Finished Historical Romance (Good and Bad Reviews) 古言已阅（好坏话都有版

1. 1 本 This Young Lady Has an Unfinished Wish 本姑娘有心愿未了 A Little Green Fluffball一颗绿毛球Romance364k WordsCompleted Xie Lin, a court collator in the Palace Library, was born into privilege and had a cool, detached temperament. To escape his family’s pressure to marry and the endless social obligations, he would rather move into a haunted house on Ping’an Lane. All his colleagues were betting on how many days Young Master Xie could last in a haunted house. He couldn’t stand even a slight crease in his robes without having them pressed again. The house’s earthbound ghost, A Zhu, said, “I’ll make him leave toni 17.9kFavorites14kClicks/ch20.1kGifts

   Curator note

   The author has unusually put a lot of effort into this book, developing quite a few plot lines. It's a bit boring at the beginning, but it gets better as it goes on. The characters in the smaller stories also become more developed later on, and the main romance flows smoothly. It's a gentle, tranquil, and beautiful little story. It's rare to see the male lead used as a mere plot device; I find it very comfortable [starry-eyed].

2. 2 新 My Husband Transmigrated to Steal Me From the Male Lead 新聘 Yu Shi榆莳Romance538k WordsCompleted Gu Lingyi, daughter of the Minister of Revenue, had two great regrets in her life. First, her childhood sweetheart and fiancé, Jiang Xuanqing, who had placed third in the palace exams, broke off their engagement in public: “I have no romantic feelings for you. From now on, you can think of me as your older brother.” Second, she believed Cui Yi’s empty promises that he would one day rise to the highest offices and always outshine Jiang Xuanqing. In a moment of foolishness, she agreed to marry h 307.1kFavorites265.2kClicks/ch349.7kGifts

   Curator note

   It's kind of a lighthearted, two-person comedy novel. The original male lead wasn't particularly disgusting, and while the plot itself was a bit boring, it was mostly a two-person comedy, so I tolerated it. The writing is solid, the romance flows smoothly, and the fact that there's no pregnancy in the main story is very satisfying.

3. 3 偏 Marrying the Short-Lived Villain 偏偏好命 Qin Huang秦皇Romance869k WordsCompleted In her previous life, wealthy heiress Mu Wan worked herself to death. In this life, all she wants is to eat, drink, have fun, and enjoy herself; But as the daughter of a merchant, she has money but no power, making her an easy target. Fortunately, her far-sighted mother trained a top-scoring scholar for her from an early age. Then her mother died, and after observing three years of mourning, Mu Wan returned to find that the scholar looked down on her for being ignorant and extravagantly indulg 128.8kFavorites169.1kClicks/ch136.4kGifts

   Curator note

   The writing is extremely awkward... It's not even a question of whether it's satisfying enough or whether the plot design is disjointed (those are issues, though). Rather, it's clearly a story that only works within a traditional (male-dominated) social order, like the constant infighting within the household and palace. Yet, the author tries very hard to create a universally courageous and decisive female protagonist (and a group of female characters), resulting in a complete disconnect between the historical context and the characters. They can conspire to steal grain through countless schemes, while a female official is accomplished in just three lines (this is just one example, I won't go into detail). The fact that the political intrigue feels childish isn't inherently a problem, but the power and scope of influence of any ruler should be constant. It's unacceptable to portray someone as timid and hesitant due to family ties when "plot" is needed, and then as omnipotent to fulfill a "concept" when needed. This has nothing to do with the story's inherent sophistication. If you're into palace intrigue and power struggles, the romance isn't too unpleasant, except for the intense love triangle and childbirth in the final stages. This kind of easily relatable theme doesn't involve much back-and-forth deception. Personally, I don't really like past lives/reincarnation stories. Deep affection in this life doesn't necessarily require the beauty of a past life's death to be moving. I can also enjoy arranged marriages in feudal times, but insisting that arranged marriages are predetermined is a bit like stubbornly refusing to admit it.

4. 4 寡 The Widow and the Rough Man (Transmigrate) 寡妇与糙汉（穿越） Mu Yao Rao木妖娆Romance309k WordsCompleted Blurb: Overworked office worker Shen Qingyin transmigrated into the body of a young widow. She also inherited the widow’s noodle stall and her twelve-year-old brother-in-law. Not long after arriving, she discovered that the empty courtyard next door was home to a strong, imposing man who was unusually taciturn. * Zhou Sheng had spent years in the army before returning to his hometown. His fierce, intimidating presence kept people from approaching him. Until he met the widow, whose eyes held not 48.5kFavorites52.2kClicks/ch40.7kGifts

   Curator note

   The beginning was a bit interesting, but the later parts had almost no management elements and became purely about everyday family life and neighborhood matters, revolving around marriage. However, the development of the romantic storyline was also mostly completed in the early stages, making the later parts somewhat boring and lackluster... I don't like stories about having children, so I didn't originally intend to subscribe to the extra chapters, but the last two extra chapters were set as VIP chapters of the main text. What does that mean? [Crack]

5. 5 春 A Stirring of Spring 春心动 Gu Lezhi顾了之Romance479k WordsCompleted · Every chapter has been carefully revised and includes added details. Pirated copies are crude and incomplete; please read the official version on Jinjiang. · One day, a young traitor bent on overthrowing the dynasty falls in love. · The heroine's story In a turbulent time, Princess Yongying is attacked by bandits and suffers a blow to the head, scrambling her memories. She mistakes herself for the heroine of a romance novel. That would be fine, except she also mistakes her sworn enemy, with 272.7kFavorites317.8kClicks/ch124.1kGifts

   Curator note

   This is a classic example of a strong woman and an even stronger man; no matter how intelligent and resilient she is, in the end, the male lead's "arrival" is needed to resolve everything. The initial "amnesia" part can be read as a short story, but as it transitions into a more serious drama, the plot and romance start to fall apart. The "pampered wife" narrative is much more palatable than the "conscious but easily coaxed back" type. There's a clear narrative distinction between whether the female lead's suffering is for her growth or to elicit pity from the male lead.

6. 6 宠 The Favored Consort's Acting Showcase 宠妃的演技大赏 Overactive Tear Ducts发达的泪腺Romance443k WordsCompleted Announcement: The print edition, retitled With You, With Me, went on sale on December 2, 2023. Thank you all for your support. *The full text has been revised twice. Tens of thousands of words have been changed. The only official edition is on Jinjiang. In her past life, everyone said Su Ling was blessed. She was peerlessly beautiful and born into a powerful family: her father was the Great General Who Guards the Nation, and her elder brother was a junior official at the Dali Temple. At sevente 258.8kFavorites468kClicks/ch144.4kGifts

   Curator note

   Judging from the subscription history, I finished reading this story in 2021, but I've completely forgotten it and am reading it as if it were a new story. Judging from the comments, it seems to be a story from the second or third revision; I'll only comment on the revised version. This is a story that can only be considered "sweet" if "the emperor's exclusive favor" is regarded as the supreme reward, but in romance stories, this is just the bottom line. I might have liked it back then, but now it feels like a lump in my throat from beginning to end. I only recommend it to people who can accept all feudal ethics without any reservations. It's so unrealistic that it's about using lifespan to summon a soul and reincarnate, yet it also tries to depict the so-called "realistic" balance of the harem and various noble families. The male lead is in a high position in every sense from beginning to end. From his forced marriage at the beginning to the female lead being forced to enter the palace for the sake of her child in the second life, the female lead actually has no other choice (haha, it's really hard to accept most orthodox princes and emperors). The female lead only suffered the loss of her family and died prematurely, while the male lead was filled with remorse. The "second chance" is not an opportunity for the female lead but compensation for the male lead, giving him someone to perform his deep affection. After being tortured to the point of despair, the female lead "wakes up" and decides to only be the subject of the emperor, but she's coaxed back with just a few words. The process is not described at all. There's no emotional turmoil involved. The male protagonist's deep regret and self-destruction at most compensate for causing the female protagonist's death; there's absolutely no emotional turmoil. In romance stories, all the "torture" should be directed at the emotions. Even the female lead's brother in the secondary couple caused him to misunderstand for several chapters that the princess had given up and married someone else. Meanwhile, the male lead, after forcibly marrying her, is completely at ease in matters of the heart, even unwilling to let her worry about whether the female lead still harbors feelings for her childhood sweetheart. And where does the pain and sorrow of the female lead, misunderstood by the male lead's deliberate performance as having slept with a concubine and believing he had developed feelings for another concubine, go? The only torment for the male lead is believing the empress is dead, but that's clearly his own doing. The torment for the female lead, however, persists through both lifetimes. The belated deep affection is so awful; ten years ago, I might have been fooled, but now forget it. Leaving aside the more minor discomforts, the writing itself is fairly smooth, with the romance section being particularly smooth overall (4/5). I'd give it an average of three stars.

7. 7 我 We’re Already Divorced 我们已经和离了 A Little Green Fluffball一颗绿毛球Romance255k WordsCompleted The blurb for A Second Spring Breeze is at the very end. The newly crowned top scholar, Shen Zheng, is handsome, brilliant, perceptive, and composed. He is a prime target for the wealthy families looking to find husbands for their daughters. Unfortunately, he has two flaws: First, he comes from a humble background. Second, he and Jiang Yue, the recently acknowledged Junzhu of Zhaoming, don’t get along. When Jiang Yue sets her sights on a rare, out-of-print calli 7.9kFavorites13.7kClicks/ch2.2kGifts

   Curator note

   The main plot differs greatly from the synopsis. The attempt to portray a lingering, unresolved relationship instead resulted in unstable character development. The romance wasn't particularly jarring, but it always felt lacking. The plot was constantly interspersed within the development of the romance, making it even more unsatisfying to read. The synopsis suggested a tender reconciliation, but the story devolves into a power struggle, political intrigue, and the exoneration of one's origins.

8. 8 穿 The Chief Minister’s Little Wildcat 穿成首辅家的小野猫 Green Plum Jam青梅酱Romance204k WordsCompleted Zheng Rulan has a secret: every night after she falls asleep, she enters the body of a cat. Her owner is none other than Wei Chuming, the capricious chief minister. That night, she curled up sleepily on his lap. As his fingertips gently stroked her chin, she purred in comfort. Wei Chuming was making arrangements for the grand ceremony. He glanced down at the little creature in his arms and suddenly said, “Looks like Xue’er is sleepy. We’ll discuss this tomorrow.” Everyone in the realm knew that 30.7kFavorites96kClicks/ch14.9kGifts

   Curator note

   #Re-posting and rating an old article My god, how did I even finish reading that back then? [Crying emoji] With my current tastes, I wouldn't even make it to the paid version... The most standard kind of story misinterprets teasing and flirting as expressions of love, with characters randomly changing according to the plot, and the plot unfolding like a series of unexpected events, with foreshadowing and logic melting away like cream. I would prefer the female lead to be a pure and innocent wife, rather than a sensible person who "sees things clearly" but is then coaxed back into her old ways. It's hard to imagine that a short story of 200,000 words that I'd already fully subscribed to could torment me for three hours. [Hands clasped in prayer]

9. 9 公21+ The Princess Returns 公主归来 Xiu Ce袖侧Romance691k WordsCompleted 84.7kFavorites220.1kClicks/ch222.3kGifts

   Curator note

   This is so disgusting it's made me have PTSD from emperor male protagonists for half my life. Everyone, please be wary! Can I even give it a zero stars? Two stars is too much! [Crying emoji][crying emoji][crying emoji] Only a young person who would follow the story would suffer like this. [Clasped hands in prayer]

10. 10 送 Follow Behind Silk Curtains 送君入罗帷 Gong Xinwen龚心文Romance414k WordsCompleted [Print edition] The print edition of Lu Shang is available for preorder on major platforms. See Weibo for details. [Blurb] Mu Xue, a powerful figure in the demonic path, dies after failing her tribulation and being struck down by heavenly lightning. When she wakes up, she has been reborn as a disciple of the righteous path. The senior brothers of the righteous path don’t beat children, the senior sisters don’t poison the food, and the master really does teach his disciples. With tears streaming 201.4kFavorites386.8kClicks/ch249.6kGifts

    Curator note

    Detailed evaluation pending. Gong Xinwen, where did you go? OMG, I'm so devastated!

11. 11 守 Reborn After Being Widowed 守寡后我重生了 Laughing Beauty笑佳人Romance731k WordsCompleted Before she became a widow, Huayang found fault with her husband in just about every way. She hated how he was always so stern, how he'd collapse onto the bed drenched in sweat, and, above all, how he could be so insatiable at certain times. But when he actually died and she became a widow, Huayang began to miss his good qualities one by one: the way he carried her steadily through a downpour, and the warmth of his chest, blazing like a fire on cold winter days. Reborn, Huayang decided to treat 561.4kFavorites1.2MClicks/ch1MGifts

    Curator note

    Well enough Early reading details may or may not be included.

12. 12 桃 Peach and Apricot Blossoms Still Know How to Marry the East Wind 桃杏犹解嫁东风 Rise And Leap起跃Romance518k WordsCompleted Pei An, heir to the Duke of Guo's household, was refined and scholarly, with the bearing of a fine tree in the wind. When the people of Lin'an thought about the beauty who would become his future wife, they could only think of Wang Yunniang, the third daughter of the Wang family, whose looks were just as exceptional. One day, the two unexpectedly met at a teahouse. Yunniang accidentally stumbled, and Pei An caught her. Rumors sprang up at once. "Young Master Pei and Miss Wang met secretly at t 154kFavorites269.9kClicks/ch71.5kGifts

    Curator note

    Good Early reading details may or may not be included.

13. 13 被 After the Paranoid Crown Prince Heard My Thoughts 被阴戾太子听到心声后 Si Qing姒倾Romance383k WordsCompleted Violent and cruel 💛 Greedy and lustful Good news: She was chosen to be a palace maid assigned to serve in the imperial bedchamber. Bad news: The person she had to serve was the moody, woman-averse Crown Prince. Last night, Yun Kui had watched a young maid being carried out of the Crown Prince's bedchamber. Thinking that she was about to meet the same fate, Yun Kui trembled and huddled under her little blanket. Inside Chengguang Hall. The Crown Prince sat on the edge of the bed, a sinister glea 160.6kFavorites178.6kClicks/ch82.6kGifts

    Curator note

    3.5-4 The synopsis is typical of Chinese romance novels, but the main story is alright. The female lead isn't repressed, and the male lead doesn't have a serious illness. The ending is a typical, unappealing plot, but acceptable.

14. 14 娇 Delicate Maiden’s Spring Boudoir 娇娘春闺 Laughing Beauty笑佳人Romance691k WordsCompleted The madam of the brothel was arrested for a crime, and A Jiao, who had not yet received any clients, was sent by the authorities back to her aunt's home. Sixteen-year-old A Jiao has a fair face and cherry-red lips. She can play the zither and sing, and she knows how to massage shoulders and backs. But because she drank a potion that made her infertile, no one wants her. The elderly Mrs. Zhao, who lives next door, grits her teeth and pays ten taels of silver to hire her as a concubine for the o 196.7kFavorites485.2kClicks/ch170.1kGifts

    Curator note

    This is an incredibly balanced feudal romance novel. It has sweet moments, but ultimately it's still a feudal story. Even courtesans have to be from powerful clans to be worthy of the newly rich male lead? 3.5/5

15. 15 轻 The Mistaken Boat 轻舟误 West of Magpie Bridge鹊桥西Romance219k WordsCompleted While away from home, Xie Yizhou saved a man who was on the verge of death and had lost his memory. He was fussy, lazy, and full of schemes. He kept making Xie Yizhou angry, until she wanted to slap him to death. Later, he really did die. Xie Yizhou buried him with her own hands and grieved for a long time. Until one day, she became a wanted criminal. Her crime: burying the crown prince alive. Her sentence: execution by slow slicing in the middle of a crowded street, with her entire family im 25.7kFavorites27.6kClicks/ch13.7kGifts

    Curator note

    It's not as readable as some of the other books. If the characters are relatively normal (or abnormal in a good way, see the author's other works), and the plot has to be pushed forward, the characters' intelligence is forced down, and the emotional development is somewhat disconnected.

16. 16 二 A Second Spring Breeze 二度春风 A Little Green Fluffball一颗绿毛球Romance312k WordsCompleted A masked regular always visits the little restaurant on rainy days, when hardly anyone else comes by. He sits down, sweeping his robe aside, his imposing frame as still as a mountain. “A bowl of Golden Crumble Rice.” Yu Yan discreetly studies the scars the edges of his mask cannot hide, as well as his strong, muscular shoulders and arms. She piles plenty of toppings onto his Golden Crumble Rice. “Will you come tomorrow afternoon? I’ll give you an extra-large bowl, free of charge.” Behind the m 13.1kFavorites13.6kClicks/ch9.5kGifts

    Curator note

    Oh my god, I hate the kind of plot where the truth is revealed and you keep it from me, plus the forced acquisition that's been covered up, and the fact that even though the female lead tries to be independent and self-reliant, she still ends up being saved by the male lead every time. It gave me the chills... Essentially, it's a combination and theme that I completely dislike, although the writing itself isn't the problem.

17. 17 不 Spring Unknown 不知春 A Little Green Fluffball一颗绿毛球Romance294k WordsCompleted [Fragile Wen vs. Strong Yuanyuan] Cheng Yueyuan, a beautiful but poor hunter’s daughter, was in desperate need of money. Someone hired her to pose as a bride and marry into the Wen family to bring good luck to their sickly son. “All the jewelry and hair ornaments in the dowry, as well as the deeds to the fields, will be yours to do with as you please.” At the Pingyang Marquis’s residence, Cheng Yueyuan met her sickly husband. He had gentle features and smelled of medicine. A breeze through his 17.2kFavorites15.8kClicks/ch7.4kGifts

    Curator note

    As the copy says, what you see is what you get; a lovely and beautiful little piece.

18. 18 古 A Makeup Artist’s Daily Life as a Bride Substitute in Ancient Times 古代妆娘替嫁日常 A Little Green Fluffball一颗绿毛球Romance170k WordsCompleted The blurb for Second Spring Breeze is at the very bottom. Please add it to your reading list~ [Sweet-tongued, cool-hearted confidante x reckless, frivolous fake wastrel] The Empress Dowager made a disastrous match, pairing Xie Mingrui, a wastrel of the capital who failed the autumn imperial exams year after year, with the most upright and straitlaced young lady in the Hanlin Academy’s household. On their wedding night, Xie Mingrui entered the bridal chamber with a long face. In the flickering ca 6.4kFavorites13.7kClicks/ch2.9kGifts

    Curator note

    The ending felt a bit rushed, and the romantic subplot could have been explored in more detail. This is just a short story, so I won't ask for much more.

19. 19 迷 Bewitching Formation 迷魂阵 Mauve Mallow锦葵紫Romance266k WordsCompleted Shen Xiyin’s husband was gravely injured while killing an evil spirit, leaving him unable to father an heir. As the head of a sect, he did not want to leave his position without a successor, nor did he want anyone to learn of this secret that would damage his reputation. He wanted Shen Xiyin to put the greater good first and secretly conceive a child with another man, giving birth to his “heir.” To that end, he schemed to push Shen Xiyin into the Bewitching Array. There was another man inside 206kFavorites170.9kClicks/ch167.4kGifts

    Curator note

    One male lead prefers a gentle approach, while the other doesn't. You might be able to watch it without thinking on another platform, but forget about it here.

20. 20 饲 Raising Gu 饲蛊 Watching Spring Rain雨观春Romance329k WordsCompleted [Complete. The full-butterfly ABO story is in the author's upcoming works: After Marrying an Alpha Disguised as a Beta] A Gu cultivator picked up a woman to use as a tester for his Gu. At first, she was obedient and compliant. If he told her to go east, she would never go west. Later, she became content to lie flat. He could pound on the door loud enough to shake the house, but she would still sleep soundly. The Gu cultivator ordered his insects to undo the latch. His face cold, he strode insi 17.3kFavorites16.1kClicks/ch6.7kGifts

    Curator note

    I don't remember it well, but I finished watching it. I think it's watchable? The female lead isn't exactly a complete slacker.

21. 21 三 The Third Miss Decides to Go… 三小姐决定去…… West of Magpie Bridge鹊桥西Romance355k WordsCompleted Her eldest brother eloped with the crown princess-to-be. Her second brother accidentally killed the empress’s nephew and became an outlaw. Her parents went mad, and now they wanted to help a prince rebel. Zhong Yao had nowhere to turn for help. She imagined all the possible endings for her family and decided that dying before their tragic fate arrived would be better. Since she was going to die anyway, that day she unhesitatingly took a sword meant for a stranger. And then She didn’t die? 255.9kFavorites271.4kClicks/ch143.4kGifts

    Curator note

    It's adorable! As a web novel, it makes me happy more than anything else; I won't go into details about anything else.

22. 22 嫁 I Became a Languid Fish After Marrying a Yandere 嫁病娇后我咸鱼了 A Feast of Chaos乌合之宴Romance557k WordsCompleted [Also known as Married to a Northeastern Yandere] [The print edition, titled Little Cold Spring, is now available on Taobao, JD, and Pinduoduo.] [The blurb may sound awkward. I really can’t write it any better, so please bear with it. At heart, this is a goofy, sweet little story.] On the three hundred and sixty-fifth day after Zhao Xiheng was abducted and imprisoned by the usurper Wei Li, Wei Li held her tightly in his arms that night, kissing the sweat on her flushed cheeks. His voice was low 238.3kFavorites384.5kClicks/ch85.9kGifts

    Curator note

    It really doesn't have much to do with the copywriting (.). Essentially, it's a very formulaic story about a seemingly fierce but actually shrewish man x a rather easygoing and delicate woman. Both of them are willing to talk, so there aren't too many misunderstandings and frustrations. It's a light and cheerful story.

23. 23 今 Has Xiao Yu Been Demoted Today? 今天萧瑀被贬了吗？ Laughing Beauty笑佳人Romance573k WordsCompleted Before their wedding, Luo Fu thought she was marrying a refined young nobleman from a marquis's household, a handsome scholar. After they married, she realized he was no scholar at all. He was a hardheaded top scorer who dared to curse even the emperor, a sharp-tongued censor whose head could be on the chopping block at any moment! To save her own skin, Luo Fu stayed alert. Xiao Yu would curse people up ahead, and she would soothe them behind him. When Xiao Yu was demoted and sent to suffer, s 225.2kFavorites288.7kClicks/ch381.3kGifts

    Curator note

    4/5 The male protagonist and his favorite useful accessory girl 3.7

24. 24 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

    In fact, it's quite different from the atmosphere described in the synopsis (.). Essentially, it's about a clueless female lead who learns to accept life and fate, so she seems indifferent to many things, and a male lead who single-handedly portrays a life filled with both hatred and love, torn between love and hate and unable to let go. The turmoil during the grassland period is arguably the most exciting part in a general sense. The story after their reunion is a bit drawn out, but I'm always tolerant of more romantic subplots. The political intrigue wasn't clearly explained or understood, but I'm satisfied with the romance, so I can overlook it. Overall, it was a pleasant read, without any shocks or jarring moments, and completely edible. It's just that the comments section occasionally gets into arguments [crack].

25. 25 小 Little Swallow 小燕尔 Electricity Princess发电姬Romance533k WordsCompleted The simplified Chinese edition is now available for preorder. For details, visit Weibo @Jinjiang Fadianji~~ Yun Qin had steamed five buns. Her husband, Lu Zhi, was still at school and hadn't come home, so she secretly ate three, leaving two. When Lu Zhi returned, the weather was cold, but sweat dotted his handsome, fair face, and his cheeks were faintly flushed from running. Yun Qin suddenly felt guilty. If only she'd eaten two instead of three. She brought the buns over. Lu Zhi was hungry too 140.3kFavorites137.2kClicks/ch177.2kGifts

    Curator note

    I've loved watching slice-of-life stories of childhood sweethearts, their peaceful and uneventful daily lives—I simply adore them. I've added them to my rewatch list! [Starry-eyed]

26. 26 揽 Gathering Fragrance 揽芳华 Qiao Family's Little Bridge乔家小桥Romance608k WordsCompleted [Now published and available on all major platforms.] Feng Jiayou, a fallen noblewoman from the capital, dreams of the future top official of the court. When she wakes, she discovers that he really exists, and is currently no more than a low-ranking clerk at the Court of Judicial Review. She decides to strike first and “kidnap” him to be her husband. Xie Lan, the young chief of one of the eighteen northern desert strongholds, assumes another identity and comes to the capital, where he goes und 103.7kFavorites131.1kClicks/ch63.8kGifts

    Curator note

    The first third: 3-3.5; The last two-thirds: 3.5-4. Aside from her exceptional intelligence, the female lead is almost constantly tormented, yet she's molded into a calm and shrewd strategist. Perhaps the original intention was to portray an imperfect male lead, but it makes him more vivid and compelling, leaving a slightly unsettling feeling. Some people suffer for growth, others suffer simply to be pitied.

27. 27 和 My Wife and I Were Reborn Before Our Engagement Was Broken 和妻子重生回退婚前 Spring Branch Dawn春枝晓Romance544k WordsCompleted A younger guy who's all smiles on the surface, but a sensitive, gloomy, damp little ghost × A gentle big sister who trains people without even realizing it Lu Xingze transmigrates into an unfamiliar era and discovers he's been handed the classic overpowered hero's broken-engagement plot. At his first glimpse of his fiancée, he notices how impossibly tall the Yun family's buildings are, casting her in unending shadow. Silent, old-fashioned, and lifeless, his fiancée is just like this ancient, 97.5kFavorites95.8kClicks/ch97.2kGifts

    Curator note

    3-3.5/5. The first 40% was quite exciting, but the later plot made my head spin... It's clear the author had the ideas but didn't write them clearly; the setup and writing skill required for this kind of time-traveling is too high. Also, the female lead's character, who is supposed to be a saint, falling in love is unclear; it's all just "fate," which just brings us back to feudal arranged marriages. Finally, this is a story with my own issues, but I really dislike forum-style writing; it makes me uncomfortable. The extra chapters made me turn pale.

28. 28 云 Golden Boughs Above the Clouds 云上金枝 West of Magpie Bridge鹊桥西Romance404k WordsCompleted (“Dog” refers to his personality, not a scumbag.) Blurb: Tang Xian was crowned empress at fifteen. She was widowed as soon as she married, then deposed and locked away in a dark imperial mausoleum for five whole years. At long last, she escaped, only to fall into the hands of rebels. To conceal her identity, Tang Xian nervously played along with them. Who could have guessed that the rebel would be so audacious as to develop improper feelings for her? On a midsummer night, they gazed out fro 76.8kFavorites95.5kClicks/ch37.3kGifts

    Curator note

    A cute grandma-granddaughter romance (not really). The plot is relatively simple, but at least some design elements are visible, and the interactions are quite adorable.

29. 29 我 The Secret My Late Wife and I Shared 我和亡妻的秘密 In Front of Bright Moon Temple明月寺前Romance545k WordsCompleted [A female-dressed-as-male heir × a male-dressed-as-female princess. One couple, happy ending!] An imperial decree married Yu Qing to Princess Qingjia. Yu Qing’s identity was complicated. At first, all she wanted was for them to treat each other with mutual respect. But the princess looked at her pitifully. “Husband, I’ve been alone in the palace since I was little, with no affection or favor. If even you won’t cherish me, who else can I entrust my life to?” The princess was a great beauty, f 57.6kFavorites49.7kClicks/ch39.2kGifts

    Curator note

    This is a story where both the male and female leads have aliases, but the male lead knows the female lead's identity much earlier (through plot holes), and even after they reunite, the female lead still has to rely on herself to find out he faked his death. This is the kind of writing I dislike the most in stories about aliases/revealed identities. The mutual concealment between them, each with their own hidden burdens, is barely watchable. However, in front of the prince, they learn each other's secret that can lead to execution, yet neither of them shows any intention of revealing their true identities. If this is supposed to be the "fear of loss" they wanted to portray, then it's just the most clichéd self-pity that actually hurts the other person.

30. 30 和 Traveling to Ancient Times with a Big Shot (Double Transmigration) 和大佬穿古代（双穿） Mu Yao Rao木妖娆Romance509k WordsCompleted [Fresh Novel: After I Transmigrated as a Widow] is now updating Synopsis: Lin Miao has an accident while traveling. When she opens her eyes, she has become a rural woman, with a thatched hut on the verge of collapse and one, two, three children. Lin Miao feels as if the sky has fallen. Just as she is barely hanging on, her original body's gambling-addict husband returns. He's a sturdy, dark-skinned country fellow. He's quite handsome, but looks like the sort who might hit women. Lin Miao weeps 56.3kFavorites79.4kClicks/ch44.7kGifts

    Curator note

    Just this simple, ordinary story about ordinary people, where nobody becomes an official or a general... So comforting... So comforting! [Starry eyes][starry eyes][starry eyes]

31. 31 嫁 Lying Flat After Marrying the Deposed Crown Prince 嫁给废太子后躺平了 Long-Bright Night长明夜Romance336k WordsCompleted Jiang Yu had the misfortune of transmigrating into the heroine of a melodramatic tragedy novel. The male lead, the Third Prince, fell in love with her at first sight and pursued her relentlessly. She was clearly about to be trapped forever on the road to being tormented. She turned and ran, marrying Fu Yuan, the disgraced Crown Prince under house arrest. The Crown Prince had been stripped of his title, power, and influence, and no one had any faith in this marriage. Even Fu Yuan himself did not 23.8kFavorites21.8kClicks/ch17.6kGifts

    Curator note

    After much thought, I still can't get it to 4. As a typical story about cameras, it's not a big problem, but there are a few chapters in the middle that gave me a headache... It's edible without any toxicity, taste, or shocks. The political intrigue is a bit farcical, but it's precisely because it's farcical that the romance is so engaging.

32. 32 误 After Accidentally Marrying a Fierce General 误嫁凶悍武将后 A Little Green Fluffball一颗绿毛球Romance263k WordsCompleted Blunt, cheerful sweetheart x cold-faced, fierce general Marriage first, love later / lighthearted, sweet everyday romance Yu Zhiguang, the Yu family’s cherished daughter, was ambushed outside the city and spent a night in a bandit den before Xue Shen, a general of the Imperial Guard, rescued her. At the Hibiscus Banquet, rumors ran rampant, claiming she had lost her virtue. Her betrothed, to whom she had been promised since childhood, came to break off the engagement. But when he met her sweet 17.3kFavorites22.7kClicks/ch5kGifts

    Curator note

    So cute!! It's a classic ancient romance novel where the marriage begins but the love develops. Just as the synopsis describes, it's adorable without any shocks or deception. Even the part about the male lead pretending to have a hidden illness, which he then reveals himself because he feels he shouldn't have lied (he hates being lied to by others more than anything). A lovely little story, very good! [Starry-eyed]

33. 33 嫁 Marrying a Heroic Leader 嫁枭雄 Tangsu榶酥Romance445k WordsCompleted In a time of chaos, warlords rise everywhere. By a twist of fate, Wei Yuan ends up following Lu Huai and scraping by amid the flames of war. After years of wandering and hardship, peace finally comes to the land, and she thinks she has made it through. But one day, Lu Huai’s military orders go missing, and she happens to have entered his study and left his residence. She is branded a spy, thrown into prison, and dies with regrets. When she wakes, she is back on the day she left the residence. R 12.6kFavorites15kClicks/ch5.9kGifts

    Curator note

    3.5 The first half was quite interesting, but the latter half was padded and boring, rummaging through the plot to create romantic subplots. The main characters were all fairly likable, hence the 0.5 Increase.

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