Novels like Muddy Waters
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Muddy Waters, best match first.
- 1 You Are on the Cliff 你在悬崖上 Ji Wujing stayed with Ye Lansheng for seven years, without a name or a place in his life. When she was young and naive, she fell in love with him and foolishly dreamed of becoming his bride. But she no longer wants that. All she wants is to leave him in the best way possible. 4kReads9.0Score397Shelves
- 2 The Crowded Tide 人潮汹涌 Zhou Zhijing finally found the perfect rich husband and successfully made her way into Haijing City's upper circles. But the day after her engagement, she had a nightmare. In the dream, Chen Zongci sat on a black leather sofa, gazing down at her in silent disdain. The moment she jolted awake, the nightmare came true. Chen Zongci appeared in her cheap rental apartment and looked down at her. “Want to marry into my family? Come beg me.” He let her use him, scheme against him, and take advantag 6.3kReads8.8Score714Shelves
- 3 A Clean Break 一拍两散 The day Chen Nian left. Xu Yanqing wore her favorite white shirt and stood in front of her. “Was it fun?” He looked wretched and forlorn, the corners of his eyes red, as if she were the heartless one between them. 1.5kReads8.9Score709Shelves
- 4 The South Wind Blows into My Arms 南风入我怀 She was the lover he had cast aside. And the wife he had married by any means necessary. She had thought it was just another game he’d taken up on a whim. With no way to avoid it, she decided to play along. Everyone said she was the woman Young Master Lu loved most, because she was the only one who dared to wreck his events and slap him in the face, while he always smiled and told her to do whatever made her happy. But only she knew that she was the woman he hated and despised most. He had aband 383Reads9.3Score212Shelves
- 5 He Is an Obsession Beyond This World 他是人间妄想 A bewitching heroine from the mortal world VS a gentle, scheming hero Three years later, she returned to Jincheng with a prestigious family background, a devoted lover, and a pair of adorable twins. Carrying a glass of wine, she smiled radiantly as she mingled at the banquet. But the moment she turned around, he pinned her behind an empty pillar. He was a dim star in the night sky, once the unattainable fantasy she could only gaze at from afar. Now he spoke fiercely in her ear: “You finally came 1.6kReads8.5Score191Shelves
- 6 Day and Night 日以继夜 “Are you there?” Late one night, she sent the first message to a man she'd met only once. From then on, there was no turning back. Until one day. Trapped and desperate, she stumbled toward him. He walked right past without even looking at her, as if they had never met. At last, she came to her senses. The passion she'd glimpsed in his eyes during those heated moments wasn't love. She had simply thought too highly of herself. 2.6kReads9.3Score346Shelves
- 7 Ci Ci Like Dust 辞辞如尘 What I owe Cen Ci, I will repay with my whole life, even if I must humble myself to the dust... 95Reads8.2Score—Shelves
- 8 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. 3.2kReads8.2Score310Shelves
- 9 Captive Wild Rose 囚禁野玫瑰 Angsty romance + unhinged male lead (if you dislike this, don’t read) + no reconciliation Another warning: the male lead is obsessive and unhinged. If you dislike that, don’t read. Aloof, noble doctor Shi Yi VS gentle, well-behaved teacher Yu Huan From the moment the first rose bloomed, the Creator had been plotting this encounter, one called redemption. Shi Yi was like the moon reflected on water. Yu Huan had gazed up at him for five whole years, loving him humbly as her bright, clear white ros 2.7kReads8.7Score133Shelves
- 10 Taking the Vows 受戒 From the very first day she met Pei Zhi, she wanted to dirty him. Every inch of him, inside and out. “A story about a serial heartbreaker who decides to go straight” 2.2kReads8.6Score115Shelves
- 11 Entangled in Spring's Passion, Secretly Enchanted! 春色缠人，暗里着迷！ [Devoted to each other] [1v1] [Gorgeous heroine] [Rich-family revenge] [Playing the fool to catch the tiger] [Happy ending] A brilliant, scheming little siren vs. a restrained, composed beauty on a high peak When Xiao Zhuo first meets her, he ignores her completely and treats her fake, pretentious older sister with tenderness instead. Su Tangchao sneers. She loves seeing a cool, noble, unattainable man go crazy for her. Later, Su Tangchao discovers he's hard to win over and even harder to shake 5.3kReads8.9Score406Shelves
- 12 Absurd 荒唐 Jian Ning pursued Fu Jinyan by every means possible. Everyone knew it. Fu Jinyan did everything he could to avoid Jian Ning, even setting traps to shake her off. Fu Jinyan: “I've always thought of you as a little sister!” Jian Ning: ... When they met again, Fu Jinyan's gaze fell on the high slit of the qipao at Jian Ning's thigh. His voice was stern. “You may only wear that qipao at home.” Jian Ning glanced at Fu Jinyan's female companion, her red lips curling into a smile. In a sweet, se —Reads—Score—Shelves
- 13 The Mad Dog 恶犬 Du Yutong opened her eyes in Chen Yang’s bed. Staring at the face in front of her, identical to ‘his,’ she screamed in anguish. Chen Yang’s gaze turned cold. “If you really can’t do it, just pretend I’m Chen Ji.” 463Reads9.4Score117Shelves
- 14 If You Leave, I’ll Miss You Most 你若离去最相思 Years later, the people of Yucheng still treated that scandalous tale of the wealthy as a favorite topic of idle conversation. A shrewd woman from the streets had clawed her way to the top and become the pampered wife of a ridiculously rich man. She was addicted to gambling and had once racked up ten million in gambling debts. She was vulgar and flashy, a notorious social butterfly. And yet Gu Hansheng still doted on her. Until this wicked woman of the century dug her own grave and caused th 1.6kReads8.9Score148Shelves
- 15 The Caged Songbird Ensnared the Mad Emperor 笼中雀她渣了疯批皇帝 [Taking Her by Force / The Long Road to Winning Her Back | Sweet, Deceptive Maid × Domineering, Ruthless, Scheming Emperor] Xu Zhixing was emperor twice in his life. The first time he took the throne, he kept Jiang Si imprisoned by his side and personally forced her to drink a pregnancy-preventing potion. But power struggles were rife with hidden murderous intent, and life and death were unpredictable. In just a few short years, the dynasty changed hands several times. After the Qing dynasty was 1.1kReads8.4Score102Shelves
- 16 Keeping a Beauty Hidden 藏娇 [They’re Each Other’s First and Only + Beijing Social Circles + Secret Crush Comes True + Polished, Twisted, Obsessive, Scheming, and Unhinged Hero vs. Sweet, Wild Little Temptress] Everyone in the modeling world knows that Ruan Wei is a temptress, with a bewitching figure and a mesmerizing allure. She’ll use any means to seduce a man, with no shame or limits. Everyone waits for her to fall from grace, but instead she dumps her ex and climbs straight into the bed of Fourth Young Master Fu, one o 2.9kReads8.7Score311Shelves
- 17 The Night Banquet 夜宴 On the night before Xu Suining was to marry Luo Zhihe, Chen Lu clutched her wrist, his voice trembling. “It was me. I was the one who got together with you first.” Love is so unreliable. That’s why I like wild nights of drinking and revelry, then going our separate ways the next day. 1.4kReads8.8Score464Shelves
- 18 Off-Key 荒腔 Sweet, devoted romance × the second male lead wins × chasing her after losing her × twin brothers Sui Ye has a secret: he has the same face as his older brother, He Zheng. After an accident while diving leaves his brother “a fool,” Sui Ye appears to inherit everything belonging to his “foolish” brother, including... the girl he loves. Taking his foolish brother's place as the girl's boyfriend gives Sui Ye a thrilling sense of transgression. At first, Sui Ye loves watching Zhao Yun call him “ 15.5kReads9.0Score1.7kShelves
- 19 Soft Bones 软骨 [Pseudo-taboo + possessiveness + long-planned scheme + ten-year age gap + older man/younger woman romance + revenge + sweet romance + equally matched leads] [Falsely obedient black-lotus heiress VS aloof, refined, secretly passionate mogul] When Shi Qian was five, someone locked her in a dilapidated house as a cruel prank, nearly costing her life. Yan Chi rescued her. The boy in a white shirt bent down toward her. “Big brother’s here to take you home.” Later, after an accident, Yan Chi grew to h 216Reads6.4Score—Shelves
- 20 Heartless 薄情 Qin Songyao married into the Bo family for three years, seeking neither wealth nor status, but that damn thing called true love. One day, they divorced, and she became the laughingstock of the whole city. At the civil affairs bureau, the couple faced each other for the last time. Bo Siyan was as cold as ever. “Take your divorce settlement and disappear. Don’t even think about getting back together.” Qin Songyao put on her sunglasses and smiled faintly, declaring on the spot, “We’ll never get bac 22.4kReads8.5Score2.3kShelves
- 21 After the Substitute Left, the Cunning Big Shot Regretted Everything 替身退场后，腹黑大佬悔不当初 Capital Circle princeling | Wife-Chasing Crematorium | Bittersweet Push and Pull | A Touch of Angst | Deadpan Humor Sharp-tongued, calculating heir vs. cool, resilient beauty Luo Qingci and Jin Chengxiao have been married for three years, yet they have barely seen each other. She knows that if not for the misunderstanding back then, Jin Chengxiao would never have married her. His heart belongs to her younger sister, Luo Shanyue. Luo Shanyue is the Luo family's true daughter, born to them in 287Reads—Score—Shelves
- 22 A Tender Love, Etched Deep in Our School Days 校缘中，柔情刻骨 After returning to China, Bei Miao, a brilliant young man who graduated from a prestigious American university, meets Luo Xiaoxue, a beautiful and kind-hearted girl. They fall for each other at first sight. What kind of sparks will fly in their ordinary lives when they put their Armor Hero identities aside and reunite in a peaceful era, free of alien beasts causing trouble, in an entirely new way...? 20Reads—Score—Shelves
- 23 I Promise You a Lifetime of Longing 许你一生长相思 Xu Nuannuan is mute. At eighteen, Mu Sibai brings her back from the countryside. Overnight, she goes from a country girl to the envy of every woman in the capital: Mrs. Mu. She is mute, and also a spare bone marrow donor Mu Sibai keeps for the woman he loves. Two years after arriving at the Mu family home, she finally understands that the man has given her nothing but coldness and cruelty. On a bitterly cold night, Xu Nuannuan takes a knife and, with tears of blood streaming down her face, plung 549Reads6.0Score—Shelves
- 24 This Is Where It Ends 到此为止 [Angst-heavy story. Read with caution. The male lead is not chaste.] “Ru Yi, when you act like this, it makes me think you still can’t let go of me.” All the pain and torment must have begun with those words. Or perhaps it was “You haven’t been able to forget me, Ru Yi.” Much later, when Ru Yi thought back on her tangled history with Pei Shiyu, that was what she believed. He would remember the scent from deep in his memories, carried on a gentle breeze, but he wouldn’t remember how much he h 4kReads8.5Score189Shelves
- 25 Secretary Pei Oversteps His Place 裴秘书以下犯上 As a daughter of the Ning family, Pei Yiqi once had a marriage match that everyone in Beizhou envied. That was until her alcoholic biological father claimed her. Her fiancé, Tan Yanjue, who had always treated her with the utmost care, sat in his car, too high and mighty to even step out. “You’re no longer the Ning family’s only daughter. Don’t tell me you still expect me to honor that worthless engagement?” He ripped off the cufflinks she had given him and tossed them out the window like trash. 2.6kReads8.5Score147Shelves
- 26 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 541Reads8.3Score103Shelves
- 27 Falling into the Reversed Position 逆位沦陷 [Book Two of Gray Lotus] Intense Romance + A Business-War Chess Game The intersecting aesthetics of love and strategy, a romance that defies labels. [Recommended for] Readers with sharp minds, broad knowledge, literary sophistication, and wide-ranging reading tastes “I fear the darkness and the fall, yet I was born in darkness and fell into lowliness…” A love-hate entanglement between darkness and light… A reversed redemption between a black peacock and a white swan… The male lead is slightly yo 3.9kReads8.9Score443Shelves
- 28 I Tormented the Demon Lord a Thousand Times, and He Gave Me a Golden Chain 我虐魔尊千百遍，魔尊送我金锁链 (Both leads are devoted to each other + both are reborn + loyal puppy-like male lead + happy ending + male lead suffers + she chases him after their breakup + he chases her after their breakup) Jun Muyan was chained to the bed by the Demon Lord with golden chains for two whole years. After drinking a contraceptive decoction brought by one of his subordinates, she died of rage. When she opened her eyes again, she had been reborn five years in the past. The Demon Lord was still a frail young man, 128Reads7.0Score—Shelves
- 29 Giving In 服软 My new work is here! You can read it on Tomato Novel. I hope you’ll enjoy it. Your support is what keeps me writing, and I’ll do my best to tell every story well! 24.6kReads9.0Score2kShelves
- 30 After I Decided to Stop Loving Him, He Regretted It 我决定不再爱他后，他后悔了 Five years after I married Ye Nanchen, Tang Ning, the unattainable woman Ye Nanchen had always loved, came back. Our marriage slowly began to crack. Ye Nanchen started standing me up from time to time. The first time was the day I won a design award. Ye Nanchen said he wanted to celebrate with me. But the moment Tang Ning called, he left to see her. The second time was on my birthday. The candles were lit, but I hadn't made a wish yet. Tang Ning called again, and off he went. The third time was 144Reads—Score—Shelves
- 31 The Leaves Won’t Fall This Autumn 这个秋天叶不落 Two years after their breakup, Ji Hengzhou only wants revenge on her! Tang Suiyu once thought that leaving alone, carrying all her pain, was the best choice. But as her life neared its end, fate brought them together again, and she learned just how much Ji Hengzhou hated her! Only when she was at death’s door did Ji Hengzhou realize how much he owed her: her parents, her child, her eyesight... 574Reads5.5Score103Shelves
- 32 Burning Kiss! 炙吻！ [Now publishing] Shen San, of the Shen family in East City, is a carefree playboy who lives for fun. But everyone in his circle knows that the old Shen San never showed any interest in women. There was only one girl by his side, and he kept her so hidden away that he was afraid anyone else might even look at her. He once doted on her as if she were the most precious thing in his life, but when they split up, they truly tore into each other. Then, at a party, someone happened to switch the chan 33.3kReads9.4Score3.5kShelves
- 33 The Art of Deception 过分伪装 [Short tragic romance + fast-paced + bad ending] On a night of torrential rain, Huo Chenyiao pinched her chin and sneered. “For six years, every single day I've thought about how to destroy you.” - He forced her to sign a mistress contract and took what he wanted from her night after night. When he discovered she was pregnant, he personally sent her to the operating table. He didn't know that the strange woman he'd spent the night with at the bar was her. Even less did he know that the ink on he 4.3kReads8.5Score276Shelves
- 34 I Saw You in the Abyss 我于深渊时见你 After 21 years of living each other’s lives, the real heiress was brought home, while I, the fake heiress, was about to lose everything I had once been proud of. To make it up to the real heiress, my father ordered me to take my younger sister’s place and marry into a poor village in the countryside. I thought my life had fallen into endless darkness, but he was like a ray of light, illuminating the depths where I had fallen. [Published in print] 5.5kReads9.3Score725Shelves
- 35 Beautiful Years 景年 [Angst! Angst! Angst! Angst!] My name is Jiang Nian. I was born in the height of summer and died in the depths of winter. Fate was always fleeting, and even meeting you was a blessing. We were destined to meet in this life, but not to be together. May we continue our bond in the next. The debts of this life must be repaid in this life. On the road to the afterlife, don’t look back. May we have a better fate and grow old together in the next life! I still remember the words Lin Anjing said to 521Reads8.1Score—Shelves
- 36 Rules for a Caged Canary: Don't Expose the Powerful Man's Fake Blindness 金丝雀守则，别拆穿大佬装瞎 [Print edition in the works] [Physiological obsession] [Mild yandere male lead] [Both leads are inexperienced in body and heart] The male lead is not a criminal. A tribute to every unsung hero who bears the burden and keeps going. When Li Yang is expelled from the police academy, she is recruited for an undercover mission. Li Yang: “Do I need to seduce him?” Officer: “No. You’ll just be making tea.” Li Yang: “Who is the target?” Officer: “The most doted-on son of a prominent Southeast Asian 69.5kReads9.3Score7.5kShelves
- 37 After She Died, President Lu Went Mad with Grief, Weeping at Her Tombstone 她死后，陆总跪在墓碑前哭疯了 Five years ago, on the day of Qin Qian and Lu Tingshen’s wedding, Lu Tingshen accused her father of hiring someone to commit murder. Qin Tian was taken away by the police and never returned! Qin Qian traded her life for freedom and the child in her womb. Five years later, what kind of plot will drag her back in, and what twists and turns await her? 1.6kReads8.3Score213Shelves
- 38 A Fire That Won't Die Down 炙火难熄 Sheng Yan VS Zhou Ruochu [Childhood friends + arranged marriage to true love + love grows over time + chasing his wife to win her back] Their families arranged their marriage. Sheng Yan loved someone else, and Ruochu knew it perfectly well. In the first year of their marriage, he left her behind to work abroad. They only saw each other a few times all year. In the second year, she heard he was having a wild time overseas. She followed him abroad and saw for herself as he got involved with a gorg 2kReads6.7Score128Shelves
- 39 Out of Control and Falling: Mr. Chu Kisses Me to Tears Every Night! 失控沉沦！夜夜被楚先生亲哭了！ A pampered, teary-eyed heiress × a powerful, ruthless tycoon who goes mad for love Only each other | The powerful one bows to love | Utterly doting | A sweet little romance Song Huanni, the only daughter of the Song family, was raised in luxury and surrounded by love. As a result, she was the sort of crybaby who’d burst into tears at the slightest grievance. To reclaim the emerald bracelet her grandmother had pawned and sold in her youth, Song Huanni accidentally crossed paths with Chu Tinghe 1kReads8.4Score100Shelves
- 40 Hidden Away 厮藏 [Willing to be the other woman for love + psycho romance + revenge and forced love + a little morally gray + angst] [A cold, seductive psycho male lead x a cool-headed female lead studying journalism] He was Cheng Jiu, and he was also Fu Yu. In the pitch-black night, beneath the bright moonlight, osmanthus blossoms drifted down from the sky. Eight-year-old Tu Jing stood in a tree, nervously gripping her cloth bag as she looked down at him. They fell in love at first sight. Later, he plunged a k 1kReads—Score—Shelves
- 41 Brazenly 明目张胆 Wen Yan is the most notorious illegitimate daughter in Haicheng. Everyone says she’s daring, but no one expected her to be bold enough to set her sights on Zhou Yuncheng, the newly minted fiancé of the powerful Shu family. That man is aloof and untouchable, a god who could never be defiled. Wen Yan only wants to drag him down from his pedestal, keep him by her side, and make him hers. She wants him to lose control, to beg her for mercy. A possessive, abstinent male lead vs. a pitiful, lovesick y 413Reads8.4Score177Shelves
- 42 For the Rest of My Life, Loving You Is My Illness 余生，爱你成疾 Eleven years ago, Lu Tingchen promised that Su Nian would be the only woman in his life. Eleven years later, he had become the powerful president of the Lu Corporation, surrounded by countless beautiful women. She was nothing but his gravely ill, worn-out wife, forced to watch him fool around outside their marriage for three years. When his mistress got pregnant and moved into their home, Su Nian became the clingy nuisance everyone accused of refusing to divorce him. “Lu Tingchen, you said I wou 300Reads6.6Score101Shelves
- 43 The Boy I Found in the Heavy Snow Killed My Entire Family 大雪捡来的少年，杀了我全家 The Boy I Rescued in the Snow Killed My Entire Family 1.6kReads—Score—Shelves
- 44 Haunting My Dreams 魂牵梦萦 He was the moon in the heavens, hanging high and bright. She thought she could carefully guard this secret seed of love and keep it from sprouting, but day after day spent together had allowed it to grow into a towering tree. When her love became bone-deep and impossible to suppress, she had no choice but to reach out and bring the divine one down to earth. 8.5kReads9.1Score617Shelves
- 45 My White Moonlight Is Back from the Dead, and the Heiress Is Out of Prison: I'm Done Pretending, Time to Make Them Suffer! 白月光复活，出狱千金：不装了，开虐！ Mu Man is dead, and Qi Heng personally sent Cheng Ziyue to prison. During her two years behind bars, Qi Heng’s order to “take good care of her” left Cheng Ziyue a changed woman. She even lost the hearing in her left ear in prison. Before going in, Cheng Ziyue said, “I didn’t kill her.” Qi Heng was unmoved. After she got out, Cheng Ziyue said, “I killed Mu Man. I’m guilty.” Qi Heng’s face turned livid. “Shut up! Don’t ever let me hear you say that again!” Cheng Ziyue smiled. “It’s true. I killed 1.3kReads—Score—Shelves
- 46 Madam, President Yan Deserves to Die a Thousand Deaths! 夫人，颜总罪该万死啊！ Bai Wanxi killed someone. Yan Qingyun personally sent her to a psychiatric hospital. When she got out, all she had left was a disabled body. Yan Qingyun still wouldn’t leave her alone. “I want you to live as a prisoner and spend the rest of your life atoning to me.” “I’m a murderer. I’m guilty, and I’m willing to accept my punishment,” she said indifferently. He flew into a rage. “Bai Wanxi, I’ll make your filthy soul burn in hell.” She thought the psychiatric hospital was the eighteenth level o 637Reads8.4Score—Shelves
- 47 You’ve Got to Be Wild 够野才行 [A roguishly handsome, arrogant, sharp-tongued young nobleman vs. a gorgeous, bold female CEO] [A prestigious marriage alliance + 1v1, both pure + married first, love later + strong heroine and hero + mutual secret crushes + devoted hero later on + HE] The Li family falls into ruin, and Li Wan’yi’s father is thrown into prison. She is forced to marry Song Tingyuan, the richest man in Songcheng, becoming the fourth wife he is about to take. The news spreads throughout Songcheng that Song Tingyuan 7.5kReads9.2Score837Shelves
- 48 If I’d Never Loved You 如果从没爱过你 For three years, despite bearing the weight of everyone’s scorn, Yan Xiaoan did only one thing: no matter what the outside world said, she loved a man named Lu Yun Zhan with unwavering devotion every single day. She loved him too deeply, yet she knew she was close to breaking. In the end, Lu Yun Zhan fell in love with the woman he had always looked down on, and bowed his proud head for her. 1.6kReads8.8Score101Shelves
- 49 I Witness Your Wedding in the Name of Your Lawful Wife 我以正妻之名为你证婚 I Bear Witness to Your Wedding in the Name of Your Legal Wife 5.9kReads—Score75.9kShelves
- 50 Tortured into Love: Mr. Lu's New Mute Wife 虐爱成宠：陆总的新婚哑妻 Everyone in their circle knew that Lu Jingchi had a woman he cherished above all else, a canary he spoiled with lavish gifts, would fight for in a jealous rage, and would even risk his life to protect. But they also knew Lu Jingchi had a wife: a mute with no presence, a creeping vine who could only survive by clinging to him. Even Lu Jingchi thought so, until one day, the mute handed him a divorce agreement. Lu Jingchi lost his composure. 651Reads7.9Score257Shelves
