Underrated Romance: Engaging and Free of Tired Tropes 小众言情 耐看 不老套路

1. 1 新 Newlyweds, Growing Closer 新婚渐浓 Dan Jian丹笺Modern Romance268k WordsCompleted Marriage before love / Adult romance / A slow, steady relationship / Sweet romance Cool, rational neurosurgeon vs. attentive, service-oriented head of a corporate group The marriage between Shen Mingyue and Bo Yi began with a drunken joke between their grandfathers. Out of gratitude for an old kindness, Shen Mingyue agreed to marry him to help her family out of a difficult situation. On the first day of their marriage, she was called back to the hospital for an emergency surgery and didn’t come 28.7kReads8.9Score2.9kShelves

   Reader note

   I've read it countless times. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, but now I prefer reading these simple yet heartwarming novels. They're not exaggerated or melodramatic, and the whole reading experience is very comfortable. They give me the feeling that even rich people have to make a living.

2. 2 宝 Behave, Baby: Sit Still, and Your Bad Husband Will Kiss You to Tears 宝贝乖乖坐好，坏坏老公亲哭你 Can I Add Cilantro?可以放香菜嘛Fantastical Romance243k WordsOngoing Late-Night Short Story Collection The female leads are delicate and soft, while the male leads are domineering and fierce. 1. [Little Erotic Fiction Writer × Hormonal Neighbor] 2. [Cool and Aloof Senior Disciple × Obsessive, Overpowered Dragon-Ao Protagonist] 3. [Confused, Clueless D-Lister × Beast in Fine Clothing Movie Emperor] 4. [娇软 Reborn Noblewoman × Scheming Regent] 5. [Timid on the Outside, Lecherous on the Inside Childhood Friend × Cold-Faced, Fatherly Childhood Friend] 6. [娇气 Mute Fema 349.8kReads8.1Score28.6kShelves
3. 3 中 After Winning a Hundred Million, I Became My Company's Savior 中奖一个亿后，我成了公司救世主 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭Urban424k WordsCompleted [The rating just came out, but it'll slowly improve! No risk in getting on board!] Shen Yanshen casually bought two lottery tickets and won a hundred million. His miserable working life was over for good, and from then on he lived in a mansion and drove a Mercedes. His ex-girlfriend, who had once looked down on him for being poor, came back in tears, begging him to take her back. Shen Yanshen kicked her a hundred meters away. “Get as far away as you can. Can't you see I'm washing my wife's feet? 3kReads5.9Score116Shelves

   Reader note

   Very niche short stories

4. 4 拒 I Refuse to Marry into a Wealthy Family. I'll Take My Child and Marry a Country Man 拒入豪门，我带娃嫁给乡下人 I Alone Pity the Quiet Grass独怜幽幽草Modern Romance511k WordsCompleted An IT engineer from a small town studies hard, works diligently, turns down a wealthy family’s marriage proposal, and goes abroad to study. Even after unexpectedly becoming a single mother, she never stops growing. She makes a dazzling transformation into an investment banking star… The only thing that drives her crazy is the child’s father, a young man from a small town who’s two years younger than her. He pursues her relentlessly, but what can she do? Love isn’t something you can achieve just 920Reads8.9Score103Shelves

   Reader note

   The low rating is probably because the female lead doesn't fit the typical character trope. She gets married while pregnant but doesn't register the marriage with the male lead. Even after marriage, she doesn't deliberately avoid mentioning her past with the second male lead. The female lead loves herself the most; although she loved the second male lead and married the male lead, she doesn't seem to care much about either of them. The female lead is criticized for being ungrateful. The male lead is criticized as a simp. The second male lead is criticized for deserving it. However, this is a very realistic portrayal of relationships.

5. 5 老 After My Husband Returned from a Business Trip to Chengdu, a Casual Short Video Made Me Go Viral 老公从成都出差回来后，我随手发个短视频爆火了 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭Marriage & Romance14k WordsCompleted After My Husband Returned from a Business Trip to Chengdu, a Short Video I Posted on a Whim Went Viral 13.3kReads—Score101Shelves
6. 6 龖 The Thunderous Roar of the Dragon 龖之赫霆之砉 Golden Lord金公Ancient Romance674k WordsCompleted The dragon's fierce clash: Twin dragons coil and fight, their claws tearing and scales flying, blood splattering everywhere. Their battle makes thunder roar across the nine heavens, bringing down punishment. [Defiant, Rebellious Heroine + Men Take a Back Seat + Crushing Scumbags + Strategy + Cultivating the Mind and Forging a Path] Lin Wan'er, the legitimate second daughter of the Minister of War's household, is neither strikingly beautiful nor warm in temperament. She was born with few 13Reads—Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   12. You'll understand after reading this (P. S.: Seeking followers)

7. 7 程 Miss Cheng, Do You Plan to Stay Single Forever? 程小姐，你打算一直单身吗？ I Alone Pity the Quiet Grass独怜幽幽草Modern Romance387k WordsCompleted [Elite Family] [Cute Child] [Workplace] [My Life Is on the Line, and My Rich Boyfriend Has a Secret Identity] [Stay Single or Become a Rich Wife? That's the Question] [Clearheaded, well-behaved female engineer * sharp-tongued, flirtatious heir cast out by a wealthy family] [He nearly cost her life back then. For the rest of his life, all he wants is her.] Volume One, Seven Days of Grace: The leads reunite overseas because a piece of equipment needs servicing. Over the course of just seven days, 293Reads8.7Score—Shelves
8. 8 老 After My Husband Cheated, I Ran the Company into Bankruptcy 老公出轨后，我把公司搞破产了 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭9k WordsCompleted After My Husband Cheated, I Ran the Company into Bankruptcy 5.8kReads—Score—Shelves
9. 9 我 I Heard Senior Brother Riding a Green Crane 我闻师兄驾青鹤 Golden Lord金公Ancient Romance373k WordsOngoing [A dual-female-lead coming-of-age adventure, a journey north through the cultivation world] The unluckiest transmigrator in history: Lin Chunya! No money, no power, no looks, no connections, and not even a golden finger! That makes her the most short-tempered and petty transmigrator in history, too. Though she has a fiery temper and is always bouncing around, at least she cherishes her life and doesn't charge blindly into danger. Though she doesn't charge blindly into danger, she still can't sta 15Reads—Score—Shelves
10. 10 降 After Taking a Pay Cut and Quietly Giving Up, My Boss Begged Me for Forgiveness All Night 降薪摆烂后，老板连夜跪求我原谅 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭10k WordsCompleted After My Pay Was Cut, I Started Slacking Off. My Boss Begged Me on His Knees to Forgive Him That Very Night —Reads—Score1.1kShelves
11. 11 我 The Secret I Can't Tell You About Me and His Brother 我和他兄弟不得不说的秘密 Golden Lord金公Modern Romance184k WordsOngoing When she wakes up, her whole body aches and her memories are a blur. She has no idea what happened, but realizes that the deep, all-consuming feelings she once had for Zhou Shiyu have completely vanished. Before she can piece together what caused it, one of Zhou Shiyu's butterfly-like friends flutters over to her, fixing her with a pair of captivating fox eyes. "Meng Qian, have you really lost your memory? You're not faking it, are you?" "Ha! You'd better not fall for me. I'm scared." Meng Qian 9Reads—Score—Shelves
12. 12 植 My Comatose Husband Woke Up After I Married Him to Bring Him Good Luck 植物人老公被我冲喜冲醒了 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭Marriage & Romance10k WordsCompleted My Vegetative Husband Woke Up After I Married Him for Good Luck 2.5kReads—Score—Shelves
13. 13 攫 Seizing the Red Cherry 攫取红樱 Golden Lord金公Modern Romance468k WordsCompleted In her previous life, she thought he was her father's illegitimate son. She humiliated, oppressed, and fought him at every turn, and in the end her family was destroyed. In this life, even the biggest fool wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Though deep down, she is still afraid of him. She has nevertheless resolved to treat him like her own younger brother from now on, making amends for the sins of her past life. In his previous life, that woman used every means at 12Reads—Score—Shelves
14. 14 闪 After a Whirlwind Wedding, I Became a Rich Woman and Didn't Have to Work Night Shifts 闪婚后我成了富婆，还不用上夜班 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭13k WordsCompleted After a Whirlwind Marriage, I Became a Rich Woman and Didn't Have to Work the Night Shift 11.7kReads—Score100Shelves
15. 15 终 At Last, Together Day and Night 终与卿暮暮朝朝 Golden Lord金公8k WordsCompleted At Last, Morning and Evening with You 7Reads—Score—Shelves
16. 16 恶 I'm the One Who'll Deal with the Wicked Neighbor 恶邻自有我来磨 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭7k WordsCompleted Leave It to Me to Deal with the Wicked Neighbor 1Reads—Score—Shelves
17. 17 栖 Princess Qixia 栖霞公主 Golden Lord金公Ancient Romance10k WordsCompleted Princess Qixia 2Reads—Score—Shelves
18. 18 降 After Being Demoted and Quietly Giving Up, My Incompetent Boss Begged Me to Accept a Promotion 降职摆烂后，草包领导跪求我升职 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭8k WordsCompleted After I Was Demoted and Started Slacking Off, My Incompetent Boss Begged Me on His Knees to Promote Me 2.5kReads—Score—Shelves
19. 19 青 Childhood Sweethearts Part Ways 青梅竹马两相尽 Golden Lord金公Ancient Romance10k WordsCompleted Childhood Sweethearts, Now Worlds Apart 4Reads—Score—Shelves
20. 20 顶 Over-the-Top Devotion: I'm Just His Plaything 顶级狂爱：我只是他的掌中玩物 Yin Shuyi尹姝伊Modern Romance1.8M WordsOngoing A godlike Western male lead × a resilient, delicate Chinese heroine The main story is complete. [Dominant daddy type + transnational forced romance + wild and unhinged + mature man who takes the lead + devoted husband + jealous of everything + height and build difference + eight-year age gap + heroine is vulnerable early on] A carefully planned scheme gets Qiao Yimo kidnapped and sold on the black market. She can't speak the language, has no one to rely on, and is put through hell. Only one for 129.8kReads9.0Score12.6kShelves

    Reader note

    The plot is really not cliché!

21. 21 不 My Stubborn Mother-in-Law Went to Her Grave 不听劝的婆婆归西了 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭13k WordsCompleted My Stubborn Mother-in-Law Went to Meet Her Maker 1.1kReads—Score—Shelves
22. 22 试 The Trial-Room Maid 试房丫鬟 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭Ancient Romance11k WordsCompleted The House-Testing Maid —Reads—Score—Shelves
23. 23 月 During My Confinement, I Kicked My Mother-in-Law Out 月子里，我赶跑了婆婆 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭8k WordsCompleted I Kicked My Mother-in-Law Out During My Postpartum Month 1.1kReads—Score—Shelves
24. 24 为 Live Street Interviews to Boost Employment Rates 为了提高就业率，直播街头采访 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭9k WordsCompleted Street Interviews Livestreamed to Boost Employment Rates 38Reads—Score—Shelves
25. 25 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 110Reads—Score—Shelves
26. 26 婆 After My Mother-in-Law Secretly Posted My Prenatal Test Results 婆婆偷晒孕检单后 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭9k WordsCompleted After My Mother-in-Law Secretly Posted My Prenatal Checkup Results 55Reads—Score—Shelves
27. 27 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
28. 28 过 Expired Longing 过期眷恋 Dai Bojia代卜加Modern Romance535k WordsCompleted Sweet romance, both leads’ first love, marriage before love, reunion after a long separation, 6.67-year age gap Gentle, childish, and always pretending to be the big brother (a natural flirt who has no idea how alluring he is) Sweet-natured, decisive, and unbothered (a devoted wife, with a special berserk-dragon mode) - On the day she was to marry into the wealthy Qi family, Lan Zhijun leaped without hesitation straight into her future husband’s arms. The refined, jade-like master painter she ha 237Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    It has a very old-fashioned feel, a sweet and heartwarming story that unfolds gradually over time.

29. 29 为 Live-Streaming Street Interviews to Boost the Birth Rate 为了提高生育率，直播街头采访 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭8k WordsCompleted To Boost the Birth Rate, I Livestream Street Interviews 37Reads—Score—Shelves
30. 30 完 The Perfect 50-50 Split 完美AA制 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭13k WordsCompleted The Perfect 50-50 Split 1.2kReads—Score—Shelves
31. 31 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
32. 32 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
33. 33 首 After the Chief Minister Lost His Memory, I Divorced Him That Very Day 首辅失忆后，我当天就和离了 The Pretentious Fox爱装的狐狸Ancient Romance9k WordsCompleted The Chief Councillor Lost His Memory, So I Divorced Him That Very Day 508Reads—Score—Shelves
34. 34 婚 After We Married, Pei Heng Kept Demanding a Divorce, Until I Finally Stopped Caring About Him 婚后，裴珩一直嚷着要离婚，直到我真的不管他了 The Pretentious Fox爱装的狐狸11k WordsCompleted After We Married, Pei Heng kept clamoring for a divorce, until I finally stopped caring about him 8.1kReads—Score101Shelves
35. 35 渡 Save Me, Not the Drunkard 渡我不渡醉 Bamboo Song Pear竹音梨Modern Romance283k WordsCompleted [A guarded, wounded hero × a gentle, steadfast heroine who saves him | Mutual devotion · Rekindled Romance] “Everyone who gets close to me comes to a bad end. You should leave.” “It's not your fault, Jiang Zui. You haven't done anything wrong.” Kneeling in the light, she led him out of the shadows and told him he wasn't a curse. He deserved to be loved. This was a silent standoff, and a gentle salvation. Jiang Zui thought his life would never see the light until he met Su Yuhe at seventeen. Afra 3kReads—Score192Shelves

    Reader note

    I stayed up all night to watch the whole thing and it broke me. Every part of the past was Jiang Zui's untold grievances!

36. 36 端 I Went Home for the Dragon Boat Festival, and My Flash-Married Husband's Secret Was Exposed 端午回老家，闪婚老公掉马了 The Pretentious Fox爱装的狐狸27k WordsCompleted I went back to my hometown for the Dragon Boat Festival, and my flash-married husband was exposed 1.1kReads—Score—Shelves
37. 37 闺 My Best Friend Couldn't Stand Her Dull, Boring Childhood Friend, So She Introduced Him to Me, a Woman Who'd Never Dated 闺蜜看不上她呆板无趣的竹马，便介绍给了母单的我 The Pretentious Fox爱装的狐狸9k WordsCompleted My best friend thought her childhood sweetheart was too stiff and boring, so she introduced him to me, a woman who'd never dated anyone. 569Reads—Score—Shelves
38. 38 闪 After Our Flash Marriage, I Could No Longer Hide My Billionaire Identity 闪婚后，我的首富身份藏不住了 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭8k WordsCompleted After a Flash Marriage, I Could No Longer Hide My Billionaire Identity 780Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Short stories with novel settings and plots

39. 39 与 We Corresponded for Two Months, but the Crown Prince Said He Had Mistaken Me for Someone Else? 与太子通信两个月，他却说认错了人？ The Pretentious Fox爱装的狐狸21k WordsCompleted After two months of exchanging letters with the crown prince, he said he had mistaken me for someone else? 305Reads—Score—Shelves
40. 40 被 After I Was Pushed Out in All but Name, the Whole Company Begged Me to Step In 被变相裁员后，全公司跪求我出手 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭8k WordsCompleted After I Was Forced Out in All but Name, the Entire Company Begged Me to Step In 2kReads—Score—Shelves
41. 41 强 I Force-Kissed the Campus Heartthrob, and He Blocked Me 强吻校草后，他拉黑了我 The Pretentious Fox爱装的狐狸10k WordsCompleted After I kissed the campus heartthrob by force, he blocked me 524Reads—Score—Shelves
42. 42 入 After Three Years in Prison, the Marquis Regretted It 入狱三年，侯爷他悔疯了 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭Ancient Romance8k WordsCompleted After Three Years in Prison, the Marquis Regretted It Too Late 1.6kReads—Score—Shelves
43. 43 皇 The Royal Family Forced Me Into a Political Marriage, Unaware the Northern Yue Emperor Was My Secret Fiance 皇室绑我去和亲，却不知北越帝是我民间未婚夫 The Pretentious Fox爱装的狐狸10k WordsCompleted The royal family forced me into a political marriage, unaware that the Northern Yue Emperor is my secret fiancé. 54Reads—Score—Shelves
44. 44 被 After Being Struck by Lightning, I Could Understand My In-Laws’ Dialect 被雷劈后，我听懂了婆家方言 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭Marriage & Romance7k WordsCompleted After Being Struck by Lightning, I Could Understand My In-Laws' Dialect 277Reads—Score—Shelves
45. 45 契 After the Contract Ends, Mr. Zhou Loses Control 契约到期后，周先生失控了 The Pretentious Fox爱装的狐狸Modern Romance52k WordsOngoing [Strong-Willed College Student x Aloof, Sharp-Tongued CEO] [Contractual Relationship] [Mutual Healing] [He Chases Her After the Breakup] [Happy Ending] A desperate attempt to save herself in a bar late at night brings Cen Xi face-to-face with Zhou Jin, a powerful man at the top of society. He's seen his share of people sucking up to the powerful, but her pride and backbone leave him utterly captivated. When Cen Xi, with nowhere else to turn, sets aside her pride and asks him for help, he takes a 164Reads—Score—Shelves
46. 46 闺 My Best Friend's Younger Brother Is the Capital's Most Eligible Heir 闺蜜弟弟是京圈太子爷 Dudu读读Modern Romance243k WordsCompleted [A beautiful, fair-skinned older woman VS a refined young master who acts domineering outside but timid at home, an older woman-younger man romance] At her best friend’s wedding, Xia Youran reunited with her friend’s younger cousin, Ying Chi. He had broad shoulders, a slim waist, a handsome face, and a wealthy background. Later “Ying Chi, what are you trying to do?” “I want to kiss you, Xiaxia-jie.” “We’re not right for each other.” “How do you know we’re not right for each other if we don’t try 1.6kReads8.7Score113Shelves

    Reader note

    The male protagonist falls in love at first sight with the bridesmaid at his cousin's wedding.

47. 47 国 We Had Eight Days Off for National Day. I Turned Our Homebody Vacation into a Seven-Day Trip, and Now Mom Regrets It 国庆放八天，我把家里蹲改成七日游后，我妈悔疯了 Making a Living as a Kept Man硬吃软饭8k WordsCompleted I Had Eight Days Off for National Day, So I Turned My Stay-at-Home Life into a Seven-Day Trip. Now My Mom Regrets It 45Reads—Score—Shelves
48. 48 败 Defeated by Her Softness 败给娇软 Li Chun黎淳Modern Romance353k WordsCompleted [The second male lead wins / marriage first, love later / long-planned romance / secret crush / both sexually inexperienced] Yu Xianyin caught the man she had pursued for years bad-mouthing her to his good friend. “She’s just an illegitimate daughter. Who would take her seriously? It’s only a bit of fun.” Heartbroken, Yu Xianyin went to a bar to drink herself numb in the middle of the night, and got involved with someone she shouldn’t have. When she woke up, she discovered he was her high school 3kReads9.0Score286Shelves

    Reader note

    Yu Xianyin and Qi Heng were high school classmates. The female lead had always liked her childhood friend Lu Yanting, while the male lead had a crush on her for many years. Due to an accident, the male and female leads slept together and got married. The female lead slowly discovered the male lead's secret and gradually fell in love with him.

49. 49 我 My Wife's Lies 我妻子的谎言 Fu Family Seventeen1傅家十七1Urban162k WordsCompleted The warmth of their newlywed days had barely faded when the lie hidden beneath their marriage certificate came crashing down on Shu Wang. The lovely wife he doted on was none other than the woman his childhood friend Qin Yiming had kept hidden away three years ago. His wife kept the past secret, stumbling over her words and showing no sense of boundaries. Qin Yiming pressed him at every turn, refusing to let go. All the tenderness vanished from Shu Wang's eyes. "After everything you two hid f 9.1kReads—Score419Shelves
50. 50 重 Back to My Husband's Youth, I Became His First Love 重回老公年少时，我竟是他白月光 Su Zhiye苏枝也Modern Romance257k WordsCompleted [Reborn school life + ensemble cast + living under someone else's roof + sweet treats + easygoing daily life] [Carefree, laid-back rich boy vs. pure, lively ray of sunshine] Wen Yumian didn't think she had anything special about her that would make the young heir of the Qi family turn down his well-matched childhood sweetheart and marry her instead. She didn't understand it, but at least he was handsome, rich, and good in bed. Their married life was full of happiness, but it didn't last. She hea 5.3kReads9.0Score791Shelves

    Reader note

    Both of these are incredibly short and super readable; you can finish one in a day. Because they're new, the ratings are low, but mature readers should see beyond the surface [kissing emoji][kissing emoji]. I only recommend the happy ending! My heart can't handle angst anymore [laughing emoji].

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