Novels like Climbing the Social Ladder
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Climbing the Social Ladder, best match first.
- 1 The Ball Never Hits the Ground 球不落地 The Ball Never Hits the Ground —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 I Had End-Stage Stomach Cancer. I Died Quietly, and He Went Mad 胃癌晚期，我安静死掉他疯了 I died quietly of end-stage stomach cancer, and he went mad. 3kReads—Score1414d adds
- 3 Sinking with Eyes Wide Open 清醒地沉沦 Li Yanran was a well-behaved girl. Just as she was graduating from college, she caught the attention of Fu Yiming, a rich second-generation heir. Li Yanran thought she had found true love, but Fu Yiming was only looking for a fling. Once she had given him her heart, how could she ever take it back? 598Reads6.0Score10114d adds
- 4 Peach Blossom Scandals 桃花绯闻 After the rain, the depths shimmered in shades of light and dark. A villa stood hidden beneath the shadowy leaves, as if it held a little-known secret. How many times had she dreamed of this villa? Chen Shi could no longer tell. A winding stream flowed past, and a peach blossom by the rocks made the villa seem strangely familiar. I've been here before... In the early days of the Dharma's Decline, summer in Daxia was scorching. Abroad, wars raged one after another, while life science laboratories 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 He Cut Out My Demon Core with His Own Hands 他亲手剖出了我的妖丹 He personally cut out my demon core 24Reads—Score114d adds
- 6 Young and Reckless, I First Saw the Snow 那时年少，初见雪 Back then, we were young, and I first saw the snow. 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 Reborn for the Fifth Time: The Chancellor's Legitimate Daughter Is Framed on the Eve of Her Wedding to the Crown Prince 第五次重生：相府嫡女与太子大婚前夕被污清白 Reborn for the Fifth Time: On the Eve of Her Wedding to the Crown Prince, the Chancellor's Legitimate Daughter Is Framed for Losing Her Innocence 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 8 GB: Didn't You Say You Loved Me? Why Did You Run Away? GB：不是说爱我吗怎么跑了 (The full story is complete. Please be understanding if there are a few issues.) A meek, cowardly general / a fierce, domineering princess; female-led; some discipline; the woman is not chaste; pretty mindless Angst-heavy; the main story has a tragic ending, but the extra chapters have a happy ending Jiang Zaihui could never understand how everything could have changed so much after he went on just one campaign... The entire Jiang family was executed, and he was saved by the Sixth Princess. But 20Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 I Have a Confession for You. Will You Hear Me Out? 给你告白，要不要听 My new work is out! 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! 195Reads7.1Score—14d adds
- 10 My Lovesick Boss, Whom I Sent to Prison 我那桃花癫老板，被我送进了监狱 I Sent My Lovesick Boss to Prison 14Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 After the Poor Little Darling Goes Bankrupt, She Becomes the Capital's Young Master's Cherished Pet 小可怜破产后，成京圈太子掌中雀 Song Youling’s family goes bankrupt. Bai Qingtan, whom her family once adopted from an orphanage and whom she bossed around throughout their childhood, is recognized by his birth family and suddenly becomes a powerful figure in Beijing’s elite circles. Song Youling knows she can’t afford to offend him, so she keeps her head down in the capital. Even so, someone with an ulterior motive has her tied up and dumped in front of him. Song Youling stands straight, her heart aching with grievance. “Bai 323Reads5.7Score—14d adds
- 12 She’s Too Soft 她太软 [Devoted to each other + whirlwind marriage + marriage first, love later + secret crush + second male lead gets the girl + trash ex faces regret but isn't forgiven] Sang Ruan was a nobody at the company, a junior assistant to movie star Ye Jing, and his childhood friend of ten years. On the day he basked in the glory of his success, she heard his response to the intimate photos of them circulating online, with camera flashes going off all around her: “She's just an assistant. She came on to me.” 66Reads6.8Score—14d adds
- 13 After Being Diagnosed with a Terminal Illness, I Discovered My Substitute Was His One True Love 得了绝症后，发现替身竟是白月光 A possessive, domineering, cold-blooded top VS a mute, terminally ill substitute bottom One-on-one, both pure Author’s note: Same-sex marriage is legal in this setting!! Originally titled The Mute Substitute A story about the real person he loved becoming a substitute and suffering abuse, in body and heart!!! Important things must be said three times: BE, BE, BE Ting Xu is mute. Adopted by the Ye family as a child, he became Ye Zifeng’s personal bodyguard. After Ye Zifeng died, Xie Lingchen, who 149Reads—Score—14d adds
- 14 Mandarin Duck Eyes, Snow on Broken Bridge 鸳鸯眼，断桥雪 Mandarin Duck Eyes, Snow on the Broken Bridge 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 My Life Is Ten Thousand Springtimes of Splendor 我的生命是一万次的春和景明 My life is ten thousand springs of clear skies and bright days —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 After I Died, My Little Brother Lay by My Tombstone Every Day 我死后，小哥哥日日躺在我墓碑前 After I Died, My Sweetheart Lay by My Tombstone Every Day 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 17 Stop Begging, Young Master of the Rich Family. We Don't Know Each Other! 别求了，豪门太子爷，我们不熟！ [Second Male Lead Takes the Lead + Mature Romance + Groveling to Win Her Back, But She Won’t Return + Intense Push and Pull] [Clear-Headed, Independent Lawyer × Powerful Man with a Surprising Side] On the day Zhou Mo was betrayed by a client and her case fell apart, she was approached by Liang Mingqian. Though they had only just met, Liang Mingqian asked, “Should I call you Doctor Zhou or Lawyer Zhou?” No one knew why she had abandoned medicine for law, or what secret lay behind the scar on her 19Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 She Lost Her Memory and Became Half-Demon; His Soul-Burning Heartfire Turned on Him 她失忆沦为半妖，他心焰灼魂反噬 [Obsessive, Aloof, Unhinged Male Lead + Resilient, Deeply Insecure Female Lead Who Says One Thing and Means Another + Frozen Wasteland + Twisted Fate + Mysterious Cultivation + Happy Ending] She found a half-demon girl with amnesia in the snow and brought her home. With enchanting green eyes, the girl could barely remember her own name. She often gazed at his heart and said, "There's a fire in there. It's so warm, it makes me want to cry." But Ban Moshang had guarded that heartflame with guilt 41Reads—Score—14d adds
- 19 After My Childhood Sweetheart and I Both Died, I Followed Them in Death 青梅竹马双双死后我殉情了 After My Childhood Sweetheart and I Both Died, I Followed Them in Death —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 20 I Was Once Married to You, and the Thought Still Breaks My Heart 我曾嫁给你，想到就心酸 An accident forced two strangers to marry because of an unexpected pregnancy. Su Ran became, in Song Tingyu’s eyes, a woman who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. On their wedding night, he sneered at her. “Su Ran, you got what you wanted. But apart from the title of Mrs. Song, don’t think you’ll get anything else.” The very next day, he packed his things and flew abroad to comfort the woman he loved. Overnight, she became a laughingstock throughout Ancheng. Four years passed. He live 470Reads8.2Score10614d adds
- 21 After I Died, the CEO Who Favored His New Mistress Went Mad 我死后，偏心上位女的霸总疯了 After I died, the domineering CEO who favored his mistress went mad 17Reads—Score—14d adds
- 22 I Made Myself a Boyfriend, and Somehow I Fell for Him Despite My Alexithymia 亲手造了个男友，患述情障碍的我竟动了心 I made myself a boyfriend, and somehow, despite my alexithymia, I fell for him. 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 23 Mountains and Seas, Different Schemes 山海不同谋 Dedicated to the memory of my friend. A heroine who seems strong but is actually sensitive and introverted x a hero who seems cold but is actually gentle. Tragic ending. “Why is Qingchuan called Qingchuan?” “I confessed to you long ago. In every glance I gave you.” Maybe we should all be a little braver in our youth. “Can we take a photo together?” “Wu Cangting, goodbye forever.” 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 Your Love Is Just a Joke 你爱我只是个笑话 Blurb: Mu Xuyang went to prison for three years for love. When he got out, Han Zheng said, “I’m sorry. The one I’m marrying is him.” Mu Xuyang smiled and said, “All right. I hope you two will be happy!” From then on, there would never again be a fool in this world who loved you enough to die for you. Mu Xuyang died, lost in the despair of love, but then he lived again, in the tears of regret shed by that man. 112Reads5.1Score—14d adds
- 25 Stealing Hearts on a Snowy Night 雪夜偷心 A story about a wealthy young heir falling in love with an ordinary girl. Happy ending. They are not each other’s only partner, and later the male lead will go through a grueling pursuit to win her back. The characters are meant to feel real. The heroine is independent and clearheaded, but always feels inferior around the male lead. The male lead grew up deeply deprived of affection and despises betrayal. Zhao Mingyuan is an unreachable moon, born atop a mountain and looking down on everyone bel 299Reads8.2Score3014d adds
- 26 Mo Yan Returns 莫言归 [Bad ending + melodrama + devoted to each other] He forces her first, then chases after her. Mostly angst. Jiang Chu takes on his responsibilities and infiltrates a criminal organization. Betrayal, understanding, confusion, forgiveness, revenge... A jumble of complicated emotions fills his heart. He spends nearly his entire life walking the road ahead. "I could protect anyone else but you. You're the one person I can't protect." Another late autumn. The ginkgo leaves have turned yellow in great 166Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 27 A Tortured Love Between Human and Ghost: The Bricklayer 人鬼虐恋之泥瓦匠 A Tragic Love Between a Man and a Ghost: The Bricklayer —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 28 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 340Reads—Score12514d adds
- 29 The Musang King in the Basement 地下室里的猫山王 A Cat Mountain King in the Basement 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 30 I Became a Movie Star Through Gaming 我靠游戏登顶影帝 [A male lead who grows over time] [Not a wish-fulfillment story] [Slow burn] [Retro games] [Cybernetic creation] [Multiple elements] [Pure imagination] Su Mu, a screenwriting student who graduates straight into unemployment, stumbles into Henglei Film and Television City and unexpectedly gets bound to a strange acting-game System, becoming an extra. Many details from the game begin to manifest in his acting career. Just as he thinks the System will help him reach the top, a data world with him 11Reads7.2Score—14d adds
- 31 After Stealing My Stepmother's One True Love, I Kicked Him to the Curb! 抢走后妈白月光后，一脚踹开他！ ❤️ [Yandere fiction] Drag the aloof, dignified Uncle Shen down from his pedestal!!! ❤️Adorable, well-behaved, Japanese-style JK beauty steals her stepmother's first love ➕ male lead turns into a lunatic ➕ male lead saves heroine ➕ 12-year age gap ➕ happy ending ➕ both virgins ➕ sweet and angsty romance ➕ reunion after a long separation ➕ pursuit and groveling?❤️ ❤️Male-lead-angst story. Don't read if you don't like that!❤️ He's the first love her stepmother has always dreamed of, and the untouc 708Reads8.5Score10214d adds
- 32 Go See the Aurora 去见极光 Go See the Northern Lights 58Reads—Score1314d adds
- 33 After the Divorce, My Ex-Husband Begged to Remarry Me, but I Had Already Become a Billionaire 离婚后，前夫跪求复婚时我已成首富 After the Divorce, My Ex-Husband Begged Me to Remarry, but I'd Already Become the Richest Person Alive 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 34 If Only I Could See You Once More 若能再见你一面 Short angst novel + BE + Read with caution + Life isn’t always HE, so when a BE comes, face it bravely... [Goodbye, or goodbye forever?] An ending is both love and her fate... Jiang Yinsheng, I used to think I was the one who owned this heart, but then I realized it was you... Su Sheng, life goes on and all things grow. Just like her name, she represented growth and hope, but she broke her promise... 108Reads8.0Score—14d adds
- 35 System Terminator: I Rewrite My Brother's Fate with My Own Hands 系统终结者：我亲手改写哥哥的结局 System Terminator: I Rewrite My Brother’s Ending with My Own Hands 4.1kReads—Score4114d adds
- 36 On Our Wedding Night, He Slaughtered My Entire Family. Later, He Knelt and Begged Me to Burn Him Alive 大婚夜，他屠我满门，后来跪着求我烧死他 On our wedding night, he slaughtered my entire family. Later, he knelt and begged me to burn him alive. 329Reads—Score—14d adds
- 37 I'm Done Working for Mrs. Lu 陆太太这份工，我不干了 I'm Done Working as Mrs. Lu 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 38 A Spring Wedding Banquet 春日婚宴 [Main couple’s story complete] Pregnancy before love, a slow and steady romance | Marriage first, love later / Multiple couples Seven years ago, she unexpectedly slept with Jiang Donglin, then married him, got pregnant, and had a child. Everything unfolded in ways she never expected: she became the sister-in-law of the man she loved. Seven years later, Jiang Donglin returned to the country with his former fiancée. They were made for each other. Chi Yao felt she could be cast aside at any moment. 3.9kReads6.8Score19014d adds
- 39 I Kill for the Demon Lord, and Warm His Bed, Too 一边替魔君杀天下，一边替他暖榻 [Angst and Abuse, BE, Not Both Virgins] Humble Fox Girl × Ambitious Prince She was the strongest warrior in the Demon Realm, conquering cities and expanding his empire through bloodshed. She was also a plaything he summoned for amusement during his long nights, beneath him and beneath his notice. He used her to the fullest: on the battlefield and in bed. The road to the ends of the earth was long, and she had never been part of his journey. —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 40 We Who Were Killed by the World 被世界杀死的我们 We Who Were Killed by the World 114Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 I Hid My Looks for Three Years, Then Stunned the Whole School at Graduation 扮丑三年，毕业典礼我惊艳全校 I Pretended to Be Ugly for Three Years. At Graduation, I Dazzled the Entire School 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 After They Heard My Inner Thoughts, I Became the Villainous Demon Lord's Beloved 被听心声后，成了反派魔头白月光 Yu Yaoyao transmigrates into a novel as a cannon-fodder woman with the same name. To bring about the happy ending for the male and female leads, she becomes a stumbling block on the villain Pei Heng's path to love. With the mindset of "If I don't go to hell, who will?", she takes the heroine's place in the original story's scene where she rescues Pei Heng's beloved from danger, and steps in whenever sweet talk is needed. Thanks to her ability to lie without batting an eye, Yu Yaoyao successfully 24Reads8.8Score—14d adds
- 43 Entangled by My Fiancé's Brooding Brother 缠她：被未婚夫的阴湿哥哥缠上了 [No holds barred] [A sinister, ruthless villainous man] [Rivals vying for her later] One woman, two men: a stubborn, resilient heroine versus a sinister, ruthless, calculating CEO brother versus his sunny, sharp-tongued, devoted younger brother Lin Du first met Zhou Yan in the third row by the window in their high school classroom. Sunlight fell on his eyelashes as he handed her a pen and said, "That's a lovely name. I'm Zhou Yan." She thought that was the beginning of a love story. Only later d 433Reads—Score18514d adds
- 44 President Mu, Secretary Shen Says You've Crossed the Line 慕总，沈秘书说你越界了 [Flirtatious Tension + Love That Grows Over Time + Slow-Burning Romance] [Powerful Man Bows His Head + Mutual Firsts + The Long Road to Winning Her Back + Happy Ending] Mu Beilin was born with everything. He was heir to a top conglomerate, possessed business acumen that left his peers in the dust, and wielded power enough to control everything. But he had a condition that made his skin reject contact with women. Whenever he touched one, his whole body broke out in red rashes. He thought he would 1.8kReads8.6Score13214d adds
- 45 The Top Student in My Grade Is My Son's Biological Father 年级第一是我儿子他亲爹 I’m Zuo Yao! I transmigrated! In a moment of carelessness, I wound up in 2018, back when my dad was a aloof heartthrob thanks to his good grades, and my mom made money reselling goods because she was allowed to commute to school. They hadn’t even gotten together yet! And the glorious image they’d built up for me since childhood completely fell apart! Hey, buddy. You’ve seen someone’s reputation go up in flames, right? But I bet you’ve never seen your own parents’ reputations go up in flames! * M 427Reads8.7Score10314d adds
- 46 A Solitary Goose in the Southern Song: One Wing Crosses Ten Thousand Leagues of Sea 南宋孤鸿影：片翼横渡万重溟 When he was fourteen, he crawled out of a city consumed by flames, carrying half of a broken jade pendant against his chest and gripping his father's old saber. For a hundred years afterward, that saber stood between heaven and earth, between all things and all people. He had the power to save the world. But he couldn't protect the girl he met in the flames, no matter how desperately he tried. “You want to save the world you cannot see,” she said. “I want to save the people right in front of m 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 47 Hengchang Pawnshop on Yong'an Street: The Private Ledger That Was Never Destroyed 永安街恒昌当：那本从未销过的私账 Hengchang Pawnshop on Yong'an Street: The Private Ledger That Was Never Written Off —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 48 I Played Coward for Half a Year, Then the Courtesan Next Door Ran Off with the Money 我装怂半年，隔壁花魁卷款跑了 I Played the Coward for Half a Year, and the Courtesan Next Door Ran Off with the Money —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 49 Soft Candy Locks the Edge 软糖锁锋 Soft Candy Locks the Blade —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 50 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 48Reads—Score—14d adds
