Angsty Novels That Leave You Gasping for Air in the Middle of the Night 虐文，虐到半夜喘不过气的

1. 1 雪 Prisoner of the Snowfall Palace 雪烬宫囚 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫Ancient Romance911k WordsOngoing I am the most beloved Ninth Princess of the Great Liang dynasty. The day the capital fell, my father, who had doted on me beyond measure, shoved me from the Star-Picking Tower, hoping my life would buy him a chance to escape. Qin Yi, the rebel leader, caught me below. Emotions I couldn’t understand churned in his blood-red eyes. “Tell me, who threw you down?” I fainted in his arms, which reeked of blood. He began a bloodbath in the imperial city, slaughtering the entire royal family, yet spared 3.9kReads6.4Score227Shelves

   Reader note

   Tortured to the point of suffocation, extremely depressed, not afraid of angina pectoris

2. 2 浮 Pagoda: The Lord Steals His Minister’s Wife 浮屠：君夺臣妻 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫Historical15k WordsCompleted Futu: The Lord Takes His Minister's Wife 888Reads—Score—Shelves
3. 3 山 Where the Hills Are Green, the General Has a Heart 山有扶苏，将军有情 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫Marriage & Romance7k WordsCompleted There Are Fusu Trees on the Mountain, and a General with a Heart 83Reads—Score—Shelves
4. 4 再 The Crown Princess Again 再为太子妃 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫11k WordsCompleted Become the Crown Princess Again 133Reads—Score—Shelves
5. 5 迫 Forced to Marry the Ninth Prince 迫嫁九王妃 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫Ancient Romance49k WordsCompleted Forced to Marry the Ninth Prince 43Reads—Score—Shelves
6. 6 囚 Kept as a Fox Concubine, I Ran Away 囚狐为妾，我直接逃了 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫Ancient Romance40k WordsCompleted I Was Kept as a Fox Concubine, So I Ran Away 373Reads—Score—Shelves
7. 7 他 He Slaughtered My Entire Family, So I Stabbed Him Through the Heart 他屠戮我满门，我给他穿心一剑 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫37k WordsCompleted He Slaughtered My Entire Family, So I Stabbed Him Through the Heart 494Reads—Score—Shelves
8. 8 他 He Turned Me into a Blind Woman 他把我变成了盲女 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫26k WordsCompleted He Turned Me into a Blind Woman 841Reads—Score—Shelves
9. 9 飞 The Canary That Flew Away 飞走的金丝雀 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫18k WordsCompleted The Canary That Flew Away 166Reads—Score—Shelves
10. 10 他 He Got Together with His "Buddy," So I Chose to Walk Away 他跟“哥们”好上了，我选择退出 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫9k WordsCompleted He Got Together with His "Buddy," So I Chose to Walk Away 40Reads—Score—Shelves
11. 11 九 Nine Lifetimes of Reincarnation, A Love Begun and Lost 九世轮回，缘起缘灭 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫11k WordsCompleted Nine Lifetimes of Reincarnation, Fate Begins and Ends 528Reads—Score—Shelves
12. 12 宠 He Doted on His Concubine and Neglected His Wife, So I Divorced the General 宠妾灭妻，我把将军给休了 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫26k WordsCompleted He Dotes on His Concubine and Neglects His Wife, So I Divorced the General 527Reads—Score—Shelves
13. 13 他 He Loves Me, Yet He Married Her 他爱我，却娶了她 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫10k WordsCompleted He Loves Me, Yet He Married Her 18Reads—Score—Shelves
14. 14 玩 It Was Just for Fun, But He Took It Seriously 玩玩而已，他却当真了 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫Marriage & Romance27k WordsCompleted It Was Just for Fun, But He Took It Seriously 24Reads—Score—Shelves
15. 15 他 He Said I Was Too Loud, So I Fell Completely Silent 他嫌我太吵，我彻底安静了 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫12k WordsCompleted He Said I Was Too Noisy, So I Went Completely Quiet 33Reads—Score—Shelves
16. 16 暗 An Assassin’s Love and Revenge, Beyond Romance 暗卫情仇，无关风月 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫Ancient Romance38k WordsCompleted A Dark Guard's Love and Grudge, Beyond Romance 102Reads—Score—Shelves
17. 17 剑 Sword Dance for the Demon-Subduing Consort 剑舞镇妖妃 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫Ancient Romance8k WordsCompleted The Sword-Dancing Demon Queen 21Reads—Score—Shelves
18. 18 我 I Was His Blade, and He Shattered My Soul 我为他刃，他断我魂 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫Ancient Romance7k WordsCompleted I Became His Blade, and He Shattered My Soul 82Reads—Score—Shelves
19. 19 断 A Grudge Written in Broken Bones 断骨之怨 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫Ancient Romance48k WordsCompleted A Grudge Carved in Broken Bones 797Reads—Score—Shelves
20. 20 碎 Shatter the Inverted Qilin 碎逆麟 Eighteen Is My Cat十八是我的猫Ancient Romance20k WordsCompleted Shattered Reversed Scale 153Reads—Score—Shelves
21. 21 灰 The Gray Lotus 灰莲花 Clouds of Rough Noodles Again又见糙面云Modern Romance819k WordsCompleted [A textbook case of realist business warfare + a deeply romantic, top-tier intellectual romance] The world has gone mad. A top-tier rich, handsome young heir is forced to compete with his wealthy wife for a lover... “If she likes me and I like her too, then we’ll each have to prove ourselves.” The male lead is loaded with resources and comes with every advantage, while the female lead has brains and beauty and rises from humble beginnings. A textbook case of realist business warfare, arranged fa 36.1kReads9.4Score4.7kShelves

    Reader note

    A must-read if you like modern fiction. The main cast is all highly intelligent, the male protagonist is coquettish and well-educated, and the female protagonist has a great business relationship. They are a couple who love each other very much. The business battles are exciting and touching. Don't read this book for younger readers. It's a book that is very picky for readers.

22. 22 最 The Last Roll of Film 最后一卷胶片 Fire Poker from Sihe City四合城的烧火棍Modern Romance111k WordsCompleted [School romance | Secret crush | BE] Have you ever had a secret crush on someone? The kind where he sits in front of you, just forty centimeters away, but you have to rehearse saying his name a hundred times in your head. Shen Jinhe has had a crush on Jiang Zhi from the age of thirteen to twenty-five, twelve years in all. She saves every sticky note he writes and every piece of candy he gives her. When he turns around, she pretends to be looking at the blackboard; when he smiles, her heart races 1.1kReads—Score207Shelves

    Reader note

    Youth campus type

23. 23 永 Never Return to the Capital 永不返京 Scholar Bai Du白杜书生Modern Romance168k WordsCompleted [Capital Circle + Older Man/Younger Woman + BE + A Scoundrel’s Sincere Love] The year they met, Pei Runjin was nineteen and Li Chengchuan was twenty-seven. They met in the capital. On Pei Runjin’s birthday, Li Chengchuan asked her what she wished for. Looking at the treetops swaying in the night breeze outside the window, she said, “Right now, I just really miss you. I don’t wish for anything else.” Li Chengchuan suddenly felt the intense emotions surging from the twenty-year-old girl. The softn 4.2kReads—Score357Shelves
24. 24 梧 Wutong Lane 梧桐巷 Song Che Doesn't Eat Fish宋澈不吃鱼Modern Romance174k WordsCompleted [Bright and kind-hearted Ning Wan x gentle genius Song Qingyan] [Love at first sight + Secret love comes true + Youthful heartache + BE] When the innocent, sunny Ning Wan fell in love with Song Qingyan at first sight, he was the golden boy in everyone's eyes. She wrote her secret feelings in her diary, planning to keep them to herself. By a twist of fate, Song Qingyan became her temporary guardian. During the days when she was ostracized and bullied, he became the light in her life. She held on 27.2kReads9.6Score6.3kShelves

    Reader note

    It's really nice, huh. The male protagonist is a very good person, and the female protagonist is also a very, very, very, very, very, very, very good person!!! The heroine's brother is also good!

25. 25 我 I've Secretly Loved Him, Year After Year 我偷偷喜欢他，一年又一年 Clouds and Smoke with You云烟与卿Modern Romance11k WordsCompleted Jiang Yuze will never know That a girl named Xiao Xi secretly loved him for seven years. Xiao Xi: a desolate hope. Just like her unrequited love, it would never see the light of day. She said, “I once loved someone with all my heart, too. But he never knew how I felt.” Reader's note: Based on a true story 2.1kReads8.6Score193Shelves
26. 26 最 The Last Farewell Letter 最后一封离别信 Sui Ying随楹Modern Romance24k WordsCompleted [Signed for publication in simplified Chinese] May this letter find you well, and may these words make you feel as if we were face to face. Jiang Xunian. This is the second letter I’ve written to you, and my last goodbye. Perhaps I should introduce myself to you again. Hello, my name is Yan Shun. 1.8kReads9.2Score571Shelves
27. 27 下 Next Chapter 下一章 Wan Fusu畹扶苏Two Female Leads32k WordsCompleted [Two female leads + short story + final rally before death + mutual salvation + not a rebirth story + based on real events + tragic ending] Ni Sisi: “I don’t care what other people think. I only care how you feel.” Zuo Qingshu: “I’ve always been happy, and it’s all because of you.” Those who don’t love each other torment one another, while those who do are separated by life and death. They overcame every obstacle and should have made it to the altar. But on the eve of their wedding, a mentally 1kReads8.8Score250Shelves
28. 28 血 Bloodstained, a Wild Rose with an Unyielding Spirit 血染，傲骨野玫瑰 Jun Luo Qing君落轻Modern Romance282k WordsCompleted [Women's Fiction] Important note: The heroine is not actually Xi Lianyue. This will be explained later. Because she looked like someone else, she was made to take the blame. Four years in prison were not enough. Even after her release, she still couldn't escape the mire of reality. She was forced into a pond of piranhas, used as a live test subject, made to fight Tibetan mastiffs, and had both legs broken. After all the persecution, the truth was finally revealed piece by piece. The men who had 6.2kReads9.0Score555Shelves
29. 29 我 I Only Took a Peek at Him 我只偷看他一眼 Zhi Jiu枝玖Anime Fanfiction188k WordsCompleted During the speech by the freshman class representative, Chen Nan fell for Lu Xu at first sight, and for the rest of her life. The pink sunset beyond the window filled the entire sky, like a beautiful landscape painting. The clouds looked drunk, their cheeks flushed with color. Chen Nan held her breath and stole a sidelong glance at Lu Xu. His profile was youthful and striking, and he held his book with perfect posture. A ray of light fell on the yellowed pages, and touched him as well. The dayli 15kReads9.6Score3.5kShelves
30. 30 缺 Oxygen Deprivation 缺氧 Lemon Fox柠檬狐Modern Romance686k WordsCompleted Who is Tang Wu? The Tang family's least-loved illegitimate daughter. Apart from her talented hands for painting, all she has is a pretty face. Who is Huo Yunshen? The third son of the Huo family, and the most eligible bachelor in all of Binhai City, pursued by countless women. When they first met, Tang Wu summoned all her courage and offered herself to Huo Yunshen. At the time, Huo Yunshen thought women were fussy, troublesome, and noisy. It wasn't until their lavish wedding, when Tang Wu leaped 1.4kReads9.0Score365Shelves
31. 31 藏 Hidden in Midsummer 藏于盛夏 Autumn Chill秋日凉Modern Romance308k WordsCompleted A heads-up before you start ❗️: One of the side couples is a gay couple, so please skip this if that bothers you. [The print edition under the same title is now available] [Healing × Love that grows over time × Angsty school romance] Sweet, gentle, well-behaved student × rebellious, handsome bad boy That midsummer seemed hotter than any before. The girl in the graduation photo smiled sweetly, with a boy in a white shirt grinning boldly behind her. They met in midsummer, and parted in midsummer t 84.8kReads9.6Score14.8kShelves
32. 32 你 You Broke Your Promise 你失信了 Shi Qingyao十清杳Modern Romance138k WordsCompleted The acclaimed signature work You Broke Your Promise by popular author Shi Qingyao, now with 40,000 new words of never-before-published content! Sensitive girl Xiang Yu VS golden boy Song Huaishi. I had to play out the whole secret-crush story, so I loved him year after year. It was an ordinary day. Just as she closed her eyes, Xiang Yu suddenly thought of Song Huaishi: Song Huaishi, neat in his clothes and radiating warmth. Song Huaishi at seventeen. Still in his school uniform, he leaned lazily 64.3kReads9.5Score12.1kShelves
33. 33 十 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 1.7MReads9.9Score235.2kShelves
34. 34 最 The Last Diary Entry 最后一篇日记 Sui Ying随楹Modern Romance13k WordsCompleted [Simplified Chinese edition signed for publication] I only used looking at the flowers as an excuse. All I really wanted was to see you once. 27.1kReads9.1Score5.1kShelves
35. 35 烽 War-Torn Romance: The Young Marshal's Contracted Mistress 烽烟为聘：少帅的契约外室 Dreaming and Soaring漫梦飞翔Modern Romance310k WordsCompleted Jiang Xinyue, the Commander's daughter, was forced to become a surrogate for her older sister. Made to sign a humiliating contract, she became Rong Qiubai, the Governor of Jiangzhong's secret mistress in the military, imprisoned in a gilded cage and cut off from the light of day. She treated him coldly; he had been plotting for a long time. He took her by force, and she was consumed by hatred and love. The warlord's young master, Zheng Hemin, her childhood sweetheart, went mad for her. He used w 867Reads—Score—Shelves

    Reader note

    If you like tragic stories, give it a try!

36. 36 夺 The Stolen Jade Pendant: A Love Beyond the Bounds of a Chaotic Age 夺卿玦：乱世错缘，情深逾矩 Dreaming and Soaring漫梦飞翔Modern Romance125k WordsOngoing [Republican-era turmoil + amnesia and mistaken marriage + taking by force + a blood feud + twisted romance] [Obsessive young marshal × amnesiac daughter of a warlord] She was injured in an accident on the edge of a cliff and lost her memory. He was a young doctor who rescued her and married her. On their wedding night, beneath the red candles, her lost memories came rushing back. She learned that she was the adopted daughter of Warlord Tang, and that her childhood sweetheart, whom she regarded a 128Reads—Score—Shelves
37. 37 民 Tears of a Republican Era Hero, Half for the People and Half for a Beauty 民国英雄泪，半为苍生半美人 Dreaming and Soaring漫梦飞翔Modern Romance206k WordsCompleted I hear the flute’s plaintive tune and the xiao’s clear notes, but cannot quite make them out. Old companions from the jianghu scatter like dust. In all my life, I have shed only two lines of tears: half for the people, half for a beauty. Zheng Xiao is a brilliant military staff officer. In Jingxi City, he meets the charming and lively Yao Yudi. The daughter of a commander, Yao Yudi has been imprisoned and abused by her father for years, all while searching for a slim chance to survive. She delib 46Reads—Score—Shelves
38. 38 武 Emperor Wu’s Forbidden Love: The Beauty of Emperor Xiaowu 武帝之绝爱：孝武红颜 Dreaming and Soaring漫梦飞翔Ancient Romance226k WordsCompleted After Emperor Wen came the prosperous Han dynasty. Young Emperor Wu, Liu Che, ascended the throne full of ambition and vigor. He was not only a ruler of great vision, but also a passionate and romantic man. In his life, there was the fiery, headstrong Chen A'jiao, the gentle and virtuous Wei Zifu, and the peerlessly beautiful Lady Li... Yet among all his romances, one woman was the love of his life, and also the one least mentioned in the historical records. She was Lady Wang. Lady Wang was from 583Reads—Score—Shelves

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