Novels like The Time You Lit Up
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as The Time You Lit Up, best match first.
- 1 When Love Hits Zero 当爱归零 Our favorite song became the ending to our story. The Roche limit between us kept growing wider and wider. I'm finally ready to let myself go. This is where we part ways. You're nothing special; it was my affection that cast a glow over you, making you shine so brightly... —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 2 Reborn: I Give You a Galaxy of Stars 重生之赠你万里星河 Shen Zhiyu is reborn in her middle school years. Will she have regrets this time? Will she repeat the mistakes of her previous life, or will she take on fate and change her own destiny? 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 3 Loving You from the Start 最初爱你 [School days / secret crush / childhood friends / reunion after years apart] A girl’s secret thoughts, a girl’s secret thoughts. Pure-hearted, mischievous sweetheart VS warmhearted, cool, and aloof campus heartthrob Su Tang’s secret crush, a handsome upperclassman, suddenly appears in her living room and becomes the older boy next door. 9Reads—Score—14d adds
- 4 Moonlight Gazing at Distant Stars 月望遥星宸 At nineteen, Li Jiyue, a first-year philosophy student, worked hard to earn a place on the student union at Yuqiao College. Her life was quiet, and she paid little attention to the outside world. Then one day, her attention was caught by an older student in the choir. His name was Ji Chenchen, and he studied photography. Warm and outgoing, gentle and considerate, earnest yet humble, he was well-known across campus. From then on, she kept moving closer to him, only to pull away again. Later, Ji C 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 5 After Years of Secretly Loving Him, My Best Friend Confessed to My Dream Guy 暗恋多年，好闺蜜竟向男神表白过 After years of secretly loving him, she discovers that her best friend once confessed to her dream guy. 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 6 Graduating with Him at the Civil Affairs Bureau 和他在民政局毕业 [#MutualSecretCrushes #ReunionAfterYearsApart #BothEachOther’sFirstLove #SweetRomance] [Gentle, Flirtatious Doctor × Sweet, Soft-Spoken Techie] They spent six years apart. When they meet again, He Shihuai is a star of the medical school, while Zhou Lanan is the information school’s belle. Throughout her youth, she loved him without telling a soul. Then, she decided she didn’t want to love him anymore. Until one day, He Shihuai wrapped his arms around her and said, “Little one, I’ve loved you fo 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 7 Big Shot, Please Accept This Love Guide 大佬请收下恋爱指南 In her second year of high school, Gao Xingxing fell for the transfer student Lu Zeyan. All she got in return was, “We’re from different worlds.” She didn’t understand it then. Later, she did, and made a graceful exit. She spent her entire youth trying to forget him. After starting work, Gao Xingxing ran into Lu Zeyan again. She was a newly hired junior employee, and he was President Lu! But she still couldn’t give up, and kept flirting with him! Flirting with him! Flirting with him! In the end, 2Reads7.1Score—14d adds
- 8 Just in Time to Share Your Youth 恰好参与你的青春 We met when we were both young, but neither dared be the first to confess our feelings. Liu Meng has been single and working herself to the bone for five years since graduation. While moving house with her mother, she happens to find her high school diaries and graduation photos, bringing back memories of her time at Ping'an Middle School. At first, she was just a dark-skinned, overweight girl. Then Chen Yu, a top student as warm as sunshine, unexpectedly entered her world and made all of high s 16Reads—Score—14d adds
- 9 Lawyer Wen, Your Secret Crush Is Up to No Good 闻律师，你的暗恋对象他心怀不轨 What does it feel like to have a secret crush? It's instinctively noticing his every move. One smile from him can make you happy for ages, while a little coldness leaves you down for half a day. It's typing and deleting messages over and over, afraid of seeming too forward, but also afraid he won't realize how you feel. It's feeling inexplicably jealous when you see him getting close to someone else, even though you have no right to be jealous. It's having all your emotions swayed by him, ye 24Reads8.4Score—14d adds
- 10 Crush Countdown: Three, Two, One 暗恋截止，倒数三二一 Secret crush + reunion after years apart + healing + redemption Introduction 1: What does it feel like when, after years apart, the person you've been secretly in love with becomes your direct boss? Song Hee's first thought was that she should quit. But after considering her finances and the reality of the situation, she decided to stay... Introduction 2: Song Hee never thought of herself as particularly devoted or capable of loving someone for a long time. But when it came to Liang Huaixu, s 61Reads—Score—14d adds
- 11 South Branch Longs for the Sun 南枝独慕向阳生 (Complete) [College campus + unrequited love becomes mutual + cozy, slow-burn romance + healing and sweet] [Reserved, insecure, resilient good girl + refined, elegant golden boy] The first time Cheng Nanzhi saw Jiang Xiangyang, he stepped forward and stood in front of her. For the next six years, she filled her diaries with everything she felt about him. * In their seventh year, they meet again at university, and their parallel lines finally cross. He says, “I've realized you make me feel... so 163Reads—Score—14d adds
- 12 I Had a Whirlwind Wedding with My High School Crush 我和高中暗恋的男神闪婚了 [Secret crush comes true + sweet romance + marriage first, love later + devoted to each other] Lu Qingjin, the most distinguished young man in the capital, was aloof and self-possessed. He had no shortage of admirers growing up, yet he had never fallen for a single girl. One day, he received an exquisitely embroidered handkerchief. His childhood friend saw it, snatched it away, and trampled it underfoot. Gu Qingjin merely watched, his expression indifferent. Outside the window, Yu Nian watched a 70Reads8.4Score—14d adds
- 13 After Moving in with My Secret Crush, He Dropped His Act 和暗恋对象同居后，他崩人设了 [One-on-One, Mutual Devotion, Secret Crush Comes True, Both Make Their Way to Each Other] [Children’s Book Editor × Rising Star in Tech] [We agreed this was just a contract cohabitation, so why are you getting so close to me?] In high school, Jiang Shuyi had a crush on Pei Xunli, but even by the time he graduated, she hadn’t managed to introduce herself to him. Years later, the secret crush she’d had as a teenager had long since been snuffed out by life’s daily grind. At twenty-five, they met ag 3.3kReads8.3Score56114d adds
- 14 You Were My Secret Crush When I Was Young 你是年少的暗恋 Secret crushes, love, regrets… These are the words that describe our youth. Our story, carried on the wind, brought us together… The world is vast, and life is full of ordinary joys. Everything is you, and nothing is you. I hope the person you like likes you back. 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 15 I Only Wanted to Hear You Say You Like Me 不过是想听一句喜欢 Ever since graduating from high school, Lin Miaoshang has carried a sense of regret. She had secretly loved someone for three whole years, but was too stubborn to confess. Even by graduation, she hadn’t let him glimpse even the slightest hint of her feelings. After a year of college, she finally realized that she really did love him and couldn’t forget him. But fate can slip away in a single moment, and feelings left unspoken may never get another chance to be expressed. Then one day, at the mil 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 16 I Won't Hide in the Corner Anymore 我不会再躲在角落了 [Mutual pining + Healing and salvation + Devoted to each other + Sweet romance] [Sweet third-year master's student in a lab VS computer technician] Back in high school, Chen Yifan turned down Su Jingqi's request for a photo together for the umpteenth time. Do you regret it? You don't even have a single photo together. Six years later, when they reunite after a long separation, Chen Yifan leans slightly toward her, his thin lips close to Su Jingqi's ear. With a hint of smugness and a mischievous 4Reads6.5Score—14d adds
- 17 Stop Running, Captain Gu's Sweetheart 别逃了顾中队的小娇妻 Mu Nanfeng isn’t a voice fan. But during high school military training, she heard a boy’s formation call, “At ease. Attention.” From that moment on, she was captivated. She lost her heart to his voice, and then lost her heart altogether. Unfortunately, the boys and girls trained separately, and when training ended, she still hadn’t found the owner of that voice. Then, in the second week of school, Mu Nanfeng finally heard that voice again. And she finally saw its owner. From then on, she felt he 28Reads—Score—14d adds
- 18 Finding Joy in You 以你为乐 [Sensitive, Obsessive Teacher Heroine VS Cold, Slow-to-Warm Undercover Hero] “How bitter. So this is what a kiss tastes like.” “I knew I was the one who liked you, so I did everything I could to get close to you. I could ignore your coldness any number of times, as long as I still liked you.” “By the shore, a boat waits where the water flows; at the riverbank, I long to turn back and cross.” At twenty-six, Lin Luoting unexpectedly met Jiang Shangzhou, the man she'd loved since she was sixteen. T 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 19 If You Like Me Too 若你也喜欢 Xia Xi thinks having a secret crush is hard. It's like walking through thick fog and catching sight of a faint, elusive light; like reaching out to a newly bloomed rose and getting your hand pierced by its thorns; like seeing a beautiful work of art but being able to admire it only from afar because it's so exquisite and expensive. That's because the person she likes is Zhou Yu. He can stand beside her, talk to her, and warmly call her “Classmate Xia,” but he doesn't like her. He has his own l 56Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 20 Whose Secret Crush Will Finally Bloom? 谁的暗恋开花结果 [Both Leads Are Each Other’s Firsts / Secret Crush / He Chases Her / Happy Ending] Campus + City Life, mostly on campus When you’re sinking deep into a swamp and someone reaches out to pull you up, what would you do? Maybe it sounds clichéd, but Lin Xue fell for him. That’s exactly what happened. What is a secret crush? Lin Xue likes Chen Yuan, and the whole world knows nothing about it. Chen Yuan likes Lin Xue, and the whole world knows, except Lin Xue. A few scenes: 1. Chen Yuan had just walke 12Reads6.7Score—14d adds
- 21 The Star Chaser 追星星的他 [Mutual secret crushes • Reunion after years apart • Anime designer and abstinent sports medicine doctor] There's always one person in this world who stars in the diary you kept as a teenager, the person you would never bring yourself to mention to anyone, and the one who makes you see no one else when they're before your eyes. At seventeen, Jian Xingchen met Luo Xiaoqian, who lit up her entire youth. But because of her sensitivity and lack of confidence, the two never grew very close. Still, sh 90Reads8.4Score—14d adds
- 22 My Clock Hands Are Set to You 我的时针为你校准 [First love, secret crush, devoted affection, and a sweet HE! Childhood friends whose secret crush becomes mutual] At nine, whenever she was late, he always moved her stool into place ahead of time. At fourteen. “There’s a girl in our class who likes you.” “Who?” “Me.” “I like Cheng Man.” At eighteen, she went away to college. He could have applied to a better-ranked university in another province, but instead stayed in their city, where a train ride would let him see her. His reason: “It’s clos 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 23 The Twelve Celestial Mansions 十二星次 Mu Wannan met Gu Ximu when she was seventeen or eighteen. There was joy, certainty, and a love that left a lasting mark. But their youth also brought misunderstandings, resentment, and the choice to give up. Mu Wannan once asked herself: What if they had never met back then... In the end, she smiled helplessly. How could she bear to? 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 24 Beyond the Galaxy, You're Still Here 银河之外，你依旧在 * [Quiet, introverted good girl & warm, sunny, scheming guy] * [Secret crush at first, then they both fall for each other.] A sweet youth romance, 1v1, happy ending, redemption and companionship When Su Jianhe first met Lu Nanting, he was standing in the sunset, backlit, smiling at her. His radiance sent her fleeing in a fluster. After that, this older boy, five years her senior, stood against the sunset countless times and stole her heart completely. During the lonely years of Su Jianhe's life 41Reads—Score—14d adds
- 25 Scorched Lotus 焦荷 [A shy, sensitive stutterer in the early chapters who becomes a warm and resilient screenwriter × a distant, aloof top-tier star who later turns devoted and clingy] [Both inexperienced in love / Secret crush comes true / Utmost devotion / Sweet romance in the entertainment industry] How long is ten years? Long enough for an entire girlhood to be filled with one person’s name. Everyone knows that top-tier star Wei Xing is cold and distant, an untouchable beauty in the entertainment industry. But 973Reads8.5Score20014d adds
- 26 The Days of First Love 初恋岁月 During the three years they knew each other, she experienced love for the first time in her life, and he gave her a beautiful romance. No matter how things ultimately turned out, whether they came together or drifted apart, she was still grateful that he had come into her life. 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 27 Autumn of the Twenty-Seventh Year 第二十七年秋 After being reborn, a poor-performing student dumps the campus heartthrob, who devotes himself to becoming her loyal puppy. Together, they uncover the secret of their mutual secret crushes. 5Reads9.0Score—14d adds
- 28 A Secret Crush in the Troposphere 对流层的暗恋 A Secret Crush in the Troposphere 7Reads—Score—14d adds
- 29 The One I Secretly Loved Chases Me Ten Years Later 十年后被我暗恋的人倒追 Ke Nian reluctantly agreed to go on a blind date in her friend’s place, never expecting her date to be the upperclassman she had secretly admired more than ten years ago! Back then, Ke Nian had fallen for Tang Yi. As time passed, she came to believe they were simply not meant to be. She worked hard to build a good life for herself, transforming from an insecure, ordinary girl into a beautiful, wealthy elite. Then the man she thought she had “no fate with” crossed paths with her again. Wait, what 168Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 30 A Secret Crush with a Lychee Flavor 荔枝味的暗恋 To him, she was only his friend’s younger sister from next door. To her, he was the idol of her high school years, the object of every secret thought in her heart. When they met again in college, she wanted only to get a little closer to him, then a little closer still. [Cool, aloof heartthrob VS sweet, gentle girl] 203Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 31 Sailing Through Azure Skies 蔚蓝以航 Sixteen-year-old Shen Weilan has a secret. That secret is a boy named Cheng Yihang. The sky is vast enough for birds to cross, but you have always been the only path I follow. People say you shouldn't meet someone too dazzling when you're young. Shen Weilan thinks Cheng Yihang was exactly that kind of person: radiant and impossible to overlook. But she was too timid. Even when she returned to school after the college entrance exams, she still couldn't bring herself to confess. Years later, w 136Reads8.7Score—14d adds
- 32 After Getting Into Grad School, I Won Over the Academic Heartthrob 考研上岸后，我攻略了学霸男神 [Sweet Romance] [Hardworking Girl × Gifted Top Student: Famous Screenwriter × Low-Profile Actor] This is a story about a crush. Yan Le'an had imagined countless times what it would be like to meet Yi Xing, but she'd never imagined that it would really happen. For Yan Le'an, there were two strokes of luck in her life. The first was meeting Yi Xing, and the second was getting into Tsinghua University because of him. I fell in love with you before I even knew you. Thank you for becoming my hero in 8Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 33 He Made the Years Gentle 他温柔了岁月 A self-conscious girl meets a warmhearted boy, and her dark world suddenly brightens. A teenage crush is like lemonade sweetened with honey: not too sugary, and sometimes a little sour. Friendship, meanwhile, is a celebration among kindred spirits. Over those three years, they laughed, fooled around, and cried. After that one argument, they thought they would make up and go back to the way things were, but in the end, they went their separate ways. For the next seven years, none of them kept in 5Reads8.1Score—14d adds
- 34 Fulfilling Her Wish 遂她之愿 Thankfully, through every chapter of her unrequited love for him, he quietly answered her feelings in his own way. At sixteen, Li Xiaohan fell in love with Yu Xiao at first sight. That year, she made two wishes: to become his classmate, and to have a passionate, unforgettable romance with him. At seventeen, Yu Xiao was always finding ways to tease her. He would block her path and ask mischievously, “Why won’t you look at me?” Blurb two: At twenty-seven, Yu Xiao slipped a cold ring onto her finge —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 35 May Visions Keep Coming One After Another 愿景络绎来 [From youthful heartbreak between childhood sweethearts to a sweet city romance after years apart, and finally, two people choosing each other for a lifetime] Youth in the ’80s generation! August 18, 2003: Enrollment and military training. June 8, 2006: The college entrance exam ends, and high school graduation follows. Early spring 2016: A reunion after ten years apart. The best Zhang Yuanjing and the best Jiang Luoyi! Time brought the right people back to each other. Luoyi takes Yuanjing’s han —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 36 You Came to Me on a Ray of Light 你踏光而来 As the saying goes, every fat girl is a diamond in the rough. Never underestimate a chubby girl, because she may transform into a beauty one day and win the heart of everyone's dream guy. A sweet, innocent chubby girl versus a cool, aloof heartthrob. A youthful, secret-crush romance with both leads inexperienced and sweetness without end. 46Reads7.0Score—14d adds
- 37 Orange Soda 橘子汽水 [School Days Crush + Coming of Age + A Sweet Romance] That summer was the most unforgettable one of Jiang Qing's life. She fell for a boy. He would always smile at her, wearing his bright blue school uniform. That image was etched into her heart and burned into her eighteenth year. For many years afterward, she would look back and miss the eighteen-year-old girl who hadn't been brave enough. And so the story begins. Hello, Cheng Che. I'm Jiang Qing. "I would never willingly miss a single chance 117Reads8.4Score—14d adds
- 38 Dear Classmate Wen 亲爱的文同学 She loved him for ten years. When she confessed for the third time, he disappeared again, certain she still loved him and would wait for him, just as she had before. But this time, she vanished from his world completely, and he could never find her again. He had once been a rebellious, roguishly handsome boy, and she a cool, aloof girl. They had saved each other, but his helplessness had forced them to part first. During the three years he spent abroad, the only thing he took with him was a phot 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 39 The Echo of a Secret Crush 暗恋之回响 Lin Shijing never expected that one day, the person she had a crush on would suddenly sit in front of her with his “girlfriend.” Just as she grew so flustered she wanted to run away, he showed that he still remembered her... She thought they would never cross paths again, but with every step closer, she fell deeper... Once all the misunderstandings were cleared up, she finally found the courage to confess, only to nearly lose him forever. What she thought was a one-sided crush turned out to be m 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 40 The Light Falls on My Face [Chasing the Light] 光落在我脸上【追光】 [Secret Campus Crush]+ [Mutual Pining] On an evening at the start of sophomore year, Mu Su walked into An Ranran's gloomy world, cloaked in the glow of the sunset. He stayed only briefly, but when he left, he took some of the gloom with him. From that day on, An Ranran's journal was no longer filled with mundane daily accounts. Every page was full of a girl's secret thoughts, and the shadow of a boy. In her senior year, Mu Su transferred back to the capital. Before he left, he gave An Ranran a b —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 41 My Moonlight Is Married with a Kid? But I'll Never Be the Other Woman 白月光已婚带娃？但我誓不当三 [First love + mutual pining + angst before sweetness / pretend family of three] - “Cool-faced, softhearted orthopedic surgeon × unexpectedly nurturing finance executive” At sixteen, Bai Zhiyan secretly fell for a boy who shone like the sun. At eighteen, she finally worked up the courage to confess. But he left with another girl. At twenty-five, they meet again at a class reunion. The boy she once knew is now a rising star in finance, impeccably dressed in a suit and holding an adorable c 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 42 A Secret Understanding 暗暗知心 [Youth: A self-conscious, sensitive soul meets someone bold and unrestrained] [Reunited after years apart, a secret crush comes true: An angel in white and a corporate CEO meet at the top] [A school-days crush, and a love between equals] The silence of words left unspoken is an unbearable pain, yet also a beauty beyond description. I spent my youth secretly loving you, never knowing that by the time we met again, my feelings had grown so deep that our hearts could understand each other without 464Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 43 I Keep the Moon in My Heart 我把月亮藏在心里 [Devoted to Each Other, 1v1] + [Secret School Crush] + [Reunion After Years Apart] Lin Yu first met Gu Jin on the first day of her second year of high school. The boy smiled at her, and that smile made Lin Yu's entire youth shine. Following the homeroom teacher's instructions, Lin Yu walked toward her seat. Gu Jin stopped what he was doing, looked up, and smiled as he greeted her. His smile was like the moon over the mountains, like a breeze through the woods, clean and gentle. It wasn't until a 220Reads8.7Score—14d adds
- 44 Into the Fright 入惊 A young woman's humble story of unrequited love. During her youth, Yunxiang's crush was always surrounded by admirers, while she watched him quietly from afar. Her secret love was a one-woman show: she watched him shine in the crowd, bright as the morning sun. After the college entrance exams, she took a leap of faith and went to Beijing, never expecting that she and the boy would begin crossing paths more and more often. 41Reads7.9Score—14d adds
- 45 The Physics Professor Saw Through My Ten-Year Secret Crush 藏了十年的暗恋，被物理教授看穿 [Cardiothoracic Surgeon × Physics Department's Icy Beauty] [Secret Crush + Reunion After Years Apart + Mutual Devotion] Hidden in Gu Yi's youth is a name: Wen Yan. In high school, he was the aloof academic genius known throughout the school. She was the top student and campus beauty who found every excuse to pass by his classroom, just to sneak a glance at him. She wanted to get closer, but didn't have the courage to let him know how she felt. They went to different universities in the same city 531Reads—Score10114d adds
- 46 Sinking Deeper with Every Step 步步沉陷 [Marriage First, Love Later + Secret Crush Turns Mutual + Pure Love + Angst Early, Sweetness Later + Happy Ending] [Also known as: Secret Love, Hidden Delight] He was a CEO, she was his secretary, and they were tangled up in a complicated relationship. Because of her sister’s dying wish, they kept their marriage a secret. After they married, he gave her all his tenderness and affection, except for one thing: his love. When her sister was reborn in someone else’s body and returned, she smiled and 88Reads6.1Score—14d adds
- 47 Surrendered to a Burning Love 沦陷于炙热的爱恋中 [Childhood Friends + Secret Crush + New Arrival + Mutual Firsts + Sweet Romance + Comeback] [Sweet, well-behaved girl who loses weight and turns her life around + Wealthy but low-key, gentle and aloof top student] When Xue Xian met Jia Yang for the first time at fourteen, she was captivated by his lovely dimples. When they met again at sixteen, Xue Xian was bullied at school for being overweight. The childhood friend she had secretly loved for years avoided her, even watching coldly as she was p 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 48 Sweet Seduction! My Brother and His Friends Can't Get Enough of Me 甜撩！哥哥兄弟宠上瘾 [Age gap + straightforward secret crush + sweet romance + healing each other] Note: The hero is gentle and refined at first (it’s an act), then becomes more scheming later (with a slightly yandere streak). Shen Xingyue has kept a secret for years: she has been in love with someone’s voice for five years. So much so that she has dreamed countless times of defiling the person it belongs to. Even though she has never known what the owner of that voice looks like. The first time she heard it was one 41Reads6.3Score—14d adds
- 49 I Can’t Hide My Secret Crush on You 藏不住对你的暗恋 New book: After Being Reborn, She Is Doted on by the Powerful [Sweet campus romance, secret crush] Linlin has a secret she keeps deep in her heart. She likes someone, someone far out of reach whom she has always followed. To her, that person is like a ray of light, guiding her forward. On their wedding night: “Mumu, I have a secret to tell you...” “Actually, I noticed you back in high school. Why else would we keep running into each other in the library? Why else would we end up at the same univ 3Reads6.1Score—14d adds
- 50 You're the Moon I'll Never Be Able to Hold 你是我永远拥抱不到的月亮 At eighteen, all he knew how to say was “I’m sorry.” At thirty-two, all he still knew how to say was “I’m sorry.” And you, girl, how can he make you understand that the little bit of love he has for you could never be enough to help you fight this worldly prison? 3Reads—Score—14d adds
![The Light Falls on My Face [Chasing the Light]](https://p3-novel.byteimg.com/novel-pic/p2o7d96c21bca7127527d526d6a80c2cc27~tplv-resize:120:0.jpeg)
