Looking for Angsty Historical Romance, Preferably a Bad Ending, with the Hero Chasing His Wife After Losing Her and the Second Male Lead Winning Her Over 求古言虐文最好是be 希望男主追妻火葬场 男二上位

1. 1 王 My Lord, the Princess Consort Says She’ll Never See You Again 王爷，王妃说此生不复相见 Jing Mo旌墨Ancient Romance421k WordsCompleted [Historical Romance Tragedy + No Getting Back Together + Second Male Lead Takes the Lead] A tragic romance! A tragic romance! A tragic romance! Ye Chuyan loved Pei Xiuyan for twelve years, but never moved him in the slightest. All she got in return was Pei Xiuyan wiping out the Ye family and having her father and brothers tortured to death over three days in the snow. At last, she understood: for the rest of her life, there would be no love between her and Pei Xiuyan, only hatred, until one o 26.7kReads9.3Score1.7k14d adds

   Reader note

   To be honest, the first book was a angst-filled novel with a strong female lead, ending with the male lead alone and the second male lead winning over the female lead, resulting in a happy ending. But the second book made me cry buckets; it was the kind of silent, heart-wrenching pain. I highly recommend the second book.

2. 2 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 865Reads9.5Score19914d adds
3. 3 重 Reborn, I Remarried, and My Ex-Husband Panicked 重生后改嫁，前夫急了 Two Pigs and a Mouse两只猪一只鼠Ancient Romance100k WordsCompleted [Both protagonists are reborn] [The husband chases his wife, but never wins her back] The key point: the heroine has given up on her former husband * In her previous life, Xie Zhuxin's father accidentally saved Yi Yunxiao, the badly wounded Marquis of Zhenbei. They married, but three years later she overheard her drunken husband speaking the truth: in his eyes, their marriage had been nothing more than “repaying a favor by taking advantage of it.” That very night, Xie Zhuxin wrote a divorce agr 997Reads8.6Score10414d adds

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   The male protagonist had a white moonlight in his heart in his past life, and was indifferent to the female protagonist after marriage. He began to regret it after the female protagonist died. After being reborn twice, he went through a "wife-chasing" ordeal, but the female protagonist had already married someone else.

4. 4 夫 After His Wife Sought a Divorce, the Young General Turned Gray Overnight 夫人和离后，少年将军一夜白头 Disheveled Blue Hair青丝乱Ancient Romance1.4M WordsCompleted [Complete + not reborn + no transmigration + a heroine who grows] Shen Yihuan has been married into the Song family for seven years. She manages the household, cares for her parents-in-law, and looks after her sister-in-law. Everyone calls her a virtuous wife. To maintain her reputation as a virtuous wife, Shen Yihuan never dares take a single wrong step. She has pushed the version of herself with blood on her hands into a forgotten corner. Everyone says the mistress of the Song family is as kin 436Reads8.9Score12614d adds

   Reader note

   In the first book, the female lead gets a divorce, and the male lead, now old and gray, goes to the frontier. In the second book, the female lead runs away, and the male lead experiences a wife-chasing ordeal combined with forceful acquisition.

5. 5 我 I Transmigrated to an Alternate Dynasty 我穿越了，穿越在一个架空的朝代 Gray Curly Dog灰色的卷毛狗Ancient Romance397k WordsOngoing Su Yuan's beauty and tragic background have made her life anything but easy. After clashing with workplace predators, she falls down a staircase and ends up in an alternate dynasty... Now she must navigate love and hate with powerful young noblemen from ancient times. Want me to be your bedchamber maid? Your concubine? Sorry, the daughters of China don't become concubines! If I can't beat them, I can always run! Theme: Women can stand on their own and carve out a world for themselves. Love yours —Reads—Score—14d adds
6. 6 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

   Reader note

   The female lead dies and the male lead goes mad

7. 7 未 Empress Weiyang 未央皇后 Yuanbao Susu元宝苏苏Ancient Romance162k WordsCompleted “Today, I’ll give the empress’s throne to the woman you love. Will you let me and my family go, then?” Driven into a corner, she gave a bitter smile and admitted defeat. “I don’t want anything anymore. I wish you both happiness!” Yin Wushang: “You’re unfaithful, cold, and calculating. Yan Weiyang, what makes you worthy of being my empress?” Yu Tianhuan: “You’d better kill me with one sword. Otherwise, as long as I’m alive, I’ll never let go. Yanyan, we’ll drag each other through hell on earth to 788Reads8.6Score10014d adds

   Reader note

   "You are unfaithful, cold, and scheming. What right do you have to be my empress?" Forced to marry an unfaithful empress, the young emperor felt deeply humiliated and disgusted. On their wedding night, he abandoned her and went to the palace of a concubine. In her youth, she had been completely devoted to him, but a conspiracy turned them into a bitter, unhappy couple. Later, he couldn't help but fall for her, but she had already given up. A story of pursuing one's wife relentlessly, with the second male lead taking her place. (Completed)

8. 8 折 The Delicate Beauty’s Tears 折娇啼 Jing Mo旌墨Ancient Romance573k WordsCompleted [The hero regrets everything to the point of madness + the leads torment each other + a friend steals the heroine away + the second male lead gets the girl + no reconciliation after a breakup + pure historical angst + the heroine ends up with the second male lead] Shen Yanzhi, heir to the Marquis of Jinghai in the Great Chu Kingdom, had just come third in the palace examination when he was unexpectedly captured by the Eastern Qiang Kingdom and married off to Qin Guiwan, a woman of Eastern Qiang 8.2kReads9.3Score87514d adds

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   ❤A beautifully written ancient Chinese romance novel with a tragic ending❤ 🍀① "Do you think the eldest young master wanted this? She shamelessly followed me here! She said she and the eldest young master had already been married, and abandoning his wife would be a betrayal of faith and loyalty, something that would be despicable." 🍀② Inside Changjue Temple, while I was praying to Buddha, Yunping asked me what I wished for. I stood under the eaves watching the mist and rain, the fine rain threads weaving a dense, impenetrable net around me. I said, "I only wish for my wish to be fulfilled."

9. 9 锁 Silken Threads of Love 锁情丝 Stone-Hearted Wooden Man石心木人Ancient Romance223k WordsCompleted [Historical Romance | Angst] Some Things Cannot Be Mended She had loved him for eight years, yet on their wedding day, he tortured her until she was barely recognizable. From that day on, he subjected her to excruciating torment, determined to keep it up until she died. When the truth came to light, he regretted everything and fell to his knees, humbly begging for forgiveness. Forgive him? What a joke! She said, “My hatred for you has long since seeped into my bones. Even if I ground you to dust 717Reads8.4Score—14d adds
10. 10 此 The Road Ahead Is One of Heartbreak 此去离殇 Little Phantom幻小妖Ancient Romance61k WordsCompleted “You never deserved to be my wife.” Once, she had loved him with all her heart, only to be met with his cold rejection. Time passed, and she died before his eyes. All the love she had never gotten to confess became a sharp sword plunging into his heart… 238Reads8.0Score—14d adds
11. 11 为 Burning Through a Lifetime of Joy and Sorrow for You 为你燃尽一生的悲喜 Su Shinian苏拾年Ancient Romance77k WordsCompleted Even the splendor of mountains and rivers cannot rival the depth of feeling in your gaze. Love has always been a luxury. General Feng Ling was a ruthless, merciless killer on the battlefield, yet love could still trap her in a cage, lock her in a living hell, and bind her until death. She had returned victorious, an extraordinary war hero, hailed by the crowds as “General Feng Ling, mighty and glorious!” But in the blink of an eye, she became a dying woman who had lost both her family and the o 5Reads6.6Score—14d adds
12. 12 赠 I Give You the Bittersweet Pain of Parting 赠君人间苦别离 Spring Thunder Cannon春雷炮Ancient Romance43k WordsCompleted Xie Jingsheng hated Hua Zhezhi. When he was at his lowest, she not only kicked him while he was down, but nearly got him killed. The first thing he did after returning victorious was marry her, then drive her slowly insane. Hua Zhezhi was left with a crippled leg and suffered endless humiliation. When she was near death, she asked with red-rimmed eyes, “I never betrayed you. Why have you treated me this way?” “Keep making things up,” he said viciously, squeezing her throat. “Let’s see if you can 651Reads6.0Score—14d adds
13. 13 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

    The first book features a female protagonist who is reborn, and the second male lead takes her place, eventually surpassing the female protagonist in strength. The second book has a tumultuous "chasing-back-him-him-through-the-cremation" scenario, and the female protagonist ends up with the second male lead. The third book has a male protagonist who repeatedly betrays the female protagonist, and the second male lead takes her place; the second male lead is truly wonderful, I absolutely love him!

14. 14 金 The Gold Medal Maid 金牌小侍女 March Blossoms Fall三月花落Ancient Romance541k WordsCompleted Her father was framed, and in an instant her family was ruined, leaving her alone to scrape by in the world. From a nobleman's daughter, she became a government slave whom anyone could bully. After enduring endless contempt, she was eventually sold into Prince Ping's household as a servant. To her surprise, she became the maid he favored above all others. Thinking he treated her differently, she set her heart on staying by his side. Who could have imagined that when the truth came out, the man s 355Reads9.1Score—14d adds
15. 15 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 47Reads6.6Score—14d adds
16. 16 和 On the Day of Her Divorce, the Tragic Heroine Turned Around and Married the Tyrant 和离当天，虐文女主转身嫁暴君 Mu Xiaoyue木小玥Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted The short drama is now online: [A laid-back, lie-flat, black-hearted legitimate daughter X a crazed, gloomy, pure-hearted tyrant] [The other man wins her over] [Original title: The Day We Divorced, the Tragic Novel's Heroine Turned Around and Married the Tyrant] At the royal autumn hunt, Song Yaozhi argues with the woman her husband brought back from the borderlands. Song Yaozhi scolds her, saying she's nothing but a concubine. Just then, her husband, Xiao Ziqian, kicks the door open and points 40.6kReads9.1Score4.2k14d adds

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    Here it is!! Come and take a look!

17. 17 人 After My True Colors Were Revealed, My Husband Begged Me for Cuddles Every Day 人设崩塌后驸马每天求贴贴 Ye Baoqing叶宝青Ancient Romance598k WordsCompleted Transmigrate into a book + sweet romance + princess + lighthearted + devoted couple + adorable child + everyday life (This isn’t a power fantasy. This isn’t a power fantasy. If you want a strong female lead, please move along. If you want a strong female lead, please move along. If you want a strong female lead, please move along.) After transmigrating into a book, Wei Shu became the infamous villainous princess of the Great Chen Kingdom. The consort she was forced to marry despised her so much 142Reads7.6Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉🙉

18. 18 报 Report, Princess! The Grim General Says He’s Willing to Marry Into Your Family 报告公主！阴鸷将军说他甘愿入赘 Sang Yu桑榆Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted After the Ninth Princess trusted the wrong man, her kingdom fell and she died a tragic death. Reborn ten years earlier, she kicked her faithless former lover to the curb, took in a penniless, obsessive general, and went all out to treat him well, protect him, and spoil him. On the eve of the wedding, everyone in Yanyun City mocked her. “The Ninth Princess must have lost her mind, marrying beneath her to a lowly servant!” On the wedding day, drums and gongs sounded, a grand procession of dowry st 818Reads9.2Score13114d adds
19. 19 灭 You Wiped Out My Family? Then I'm Done Being Prince Qi's Consort! 灭我全家？这齐王侧妃我不当了！ Huai Ming怀鸣Ancient Romance219k WordsCompleted [Reborn, no getting back together after breaking up, mutual devotion] After knowing each other for four years and being married for two, Song Zhiyao thought she and Prince Qi would live happily together for the rest of their lives. Then her entire family was wiped out at Wumen Gate. Seeing him for who he really was, Song Zhiyao took her own life, full of resentment. After being reborn, she does everything she can to get a divorce. She makes a fortune as a merchant on her own. Love? Making money 4Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    In her past life, the female lead misjudged people and was manipulated by the male lead, resulting in the execution of her entire family. Reborn, all she could think about was divorce; if direct requests didn't work, she'd resort to underhanded tactics. The male lead, driven to rage by the scheme to divorce her, tried everything to win her back, but to no avail. Only then did he discover that the female lead had been stolen away by the second male lead.

20. 20 王 The Princess Consort Is Both Ruthless and Vicious 王妃她心狠手又辣 A Mint Sprite一只薄荷精Ancient Romance316k WordsCompleted In her previous life, she stubbornly married Nangong Yu, only to be betrayed and lose more than two hundred lives in the Chu family. Reborn, Chu Nianxi is determined to take revenge, get rid of the scumbag, and protect the Chu family. 1Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    The kind of angst that's super tragic~

21. 21 凤 The Phoenix Returns: A Second-Chance Princess's Rise to Power 凤归兮：逆袭之二婚王妃 Guest Beneath the Green Lamp11青灯不归客11Female-Channel Fanfiction270k WordsCompleted [Palace intrigue + sweet and angsty romance + political scheming + a battlefield of pursuit] Ye Tinglan, the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister’s household, never imagined that a woman of unknown origins would steal away the husband who had once been inseparable from her! Cast out and reduced to a discarded wife, she unexpectedly found herself embarking on a new life. See how a woman of ancient times outwits a modern transmigrator and defends her love and home! [Prime Minister’s legitimat 1Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    As the legitimate daughter of a prime minister, she has her husband stolen by a time-traveling woman! Watch as this ancient woman outwits the modern time-traveling woman to defend her country and love.

22. 22 二 Married Again, Falling Under Her Spell 二嫁，诱她沉沦 Chestnut, Chestnut, Chestnut, Chestnut栗子栗子栗栗子Ancient Romance1.0M WordsCompleted [Both leads are virgins + He pursues her after losing her + Second male lead wins her heart + Traditional historical romance + Fictional setting + Characters and story are entirely fictional] The Xie family’s cousin, Liu Wen Yin, was a stunning beauty, but she was also a fool. Because her birth chart was considered too auspicious, she was promised as a concubine to Xie An when she came of age. Unhappy with his elders’ arrangement, Xie An got engaged to a woman from a prominent family and pushed 2.4kReads8.9Score27014d adds

    Reader note

    The process of chasing after one's wife is like going through a crematorium.

23. 23 争 Jealousy, Jealousy 争妒争妒 She Xia舍下Ancient Romance135k WordsCompleted He kept making the wrong choice; she gave her heart to the wrong man!!! Everyone in the capital knew the decade-long joke! Su Shu, the legitimate daughter of the Xiang family, pursued Mu Chengxuan, the Great General Who Protects the Nation, for ten years! Then one day, he actually married her!!! Their wedding stunned the entire capital! A decade of love should have been the envy of all, yet less than a year later, the Chancellor’s residence was raided and Su Shu died of an illness. This shocked 315Reads6.4Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    This is for you.

24. 24 红 Red Walls and Green Tiles 红墙碧瓦 She Xia舍下Ancient Romance240k WordsCompleted He forced her into his harem! But their relationship ended abruptly after just three months! They loved, resented, and hated each other, and promised to meet again in another life! He swore before the imperial throne: “As long as I am emperor, even for a single day, you will be my empress.” He lived a wild, carefree life, yet carried a quiet fragrance in his sleeves. Their love, however, was a dead end, destined to come to nothing. Everyone knows Liu Liangnü, but no one calls her Empress Xia 15Reads—Score—14d adds
25. 25 嫁 After She Married, the Mad Emperor Seized Her by Force 嫁人后，被疯批皇帝强取豪夺了 A Penguin Who Has to Write Every Day每天都要码字的企鹅Ancient Romance320k WordsCompleted [Coercive Possession + Later Revenge on the Scoundrels + Obsessive, Unhinged Hero + Groveling Chase + No Reconciliation + Second Male Lead Wins] Chu Huaiyu personally offered Lu Zhaoxue to the Crown Prince, using her as bait to frame Chu Siheng. After ascending the throne, Chu Huaiyu imprisoned Lu Zhaoxue deep in the palace, using his favor as a pair of shackles. Night after night, they were entangled in the palace. Biting her earlobe, Chu Huaiyu whispered, “Zhaoxue, do you hate me? Hate me if y 13.8kReads8.1Score63014d adds

    Reader note

    This is the book! It's super good. The male lead goes through a "wife-chasing-after-the-crime" phase, first torturing the female lead and then the male lead, with the second male lead eventually winning her over.

26. 26 春 Spring Banquet 春日宴 Egrets in Pairs白鹭成双Ancient Romance664k WordsCompleted She kept male favorites and toyed with powerful ministers! For eight years, the arrogant and tyrannical Princess Danyang, Li Huaiyu, wreaked havoc across the court and country. She died on the day the new emperor ascended the throne, bleeding from every orifice in a truly gruesome death. The officials celebrated and the people rejoiced: Evil gets what it deserves! Good riddance! Yet on the seventh day after her death, Princess Danyang returned to life in the body of the Bai family’s Fourth Mis 13.6kReads9.4Score2.3k14d adds

    Reader note

    These are all angst-filled novels, but they're all very good, not mindless angst. They all have high scores of 9.0 or above, and they're not very long. I have many more on my bookshelf; feel free to check them out if you're interested.

27. 27 不 Never Grow Old Like a Pair of Lovebirds 不学鸳鸯老 Egrets in Pairs白鹭成双Ancient Romance425k WordsCompleted Yin Huayue was a dog the Zhuang family had sent to watch over him and keep him under their thumb. She was cold-blooded and hypocritical, always wearing a smile so false it hurt to look at. She dressed him, combed his hair, stood guard at his door, and lit his lamps. For ten out of every twelve hours, Li Jingyun thought about how to make her leave. But later... She really did leave. And he panicked. Morning and evening, I long to be with you; the wind has no pity for the hardy grass. I would rat 809Reads8.9Score15714d adds
28. 28 伴 Accompanied by Smoke 伴烟 Laba Coconut腊八椰子Ancient Romance106k WordsCompleted [Naive, Wild Girl x Gentle Scholar + Happy Ending] She loved him, so she ran to him with all the courage she could muster. Liu Yunzhi treated her wonderfully, caring for her and asking after her, soothing her to sleep at night, reading to her whenever he had time, stroking her slightly rounded belly, and discussing baby names with her. She lost herself in it, deceiving herself as she sank into the gentle web he had woven, dreaming that they would be the only two in each other’s lives forever. Bu 2.4kReads9.3Score20714d adds
29. 29 三 Three Lifetimes, Three Worlds, and a Peach Blossom Calamity 三生三世桃花劫 The Witch's Cat女巫的猫Ancient Romance154k WordsCompleted She was just a cat, yet she had to transmigrate into a rabbit demon. They say she had a grand wedding on the day she transmigrated. But when she awoke, she saw herself lying in a pool of blood. Before her body had even grown cold, her new husband was already in bed with another woman, carrying on behind her back. He was the Crown Prince, noble in status and peerless in appearance. They had been together for a hundred years, and he had sworn he would marry no one but her! Yet on their wedding day 163Reads9.1Score—14d adds
30. 30 忘 The Wangchuan Tea House (Two-Volume Set) 忘川茶舍（全二册） Jian Xiaoshan简小扇Ancient Romance353k WordsCompleted [Xianxia romance + based on a screen original + tragic love + twists in an ancient setting] [A cup of tea, a love story. At Wangchuan Teahouse, you’ll never be troubled by love again.] To restore her beloved’s soul, Liu Sheng came to the mortal world and opened a teahouse, gathering the most unforgettable emotions among humankind. Whenever she collected a feeling as clear as water, she poured it into the River of Forgetfulness. Once its murky waters ran clear, she would be able to see her belove 268Reads9.3Score10014d adds
31. 31 三 Three Lives, Three Worlds: My Heart Belongs to You (Complete in Three Volumes) 三生三世倾君心（全三册） The Witch's Cat女巫的猫Anime Fanfiction599k WordsCompleted The classic work from Witch's Cat, a bestselling author with a million fans, is finally here: the highly anticipated Three Lives, Three Worlds series! Highly recommended by Ji Yue Jiaojiao, Wu Jia Gege, and Xia Rizi! The assassin A Jiu is tasked with stealing a thousand-year-old imperial seal, but accidentally kidnaps the emperor, Jun Qingwu, and becomes someone he despises. Meanwhile, a struggle for power is brewing within the Kingdom of Jun, with three factions led by Prime Minister Mo, the Em 95Reads9.2Score—14d adds
32. 32 彼 The Flowers Bloomed Then, but You Never Knew 彼时花开君不知 The World Is Free Of Illness天下无病Ancient Romance286k WordsCompleted Hua Kai once believed that Chi Yu would be the only beautiful thing in her life, hidden away in a corner of her heart until it slowly faded along with her. That was until she met Zhou Qingyan. He appeared in her life almost out of nowhere, carrying countless secrets with him. His identity, her past, the massacre of her family more than ten years ago, and the conspiracy behind it all... The truth emerged bit by bit, and the quiet, beautiful life she had once known now felt like it belonged to ano —Reads8.5Score—14d adds
33. 33 皇 Stop Tormenting Me, Your Majesty: Your Deposed Empress Is Your Precious Darling 皇上别虐了，废后是你的心肝宝 Jin Xihexi金汐何西Ancient Romance302k WordsCompleted [Both leads are faithful to each other] She traveled a thousand miles to marry him. She gave him everything and helped him seize the throne. But once he wore the imperial robes, all she received was an edict deposing her as empress. When he viciously told her she wasn’t even worthy of dying, she saw in his icy eyes nothing but the deepest disgust and hatred. She finally understood: he had never loved her. With war raging everywhere, the army of Beichen breached the walls of Southern Shu. Dressed 2.6kReads8.3Score15314d adds
34. 34 媚 Born with a Bewitching Charm 媚骨生香 Her Highness the Nightmare梦魇殿下Ancient Romance150k WordsCompleted 262Reads9.5Score4214d adds
35. 35 白 Ode to White Hair 白头赋 Little Paper Boat纸船儿Ancient Romance41k WordsCompleted In a daze, she seemed to see that young man again, standing in the spring sunshine as he asked her: “Do you have feelings for me?” 123Reads5.4Score—14d adds
36. 36 楼 The One by the Tower Is Like Jade 楼边人似玉 White Egret, Never Paired白鹭未双Ancient Romance488k WordsCompleted The proprietress of the Zhangdeng Inn is truly insufferable: sharp-tongued, money-grubbing, flirtatious, and shameless. He cultivates the Way of Shangqing and slays the myriad demons of the mortal world. He absolutely must not let her bewitch him! (Demon-hunting, scheming magistrate Song Liyan x money-loving, self-obsessed innkeeper Lou Siyu. The story involves only the human and demon realms. They fall in love in a different setting, with no cultivation. Happy ending, with both sweet and angsty 1.1kReads9.3Score18214d adds
37. 37 你 Step Aside, Heavenly Dao. It's My Turn to Take Over 你起开天道换我来当 Meat-Loving Coriander Lord食肉香菜君Ancient Romance165k WordsOngoing An ancient True God is reborn as an ordinary mortal? This isn't just having your secret identity exposed, you're being crushed to smithereens! You call that fair, Heavenly Dao? Move aside. I'll take over as Heavenly Dao! Why shouldn't a god be allowed to fall in love? A god loves all people, but can also love just one! —Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    🥰🥰🥰The only ancient true god in the world, Hua Chongjin, defied the laws of heaven and was punished, only to be reborn as a mortal. The male lead, scheming to achieve his goals, approaches her, but is redeemed and healed through their daily interactions, falling hopelessly in love with her. However, how can a relationship tainted by calculation from the start have a happy ending? The devoted second male lead, a loyal and devoted young man, ultimately finds a happy ending with the female lead.

38. 38 别 Don't Be Weak, Don't Provoke Her: An Angry Palace Maid Can Restore a Fallen Kingdom 别太弱，别招惹，宫女发怒能复国 Ethereal Fairy霓裳妖妖Ancient Romance748k WordsCompleted [Unusual premise + assassin’s rise + strong heroine + political intrigue + cold and heartless + mildly yandere + cool-headed lunatic + male lead rises from the nth place] * Su Mian was just a palace maid serving a princess. On the day the Southern Yan Kingdom fell, she watched everyone die before her without a flicker of emotion. The princess gave her an even more perilous mission. Until it was done, she had to stay alive. But in a world thrown into chaos, she was sold as a slave and forced to e 25.6kReads9.5Score4.2k14d adds

    Reader note

    (Just to clarify beforehand, the author's synopsis doesn't mention a male lead; the following perspectives are solely my own.) The female lead (a palace maid) is sold into an assassin organization after her country's fall. Initially, she's an emotionless machine, but gradually develops her own emotions. She's actually a princess, but she's suppressed this memory through self-suggestion. As the conspiracy surfaces, she slowly regains her memories, bearing the burden of national and personal hatred. It's a strong female lead story. My ideal male lead, however, has his own family feud and is forced to work for others. The female lead gives him countless opportunities, but he fails to seize them and doesn't trust her. Actually, there isn't a male lead, but it seems there is. In short, the whole story is very profound and evocative. I cried buckets in the middle of the night when I read the ending. The epilogue is okay, though, so please don't overlook this story!

39. 39 惊 Shocking! After Leaving the Palace, the Empress Is Spoiled by Everyone! 惊：娘娘离宫后，被团宠了！ Jiu Ke Sweet Candy九柯甜糖Ancient Romance240k WordsCompleted They are both each other's first and only. She was the legitimate princess of the Qingluan Kingdom, noble in status and cherished by all… He was the youngest emperor of the Dongli Kingdom. His birth mother held power over the court and constantly kept him in check… A rebellion reduced her to a merchant's daughter to be sold off. An accident brought her under his protection, and he raised her for seven years. … Until he asked to marry the princess of her kingdom. Heartbroken, she realized that no 418Reads9.0Score10514d adds

    Reader note

    The beginning is very tragic, as the male lead doesn't cherish the female lead and mistreats her. Later, the female lead suddenly realizes her mistake and falls in love with the second male lead. The male lead repents and decides to love the female lead properly, leading to a "wife-chasing-after-the-crisis" scenario.

40. 40 宠 Dote on the Wife, Crush the Concubines: The Mad Emperor Personally Teaches Me Palace Intrigue 宠妻灭妾！疯批皇帝亲自教我宫斗 Moonlit Waters水月流光Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted [Sweet and angsty + stunning heroine + the first male lead is an emperor + the second male lead and heroine both transmigrate, having been reborn in this world from birth + the first male lead's long road to winning back his wife] Not long after her divorce, Zhao Jingshu was reborn in ancient times as a member of a princely house with a different surname. Her father, Zhao Rui, held command over two hundred thousand troops and ruled as a prince in Luoyang. The emperor wanted to form an alliance 480Reads9.1Score—14d adds
41. 41 小 A Concubine's Love Is Hard to Win Back 小妾难再爱 A Spring Breeze Across the Mat一席春风度Ancient Romance54k WordsCompleted Liu Yan’er’s greatest dream was to spend her whole life with Shangguan Ling, the two of them belonging only to each other. But after he passed the imperial examinations and earned a position, everything changed. Not only did he take a new wife, he demoted Liu Yan’er to concubine. In the Shangguan household, she suffered constant torment and grew physically and emotionally exhausted. Her youthful dream had shattered. When she tried to leave, dragging her ailing body along, he said… 82Reads—Score—14d adds
42. 42 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

    Reader note

    I'd call it: the pinnacle of heartbreak in Republican-era angst novels. Sisters, if you haven't read this yet, please prepare three packs of tissues. Tell me in the comments: which character in the book do you feel most sorry for? Is it Zhang Zhiming, who lost everything, or Yang Yanchen, who didn't even dare to give a hug?

43. 43 几 Moonlit Nights and Lonely Mountains: I'd Rather Be a General Than a Princess 几孤风月：不做王妃做将军 Leng Bao'er冷宝儿Ancient Romance184k WordsOngoing Love began for no clear reason: Xiang Wanqing, the general's legitimate daughter, was infatuated with the charming prince Song Yanqing. She did as he wished and went against his will. Once she entered the prince's residence, she tried to be a proper princess consort, but... in the end, she could never compete with the moonlight in her husband's heart. After three years of love given in vain, enough! Xiang Wanqing wanted to end it all. She wasn't really the great general's legitimate daughter to —Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    The story features two male leads. The female lead is the legitimate daughter of a great general. She first marries a prince, who harbors resentment towards her but doesn't express his love. After their divorce, the prince relentlessly pursues her. The female lead's family falls into decline, and unable to win her heart, she leaves the prince to become a general. She fights and lives alongside her savior (her master), and they gradually fall in love. In the end, both the male and female leads die in battle.

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