Novels like Just Kidding
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Just Kidding, best match first.
- 1 Kim Eun-ning’s First Book 金恩宁的第一本书 Arrogant, unhinged wealthy heir + beautiful, strong, tragic top student + dog-training romance + chasing his wife to the crematorium Supporting couple: a rabid mad dog who refuses to let go + a delicate, graceful beauty like a white jade pearl The young master’s malice always comes out of nowhere, and his love is just a passing whim. He once lazily exhaled smoke and said, “It was just something stupid I said on a whim.” He also once stood there with red-rimmed eyes, using every means at his disp 31Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 You Still Haven't Confessed to Me 你还没跟我告白 [Hot-tempered, possessive troubled boy & sweet, gentle girl] A tragic ending, an angsty campus romance. When they first met, Chi Wen was an exemplary student at No. 16 High School, excelling in both academics and conduct. Bian Qingye, meanwhile, was the fearsome “Ye-ge” from the vocational school next door. Everyone said he was exactly what his name suggested: wild, and wild in everything he did. He changed girlfriends faster than he changed clothes. At that age, what girl wouldn’t want to leav 58Reads6.4Score—14d adds
- 3 The Sunshine Isn't Warm 阳光不温暖 Luo Yiyi lost both her parents when she was young and had only her grandmother to rely on. After finally getting into Haicheng No. 1 High School, she became the victim of severe school bullying. Qin Yan, the pampered daughter of the Qin family, was her bully, while Qin Yan’s older brother, Qin Chuan, spoiled her rotten. After enduring Qin Yan’s petty tricks and Qin Chuan’s lies, Luo Yiyi was left wounded in both body and mind. Just before the college entrance exams, Qin Chuan accidentally discov 141Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 The Queen of Pop Has a Big Heart: Even Bad Press Is Good Press 天后她心大，黑红也是红 The author says: This book is based on an idea I came up with years ago. As I filled in the characters’ backgrounds and personalities, I gradually started to feel a little lost. At first, I marked the heroine as kind, but then I thought I’d get criticized, so I changed it to righteous. Then I thought that would get me even more criticism. After that, I also ruled out traits like brave and smart, which were what I’d originally wanted to convey. At the last moment, I settled on “white lotus.” That 1.4kReads7.1Score13414d adds
- 5 He Knows He Was Wrong 他知道错了 [Bullying + tragic ending + coercive love + mutual devotion] That year, at the park, she found a place in Jiang Ye's heart. But in Su Yin's heart, he was a demon, a nightmare. When they first met in the classroom, Jiang Ye said to Su Yin, “I don't want anything in particular. I just think my dull, boring life might finally get a little more interesting. We have plenty of time!” He had no idea those words would mark the beginning of Su Yin's nightmare, pushing her into an endless abyss! . 1.5kReads8.1Score10314d adds
- 6 Out of Control 失控 My new work is here! You can read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support inspires me to write, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 4.6kReads7.9Score28114d adds
- 7 Pleasure at the Cost of Wisdom 玩物丧智 Song Yanxiu appeared in her life only to drag her into hell! He bullied and humiliated her, and killed her father. Xia Mo watched with her own eyes as he was sentenced to death. Ten years later, he appeared before her again under a new identity. His abuse was even more vicious than it had been ten years ago. He wanted to see her wishing she were dead. The words Xia Mo said to herself most often were, “I mustn’t lose my mind.” This time, she would kill the devil with her own hands! But then she h 45Reads6.8Score214d adds
- 8 The Wolf and the Tuberose 狼与荼蘼 There's a scam in this world called Shen Muyan loving Su Qianyang. When the deception is exposed, he gradually closes in on her, baring his vicious fangs. His voice is gentle yet cruel. “A Yang, do you know a wolf's nature? Once its loyalty has been killed, all that remains is hatred!” When a wolf turns back, it's either to repay a kindness or to take revenge! Shen Muyan says he will repay Su Qianyang a hundredfold for the trap she laid for him! So he tortures her until she is utterly broken. * 409Reads8.3Score—14d adds
- 9 Bend Your Wings 偏折你双翼 [Dominant underworld boss x clearheaded, clever innocent beauty] (Both leads are each other’s first and only, forced possession, tragic ending, size difference, love at first sight, modern romance) PS: At first: lust at first sight Later: completely lovesick At their first meeting, one glance was all it took. He Su’s appearance was etched deeply into Wei Jinchen’s mind. He had never seen such a beautiful Chinese woman. Pure, flawless, as translucent and gleaming as porcelain. He went mad with d 448Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 10 Withdrawal 戒断反应 When Jiang Shan was sixteen, she made a wish to be with Jiang Ye and marry him someday. When Jiang Ye was twenty-six, he made a wish to be with Jiang Shan and marry her someday. Heaven answers the prayers of the faithful, so both Jiang Shan’s and Jiang Ye’s wishes came true. The only thing was, Heaven missed the part about how long it was supposed to last and forgot they wanted it to be forever. 7.1kReads8.9Score72914d adds
- 11 Inferior Genes 劣等基因 Xu Zhen was so close, so close to escaping across the border. But the earth that came crashing down buried all her hopes. As she lay dying, someone dug her out of the earth. Recognizing him, Xu Zhen gritted her teeth. “He Chong, I’ll kill you even if I have to become a ghost!” He Chong replied, “You’d better think about what happens if you don’t even get to become a ghost.” 1kReads8.9Score17514d adds
- 12 Youth Is a Grand Illusion 青春是一场盛大的幻梦 Youth is a magnificent dream. Those first meetings, growing closer, and keeping one another company shimmered like stars, drawing us into the dream called youth. Looking back, the once-burning promises have scattered on the wind, and those deep, tender feelings have become regrets too painful to touch. On quiet nights, when memories drift through our minds like smoke, we may smile or we may cry, because that was our youth, true and unvarnished. [A Dream of Youth: My Twelve Years with Him] Cheng 41Reads—Score—14d adds
- 13 When Love Falls Silent 若爱无声 [Possessive love / older woman-younger man romance] How should I love you? Should I lock you away, or break your wings? Please tell me. A little boy who got lost turns up at the compound, quiet as a mouse and as filthy as a stray puppy. Yu Rou, who grew up surrounded by love, feels sorry for him and checks on him whenever she can. She never expects that her concern will make its way into his heart. She regrets it, but it’s already too late. This breathtakingly handsome boy turns out to be a 1.8kReads8.6Score14914d adds
- 14 Lingering Scent 余腥 Yu Jiaxi spent ten years with Li Jin. She had no ambition, no aspirations, no dreams, no house, no car, no savings, and a mountain of debt. She thought love meant weathering hardship together. At least, enduring hardship was what she was best at. Duan Yan called her pathetic. Only later did she understand: someone who didn’t love her could bear to make her suffer, but someone who loved her couldn’t even stand to see her in pain. 2.9kReads8.2Score28814d adds
- 15 Soft Fishbone 软鱼刺 Yu Wen is the envied Mrs. Sheng, admired by everyone in their social circle. She plays the part of a devoted wife, living in perfect harmony with Sheng Wen. Little do they know, there is someone she has loved all her life but can never have. 2.1kReads8.6Score12314d adds
- 16 Longing for Our Reunion Day After Day, Forgetting Each Other Year After Year 朝朝盼重逢，念念总相忘 [Angst, angst, angst! Extremely angsty, proceed with caution!] Five years ago The golden boy Ji Lingchuan knelt on the ground, desperately begging Xia Zhiyi not to leave him. But she coldly told him to get lost, then turned around and married someone else. Five years later The bar hostess Xia Zhiyi knelt before the untouchable Mr. Ji, fawning over him. He shoved her away, saying she was filthy. He hated her, bullied her, and was consumed by the desire to take revenge on her. But when he saw a li 673Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 17 The Nest of Passion 热巢 Xiang Zhen could give Zhong Yi everything except fidelity and marriage, so she took the riches she had earned in exchange for ten years of her youth and disappeared from his life. Later, she started dating someone new, named Xiang Zhen: a younger man who had secretly loved her for years. He was wonderful in every way, except he didn’t like her calling out his name when the lights were off... 9.5kReads8.2Score1.1k14d adds
- 18 Letting Go 割愛 [Short tragic ending + obsessive male lead] After my mother remarried, my stepbrother, who shared neither parent with me, was always finding new ways to bully me. But after our parents died, he changed completely. He stopped bullying me and instead stayed by my side, taking care of me without ever giving up on me. It was as if he’d become a different person. 62Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 19 A Lovesick Playboy Meets a Heartless Good Girl 痴情浪子遇见绝情乖乖女 A Lovestruck Rogue Meets an Ice-Cold Good Girl 3.9kReads—Score7914d adds
- 20 Acting the Fool 犯浑 Mai Zichun was born lucky. She could have anything she wanted, except Mai Yongxiao. She did everything she could to make trouble and torment Mai Yongxiao's younger brother. Seeing the man's lip, bitten open by her, Mai Yongxiao said calmly and coolly, “You don't need to cling to Xia Yi. He wouldn't dare touch you.” Mai Zichun said, “You forced me to marry Lin Nankai, who's disabled, and he even insists I be a virgin?” Later, Mai Zichun sat beside Lin Nankai's wheelchair, coaxing him. Lin Nankai 6.3kReads9.2Score62314d adds
- 21 Holding a Wisp of Moonlight 捧一缕月光 [Fake sweet albino beauty × rebellious racer] [Passionate, pure-hearted girl with a short life × commitment-phobic auto mechanic] [1v1, both chaste, equally matched, half school life and half adult life, healing, angst] The rumors said Racer Fifth Brother was rebellious, ill-tempered, aloof, and never gave anyone the time of day. Boss Shen was the best-known mechanic on Huainan Road: skilled, handsome, and kindhearted. Wait, weren't they the same person?! Hold on, kindhearted? Wen Wan, who'd bee 365Reads8.7Score—14d adds
- 22 The Day the Wind Blew 风吹过的那天 He Lin, congratulations on your wedding. On the day you got married, the wind blew. I thought I was finally ready to let go. 174Reads8.0Score3814d adds
- 23 The Book Between Two Worlds: The Emperor’s Caged Phoenix Breaks Its Neck at Last 两界书：帝王囚凰终折颈 [Both virgins + groveling redemption + palace and household intrigue + tragic romance] On my first day as a princess sent off for a political marriage, he made me drink poisoned wine. What he didn’t know was that I was a modern-day expert in pharmacology and toxicology, a veritable King of Hell. He suspected me, despised me, and abandoned me. At every turn between life and death, he chose someone else. He thought he loved his unattainable first love, so he protected her and trusted her. He had 46Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 This Is Awkward: My Ex-Wife Is Getting Married, and I Still Have to Serve at the Wedding 尴尬，前妻结婚我还要去婚宴上端盘子 How awkward. My ex-wife is getting married, and I still have to go serve food at her wedding banquet. 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 Hidden Jasmine 藏茉莉 The rating just went up. It’ll rise more later~ [Lin Mosheng × Zhou Yu] On a stormy day, the air was damp and oppressive. An old tune drifted from the music box on the table, and through her hazy consciousness, she returned to her first year of high school. “Shengsheng, what are you standing there for?” The woman smiled and urged her. “Hurry up and call him big brother.” Lin Mosheng looked at the boy in front of her, her eyes instantly turning red. Choking back tears, she said, “Zhou Yu?” The bo 485Reads8.3Score10214d adds
- 26 Keep Moving Forward, Don't Look Back 向前走，别回头 At 18, Zhao Xingyang fell in love with someone. To her, the boy was a ray of light in her life, the best gift heaven had ever given her. He was brilliant and flamboyant, carefree and unrestrained. Unfortunately, he didn't know she existed, and she was too much of a coward... Perhaps because she'd met someone so dazzling in her youth, it took her a full ten years to let go. At 28, Zhao Xingyang told herself: “Keep moving forward. Don't look back.” 132Reads8.2Score2114d adds
- 27 No Such Person Exists 杳无此人 [Undercover Assassin vs. Narcotics Detective] “Jinchen, after I’m gone, I’m entrusting my sister to you.” “Don’t tell her what happened to me. She cries at the drop of a hat, and if she finds out, she’ll cry her head off.” “Yu Jinyan, you big liar! Now that you’re gone, who’s going to protect me? I have no family left…” The day after Yu Jinyan died, Yu Jinchu vanished without a trace, as if she had disappeared from the face of the earth. Jiang Jinchen searched for her like a madman. Seven years 376Reads—Score12514d adds
- 28 Thoughts and Longing 念与望 Campus | Mutual pining | BE A gloomy boy plagued by misfortune | A sensitive girl always afraid of losing what she has The breeze swept past the window, lifting an orange-yellow journal that shimmered in the sunlight. On the first page, someone had written: “If you can't forget, your feelings will be answered.” Jiang Wang, the name that ran through Shen Nian's teenage years. Her first crush, at eight. Then, at fourteen, she saw him again. She stayed by Jiang Wang's side in silence. She didn't da 33Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 29 The Camellia Tree 山茶花树 “A Huai, the camellias on the mountain back home are blooming. I really wish you could go see them with me again.” “The camellias on the mountain bloom and wither, then bloom again, but the camellia in my heart will never fade.” 89Reads—Score—14d adds
- 30 Half a Letter in Winter 冬天的半封信 They met in winter, grew close, parted ways, and found each other again. “See you in winter.” I’ll see you in winter. It turned out to mean goodbye until winter comes again. 70Reads—Score—14d adds
- 31 Love in Longcheng: Young Master Fu's Bride of Atonement 龙城囚爱：傅少的赎罪新娘 “Both reborn” + “gut-wrenching angst” + “chasing his wife to the crematorium” + “substitute” + “imprisonment and miscarriage” + “happy ending.” When Su Nuan was ten, she saved Fu Hanchuan. But Fu Hanchuan mistook her for someone else, and for ten years, he gave all his tenderness to another woman. By a twist of fate, Su Nuan and Fu Hanchuan married ten years later, only for him to send her to prison, where she suffered three miscarriages. When Fu Hanchuan learned the truth, he knelt at Su Nuan’s 203Reads—Score—14d adds
- 32 His Sunflower, Lost Forever in the Deep Sea 他的向日葵永坠深海 [A fake playboy who craves love] Both leads are virgins Jiang Xun, the only son of the Jiang family, was a notorious playboy: arrogant, ruthless, and utterly indifferent to his own family. On the first day of the new semester at A University, a freshman transferred from B University slapped him in front of everyone. Jiang Xun was no pushover, and from then on, he began plotting his revenge. He bullied her. He broke her in. He imprisoned her. He made her his captive and dragged her into the circl 1.9kReads8.0Score10414d adds
- 33 A Bone-Deep Seduction 蚀骨诱哄 “Big brother, could you be gentle with me just once...” “Sure. How would you like that? Cut off a finger, pull out your nails, or roll across a bed of nails? If you hurt someone, you have to pay the price!” Shen Changmu looked with utter disgust at the woman writhing on the floor, her whole body trembling with pain. She was the wife his grandfather had forced him to marry. He didn't love her, though he couldn't deny that she knew exactly how to seduce him, tempting him again and again until he 1.9kReads6.0Score10214d adds
- 34 Si Nianqingqing 斯年轻轻 [Groveling to win her back] [No getting back together] [Tragic ending] Cheng Qingqing's grand love for Fu Sinian was a mistake. She corrected it as soon as she realized, and would never look back at him again. She would never care how pathetically he begged. “Qingqing, I like you. I really do. Please, don't leave me. Please come home with me. Please give me a home. I'm begging you, don't leave me...” “Please...” It was actually Cheng Qingqing's birthday. At twenty-six, she seemed to have finally 473Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 35 My Best Friend Got Pregnant by a Black Man, Then Blamed Her Ex-Boyfriend 闺蜜与黑人交往意外怀孕，赖上了前男友 My Best Friend Accidentally Got Pregnant by a Black Man, Then Tried to Pin It on Her Ex —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 36 Everyone Knows This Secret Except You 除你之外都知道这个秘密 [Scatterbrained little ray of sunshine × sharp-tongued top student] You ask what happened after that. Well, after that… Xiang Nan was once Sheng Gu’s light. When they meet again, Sheng Gu decides to become the one who chases the light. You just stand in the light. I’ll stay behind you and protect you, whether you can see me or not. Xiang Nan watches the sharp-tongued college genius who keeps showing up in front of her every day: “Oh no, why am I starting to fall for him?” “Does he actually lik 17Reads—Score—14d adds
- 37 One-Man Show 独角戏 [Signed for simplified Chinese publication] I wish I were brave, but when it comes to loving you, I always feel so unworthy. 388Reads8.8Score10214d adds
- 38 Half Ginkgo, Half First Snow 一半银杏一半初雪 [Two top students + school life + everyday moments + sweet at first, then bittersweet] [Arrogant, headstrong girl vs. cold genius] That summer, she escaped the abyss and met him. * That autumn marked the beginning of their happiness. She asked, “Do you know why I like ginkgo leaves and the first snowfall?” He said, “Someday, I'll take you to different places to see the ginkgo trees and the first snow.” Beneath the ginkgo tree, the boy looked serious as the wind sent leaves swirling across th 162Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 With You Until Twenty-Nine 陪你到二十九岁 By Your Side Until You're Twenty-Nine 78Reads—Score214d adds
- 40 One Fleeting Glance, and I Knew Love Had Faded 蓦然一顾知阑珊 She married him without hesitation in the prime of her life, but couldn't escape the seven-year itch. As her life entered its final countdown, she could no longer find the young man who had once loved her so deeply. She devoted her entire life to him, and only at the very end did he finally realize what he had lost... 59Reads5.6Score—14d adds
- 41 After the Class Reunion, She Knelt and Begged Me Not to Divorce Her 同学聚会后，她跪着求我别离婚 After the Class Reunion, She Begged Me on Her Knees Not to Divorce Her 40Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 Making Dirty Money from Recycling? Today I Take No Pawns, Only Your Tears 回收挣黑心钱？今天不收典当，只收你的眼泪 Making dirty money from recycling? Today, I won't take your pawned goods. I'll take your tears. 41Reads—Score—14d adds
- 43 Love's Captive, a Tragic Romance 爱囚雅殇 Part 1 Tang Fei had longed for family affection since childhood. When she grew up and learned about all the conflicts, that affection became something forever beyond her reach. At fifteen, she met Feng Yuchen and gave him all her sincerity. In the end, he trampled on it. Still, she continued to long for love. At last, when she was twenty, she decided to give up on Feng Yuchen. But he clung to her and used his power to tell her she would never escape him. Part 2 An Qingjia was the least noticeabl 9.9kReads8.4Score62314d adds
- 44 Midsummer Is Eternal 盛夏是永恒 A girl with heart failure × a cold, short-tempered boy Mutual salvation [School-life tragedy] An eternal, unchanging love, yet it was in the brief span of my life that an eternal love was created... The little sun warmed everyone, but in the end, she couldn't escape the endless cycle of summer. Under the stars, she made a wish: "May my Luoluo have peace year after year." Little scenes: "Hey, would you be interested in dating?" "Why are you such a stick-in-the-mud?" "Why is my darling so cute?" " 312Reads8.4Score10114d adds
- 45 A Month Before Our Wedding, I Caught My Fiancée and Her Best Friend in a Hotel Secret 结婚前一个月，我在酒店撞见未婚妻和她闺蜜的秘密 A Month Before Our Wedding, I Caught My Fiancée Sharing a Secret with Her Best Friend at a Hotel 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 46 The Wind Kisses the White Rose 风吻白玫瑰 A cheerful girl with depression vs. a lonely, gentle top student Chen Yan meets a strange person at the hospital. That day, he sees many sides of her. One moment she is chatting away, the next she is silently crying. Since high school, she has called herself “Young Master Xiao Jiang” and become everyone’s mood-maker. Everyone thinks that is just who she is, but Chen Yan is the only one who has seen the side she keeps hidden. So he says, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to save you.” He has seen her at 77Reads8.9Score—14d adds
- 47 The Wind Will Remember Him for Me 风会替我记住他 [School life + mutual crushes + healing + Be] Don't look at my embarrassing past. Don't make me beg you. “Gentle and sensitive” Qi Zhiyou x “sunny and outgoing” Cheng Weizhui Ten years after Qi Zhiyou died, Cheng Weizhui learned of her death. He spent a year in a daze before finally taking his own life. Scenes from his life replayed in his mind. Early autumn. When they first met, he had smiled and asked her, “What are you doing here?” Later, at a temple, he had sincerely prayed, “May my girl liv 53Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 48 A Marriage at a Crossroads 婚途陌路 Strangers on the Road to Marriage 49Reads—Score714d adds
- 49 Kiss the Breeze 吻清风 The boy standing against the light: Tang Qingxu. I used to write about you. Now, at last, I can write about us. My greatest delusion in this life was that I could try to hold back the wind. *Content warning: This is a tragic ending. The male lead moves on and gets married; the female lead dies the day he lets go. If you can’t handle that ending, feel free to skip this one. 101Reads8.9Score—14d adds
- 50 After Losing My Job, I Left with Nothing. Now My Ex-Wife Begs Me to Remarry Her 失业后，我净身出户，前妻跪求复婚 After Losing My Job, I Left With Nothing, and My Ex-Wife Begged Me to Remarry Her 13Reads—Score—14d adds
