Short Realist Stories That Grow More Terrifying the More You Think About Them 细思极恐的现实主义题材短篇

1. 1 我 The Day I Was Born, a Hundred Ghosts Fled and a Soul Reaper Came Calling 我出生当天，百鬼退避，阴差上门 Be Careful当心Mystery4.2M WordsOngoing My mother was crazy, but after I was born, she miraculously got better. Before my birth, Granny Liu in the village had divined that I was born under the Ziwei Star, destined to be blessed with benefactors and an exalted fate beyond words. But after I was born, a blood moon hung in the sky and black clouds blanketed the heavens. Only then did Granny Liu realize... [Taboos of Yin and Yang, Folk Horror] King Yama seals the coffin, and no one can rise again for a hundred years. The Poor Ghost crouch 20.2kReads8.7Score1.8kShelves

   Reader note

   I am the Heavenly Mandate of Ziwei, to suppress all ghosts and demons in the world.

2. 2 快 Quick Transmigration: The White Moonlight Enters a BE Script 快穿白月光穿进be剧本 Carefree Chatterbox佛系叽歪Modern Romance1.7M WordsCompleted #Shocking! The Dream Girl Meets a Love-Struck Hero in Every World!# [Dream Girl + Satisfying Romance + Healing and Redemption + No Fixed Couple] After Qing Dai’s fiftieth blind date ends in failure, she’s told it’s because the fragments of her soul scattered across different little worlds have left a trail of broken hearts: They were the CEO’s dream girl, the campus heartthrob’s secret wife, the regent’s cinnabar mole, the secretly adored imperial princess in a matriarchal world… As the dream gi 33.4kReads9.2Score2.1kShelves
3. 3 起 Woke Up Suddenly, Saw That My Best Friend Had Turned Into a Vengeful Ghost 起猛了，看到闺蜜变厉鬼了 Zhou Guifeng周圭寸Modern Romance459k WordsCompleted [Just started, so the rating will rise. Feel free to dive in!] [Strong female lead + comedy + modern fantasy + multiple versions of the male lead] When she woke up, Yun Jian Yue discovered that her best friend had croaked and become a headless vengeful ghost. Yun Jian Yue: I must've woken up too early. I'll go back to sleep. Best friend: … Yun Jian Yue took her friend to get revenge on the scumbag, but a more powerful vengeful ghost showed up halfway through and stole the target. Yun Jian Yue ra 35.8kReads9.4Score5.3kShelves

   Reader note

   The writing style is humorous and witty, and the dialogue is lively and down-to-earth. The story's core is warm and healing, reflecting the brilliance of humanity amidst the mundane details of daily life.

4. 4 糟EN Oh No! The Little Zombie Accidentally Became a Big Shot 糟糕！小丧尸一不小心就成了大佬 Sui An Ya岁安呀Sci-Fi & Apocalypse1.1M WordsCompleted [Apocalypse x food hoarding x devoted couple x sweet romance x little zombie heroine x super badass, high-output hero] Torrential rain, typhoons, tsunamis, thunderstorms, the disappearance of Earth's magnetic field, zombies, monsters, supernatural abilities, and more... Congratulations, you've entered the main storyline of the apocalypse. The whole world is about to be reshuffled. From here on, survival depends on your life, your luck, and yourself. - While everyone else is still screaming in a 76kReads9.5Score10.4kShelves
5. 5 以 I Offer My Devotion to the Passing Years 以我深情祭岁月 Er Qiao二乔Modern Romance324k WordsCompleted [The physical book with the same title is now available] “I hesitated once. I turned back to face the slightest glimmer of hope, yet no one cared.” “Later, a thick fog rolled in. You said you loved me so much, but why was your love thinner than the fog, so faint I could barely see it?” Shen Nian 75.3kReads9.4Score6.7kShelves
6. 6 刑 Detective Qin Feng 刑警秦枫 Sang Mountain Bladesman牟山刀客Mystery684k WordsCompleted Set in Ancheng, a small city on the central-southern border at the turn of the millennium in the late 1990s, this story follows criminal investigation captain Qin Feng and his comrades on a fiery journey, painting a blood-streaked portrait of society at the turn of the century. This fictional border city is a prism of its era, reflecting the tangled landscape of crime in a China undergoing transformation. Bloody murder scenes intertwine with backroom deals between officials and businessmen, whil 61Reads—Score—Shelves
7. 7 红 The Red High Heel 红色高跟鞋 Baby Dragon of the Netherworld幽界宝宝龙Mystery6k WordsCompleted Red High Heels 43Reads—Score—Shelves

   Reader note

   #Book Recommendation: A short story novel combining realism, horror elements, social issues, psychological alienation, and the dark side of human nature.

8. 8 荒 Strange Happenings in the Desolate Village 荒村诡事 Can I Face the Sun?可以向阳嘛Mystery7k WordsCompleted Strange Tales of a Desolate Village 1Reads—Score—Shelves
9. 9 恐 Horror Descends: The Ghost Gate 恐怖降临【鬼门】 Ten-Mile Mad Lad十里狂少Mystery1.0M WordsCompleted Horror + supernatural + suspense + survival + infinite worlds + twists A world of horror descends, and countless Gates of the Dead suddenly appear. Those selected must enter the gates and make a desperate escape. Some gates are formed from horror novels. Some are formed from horror movies. Some are formed from tales of evil spirits. Some are formed from bizarre imaginings. Entering a Gate of the Dead means your life has started counting down. Who can make it out alive? “If you're curious abo 1.9kReads6.3Score136Shelves
10. 10 穿 Reborn as a Widow, I Became the Mother of Seven Children 穿成寡妇后，我成了七个孩子的娘 Zi Mu Fang Hua梓木芳华Ancient Romance1.1M WordsCompleted A word of warning: no golden finger, no pocket dimension, no romance, just a down-to-earth farming story. After successfully divorcing her scumbag husband, modern-day executive Yan Qingqing was so happy that her joy turned to sorrow. She accidentally transmigrated to a poor little mountain village in a remote backwater, where she found herself a widow whose husband had just died. Life was already hard for the widowed mother and her children, and she was pregnant to boot. Add in her biased in-law 5kReads9.2Score647Shelves
11. 11 带 After the Divorce, Enjoying a Feast with Mother, While the Jerk Father’s Family Frets 带下堂娘吃大肉，渣爹一家急眼了 Twenty-Four Songs廿四歌Ancient Romance2.4M WordsCompleted After transmigrating, Lian'er found her mother being cast aside and saw the Song family’s ugly true colors. She firmly chose to leave with her mother. You want to divorce my mother? Not a chance. Hand over the divorce papers. Her younger brother stabbed her in the back. Fine, put your thumbprint on the severance agreement, and we’re done with each other. She changed her surname, turning from a maternal granddaughter into a true member of the Qiao family. Her mother had a bad leg, and the Qiao fa 7kReads8.7Score1.1kShelves
12. 12 重 Reborn: My Scumbag Political Rival Kneels and Calls Me Princess Consort 重生归来：渣男政敌跪叫我王妃 Xuanyuan Mengxi轩辕梦曦Ancient Romance24k WordsCompleted Reborn: My Scumbag Political Rival Kneels and Calls Me Princess 1Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    Take a look at these.

13. 13 神 The Miracle Doctor and Poisonous Concubine: Reborn, She Makes the Prince Kneel and Cry 神医毒妃：重生后她让王爷跪着哭 Xuanyuan Mengxi轩辕梦曦Ancient Romance25k WordsCompleted The Divine Doctor and Poison Consort: After Being Reborn, She Makes the Prince Kneel and Cry 1Reads—Score—Shelves
14. 14 错 Mistook Someone for His White Moonlight? The CEO Torments the Scumbag and Burns It All Down 错认白月光？虐渣总裁火葬场 Xuanyuan Mengxi轩辕梦曦Marriage & Romance27k WordsCompleted Mistaking Her for His White Moonlight? The Scumbag CEO's Road to Ruin —Reads—Score—Shelves
15. 15 休 On the Day I Divorced Him, the Grand Secretary Carried an Imperial Edict to Steal Me Away! 休夫当天，首辅扛着圣旨来抢我！ Divine and Demonic Sword Soul神魔剑魂Marriage & Romance12k WordsCompleted The day I divorce my husband, the chief minister arrives carrying an imperial decree to claim me! —Reads—Score—Shelves
16. 16 重 Reborn Poison Doctor: Prince, Sign the Divorce Papers 重生毒医：王爷，和离请签字 Divine and Demonic Sword Soul神魔剑魂Ancient Romance28k WordsCompleted Reborn as a Poison Doctor: Prince, Sign the Divorce Papers —Reads—Score—Shelves
17. 17 孤 Lone Wanderer 孤行者 Wang Yiwang王已忘Urban2.9M WordsCompleted An abandoned “simpleton” takes his first bold step, and a brilliant, shining life begins to unfold. Life’s wonders are not made up of laughter alone. There are far more tears along the way, but come rain or shine, he presses on and grows stronger! 207.3kReads9.4Score17.6kShelves

    Reader note

    His mother remarried, abandoning him and his younger siblings. He lived alone and destitute in the countryside, his only support a relative who forced him to drop out of school and do manual labor to earn money. Filled with longing for his mother and siblings, he secretly ran to the train station in tattered clothes, hoping to find them. The station staff gave him food and old shoes; it was the first time he felt warmth and kindness from strangers. In the days that followed, no matter how successful he became, he always carefully kept those shoes. Later, in a bustling, unfamiliar city, he was rescued by a beggar and became a beggar himself…

18. 18 老 Her Husband Cast to the Wrong Screen, His Father Calls Him Useless 老公投错屏，公公骂他废物 Ayu Little FishAyu小鱼9k WordsCompleted Her Husband Cast to the Wrong Screen, Her Father-in-Law Calls Him a Good-for-Nothing 124Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    The plot twist is unexpected, pay attention to the details!

19. 19 诡EN The House of Dread 诡舍 The Sound of Wind and Rain at Night,夜来风雨声丶Mystery2.1M WordsCompleted [Infinite-flow + Mild Horror + Survival + One Female Lead] A driverless bus carried a group of cursed people to a strange black lodge… Inside the lodge stood a door stained red with blood. At regular intervals, the cursed were forcibly dragged through the blood-red door and into terrifying worlds, where they had to complete horrifying events… After Ning Qiushui survived one bizarre and terrifying story after another inside the lodge, narrowly escaping death each time, he discovered that none of 711.1kReads9.6Score100.9kShelves

    Reader note

    [Highly Recommended Suspense and Thriller] Would you dare step into this villa and care for the elderly woman who "can't eat vegetables" for five days? If you prefer chilling, unsettling horror stories, then this seven-day nightmare set in a secluded villa is a must-see. 📖 Synopsis: Ning Qiushui and six others are hired by a gentle and beautiful married woman. The task seems simple: care for her elderly, paralyzed, and intellectually deteriorating mother for five days while she takes her daughter out. The pay is generous, and the employer is magnanimous. —But cracks soon appear. The woman smiles and instructs, "My mother doesn't like vegetables, just cook more meat." The refrigerator she shows is crammed with unidentifiable meat. The little girl beside her has extreme fear in her eyes. The villa is eerily empty, and the television automatically plays a bloody program of skinning a living person. When someone trembles and says, "That's a prop," the protagonist, Ning Qiushui, coldly replies, "It's not animal blood." The mission begins, and the oppressive atmosphere intensifies. The companion wolfing down his food, the elderly man who never showed up upstairs, the many empty bedrooms and toilets… all the suspicious points converged into a chilling fear. It wasn't until a scream ripped through the silence from the second floor that they realized their five days of care had actually been a life-or-death survival game…

20. 20 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

    When I feel most upset and want to cry it out, I listen to Zhang Chenze and Tian Tian's autobiography.

21. 21 A My 50-50 Husband, I'm Done Putting Up with You! AA制老公，我跟你拼了 Late June六月末时14k WordsCompleted My Husband Wants to Split Every Bill. I've Had It! 71Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    AA system counterattack

22. 22 国 National Treasure 国家宝藏 Old Nine of the Daoist Sect道门老九Mystery930k WordsCompleted [Tomb Raiding + Mystery + Smart Protagonists] There is a group of people armed with black blades and mysterious arts, born to venture into ancient tombs across the land. There is a group of people who fight without end and bleed until they are drained, dying to protect the nation's treasures. They stand before the countless people of the world, shielding them from its darkest corners. They leave the greatest glory of their people behind them, for all to behold. They share one name: Qilin. But I 38.6kReads9.4Score6.5kShelves

    Reader note

    Completed, suspenseful, intellectually stimulating, adventure story set in the Republican era, depicting the tale of a group of heroic patriots who risked their lives to protect national treasures.

23. 23 让 You Asked Me to Play a Victim's Family Member, and I Became a Master Criminal? 让你扮演受害者家属，你竟成犯罪大师？ Da Shun Da Li大顺大莉Mystery608k WordsCompleted Xiao Sa returns to the revamped Today’s Legal News, where actors will reenact thrilling cases and broadcast them live online. Veteran detective Chen Kai transmigrates to a parallel world and finds himself on the show as the parent of a bullying victim. He also acquires the Police Nemesis System. He watches his daughter get bullied at school, extorted for money, and left with blood at the corner of her mouth, weeping uncontrollably. He hears a teacher say, “Why do they pick on you and not anyo 255Reads5.5Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    I promoted my own book. They said I wasn't suitable, haha. Tomato, it has to be you. For my sister's sake, I had to join the fugitive show.

24. 24 攀 Marrying Up 攀高枝 Egrets in Pairs白鹭成双Ancient Romance424k WordsCompleted [Film and TV rights sold] [Print edition published] Zhang Zhixu had everything from birth. A family with a century of prestige, enviable talent, and a career that kept rising step by step. But he found life terribly dull. Then, one day, an accident struck, and his soul entered a woman's body. A woman who couldn't read a single character, yet dreamed of marrying into a powerful family and becoming a phoenix. · Chen Baoxiang had traveled a thousand miles from the countryside to the capital, hoping 165.6kReads9.6Score23.2kShelves

    Reader note

    In the book, Zhang Zhixu and Chen Baoxiang, through their intertwined souls, gradually discover the softness and resilience deep within each other's hearts. Through mutual understanding and compromise, they experience the pain and joy of growth together, and also re-examine the meaning and value of life.

25. 25 诡 Terror in the Haunted Dorm 诡寝惊魂 Chen Zidong辰子栋Mystery3.6M WordsCompleted I got a job as a dorm supervisor in a university women’s residence, but the girls there were a little too friendly… Crying in the middle of the night, dorm rooms catching fire, rooms that don’t exist. Hidden in the deepest corners of memory is a bizarre and fantastical world… The night is deep, the dream unfinished. A mountain spirit blows out the lamp. Where can a lonely soul return? 10.8kReads8.5Score1.1kShelves
26. 26 我 I Collected 99 Horror Stories 我收集了99个恐怖故事 Wangwang Little Zhen旺旺小小甄Mystery421k WordsCompleted [Short Story Collection] [Chinese-Style Horror] [Based on True Cases] [Uncanny Reality] [Horror Adventures] [Chilling] The stories of this world are half true and half false; the warmth and coldness of human nature make good and evil hard to tell apart. Light and shadow coexist, as do kindness and malice. If you’ve done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear when ghosts knock at midnight. But if ghosts and spirits really came calling, could you face them calmly? This book is a collection of 13.9kReads8.7Score1.6kShelves
27. 27 官 The Turbulent Road to Power 官路风云 Wolf of the Northern Dark北冥有狼Urban6.3M WordsOngoing Lin Hai, a former soldier, angered powerful people while helping someone in need. He was transferred to a township government job, where his fight against local criminal forces brought him a steady stream of attacks and obstruction. But with sheer determination, he rises from adversity. Using his exceptional intelligence and endless array of tactics, he punishes criminals, upholds justice, and crushes every enemy beneath his feet. In the treacherous world of politics, he makes his way through th 105.3kReads9.1Score6.2kShelves

    Reader note

    A realistic story where the male protagonist overcomes numerous obstacles to climb to a high position. It contains positive energy, but also elements of intrigue and manipulation, offering valuable lessons for those in the workplace and helping them see the truth behind certain situations…

28. 28 我 I Work the Front Desk at a Hotel, and the Juicy Gossip Never Ends 我在酒店当前台，各种大瓜吃不完 Alliance Leader Jun V盟主君V10k WordsCompleted I work the front desk at a hotel, and there's no end to the juicy gossip I hear. —Reads—Score—Shelves
29. 29 黄 The Yellow Weasel’s Wish 黄大仙的许愿 Sesame-Crusted Chicken Drumstick芝麻脆皮鸡腿9k WordsCompleted Wong Tai Sin's Wish 238Reads—Score—Shelves
30. 30 我 My Years as a Feng Shui Consultant in the Entertainment Industry 我在娱乐圈当风水顾问的那些年 Bitter Melon with Flower Crab苦瓜炒花蟹Mystery2.3M WordsCompleted Corpse-oil lipstick, raising little ghosts, summoning fox spirits, tattooed talismans: some celebrities will stop at nothing to get famous and go viral. My name is Chen Tian. I'm a feng shui consultant who moves in entertainment circles, specializing in handling the aftermath for celebrities who rose to fame through supernatural means. 137.9kReads9.0Score26.2kShelves
31. 31 丁 The DINK Hunter 丁克猎人 Hua Laiyangshi华莱扬士14k WordsCompleted The Childfree Hunter 5Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    These are good, excellent short stories, truly chilling upon closer examination.

32. 32 到 So, Who's the Prey? 到底谁是猎物？ Hua Laiyangshi华莱扬士13k WordsCompleted So, Who's the Prey? 5Reads—Score—Shelves
33. 33 恶 A Rich Bully Demanded 1.4 Million from Me, Leaving Me No Way Out 恶少要我赔140万，我被逼上绝路 Hua Laiyangshi华莱扬士Modern Romance17k WordsCompleted A Bully Demands 1.4 Million in Compensation, Driving Me to the Edge 16Reads—Score—Shelves
34. 34 夜 Walking the Night Road, Looking Back on Half a Life 夜路行，半生望 Hua Laiyangshi华莱扬士17k WordsCompleted Walking the Night Road, Looking Ahead Through Half a Life 25Reads—Score—Shelves
35. 35 我 I’m Not Just Complaining 我没有乱抱怨 Hua Laiyangshi华莱扬士19k WordsCompleted I Wasn't Complaining for No Reason —Reads—Score—Shelves
36. 36 听 I Should’ve Listened to the Old Man’s Advice: Now I’m Paying the Price 听了老人言，吃亏在眼前 Hua Laiyangshi华莱扬士12k WordsCompleted Take the Old Man's Advice, and You'll Regret It Right Away —Reads—Score—Shelves
37. 37 林 Lin Wei: The Blue Sea at the End of the Covered Bridge 林微：廊桥尽头是蓝海 Hua Laiyangshi华莱扬士15k WordsCompleted Lin Wei: The Blue Sea at the End of the Covered Bridge 10Reads—Score—Shelves
38. 38 小 The Little Fairy’s “Cohabitation” Property Settlement 小仙女的“同居”分财产 Hua Laiyangshi华莱扬士11k WordsCompleted The Little Fairy's “Cohabitation” Property Division —Reads—Score—Shelves
39. 39 龙 The Dragon King Is Released from Prison, and I Can Become Invincible with My Senior Sisters' Help 龙王出狱，我靠师姐就能无敌 Snorting Cat鼻哼怪猫Urban4.9M WordsCompleted The hit short drama “The Dragon King Is Out of Prison, and My Senior Sisters Make Me Invincible” is now available on Douyin, Hongguo, and Tomato. Go watch it! His clan was wiped out. Two hundred and eighty-four lives were lost in a sea of flames overnight! Han Feng was shot in the heart and fell off a cliff. Rescued by someone, he was given the heart of a divine dragon! After three years in prison mastering his skills, he returned with unrivaled power! He hung the heads of every last enemy thro 9.5kReads9.1Score954Shelves
40. 40 公 Turning the Tables in the Civil Service Exam: Climbing the Ladder from the Interview Onward 公考逆袭：从面试开始一路攀登 Yuanming Xiaoyang元明小阳Urban3.3M WordsOngoing People's affections are as thin as paper, and the world changes like a new chess game with every turn. Li Xiuyuan starts at the grassroots level, driven by a desire to get ahead. He takes one steady step after another, climbing higher with every move! 742.1kReads9.2Score59.8kShelves

    Reader note

    Rebirth-themed officialdom novels are still worth reading, as they offer insightful critiques of social phenomena!

41. 41 恐 Horror Camgirl 恐怖女主播 The Girl Who Swallows Ghosts吞鬼的女孩Mystery2.3M WordsCompleted My name is Yuan Junyao, a name that doesn't suit me at all. I've had a chronic illness since birth, and I'm so hideously deformed that tumors started growing on my face when I was little. My father left me when I was just three months old. At fifteen, I was blamed for my mother's death. Only my grandmother raised me and my stepbrother, who shared neither parent with me. But after an accident, I was offered up to a man who should never have crossed my path. To get revenge and see justice done, I 17.9kReads9.1Score2.3kShelves
42. 42 真 True Stories of Folk Horror 真实民间恐怖故事 The Way Without the Wind无风自道Mystery219k WordsCompleted Real! Real! Real! I'm not after horror, just realism. The stories in this novel come from friends around me and readers across the internet. Anyone with mental health issues can skip it. And whatever you do, don't read it alone at night. I'm mainly worried you'll wet the bed the next day. 73Reads—Score—Shelves

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