Looking for Angsty Stories That Break Your Heart and Keep You Up at Night 求虐文，虐到心疼，虐到肝疼，虐到睡不着的

1. 601 未 The Unsent Reply 未发送的回复 Shu Yinyueyue舒音月月Anime Fanfiction110k WordsCompleted My name is Akemi Miyano. I fell in love with an FBI agent. He used me and lied to me, but I never called him out. He was the first person to hold an umbrella over me. Later, I died. Just before I did, I sent a text. He kept it for many years. My name is Shiho Miyano. My sister is dead. My mother died long ago. I’m the only one left in the Miyano family. I turned into a child, escaped the Organization, and moved in with a fat old man. A girl with a ponytail brings me pineapple buns every day. 71Reads—Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   There were no arguments or misunderstandings, it was just so bittersweet...

2. 602 姐 Big Sis! The Heated Brick Bed! The Woodpile! 姐姐！土炕！柴禾垛！ Late-Night Reading念晚书Modern Romance159k WordsCompleted [Rural life in a famine year | Heart-wrenching romance | The male lead grovels to win her back] During the famine of the 1960s, orphan Su Guilan meets Jiang Jiayuan by chance. With a dirt bed as their home and coarse grain to fill their stomachs, she does everything she can to raise him. To save Jiang Jiayuan from the brink of death, she sacrifices her reputation and trades her innocence for food that will keep him alive. In the end, Jiang Jiayuan despises her. As the years pass, life wears Jian 31Reads—Score—Shelves

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   Come on, come on! [Thumbs up][Thumbs up][Thumbs up][Thumbs up]

3. 603 有 An Affair 有染 Saintly Demon圣妖Modern Romance1.2M WordsCompleted Her name is Fu Ran, and his name is Ming Chengyou. You and I, together... tangled up... The Third Young Master Ming says their names fit together so perfectly that not getting tangled up would be a crime. 294Reads6.8Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   Heartbreakingly angsty, so agonizingly angsty it'll leave you breathless. If you love angst, you absolutely must read Saint Demon's works.

4. 604 蓝 The Handsome Hostage Prince 蓝颜质子 Cheng Tan Meixuan橙檀美萱Historical16k WordsCompleted The Blue-Eyed Young Hostage 890Reads—Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   [Sad][Heart][Sad][Heart][Sad]

5. 605 纵 Indulge 纵情 Saintly Demon圣妖Modern Romance922k WordsCompleted Yu Zun most enjoys watching Mo Shengxiao suffer at the piano. She has her pride and refuses to give in, but she has never been able to control her own fate. One marriage leaves her right hand nearly crippled, and she can never play the piano again. After leaving Yu Zun, she scrapes by as best she can. Another man, however, accepts every part of her that she considers broken and is willing to be her other hand. But she never expected Yu Zun to return with the same cruel demeanor, shattering the h 38Reads—Score—Shelves
6. 606 欲EN Eternities Still Unsaid Till You Love Me 欲言难止 What About the McChicken麦香鸡呢Two Male Leads363k WordsCompleted Just as life was starting to get better, Xu Ze and Lu Heyang faced a new challenge. After graduating, Xu Ze became a doctor who saved lives, while Lu Heyang became a well-known figure in the Interstellar Federation. But misfortune struck Lu Heyang, and he lost his memory. During a crucial period in his treatment, circumstances forced the two apart, and Lu Heyang completely forgot Xu Ze and the friendship they had shared. Their friendship faced an enormous test. When fate brought them together ag 71.3kReads9.7Score16kShelves

   Reader note

   They're all angst stories!

7. 607 替 After His Substitute Endured Endless Torment, the Regent Went Mad 替身受尽折磨后，摄政王疯了 Cheng Tan Meixuan橙檀美萱32k WordsCompleted After the Substitute Suffered Endless Torment, the Regent Prince Went Mad 5.9kReads—Score107Shelves
8. 608 暗 Secretly Pampered 暗宠 Saintly Demon圣妖Modern Romance649k WordsCompleted Their story began without love. The man's face was perfect, so exquisite it was dazzling, but his words were full of wicked intent. His hands were long and beautiful, but to her they were an inescapable web. She couldn't break free. “En'en, this time, even if I get tired of you, I’m keeping you by my side. When I die someday, I’ll take you down with me!” 24Reads—Score—Shelves
9. 609 月 Moonlight No Longer Shines on Dreams of the Past 月光不照昔时梦 Xu Zhimeng许织梦Modern Romance189k WordsCompleted [Angst Warning] Qu Zhao: “Are you afraid…” “Afraid of what?” “That someday, your daughter will meet a man like you, just as I did.” Even the sun will one day die. The Milky Way and Andromeda are expected to collide in three billion years. Everything has an end. What about her and Fu Zongxian? Surely this madness would end someday. In his thirty years of life, Fu Zongxian had never asked for anything for himself. But at that moment, gazing at the photograph of his mother, he couldn’t help praying 2.9kReads8.9Score203Shelves

   Reader note

   This is the kind of slow-burning angst, without dramatic highs and lows, but it feels like being pricked by needles, full of regrets. In the end, the male lead has no choice but to try to trap the female lead with their child.

10. 610 魂 Haunting My Dreams 魂牵梦萦 When You Think of Home当君怀归日Modern Romance797k WordsCompleted He was the moon in the heavens, hanging high and bright. She thought she could carefully guard this secret seed of love and keep it from sprouting, but day after day spent together had allowed it to grow into a towering tree. When her love became bone-deep and impossible to suppress, she had no choice but to reach out and bring the divine one down to earth. 8.7kReads9.1Score631Shelves
11. 611 景 Beautiful Years 景年 Yun Huohuo云火火Modern Romance30k WordsCompleted [Angst! Angst! Angst! Angst!] My name is Jiang Nian. I was born in the height of summer and died in the depths of winter. Fate was always fleeting, and even meeting you was a blessing. We were destined to meet in this life, but not to be together. May we continue our bond in the next. The debts of this life must be repaid in this life. On the road to the afterlife, don’t look back. May we have a better fate and grow old together in the next life! I still remember the words Lin Anjing said to 507Reads8.1Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    These are all angst stories, angst stories that cut to the bone, not angst stories that are angst for the sake of angst.

12. 612 假 After Faking My Death, the Mad Prince Slaughtered All of Nanling to Claim My Life 《假死之后，疯王爷屠了整个南陵来追我的命》 Cheng Tan Meixuan橙檀美萱12k WordsCompleted After Faking My Death, the Mad Prince Slaughtered All of Nanling to Track Me Down 187Reads—Score—Shelves
13. 613 痴 A Love So Deep 痴痴情深 Lü Jiang Ah律酱啊Two Male Leads50k WordsCompleted The naive Su Cheng had a heart as pure as snow, and thought only of the prince. But the prince felt nothing for him. Again and again, he called him by the wrong name, let go of his hand, and wounded his devoted heart. Did the prince know that even a naive boy could understand love, and that even he could be heartbroken? 149Reads8.4Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    I cried so much, my heart aches for Cheng'er.

14. 614 囚 Captive Love, Ashes of the Past: The Obsessive CEO Has No Way to Win Back His Wife 囚宠归烬：偏执总裁追妻无门 Cheng Tan Meixuan橙檀美萱49k WordsCompleted Prisoner, Returned to Ashes: The Obsessive CEO Has No Way to Win Back His Wife 928Reads—Score—Shelves
15. 615 被 After Being Stolen Away by a Tyrannical Emperor, the Caged Songbird Has Had Enough 被暴戾帝王豪夺后，金丝雀不忍了 Cherry Mini Ball樱桃迷你丸Ancient Romance471k WordsCompleted [1v1, two possible endings + traditional historical romance + both leads are each other's only one + the husband pursues his wife after losing her + cross-dressing as a man + possessive male lead + clear-headed heroine] As Great Yan breached the capital, Great Wei's general Nangong Yu protected the nation's borders single-handedly, only to be captured. The ruler of Yan, Xiahou Chen, had planned to use the general as a banner to rally his troops, but discovered that the general was a woman. A cru 1.3kReads7.0Score106Shelves

    Reader note

    They're all angst stories, super, super angst.

16. 616 求 Please Don’t Leave Me 求你别丢下我 Cheng Tan Meixuan橙檀美萱15k WordsCompleted Please, don't leave me behind. 392Reads—Score—Shelves
17. 617 长 Lone Spear: Sacrifice at the Lonely Grave 长枪寂·孤坟祭 Ink Boat Ferrying Oneself墨舟渡己Ancient Romance15k WordsCompleted Silent Spear: Offering at a Solitary Grave —Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    You'll cry after watching this.

18. 618 逆 The Road to a Comeback: Get Lost, Ex-Husband CEO 逆袭之路，总裁前夫你滚开 Cherry Mini Ball樱桃迷你丸Modern Romance427k WordsCompleted Li Ruoning had loved Chu Yi through all her youth, only to be betrayed when disaster struck her family! Li Ruoning cursed him in fury: “Chu Yi, you're such a jerk!” Chu Yi had hated Li Ruoning throughout his youth, yet on the day she left, he chased her across the world like a madman. “Woman, you'll never escape my grasp!” Five years later, Li Ruoning appeared out of nowhere, holding a little bundle by the hand! The little bundle asked, “Mommy, is that the jerk you were talking about?” Li Ruonin 6Reads—Score—Shelves
19. 619 星 When the Starry Eyes Fade 星眸烬灭时 Ink Boat Ferrying Oneself墨舟渡己Modern Romance6k WordsCompleted When the Starry Eyes Are Snuffed Out —Reads—Score—Shelves
20. 620 亡 After the Exiled Prince Fell into the Enemy Emperor's Hands 亡国皇子落入敌帝手中后 Cheng Tan Meixuan橙檀美萱Ancient Romance13k WordsCompleted After the Fallen Prince Fell into the Hands of the Enemy Emperor 569Reads—Score—Shelves
21. 621 被 After the Mad Emperor Claimed Me, I Ran Away 被疯批皇帝豪夺后，小娇娇跑路了 Sheng Sheng Man声笙漫Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted (Two endings + heroine disguised as a man + female general + possessive hero + groveling redemption + both leads remain faithful) “If you want to save your father, then please the emperor!” Sima Zhuoqing never imagined that all her pain would come from Chu Yi. She once swore to follow him all her life, protecting him and safeguarding his kingdom. He loved her, yet he didn’t trust her. On the basis of baseless accusations, he tormented and humiliated her. She struggled to argue her case and 314Reads8.4Score—Shelves
22. 622 他 He Hid in the Midsummer 他藏在盛夏里 Moon-Folding Rabbit折月兔Modern Romance143k WordsCompleted A lonely girl, Xu Zhinan, and a sunny boy, Gu Bei A secret love can never see the light of day. When you can no longer hide your feelings, remember to walk away while you still can. The story begins when sixteen-year-old Xu Zhinan falls in love with Gu Bei at first sight. By the end, the boy she loves has married and started a family, and his bride is not her. To forget him, she starts dating, and eventually gets married. Two days before the wedding, Xu Zhinan receives an anonymous package sent 158Reads8.4Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Although the rating is low, it's a great read. Every book I recommend is super good.

23. 623 双 My Strict Teacher Became My Scheming Boss 双面严师成了我的腹黑上司 LiuqibaZz六七八ZzTwo Male Leads480k WordsOngoing A wolf who loves to discipline people with his hands, has a fiery temper, is overbearing and fiercely protective, and is all bark with a soft heart meets a poor, kind puppy who is ordinary, obedient, patient, and cries when wronged... Lu Linchuan is both an adjunct professor and the heir to Luqi Media. Ran Mingyang is a student Lu Linchuan thinks highly of, and after graduation becomes his assistant. Their backgrounds, family circumstances, and personalities are as different as fire and ice. One 5.4kReads7.4Score357Shelves

    Reader note

    This must be the one! [Shocked]

24. 624 澜 Lan Overturns the Southern Dynasties 澜倾南朝 Lai Xiaocai莱小蔡Ancient Romance218k WordsCompleted [Heartbreaking historical romance + a man crawling back to win his wife + a love that cannot be mended + the second male lead wins her heart!] The heroine and the second male lead officially get together from Chapter 111. If you’re impatient, feel free to skip the middle and go straight to the ending… Though she loved him so deeply, in the end he chose his kingdom and gave her up. No matter how badly he betrayed and tormented her, leaving her utterly broken, she still couldn’t stop loving him, u 43Reads6.6Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The first thing that comes to mind when I think of heartbreaking stories is "Lan Qing Nan Chao"! The male lead tortures the female lead a thousand times, yet she remains devoted! It makes my head spin with anger! Thankfully, the second male lead silently protects her and eventually wins her heart, otherwise I would have sent the author a knife!

25. 625 十 Fourteen Sentences 十四句 Eat More Vitamin C多吃维CModern Romance201k WordsCompleted [The print edition of Fourteen Lines, bearing the same title, is now available on multiple platforms.] Life is like duckweed on the water, so why doubt that people will meet and part? Morality and ethics clash with matters of the heart. A realistic story. If that’s not your thing, don’t read. The greatest regret isn’t that people enter your life at different times, but that you’re meant to meet without being meant to be together. A remorseful husband tries to win back his wife. Written as realis 2.7kReads8.9Score235Shelves
26. 626 夫 Madam, Run! The Unhinged Big Shot's Hands Are Itching Again 夫人快跑！疯批大佬手又痒痒了 A Wisp of Dandelion一缕蒲公英Modern Romance389k WordsCompleted [Clear-Eyed Heroine + Irresistibly Alluring Beauty] [Unhinged Powerful Male Lead + Sexual Tension + Obsessive + Sickly Handsome Man + Captive Romance + Will Do Anything to Win Her Back] [Pure, Radiant Socialite x Cunning, Wicked Big Bad Wolf] The male lead is dangerously unhinged, so take note! That day, she married him for the honor of her family. She thought they would simply live a peaceful life together, never realizing that everything was under his control. After they married, he wouldn't l 991Reads5.4Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Extremely angsty, the kind that makes your heart ache. The male lead is so pathological; I'd call this the pinnacle of angst fiction.

27. 627 任 The Mission Starts Over a Hundred Times 任务重来一百次 milieModern Romance20k WordsCompleted “You came to save me, so why can’t you look only at me? Why do you have to give your attention to those one, two, three insignificant people?” “You seem so shy. You never take my hand first. Even just now, you only did it because of someone else.” “Now that you have me, you don’t treat me as well as you used to. There wasn’t any strawberry milk today either, was there?” 6.3kReads8.6Score1.3kShelves
28. 628 快 Quick Transmigration: The Lovesick Big Shot Is Obsessive and Dangerous 快穿：病娇大佬他偏执又危险。 Seathead Whale座大头鲸Two Male Leads426k WordsCompleted [Yandere + Obsessive + Darkening + Both Devoted to Only Each Other] Su Su is reborn, but somehow she’s ended up in the wrong kind of rebirth. The crazed, obsessive Lord Fu: “Su Su, behave yourself and I won’t lock you up.” The cruel tyrant: “The Golden Throne Hall will be your cage for the rest of your life.” The enchanting Demon Lord: “You were the one who rescued me from hell, and now you’re the one pushing me back in.” Su Su is on the verge of tears. “If I say the System forced me to do all t 3.9kReads9.4Score364Shelves

    Reader note

    It's angst, just pure angst, nothing but angst. The first book I ever read, I cried myself to sleep in the middle of the night [crying].

29. 629 安 The Legend of Anle 安乐传 Xu Yixia许一夏Ancient Romance160k WordsCompleted A new book. It has some flaws, but they’re easy enough to overlook. Sweet at first, then heartbreaking + no getting back together + making the villains pay Princess Anle’s life was so miserable that it felt like a dream. She gave her whole heart and got nothing but scars in return. After two years, her passionate love finally turned to ashes. She would rather die than be his wife again. There was no love left between them, only hatred, and they would fight to the death. Before she died, she said 58Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Never to meet again in all lifetimes! My love-struck mind has finally woken up!

30. 630 大 The Imperial Consort of the Great Sheng Dynasty 大盛皇妃 Shu Yiyu书亦娱Ancient Romance1.4M WordsOngoing Ensemble cast + revenge + black lotus heroine + not both virgins + high-IQ palace intrigue rising to political power struggles + tragic romance + alternate history + love rivals The palace is the main battleground: beneath its dazzling, extravagant facade are witty, charming daily moments and a brutal core of deadly conflict. Palace secrets are portrayed in meticulous detail. Some content may be upsetting. A bad ending. If you enjoy it, please leave a five-star review. Ling Longxiu was born to a 545Reads—Score102Shelves

    Reader note

    A subversive masterpiece of palace intrigue and power struggles, meticulously depicting palace secrets with an unconventional plot. The logic is clear and coherent, featuring lighthearted everyday moments and intense power struggles. The female protagonist is ridiculed upon entering the palace. She must rely entirely on herself. There are no cheat codes, no time travel, and no reincarnation. She navigates the treacherous and dark harem, and the content may be disturbing, potentially driving readers away. The female protagonist, a discarded wife, cleverly uses schemes to achieve multiple goals while seeking revenge. Have you ever seen a palace intrigue novel where both men and women fight? It portrays the tragedy of ancient feudalism, showcasing the brutality of court struggles and the complexities of human nature.

31. 631 无 The Island No One Knows About 无人知晓的岛 Ying Buxu应不许Modern Romance807k WordsCompleted The day Wen Tingting left Chen Zhiyan, she took off her hearing aids of her own accord for the first time. So she never heard Chen Zhiyan's trembling confession: “I love you.” Deaf people are so easy to fool. It's not like she can hear anyway. Deaf people can be so heartless. It's not like she can hear anyway. 393Reads6.4Score106Shelves
32. 632 每 I Die Young in Every World 每个世界我都英年早逝 Wu Lanzi Ye无斓孜叶Two Male Leads566k WordsCompleted Mo Yinglan happened to read an old-school, melodramatic tragic romance novel and watched helplessly as the various male leads who ticked all his boxes were brutally tormented from start to finish. Most infuriating of all, it ended with a brainless happy ending for everyone. “...” “What kind of century-old joke is this?” “Is this guy right in the head? No, wait, he doesn't have a brain at all!” “If it were me, I'd absolutely die the moment that scumbag surnamed Jiang ‘came to his senses.’ If I co 1.8kReads8.5Score105Shelves

    Reader note

    These are tortures that will make your liver hurt.

33. 633 封 The Feudal Tycoon Goes Wild Across the City After His Divorce 封建大佬离婚后，发疯全城 May You Stay Curious and Hopeful你有趣有盼Modern Romance552k WordsOngoing Powerful, ruthless military, political, and business tycoon + delicate beauty in frail health + both partners are each other's first and only Jiang Qingwu was born with a rare constitution. After marrying Gu Yunzhou, she was gentle and well-behaved, yet she alone refused to get close to him. The mighty Gu Yunzhou held power over the military, politics, and business, yet after marrying his little wife, all they could manage was icy politeness. At last, pushed to his limit, he made arrangements 25.6kReads5.5Score1.2kShelves

    Reader note

    Older, feudal capitalist tycoon x Resilient, timid, and stunningly beautiful heroine // Opening chapter: The male lead delivers divorce papers // Gu Yunzhou wields immense power and is revered. He always appears cold and aloof in public. Outsiders believe he has a stunningly beautiful wife whom he keeps hidden away, but one day, news of his mother dining with the daughter of a mining magnate in Z city floods the internet... Only then do people realize that Mr. Gu's marriage has long been a sham...

34. 634 逃 Escape from the South American Tycoon’s Control 逃离南美大佬的掌控 Someone in the Moonlit Night on the River江月夜中人Modern Romance334k WordsCompleted A South American crime boss hero x a clearheaded, sensible heroine [Love at first sight + possessive pursuit + 11-year age gap + coercion + resistance + psychological games + first-person narration + fictional South America + neither is a virgin] A mix-up over a photograph brings together two people who should never have crossed paths. Jiang Aiyue never imagined that an ordinary business trip would lead her into the territory of the powerful Zesai boss, Alai Ranglude. After that day, her life wa 1.8kReads—Score109Shelves

    Reader note

    I don't know if this book counts.

35. 635 于 Yu Dongbie 于冬别 Sui Ying随楹Modern Romance15k WordsCompleted [Signed for publication in simplified Chinese] Yu Zhe said he'd wait for her, and he would keep waiting. But Shi Taoning had no way out. She couldn't go back. 939Reads9.2Score255Shelves
36. 636 藏 Hidden Jasmine 藏茉莉 Jian Qingzi见清子Modern Romance273k WordsCompleted The rating just went up. It’ll rise more later~ [Lin Mosheng × Zhou Yu] On a stormy day, the air was damp and oppressive. An old tune drifted from the music box on the table, and through her hazy consciousness, she returned to her first year of high school. “Shengsheng, what are you standing there for?” The woman smiled and urged her. “Hurry up and call him big brother.” Lin Mosheng looked at the boy in front of her, her eyes instantly turning red. Choking back tears, she said, “Zhou Yu?” The bo 543Reads8.3Score103Shelves

    Reader note

    It's incredibly heartbreaking! It's been three days, and I still haven't recovered.

37. 637 快 Quick Transmigration: The Male Lead Doesn't Follow the Script 快穿:男主不按剧本来 Shang Shi Lei殇十泪Two Male Leads768k WordsCompleted After dying, Jingsheng is drawn to the wondrous System and the sights of another world, and sets out on the road of quick transmigration. But things go wrong in the very first world. Watching events unfold in a way that completely contradicts the plot, the System suspects they’re doomed. Ding! Mission complete! System: I was wrong. Jingsheng thinks otherwise. The plot really is wrong, and the problem lies with the male lead of the world. What is he supposed to do when the male lead refuses to fo 590Reads8.8Score103Shelves
38. 638 无 Infinite Burning Madness 无限灼心疯 Tangerine Sand桔沙7k WordsCompleted Infinite Burning Heart Madness 93Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The angst-filled novel kept me awake at night; the longing gnawed at my bones, making it impossible to sleep or eat. Could the deceased also see the suffering of the living? Having the ability to resurrect only allowed me to resurrect other family members, not my mother—a lifelong pain.

39. 639 被 My Husband, Whom I Mistreated, Turns His Life Around, and I'm in Trouble 被我作践的老公翻身后，我惨了 Worry-Free Other Shore彼岸无忧Modern Romance3.2M WordsOngoing “I've been wanting you for so long...” In the darkness of night, the man kisses me without restraint. He's my live-in husband. One drunken night, I slept with him, and the scandal caused a huge stir. So I, a pampered heiress, had no choice but to make this down-and-out young man marry into my family and become my husband. Bitterly resentful, I repeatedly humiliated and abused him, beating and berating him at every turn. But he never got angry, always behaving like a gentle, virtuous man. Just as 8.7kReads8.0Score690Shelves

    Reader note

    The first one is extremely heart-wrenching and very good; I recommend the second one, "Tomato Classic," no need to say more, you'll know once you watch it. The third one is incredibly, incredibly heart-wrenching, but the male and female leads are a bit petty.

40. 640 快 Quick Transmigration: The Yandere Male Lead Has Turned Dark Again 快穿之病娇男主又黑化了 Peach Blossom Soup桃花羹Two Male Leads1.0M WordsCompleted [Two male leads + crematorium chase + happy ending] “Make him fall in love with you, then abandon him without mercy. Get your corruption points, then make him regret everything.” The System issued the mission in a flat, emotionless voice. Luo Shi'an: “???” First world. The male lead gradually broke Luo Shi'an's pride, trampling all over his self-respect. Yet after Luo Shi'an died, the man went mad clutching his corpse, repeating over and over that he loved him and wanted to marry him. Second wor 2.9kReads9.4Score314Shelves
41. 641 惊 Jing Yu Xun Jin 惊予浔槿 The Rabbit's Corner兔子的角落Modern Romance1.1M WordsOngoing [Marriage first, love later | Older man | Sweet romance | 1v1, both leads are each other's only partner | Slow burn] [The rating just came out, but it'll go up later] In Beijing's elite circles, everyone said the eldest daughter of the Luo family was cold and indifferent. Luo Jin thought so too, and figured she was perfectly suited to being a pawn in a marriage alliance. So when the “smiling King of Hell” proposed to her in front of everyone at a banquet, she asked only six words: “When are we r 11kReads8.4Score993Shelves
42. 642 囚 Captive Passion: The Coldhearted Minister's Hard Road to Winning Back His Husband 囚欢：薄凉权臣追夫难 A Juan Is So Tired阿倦倦倦了Two Male Leads724k WordsOngoing Synopsis Mutual firsts + anguished romance + the groveling chase + forced imprisonment + substitute for a beloved. Set in an alternate Tang Dynasty, with mystery and court intrigue. (The bonus chapters feature a cute little one.) Chi Feiwan serves as a director in the Ministry of Justice. He despises the powerful who treat human lives as worthless. When a headless female corpse case erupts in Chang'an and Cui Changqing becomes deeply implicated in the strange case, the officials fear his influen 1.5kReads—Score103Shelves

    Reader note

    Why don't you take a look at this one? It's currently being serialized.

43. 643 离 After the Divorce, My Ex-Husband Wept and Begged Me to Remarry Him 离婚后前夫痛哭流涕求我复婚 Green Ink青墨Two Male Leads203k WordsCompleted Jian Qing loved Yin Ting with all her heart. For three years of marriage, she worked herself to the bone and gave him everything she had. But Yin Ting never stopped thinking about his one true love. For her sake, he not only wanted to divorce Jian Qing, he even wanted her dead! Jian Qing escaped death and assumed a new identity. When she crossed paths with Yin Ting again, consumed by regret, she thought they would never have anything to do with each other again. But fate had other plans, and the 36Reads7.1Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Although the rating isn't high, it's truly a beautiful watch. The beginning was incredibly heart-wrenching, and the later parts were also a bit angsty. The ending, where the protagonist is finally with their loved one, is truly blissful, but there are also many regrets.

44. 644 病 Sickly Obsession 病态沦陷 A Yang阿恙Modern Romance226k WordsCompleted [Obsessive + sickly-sweet + love rivalry + sweet romance + healing] A deeply devoted, unhinged tycoon x a gentle, healing beauty The lovely Lin Jin went shopping with a friend, never expecting to run into Song Zhiyu, an idol at the height of his fame! Under cover of night, the man crept into her home and hugged her like a madman, tenderly murmuring, "Jinjin." Who would have thought that when she woke up, Song Zhiyu would have become her boyfriend, and the two of them would supposedly be in love? 63Reads8.4Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The first book was really good, absolutely amazing! The second book is about imprisonment; the female lead likes the male lead but doesn't dare to because he's a madman, so he imprisons her. After she escapes, he catches her again and locks her in a cage. The third book is also very good; this novel is addictive. Whenever I can't find a angst-filled story, I read this one countless times. The fourth book is extremely heart-wrenching; it took me several days to recover after finishing it, as it was very immersive.

45. 645 长 There Was Once a Young Man in Chang'an ("A Thousand Miles of High Towers, Untouched by Wind or Snow") 长安曾有少年郎（“高台千里，勿沾风雪”） A Sen阿森Ancient Romance161k WordsCompleted [Revenge and court intrigue + childhood sweethearts + tragic palace romance + maximum angst] [Loyal young general VS coldhearted heiress bent on revenge VS gentle, devoted emperor. A tangled love between three people, with heartbreak that cuts to the bone] Qing Ru'an's life was buried beneath the fire that raged through the snowstorm that year. Her entire family was slaughtered, both her parents were gone, and the Qing family, the richest in Zizhou, was reduced to ruins overnight. The once-proud 3.3kReads9.4Score773Shelves

    Reader note

    This forces me to pull out my most treasured book. Anyone who's read the fifth one knows how heart-wrenching it is [crying emoji].

46. 646 请EN Call Me the Ghost Messenger 请叫我鬼差大人 The Cat from the Xu Family徐二家的猫Mystery2.1M WordsCompleted After the Eternal Night, terror returned. Ten miles of desolate graves, eerie singing. An old man searching for his arms, a headless baby... They kept piecing their bodies back together, unleashing an even more terrifying aura. In the wasteland, even a severed hand could destroy heaven and earth. In this world of darkness and despair, a post office appeared and vanished from view... A mysterious young man, a postal carriage traveling through the void... One blood-red letter after another became 103.4kReads9.5Score9.8kShelves

    Reader note

    Theme: Mind-bending; Recommendation Rating: Five stars

47. 647 招 Addicted to Tempting Him: The Sickly Buddha Master Keeps His Darling in His Palm, but She Escapes Again 招惹上瘾：病娇佛爷掌中娇又逃了 Seathead Whale座大头鲸Modern Romance419k WordsCompleted [One-on-one romance, both leads are each other’s first and only, obsessive love, possessive, corruption] Su Ningzhi has caught the attention of someone she should never have provoked. He approaches her behind a mask of utmost tenderness. Like a madman, he drags Su Ningzhi into an endless abyss, keeping her locked in his arms and showering her with a sick, twisted kind of affection. “Su Ningzhi, you can’t escape.” Fo Yuze gazes down at the songbird in its cage, his eyes dark and unfathomable. She 1.8kReads9.1Score181Shelves
48. 648 朕 I Took the Throne, and I Took You Too 朕夺江山也夺你 Ink, Brush, Paper, And Feast笔墨纸宴Ancient Romance348k WordsCompleted [Historical romance! Love triangle! The second male lead wins | Possessive pursuit | Tortured romance | Fates intertwined | Love and hate tangled together] [All the male leads are devoted | The male lead is completely insane] [The male lead is a regent at first, then becomes emperor] [Alternate line: a three-person relationship] [A slow-paced story for an immersive experience] The thing Su Yan regretted most in her life was showing kindness that year and saving a dying boy. She transmigrated int 1kReads—Score100Shelves

    Reader note

    Forced and abusive novels

49. 649 最 The Royal Family Is Truly Heartless 最是皇室无情人 Xia Xiaoli夏小礼Ancient Romance50k WordsCompleted For generations, the Mu family had loyally served the country. In the end, their entire clan was sentenced to execution. The official presiding over the execution was her husband, the most brilliant and extraordinary of the Great Jing Kingdom's Third Princes. Then she awoke to the truth: The man she loved was a member of the royal family, the most heartless people in the world... 626Reads7.0Score119Shelves

    Reader note

    There are a few I don't want to mention, because I don't need to talk about Tomato's four most tragic novels. There are still people who want it, sigh.

50. 650 巨 Heartbreaking! The Madam Has No Vital Signs in the Resuscitation Room 巨虐！抢救室里夫人已无生命体征 Laughing at Your Single-Minded Love笑你情有独钟Modern Romance522k WordsCompleted [Angst novel + physical and emotional abuse + win-back-the-wife funeral pyre + body swap + obsessive love] Lu Jingchen would never know that Shen Ning’s heart first died when his beloved’s call came out of nowhere, then fell into despair when he personally handed her over to kidnappers just to trade her for the woman in his heart. He also never knew how furious, hysterical, and utterly broken she felt when his beloved appeared before her with a pregnant belly the same size as hers. And when she 6.7kReads8.5Score653Shelves

    Reader note

    Lu Jingchen will never know that Shen Ning's heart died first from his untimely phone call from his beloved, and then despaired when he personally handed her over to the kidnappers, just to be exchanged for the one in his heart. [Almost crying][Almost crying] She also doesn't know how furious, hysterical, and even devastated she was when his beloved appeared before her with a belly as big as hers. [Crying][Crying] And when she appeared in the emergency room, covered in wounds, those cold instruments slowly hollowed out her body, like a rag doll, twisting and twisting… [Almost crying][Almost crying] Heh, if there is an afterlife… no, if there is eternal life, I hope we part ways peacefully and never meet again.

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