Angst, Short, Brutal, Painful 虐文，短，狠，痛。

1. 1001 中 China's Best Boss 中国好老板 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭9k WordsCompleted China's Best Boss 666Reads—Score—Shelves
2. 1002 山 Where the Hills Are Green, the General Has a Heart 山有扶苏，将军有情 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫Marriage & Romance7k WordsCompleted There Are Fusu Trees on the Mountain, and a General with a Heart 95Reads—Score—Shelves
3. 1003 穿 Reborn as a Princess's Lover, I Used Modern PUA Tactics to Become Regent 穿成公主面首，我靠现代PUA逆袭成摄政王 Listening to Zen Beneath the Snow卧雪听禅Historical20k WordsCompleted Reborn as a princess's male consort, I use modern-day PUA tactics to rise to power and become a regent —Reads—Score—Shelves
4. 1004 闪 After Our Whirlwind Wedding, My Husband and I Slept in Separate Rooms for Six Months 闪婚后，老公和我分房睡了半年 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭Modern Romance11k WordsCompleted After Our Flash Marriage, My Husband and I Slept in Separate Rooms for Half a Year 222Reads—Score—Shelves
5. 1005 再 The Crown Princess Again 再为太子妃 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫11k WordsCompleted Become the Crown Princess Again 132Reads—Score—Shelves
6. 1006 古 How Miserable Was a Show-Your-Throat Girl in Ancient Times? I Died with My Throat Slit, Defying Heaven with My Life 古代秀喉女到底有多惨？我碎喉而死，以命抗天 Fifty-Year-Old Immortal五十老仙Ancient Romance8k WordsCompleted How Miserable Were Women Who Sang in Ancient Times? I Died with My Throat Crushed, Defying Heaven with My Life —Reads—Score—Shelves
7. 1007 青 My Childhood Sweetheart Fell for a Punk, So I Sent Him to Prison 青梅恋上小黄毛，我送黄毛去坐牢 Sprinkle Some Rice on the Keyboard键盘上撒把米Modern Romance10k WordsCompleted My Childhood Sweetheart Fell for a Blond Punk, So I Sent Him to Prison 73Reads—Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   The male lead is ruthless, while the female lead and the second male lead suffer.

8. 1008 实 After the Intern Was Thrust into the Role, the Boss Begged Me on His Knees to Take Over 实习生赶鸭子上架后，老板哭着跪求我上位 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭7k WordsCompleted After the Intern Was Thrown in at the Deep End, the Boss Wept and Begged Me to Take Over 95Reads—Score—Shelves
9. 1009 迫 Forced to Marry the Ninth Prince 迫嫁九王妃 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫Ancient Romance49k WordsCompleted Forced to Marry the Ninth Prince 65Reads—Score—Shelves
10. 1010 午 The Midnight Pawnshop: I Take No Money, Only People's Hearts 午夜典当铺：我不收钱，只收人心 Fifty-Year-Old Immortal五十老仙8k WordsCompleted The Midnight Pawnshop: I Take No Money, Only People’s Hearts 1Reads—Score—Shelves
11. 1011 女 The Empress Falsely Accused Me of Treason, So I Had No Choice but to Obey Her Decree 女帝诬陷我谋反，那我只好遵旨 Sprinkle Some Rice on the Keyboard键盘上撒把米9k WordsCompleted The Empress Falsely Accused Me of Treason, So I Have No Choice but to Obey 367Reads—Score—Shelves
12. 1012 忘 Forget Longing, Forget You 忘了相思忘了你 Jun Jue君绝Modern Romance49k WordsCompleted Qian Rong's love for Jin Hengbei is a conviction that even illness cannot destroy. 115Reads6.2Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    They're all very depressing, some about unrequited love and others pure angst. I almost cried my eyes out with "When Dawn Breaks, You'll Come Back," while "I Finally Lost You" has a happy ending but contains some heart-wrenching moments.

13. 1013 不 Don't Want to Work Overtime? Then Get Out! I Did, So Why Is My Boss Begging Me to Come Back? 不加班就滚？真滚了，老板又跪下来求我干什么？ Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭10k WordsCompleted “If You Won't Work Overtime, Then Get Lost!” I Really Left, So Why Is the Boss Kneeling and Begging Me to Come Back? 129Reads—Score—Shelves
14. 1014 第 The Seventh Artifact 第七件藏品 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫20k WordsCompleted The Seventh Artifact 18Reads—Score—Shelves
15. 1015 妻 A House Full of Wives: The Unfinished Twin Lotus 妻妾成群之未绣完的并蒂莲 Fifty-Year-Old Immortal五十老仙11k WordsCompleted The Unfinished Twin Lotus of a Household Full of Wives and Concubines 6Reads—Score—Shelves
16. 1016 领 After My CEO Girlfriend Stood Me Up at the Registry, I Ranted at Her Until She Broke 领证失约后，总裁女友被我喷破防 Sprinkle Some Rice on the Keyboard键盘上撒把米12k WordsCompleted After My Girlfriend, the CEO, Stood Me Up at the Marriage Registration, I Made Her Lose It 8.8kReads—Score—Shelves
17. 1017 我 I Was His Blade, and He Shattered My Soul 我为他刃，他断我魂 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫Ancient Romance7k WordsCompleted I Became His Blade, and He Shattered My Soul 89Reads—Score—Shelves
18. 1018 歌 After My Singer Girlfriend Betrayed Me, I Took Back the Rights to My Songs 歌后爱人背叛后，我收回歌曲版权 Sprinkle Some Rice on the Keyboard键盘上撒把米8k WordsCompleted After the Song Queen’s Lover Betrayed Me, I Took Back the Song Rights 31Reads—Score—Shelves
19. 1019 喂 I Fatting Up My Childhood Friend and Bestie, Then Sent Them to Prison 喂肥竹马和闺蜜，送他们进监狱 Fifty-Year-Old Immortal五十老仙Modern Romance6k WordsCompleted I fattened up my childhood sweetheart and best friend, then sent them to prison 35Reads—Score—Shelves
20. 1020 槐 The Person Beneath the Pagoda Tree 槐树下的那个人 Mu Haichuan沐海川Modern Romance258k WordsCompleted Not a power fantasy. Based on real events. When she was seven, her family sold her. Thirty yuan bought them the rights to decide the rest of her life. No one shed a single tear for her. Only one older brother, bleeding as he tried to stop the vehicle at the village entrance, called out her name and wrote two words in her palm: “Wait for me.” Her husband died, her children passed away young, and after her parents died, there was no one even to carry their coffins. She lived alone in a broken-down 880Reads8.3Score104Shelves

    Reader note

    This is an absolutely angsty novel, but it gets better the more you read; you could stay up all night reading it.

21. 1021 合 Our Contract Ended, So How Did I Become Her White Moonlight? 合约结束，我怎么变成白月光了？ Sprinkle Some Rice on the Keyboard键盘上撒把米11k WordsCompleted Our Contract Is Over, So How Did I Become Her White Moonlight? 1.8kReads—Score104Shelves
22. 1022 捡 I Took in a Foolish Prince as My Live-In Son-in-Law 捡个傻王爷做赘婿 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫Ancient Romance35k WordsCompleted I Picked Up a Foolish Prince to Be My Live-In Son-in-Law 9Reads—Score—Shelves
23. 1023 末 Doomsday Rebirth: I Use Technology to Take Down My Enemies 末日重生：我靠科技反杀仇人 Fifty-Year-Old Immortal五十老仙Sci-Fi & Apocalypse15k WordsCompleted Doomsday Rebirth: I Use Technology to Take Down My Enemies 1Reads—Score—Shelves
24. 1024 日 Raking in Gold Every Day: My Snack Shop Connects to Another World 日进斗金，我的小吃店通异界 A Glimmer in Midsummer微光半夏Modern Romance668k WordsCompleted [Past and present connected · Getting rich · Food · Heartwarming · Shopkeeping] After graduating from college, Hua Juan inherits a mysterious snack shop that takes her to ancient times every night. Can’t cook? No problem, ready-made dishes to the rescue. Swiss rolls, oden, cheesecake, fish with pickled cabbage, you name it. In exchange, she gets copper coins, antique paintings... and makes a fortune! 17.3kReads8.0Score1.6kShelves
25. 1025 剑 Sword Dance for the Demon-Subduing Consort 剑舞镇妖妃 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫Ancient Romance8k WordsCompleted The Sword-Dancing Demon Queen 24Reads—Score—Shelves
26. 1026 原 Forgive Me, This World Has No Fairy Tales 原谅这世上没童话 An Xiaomo安小漠Urban144k WordsCompleted [“I can no longer tell whether you're a friend or the love I let slip away.”] [Forgive me, from south to north; forgive me, as the ending I face turns to ash...] After ten years of living meekly, she had long since stopped expecting fairness from reality. At seventeen, she traveled alone to a small northern city, thinking nothing could pull her out of the gloom. Then a radiant boy shook her resolve. At first she resisted him, but gradually, something subtle changed between them. With him protect 54Reads9.3Score—Shelves
27. 1027 亡 The Fallen Kingdom's Princess: Imprisoned in Fusang, I Return to My Homeland at Last 亡国公主：扶桑为囚，我终归故国 Shangguan Yun33上官允3340k WordsCompleted The Fallen Kingdom's Princess: Imprisoned in Fusang, I Eventually Return to My Homeland —Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    It's so heartbreaking, it's still a very sad story to think about. [Laughing and crying emojis]

28. 1028 燕 Where the Swallows Return, We Must Not Meet Again 燕归处，莫相逢 Mi Yuwangtu靡御忘荼Ancient Romance52k WordsCompleted Her name was Jun Mo. She had spent her life on horseback and on the battlefield, battle-hardened, bold, and arrogant. He was the person she loved most, and her only weakness. She feared he might get hurt if she so much as held him in her palm, and feared he might melt if she kept him in her mouth. But a weakness is itself a poisoned blade. At first, the pain is not fatal. In the end, the fatal wound no longer hurts. No one knew that later, amid the bitter winter snow, some people were only acti 321Reads8.7Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The first book tells the story of the male protagonist's despair after the female protagonist's death, his delusions while hospitalized, and will make you cry all night. The second book is a very short story about a female general and a prince from an enemy kingdom; the spirited female general ultimately dies in Wolf Mountain.

29. 1029 怯 After the Cowardly Hu Slave Is Reborn, the Regent Gets a Brutal Beating 怯懦胡奴重生后，摄政王被虐惨了 The Immortals Never Return神仙不归Two Male Leads287k WordsCompleted [Dual male leads + reborn twice + 1v1] [Western Regions slave boy x Prince Regent of Jing] [Cool and aloof heartthrob bottom x Gentle, scheming, devoted top] [Sweet and angsty + a long road to winning back his love + love and hate + rekindled romance + political intrigue + foreshadowing and twists] In his previous life, Nian Li, a Hu slave from the Western Regions, believed he had won the Prince Regent’s heart. After giving him everything, body and soul, he learned that to the Prince Reg 143Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    He killed the boy he loved most with his own hands, but he regretted it. The seme told the young emperor that the uke was a lowly slave from the Western Regions, someone anyone could defile, but the uke heard every word. That night, the uke chose to end everything in a fire, and before dying, he slashed his own face. The seme regretted it for the rest of his life…

30. 1030 假 If I Had Never Loved You 假如不曾爱过你 Three Pine Nuts三只松子Modern Romance49k WordsCompleted Under the weight of all the abuse, Jian Xin has spent the past six months living like a slut. 492Reads8.5Score103Shelves

    Reader note

    It's a angst-filled novel—short, brutal, and painful. Especially that White Snake story—I'm telling you, it's not just angst-filled, it's self-torture-filled! You'll regret it for life if you don't read it, and you'll regret it for three lifetimes if you do! [Smirking][Smirking][Smirking]

31. 1031 断 A Grudge Written in Broken Bones 断骨之怨 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫Ancient Romance48k WordsCompleted A Grudge Carved in Broken Bones 811Reads—Score—Shelves
32. 1032 金 Ashes of the Golden Court, Wounded Beauty: The Marquis's Mad Beauty Is Now Barren 金庭烬，娇骨殇：侯爷的疯批美人绝嗣了 Shangguan Yun33上官允3323k WordsCompleted Jinting Ashes, Delicate Bones in Ruin: The Marquis's Mad Beauty Is Now Barren —Reads—Score—Shelves
33. 1033 贫 The Poor Student Wants to Use Me as a Stepping Stone to Become an Inspirational Influencer 贫困生想踩着我做励志网红 Jiang Nian姜念10k WordsCompleted A poor student wants to step on me to become an inspirational internet celebrity. 1.5kReads—Score—Shelves
34. 1034 十EN Ten Days to the End 十日终焉 Pest Control Team Member杀虫队队员Mystery3.2M WordsCompleted 2024 Tomato Novel Annual Peak Rankings TOP 1 | 2024 China Online Literature Influence List | 2024 China Good Novel Award | Over 2 million copies sold (No harem, no formulaic tropes, no invincibility, no System, no mindless antics, no wish fulfillment. Read with caution if these bother you.) Just when I thought it was an ordinary day, I discovered I had been captured and taken to the End. Just when I thought I could escape by continually taking part in death games, people began awakening supernat 1.7MReads9.9Score209.2kShelves

    Reader note

    My favorite book

35. 1035 宠 He Doted on His Concubine and Neglected His Wife, So I Divorced the General 宠妾灭妻，我把将军给休了 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫26k WordsCompleted He Dotes on His Concubine and Neglects His Wife, So I Divorced the General 540Reads—Score—Shelves
36. 1036 舍 I Can’t Let Go 舍不得 Nan Fu南福10k WordsCompleted I Can’t Let Go 3Reads—Score129Shelves
37. 1037 异 City of Beasts 异兽迷城 Peng Pai彭湃Urban3.0M WordsCompleted Gao Yang was an orphan. At the age of six, he transmigrated to a parallel world and began living in a warm family of five. When he turned eighteen, Gao Yang accidentally discovered the truth about the world: this was not a parallel world at all, but a mysterious realm, and all the relatives and friends around him were terrifying Beasts! Gao Yang nearly lost his life 473.6kReads9.7Score67.7kShelves
38. 1038 我 My Life Is Yours 我的命，都给你 Three Pine Nuts三只松子Modern Romance48k WordsCompleted Ji Mingshu hated Xu Meiling with all his heart and tormented her until she died. But when she was really gone, Ji Mingshu realized... he had fallen in love with her. 1.7kReads8.1Score200Shelves
39. 1039 无 I'll Meet Her Again When Summer Comes 无夏再逢她 Hou Xixi侯嘻嘻Modern Romance111k WordsCompleted (Just received a rating; completed) [Heartbreak Youth Fiction | BE | Schoolyard Secret Crush | Healing] Cheng Wang had loved Lin Yiwan for years and years. He secretly wrote twenty-one letters, each one holding a piece of his heart. After the college entrance exams, Lin Yiwan suddenly kissed him of her own accord. But on the very day Cheng Wang planned to confess his feelings, she took her own life. All she left behind was a notebook containing every one of her secrets. Cheng Wang: “What’s the w 249Reads8.3Score105Shelves

    Reader note

    All short stories! Extremely heart-wrenching! The kind that makes your heart ache! A must-read angina story every day!

40. 1040 爱 Love Has No Return 爱无归期 A Lady一个娘子Modern Romance54k WordsCompleted When Yun Sheng married Li Xijue, she was determined to keep trying until she hit a brick wall. She couldn't believe he could simply forget her completely. Later, the wall crumbled, and her heart died. The three-year marriage she had staked everything on fell apart. When she woke from her dream, her family was ruined and she had lost spectacularly. Only then did she finally understand: the man who never once looked her way, even when she was terminally ill, had always wanted to send her to her de 177Reads6.7Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    I'm a fan of angst-filled novels, and this last one, with over two hundred chapters in the main text and the rest being side stories, was really good.

41. 1041 暗 An Assassin’s Love and Revenge, Beyond Romance 暗卫情仇，无关风月 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫Ancient Romance38k WordsCompleted A Dark Guard's Love and Grudge, Beyond Romance 127Reads—Score—Shelves
42. 1042 二 I Bought My Past Life for Twenty Yuan; Reborn, I Settled Every Score 二十块买断的前世，重生归来我清算一切 Fragrant in Parting别日生香12k WordsCompleted A past life bought out for twenty yuan. Reborn, I return to settle every score. 6kReads—Score215Shelves
43. 1043 诸EN The Gods' Foolish Game 诸神愚戏 Ninety Autumns in January一月九十秋Urban3.7M WordsCompleted I have two principles in life: 1. I never lie. 2. I never believe anything anyone says, including myself. “Sir, I would like to point out that your second statement conflicts with the first.” “How so?” “If you never lie, why don’t you believe what you say?” “Oh, sorry. I forgot to mention that I don’t consider myself human.” “?” Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cheng Shi, Cheng Shi who never lies. What, you’ve never heard of me? That’s all right. You simply haven’t been deceived by m 519.5kReads9.7Score69kShelves
44. 1044 奈 Alas, the Years Have Wasted My Love 奈何流年枉情深 A Ying阿影Modern Romance60k WordsCompleted “Manman, Jin Liang isn’t someone you can afford to love.” Three years ago, Xia Man ignored her father’s advice and stubbornly fell in love with Jin Liang. From then on, she flew straight into the flames, doomed to ruin. She endured humiliation and went to prison just to protect the person he held dearest. His heartlessness left her utterly despairing. After she was left battered and bruised, she stopped loving him. But he searched the ends of the earth for her, arriving before her, weary fro 568Reads6.0Score—Shelves
45. 1045 碎 Shatter the Inverted Qilin 碎逆麟 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫Ancient Romance20k WordsCompleted Shattered Reversed Scale 192Reads—Score—Shelves
46. 1046 我 After I Changed My Number, My Best Friend Panicked 我换掉手机号后，闺蜜急了 The Feng Family Girl凤家丫头31k WordsCompleted After I changed my phone number, my best friend panicked. 219Reads—Score—Shelves
47. 1047 我EN I'm Not a God of Theater 我不是戏神 Three Nine Sound Domain三九音域Urban4.0M WordsCompleted The brand-new masterpiece by San Jiu Yin Yu, author of Slay the Gods | Winner of the Best Science-Fiction Web Novel Award at the Macau International Science Fiction Awards | A Chinese grotesque epic that turns the tide of an era After a scarlet meteor streaked across the sky, human civilization ground to a halt. From that day onward, humanity could no longer build a rocket, a nuclear bomb, an airplane, a car... The pyramid of civilization built upon modern science collapsed with a thunderous roa 1.7MReads9.9Score183.1kShelves
48. 1048 我 My Whole Family Is Reborn, and They Battle It Out at Home Every Day 我家全员重生者，他们天天宅斗 Singing at Dusk Among the Pines松间唱晚10k WordsCompleted Everyone in My Family Is Reborn, and They Spend Every Day Fighting for Favor at Home 40Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The plot is fast-paced, the jokes are frequent, and it's addictive.

49. 1049 我 I Told You I Love You in Heaven 我在天堂说爱你 Ling Xi灵希Modern Romance122k WordsCompleted At fifteen, Junxi accidentally got blood from an AIDS patient into one of his wounds and contracted the disease. From then on, his normal life was completely upended, and he lived in constant fear that he could die at any moment. But Li Poxiao never left his side, giving him the courage to carry on. Through his pain, he smiled through his tears. “Brother Junxi, my greatest wish is to become your bride. You have to fight to stay alive, because… this is a dream only you can help me fulfill.” A lov 944Reads9.5Score210Shelves
50. 1050 总 There’s Always Someone Who Loves You Like They Did at First 总有人爱你如初 Shi Man时慢29k WordsCompleted My sixth year with Fu Huainan. “I’m getting married, Fu Huainan,” I said. He jolted and snapped out of his thoughts, looking a little troubled. “Zhiyi, you know the company is at a critical stage in securing financing. I don’t have the time or the energy right now...” “That’s all right.” I smiled calmly. Fu Huainan had misunderstood. I was getting married, but not to him. 584Reads—Score—Shelves

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