Looking for Thought-Provoking Reads After Too Many Brain-Dead Stories 看多了无脑文，想看一些有深度的

1. 1 中 The Chinese Academy of Sciences Came to the Entertainment Industry to Poach Someone! The Haters Were Stunned 中科院来娱乐圈捞人！黑粉全蒙了 Old Popsicle老雪糕Urban1.0M WordsCompleted “Thanks to [If You're This Capable, Why Not Join the Chinese Academy of Sciences?] for sending a hundred Carnival gifts. Boss, you're invulnerable to bullets and blades.” After turning down yet another visit from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Gu Ran turned around and explained the three ways to achieve controlled nuclear fusion to his fans. Other streamers' fans have an average education level of middle school. Gu Ran's fans average a PhD. 118.1kReads9.1Score17.7k14d adds

   Reader note

   I'd like to recommend one book; it's really profound. Wow, I stayed up late reading it that night, and it felt like my brain was stuffed with so much information.

2. 2 惊 Thriller Game: Inheriting My Ancestors' Trillion Netherworld Coins from the Start 惊悚游戏：开局继承祖宗万亿冥币 Peach Blossoms Bloom Every Night桃花夜夜开Mystery1.1M WordsCompleted [Horror game + terror returns + power fantasy] A horror game descends upon the world, and Chen Xun is unexpectedly chosen as a player. Break a game rule, and you die. At that very moment, Chen Xun successfully activates the System and inherits nine trillion Underworld Coins from his ancestors. In the Blood-Red Train 404 dungeon, Chen Xun becomes the most distinguished Platinum Member. In the Bloody Kindergarten dungeon, Chen Xun simply buys the entire kindergarten. Inside the dungeons, his rules 48.4kReads9.1Score7k14d adds

   Reader note

   The novel has a good depth and doesn't feel like it's mindless.

3. 3 世 The World Sinks into Eternal Night, Civilization Drowns in the Light of the Stars 世界沉于永夜，文明溺于辰光 Anti-Static防静电Urban1.8M WordsOngoing [Fantasy] [Plot] [Character Growth] [A Hint of Cosmic Horror] [Slow Burn] [Not a Pure Power Fantasy] Would you rather burn the history books and offer a white veil to the old world, or cradle the rotting truth and dance at the celebrations of the new world? As the world bleeds amid its collapse, as divine revelations echo through civilization... Where will you go? 55.3kReads9.0Score5.1k14d adds

   Reader note

   The analysis of human nature and power here is just right. Human nature and power are judged entirely through perspective. The young genius possesses rational thinking and the composure befitting a genius. The protagonist's mind and abilities are like a blank sheet of paper, gradually filled with color and detail by the author's pen and ingenuity. Meanwhile, the relationship between the male and female leads gradually warms up through repeated brushes with death. Although the male lead remains somewhat naive, it's like a fine wine that gets better with age. However, the abundance of abilities throughout the book, rather than being introduced one by one at the beginning like other books, is precisely what makes this martial arts novel different. If the abilities were too simplistic, readers would lose interest over time. But in this book, whether it's auxiliary abilities or the main abilities of most supporting characters, they all have distinct characteristics. I could clearly feel the changes while reading without getting bored. In short, it's one of the most popular books I've read (I'm currently at over 600 chapters and the author is still updating; perhaps there will be problems later?).

4. 4 传EN Legend Management Bureau 传说管理局 Pest Control Team Member杀虫队队员Eastern Fantasy1.4M WordsCompleted (No harem, no formulaic plot, no invincibility, no System, no brainless decisions, and no wish fulfillment. Read with caution if any of that bothers you.) Du Yu dies an untimely death right at the beginning of the story. Hoping to secure a better spot in his next life, he takes a job with the Bureau of Legendary Tales. His job is to return to legends that have gone off course and put their plots back on track. He never expected that the first mission assigned to an ordinary mortal like him would 168.1kReads9.6Score21.5k14d adds

   Reader note

   Highly rated and high-quality. The first two books are completed works by the same author. The author focuses on logic, the male lead is incredibly intelligent, and the supporting characters are equally intelligent. The author's "Legend" made her a legend, and "Ten Days" not only continues the mind-bending style but also reaches new heights: "I am Qi Xia, and I'm about to start lying!" 😁😁😁 The last book is a personal addition—a cultivation novel. It's female-centric, so please ignore this if you mind. 😊😊😊

5. 5 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 1.7MReads9.9Score206.4k14d adds
6. 6 不 I Only Refuse to Betray the World 不负天下而已 Doudou’s Darling豆豆的宝贝Ancient Romance1.3M WordsCompleted [Cultivation setting + no rebirth + no transmigration + not a wish-fulfillment novel] A kind person may be swept along by the ways of the world and fall into darkness; A great villain with blood on his hands may also turn over a new leaf through a single act of kindness; Li Chenxi is one of the rare people who, even after experiencing a major upheaval, can still hold fast to his true nature; The fates of people like him are often more troubled than those of ordinary people; They are usually eit 261Reads—Score—14d adds
7. 7 律 Lawyer: The Bully Is Innocent? I'll Get Him the Death Penalty! 律师：霸凌者无罪？我送他死刑！ Xun Wen熏文Urban3.1M WordsOngoing Lin Mo is a top lawyer with a 100% win rate. He transmigrates to a parallel world. His first case is a bullying incident that no one else knows how to handle. Bully: “You’re suing me for bullying? You lousy lawyer, ever heard of the law protecting minors? You start talking about the law, and I can’t help laughing. Guys, ignore him. Keep the music playing and the dancing going!” Lin Mo: “Heh... Dancing sounds great. Finish your bullets, then go dance downstairs.” The final verdict: The bullies ar 116.3kReads8.9Score12.2k14d adds

   Reader note

   Whether in terms of plot arrangement or legal professionalism and depth, it ranks among the top in numerous criminal investigation and legal articles. It focuses many high-profile real-life cases into a single article, using a unique first-person perspective to explain various aspects of the legal profession through easy-to-understand and meticulous character portrayals. This allows laypeople like us to knock on the first door to understanding the law and the courts.

8. 8 怪 Strange Tales Livestream! 怪谈直播间！ Stone Giant Monster石头巨怪Mystery1.3M WordsCompleted Welcome to the Rules of the Strange. This is a battle of blood and fire, a test of wit and courage. The power of words cannot be resisted, and the eerie rules must not be broken. In a seemingly hopeless situation, find the one correct answer, break free of your constraints, and search for a way to survive. 173.8kReads9.7Score17.6k14d adds

   Reader note

   This book is absolutely amazing! The protagonist even crosses dimensions to challenge the author in the end. Highly recommended!

9. 9 还 I Have Three Months Left to Live, So Let Me Die in Peace 还剩三个月命，请让我从容赴死 Reclining in the North高卧北Urban169k WordsCompleted From childhood onward, Zhuang Zi'ang was the kind of kid everyone called “the child other parents wish they had”: a model student every year and always first in his class. But after his parents divorced and his father started a new family, he became a child neither parent loved. At just eighteen, Zhuang Zi'ang is diagnosed with a terminal illness and given only three months to live. With his final three months, he decides to let out his rebellious, wild side and be truly himself for once. While 168.8kReads9.8Score19.3k14d adds

   Reader note

   "Three Months Left to Live, Please Let Me Die Calmly"—Understanding the Weight of Love and Living in the Countdown to Death. If you've ever shed tears for Fugui's resilience in "To Live," or been moved by Hawking's questions about life in "A Brief History of Time," then "Three Months Left to Live, Please Let Me Die Calmly" will use a more realistic touch to tear open the softest wounds of humanity, and then mend them with the light of hope. This is the most fervent "poem of life" under the theme of "death"—when life is pronounced to be over, how can we write the final chapter with love and dignity? Tearjerker 1: A boy abandoned by the world, fighting against fate with loneliness. The story of the protagonist Zhuang Zi'ang is a tragic song dedicated to the "marginalized." With divorced parents and a cold family, he was like a seed forgotten in a corner, never feeling the warmth of nourishment. When the diagnosis of terminal illness fell, the blade of fate struck him again—the loneliness of being "abandoned by the world" turned into sobs in every monologue. He huddled in a corner of the hospital, gazing at the lights of countless homes outside the window, and softly asked, "Why must I face even death alone?" Yet, it was precisely this man who, in the last three months of his life, clumsily learned to "love" and "be loved." His encounter with Su Yudie was like a ray of light shining into a crack: she taught him to eat a hot breakfast, to gaze at the starry night sky, and to write a letter he dared not send. Those ordinary, almost trivial moments allowed a dying soul to touch the warmth of "living" for the first time. Tearjerker Two: The Tragedy of Family – The deepest pain comes from the closest loved ones. The book's portrayal of family is a gentle blade. Zhuang Zi'ang's parents, one busy with their career, the other trapped in a new family, even his illness became a "trouble." His mother brought him tonics but didn't want to stay a moment longer; his father transferred money with the note "Take good care of yourself" but never showed up. Those unspoken phone calls, those hastily departing figures, were more heart-wrenching than the terminal illness itself.14 But the author did not stop at accusation. When Zhuang Zi'ang wrote his will on his sickbed, leaving his only savings for his sister's tuition; when he tremblingly dialed his father's number, only saying "Dad, take care of yourself" before hanging up—what we see is not resentment, but a young man's final reconciliation and fulfillment of family ties. Third tearjerker: The battle between love and death, ordinary people are also heroes. "I don't want to die, but I'm even more afraid of becoming a burden to others." Zhuang Zi'ang's struggle is a microcosm of every terminally ill patient. There are no miraculous cures in the book, only brutally realistic details: the nights after chemotherapy when he vomited until he was exhausted, the stubbornness of secretly hiding painkillers, the clumsiness of practicing a "smile" in front of the mirror… But it is precisely this "ordinary" courage that makes life shine with its most dazzling light. Su Yudie's existence is another form of redemption. She is not a saintly savior, but an ordinary person also burdened with trauma. The two licked each other's wounds, sharing a poem, a piece of cake in the hospital room late at night, and even making a pact: "Whoever leaves first will see the sun tomorrow for the other." This "living towards death" companionship transcends clichéd tragedy, elevating love to a profound respect for life itself. Why is this book worth reading with tears in your eyes? A mirror of the Chinese family: from "sensible" silence to a final outburst, tearing open the wounds of "love unspoken" in traditional family relationships. An epic of ordinary people: without heroic halo, only the clumsy struggles and small victories of ordinary people in dire straits, allowing every reader to see their own reflection. An enlightenment on life and death: when medicine declares "powerless," how to bid farewell with dignity? This book provides an answer beyond sentimentality. A final, powerful statement: "If living is about learning to say goodbye, then is death the final graduation ceremony?"—This unfinished sentence in Zhuang Zi'ang's diary shames all those who think they know how to "cherish." Prepare tissues, but please don't just use them to wipe away tears—this book will soak into your heart and plant a sunflower within.

10. 10 被EN Framed on the Spot: I Edited Myself an Emperor's Background! 被污蔑当天，反手编辑大帝背景！ Big Thief 2大贼2Eastern Fantasy1.9M WordsCompleted [Wish-Fulfillment + Empresses and Demonic Beauties + Factions + Raising Pigs to Harvest] Chu Yun transmigrates into a fantasy world and starts out on trial, falsely accused by the sect's leaders, abandoned by his beloved, and framed by his rival in love. What a disastrous start. At the crucial moment, he activates the Background Editing System and rewrites his background: he is the long-lost Ninth Prince of the Great Xia Dynasty. The instant his soul lamp lights up again, countless powerful memb 19kReads8.7Score1.9k14d adds
11. 11 重EN Too Many Reborn Heroes? Time to Bring in the Government 重生者太密集？我带国家队下场 Bian Lu边鹿Sci-Fi & Apocalypse758k WordsCompleted (A feel-good power fantasy, with a beautiful, badass heroine who confiscates golden fingers) “Sheng is the boss around here. She's ruthless and doesn't waste words. Cross her, and she'll take you down!” In the year 2323 of the Star Era, the apocalypse is about to begin. Some people awaken their powers early, while reborn people are already making their moves… As the head of a new department, Sheng An is responsible for recruiting and leading all the powered and reborn individuals, preparing for 123.7kReads9.7Score17.5k14d adds

    Reader note

    UP UP UP [OK][OK][OK][OK] This is truly a masterpiece among post-apocalyptic novels. You think it's all about rebirth, but actually, the female lead's time-traveling ability takes everyone back to the past. It's full of twists and turns and deductions. You think that after being reborn, you can search for anything without any problems, but actually, the country has been watching you all along. My name is Sheng An, "Sheng" meaning prosperous and "An" meaning peaceful and prosperous. My name is Qiu Yu, "Qiu" meaning autumn and autumn, "Yu" meaning favorable weather.

12. 12 天 Genius Training Camp 天才训练营 Demon's Path魔行Urban2.4M WordsCompleted People without an aspect cannot cultivate. This is an unchanging law among humanity. Yet a group of powerful madmen, harboring the outrageous dream of making everyone a dragon, joined forces to build a genius training camp, forcing people to try other cultivation systems. Chen Yan, obsessed with martial arts, eventually earns a chance to enter. Here, he will change his fate and forge his own path in martial arts! 21.2kReads9.0Score1.8k14d adds

    Reader note

    Good writing style with frequent memorable quotes

13. 13 百 Ghosts in the Apocalypse: I Became the Strongest Ghost Tamer 百鬼末世：我成了最强御鬼师 Yi People's Firelight彝人烟火Mystery2.9M WordsOngoing [A Full 1,000 Types of Ghosts] Mysterious ghosts include Jin Buhuan, the White Bone Bodhisattva, the Earthly Branches War Lord, and the Blood-Drop Plum Blossom. The powerful ones include Asura, Rakshasa, the Butcher, the Martial Champion, and the Emperor. The eerie ones include Painted Skin, the Red Robe, the Chubby Baby, the Coroner, the Flower-Waisted Bride, the Embalmer, and the Ever-Burning Lamp. Every type has its own evolution path: Drowned Ghost → Water Monkey → Kappa → ? (There’s more af 114.4kReads9.5Score9.9k14d adds

    Reader note

    These books have high ratings, exciting plots, decisive action, no harem, no Mary Sue characters, and no cliffhangers. See if you like them.

14. 14 我EN Learning to Slay Gods in the Psychiatric Hospital 我在精神病院学斩神 Three Nine Sound Domain三九音域Urban4.3M WordsCompleted A must-read hit on Tomato Novel | Original novel of the hit anime Slay the Gods | IP influence on the China Online Literature Influence List | 2023 China Good Novel Have you ever wondered whether monsters from ancient myths lurk beneath the neon-lit city? Have you ever wondered whether gods stand watch over humanity atop the moon hanging high above us? Have you ever wondered whether extraordinary people walk among us in our bustling modern cities, acting in the gods’ stead? In the society ruled 992.2kReads9.9Score158.5k14d adds
15. 15 开EN Starting with a Street Stall Selling Super Strength Potions 开局地摊卖大力 Yi Qingfeng弈青锋Urban8.9M WordsCompleted [Qingfeng's new novel, This Player Has a Problem in the Head, is currently serializing and has plenty of chapters ready to binge] Earth enters an era of spiritual qi revival, and humanity begins awakening supernatural abilities! Jiang Nan awakens the strongest street-stall System from the start. Potions of Strength? Detoxifying Yellow Beans? Lucky Cherries? They're flying off the shelves! The world's top tycoons, richest man, popular streamers, and peak powerhouses all come to buy them. Jiang Na 333.1kReads9.7Score43.5k14d adds
16. 16 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 1.7MReads9.9Score178.8k14d adds
17. 17 让 I Was Asked to Manage a Class of Good-for-Nothings, So How Did It Become the Martial God Hall? 让你代管废材班，怎么成武神殿了 A Heart Facing the Sun向阳的心Urban5.0M WordsOngoing [Ensemble cast + slow-burn character growth early on + fake enlightenment + comedy + teacher-student bond (it only takes off in the middle and later parts, so don’t read if that’s not your thing)] Three homeroom teachers were driven away in half a month. Class Five, Grade One was full of little tyrants, and every student was a hopeless martial arts talent. Even with the director of academic affairs offering an extremely generous salary, no one would take charge of them. That was when Su Yang act 63.4kReads9.4Score5.1k14d adds
18. 18 大EN A Freshman Internship, and You Go to Bureau 749 to Contain Monsters 大一实习，你跑去749收容怪物 Gaara's Sand我爱罗的沙Urban4.0M WordsOngoing [Decisive killing] [How could any monster be good?] [All monsters deserve to die] [Ruthless] During his sophomore summer vacation, Lu Ding had planned to use the time to take an internship and earn some living expenses. Who could have expected that the construction site where he interned would excavate a bleeding stone? The workers fled one after another, but Lu Ding charged in with a rotary hammer. After transmigrating to this world nearly twenty years ago, Lu Ding’s golden finger, the Monster 513.4kReads9.5Score39.7k14d adds
19. 19 仵 The Imperial Consort Coroner: The Tyrant Treats Her Gently 仵作皇妃：暴君轻点宠 Li Bei梨贝Ancient Romance2.1M WordsCompleted She was a brilliant forensic doctor in the 21st century, famed for solving cases, but in a single moment she transmigrates into the body of a surviving imperial concubine meant to be buried with the dead emperor. To save her life, she defies the rules, takes advantage of the tyrant's feigned death, and runs off carrying his child! Five years later, disguised as a man, she has become a renowned miracle-working coroner, wandering the martial world with her son. Who knew the tyrant would be so pett 724Reads7.1Score10314d adds
20. 20 系EN Immortality System: I Outlived Everyone 系统赋我长生，我熬死了所有人 One Durian No. 3一只榴莲3号Eastern Fantasy5.6M WordsOngoing Observing the love and hatred of cultivators across the river of time from a perspective beyond life itself. He left a modest little town and entered the wondrous world of cultivation. His journey sped up and slowed down, moving forward or stopping to rest, but he never stopped walking. The Age of Declining Dharma, the Age of Emperors, the Age of Dark Turmoil… He appeared in every age, and the only thing he could do was watch old friends die with his own eyes, then see them off to their grave 581.6kReads9.4Score60.6k14d adds

    Reader note

    🤭These are mostly books with scores of 9 or higher, definitely worth reading. After finishing them, you'll feel excited and as if you've returned to your youth.

21. 21 黑 The Black Demon and the White Emperor 黑魔白帝 The Heart Won't Stir, Won't Stir, Won't Stir心不动不动不动Eastern Fantasy153k WordsCompleted [No System] [Not Invincible] [Not a Power Fantasy] [Ruthless] Don't jump into this book expecting anything. The plot is a little hard to describe. The protagonist has a rough start. Little does he know, it's all one scheme within another. The only thrilling parts are the fights and power-ups, and you'll have to experience those for yourself! This tells the story of a good person gradually turning dark! Cunning and ruthless. Cultivates both spiritual and demonic arts. The protagonist, Bai Ze, was —Reads—Score—14d adds

    Reader note

    Come on, this is a bit more advanced. It's for you.

22. 22 请 Your Highness, Go to Your Death! 请皇兄，赴死！ Brew Little Wine煮小酒Historical1.1M WordsOngoing Zhou Che is reborn as the sixth prince of Great Xia, but his five elder brothers keep closing in on him. They want to strip me of my claim to the throne! They want to confiscate what little my family has left! They want to take the woman I love and kill me! If that’s how it is “If you, my brothers, can kill your own kin, why can’t I?” “If you can fight for the realm, why can’t I?” “You all think yourselves capable. What makes me any less so?!” Zhou Che rises with his sword drawn. “Your sixth bro 31.4kReads9.2Score2.5k14d adds

    Reader note

    It's insightful and substantial, the kind of book you don't understand on the first read and need to read further to deduce the meaning. It's incredibly good, highly recommended!

23. 23 无 The Unburnt Path of Wonder 无烬妙门 Sitting on a Mountain, Stumbling Upon a Deer坐山遇鹿Eastern Fantasy920k WordsCompleted [Slow Burn + Grounded Fantasy + Traditional Xianxia + Ordinary Mortal] The young Lu Ming sets out on the path to immortality. Born into humble circumstances, he has only middling talent. Fortunately, his Dao heart is firm, and he does not let the hardships of bottlenecks defeat him. He minds his own affairs and watches dynasties rise and fall, facing the vicissitudes of the immortal path head-on. Even gifted geniuses struggle to withstand life’s twists and turns. He alone remains ordinary, calm 546Reads8.8Score—14d adds
24. 24 犯 The Usurper 犯上者 Li Ma李马Urban2.7M WordsCompleted [The print edition has been signed, so read with confidence] (No System, no invincibility, plot-focused, explores human nature, not a formulaic power fantasy) (The protagonist grows and changes as the story unfolds) (An ensemble cast: supporting characters aren't one-dimensional, and respond with genuine emotions to the changes around them) No one knows when this world began to split in two. 221.5kReads9.4Score36.1k14d adds
25. 25 异EN The Creatures That We Are 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 478.1kReads9.7Score66.6k14d adds
26. 26 灰EN Above the Gray Fog 灰雾之上 Anti-Static防静电Eastern Fantasy4.5M WordsCompleted [Lord of the Mysteries]+ [Potions]+ [Races]+ [Civilization] A hundred years from now, I am a hero. My deeds become stories, praised by all. A thousand years from now, I am a legend. Stories become epics, passed down through generations. Ten thousand years from now, I am a faith. Epics become myths, and the incense offered to me never ceases. P.S. This book is also known as Above the Gray Mist. P.S. The development of the human race provides the backdrop. The focus is on an individual's epic, no 88.2kReads9.3Score7.7k14d adds
27. 27 残 Defective Product (Original Novel for the Short Drama Beyond Order) 残次品（短剧《秩序之外》原著小说） No Parking Spaces Left车位已满Modern Romance84k WordsCompleted [The original novel behind the hit short drama Outside the Lines, directed by Xia Qiji and starring Deng Lingshu and Yang Pengcheng~~~] [Elite engineer Wei Liang x problem robot Wei Nanfeng] [Modern romance + acclaimed novel + devoted love interest + artificial intelligence + imagined future + pure-love enthusiast] On the day Wei Liang quits her job, she finds a service robot that failed its tests and is about to be sent for destruction. Service robots must follow three fundamental rules. First, 4.8kReads9.6Score72214d adds

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