. But not a purely evil person either. An illegitimate child whose reason was burned away by jealousy. He was a madman who used the most despicable means to force love, only to end up empty-handed. He was a pathetic creature who, in the end, didn't even know who the father of the son he raised his whole life was. If you read *Butterfly Shadow Returns to Dust*, please hate me. And please remember me. Because in this book, some people grow old for love, some die for love—and I, Xiao Qihao, became a ghost for love. I made too many mistakes in this life. In the next life, I only ask to meet her sooner, and to be someone worthy of her, openly and honestly.

32. 82 不 A Beauty Who Doesn't Ruin Kingdoms Isn't a Proper Demoness 不祸国的美人，不是好妖女 Warm Spring Breeze煦日春风Ancient Romance234k WordsCompleted [Pure sweetness at first, witty and humorous, bickering rivals, laughter through tears, tender romance, heartfelt writing, well worth a careful read] The most beloved little princess of the Lan Yue Kingdom is kidnapped by bandits one day and vanishes without a trace. A spirited young traveler is inexplicably struck by a huge object falling from the sky, so he scowls and takes the culprit home with him... Maid: “Have you taken a liking to this pretty little girl?” Yun Haoran: “I’m not blind. Why 2Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    The writing is delicate and heartfelt, with sweet moments in the beginning and excellent humor and angst in the end. Once you're hooked, you won't want to leave.

33. 83 铁 A General's Seal, Forged in Blood and Loyalty 铁血丹心将军印 Yan Xiaolou雁小楼Ancient Romance1.8M WordsCompleted Historical romance, family and country, a story centered on a powerful heroine She is the daughter of the Prince of Zhenbei of the Great Liang, and her mother is the emperor’s most beloved Thirteenth Princess. She is also the future Young Marshal of the Yun family, destined to wield the General’s Seal of the Northwestern Army. She should have grown up in the public eye, but rumors that a Phoenix Maiden had been born threw her into the fray, forcing her to disguise herself as a boy to escape with 30Reads8.2Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    A classic angst novel with stunning writing. It fulfills expectations for angst-filled stories.

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