Angst + Chasing Her Back + Male Suffering + Melodrama + Forced Love 酸涩+追妻+虐男+狗血+强制爱

1. 1 和 Break Up with Your Boyfriend! 和你男朋友分手吧！ Swaying Tail尾摇Romance313k WordsCompleted [Complete. Bonus chapter updated on January 1, 2024. See the author's note in Chapter 1 for content warnings.] [Unexpected encounter vs. childhood sweetheart / rekindled romance] I've started a new story, I'm in Love with You Again! Check it out in my author page! One-line blurb: You have a boyfriend, but your once-beloved first love is back. What do you do? - Everyone knew Xie Gui, the Xie family's young master, as arrogant, flamboyant, mischievous, and flirtatious. He was the unattainable ide 4.7kFavorites8.1kClicks/ch934Gifts

   Curator note

   Actually, I wanted to give it five stars, but I really feel sorry for Xiao Pei. I still hope Zhao Zhao ends up with Xiao Pei. The writing is incredibly strong, especially the early reunion and agonizing stages. Of course, I prefer the childhood sweetheart/childhood friend dynamic. The female lead, Li Zhao, completely captivated me; I love her so much! The author is truly skilled at creating characters—a chivalrous "saintly" figure who feels so real. The female lead's family relationships are also incredibly well-written. I really love this book; please read it! It's absolutely delicious. If you're rooting for Xiao Pei, please comment! Actually, I usually prefer straightforward love triangles, but with Xiao Pei, I completely understand him and feel so sorry for him. Although he's conflicted, it really touched my heart. I almost cried; it's that feeling of being misaligned. If only things were clearer, I'd love for an "what if" scenario. I was so upset reading it; it hurt my heart.

2. 2 难 Love Beneath the Phoenix Canopy 难为鸾帐恩 Osmanthus in the Mirror桂花添镜Romance526k WordsCompleted Hu Shen grew up on the grasslands. Her elder brother was favored by the khan, and her own life was fairly comfortable. Until one day, after her brother launched a campaign into the Central Plains, he returned with a captive from there. They said the man was the legitimate heir of a powerful Central Plains family, of noble birth. They said that though he was a civil official, he fought with great courage and had tremendous potential. The khan wanted to bring him into his service, but the man w 167.9kFavorites145.8kClicks/ch87.8kGifts

   Curator note

   This is an absolutely delicious book! I especially loved the grassland scenes and the part where they reunited. The part after the reunion got a little less exciting, but it was truly wonderful. I particularly enjoyed it. The female lead is adorable, and the male lead really knows how to win her over. Since I read it recently, I can't recall the most memorable plot points, but there were still many delightful moments.

3. 3 曾 Once, the Clouds Returned 曾照云归 A Wild Goose Flying West一只西飞雁Romance81k WordsCompleted She’s cold as ice to other guys, but as gentle as water whenever she looks at him. Who’s bewitched by a ghost? 15.9kFavorites102.8kClicks/ch1.2kGifts

   Curator note

   The male stand-in story is incredibly melodramatic. The male lead is quite promiscuous at the beginning (if you mind, please don't watch). I really love the storyline between the female lead and the male lead's brother; it's so beautiful. The brother is the female lead's salvation [crying emoji]. Life is truly unpredictable. The male lead is also quite funny. At first, he doesn't know he's a stand-in; he finds out the female lead has a husband and child, then gets furious and wants to take revenge on her, but unexpectedly gets himself involved. Later, he discovers he's a stand-in, but after a while, he convinces himself otherwise. The ending is OE.

4. 4 温 A Gentle Blade 温柔刀 Jun Yue君约Romance233k WordsCompleted Tang Xicheng walked out of the dormitory and saw Liang Yuzhi leaning against the railing, talking on the phone. She heard three sentences. “Taking someone to school. “Mm... You could say she’s a kid from a relative’s family. “What feelings could I have?” He gave a faint, dismissive laugh. “She can’t even talk. How boring.” Age gap: six years. A story about a narcissistic male lead who assumes the sweet, naive heroine is madly in love with him, only to discover she isn’t. Note: The heroine is una 75.8kFavorites91.8kClicks/ch34.4kGifts

   Curator note

   First, a disclaimer: this isn't a double-promotional film. Overall, it's quite good. The female lead has a strong personality, which I really love. I liked how the male lead was heartbroken for a long time after discovering he was a substitute, then the female lead started a new relationship, broke up with him, and came back to him. She was initially quite defiant, saying he wasn't that shameless, but the next second she pounced on him [doge emoji]. It's pretty good, just not as melodramatic as some other films.

5. 5 甜 Sweet Sugar, Bitter Taste 甜糖味苦 Locust Locust蝗蝗啊Romance318k WordsCompleted The author’s other novels in the same genre, His Tactics and High and Mighty, are complete. Blurb: A note before we begin: This story features coercive pursuit and a male lead who loses his mind. Blurb 1: That year, eighteen-year-old Lian Tian finally couldn’t keep quiet. Just before she stepped out of Chen Tang’s room, she explained, “I applied for student loans and scholarships to cover my tuition and living expenses. I didn’t take anything from your aunt.” She thought Chen Tang wouldn’t answ 6kFavorites6.3kClicks/ch1.5kGifts

   Curator note

   It's alright, but I felt the male lead's suffering didn't quite resonate with me, even though the angst was quite intense. I enjoy seeing the male lead lose control, though. In this book, the male lead is more focused on controlling the overall situation. Both the male and female leads are crazy and intelligent, and they understand each other very well. The male lead's personality change (becoming humble) later on felt a bit abrupt. It's okay for passing the time.

6. 6 海 Begonia Blossoms Drunk in the Sun 海棠醉日 Nanlu Xingli南陆星离Romance667k WordsCompleted My next book is a forced-love story, The Debt of Romance. Please add it to your reading lists, everyone! The forced-love plot begins in Chapter 21 | Ruthless, domineering emperor vs. patient, clever beauty After Crown Prince Zhao Mingfei was deposed, he naturally had no affection for the wife forced on him as a substitute. But Jiang Niantang loved him wholeheartedly. She secretly watched him practice swordsmanship, took care of everything in the cold palace for him, and spent night after night s 115.2kFavorites107.9kClicks/ch41.8kGifts

   Curator note

   It's a great read, my favorite recently. The male lead is a bit wicked, and the "wife-chasing" trope in the later episodes felt a bit rushed. Overall, it's still very enjoyable. It includes many of my favorite melodramatic tropes, and there's a lot of female character abuse (if you can't handle that, don't read it). Actually, it's about mutual hurt (I love this kind of love-hate relationship). [Doge] The author's writing is exceptionally good.

7. 7 姝 Beautiful Tea 姝荼 The Pigeon Ascends to Immortality鸽子飞升Romance346k WordsCompleted Everyone in the capital knew that the Yun family had a peerless beauty: breathtakingly lovely, with the grace to captivate a kingdom. The Empress Dowager herself had chosen her as the future empress. That was Yun Shu's older sister. Her sister was wonderful in every way, except that beauty's fate was tragically short-lived, leaving Yun Shu to inherit the position of future empress. Everyone said she was lucky. Though she was no match for her sister's beauty, she had inherited all her good for 33.9kFavorites63.7kClicks/ch5.4kGifts

   Curator note

   I really enjoy reading Pigeon Ascension's stories; the angst is perfectly executed, and the epilogues are excellent. Actually, I don't usually like historical romance novels with "wife-chasing-after-the-wisp" plots, but this one is genuinely well-written. The male lead's insecurity and anxiety are portrayed very effectively.

8. 8 顶 The Top-Tier Star Ex-Husband Is a Yandere 顶流前夫是病娇 Left and Right Extreme左右极Romance824k WordsCompleted ◆Next up: "After Dumping the Crazy Top A", please add it to your reading list 💗 ◆Signed for print publication. For publication updates, see xhs/wb@Zuoyouji ◆Self-indulgent, lovesick, stunning actor X gentle, honest researcher who turns dark ◆Blurb: Scroll down for content warnings! The main story is 680,000 words. [Female Lead's Version] The day Jiang Minyun's ex-girlfriend dumped him and left the country, he was devastated. He glanced coldly at Li Shihui, wh 97.5kFavorites103.7kClicks/ch84.5kGifts

   Curator note

   The beginning was still incredibly good, but the later school setting made it very difficult for me. It just felt like the author's writing quality had declined. I'm waiting for updates; maybe the author is experiencing writer's block due to a hiatus.

9. 9 如 How to Divorce the Chancellor 如何与丞相和离 The Pigeon Ascends to Immortality鸽子飞升Romance448k WordsCompleted Main story: OE, extra story: IF-line HE [Content warning: coercive love, wife-stealing. Read with caution if these are dealbreakers for you.] Jiang Wu was Chu Ling's beloved's substitute for eighteen years. Eighteen years of being a devoted wife and raising children could not compare to a single letter from the woman he loved. "I'm not doing well." So Jiang Wu watched coldly as her husband did everything he could to bring back the woman he loved, who had been sent away for a political marriag 48kFavorites86.7kClicks/ch11.4kGifts

   Curator note

   Well, this story is quite controversial. I thought it was pretty good, but I didn't finish it because it really angered me. The male lead went too far. The beginning was quite enjoyable, though. This story is essentially about forceful acquisition.

10. 10 纠 Entanglement 纠缠 Papaya Is Very Sweet木瓜很甜Romance254k WordsCompleted Qin Si finally fulfilled his wish and won Zhao Shuyu's heart. Though he earned himself a reputation for stealing someone else's girl, he didn't care. If he could steal her away, then that corner of the wall wasn't very stable to begin with. As for people saying he had no loyalty and had stolen his own brother's woman, Qin Si was baffled. Could his brother have a child with him? Theme: 13kFavorites66.6kClicks/ch2.3kGifts

    Curator note

    I recently read this novel, and it has a classic, old-fashioned feel to it, which I like. I especially love how the male lead relentlessly pursues the female lead; it's particularly captivating, especially in the beginning. However, it weakens a bit towards the end. My favorite part was when the male lead discovers that the female lead is having an affair with his childhood friend—that was so good! I thought there would be a tragic ending for the second or third male leads, but there wasn't, which was a bit disappointing.

11. 11 他 His Confession Trap 他的告白陷阱 Qi Fu Wei An启夫玮安Romance230k WordsCompleted #ReformedRascal #SecretCrush #RegretAndRedemption Note: Both leads are sexually inexperienced, but the male lead has had his first kiss. Recommended reading with the bonus chapters. Synopsis 1: In her senior year of high school, Zhong Zhi met her first love, and her young romance crashed into a wall. That beautiful boy, lovely as a flower, had no heart. With starlit eyes and a faint smile, he ground her love into the mud. After the college entrance exams, Zhong Zhi disappeared from Nancheng, ca 18.9kFavorites23.4kClicks/ch3kGifts

    Curator note

    This is a very moving book. The male lead has a mental illness, and both he and the female lead are quite conflicted. Later on, the male lead reaches the point where he feels he can't live without the female lead (seriously). The female lead is also incredibly smart, and I really like intelligent female leads; I think she was a top science student.

12. 12 鸟 Birds and Thorns 鸟与荆棘 A Little Ham一只小火腿Romance200k WordsCompleted [The print edition goes on presale May 13. For purchase details, see Weibo @Diligent Little Ham] [One-sided love / love triangle.] [The next book is titled Golden City] “Li Yannu is coming back to the country.” Someone mentioned it offhand at a high school reunion. When Wen Meng heard the name, the hand holding her wineglass trembled slightly. The man beside her slipped an arm around her waist and took the glass from her hand. “How come I didn’t know?” Liao Weiming asked with a smile. He dra 65.3kFavorites82.4kClicks/ch17.7kGifts

    Curator note

    The author's writing is excellent. The relationship between the three is portrayed as follows: the male lead's competitive and aggressive behavior led to the female lead ending up with him. However, I feel that the female lead is indeed more suited to the male lead. Although she previously liked the second male lead, and he was quite good to her, he, like the female lead, is a very detached person with a particularly strong self-defense mechanism.

13. 13 梦 Dreaming of Winter 梦见冬日 Bread Is Toxic面包有毒Romance367k WordsCompleted |Chasing-her-to-the-crematorium trope|Second male lead wins|Living-under-the-same-roof trope|Angsty romance| Everyone around Jiang Jun knew she had a brother just a few months older than her. They weren’t related by blood, but they were close, practically inseparable, and their bond was even stronger than that of real siblings. But Jiang Jun never called Wen Li’ang “big brother.” She always addressed him by name: Wen Li’ang, all three syllables, never missing one. When people asked why, she s 30.3kFavorites30.4kClicks/ch13.9kGifts

    Curator note

    The miracles were so exhilarating, they gave me goosebumps! This author's writing is mindless and grating.

14. 14 言 Words of Joy 言欢 Flat Bamboo扁平竹Romance404k WordsCompleted When Cen Yuan was twenty-two, she got together with Shang Teng. He promised her he could give her anything she wanted, as long as she didn't fall for him. A high-and-mighty business tycoon married Cen Yuan, who was still a student at the time, to escape an arranged marriage. Everyone said that the aloof, refined heir to the Shang family had already given his heart to someone else. Cen Yuan was nothing but a replacement. After they married, Cen Yuan endured endless mockery. People said she'd be 237.4kFavorites316.7kClicks/ch56.7kGifts

    Curator note

    It was alright. I didn't remember much about this book, but the part where the male lead regretted his actions was quite good; he realized he couldn't win against the dead.

15. 15 当 As I Began to Lose You 当我开始失去你 Bread Is Toxic面包有毒Romance493k WordsCompleted The print edition is now available at major online bookstores. For details, follow Weibo @MianbaoYouDuDuDuDu. [The new novel, The Storm Has Arrived, is complete. If you’re interested, visit the author’s page to save it to your favorites!] #Secret Crush #Chasing His Wife to the Crematorium Zhu Yiyi is an ordinary, unremarkable girl, the kind who could disappear into a crowd. The only extraordinary thing in her life had to do with Xue Pei. She liked him, and they had grown up together. As chil 147.1kFavorites219.2kClicks/ch50.9kGifts

    Curator note

    I think "Chasing Back the Wife: A Love Story" is the second best. It's really good! I especially loved reading the side stories where the male lead was constantly worrying and insecure; he even went crazy later on. And the second male lead was incredibly good too. It's a bit heartbreaking.

16. 16 引 Letting the Wolf In 引狼入室 Bi Hui璧辉Romance791k WordsCompleted Cheng Yanjin didn't like the woman he was engaged to. He fancifully coaxed his fiancée, Lin Langyi, into accepting an open marriage, afraid she'd keep him on a tight leash after they married. He even thoughtfully introduced her to his friend Yuan Chuyu, the most celebrated young elite in their social circle, to prove he was sincere. Yuan Chuyu glanced at her, then calmly looked away. He didn't look at Lin Langyi again for the rest of the dinner. He said, “I'm not interested in someone else's f 118kFavorites114kClicks/ch82.7kGifts

    Curator note

    This is probably the best one I've seen recently. I like watching stories about male mistresses, but I kind of like the main character because he's the one who went through the "wife-chasing-after-the-cremation" phase, like a little puppy, which I really enjoyed watching. The female lead has very low morals, but I still like her.

17. 17 骗 The Scam 骗局 Bread Is Toxic面包有毒Romance370k WordsCompleted [My new novel, The Storm Has Arrived, is complete. Visit my profile to read it~] #MaleStand-In##Over-the-TopDrama# The first time Ye Yiheng saw Lu Jiawang, she decided he was the one. Because no one in the world looked more like Rong Wen than he did. They even shared the same birthday. Winning Lu Jiawang over wasn't easy. Compared with him, she wasn't particularly pretty, just rather fresh-faced. Lu Jiawang said her only virtue was probably her persistence. Out of everyone, she'd held on th 74.7kFavorites87.5kClicks/ch34.6kGifts

    Curator note

    I rewatched it, and it was so good I almost fainted. Reading it from beginning to end this time was even better than when I was just following the updates.

18. 18 揉 Shattering the Moonlight 揉碎月光 Burn After Reading閲后即焚Romance688k WordsCompleted [Author's collection: The sister story, a twisted pursuit of his wife, Later, I Always Missed You, is complete; the possessive romance, Addiction, is complete.] This story is divided into the youth arc, where the heroine pursues the hero, and the adult arc, where the hero pursues his wife. Heroine's arc: Gu Nangui was six when she first met Wen Yu, and she immediately felt drawn to the handsome boy. At eleven, she was adopted by the Wen family and began living under their roof. Wen Yu helped 68.8kFavorites46.1kClicks/ch15.8kGifts

    Curator note

    This is probably the number one book in the "chasing-back-the-wife-in-the-cremation" genre. It's a bit long, but I think the author did a great job with the foreshadowing. The male lead's suffering doesn't feel forced. It gets really good from chapter 80 onwards when the male lead gradually realizes his feelings for the female lead. If you're impatient, you can skip ahead, but I still patiently finished it. The second male lead is really great. I especially loved reading the epilogues because the male lead's anxieties and uncertainties were so satisfying to read.

19. 19 我 I'm the Childhood Friend in a Story About a Girl Who Fell from the Sky 我是天降女主文里的小青梅 The Moon Is Like a Cake明月像饼Romance430k WordsCompleted 1. Only later did Chacha learn that she was living inside a novel. Her mother was a Mary Sue who had run away while pregnant. Her father was a powerful man from an influential family. Her older brother was a little genius with an exceptional IQ. The poor childhood friend who grew up with her was the son of a domineering CEO, abandoned outside the family. One day, he would wield great power and become fabulously wealthy. The neighborhood brat who always tugged on her ponytail would grow up to be 58.5kFavorites167.3kClicks/ch22kGifts

    Curator note

    I don't remember this one very well, but I recall it being alright.

20. 20 豪 The Wealthy Heir Who Was My Fiancé Lost His Memory 豪门未婚夫失忆了 Flat Bamboo扁平竹Romance283k WordsCompleted Published under the title Instinctive Attraction He Qingzhou loved Jiang Yuan for more than ten years, doting on her, cherishing her, and protecting her. That was, until Jiang Yuan called to break off their engagement. The next morning, she learned that He Qingzhou had been in a car accident while driving to see her in the middle of the night. He had lost his memory. - After losing his memory, He Qingzhou couldn't stand Jiang Yuan. This innocent, delicate flower was completely not his type, b 48.7kFavorites78.8kClicks/ch8.5kGifts

    Curator note

    It's so bittersweet. I especially love the part where the male lead regains his memories; it makes my heart ache.

21. 21 至 Never Going Beyond This Point (Not Yu) 至此不逾（不是渝） Fa La Li法拉栗Romance117k WordsCompleted Around October to November 2026, I’ll probably write a new extra story. If this trip doesn’t appear in the main story, it’ll be about Zhong Yi seeing Tan Nuo again at her wedding or engagement party with Sun Tingyu. See you then. My new novel, Holiday Romance, is complete. It features a naturally mischievous, tsundere, sharp-tongued guy named Mark. Feel free to add it to your favorites. The entire novel is free. The last character in the title is Yu, not Yu. Blurb 1: Zhong Yi tur 48.6kFavorites98.8kClicks/ch10kGifts

    Curator note

    I love watching stories about male mistresses; they're short, exciting, and don't have the typical "wife-chasing-after-the-crime" trope. They're just very immoral, but still very entertaining.

22. 22 离 Before the Divorce 离婚之前 The Pigeon Ascends to Immortality鸽子飞升Romance367k WordsCompleted [A Reconciliation After Separation, Happy Ending] Fu Shi could never understand why his usually honest and unassuming wife wanted to divorce him, even though he was famous for being the perfect, devoted husband. Until he discovered Xie Li's other phone, the chat messages that disappeared, and her increasingly radiant smile. He held back all his madness and quietly lay in wait. A predator has a clear target: he would tear apart everyone who trespassed on his territory and eliminate every threat 34.2kFavorites55.5kClicks/ch10.6kGifts

    Curator note

    This book is absolutely amazing, I love it! The part where the male lead regrets his actions and is filled with anxiety is incredibly captivating; it made my heart ache! It's a childhood sweetheart story with a "wife-chasing-after-the-crowd" plot, and the entire relationship is something the male lead forced. One of my favorite parts is when the female lead doesn't keep a date with the male lead for some reason, and he gets angry. He gives her the silent treatment, and then she implicitly agrees to break up with him, blocking his phone number and WeChat. The male lead panics and comes crying to her, begging her not to break up.

23. 23 陈 Aged Wine 陈酿 Jiu Zezheng久则征Romance269k WordsCompleted It's been five years since Lin Zhaomu left Pingcheng, but in its high society, rumors about her still crop up from time to time. According to the rumors, Lin Zhaomu became Lu Chengze's mistress at nineteen, earning a reputation in their circle as a dependent little vine. According to the rumors, at twenty-one, Lin Zhaomu got pregnant and pressured him to marry her. But Lu Chengze was against marriage, so she failed, and he cruelly abandoned her. According to the rumors, after Lu Chengze dumped 21.7kFavorites49.8kClicks/ch3.5kGifts

    Curator note

    This one seems alright, though the later parts aren't as good. The female lead adopts a child, which I think is pretty amazing, but the part where the male lead is pursuing her is quite good.

24. 24 姓 The Wooden-Hearted Su 姓苏的木头心脏 Yao Sanqing尧三青Romance193k WordsCompleted Chen Qun asked her a long time ago, "Your dad's going to get married, right? You might end up with a stepmother someday. Watch out, stepmothers are all awful people." Su Yan had no way to verify that claim, since Su Yingguo never remarried. After all these years, just when Su Yan thought she would probably never have to deal with a stepmother in her life, Su Yingguo announced that he was getting married, and his bride came with a kid in tow. Note: Updated daily Monday through Friday; weekend u 12.8kFavorites45.8kClicks/ch674Gifts

    Curator note

    This book doesn't have a "wife-chasing-after-the-cry" trope, but it features forced love. The female lead genuinely doesn't like the male lead at all, while he acts like a lovesick fool. I found it very enjoyable; he also seems a bit insecure.

25. 25 番 Extra Stories Collection 番外合集 Bread Is Toxic面包有毒Romance30k WordsCompleted Repository for the main story and bonus chapters of When I Started Losing You It's temporarily marked as complete. Theme: None 7.4kFavorites85.9kClicks/ch1.3kGifts

    Curator note

    The extra chapters of "When I Started Losing You" were especially good, and also very bittersweet and poignant.

26. 26 被 Those Two Years in Exile 被流放的这两年 Yao Sanqing尧三青Romance198k WordsCompleted Have you ever been completely forgotten by someone? Lu Xiao has. The person she loves most has forgotten her for two whole years. Is it tragic? It seems so. My completed works: One-on-one romance, happy ending. A little angst along the way. New chapters every day from Monday to Saturday, with Sundays off! Announcement: This story will go VIP on Friday, September 5, 2014. Updates will pause today and tomorrow, sorry about that. I'll make up for it on Friday, 6.6kFavorites15.2kClicks/ch499Gifts

    Curator note

    This book is good. It doesn't have the typical "wife-chasing-after-the-cremation" trope; it's more of a forced love story, with a touch of misplaced affection. It gets a bit strange towards the end, but overall it's enjoyable. The part where the male lead regains his memories is particularly good.

Other lists with Break Up with Your Boyfriend!